Many believers struggle with sickness, disease, anxiety and low self esteem daily? Could it be that they do not know the reality of the redemption available in Christ? The English word “salvation” does not fully communicate what the original Greek word “sozo” means. Typically when people hear the term salvation, they think “Heaven or hell” and while that true, it is an incomplete understanding of what Jesus did on the Cross for those who believe. “Sozo” means deliverance, preservation; material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension.” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words). Notice the word temporal which refers to earthly things. So Jesus came to deliver those who believe from sin and sickness.
This is an amazing promise! Isaiah 53 is about Jesus becoming the substitute from mankind. As I explained this to my children the other day, I used an illustration that I will share with you. Imagine that you have done something wrong and your parents have decided to spank you. You are on the bed preparing to receive what is rightfully yours, the spanking you deserve for your disobedience, but your brother or sister walk in and say, “Don’t spank her/him, spank me instead.” My kids immediately said “Someone would have to really love you to do that.” Well that’s how much God loves you! HE arranged a substitution for you! Isaiah 53 tells us that Jesus himself bore our sickness, disease, grief and sorrow! So it is not the will of God for you to be sick, depressed or bound in any area! Praise the Lord!
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and sickness is a part of those evil works. Many think that God uses sickness to teach his children lessons, but that is erroneous teaching. Often when people tell me that everyone “can’t get healed” I challenge them to confirm that by scripture instead of experience. What does that mean? It means instead of deciding what God will do based on life experience decide what He will do based on His Word. If you read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) you will discover that every time anyone came to Jesus, He healed them! In fact is Matthew 12:15 tells us that “He healed them all.” There is not one place in scripture where people came to Jesus and HE didn’t help them! Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever. Jesus is the same. He healed then and He heals now.
Unfortunately many believers haven’t fully comprehended the magnitude of what Jesus did on the Cross which causes them to struggle with sickness and disease. Not only did He deal with our eternity, but He made provision for right now. No more sin! No more sickness! Allowing sickness to operate in our bodies is like taking the spanking that our sibling has already taken. The price has been paid!
You don’t have to struggle, but you must make some changes in order to walk in freedom. You must get in the Word! Too many believers put more faith in the doctor’s report than the report of God. Often that is because they don’t know what God said. Here are some steps that will help!
1. Take the Word like medicine. Read the scriptures of Jesus healing the multitudes until your heart is convinced that healing is the will of God for you. Be consistent!
2. Find a faith filled church. There are lots of churches that love Jesus, but not so many that believe that the Jesus of the bible is still doing the same miracles today. If you are going to stand in faith, you need to be others who believe in divine healing too. Not people who are trying you to accept your sickness and die gracefully.
3. Obey God – God will give you instructions, follow them! He may correct your eating, increase your water intake, or send you to a certain doctor. Whatever He says do it!
4. Don’t complain about how hard faith is. It may be new, but it can’t be as hard as struggling with sickness, being controlled by fear, spending your money on doctors and medicine. Believing God is easy, you just have to learn what you can believe for!
You don’t have to be sick. God takes no pleasure in your sickness! He sent Jesus to ensure that sickness was dealt with. Now you have to believe it, expect and act in agreement! Remember Jesus healed them all!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Simply Believe
As I was sitting here studying faith, I came across the story of Jairus. Jairus was a father who's daughter was very ill. He went to Jesus and asked Jesus to come to his house to pray for his daughter. Jesus said yes. You can imagine that Jairus must have been so excited! The word on the street is that if Jesus prays, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see...so surely Jesus can help his little girl.
As they are on the way, another person who has also heard about Jesus decides to use her faith. She touches Jesus' garment believing that one touch will bring her healing. Jesus stops in his tracks because He feels power leave Him. Power only leaves when someone uses FAITH! He listens to her story...she has been sick for 12 years...struggling with an issue of blood. She's been to the best doctors, tried the home remedies and spent all of her money, but she's still bleeding. Then she hears about Jesus and all his great works so she decides that she will believe. Her faith causes her to leave her home even though law forbids it because she bleeding. Her faith gives her the strength to press through the crowd even though constantly losing blood makes her weak...in faith she pressed on. She touches Jesus and she is healed! Jesus doesn't rush her...He lets her tells her story. Her faith makes him happy. FINALLY she finishes.
While this is happening, I'm sure that Jairus must have had a mixture of emotions. Slightly irritated that she took this moment to use her faith...after all Jesus is headed to is house. Excited because watching Jesus perform miracle for this women built his confidence...his daughter would be healed. Just as the woman wraps up her thank yous, Jairus feels a tug on his robe, He turns to find his servant. Before the servant speaks a word, the look on his face reveals the news. "Master...no need to trouble the Rabbi....your daughter is dead." Can you imagine the emotions and thoughts that must have flooded Jairus' mind? So close, but not close enough. If only the woman hadn't come? If I had sought the Lord earlier, but before Jairus can utter a word...Jesus says, "Do not be seized with fear or alarm simply believe that I am able to do this and she shall be made well."
Jairus was in the same place that many of us face....God has given us a Word, but the circumstances make that promise seem impossible. What would he do? Even though Jesus was the healer, whether healing made it to Jairus' daughter was based on Jairus...not Jesus. Would he, could he dare to believe that Jesus could still do something. Jairus was a smart man, instead of allowing his emotions to control him, he held on to what Jesus said. He chose to "simply believe"
He believed as he encountered all the people seeking to comfort him. He believed when his wife meet him with tears streaming down her faith. He believed when Jesus told the people the little girl was sleeping and they mocked him. He believed as he walked into the room with Jesus, his wife and the disciples and saw her laying there....clearly dead...
He believed and right before his eyes the impossible became a reality...His little girl woke up!
The lesson we can learn from Jairus is that sometimes you just have to be quiet. You're too emotional to say what God has said so you just have to focus on His promise. You have to be willing to ignore the people who think you are crazy or in denial and even those who mock you. You have to stay focused on what God has said. If you do...you will see...Just like Jairus...
The walk is faith is this...simply believe....
As they are on the way, another person who has also heard about Jesus decides to use her faith. She touches Jesus' garment believing that one touch will bring her healing. Jesus stops in his tracks because He feels power leave Him. Power only leaves when someone uses FAITH! He listens to her story...she has been sick for 12 years...struggling with an issue of blood. She's been to the best doctors, tried the home remedies and spent all of her money, but she's still bleeding. Then she hears about Jesus and all his great works so she decides that she will believe. Her faith causes her to leave her home even though law forbids it because she bleeding. Her faith gives her the strength to press through the crowd even though constantly losing blood makes her weak...in faith she pressed on. She touches Jesus and she is healed! Jesus doesn't rush her...He lets her tells her story. Her faith makes him happy. FINALLY she finishes.
While this is happening, I'm sure that Jairus must have had a mixture of emotions. Slightly irritated that she took this moment to use her faith...after all Jesus is headed to is house. Excited because watching Jesus perform miracle for this women built his confidence...his daughter would be healed. Just as the woman wraps up her thank yous, Jairus feels a tug on his robe, He turns to find his servant. Before the servant speaks a word, the look on his face reveals the news. "Master...no need to trouble the Rabbi....your daughter is dead." Can you imagine the emotions and thoughts that must have flooded Jairus' mind? So close, but not close enough. If only the woman hadn't come? If I had sought the Lord earlier, but before Jairus can utter a word...Jesus says, "Do not be seized with fear or alarm simply believe that I am able to do this and she shall be made well."
Jairus was in the same place that many of us face....God has given us a Word, but the circumstances make that promise seem impossible. What would he do? Even though Jesus was the healer, whether healing made it to Jairus' daughter was based on Jairus...not Jesus. Would he, could he dare to believe that Jesus could still do something. Jairus was a smart man, instead of allowing his emotions to control him, he held on to what Jesus said. He chose to "simply believe"
He believed as he encountered all the people seeking to comfort him. He believed when his wife meet him with tears streaming down her faith. He believed when Jesus told the people the little girl was sleeping and they mocked him. He believed as he walked into the room with Jesus, his wife and the disciples and saw her laying there....clearly dead...
He believed and right before his eyes the impossible became a reality...His little girl woke up!
The lesson we can learn from Jairus is that sometimes you just have to be quiet. You're too emotional to say what God has said so you just have to focus on His promise. You have to be willing to ignore the people who think you are crazy or in denial and even those who mock you. You have to stay focused on what God has said. If you do...you will see...Just like Jairus...
The walk is faith is this...simply believe....
Saturday, August 7, 2010
God and Money
“Above all I wish that you would prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2
God wants His children to prosper in every area including financially. God knows that the world we live in requires money. It takes money to provide a home for your family, money to feed and clothe your family, money to get fuel to go to work. Money is important. Yet, so many believers falsely believe that God is somehow “anti” money. It probably started with this mistranslation “Money is the root of all evil.” The scripture actually says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) This means that the wrong relationship with money is the root of all evil. What’s the wrong relationship with money? It is to trust in money; to exalt it has the number one priority. God should be Number One not money. In fact He tells us that if we seek Him, learn His ways and faithfully follow them, He will add all the things we need to us. (Matthew 6:33)
If God is willing to add things and money to us, then having money and things can’t be wrong. God wants us to seek Him for what we need. He wants to prosper us financially, but He wants us to see Him has our security not the money. Many have thought that being broke is the way to see God has our security, but most poor people spend more time thinking about money than rich people. A poor man is consumed with the thoughts of money because there is never enough. He is constantly thinking of ways to stretch what he has or looking for ways to get more. The man who has more than enough doesn’t have to be consumed with thoughts of money all day because the money is there to be used. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that there are people who have money who are just as controlled by it as people without. My point is that having money or not having money doesn’t make you more God focused, but being God focused can get rid of your money troubles.
“I have given you the power to get wealth.” (Deut 8:18) “Wealth and riches shall be in your house.” (Psalm 112:3) “I will increase you more and more, you and your children.” Psalm 115:14 “My God shall supply your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phill 4:19)
I think my favorite prosperity scripture is “The blessing of the Lord makes us rich and adds no sorrow.” (Proverbs 10:22) When God empowers us to get wealth it causes us to prosper without the sorrow. There are many people who have money, but they work all the time and never see their spouses or children…that is sorrow. Or they spend so much time climbing the corporate ladder that they never have time for a spouse or a family…that is sorrow. Or they work themselves into bad health and an early grave…that is sorrow.
Isaiah 48:17 – God will teach us to profit. God knows how to increase and experience prosperity without destroying a person’s health, relationships or peace of mind. So why don’t more people do things God’s way? They either don’t know or they don’t believe. The bible says that the wisdom of God is foolishness to men. God on purpose chose a system of increase that is a direct contradict to our natural minds. It is the system to seedtime and harvest. “Give and it shall be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.” Luke 6:38
Malachi 3 –“Bring me the tithe and I’ll open up the heavens and empower you to prosper and I’ll keep the devil from stealing the fruit of your labor” (Author’s paraphrase. Because God’s system of increase is based on giving in a world that focused on receiving many Christians miss out. They spend their years struggling because they think they can’t afford to give or they are so concerned about what the preacher will do with the money. You can’t afford not to give. Giving in accordance with the Word, keep Heaven connected to your finances and Heaven NEVER has a recession. It keeps God pouring out ideas that will cause you to prosper no matter what is going on in the economy.
As far as the preacher wanting your money…if you don’t trust your pastor…find a new church! The kingdom operates by authority. God has set people to teach you how to operate in the kingdom…if you don’t trust the person who is teaching you…it will not work. According to Ephesians the apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers are here to help believers develop and grow. If you don’t trust your pastor how can he/she help you develop in faith?
The way to know whether your pastor is teaching you right is get in the Word yourself, spend time in prayer yourself and learn to be led by the Holy Spirit yourself! Often people reject something like the message of prosperity because it’s contrary to what they have previously been taught, but before you decide God’s will isn’t prosperity you should search the Word for yourself!
In this hour that we live it, I take great comfort in knowing that God is concerned about my financial needs. Learning to trust God to provide didn’t happen overnight, but it’s a process of spending time in the Word and spending time. Others can encourage you, but ultimately believing God is a choice you have to make and a journey you have to take.
God wants His children to prosper in every area including financially. God knows that the world we live in requires money. It takes money to provide a home for your family, money to feed and clothe your family, money to get fuel to go to work. Money is important. Yet, so many believers falsely believe that God is somehow “anti” money. It probably started with this mistranslation “Money is the root of all evil.” The scripture actually says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) This means that the wrong relationship with money is the root of all evil. What’s the wrong relationship with money? It is to trust in money; to exalt it has the number one priority. God should be Number One not money. In fact He tells us that if we seek Him, learn His ways and faithfully follow them, He will add all the things we need to us. (Matthew 6:33)
If God is willing to add things and money to us, then having money and things can’t be wrong. God wants us to seek Him for what we need. He wants to prosper us financially, but He wants us to see Him has our security not the money. Many have thought that being broke is the way to see God has our security, but most poor people spend more time thinking about money than rich people. A poor man is consumed with the thoughts of money because there is never enough. He is constantly thinking of ways to stretch what he has or looking for ways to get more. The man who has more than enough doesn’t have to be consumed with thoughts of money all day because the money is there to be used. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that there are people who have money who are just as controlled by it as people without. My point is that having money or not having money doesn’t make you more God focused, but being God focused can get rid of your money troubles.
“I have given you the power to get wealth.” (Deut 8:18) “Wealth and riches shall be in your house.” (Psalm 112:3) “I will increase you more and more, you and your children.” Psalm 115:14 “My God shall supply your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phill 4:19)
I think my favorite prosperity scripture is “The blessing of the Lord makes us rich and adds no sorrow.” (Proverbs 10:22) When God empowers us to get wealth it causes us to prosper without the sorrow. There are many people who have money, but they work all the time and never see their spouses or children…that is sorrow. Or they spend so much time climbing the corporate ladder that they never have time for a spouse or a family…that is sorrow. Or they work themselves into bad health and an early grave…that is sorrow.
Isaiah 48:17 – God will teach us to profit. God knows how to increase and experience prosperity without destroying a person’s health, relationships or peace of mind. So why don’t more people do things God’s way? They either don’t know or they don’t believe. The bible says that the wisdom of God is foolishness to men. God on purpose chose a system of increase that is a direct contradict to our natural minds. It is the system to seedtime and harvest. “Give and it shall be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.” Luke 6:38
Malachi 3 –“Bring me the tithe and I’ll open up the heavens and empower you to prosper and I’ll keep the devil from stealing the fruit of your labor” (Author’s paraphrase. Because God’s system of increase is based on giving in a world that focused on receiving many Christians miss out. They spend their years struggling because they think they can’t afford to give or they are so concerned about what the preacher will do with the money. You can’t afford not to give. Giving in accordance with the Word, keep Heaven connected to your finances and Heaven NEVER has a recession. It keeps God pouring out ideas that will cause you to prosper no matter what is going on in the economy.
As far as the preacher wanting your money…if you don’t trust your pastor…find a new church! The kingdom operates by authority. God has set people to teach you how to operate in the kingdom…if you don’t trust the person who is teaching you…it will not work. According to Ephesians the apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers are here to help believers develop and grow. If you don’t trust your pastor how can he/she help you develop in faith?
The way to know whether your pastor is teaching you right is get in the Word yourself, spend time in prayer yourself and learn to be led by the Holy Spirit yourself! Often people reject something like the message of prosperity because it’s contrary to what they have previously been taught, but before you decide God’s will isn’t prosperity you should search the Word for yourself!
In this hour that we live it, I take great comfort in knowing that God is concerned about my financial needs. Learning to trust God to provide didn’t happen overnight, but it’s a process of spending time in the Word and spending time. Others can encourage you, but ultimately believing God is a choice you have to make and a journey you have to take.
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