Victory
Ministries
Walter
Kambulow
August
1, 2009
All
rights reserved
Burlington,
Ontario
Mail
to walthope@mail.com
https://walthope.tripod.com/healing.htm
Walter Kambulow, is a man like King David, "after God's own
heart." I encourage you to read his books. It will fill your souls with
hearty spiritual food and give you new strength to live your faith in Jesus. He
is Jesus centered and saturated with the Word of God and strong in the Spirit
of the Holy Ghost. He is a great fighter for His King and an encourager of the true Saints. –
He is a man of God
with a sincere burden for the Body of Christ and its attack from these wolves
in sheep’s clothing.
He spends his time
trying to warn the sheep that the Wolves are not coming into the sheep pen,
they are already there and ravaging God’s people with their horrible witchcraft
powers.
Dr. Pat Holiday, Jacksonville, Florida
Free Christian Ebooks in HTM https://walthope.tripod.com/
The All Sufficient Christ https://walthope.tripod.com/sufficient_christ.htm
I Believe, I Receive https://walthope.tripod.com/i_believe.htm
The Lord Is Very Compassionate https://walthope.tripod.com/compassionate.htm
The Greatest Is Love https://walthope.tripod.com/thegreatest.htm
More Shall Be Given https://walthope.tripod.com/begiven.htm
God’s Will Is Healing https://walthope.tripod.com/healing.htm
God Hears And Answers Prayers https://walthope.tripod.com/answers.htm
In Time of Trouble https://walthope.tripod.com/trouble.htm
Blessed To Be A Blessing https://walthope.tripod.com/blessed.htm
Our Wonderful Redeemer https://walthope.tripod.com/redeemer.htm
The
LORD Will Hear https://walthope.tripod.com/hear.htm
Let
God Arise https://walthope.tripod.com/arise.htm
A Nonexistent Thing https://walthope.tripod.com/victory.htm
Mail to walthope@hotmail.com
FACEBOOK: WALTER KAMBULOW
NEW POSTINGS
JESUS IS GOD http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-1BH
DO IT http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-27m
YOU MUST BELIEVE GOD http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-Fc
A HEALTH AND WEALTH CHRISTIAN http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-24v
JESUS HEALS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-27K
SUPER VICTORY http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-29y
VICTORY MINISTRIES http://walthope.wordpress.com
God
is a God of Victory Not Defeat
Because
You Have Obeyed My Voice
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. Genesis 17:1
By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. Genesis 49:25
God and His power are mighty and there is none like Him. He is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe (Deuteronomy 10:17). He is the great, the mighty, and awesome God, Who keeps covenant and mercy with His trusting ones. He saves the needy from the sword, from the mouth of the mighty, and from their hand. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth (Job 5:15-16). As a result the bows of the mighty men are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. Yes, God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? (Job 9:4) He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and sets others in their place (Job 34:24).
God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. He does not preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the oppressed. He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; but they are on the throne with kings, for He has seated them forever, and they are exalted (Job 36:5-7). He is excellent in power, in judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress. He is the King of glory; the LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle (Psalm 34:8). He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength (Isaiah 40:29).
The LORD is great, and our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries. He is the God Who destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants. He is the God Who defeated many nations and slew mighty kings. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars and He calls them all by name. Great are His signs, and mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to generation.
He is the LORD, Who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. And He lifts up the humble; but casts the wicked down to the ground. His word is unchanging:
No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. Psalm 33:18-22
Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:1-3
"The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed." 1 Samuel 2:6-10
"With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding. If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no release. If He withholds the waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth. With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His. He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges. He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt. He leads princes away plundered, And overthrows the mighty. He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders. He pours contempt on princes, And disarms the mighty. He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light. He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them. He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. Job 12:13-24
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Man thinks he is something but the reality is that before God he is nothing unless man is born again and becomes a son of God! Then God has no problem making something out of nothing! God shows lovingkindness to thousands, and repays the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. He is the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts. (Jeremiah 32:18). He is great in counsel and mighty in work, for His eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:19). The LORD is the God of recompense, He will surely repay His enemies and avenge His trusting ones (Luke 18:1-6). His word is unchanging:
The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies. Isaiah 42:13
"As I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. "I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. "And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. "Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you," says the Lord GOD. "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; "I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 20:33-38
I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." Isaiah 49:24-26
You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, And milk the breast of kings; You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:16
Pharaoh of Egypt and his mighty army thought he could with stand withstand God and do whatever he wanted. He along with army paid for his foolishness in the Red Sea where the LORD as a man of war cast Pharaoh's chariots. His chosen captains and his army into the sea where they all drowned. The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone. God’s right hand, O LORD, had become glorious in power; His right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces and in the greatness of His excellence He had overthrown those who rose against Him; He sent forth His wrath; It consumed them like stubble.
There is no one who can fight with God directly or indirectly and come out a winner even deceived ones who somehow think they are right! Their only strength and way out is to get on bended knees and repent and ask forgiveness and submit to God and get acquainted with Him. God’s word is unchanging:
"Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents. Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. Yes, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver; For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows. You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. Job 22:21-28
Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:1-10
God gives grace to the humble and He contends with the proud and that has never changed and will never change as long as heaven and earth exist! And God doesn’t love those adulterers and adulteresses who have one foot in the world and one foot in God and hope He never notices their betrayal. Those who disagree with God’s word or add or remove things from it are not going to prosper in God just as sure as the sun rises each day! God’s word is true no matter what anybody thinks about it. The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. Yes it’s God, not Satan or men, who wounds and kills. The latter are only vessels but it’s God who has all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18) and who does all these things because He is the righteous judge. It is God who promotes and demotes. It is God who works on us from both directions. He sent the curse to turn us from sin, and He sent our Savior to deliver those that do. And He tell us, “I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal.” So if we cooperate with Him, we shall be saved, healed, delivered, blessed and prospered but if we don’t we shall become sick and die for God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears Hebrews 12:1-17
One of the primary reasons God’s people are chastised and miss the blessings of God is because of unrepentance and unbelief. All of God’s blessings are conditional on our repentance and believing. God’s meets us at the point of our need when we meet His conditions, and not before! God’s ministers who are in agreement with God administer His gifts of healing, deliverance, and provision to the ones who are in line for God’s blessings through repentance, faith, and justification. And that is why many don’t get healed because they have not meet God’s conditions. God’s word is unchanging:
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, Acts 3:19
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, Acts 17:30
One of the primary reasons God’s people are chastised and miss the blessings of God is because of unrepentance and unbelief. All of God’s blessings are conditional on our repentance and believing. God’s meets us at the point of our need when we meet His conditions, and not before! God’s ministers who are in agreement with God administer His gifts of healing, deliverance, and provision to the ones who are in line for God’s blessings through repentance, faith, and justification. And that is why many don’t get healed because they have not meet God’s conditions. God’s word is unchanging:
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, Acts 3:19
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, Acts 17:30
Physically we are what we eat. Spiritually we are what we spiritually eat. By consuming and digesting and obeying the Word of God, we are delivered from the curse and manifest our sonship and blessings! When God makes a condition in the Word for His benefits, we must meet that condition. The gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who repents and believes (Romans 1:16). We cannot expect God’s provisions without believing His Word? Many unbelieving “Christians” endure much hardship because they have not met the condition of “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”; “your faith has made you well.”; and “According to your faith let it be to you.” Unbelief robs many of God’s people of many blessings. In His own home town, Jesus could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:5). So if we have a problem, we should blame ourselves first, not the devil or others, for God’s word is unchanging:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7
"Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:37-38
God is God, and there is no other; He is God, and there is none like Him, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,' Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:9-11). God is actively involved in everything to do His pleasure and He does it by the words that He puts into the mouth of His servants. God’s word is unchanging:
Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7
LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD-how long? Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake! Psalm 6:1-4
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:9-10
In this foolish world that we live in there is great emphasis on accomplishing things by your own strength and efforts and using the services of doctors, banker and other professionals who ironically cannot do much for you when you have real problems while God can! As a matter of fact God has a great track record of helping those who have put their trust in Him and even doing the impossible for them.
The bible tells us when God delivered the Children of Israel from their Egyptian oppressors He not only spoiled them with the wealth of Egypt by bringing them out with silver and gold, but there was none feeble among His tribes (Psalm 105:37). No who in the world can do this for anyone including themselves? No one!
The problem today is that this modern materialistic society with its great emphasis on intellectualism and humanism has rejected the many commandments of God including:
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. Psalm 4:5
Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:4-6
You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. Psalm 115:11
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:3:5-10
In the midst of the storms of life when we are assailed by the curses of sin, suffering, poverty, lack and death, we can trust in God to turn all things around and meet and supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. We can also take great hope in the fact that no storm on this earth no matter what it’s magnitude is greater than our God!
And just like a child trusts his parents with a simple trust, we can rest in the assurance that the Lord will fight our battles against the enemy and give us victory. God shall rebuke the raging storms of our life to be calm. The Lord will never put us to shame when we trust Him in trouble for He is a good God. He shall never allow the wicked to triumph over us but He will deliver us and honor us. He will give us perfect victory over each problem in life. We shall be more than a conqueror through Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, the Lord is near to us and He will help us. He will destroy our enemies and give us victory for He is our Helper and Deliverer (Psalm 70:5) and the devil is a liar. And God’s word is unchanging:
"For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. Deuteronomy 15:6
not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9
"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Psalm 91:15-16
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35
"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18)
The message of the cross in reality is the various blessings God gives us through His cross. This message has the power to turn a man’s life upside down. The sinner who hears this message receives a holy life (2 Corinthians 5:17). Moreover, it gives a divine strength to those who come to salvation (2 Corinthians 12:9). It can change the life of people who do not know God, people who have stony hearts and people who know Him but do not seek Him. Yes! It can change the life of everybody irrespective of the differences they have.
When we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He took our name! Our name was sin. Our name was weakness. Our name was fear and poverty and every other evil thing we inherited from Adam. Jesus took those names from us and gave us His own in exchange. That's right! Ephesians 3:15 says that the whole Body of Christ has been named after Him both in heaven and earth. That means we have been given Jesus' Name. Its authority is now ours!
We are named after "Jesus, Mighty God, Wisdom, Deliverer, Avenger, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Word of Life, Advocate, Provider, The Great I Am, Helper, Savior, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Savior, Healer , Deliverer, Lamb of God, Lord of Hosts, Root of David, Author and Finisher of our Faith, The Way, Healer, Son of God, Man of War, The Truth, Judge of all the Earth, Advocate, Refuge, Rock, High Tower, Strength, Friend, Brother, Chief Cornerstone, King of Kings, Light of the World, Chief Shepherd, My Strength and Song, Righteous Judge, Son of Righteousness, Resurrection and Life, The Alpha and Omega."
Jesus is now our Jubilee. He has restored to us all the benefits God originally planned for mankind. Because of Jesus, we can walk in divine health and have all our needs are met-spirit, soul and body and financially. God’s word is unchanging:
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:1-10
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24
So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. Mark 6:32-36
Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." Matthew 15:29-32
The Lord Jesus Christ is a God of compassion. When He lived on this earth, He was moved with compassion on seeing the sick and the demon possessed and did a miracle for them. And because of His compassion Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion on the multitude because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way. But His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?" However Jesus already knew what He was going to do and said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish." So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
Jesus compassion was not only for the souls and spirit but also for their bodies. And a result He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. And it’s God’s compassion that causes God to work miracles in our lives including healing broken hearts and lives!
Many circumstances in life do break our hearts and cause us great pain and agony. God caused Jesus Christ to traverse the path of suffering in this world. He was ridiculed by the High priest and others. He went through much shame to understand our agony. So, when we pour out our hearts to Him, He will comfort and heal our broken hearts. And then He will use us as an instrument to carry His comfort and see the broken hearted healed. God’s word is true:
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified Isaiah 61:1-3
Yes, the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit (Psalm 34:18). Jesus Christ was broken to understand our pain and agony. He gave Himself on the cross for us. He is waiting to comfort our broken hearts. Let us take our burdens and sorrows to Him. He will understand and comfort our broken hearts.
Many times we face circumstances that shatter our hearts and lament over them. But we have a Compassionate God Who is there to comfort and console our broken hearts. And He want to use us as a channel to bring comfort and to carry His love and power to the broken hearted people! His word is true:
“So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes…..” Matthew 20:34.
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put out His hand and touched him (Leper), and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed” Mark 1:41.
It is also the will of God that we should be well in life and be in perfect health. When we seek God, He promises, “I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (Exodus 23:25). Sickness is a weapon of the devil to turn us away from God and to make us suffer in health. But Jesus Christ was born into this world to destroy the works of the devil. The Bible says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38). And Lord Jesus Christ loves healing the sick. When we seek the Lord, He shall heal us from sickness and fill us with peace. His word is unchanging:
“The Lord will strengthen him on the bed of his illness; he will sustain him on his sick bed” Psalm 41:3
The Bible says in Ephesians 4:7,8, "But to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore the Bible says, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." The Bible also says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38). He healed sickness of every kind. The grace, which the Holy Spirit offers, is freely given to all. When we, through that grace, heal people and grant them the power to heal, we do the will of God.
The Bible says, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13).
And the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to be loving and compassionate toward others in this world. He illustrates it in a parable as, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him and went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you” (Luke 10:30-35).
In this parable, we see that the traveler was beaten up by a gang of thieves and was abandoned on the road half-dead. Many people passed by him including a priest who did not care to help him. But a Samaritan, an ordinary man took compassion on the traveler when he (Samaritan) passed the wounded man that way. Because of his compassion, he attended to the wounded man. In his compassion the Samaritan took the wounded man on his animal to an inn and paid the inn keeper to take care of him till he got well.
When we are compassionate toward others, people will come to know of the compassion of God. The Lord Who is watching us from Heaven will be very pleased with us and shall be more compassionate toward us. The compassion of the Lord will also open the way to miracles in our lives. The Bible also says: “Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22, 23).
It is very true that because of His mercies we are not consumed. As His mercies are new every morning, we should seek the Lord in prayer early morning. In life we may face problems and sufferings which we might long to get rid of them. Not knowing the path, we may wander in darkness. But the Bible exhorts us to put our total trust on the Lord alone. There are many promises of God which we could use them against our problems. We must claim the promise of God and pray. When we use the promise of God against our problems, His word will subdue the problems and our own eyes will behold the miracle.
The Bible says about Mary, "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord" (Luke 1:45). That is the trust that righteous people have. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. Trials do come in the lives of righteous people, but the Lord will deliver the righteous when they cry out to Him.
But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:5-6
I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. Psalm 22:22-24
Jesus is the answer to every need. Jesus Himself is our healing, our wealth and our success. He is the sum total of every blessing. Ephesians 1:4 tells us for He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. Our salvation is totally in Christ. God looks at us as if we never sinned. Ephesians 1:11 tells us in Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. We are His praise and glory when we trust in Him. John 15:9 tell us as the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. Jesus gave His life for us; He calls us friend and tells us everything. We can depend on Jesus in every way and every day.
We can keep our eyes on Jesus and all that He has already provided for us. We can thank God that by the stripes that wounded Jesus we, our family and our friends are healed, healthy, and whole both physically and emotionally. We can thank God for complete restoration in every area of life in Jesus name. We can thank God that every single cell in the body is operating properly the way God created it to and that every single cell would bless the Lord in Jesus name. We can thank God for the life of Jesus rising up big on the inside of everyone and that they shall live and proclaim the works of the Lord. We can thank God that no weapon formed against us and ours shall prosper in Jesus name. And we just cast all these cares upon the Lord. Knowing that it is safe in His loving hands and that He loves all of us so much and He always has our best interest at heart!
The Lord dwells among the praises of His people. He created man to declare His praises. Praise moves the hand of God to do mighty miracles. The Lord knows the problems we face in life. He knows our struggles and hardships that we go through. When we praise God amidst our problems, He will release the desired miracle in our lives. There shall be no defeat, sickness or lack in our lives when we praise Him for our God is a miracle working God.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 tell us But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation (healing, deliverance, safety, liberty and prosperity) through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 tells for God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s word is unchanging:
Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces." Psalm 122:7.
For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Isaiah 25:4
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. 1JN 5:4
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? Jeremiah 32:27
Our miracle working Lord is a Almighty God who is able to change any bitter situation in our life. So we are not to be dismayed no matter what we are going through. Our God is bigger and greater than any problem, demon, mountain, sickness, need or challenge that we face or could face. Nothing is impossible for the Almighty God (Luke 1:37). He understands our sufferings and He will perform a marvelous miracle and deliver us from all our afflictions and heal us of our illness. His word is true:
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned. Psalm 34:14-22
With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King's palace. Psalm 45:15
'Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. 'And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first. 'I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. 'Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.' "Thus says the LORD: 'Again there shall be heard in this place-of which you say, "It is desolate, without man and without beast"-in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, 1 'the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His mercy endures forever"- and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the LORD. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be a dwelling place of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. Jeremiah 33:6-12
In response to our prayers and praises God sends miracles into our lives. He brings us health and healing and reveals to us the abundance of peace and truth. He showers His choicest blessings upon us anointing us with the oil of gladness so we are led in with joy and gladness and enter the palace of the King. He is a prayer answering GOD. He has told us 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' (Jeremiah 33:3). HE never despises our request for HIS help because HIS love for us is everlasting. HE is our loving Father! Therefore we can be encouraged and expect a positive answer from HIM soon!
The Lord is our cleft in the rock that shelters us from the storms of life. Psalm 61:3 says, "For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy." We can trust God to work all things out for our good. He sees what we cannot see. He sees the battles of life on this earth, but He knows how to combat them. We just need to trust and obey Him. We can remember how God fought for David when he faced Goliath, how He fought for Gideon and his 300 men. We can remember how He gave Noah grace and wisdom to build the ark for the saving of His house. God fights for His obedient children. Throughout the ages God has been faithful and true to those who put their trust in Him. He has the power, the knowledge and the love to do for us what no other power can do. How wonderful it is to have the Lord in these perilous times we are living in and to have God fight our battles no matter how great they are. He remains always the shelter we need, that strong tower from any enemy of the soul, mind or body. His word is unchanging:
God is our refuge and strength, and a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:1-10
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Because Jesus Christ is the Victor we no longer are victims of any negative circumstances or things. Jesus told us In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. And because we are in Christ and He is our brother, friend, and God we are also victorious! As a result we don't have any business living our life "under" our circumstances. We don't have any business letting problems and situations rule over us for two thousand years ago, Jesus--the One Who is in us and Greater than the devil ransacked Satan's kingdom.
Yes through His death at Calvary, Jesus legally entered the regions of the damned and stripped Satan of everything. He took away all his armor. He took the keys to death and hell. He bound that strong man, looted his kingdom, and Colossians tells us 2:10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power and COL 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Yes Jesus Christ spoiled principalities and powers and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them and then turned around and gave that victory to us because we are of God born of His Spirit and one with the Lord. God’s word is true:
But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 1 Corinthians 6:17
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only In this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:18
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1
Jesus Christ came out of hell and defeated the enemy, and as a result His victory is our victory because we're in Him. Christ, the Anointed One, the Victorious Conqueror, is risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father and that is where we are also seated with him! Christ is now for us, with us and not against us.
Because of Calvary we can have a fresh revelation of God’s love, and all that was provided for us at Calvary including that it is God's will for us to prosper spiritually, physically, and financially, and to be full of His joy. God’s word is unchanging:
"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:29-32
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24
"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:19-20
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; "that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30:19-20
God’s plan for us is prosperity, health, abundance, peace, love and life. Satan’s plan is poverty, sickness, lack, stress, hatred and death. Both plans are set before us but we must choose between life and death. And the choice is ours.
Jesus has paid the price and defeated Satan. He took back the authority that man gave up in the Garden of Eden. Jesus then gave that authority to everyone who would accept Him as Lord and Savior. Jesus gave us the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Every Christian has been given authority over the forces of evil and can live a life of victory. A person can be given authority but unless that authority is exercised, it is useless. Victory is ours for the taking if we believe the truth of all that God has done for us on Calvary!
The enemy had deceived and entrapped Adam and Eve to sin against God and live a life that was cursed and full of toil and trouble. But on the Cross Jesus Christ did the great exchange. He exchanged His sinlessness for our sins, His righteousness for our unrighteousness, His strength for our weakness, His boundless supply for our needs, His stripes for our healing, His riches for our poverty, His victories for our defeats, His glory for our shame, His triumphs for our disappointments, His Honor for our nothingness, His prosperity for our lacks, His joy for our sadness, and His fullness for our emptiness. But all of this is also something that must be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit before we can understand and partake of it fully. Yet it is all our birthright and the blessing of the fullness of the gospel of Christ.
The message of the cross and the Gospel is not only that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. He is now is seated at the right hand of the Father with all power given unto Him in heaven and earth waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool. But the message of the cross and the Gospel is also that as a result of the victories Jesus won on the cross, He has now given and shared all that He has with us (John 16:14) and He is also with and for us continually (Matthew 28:18-20).
God in Christ Jesus has literally become our inheritance and great reward; as well as everything else which we need, including our healer and deliverer. As result of the Cross, God said about Jesus and of us who have become strong and overcomers:
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12
As a result of the cross, in Christ Jesus, we are rich, victorious and have a new life in Christ Jesus, as we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The empty Cross now also stands as a reminder and says to the world and to all the demons of Hell “You did your worst, but God gave His best.” Now things are no longer the same, because Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father waiting for His enemies to be submitted to Him. He has also now given us the power to subdue all His and our enemies through the use of His name and Word and dependence of the Spirit. Hence the Cross is also a real testimony of what God’s power can do no matter what the Hell or injustice that the world or the devil will throw at us. For Jesus’ resurrection after a cruel and awful death signifies the real possibility of total and complete victory in our lives, hearts and circumstances as well in the current time of life as we trust in God just like Jesus did.
The empty Cross of Christ at Calvary now says to you and I, that for every defeat there is victory in its place, for every failure there is success, for every endeavor there is prosperity, for every weakness there is grace, for every sickness there is healing, for every hatred there is love, for every injustice there is justice and for every poverty there is riches. All of this and much, much more belongs to each child of God because of what Jesus did and won on the Cross. Hence we can by the Holy Spirit understand what the Lord said to Apostle Paul:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Our strength and victory comes from God Himself and all the
victories He had won for us on the Cross of Calvary. Although in the annuals of
time and history, our Creator God died on the Cross-on
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords with His unlimited and
unimaginable power and riches was never poor or debased. But He chose, because
of us, to leave behind his infinite power and riches become a man and identify
and relate to humanity in all its sufferings and ways. God in Christ Jesus
stripped Himself of His royalty and Kingship. He then became an ordinary man
and walked with men doing by faith and dependence on the Holy Spirit the
impossible such as healing the sick, raising the dead and cast out demons. He
did it all to show that we can do it also. Then the innocent Son of man and Son
of God went to a Cross-on a hill called
“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’ Joel 2:16-21
Now all flesh can be saved, healed and delivered and walk in the newness of life in the power of the Holy Spirit. All men can prophesy, speak in tongues and be filled with the fullness of God. The good news of the Cross-is that the different victories that Jesus won there, and the resulting New Covenant with all its rights and privileges, is now ours to be claimed and accepted by faith. They will be true if we will only believe, accept, confess and act on it and then allow the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead to change us. Jesus won for us, on the Cross, such a victory with such power and might that it made hell tremble and Heaven sing with joy as the Triumph of Victory resounded from one part of Heaven to another. Our ears will tingle and our hearts will sing, as the faithful and mighty Holy Spirit reveals this victory to us.
The fact remains that Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God, ready to use His power on behalf of the good of His true children; to make them more than conquerors in all things that the world, the flesh and the devil would throw at them.
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them; They sank to the bottom like a stone."Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces. Exodus 15:1-6
Because Moses and the children of Israel trusted in the Lord
He triumphed gloriously for them and threw the horse and rider into the sea. As
result they could not state: The LORD is
my strength and song, And He has become
my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will
exalt Him.
The LORD, Who is the God of knowledge and by Him actions are weighed and not just the words of men (1 Samuel 2:2-3), loves to use His mighty miracle working power not only to get honor and make a great name for Himself but to demonstrate His love, care and concern for His trusting ones. He is also a God of justice who loves justice and to give justice. His word is unchanging:
"The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed." 1 Samuel 2:6-10
For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. Psalm 37:28-31
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:1-3
It’s to be noted that God purposely led His people, the children of Israel into an impossible situation, to be hemmed in by the Red Sea with their enemies breathing down their backs, not to destroy them but to destroy their enemies and provide a miraculous deliverance so that they could see His wonders and praise His glorious name. Mind you the children of Israel so easily forgot God’s miracle working power and complained against Moses when they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. The bible records for our profit and instruction:
Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters. Exodus 15:23-27
Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6
One of the great benefits of salvation is that the Lord is our healer as well as the Judge of all the earth and the God who loves to give justice for all who are oppressed! The benefits of salvation is not only forgiveness of all our iniquities but the healing of all our diseases, redemption of our life from destruction, being crowned with lovingkindness and tender mercies, having our satisfied mouth with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's and having justice and seeing it measured out by God Himself just like He delivered Daniel from the den of lions and put his enemies there instead.
Mind you there are those Christians who don’t believe that God metes out justice in the current time of life! But they are just ignorant of God’s word that tells them:
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 1:3-5
"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ' These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. "And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. "Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. "I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Revelations 2:18-23
Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies. Psalm 108:12-13
Yes, through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies, whomever or whatever they might be. Speaking of enemies at http://www.benedictionblogson.com somebody talked about Stacy and Wes Campbell[i] which caused me to write:
Stacy Campbell, wife
of Wes Campbell, an Apostle
I prophesied publicly
on GodTV that Todd Bentley would be a “first fruits” of a generation that would
walk both in the anointing and the glory of God. I would like to acknowledge,
that although Todd Bentley began his ministry this way, he has not finished his
race this way. Miracles are an expression of the glory of God (John 11:40).
However, the primary purpose of the glory of God is to make us one (John
17:22). And marriage is the primary earthly expression of oneness (Ephesiens
5:31-32). Separation from his wife is evidence that the glory of God is not
currently operating in Todd Bentley’s ministry. Stacey Campbell
I
noticed that Stacy and Wes Campbell name were be tossed around as though they
were Christians?
For
the record they were thrown out of the church that they originally had helped
to found! They are not Christians and Wes is definitely not an apostle.
Stacy
as demonstrated by her false neck twisting prophesies at Todd Bentley’s June
23, 2008 coronation that can be seen on u-tube including “Headbangers Inc -
More Stacey Campbell Todd Bentley” is a demon possessed person or witch
possessed with a Kundalini demon which Rodney Howard Browne brought to America
from South Africa
Yes,
many of the Third Wave leaders such as Wesley Campbell and Stacey Campbell or
Heidi Baker have a Kundalini demon! The jerking in Toronto, Brownsville or any
other revival place is not a sign of the Holy Spirit but of a Kundalini demon
which infiltrated Christianity mainly in North America through Rodney Howard
Browne!
The
fact is the bible never talks about “jerking” being an attribute of the Holy
Spirit but rather it states but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control THE
KEY WORD HERE IS SELF-CONTROL AND WHEN YOU ARE POSSESSED BY A DEMONIC KUNDALINI
SPIRIT THERE IS NO CONTROL AND THAT IS TOTALLY WRONG AND AGAINST SCRIPTURE
Let’s
look at the following common manifestations of the risen Kundalini in occult
practices as seen in the Third Wave supporters and leaders.
• Muscle twitches, cramps or spasms.
• Energy rushes or immense electricity circulating the body
• Itching, vibrating, prickling, tingling, stinging or crawling sensations
• Intense heat or cold
• Involuntary bodily movements, jerking, tremors, shaking; feeling an inner
force pushing one into postures or moving one’s body in unusual ways.
• Alterations in eating and sleeping patterns
• Episodes of extreme hyperactivity or, conversely, overwhelming fatigue
• Intensified or diminished sexual desires
• Headaches, pressures within the skull
• Racing heartbeat, pains in the chest
• Digestive system problems
• Numbness or pain in the limbs (particularly the left foot and leg)
• Pains and blockages anywhere; often in the back and neck
• Emotional outbursts; rapid mood shifts; seemingly unprovoked or excessive
episodes of grief, fear, rage, depression
• Spontaneous vocalizations (including laughing and weeping) — are as
unintentional and uncontrollable as hiccoughs
• Hearing an inner sound or sounds, classically described as a flute, drum,
waterfall, birds singing, bees buzzing but which may also sound like roaring,
whooshing, or thunderous noises or like ringing in the ears.
• Mental confusion; difficulty concentrating
• Altered states of consciousness: heightened awareness; spontaneous trance
states; mystical experiences (if the individual’s prior belief system is too
threatened by these, they can lead to bouts of psychosis or self-grandiosity)
• Heat, strange activity, and/or blissful sensations in the head, particularly
in the crown area.
And
anybody who has gotten involved with these Third Wave deceivers will testify
that longsuffering and kindness are not demonstrated by the leaders or
followers but rather arrogance, pride and intolerance and Bill Johnson of
Bethel Church Redding California is a classical example with his use of
sarcasms and character assassination of those who would dare to oppose his
views including his support of lying, thieving adulterous Todd Bentley
Instead
of judging human experiences by the Word of God, these Third Wave false
apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ
masquerading as angels of light and are demon led and inspired (2 Corinthians
11:15) suggest that we judge the Word of God by human experiences. When we base
interpretation of truth on our experiences we totally lose the basis of truth.
The Psalmist said, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death.”
And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 16:31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Acts 16”30-31
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
God, just like man who is created in the image of God, desires many things but because of the free will of man doesn’t mean that His desires will become a reality? God desired that the children of Israel go into the Promised Land of plenty and prosperity but they chose to go a die in a wilderness of their own choosing (Numbers 14). So people in life make their negative choices which are contrary to God’s choices and suffer the consequences of their choices including Todd Bentley:
Todd Bentley[ii]
is the tattooed former criminal who in July 2008 stepped down from his
controversial revival in Florida over an affair with a woman. Bentley, raised
in Gibsons, B.C., was known to be a heavy drinker. During his ecstatic services
he would often punch or kick sick people in the name of healing them. It wasn't
his outrageous claims of raising the dead that finally landed Todd Bentley in
trouble. Not the contradictory sermons, or even his criminal past. Not the face
piercings, the neck-toknee tattoos, the biker-dude lifestyle. His followers
could live with all that; it was part of the act.
Bentley, a
32-year-old former drug addict from the west coast, was the hottest thing going
on the global televangelist circuit. A hog-riding faith healer with a
devil-may-care attitude. Then he failed his flock, the old fashioned way:
cheating on his wife. Todd Bentley, disgraced, went into hiding for six months
and then resurfaced.
Canadian
Revivalist Todd Bentley preached on seven fold restoration[iii] including the
restoration of marriage and had a mistress during the Lakeland demonic revival
and-was drunk most of the time -
He stated If your marriage needs to be restored then stir up your
faith and ask: "My God, please, I want You to restore my marriage, and I
want it to be better than it was in the first place. I want there to be double
the intimacy." Get aggressive. Don't just settle for an "okay,
restore my marriage" attitude. "Restore my marriage and give it to me
double!"
So why did Todd divorce his wife and not practice what he preached? Because
he is a hypocrite, a false one, a son of hell just like all the preachers in
the Third Wave!
Rick Joyner and Bill Johnson being both caught up in the realm of
deceiving spirits, could only reinforce
TB’s behavior. TB’s declaration of “opening up the stargate portals to the
third heaven” had absolutely nothing to do with God or His heavenly realms…it
is based on previous declarations by high level occultist. His “angel”
connections were not God’s angels, they
are familiar spirits and demonic forces. What he does and declares is UTTERLY
SATANIC…not “just a little eccentric.” The opening up of these “portals” that
TB is engaged in is activated by his own soul power/soul energy called
kundalini in Hinduism. There is much material on the web about it as it is
practiced by those in the occult/new age especially http://newchristian.org.uk/kundalini.html
Gordon Williams http://gordwilliams.com/ a Spirit-filled evangelist, pastor, teacher & writer who preaches the full Gospel and who operates in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit posted on a website that Todd Bentley is not a Christian:
Jesus heals, I must disagree with you when you wrote, “Miracles and gifts of the spirit don’t validate a Christian. The fruit of the spirit validates a Christian. peace, love, patience, hope, joy, faith.” First, you did not mention all of the fruit of the Spirit but I know what you mean (Gal. 5: 22 -23). The reason why I disagree with you is because you continuously mis-identify people, like Todd Bentley as a Christian. He is not a Christian nor are those who go chasing after the counterfeit signs and so-called miracles that he and others misrepresent as being from the Holy Spirit. Real Christian Believers do not get deceived and offer counterfeits because they draw attention to themselves and they cannot tell the difference between the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of the devil and demons. They do not do the things that the New Testament tells us clearly are the work and character of authentic Christian believers. They glory in their sin and make excuses for their adulterous work, drunkenness and love of money to say nothing of all the works of the flesh which they seem to think are the fruit of the Holy Spirit. As a man once told me: “If it doesn’t look like a sheep, and eat like a sheep and talk like a sheep and do sheep things, it isn’t a sheep”. Well, just stop and look at all the un-Scriptural things these people are doing. They do not look like Christians, they don’t eat as Christians, they do not talk like Christians and they do not do Christian things. So, they are not Christians.
Jesus tells us that the “signs” following confirm the preaching of the Word and prove who are authentic believers. This is very clear when you examine the Greek definition of “signs”. They were the reason why Nicodemus said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a man sent from God; for no man could do these signs that you do, unless God is with him” (Jn. 3: 2). The legitimate 15 Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12: 6 – 8; 1 Cor. 12: 8 – 10)prove that we are authentic believers. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5: 22 – 23) describes the Character of Jesus which the Holy Spirit develops us so that we can use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Because the real or authentic Gifts of the Holy Spirit are not being used and encouraged with these counterfeit Christians who demonstrate counterfeit gifts, we have to be very careful in choosing our words as I think you have done in your letter. I learned a long time ago that there are “Christians” and there are “christians” (religious people) who are not believers. People, like the person you mentioned who received healing and made the mistake of attributing it to Todd Bentley has not learned that whoever calls on Jesus will catch Jesus’ attention, even while watching a deceptive person pretending to be a believer, and answer their prayer and heal them. When I examine these counterfeit Christians, according to Scripture, they are not believers according to Jesus Christ. Because most pastors and churches do not encourage the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and use the 15 Gifts of the Holy Spirit, they are easy victims when the counterfeits are demonstrated. This is an important ministry that we have in the churches that I am invited to preach and do ministry. As you know it is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4: 12). So, I suggest that you do not look upon such people as Christians because they are not.
Speaking of choices at http://www.benedictionblogson.com somebody talked about Todd Bentley[iv] which caused me to post:
I, for one, am praying for Todd Bentley and many others in the same predicament - Kelo
MT 12:37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Judas betrayed Jesus was remorseful, returned the forty pieces of silver and then went and hanged himself?
But the bible doesn’t tell us that Jesus or the disciples prayed for the betrayer of Jesus to be saved or whatever?
As a matter of fact Jesus told the Father- JN 17:12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
So maybe praying for some people is a total waste of time and not profitable because they are going to the place they have chosen to go and it’s not to heaven! The writer of Hebrews tells us about people like Todd:
Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 6:5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. 6:7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 6:8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
So we might spend our times and make better use of our prayers for other people who have not gone the way of Todd Bentley and have not become deceivers?
Even another deceiver Peter Wagner who coined the Christian idiom Third Wave, the founder of Global Harvest Ministries, and co-founder of the World Prayer Center stated about Todd:
Todd Bentley now carries the label of a liar and a deceiver. I’m sorry to mention it, but I felt personally deceived in the same way when Ted Haggard’s sin was exposed and he was immediately removed from ministry…
Suffice it to say that there is more than I am going to mention. First of all, Todd has been removed from public ministry until further notice. He has resigned from the ministry he founded, Fresh Fire, so he is no longer a part of that board. It has become clear that he indulged in periodic drunkenness. He has no intention at the moment of reconciling with Shonna, nor does she with him. Their marriage has been torn for years by his emotional attachment with at least one other female whose physical contact went beyond hugging and kissing and holding hands. Enough said-maybe more details will be revealed later-but it was clearly immoral. All of this was skillfully concealed by lying and by swearing close associates who had observed his behavior to secrecy.
Mind you a simple Internet research of “third wave exposed” will show how demonic it is in origin and operation?
Unfortunately many Christians seek miracles, signs and wonders instead of God and His word and ignore the importance of Christian character and responsibilities even though God’s word clearly states:
This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 1 Timothy 3:1-7
Pastor Jack Hayford concerning the false idea that MARRIAGE VOWS DON’T MATTER ANYMORE![v] stated
Struggling couples reduce their own resolve to resist society's indifference toward divorce or immorality when the collapse of their spiritual heroes' marriages seems to justify, if not normalize, those same practices. Comfort, convenience and human counsel replace commitment, constancy and the place of the cross in the marriage.
But it’s not just marriage vows that don’t matter anymore true integrity, honesty and truthfulness have gone out of the windows and are replaced by lies, deceptions and half truths in most Christian circles and ministry. We have many Christian leaders who say and do whatever they want with no accountability to the body of Christ as though they are only accountable to God even if they lie, rape and use the sheep!
Jesus Christ wasn’t and isn’t afraid of any discussion with anybody and these religious nuts have to be so secretive and hide things and twist their statements and even threaten their critics demonstrated how demonized they are!
What we have now is not only relative morality and relative truth if there is such animal but no fear of God and each man being right in his own eyes and doing his own thing - a sure sign of destructive deception! Nothing good can come out of this kind of approach but only trouble, chaos and destruction! God’s word is unchanging:
For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." But you would not, And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses"- Therefore you shall flee! And, "We will ride on swift horses"- Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill. Isaiah 30:15-17
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:35-39
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:11-15
It’s popular with many preachers today to talk about faith, its value and application! But very few of them talk about its twin, patience. We are admonished to be “followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” We cannot have one without the other! And James tells us My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4).
Since we live in a society where we can get some things instantly many people don’t like patience. They don’t want to wait upon God, to do what He has promised to do! They definitely don’t want to be like Abraham who waited 25 years for a promised son and then God asked him for the life of his son(Genesis 22:1—14). At no time did Abraham ever hesitate in his obedience or question God concerning what he was asked to do. Derek Prince in his book “BLESSING OR CURSE YOU CAN CHOOSE!” brings out the following truths:
Actually, about 25 years passed from the time God first promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, until the birth of the son who was the promised heir. Through all those years he had nothing to hold onto but God’s promise. He must have faced endless temptations to discouragement. Yet he never gave up or abandoned his faith. Finally, the reward of his steadfastness is summed up in Hebrews 6:15: “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”
In Romans 4:11—12 Paul tells us that we are children of Abraham “if we walk in the steps of Abraham’s faith.” This is the scriptural requirement for entering into “the blessing of Abraham,” promised in Galatians 3:14. Like Abraham, we must accept God’s Word as the one sure, unchanging element in our experience. All the variable opinions of men, and all the fluctuating impressions of our senses, are just “grass that withers.” “But the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
Our acceptance of God’s Word, however, must not be purely intellectual or theoretical. We must demonstrate it in our actions just as Abraham did: by prompt, unquestioning obedience and by steadfast endurance in the face of all discouragement. In this way, we shall find that God’s Word will ultimately be proved true in our experience. We shall come to know God’s blessing—just as Abraham did—”in all things.”
So in the midst of all our trials and tribulations we must remember and hold onto God’s word and promises including:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:5-10
Men say, “God is in the mood for change,” but this is not true. It is man who is in the “mood” for change. He knows he needs it. He knows he can’t make it without it. He knows there has to be something more than the dull, uneventful life he is leading. He knows deep in his knower that without God’s re-vitalizing Presence he is an empty brass symbol, clanging away without any real purpose.
True men desire true wisdom, true love and true purpose. They don’t just want to have what they can never get, they want what they “know” is their birthright—peace from above and the wisdom to know the difference. Let every man desire the “sincere meat of the Word.” Let him come and hunger after the things of God and desire to hear directly from Him. For in so doing they become as Apostle Paul, entering the Syrian wilderness for three and a half years until he began his ministry to the Gentiles.
Let no man say he is above the truth for then he is the liar. He has deceived himself into believing he is above the spiritual laws of the universe. He thinks he can escape with clever calculations and cunning tricks to escape the consequences of his behavior and sinful ways. However, eventually they get him in the end. He falls victim to his own well laid plans because they were the plans of men and not God.
Let every man be a liar and God be true. There is no escaping God. He will find you wherever you run or hide upon the entire earth. There is no escaping Him and his truths. They are all about us and never changing and always present everywhere at all times. Jonah found this out to be true when he lay in the belly of a real live whale for three days. He could not escape the truth for the truth is the Lord and He is present everywhere always.
Men may think they have won. Men may think they have overcome but it is God who determines the outcome. His truths determine the result. If men follow the line of thinking of the truth they will find peace, joy, well-being and happiness because these things are only found in the Lord. However, if men think they are above such things they will pay the consequence for their ignorance of the universal spiritual truths that exist all around them every day of their lives.
God’s truths are eternal. Like a coolly burning blue white flame, they burn out the imperfections in our lives. They destroy the darkness in our souls and they heal the whole person—body, spirit, soul and mind. God is not to be mocked what a man sows he reaps, but nor is a man whipped when he is already down. God forgives and uplifts the truly humble heart. Therefore, our humility is more important than anything else for without it we can never enter the Holy of Holies to find mercy and grace in time of trouble.
Microbes are very minute yet they can cause much damage. Likewise is the spiritual realm. It is invisible yet it can carry much that is damaging to your life and health. There is a defense against this invisible world it is the Holy Spirit. Through Him you can learn how to deal with the wiles of the enemy and defeat his every attack and innuendo.
Peace is possible through the Prince of Peace if the mind is stayed upon Him. Minds that wander and question too much end in destruction because the door has been opened to too much that is negative. Paul wrote, “Whatsoever is pure, lovely and of good report, think on these things!”
Yet, too few really take this passage seriously. They allow themselves to stray in their minds and then wonder why they have arrived where they have. It is because they believed the wrongful reports in their own minds. In a way the mind is your enemy. It can be tamed but it is your enemy in its natural state. It must be “transformed” by renewing it and washing it in the Word of God, daily and sometimes hourly, to cleanse it and purify it from all unhealthy attitudes and desires.
There is a healthy mind and unhealthy mind. The healthy one is full of the things of God. His ways and opinions and desires are the same as thought by a healthy mind. This mind is in tune with the Spirit of God and his spirit lines up with God’s spirit. In like manner, his body is in proper control both abstaining from evil behavior and doing nothing to violate its purity and health.
The mind is connected to the body through the spirit. If all are in proper unison, the body remains vigorous, healthy and content for all of its natural life, but if the mind is full of unhappiness, anger, unforgiveness, lawlessness, unbelief and so on, then the body becomes sick and old quickly.
This is the consequence of sin. Sin is death in one’s thoughts and results in death in the body. The spirit promotes the growth of health in the mind and therefore in the body. Each part is dependent upon the others for health and wholeness.
The three parts of a man mirror images the three parts of the Heavenly Host—Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each has their function and purpose within the Godhead just as each part of man cannot function on it’s own without the other parts. In the Godhead each person within it, appears not to function independently of the other personalities.
The Father, has the function of establishing order in the universe and creating all things. The Son, became the mediator between the Father and His creation—us. The Holy Spirit, became the pervasive spiritual presence of God in each believer’s life, quickening man’s spirit with His own.
The truth makes a full circle returning to us by uniting our inner spirit with God’s Spirit, making us “One with God.” With the completion of the circle we have all become One—God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost and us in our triune parts—spirit, mind or soul and body.
His life is our life. His health is our health. His ways are our ways. His desires are our desires. His truth is our truth. We agree with the Will of God because He is the collective Will for all of us. In this unity of spirit is the “Fullness” we seek all of our lives.
Why are we satisfied when we help someone else? Why are we happy to obey our parents? Why do we care for others? We do we need God? We do we feel fulfilled when we love each other? Because when we do these things, we fulfill God’s true sovereign Will. When we line up with His Will we become satisfied and content.
Then He adds all these things unto us—peace, joy, wisdom, love, strength, courage, right desires, good Christian spouses, happy playful children, good crops and so on.
He is the adder of all good things to our lives as we rest upon His bosom. We have literally become One with the God of Heaven what more can you possibly ask. Except, that at the end of our lives He will say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant!” For this is the sovereign will of God, that all men become one with Him in willingness to surrender their independent wills to the collective Will of Heaven and abide in total spiritual harmony. This is attainable if our “receiving apparatus” remains clear of all personal opinions, man’s traditions and independent desires.
As we surrender, we can hear clearly what He is saying to us and then we can do His will for our lives and those around us, rather than our own desires outside His truth. His Will brings us life. Our will brings us death. Our surrendered will brings us life in Him. A surrendered person is a trusting person. They trust that God knows better than they do and can communicate the intricacies of His will to them each day of their lives.
God doesn’t mind honest mistakes as long as they don’t become repetitive willful sinning such as sexual immorality. He wants to see true repentance or turning from bad habits that keep you from Him. He wants obedience to the essence of His commandments and statues to keep you safe from harm’s way. He knows the pitfalls and He has already written them into the Bible to protect us. It is up to us learn the truth and recognize it when we hear it.
There is no excuse for not knowing the will of God. It is in the manufacture’s handbook—the Bible and we must learn its contents, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to sustain us through life’s many challenges. Life need not overwhelm us but become an exciting adventure in Jesus Christ as we walk in total surrender and submission to His sovereign will.
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. John 9:1-7
Just because the disciples asked a question and Jesus answered the question doesn’t mean that people can make a doctrinal statement out of it, such “as people are sick so that the works of God should be revealed in them?” It is true that people are sick and the works of God can be revealed in them for those who believe - as all things are possible to those who believe! But Jesus was not even saying that that the man was blind from birth that the works of God should be revealed in him. Although this is what Jesus said! Jesus was saying because He was there and He was doing the works of God who sent Him, the man would be healed and delivered. The key point is that when Jesus comes unto any scene a miracle is possible? Doctrinal statements of religious men which don't result into a practical application including a miracle for the poor and needy are useless!
Yes, the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit including prophesy must be judged to see if they result in a concrete application including meeting in a practical way the real needs of the people and not just some dead words that are dead the moment they are spoken as they have no life or miracle working power in them! It’s to be noted that God doesn’t have any programs for the church of Jesus Christ to be used by them. He is the Program and when He shows up in His power and glory He can and He does whatever He wants including healing the sick, casting out devil and raising the dead! The real tricky part is to get God to show up and minister to the people. But where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there! All we need is people of faith to get God to move onto a particular need or situation by releasing our faith and believing God for the impossible.
We don’t need programs but we do need the Holy Spirit who is the other Helper, Guide, and Miracle Worker, to come and do what He does best- miracles, just like He raised Jesus Christ from the dead after the world did their worst to him and restored all things to Jesus including all power, glory, riches and authority! We need people who know their God, and know how to pray and manifest the victory. Then we will see the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit just like Jesus, Philip, Apollos and Paul did! The key to the release of the power and authority in the life of Jesus and the other disciples was prayer:
· Before Jesus went out to the frontlines, He spend time in His Father’s presence where the Father revealed His will to Him. Through prayer He penetrated the enemy lines, fought the battle and won it.
· Before Jesus began His ministry, He spend 40 days in fasting and prayer and returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee (Luke 4:14).
· Before feeding the five thousand by multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish Jesus went into a solitary place where He prayed (Matthew 14:13).
· Before a great healing campaign in Gennesaret where the people brought the sick to Him, Jesus went up on a mountainside by Himself where He prayed ( Matthew 14:22-23).
· Before choosing the 12 apostles Jesus “went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).
· Before He began His ministry throughout Galilee where He preached and cast out demons, Jesus prayed. Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed (Mark 1:35).
· Before going to the cross on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus knowing that He was going to be taken and crucified, went up onto a mountain where He prayed (Luke 9:28).
· Before Jesus was arrested, beaten, mocked and crucified, He went into the Garden of Gethesemane where He prayed – where He wrestled and agonized in prayer (Matthew 26:36-46)
Before God’s people do anything significant in their lives that will bring ever lasting and concrete results in their lives, they must pray and seek the will of God and win the battle and then they will see the manifestation of their victories. Just dancing and praising the Lord for an hour is not enough! King David danced before the Lord as an expression of his joy and faith and not to accomplish something. God never intended that dancing and praise replace good old fashion effectual fervent prayer! I have been to churches where God’s people have danced for hours and nothing changed. They were no different when they left from when they had first come in!
The same is true about being slain in the spirit and even barking like a dog. Many pastors and preachers were slain in the Spirit for hours and days and there was not change at all in their ministry or character. They were like a wet sponge where a lot of water went through but only a bit was retained. They rest of the water goes through many people because they are full of holes and are not able to retain the shower of blessing that comes upon them when they are touched by God. It all leaks out just as fast as it came in!
We need hearts like Jesus talked about “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). We need a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us so that wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. God’s people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places and sow beside all waters (Isaiah 32:15-19). And as a result we will have boldness and miracles, signs and wonders done through the name of Jesus.
It’s is to be noted that in accordance with the Word of God real ministry is done by the body ministering to each others. We are all ministers and can minister to each other love, joy, peace, goodness, faith, miracles, loving kindness, compassion and understanding as well as in the other gifts and fruit of the Spirit. We can cry with those who cry, laugh with those who laugh, sing with those who sing and make a real tangible difference to one another. We can pray one for another so that we can be healed. We can prophesy to one another prophecies given to us by God. We can freely give to one another what we have received from God. We can also gracefully and in love rebuke one another or instruct one another according to God’s word. We can restore those who have been overtaken in any trespass, in a spirit of gentleness, considering that we ourselves are also tempted. We can bring back the lost and pray for the sick for the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:15). God’s word is unchanging:
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? "You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. "So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. "My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them." Ezekiel 34:1-6
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18
In summary, in a true church of Jesus Christ people minister in practical ways to one another and bring about salvation, healing, deliverance and miracles. In a true church of Jesus Christ the ministry doesn’t belong to man but to God and His Holy Spirit who is the true Administrator of any church as well as the CEO of the church board. And His wisdom is better and greater than all others! The Holy Spirit should be invited and allowed to run His ministry because it is after all God’s show, not ours. Who wants a show that is not run by the Holy Spirit? Not me! We are instructed by God to be drunk, filled or under control of the Holy Spirit just like a drunk is under control of a liquid spirit. God’s word is unchanging:
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:11-21
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13
Dust mites such as ourselves have very little understanding about the principalities and power and rulers of darkness or the wiles of the devil, who use all kind of devices including deceivement, oppression, depression, sickness and disease to afflict people. Flesh and blood are almost useless against these spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places but only the strength of the Lord and the power of His might will prevail against them. Yet God’s word is unchanging:
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8
Yes, what is required is more of the anointing of the Holy Spirit to destroy the works of the devil just like Jesus did. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. It’s the anointing that destroys the yoke that the devil has put on men, be it yokes of poverty, lack, sickness and disease. God’s word is true:
Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation. Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey. Isaiah 32:15-20
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:1-3
There is nothing like a good outpouring of the Holy Spirit to bring justice, righteousness, peace, quietness and assurance to the land. The Holy Spirit can and will do in a split second what years of perspiration can never do being health, healing, blessing and prosperity to desolate and dead places. God’s word is unchanging:
The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."
Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 'Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. "I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD." ' "
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." ' " So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!' "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. "Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.' " Ezekiel 37:1-14
What we need more in life is not new homes, cars and boats but a great outpouring of God’s Spirit upon the land so that dead bones can have life and dead flesh can live! Then the blessings of God will be everywhere and the works of the devil be destroyed. There is a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit part of the latter rain where abundance and plenty will be restored to God’s true people. What was stolen and lost from God’s people will also be restored:
Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you- The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. Joel 2:23-30
The Lord will allow nothing to come upon the earth unless He first reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets. As a result He is giving divinely granted understanding. The scriptures declare that the breadth of God gives understanding. He is breathing upon His true people to give understanding of these times and the things that they must do to survive and even prosper during this season of judgment.
It has been prophesied that a new holy canopy is being released in the church of apostolic anointing and authority. There will now be the good shepherds upon whom the favor of the Lord will be apparent. It will be the mature restoration of the judges and counselors as at the beginning. The coming judges will be apostolic and the counselors will be the prophets. For the foundation of the church consists of the apostles and prophets revealing the chief cornerstone, the Lord Jesus.
The prophets will emerge first revealing the mind of Christ through Godly counsel during these final days of preparation and release for the apostolic authority. These will appear, anointed with Holy Spirit power displaying the Lord’s victory over demons, disease and death. God’s will fulfill His word:
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain. (Isaiah 4:4-6).
The apostolic anointing will function as cloud by day and the prophet will serve as flaming fire by night. Each of these will provide a canopy of glory over the believers who have been washed and purged by the “spirit of judgment” and the “spirit of burning”. This canopy of glory will provide shade from the heat of judgment and a refuge and protection from the raging storms of persecution and accusation. The Lord will be the light of that canopy and His Glory will provide divine insulation.
The apostolic leadership emerging will provide a pillar of cloud over the body illuminating the hidden manna for this day. The prophets will be as a flame of fire at night displaying awesome power and miracles. The entirety of this ministry will be based on the fact that “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law”. This emerging ministry of the apostles and prophets will display divine love born in the heart of the Father and not of man.
It has been prophesied that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. Hence the coming apostolic ministers will be as pillar of cloud by day and the anointed prophet will be as a pillar of fire by night. Each will provide a canopy of protection through the Holy Spirit even as Israel was protected during the judgments of Egypt. The shelter of Goshen will become apparent in the coming season. We will actually see the beginning of the captivity for Egypt and the plainly defined provision for God’s people.
There will be a release of genuine Holy Spirit POWER. Some have stated that it will be “Power that travels with the speed of thought. Power to confront. Power to read people’s hearts. Power to run through a troop of the enemy and power to jump over their walls. Power to bless and power to curse. This power to curse is a righteous power from the Holy Spirit enabling the church to curse sickness and disease and all the power of the evil one.” For God’s word is true:
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:19-20)
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.. (Acts 10:38)
The Lord is going to release the power and authority to curse all that is in opposition to His purposes in the church and on the earth. There is coming power to open and power to close and power to bind and loose even God’s judgments on the false and wicked ones:
Indeed, the LORD will throw you away violently, O mighty man, And will surely seize you. He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball Into a large country; There you shall die, and there your glorious chariots Shall be the shame of your master’s house. So I will drive you out of your office, And from your position he will pull you down. ‘Then it shall be in that day, That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe And strengthen him with your belt;
I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem And to the house of Judah. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house. Isaiah 22:17-23
“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
The other side of the picture when the Holy Spirit came to earth on the day of Pentecost in the first century church, the enemy, the devil or the spirit of anti-Christ will be doing his thing with his counterfeit miracles and prophets and preachers, both in the religious and secular world as well as through witchcraft, sorcery and other movements. Major catastrophic disasters will escalate in the earth such as devastating volcanoes and earthquakes, war famine, and pestilence will accelerate to new levels with ravaging results.
The only thing of value is a peaceful flowing of the river of the Spirit through a person’s life. Nothing else is of much worth. The rest are all gifts. First the river must flow purely through the lives of His true ones and then they can teach others to do the same. God’s word is unchanging:
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-25
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." Psalm 50:15
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:6-10
The devil is a conquered foe! Jesus defeated Him at Calvary and He has no right touching any child of God in any way! All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Matthew 28:18) Who is able to give victory in and over anything and everything! And that is why King David, whom God took from following the sheep to ruling over them, stated “ Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. (1 Chronicles 29:11-12).
Yes, all that is heaven and in earth is God’s not the devil’s including the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; Both riches and honor come from Him, and He reigns over all. In His hand is power and might; in His hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Everything that we need resides in Jesus Christ who is our Victor and our all! And through prayer we can come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). They can quit letting the devil run all over them with his lies, deceptions, afflictions and troubles.
This earth doesn't belong to the devil. It belongs to God
(Psalms 24:1). The devil has just moved in and taken control of things because
we believers haven't stopped him. Jesus
took Satan's legal rights away from him on Resurrection morning. Then Jesus put
us in charge of enforcing Satan's defeat. The Scripture says that Jesus is
going to sit at the right hand of the Father until His enemies are made His
footstool (Hebrews 10:12-13). Jesus is waiting on us to kick the devil and his
crew out of the affairs of this earth. He's waiting on us to carry out the
victory He won at Calvary and occupy this land.
And if devil has control of an area of our life or our church or our
community, we can rise up in the Spirit through faith and prayer and the Word
and start taking that territory back. We
are not to be afraid of Him. His defense is departed from him. He has no weapon
that can stand against us and the name of Jesus. We are not to sit by and let the devil take
our friends and loved ones without a fight. We are to pray. Pray! PRAY! Come
against the "god of this world! And if we will hit the devil with the Word
and cast the care of the situation over on God, we will win. God’s word is
unchanging:
Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let
the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him
return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly
pardon. "For My thoughts are not
your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, So
are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain comes down, and the
snow from heaven, And do not return there,
But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give
seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth
from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I
please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. "For you
shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth
into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their
hands. Instead of the thorn shall come
up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not
be cut off." Isaiah 55:6-13
God’s word will accomplish that for which it is sent and it will bring success, prosperity, victory and even miracles because if God be for us who can be against us and how shall He not freely with Jesus give us all things! And we aren’t to be surprised if the devil sends an evil spirit to exalt itself against the Word of God by telling us "You're not healed. You know that healing's not for today. Even if it were, it wouldn't work for you. It might work for somebody else but not you." Or telling us ”It’s not God’s will to prosper you financially because He has called you to poverty and suffering!” The devil is a liar and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44). As sons and daughters of God we were made to be victors, not victims, and to have victory over all things including the devil! And that is the truth!
Now Jesus whipped the devil by telling Satan It is written!" It's the Word that does the work, not the one holding onto it. It works for anybody who'll put it to work just like it worked for Jesus when He walked the earth. No matter what the devil tries to tell us, we are to refuse to let go of the Word. We are to tell him what is written concerning our situation. We are to let the Word fight its own fight. It'll whip the devil every time including:
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. 1 John 5:4
When we pray, use our faith and believe, God will exalt us over the problem and over the devil. For we belong to Jesus and He cares for us and has promised to give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! We are not to allow the devil to talk us out of our victory. We are to throw aside all lies, false teachings, fear and doubt and dare to believe the Word of God. We are to fight the fight of faith, and just like the King Hezekiah (Isaiah 37), Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20) and Peter (Acts 5:12) we will see the salvation of the Lord! God’s word is true:
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people." Acts 12:1-11
Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' "But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. "For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. Luke 22:24-27
“Canada is under a spirit of rebellion and must be reclaimed through revival led by self appointed prophets, intercessors and apostles.[vi] ”
The parts of this movement that I have seen rely a lot on fairy-tale vain imaginations, including I have noticed a lot of imagery of “knights” and such-like from the middle ages. One of these vain imaginations is the Cinderella dream that they’ll wake up one morning to miraculously find millions of dollars in their bank accounts, or something similar. This kind of thinking really could be the reason some have been easy prey for too-good-to-be-true-get-rich-schemes! But I think the story of Joseph in the bible paints a more realistic picture, a living parable, of what the Lord means by “the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” During a time of famine, God’s people the Israelites travelled to Egypt and were sustained on the stored grain that had been produced on the backs of the pagan Egyptians, and set aside and distributed by Joseph to his people as they had need. (Joseph of course was a type of Jesus Christ, our faithful Shepherd who provides for His sheep). Therese[vii]
In Christendom today we have many who are preaching another gospel devoid not only the true, simple gospel of repentance and faith in God and in the finished work of Christ at Calvary but of servant hood! Everybody wants to be a ruler but nobody wants to serve even though Jesus our Lord and example told us in Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
And Paul had some very strong words for those who preach another gospel be it WOF, Third Wave, a soft gospel or a dead gospel! He stated:
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9
Now the bible also tells us:
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. Psalm 72:8
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22
So I responded to Therese’s posting and stated:
You are right on about one of these vain imaginations is the Cinderella dream that they’ll wake up one morning to miraculously find millions of dollars in their bank accounts. In my web article “Laughing Pastor Ron Clark Went Down In Flames Crying” I wrote:
In the last few years I have picked up on some strange going on in what I consider cult churches led by a Charismatic leader. The Pentecostal pastor prophesies special prophecies in church publicly over different members that God is going to make them millionaires, make them super anointed, give them a world wide ministry, or give them great fame! As a result the members are hooked on their wonderful pastor who prophesies good things even though over the years none of the prophecy had ever come to fruitrition. And the pastor attributed it all to lack of faith or unbelief or hidden sin on the part of the member that his prophesies failed rather than because of pastor’s own sins, faults and failures.
About six years ago in Living Water Church, Tampa, Florida, when we were there Oral Roberts in person prophesied that God was going to raise up many millionaires in the church who would be rich and support the work of the kingdom. A few months ago I checked with the St. Petersburg Times to see what was happening with the Living Water Church? And boy was I surprised! The church filed for Bankruptcy. Since 1992 this large church was not able to meet it budget. And then the Pastor Ron Clark and Belinda had gone off the deep end with a public divorce which only compounded the matter.
And in a satellite church of TACF, Metro, pastored by Jim Paul in Hamilton, Ontario, there was a false prophetess whom I called a witch who told my wife and I that God would give her a shopping center and she was waiting for it to come to pass! She also prophesied that my wife would get millions of dollars and would never have to work anymore! Of course none of this came to pass!
Pastor Jim Paul loved to talk about angels that would visit his living room and his wife Diane loved to run around backwards in the church carrying communion elements!
Mind you I was shocked to learn that the church once had 400 members and was reduced to 25 and Jim Paul filed for personal bankruptcy! I had never heard of an Evangelical pastors file for bankruptcy.
But what do you want from a church that is associated Toronto Airport Church of the Flesh who supported Todd Bentley or Stacey Campbell? Nothing good! As can be seen by Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship $ 50 million dollar lawsuit against Walter Kambulow based on lies and perjury, these “Third Wave” nuts are very mean, nasty, judgmental, arrogant, proud, bigoted and intolerant of other Christians and that is why they espouse “Dominionism” Theology as well as the false “Wealth Transfer” theology! The reality is that they cannot demonstrate any form of dominion never mind wealth transfer!
Since the bible doesn’t tell how the wealth of the sinner comes to the righteous many of them believe that stealing it from others including their own sheep by means of a ponzi scheme is the way to go. And that is why both Dan Strader and Jim Bakker were sentenced to 45 years in jail for being common thieves!
It’s Jesus who shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth and not so called Apostle and prophets who are nothing but liars, thieves and even rapists! They covet and steal whatever they can get from the sheep using any means including “begging”, “threats”, “intimidation”, and “lies.” But their final end will be in hell not heaven! Praise the Lord!
They are those in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) who believe that they are of Apostles and Prophets on the earth today to reoccupy the long vacant offices of the Apostles and Prophets on earth including Stacy Campbell, wife of Wes Campbell, an so called Apostle. Here is a partial transcript of the prophecy given by Stacey Campbell on the night of Todd Bentley’s commissioning:
“When they were singing that song tonight, the spirit came on me and said, ‘Todd, because you asked like very few men on the face of the earth ask to see my glory, I will begin a revival through you that will pass beyond gifts into the very heart that moves God to release gifts to His children. And Jesus, filled with compassion healed the sick; and Jesus, filled with forgiveness, said ‘he who is without sin cast the first stone;’ and Jesus, filled with justice and truth, threw over tables and took out whips and cleansed the temple of God. And Todd, I have chosen you because of your background, because of your background, because of your background, to release my nature when you release my gifts. To become a living epistle like the Word that became flesh, and people saw the glory of God; and I will use you to father a movement that operates in such revival power, but it is coming out of the very nature and heart of God. And you will teach people how to behold God until they are transformed from glory to glory, from compassion to mercy to lovingkindness to truth, to justice, to forgiveness; and a whole generation will move in such signs and wonders and power, but everyone will give glory to God.’ And I feel like Todd that when you were twelve-years-old, and I just graduated from Baptist seminary, the Holy Spirit fell on me and He started to speak to me over and over and over again about a generation that would come on the earth that would do signs and wonders that would change society, and society would not change them. And you are a firstfruit of that generation of nation changers that will release the glory of God in all its fullness in Jesus name.”
As I said above, this
prophecy was given by Stacey Campbell at Todd Bentley’s commissioning service[viii]. This is before the Nightline feature was
aired, and this was before Lakeland insiders went public with lies and abuses
by Bentley during the Lakeland services.
Also take note that this prophecy was given before Bentley separated
from his wife, and Fresh Fire Ministries released a public statement that
Bentley had become emotionally involved with a female member of his staff.
Since Campbell
emphatically states that this is God speaking through her, we can draw either
one of two conclusions from the above prophecy.
Either God couldn’t foresee the fiasco that the Lakeland Revival would
turn into, and by the same token, the literal sinful mess that Bentley’s
personal life had become, or God wasn’t speaking through her at all. After considering recent events, I maintain
it is because God was not speaking through her at all.
Campbell has many
followers who believe she is a true prophet of God. I urge her followers to weigh this prophecy with
God’s Word, and in light of current events, and reject her. Hold her responsible for her false prophecies
and turn away from her. God’s Word does
not teach that you have to be 65% correct when giving prophecy (as Rick Joyner
and others have said), it teaches that prophecy must be 100% accurate or it is
not from God!
Certainly, I believe
in my heart that some will have their eyes opened by this and will turn away
from it, but many, many of them will not.
God’s Word says in Jeremiah 5:31:
The prophets prophesy
falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?
Stacey posted on her website remarks about the false prophecy she gave about Todd Bentley:
I prophesied publicly on GodTV that Todd Bentley would be a “first fruits” of a generation that would walk both in the anointing and the glory of God. I would like to acknowledge, that although Todd Bentley began his ministry this way, he has not finished his race this way. Miracles are an expression of the glory of God (John 11:40). However, the primary purpose of the glory of God is to make us one (John 17:22). And marriage is the primary earthly expression of oneness (Ephesians 5:31-32). Separation from his wife is evidence that the glory of God is not currently operating in Todd Bentley’s ministry. Stacey Campbell
The demonic Lakeland revival led by hypocritical Todd Bentley, who was either drunk or fornicating with his mistress, demonstrated to the world that the self appointed prophets, intercessors and apostles were deceived and had no discernment whatsoever and that all the prophecies made during the revival were false!
So if these Dominionists and Revivalists could not manage Lakeland they sure cannot manage anything else! Yes, the whole concept espoused by Faytene C. Kryskow that Christians can manage anything else is sheer folly and a delusion of those who have a Narcisistic Personality Disorder and a Delusion of Grandeur
Jesus stated in Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” And none of these deluded arrogant fools have demonstrated to the world the nature of a servant or giving their life for others which in essence is what the kingdom of God is all about!
We should tell them to crawl back to demonic pits from where they came from!
Deception results in deadly delusion when you think you are going to get something for nothing! There is no such thing! If you think about it salvation is not free? First it cost the life of God’s Son Jesus Christ and then it will cost your own life to turn away from everything that is not God’s will for your life for as Jesus clearly stated:
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. “For I have come to ’set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; “and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:34-39
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21
“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:50
The Third Wave deceivers such as Rick Joyner, James Goll, Todd Bentley, John Arnott, Patricia King and Stacey Campbell have no tolerance for those who disagree with them! They are bigots who think they can demonize and criticize others who don’t share their “Kundalini’ demon. But when the shoe is on the other foot and they are exposed they don’t like it.
However these false one cannot deny that the Lakeland Revival with Todd Bentley and his drunkenness, mistress, lies and thievery and those who supported him with false prophecies were not of God but of the devil and we have seen their negative fruits! God’s word is true:
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:19-24
False prophets give prophecies that are false and Patricia King, Stacey Campbell or Todd Bentley are definitely not true prophets and neither are they Christ’s! Anybody who was and is associated with Patricia King, Stacey Campbell or Todd Bentley should have their heads examined as they are not all there! It’s not hateful to say they are demonized or sons of hell but truthful for Jesus clearly stated about them:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:15-20
The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:23
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
Most so called believers don’t believe in a God who give us the victory through Lord Jesus Christ including over evil and wicked men. They might expect God to do something way down the road but no in the current time of life. Mind you they spend very little time with God and don’t know what is on His heart or that He loves justice and victory and to give justice and victory to His trusting ones! They haven’t learned to hear His voice and to trust His leading even if it’s into the Red Sea just like He led Moses and the Children of Israel there with Pharaoh and his mighty army pursuing them to destroy them! But then God did something supernatural. The bible records for our profit and instruction:
And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? "Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. "But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. "And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. "Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." Exodus 14: 11-18
And God did something great and wonderful that caused the children of Israel to sing a new song which the bible recorded:
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the
LORD, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse
and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The LORD is my strength and
song, And He has become my salvation; He
is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name. Pharaoh's chariots and
his army He has cast into the sea; His
chosen captains also are drowned in the
Yes, God who is the same yesterday, today and forever wants to give His people the victory over all this enemies just like He gave the children of Israel victory over the Egyptian enemies, spoiled them with the wealth of Egypt and brought the out of all their bondage and afflictions. Jesus Christ, who is God manifest in the flesh, demonstrated God’s will for us by healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. When they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics, He healed them (Matthew 4:24). Sickness, disease, demons, poverty or lack are not our friends but our enemies and Jesus came to destroy these things!
"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. "Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. "The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. "The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 28:1-8
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Yes, for those who obey His voice and walk in His ways, Jesus Christ causes their enemies to be defeated. He blesses them coming in and going out! He is the God of all and unlimited power and resources who has overcome the world for them! God’s word is true:
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30
On the cross of
Because of Jesus death and resurrection we now enjoy great benefits. Jesus was punished in our place, because of that, we are forgiven. Jesus became a sin offering; we are made righteous. Jesus became a curse; we are blessed, Jesus was beaten and whipped; we are healed. Jesus died in our place; we have been given life eternal. Jesus was rejected by man and was also rejected by God; we have been accepted in the Beloved and we will never be forsaken by God. Jesus suffered unbearable trauma; we have been given peace. Jesus was resurrected; we were made a new creature. Jesus became poor with our poverty and we have become rich with His riches. Jesus bore our shame and we now share His glory. Jesus endured our rejection and we now have His acceptance as children of God.
The good news is that the stone at Jesus’ grave site was miraculously rolled away for us as we now serve a resurrected glorious Christ whose power and glory and riches and victory has been restored to Him. God’s word is unchanging:
Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint
Him. Very early in the morning, on the
first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, "Who
will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" But when they looked up, they saw that the
stone had been rolled away-for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man
clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid
Him. "But go, tell His
disciples-and Peter-that He is going before you into
Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. Mark 16:16-8
When Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons, went and told those who had been with Jesus, who mourned and wept. But when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. And Jesus Himself had to appear to His disciples and friends to prove that He was no longer dead. Similarly we need for God by the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and understanding to see and understand the truth of magnitude of the victories of the cross and the great exchange Jesus did there. God’s word is unchanging:
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46
It’s just like God to take the useless and worthless things of our lives and to replace it with something priceless. We get from God in return for what we give up:
Christ's Righteousness for Our sin
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor. 5:21
Peace with God for Wrath of God
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 5:1
Father's House (Heaven) for Condemnation (Hell)
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Eph. 2:,19
Life for Death
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Gal. 2:20
The New Man for The Old Man
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor. 5:17
Grace for Law
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law
through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another- to Him who was
raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful
passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear
fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to
what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and
not in the oldness of the letter.
His Strength for
Our weakness
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor. 12:9-10
His Purity for Our Impurity
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Heb. 10:19-22
Every Spiritual Blessing for Being His Children
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, Eph. 1:3-4
God's Power for Weakness and Self strength
He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31
Wisdom and Redemption for Hopelessness and Despair
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption- 1 Cor. 1:30
Good Cheer for Tribulation
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Victory for Defeat
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Cor. 15:57
Joy for Sorrow
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11
Hope for Despair
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Col. 1:27-28
Fullness for Emptiness
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Col. 2:9-10
Goodness for Evil And Self Control for the Flesh
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal. 5:19-24
Love for Fear
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. I John 4:16-18
Rest for Busyness
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Heb. 4:9-10
Freedom for Bondage
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36
Deliverance for Darkness
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Col. 1:13
Truth for Lies
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you
abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free." John
Riches for Poverty
For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col. 2:2
Spiritual mind for Carnal mind
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:12-16
Boldness for Fear of Judgment
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:17
Abundance For Lack
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
Healing for Sickness
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24
Great deliverance He gives to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore. Psalm 18:50
"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Psalm 91:14
The Bible speaks of three men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed
Nego who were zealous for the Lord. When they refused to worship the golden
image of the king, the king ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times
more than it was usually heated and the young men be thrown into the furnace.
The young men said, “If that is the case,
our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and
He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you,
O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image
which you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).
They knew that God would deliver them from the fiery furnace. The men who took
them up to cast the young men into the furnace died because of the intense
heat. When the three men were thrown into the furnace, the king was astonished
and said, “I see four men loose, walking
in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is
like the Son of God" (Daniel 3:25). The king then ordered them to be
set free and they were brought before the king. The king and his officials saw
that fire had no power on them and the smell of fire was not on them. Then the
king made a decree that the Lord should be worshipped as the there was no other
God Who can deliver like that (Daniel 27-29).
The Lord Who delivered the three men is able to deliver anybody from their problems because there is no favoritism with God. However God is a God of deliverance for those who pray in the Spirit. God’s word is unchanging:
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:15
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 1 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 1:20
By praying in the Spirit, in tongues, we not only open up ourselves to God’s will in all matters but we put ourselves in a position where all the gifts of the Spirit can now operate in us including the wisdom for any given need or problem! In the physical world that we live we are subject to being influenced by the weakness of the flesh, demons, evil and wicked men, and other negative things! However by availing ourselves of our prayer language we can build ourselves up on our most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit and bring God into every negative circumstance to affect a real change!
In the bible Romans 8:26 also tells us that sometimes we
don’t know how to pray as we should. In other words, our understanding of the
problem or the solution to the problem is so limited, that we just don’t know
how to pray. At times like these, we are instructed to “pray in the spirit.”
When we don’t know how to pray, that the Holy Spirit Himself will make intercession for us and that He knows and prays the will of God on our behalf. In other words, the Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
The solution to our problem may be a mystery to us, but there are no mysteries in God. Even though we may not know what we are praying in our own consciousness, the Spirit does and as He prays the will of God according to 1 John 5:14-15, God hears this prayer and acts to fulfill it. Yes the (Holy) Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer...but the Spirit Himself...pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance."
Praying in the Spirit by the Holy Spirit applies spirit to flesh. It causes our spirit to rise up and take charge. Just like using barbells strengthens our arms, praying in other tongues strengthens our spirit. As our spirit is more powerful than our flesh, and as we give it outflow, the flesh and other things will simply have to yield to it.
Now our enemy, Satan, doesn’t like for us to pray in the Spirit because it releases the power of God into our bodies, lives and negative circumstances so he fights the idea of “tongues” anyway he can including the doctrine of demon of “cessationalism” or the idea that that gifts of the Spirit have ceased and are not in operation today. The father of lies doesn’t want us to have and see the manifestation of the Spirit which is given to each one for the profit of all or to know that God is a good God who is for us and not against us and knows all the problems we face in life.
It’s wonderful it is to know that God knows us by name and can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He loves humanity and works in their behalf as they look unto Him. We must consider of how Moses felt when Almighty God said to him, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name," Exodus 33:17. Yes, God is a personal God who sent a personal Savior to make us nigh unto Him. He is not a distant God out of our reach. He is only a prayer of faith away.
And who knows us better than Lord God Almighty? Who better to take our burdens to than He? We can trust our Lord to do for us what no other power can do. He will rise with healing in His wings and we shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. We shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet (Malachi 4:2-4). What God has done in the past for those who love and obey Him, He can do and will do today because He is no respecter of persons and shows partiality to no one!
Yes God knows the number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7).
He has engraved us on the palm of His hands. The psalmist David who always
trusted in God says, “The Lord is on my
side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” The Lord delivered him from
all his troubles and blessed him mightily.
And as we hold onto the Lord diligently, He will surely deliver us from
our problems and bless us as nothing is
impossible with God Who demonstrated His own love toward us, in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us . His word is unchanging:
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. Psalm 23:4-6
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:1-10
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32
Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: "Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. 1 Chronicles 29:10-12
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
God can do what no man can do. He can and will give total and complete victory in any negative situation just like He has done for others including Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, Daniel, Hezekiah and Jesus. We have been made nigh through His precious, divine blood, and the blood of Jesus makes us nigh to the promises of God. All of God's promises in His Word are for us to claim and be partakers of. Promises of healing, peace, victory and overcoming power are ours. What a loving God we serve!
God sent Jesus and anointed Him to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised. Jesus ordained and sent disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out devils. The works of God continue on today. Help and healing are always available to those who believe. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father," John 14:12.
God is our refuge in this troubled world. He has always been a refuge to those who put their trust in Him and were obedient to His Word. Psalm 94:22 says, " But the LORD has been my defense, And my God the rock of my refuge.," and in Psalm 57:1, " And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by."
There is no power greater, no love stronger and no refuge better than that of Lord God Almighty! Man has compromised the greatness of God by bringing Him down to the size of man through their own thoughts and beliefs. We have to let God be true and every man a liar when it comes to the abilities of God to save, heal and deliver. Faith in God is victory for soul, mind and body!
These are days of really looking unto the Lord. Like the Psalmist said in Psalm 121:1,2, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."
When a real need arises and there seems to be no one around that can help, we lift up our eyes to heaven where real guidance and wisdom come from. We look to the One who spoke this world into existence and hung the earth upon nothing. We rejoice in the fact that God's ears are open to the cry of the righteous, and He hears, He understands and He knows just what to do. We can have faith in God; hold to His hand. Our every care He understands. And God is not a man. He does not have the limitations of a man. Ephesians 1:19 tells us, "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."
Though the love of many is waxing cold in this evil world, God's love and grace abounds more and more. God's love is not affected by the spirit of this age. God's love is pure, divine love that is everlasting and true. As we yield to the love of God, we have full assurance that He will take care of us. God's love has many arms - - arms that hold us, arms that chasten us, arms that heal us, and arms that work all things out for our good. God's love never fails. His word is unchanging:
Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:3-10
We can find no greater love, no greater friend to help see us through. God's love has all power, and there isn't anything too hard for Him. We can always turn to God's love for all of our needs. The Bible declares in Philippians 4:13, " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Because of Jesus and His enabling grace, we can do what God has called us to do. We can have what God intends for us to have. It is not by our human faith or ability, but it is "through Christ who strengthens me.” We can keep our eyes upon Jesus. He is the author and finisher of our faith, and He knows how to keep us in divine peace. He has all that we need for soul, mind and body.
Jesus paved the way for us to come directly to the throne of God through His name to receive help in time of need. He is our wonderful redeemer. The Lord is no respecter of persons. What He has done for others He can do for us. Romans 10:12 says, "For the same Lord over all is rich to all that call upon him."
John 1:14 says, " And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ; it was not by any works that we have done. Oh, how we can praise His name for making us partakers of His life and of His promises!
We need God's grace, and we need His truth at all times. We are living in perilous times, but where sin abounds grace doth that much more abound. Where would we be if it were not for God's amazing grace and truth that sets men free?
As the days become more evil and people do not heed sound doctrine, we can be secure in the grace and truth of God that was sent to us for healing of soul, mind and body. We can thank God for His amazing grace and unfailing truth. They are gifts from God for us. By faith we can receive all that God has intended for us to have. We can believe for God to supply all of our needs spiritually, physically, and financially. He is able!
We are walking on the highway of holiness that was paved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Walking on this highway there are blessings to be received, promises to be claimed and deliverance out of all of our tribulations. We will have tribulations in this life, but God promised to deliver us out of them all.
On this highway of holiness we walk hand in hand with the Savior. Old things are passed away, and all things are become new. There is no sin on this highway because only the pure in heart walk this road. The family of God walks this highway praying for one another, loving one another and encouraging one another in the faith. We can rejoice knowing that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. We can believe and receive all that God has promised to His obedient children.
Though we walk the narrow, straight way, it leads to eternity with joy forevermore. The broad road of sin and sinful pleasures may look easier today, but on tomorrow it leads to eternal destruction. What a joy it is to walk the straight and narrow highway of holiness
Our God is always on time. He was on time for Lazarus, though it seemed too late to others. He was on time for Daniel in the lion's den and for the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace. Notice that to the human mind it looked too late for all of these, but it wasn't.
We must look beyond our natural thinking and know that God works through divinity. His ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are higher! He is a miracle-working God, and to those who believe, they will see His glory.
As we trust in the Lord and in His timing, we know that He will work all things out for our good and in His time. Hebrews 11:6 says, " But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.."
God has given to every man a measure of faith to trust Him to be on time. Though it may look too late in the natural, faith tells us that His ways are perfect and that He is on time. In this life we will have trials and tribulations, but God will deliver us out of them all. He cares and understands. We can let those trials be opportunities for God to make Himself more real. The Proverb writer instructs us to lean not unto our own understanding. We must acknowledge the One who has all understanding so things will work out for His glory and our good.
I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. Psalm 57:2
"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
Prayer can do all things – for God can do all things. Nothing is impossible for Him! Where the need is greatest, His power will be greater. He can perform all things for us as well. As we acknowledge Him in all our ways and lean not to our own understanding, He will direct our steps. God will save, heal, deliver and guide as we look to Him in faith and obedience. In Philippians 4:4 Paul tells us, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
We have much to rejoice about. God's Word is full of promises for the soul, mind and body of man. There are promises for guidance, protection, wisdom and understanding. Peter wrote in his first epistle, " 4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. Because of Jesus, we know that we will overcome.
As we are waiting on a promise to be fulfilled, we can wait with rejoicing knowing that God will do what He promised He would do. We know that the Lord is near and that His ears are open to the cry of the righteous at all times. We can rejoice in the blood of Jesus that was shed for us. There is power in the blood of Jesus to trample devils underfoot and to conquer all the powers of darkness. God’s word is unchanging:
"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed.1 Peter 2:24
If Jesus went to His Father as He said He would, He's at the right hand of God the Father. If He's at the right hand of the Father, we've got authority in this world in the Name of Jesus. Unfortunately there are many who didn't use their dominion, they didn't use their authority, and they died over it. And every born again child of God that doesn't learn to resist the devil, and doesn't stand against Satan, and doesn't take authority over him, ends up forfeiting their blessings.
But the good news is that we have a blood covenant with God Almighty when we make Him Lord of our lives. In this covenant everything God has belongs to us and everything we have belongs to Him. He has all the provision we need physically, spiritually, financially, emotionally and mentally. In everything we have the Precious Holy Spirit in us, with us. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us to lead, guide and pray through us. We walk in the same anointing Jesus walked in on this earth. We have the same power and ability He had. We have the power to believe the Word of God, confess it and work it in our lives and the lives of others. We have power and authority over sickness, disease, debt, anything the enemy comes against us with. We have authority with the name of Jesus to defeat the enemy. Romans 14:11 it is written: “‘as surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'
The name of Jesus gives us power and authority. We do not need to fear the devil, sickness, debt or anything the enemy brings against us. We have the name of Jesus. The all powerful name of Jesus. We are recognized as children of God when we use the name of Jesus. We are bound to God Almighty and He is bound to us. We are the righteousness of God because of Jesus. Genesis 15:6 tells us and he believed in the Lord and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Abraham believed God. We can believe God and walk in the fullness and wholeness of all He has for us. When we speak God’s word for each situation we remind Him of our covenant with Him.
Jesus is the surety of the New Covenant. Hebrews 7:22 tells us by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Jesus makes intercession for us. Hebrews 7:25 tells us therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. We have the resources of heaven with our new covenant. Nothing is impossible with God.
Yes, no matter what we are going through we can believe for God to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. We can receive Jesus' victory for us today, knowing that He has already provided for all our needs, salvation, provision, healing and restoration, it was all accomplished when He said "it is finished". We can believe His promises and receive by entering into His rest by faith.
It's God's desire that each one of us, as believers, live an abundant life. We need to be sure that we stand on God's promises, keep ourselves built up spiritually, and keep our faith activated on God's Word. One way is by speaking God's Word, holding fast to our confession of faith, and saying what the Word of God says about us. Notice in Matthew chapter 4, when Satan came to Jesus, Jesus said, It is written ... He spoke what was written in the Word. He used three verses from two chapters of Deuteronomy to resist the devil.
We have a battle. We have to fight the good fight of faith and cast down imaginations. We have to resist the devil. We don't see Satan physically, but he comes to our minds, emotions and intellect, just like he did to Jesus.
It is not up to God if the person gets through these tests and trials, it's up to the individual. So often believers who love the Lord end up dying with cancer, or dying prematurely, simply because they did not know how to appropriate God's promises, stand on the word and be doers of the word.
As believers, we don't do well if we're not doing the Word. God intends for us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, as James 1:22 says: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, their clothes never wore out. That was supernatural, but it wasn't God's best. God's best for them was for them to be in the promised land that flowed with milk and honey, and where there was too much. Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
Jesus is the God that is too much, and God wants us to have more than enough in every area of our lives. He wants us to have more than enough health and strength, more than enough prosperity, and more than enough victory in every area of our lives. But for this to happen, we have to get into the Word and become fully persuaded.
God is not cheap, and He doesn't want us to live in poverty or lack. He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Jesus, Himself, took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses, and by His stripes we were healed. He redeemed us from the curse of law, He delivered us, He wishes above all things that we prosper, and be in health, even as our soul prospers.
We need to realize that God wants us to walk in divine health and prosperity. But it's not what God can do that we're going to get. It's what we can believe God for. It's always going to be according to our faith. Each one of us as believers has to take authority over the devil.
When sickness, pain, fever, or anything else comes to us, or
our family or loved ones, we can immediately say, "Oh no, Satan, you can't put that on us. We're redeemed from the curse
of law, and no plague will come nigh our dwelling, for it is written..."
Then we just quote what is written. We
must follow the example of Jesus. Just do the Word of God. Jesus talked to the
devil. He told us to resist the devil. He said in Ephesians 4:27, Neither give place to the devil.
We need to make sure we walk in the God-kind of love and make sure we don't hold anything against anyone. We will not walk in divine health if we have something, bitterness, or resentment against any one. It’s up to us not God to pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord and to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking with all malice. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:25-32
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. Hebrews 12:14-17
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:29-34
Faith in God not only assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see but enables to see and do the impossible! The bible clearly tells us that those who have faith in God will get results that others will not. As a result the Children of Israel by passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith Joshua, Samson and David subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, became valiant in battle, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
The secret to Joshua and King David success and victories was not only their courage but they took their orders from their Commander in Chief - The Lord. Joshua as a brilliant general had his own ideas on how to take the mighty walled city of Jericho but the LORD Himself appeared to Him and told him what was to be done. The bible records:
Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. "You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. "And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. "It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him." Joshua 1:1-5
Joshua obtained his victory over his enemies not only because he was a man of faith and bold and courageous but he listened to the LORD and the instructions that He gave and obeyed. The truth that obedience to the voice of the LORD is seen though out the bible; including in the life of David who faced one of the most devastating crisis in his life.
David his men came to Ziklag, to find that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. It was very distressing to find their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. So David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
David was also greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God and inquired of the LORD Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.
And because David heard from the LORD He pursued and recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.
Now the good news is the LORD has not changed one bit, He is with us to save us and to deliver us and to help us recover all that the enemy has stolen from us, be it money, health, or our good name. He is just as much for us as He was for David. His word is unchanging:
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. Psalm 145:18-20
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning- Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities. Psalms 130:5-8
Do not say, "I will recompense evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. Proverbs 20:22
Skeptics and scoffers don’t believe that faith in God will open up windows in heaven and as a result they don’t see the impossible. But the bible has many examples of what expectantly waiting on the Lord and hope in His word for His plenteous redemption and deliverance and what it shall accomplish. One of my favorite stories is about when Elisha and the children of Judah were besieged by the enemy and were starving. Ben-Hadad king of Syria had gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. As a result there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver. However Elisha the prophet said:
"Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.' " So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" And he said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it." 2 Kings 7:1-2
God does nothing on earth unless He reveals it to His prophets. But God has also stated that those who despise the word of His prophets, He will require of them. So the officer who was the right hand man of the king put his life in jeopardy when he despised Elisha’s prophetic words. (It’s true that some foolish men just do not learn and accept God’s word on some matters and they pay for their deeds even with their lives.) God’s word goes on to state:
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die? "If we say, 'We will enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die." And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.
For the LORD had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses-the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!" Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact-their tents, their horses, and their donkeys-and they fled for their lives.
And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it. 2 Kings 7:3-8
The lepers had enough of their circumstance and situation and decided they were going to act and do something even if it would cost them their lives. (Yes, many times God’s bring His people to a place where they must walk on the water or sink. It is in such times that they find the miracle working power of God to be true and see that the Lord is the Lord and that He does what He has said He would do to bless, protect and preserve His own. For after all He is the Lord and He loves to bless and prosper His own even miraculously with the spoils of war from their enemies, just like He did for these lepers.) God’s word records:
Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household." So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, "We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound-only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact."
And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king's household inside. So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, "Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.' "
And one of his servants answered and said, "Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see." Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, "Go and see."
And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king. Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 2 Samuel 7:9-16
Men are not accustomed to believing God, walking by faith and not by sight and trusting His word and those of His true prophets, even though Elisha had said that God would provide a miraculous deliverance. So they would not believe the words of the Lepers until they could see things for themselves with their natural eyes instead of their spiritual eyes. But the fact of the matter remains that the officer who scorned Elisha’s words paid with his life for his foolish actions. It doesn’t pay to be arrogant and proud and a respecter of persons for God’s word records:
Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria."
Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, "Now look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he had said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it." And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.
Men have a lot of foolish ideas which they make as doctrines but God’s word does not lie and God has not changed. We see from the Word of God that God weighed and judged the actions of the lepers and the arrogant officer. The lepers were blessed and the officer was cursed! So who is to say that God does not do such things today? For after all He is the Lord, the Judge of the whole earth and His eyes are on each and every one to render to each one according to his work. For God’s word is true:
'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. For I raise My hand to heaven, And say, "As I live forever, If I whet My glittering sword, And My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, And repay those who hate Me. I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And My sword shall devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the heads of the leaders of the enemy." ' "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people." Deuteronomy 32:39-41
And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isaiah 25:9
For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him. Isaiah 64:4
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:12-14
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
God is a God of abundance, not poverty or lack. His wealth and power is beyond measurements! And He responds to simple child like faith to do for those who believe, exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. And yes Jesus promised he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do. because I go to My Father. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Prayer is the key that unlocks all of heaven’s riches and resources and brings it down to earth! God’s word is true:
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8
"The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed." 1 Samuel 2:6-10
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:14-16
Jesus promised great and wonderful things for those who abide in Him and His words abide in them. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you (John 15:16).
And God is mighty, great and wonderful and He can do what no other can do including killing people and making them alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. He makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He also raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. And He can and will do all things for His trusting humble ones, His born again children! God’s word is true:
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11-13
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:8-10
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32
Man is a three part being. Man is a spirit that has a soul and lives in a body. The Bible makes a distinction between the spirit and the soul and the body. First Thessalonians 5:23 tells us, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We contact the physical realm with our body. We contact our soulish realm with our intellect and we contact the spiritual realm with our spirit. We cannot be led by the Spirit of God if we never enter into the spiritual realm. Why? Because the things of the spirit cannot be understood by the natural man. However they can be understood by those who are the sons of God and are led by the Spirit of God!
It’s a fact that men don’t know what is best for us or have all the answers in life but God does! He has the power to raise people from the dead and to make their bodies whole free from any sickness and disease! He has to power to fill a person with the fullness of God and impart to Him the mind of Christ and as much wisdom that he needs. God’s word is unchanging:
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11
When Jesus talked about coming into the Kingdom of God, He used the phrase "born again." When Paul talked about new Christians, he called them babes and children. In another place, Paul said that we should grow up spiritually and become mature. It very sad but most are Christians all over the world who are infants and children. They are born into the Body of Christ but don’t grow up and become mature. They are children who do things halfway and without understanding. They are immature and stay immature for the rest of their lives and that should not be!
God wants them to grow up and be mature and live and walk in the power that He has for them! They have become the Children of God and can abide in Christ and allow His life to be manifested in them and through them. God’s word is unchanging:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous. 1 John 3:1-10
So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " Zechariah 4:6-7
The Holy Spirit who is the muscle of God is willing to be invited to move all our mountains into the sea and to manifest God's power in all our negative circumstances just like when He came on Samson, and enabled him single-handedly to kill a thousand Philistine soldiers (Judges 15:14-16). Samson was really just an ordinary fellow. He only became extraordinary when the Spirit of God came on him. And the same about us we become extraordinary and a powerhouse.
The Holy Spirit is everything in us that He has ever been. He has awesome power and astounding ability to compute, to comprehend and plan in infinite detail everything that has ever been...everything that now is...and everything that ever will be! And when we run into something we can't handle we can call on Him for help! He's not a million light years away. He's right there inside us! He's ready to supply us with whatever we need. He's ready to be our comforter. Ready to be our teacher and our trainer. Ready to be our advocate, our standby, our counselor. He's ready to put His supernatural muscle and mind to work for us 24 hours a day.
But He is a perfect gentleman who will not help us unless we invite Him to work on our behalf! He is ready to move on God's Word and deliver the power necessary to cause that Word to manifest in the earth. That's what He did at creation...and that's what He is commissioned to do for us as our helper. He stands ready to give us plans, ideas and inventions. He stands ready to open doors of opportunity and then to give us the strength and ability to walk through them. And we Him we can say:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord Luke 4:18-19
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. Isaiah 35:1-7
God does all things well. He has provided a great salvation in Jesus Christ for body, soul and spirit and every need! So no matter what negative situation His trusting ones can find themselves in God can and will turn it around for them if they will only believe! He is after all a great and wonderful miracle working God and there is none like Him!
God has promised not only help and victory but deliverance for all those who have known His name and put their trust in Him and call upon Him. He has promised to be with them in trouble, deliver and honor them, satisfy them with long life and show them His salvation. And God unlike others doesn’t lie and He keeps His promises all of them! However many do not know what the fullness of salvation is.
“Salvation” here is the Greek word soteria which means “everything that the soter or ‘savior’ provided.” “It means all my needs provided for like a little baby.” The verb of soteria is sozo. This Greek word is translated “saved” when speaking of salvation of the soul (Lk.7:50). It is translated “made whole” when speaking of healing (Lk.8:48; Jas.5:15) and deliverance from demon possession (Lk.8:36). It is translated “save” when speaking of salvation from adverse circumstances (Mt.8:25; Jude 1:5). Salvation covers all of the benefits that Christ paid for.
Salvation-soteria is defined in the bible as being established in "protection, preservation, prosperity, promotions, provisions, soundness, healing, deliverance and the ministry of angels." But salvation is a personal thing. Each person must work out his or her own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:14). But due to the complexities of man each person is not always established in “protection, preservation, prosperity, promotions, provisions, soundness, healing, deliverance”. Nevertheless God is able to ensure that spirit and soul and body preserved sound and complete. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) especially as the brethren pray one for another (COL 1:9, 1THES 5:25, 2THES 3:1, HEB 13:18, JMS 5:16) and help one another (ACTS 4:34, 1COR 16:17, PHIL 2:30).
Yes, the whole body of Christ has a responsibility to help and heal those in the body who are weaker in faith, spirit and body (1 Corinthians 12:12-28, 1 John 3:16-19). We all are our brother’s keepers and must support each other through prayer, financial giving and encouraging works.
…"If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." Exodus 15:26
"And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you. Deuteronomy 7:15
God has created man in His image and that includes the right to make choices, to think freely, to rule freely. And even though the LORD is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and forever and a great and wonderful healing God, man has the right to choose and remain sick. And God will not go against this right! But it doesn’t change the fact that God is able to take away from His trusting ones all sickness and heal them of all diseases. His word is unchanging:
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:23-24
Yes, using our faith we can be healed of anything and everything! Faith is used not only to obtain good and marvelous things from God but to keep our adversary, Satan, when he comes in like a flood and tries to overwhelm us by his onslaughts, at bay. As a result through faith we can not only have great victories over Satan but great victories from God from standing on His promises and quoting His word.
Our feelings and inadequacies have nothing to do with God. He doesn’t look at or consider them but only at our faith. Even though there are many hindrances to faith, but when we are tempted, or a delay has come, we and still and wait upon God who is faithful and true and has promised to deliver us and answer our prayers. His word is true:
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:15-19
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:31-34
Yes, we are of little faith and we do limit God as to what He cannot or will not do. But a child doesn’t stop trying to learn to walk because he falls and stumbles many times? No he will keep on trying until he is able to walk and walk for quite a while. There are times in my life where God has answered some prayers instantly and others prayers He did not answer. There have been times where God healed a sickness and diseases miraculously and other times I have had to rely on medical doctors and medicine. So just because God doesn’t heal miraculously or within our set time frame doesn’t mean that God isn’t in the healing business? And it doesn’t mean that our faith is perfect. But Jesus did say:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. James 14:12
God has more than enough for anything we need - be it salvation healing, salvation, baptism with the Holy Ghost, deliverances from bondages, miracle ministries, or anything else. And through faith kingdoms are subdued, righteousness worked, promises obtained, the mouths of lions stopped, the violence of fire quenched, the edge of the sword escaped, strength comes to weakness, become valiant in battle, and turn to flight the armies of the aliens.
So we are not to take our faith or the use of our faith lightly as prayer and faith accomplish things which are impossible with men but not impossible with God. And Satan knows all this and he does everything to try to prevent God’s miracles and answers from becoming a reality from using sin, discouragement, persecution, oppression, sickness, diseases and other negative things to stop the Christian from believing and trusting God. Secret sins can and do destroy faith and hinder a person from receiving healing and other deliverances as well.
The devil also knows that if a person becomes self righteous or hurts other people that will prevent God from keeping His promises to him. Many people are quick to see the faults of others, but are blind to any faults of their own. With this spirit, one cannot have faith for healing, for deliverances of any kind --- God will not give faith to a self-righteous person. Many people pass through many healing lines and are not healed not because of lack of faith, but because they have not confessed their faults to God. They have not been honest to find out what was the root cause of their sickness even though God’s word tells them:
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.
"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:21-26
For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:30-32
Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:17-20
Yes, people, fools, get sick because of their transgression and because of their iniquities and when they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, He saves them out of their distresses. He sent His word and heals them, and delivers them from their destructions. Hence the Word of God states:
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:14-16
Those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (1 Timothy 3:5) are wonderful ground for the doctrines of men and demons to take root in their lives and for the devil to bring all kinds of negative things in their lives and pretend that it is the will of God when it’s all from the pit of hell including poverty, loss, sickness, diseases, sorrow and grief.
Those who do not believe in the miracle-working power of God and deny that there is any such power cannot be true sons and daughters of God because He always was and is a miracle working God. Such unbelievers who are full of erroneous teaching and do not possess the power of God in their own lives, make excuses for themselves by adjusting the teaching of the scriptures to their own thinking. Peter tells us these kind of wicked people wrest the scriptures to their own destruction. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation-as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:15-18.
He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men-the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' "But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"-' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, "making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:6-13
But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 1:5
Sickness, destruction, and dearth ARE NOT the will of God for His people. IT IS THE WORK OF THE DEVIL. Not once in all His earthly ministry did Jesus ever command any person be to sick, although He commanded many to be well, and healed them with His Word. Not once did a sick person come to Him asking to be healed and received the answer, “It is God’s will for you to remain sick for His glory.” There is no place in the Word of God where sickness is declared to be an evidence of God’s favor. The God who healed and delivered Job and restored all his real losses has not and doesn’t change. And He will do the same for all those who trust Him for it. The reward of obedience and faith is health and healing for God’s word is unchanging:
So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." Exodus 15:24-26
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15.
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2
A note on healing:
"All things are possible to him that
believes."
We aren't waiting for God, God is waiting for us. (God never has 'doubt' )
What would it take for you to believe that God would heal you ?
For some,... just knowing that God is NOT the author of pain is a big enough
step.
If Jesus ALWAYS did the will of his Father - then why did Jesus heal ANYONE ?
(Unless, of course, it IS the will of God ).
You see,... if 'god' made people sick, then Jesus was 'undoing' God's work.
And still,... why didn't Jesus make ANYONE forcibly ill - and say stuff like
"... oh, you need to be more humble, so I will make you ill - and somehow,
you will come back to God."
JESUS NEVER DID THAT.
In fact, this is what scripture says repeatedly,...
"He went about healing ALL that were oppressed of the devil" ( not
'oppressed of God', but the devil
It also says "He healed ALL manner of sickness and disease."
The only places in scripture where people did not get healed, was because
'they' did not believe. And it is the ONLY thing required to receive from God.
Make no mistake about it,... it is the absolute will of God that you be healed
of ALL manner of sickness and ALL manner of disease.
Now, the real question is,... do you BELIEVE that, or not?
Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son- "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Genesis 22:15-18
Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. "I and My Father are one." Genesis 10:24-30
The true blessings of God come to those who hear God’s voice and obey Him. Jesus told us clearly “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” His true ones follow Him and no other! And they also have the mind of Christ. The word of God tells us that we are called to have the mind of Christ daily and constantly. Hence we are to trust God's spirit and no other and not other men! God's word is unchanging:
"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns-broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.1 Corinthians 2:12-16
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:1-5
"The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. Isaiah 50:4-5
God is on line to all who care to listen to Him in the early hours of the morning. For those who are attune to the Spirit and walk in God’s ways the Lord gives them the tongue of the learned that they may know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He opens their ears to hear as the learned of all that He has to speak to them morning by morning before the bustle, cares, worries and anxiety of life drown things out.
Worries and anxieties are no different than the sins of adultery or sickness; they must be fought against because they rob God’s people access to the voice of God, which is their secret for sweat less triumph. Heaviness, discouragement, or anxiety is a spirit that robs God’s people of His presence, promises and peace and makes them to be a prey in the devil’s hands. Heaviness, discouragement, or anxiety takes them out of their Father’s house (like the prodigal son), and places there where the enemy can flog them. God’s word is unchanging:
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matthew 6:25-30
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things. Philippians 4:6-8
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
The carnal mind is enmity with God for it cannot please God. The mind is a battlefield which the enemy tries in infiltrate with many things including negative thoughts and dreams. But God’s people can put on the mind of Christ and think and meditate on whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report. Nature abhors vacuum. Our mind is never on break; it is either charged with concerns of things of this life or overtaken with affection for the kingdom. Rather than being anxious and concerned with the things of this world, it is be concerned with the things of God and of His kingdom, so every other thing can be “added to you.” God’s word is unchanging:
"But seek first the
"But seek the
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3
Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1Timothy 4:15
The brain is always engaged, either positively or negatively. All we need to do is to make our choice on what occupies our mind and it should be the word of God. Prosperity is promised to those who delight in the word of God and meditate on it day and night. When we mediate on something it goes from the realm of the mind which is just usually intellect ascent to the realm of our heart where it becomes faith and moves the mountains out in our lives when it is authoritatively spoken out. Yes, when the word of God is mixed with faith and acted on God’s miracle working power is released to bring about great change. The power in the Word is only released through the process of meditation. Until we ponder on the truth contained in the Word, get an understanding of that Word, and act on it, we cannot display miracles, signs and wonders. God’s word is unchanging:
Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16
The word meditate means "to consider deeply, to reflect upon, to revolve in the mind." It is akin to the physical process of food digestion. Food when eaten undergoes three major processes before the nutrients in it can benefit the body. They are: digestion, absorption and assimilation. Often we think that the taste of food in the mouth and its weight in the stomach is all that there is to food. But until these three processes take place, food taken in offers no value to the body.
Similarly, until the Word of God we hear or read is broken down to assimilable forms and we contact the gems in it, our life cannot be bettered by it. The meditation process is what breaks down the Word into assimilable forms, equipping us to walk on the highways of the miraculous. It’s the word of God that breaks into pieces the different rocks in our lives. God’s word is true:
"Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass. For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. Deuteronomy 32:4
Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. 2 Samuel 22:1-4
"Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Jeremiah 23:29
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Matthew 7:24-24
Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village. Luke 9:51-56
It’s not the devil who goes around saving lives but Jesus Christ. When He walked on earth God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. He demonstrated God’s love, care, concern and compassion for lost, sick, and hurting humanity. He fulfilled the plan and purposes of God, so that others could be anointed and do what He had done and had demonstrated and commanded:
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Luke 10:1-2
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Mark 16:16-20
The problem of shortages of true laborers who are obedient to the commands of Jesus is not the fault of God but the fault of man including the fact that many do not pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest and others put restrictions of God on what He can or cannot do. But God’s word is unchanging:
Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:24
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, Matthew 8:16
The seventy others who were appointed and anointed by Jesus to preach the good news of Christ, to heal the sick and to cast out demons were obedient and they came back with joy. The bible records:
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:17-20
While salvation of souls is the greatest miracle, the healing of bodies, mind and spirit are also miracles that God wants to do in the midst of men if He could only get obedient and willing laborers. God takes no pleasure in seeing people sick, poor, defeated, disgusted and busted. Jesus Christ came to redeem man and restore to him all that he had lost in the Garden of Eden including the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. In Eden man was whole body, soul and spirit and could hear the voice of God clearly. But after the fall, man really fell and was no longer whole body, soul and spirit. Yet God’s word is unchanging:
And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?"
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:5-12
In Christ Jesus we have a friend and a High Priest who is able to understand and sympathize with us who as a man shared the feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, who was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. As a result, we can fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in for every need! As we mix the Word of God especially the promises in it we can have great profit as a result because God is a Good God and a great and wonderful miracle working God. We can take great assurance that God has never abdicated being God no matter what men or demons say or do. He is our refuge and strength, and a very present help in trouble. His word is true:
Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:1-10
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Because Jesus Christ, the Word, was given to us we can be prosperous and successful in all things as we abide in Him and in His word and do whatever He commands us. He is a God who desires that we prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers (3 John 1:2). The wealth of the heavens and universe is in the Word and the Word dwells within us as God’s children. Everything we need and desire, for it is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom and to shower on us all of His goodness and mercy. His word is unchanging:
Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:1-3
The American Heritage Dictionary defines ‘prosperity’ and ‘prosper’ as:
pros·per·i·ty n. The condition of being prosperous.
pros·per v. To be fortunate or successful, especially in terms of one's finances; thrive.
Biblical prosperity means great riches, honor, silver and gold in the current time of life. We have an example of biblical prosperity in the life of Hezekiah:
Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. The LORD was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 2 Kings 18:1-7
Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. 2 Chronicles 31:20
Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items; storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks. Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property. 2 Chronicles 32:27-29
As a result of his God given prosperity, King Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. He made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items; storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks. Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property. So true prosperity is not just our soul being prosperous but also our whole man body, soul and spirit?
The devil, who is a liar and a thief and is jealous of man, doesn’t want man to be prosperous, rich and wealthy but poor and sick. Through a religious spirit he has lied to many of God’s people that abundant prosperity is not God’s will because he knows that whatever a person believes for he or she shall receive. And as long as person believes a lie he will not know the truth. The devil doesn’t want God’s people to know that Jesus endured absolute poverty and degradation for their sakes. Imagine if they believed that it’s their divine call and destiny to have abundance in all things and to be blessed in spirit, soul, mind and body? Imagine if they prayed and believed God that the healing and restoring power of God will come upon every area of their life, upon their spirit, upon their soul, upon their body and upon their finances? Imagine if they would break every curse and command every evil thing and every bad circumstance to flee from them? Imagine if they prayed that every attack spiritual emotional physical and financial would turn into victory right now? Imagine if they prayed and received an anointing that would break every yoke and destroy every bondage and wile of the devil? Why God’s people by grace and faith would be living and walking in divine health and prosperity here on earth and no demon would want this to happen?
But the truth is that all that belongs to God belongs to Jesus and all that belongs to Jesus belongs to God’s people, heirs of salvation and brothers and sisters of Jesus. The truth is that all good things of heaven, including salvation, the baptism of the Spirit, divine health and abundant prosperity, come by faith from a God whose thoughts towards His children are good and not evil. From a God who made His sons and daughters to be royalty, kings and priests, who are reigning with Him (Revelation 1:6 & 5:10)!
Which normal parent delights in seeing his children poor, destitute, naked and sick? None! And neither does God. He delights in seeing His children blessed, be made perfectly whole, and minister like Jesus in the power of the Spirit with miracles, signs and wonders. Now all this is something that must be made real and true by the Holy Spirit or the carnal mind will not accept it. But God’s word is unchanging:
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:3
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
Jesus Christ, who made all things, became a man for our sakes that we through His poverty might become rich, spiritually and financially. But Jesus Christ was not financially poor on earth just because He was born in a manger. The three wise man had given His parents expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11) which was at their disposal. Later during His ministry Jesus had his own house. The Bible records:
Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). John 1:38-39
Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities-Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance. Luke 8:1-3
And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Luke 9:58
Yes, Jesus had many of donors who gave to His ministry and He had no place to stay in a local area problem, for the Samaritans cancelled His meeting and He was not welcome in the city as they did not receive him . (Luke 9:52-53) But Jesus who sometimes have as many as 120 people traveling with him bought food for the disciples (John 4:8) and had a treasurer Judas, who was a thief (John 12:6). And Jesus was also extremely rich as God had anointed Him with the Spirit in unlimited measure and angels miraculously ministered to Him whenever needed (Matthew 4:11).
When Jesus was betrayed and arrested according to the plan of God, Jesus could have asked His Father, and He would have provided Him with more than twelve legions of angels, but then the Scriptures would not be fulfilled. Jesus didn’t have a problem turning the water into wine at the wedding (John 2:6-9)or giving Peter and friends net breaking boat sinking loads of fish (Luke 5:4-7).
Yes, the disciples of Jesus, Peter and Andrew, James and John, and Matthew, were not poor. A study of Caperanum, the home of Jesus Christ during His Galilean ministry after He left Nazareth reveals this. Capernaum was also the home of Matthew, the tax collector; Peter and Andrew the fishermen had left Bethsaida and had settled in Capernaum, and there was James and John there in Capernaum also.
Matthew, as the tax collector, certainly had accumulated assets from his duty of tax collection, particularly along the busy Via Maris which brought a great deal of trade to Capernaum, and a tax on products, particularly fish would have given Matthew a substantial income.
The home of Peter has been excavated and is relatively unquestioned. It was a multi-roomed home with two courts, probably two stories with 14 rooms opening onto the two courts. Peter and Andrew, James and John were fishermen, and fish was a productive product on the busy market where caravans transversed from Damascus and Caesarea Maritime on the Mediterranean Sea. Dried fish was sold to be delivered all over the area.
Jesus Christ definitely was not anemic, impotent, and poor like many of God’s people who are bound by religious spirits and in a Satanic cycle of poverty rather than God’s cycle of prosperity unable to get or perform miracles! Yet God’s word is unchanging:
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, 1 Samuel 2:7-8
Yes, the LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. God doesn’t have a problem in making His people rich and prosperous. Jesus Christ suffered on the cross intense pain and shame to set us free from sickness and poverty. By His stripes we were healed in every sense of the word. Jesus was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) including sickness and poverty. He is still the great Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Provider and Miracle Worker. It’s Satan, our arch enemy, who wants God’s people to suffer spiritual, physical and financial insufficiency and be sick and weak for he is a thief, a murderer and a destroyer (John 10:10). God’s word is unchanging:
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."
The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? "So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. Luke 13:10-17
Yes, the devil kept this woman sick for eighteen years and Jesus delivered her from her bondage. And because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever He can and will deliver any one from any bondage. There are many forms of bondage besides sickness. A person could be physically well but be bondage in his finances. But God who owns the cattle on the thousand hills and all the silver and gold will deliver him from his or her bondage (Isaiah 61:1-5). The lack of money is a great bondage but Jesus delivers from all forms of bondage. Contrary to what some people believe money is not the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil! Money is just a means of payment. It’s is neutral. What a person does with money makes it either good or evil. What is important is does a person possess money or does money possess the person?
Now the devil wants God’s people to be blind and ignorant about God’s desires for them to be healthy and wealthy and powerful. The devil is not stupid and he knows that whatever part of the Word of God is rejected by God’s people it will not become a reality in their lives. So he causes many religious folks to believe that sickness and poverty are the will of God and that prosperity and wealth and prosperity are from the devil. But all this is nothing but a lie from the father of all lies – the devil. Poverty is like an infectious disease. It is like a virus Satan brings upon the Body of Christ. He has infected many individuals, families and whole churches with the "poverty virus". As a result for them poverty and sickness have literally become a way of life.
But the truth of the matter is that Jesus had died on the cross to give us 100% victory over all things including to set us free from sickness and disease and poverty. He doesn't want us to be even 1% sick or poor. He gave His blood for us. He purchased us. We are His own and all that belongs to Jesus belongs to us- all of it! That is the reason why Jesus wants us to live a 100% healthy life. Every sickness in our life and poverty is defeated by the blood of Jesus. Jesus gave His blood -- He died naked on the cross -- to set us free from sickness or poverty. Every financial lack in our life is defeated by the blood of Jesus. He wants us to live 100% wealthy and healthy lives. And All we have to do is to receive and confess God's Word concerning our health, healing, blessings and prosperity and to act according to it. God’s word is unchanging:
"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17
Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap. In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God: They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” Psalm 78:15-19
Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:58
The Children of Israel when they came out of their bondage in Egypt saw God do great and mighty things for them including dividing the Red Sea and making the waters stand up like a heap and yet they spoke against God: "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” The truth of the matter is that God can do great many and mighty works for those who believe! The bible tells us for our profit and instruction in John 21:25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
God is in the miracle working business and that has never changed! He loves to do miracles for His trusting ones, spiritual, physical, financial and whatever! We see this in the distressed father whose son was on occasion possessed by an unclean spirit who did terrible things to the boy. The bible tells us:
And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. Mark 9:14-27
Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:26-31
The idea that “God helps those who help themselves” is nonsense! Because the truth of the matter is that everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. God has no problem making something out of nothing and making a nobody into a somebody just like He did for David whom He took from following the sheep to leading the sheep! The bible records for our profit and instruction:
Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. So David went on and became great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him. 2 Samuel 5:9-10
"Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. "And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.
"Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, "since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house. 2 Samuel 7:8-11
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot."Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Psalm 91:13-16
It was the LORD of hosts who took David from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over His people, over Israel. It was the LORD who had been with him wherever he had gone, and have cut off all his enemies from before him, and had made him a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. And it is the same Lord who is with His trusting ones and will do great and wonderful things for them. His word is unchanging:
I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3
Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Yes, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever and so are His benefits. He still forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from destruction, crowns us with loving-kindness and tender mercies, satisfies our mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. He still executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He still is the everlasting God, the LORD, and the Creator of the ends of the earth, who neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He still gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. And those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. His word is unchanging:
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me." "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. Your sons shall make haste; Your destroyers and those who laid you waste Shall go away from you. Lift up your eyes, look around and see; All these gather together and come to you.
As I live," says the LORD, "You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament, And bind them on you as a bride does. "For your waste and desolate places, And the land of your destruction, Will even now be too small for the inhabitants; And those who swallowed you up will be far away. The children you will have, After you have lost the others, Will say again in your ears, 'The place is too small for me; Give me a place where I may dwell.' Then you will say in your heart, 'Who has begotten these for me, Since I have lost my children and am desolate, A captive, and wandering to and fro? And who has brought these up? There I was, left alone; But these, where were they?' " Isaiah 49:14-21
"Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him." For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Isaiah 52:1-3
Yes, the Lord will do for His trusting ones what no other can do. He will give them peace, healing, blessings, restoration and prosperity for He has not changed. He who called Abraham alone and blessed him and increased him will comfort His trusting ones. He will comfort all their waste places; He will make their wilderness like Eden, and their desert like the garden of the LORD; As a result joy and gladness will be found in them, as well as thanksgiving and the voice of melody. God’s word is unchanging:
Thus says the LORD: "As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, 'Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,' So will I do for My servants' sake, That I may not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there. Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, For My people who have sought Me. "But you are those who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for Gad, And who furnish a drink offering for Meni. Therefore I will number you for the sword, And you shall all bow down to the slaughter; Because, when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke, you did not hear, But did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight."
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed; Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit. You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord GOD will slay you, And call His servants by another name; So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My eyes. Isaiah 65:8-16
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14
Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Matthew 15:29-31
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. James 1:17-18
Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, divine healing is the children’s bread. And God gets glory when the blind see and the lame walk and the maimed are made whole! God doesn’t glory when His children a sick, poor and needy because He made provisions for them through the victories of the cross for them to become healthy, wealthy and prosperous! God’s word is unchanging:
Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:4-9
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters. Exodus 15:23-27
On Calvary Jesus Christ was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. It’s that simple Jesus Christ remains the Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Rock, Refuge, High Tower, Defender, Avenger and Provider for all those who believe! That is why the Psalmist stated:
Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. Isaiah 103:1-6
Our negative experiences or lack of healing or miracles don’t dictate the word of God. The Word of God remains unchanging and dictates our ability to have healing, miracles, deliverances, victories and every good thing. And every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning!
Yes, God promised to keep sickness away from their door, and it's time to decide that sickness is not the will of the Lord. Just because others get sick around us doesn't mean we have to be sick. No place in the Bible is found a verse that says God wants us to be sick. Sickness, disease, demons, poverty or lack are not our friends but our enemies and Jesus came to destroy these things! In the wilderness the Israelites didn't need doctors, hospitals or cafeterias; they feasted on heavenly manna. Today we can feast on the true Bread from heaven. God’s word is unchanging:
Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (John 6:32-35).
Jesus Christ brought redeeming, divine blood all the way from heaven for our liberty and salvation. He is the Savior of the world! He is the King! He's mighty in all His ways; He's the King of Glory, the King of power, and the King of healing! He is King in our hearts! He has brought kingship inside us; we are His servants; we belong to Him and we delight in serving Him. He is Master of all our stormy seas. With Him we have nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. He is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8). The miracles Jesus brought about when He walked the earth He is still doing today. He is here to give us a miracle. He wants to make us a witness of His miracle power, make us a light for Him to shine to the whole world. He wants us to be made whole body, soul and spirit. His word is unchanging:
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:17-19
Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:17-20
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 3 John 1:2-3
God wants us to be full of the Spirit, not full of the world. He wants us to be full of the Holy Ghost, full of the love, peace, goodness and mercy of God; in other words, simply full of God. More a part of heaven than we are a part of earth. He wants us to living in His presence and living as King’s kids’ using every promise we need. Yes, every promise found in the Word is rightfully ours. They are life to our bodies and eternal life to our spirits. Every promise has all the light of God in it, all the love and power of heaven, all the goodness of God and compassion of Calvary. Everything we need is in the promises of God. In the presence of God there is deliverance, healing, everything we need, all the peace, joy, holy boldness and miracles – even big miracles, miracles of wholeness. The God of miracles lives in the cloud of His presence. God’s word is unchanging:
Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Matthew 15:30-31
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:7
Just for the asking in faith believing we can have what we desire from God and it shall be done for us. We can be made whole. God’s does not delight in our body being sick and weak and afflicted and living in any form of poverty but He delights in us being strong and well and rich and a witness to His greatness and goodness. We can reach out in all faith and take it in the name of Jesus. It's ours through the blood of Jesus. We can reach out and take a miracle and be made whole. We can reach out and take a miracle for our mind, our body, our eyes, our feet and legs, our back and spine. We can take whatever we u need. We can let the heart be re-created, every part that goes to it. In the name of Jesus, we can let our lungs be healed. We can get rid of the diabetes and all sickness. Sickness is not of God; it comes from the devil.
Man knew no sickness until he gave over to the devil. It's the will of the Lord for us to be well, to have a healthy body. All things are possible when we believe in and through the divine blood of Jesus, the healing blood, the miracle power of God. It doesn't matter what the doctors have said about our case for God is the healer, the bringer of miracles. He is able to supply all our needs physically, spiritually and financially. God is in the now and we can press through to the miracle we want and need. We can go to God’s promises and get everything God has for us today. Faith is now. We can arise now. Cross the river now. We do not need to wait till we die to be changed, healed, delivered and bless. We can press through and get our miracle. Now is the time for a miracle. We can rise up and take up our bed and walk and be made whole. God’s word is unchanging:
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. John 5:5-9
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:31-37
Because of what Jesus Christ had done on Calvary where He defeated all our enemies we can rule and reign in this life with Him. God has given us the power over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt us. We can trample on serpents and scorpions and we can be the victor. We can rule over sickness and any situation. We are above circumstances. Circumstances are only circles that we stand in, we can step out of it and be above it.
God is not a respecter of persons and every one of us is suppose to rule. The word of God tells us in Matthew we are not to call everyone Rabbi, teacher or master, because we are all brothers. Jesus didn't pay a different price for everyone, but the same price was paid for us all. There is only one cross. We are all supposed to rule and to reign as kings and priests. Jesus is the King of kings and the LORD of lords. We are those kings and lords. (Revelation 1:5, 5:9) A lord and king is someone who owns estates and have honor and respect among the people. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We were created to rule and reign even on earth. And we can do it for today is the day of salvation and the day of God's favor. God’s word is unchanging:
"Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him." For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.Isaiah 51:1-3
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2
So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11:22-26
Everything we have had from God HAS BEEN BY FAITH. Everything lasting that we have ever done as a Christian has been done by faith. And in order to be successful and prosperous in God we will have to continue to use our faith to receive things from God and to do great things for God. God has given to each person a measure of faith that allows him to be saved, healed, delivered, made perfect whole and complete and get from heaven everything that he needs to live a victorious prosperous life. His word is unchanging:
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:3-15
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-3
If we are honest with ourselves we cannot save ourselves, heal ourselves, deliver ourselves and for this we need Jesus who is to us all that we need. He is the one who started our faith and will complete it as we look to him. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8.
Yes, God started our faith, and what He started, He will finish if we allow Him too for God is a perfect Gentleman who allows us to do whatever we want to including failing and He will not interfere with our will and choices unless we ask Him to. God’s word is true:
Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret
faults. Keep back Your servant also from
presumptuous sins; Let them not have
dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great
transgression. Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart Be
acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my
strength and my Redeemer. Psalm
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them. The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. Psalm 103:17-19
The blessings of God will only follow us if we “Follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews
The elder son was
living with his father and serving him “these many years,” and he complains
that his father never gave him a kid, while he gave his prodigal brother the
fatted calf. Why was this? Simply
because he did not ask it. He did not believe that he would get it, and
therefore never asked it, and never enjoyed it. He continued thus to live in
constant murmuring and dissatisfaction; and the key note of all this wretched
life is furnished in what he said. His father gave him everything, yet he never
enjoyed it; and he throws the whole blame on his loving and kind father.
The likeness to Christ
consists chiefly in two things - the likeness of His death and resurrection,
(Rom. 6:5). The death of Christ was the consummation of His humility and
obedience, the entire giving up of His life to God. In Him we are dead to sin.
As we sink down in humility and dependence and entire surrender to God, the
power of His death works in us, and we are made conformable to His death. And
so we know Him in the power of His resurrection, in the victory over sin, and
all the joy and power of the risen life. Therefore every morning, “present
yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead.” He will maintain
the life He gave, and bestow the grace to live as risen ones.
All this can only be
in the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in you. Count upon Him to glorify
Christ in you. Count upon Christ to increase in you the inflowing of His
Spirit. As you wait before God to realize His presence, remember that the
Spirit is in you to reveal the things of God. Seek in God’s presence to have
the anointing of the Spirit of Christ so truly that your whole life may every
moment be spiritual.
As you meditate on
this wondrous salvation and seek full fellowship with the great and holy God,
and wait on Him to reveal Christ in you, you will feel how needful the giving
up of all is to receive Him. Seek grace to know what it means to live as wholly
for God as Christ did. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can teach you what an
entire yielding of the whole life to God can mean. Wait on God to show you in
this what you do not know. Let every approach to God, and every request for
fellowship with Him be accompanied by a new, very definite, and entire
surrender to Him to work in you.
“By faith” must here,
as through all Scripture, and all the spiritual life, be the keynote. As you
tarry before God, let it be in a deep quiet faith in Him, the Invisible One,
who is so near, so holy, so mighty, so loving. In a deep, restful faith too,
that all the blessings and powers of the heavenly life are around you, and in
you. Just yield yourself in the faith of a perfect trust to the Ever Blessed
Holy Trinity to work out all God’s purpose in you. Begin each day thus in
fellowship with God, and God will be all in all to you.
Yes, by faith we can sit down at our Father’s table with rejoicing, partake to the uttermost of the good things He has prepared for us including divine health, divine wisdom, divine prosperity, divine favor and divine wealth. And then we can go forth in the strength thereof to do mighty exploits for God! The world is full of religious people who are not putting their feet under the Father’s table. They are so-called “believers,” but they are not eating, because the Father has set only ONE table and they won’t have fellowship with those at the table. They are only hurting themselves and missing all that God has for them because of their foolishness, ignorance and pride. But God’s word is unchanging:
“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Luke 17:5.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17.
And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:6-11
As Christians we need to have our faith increased and to have perfect love that casts out fear. As we listen to God’s voice and obey what He says to us our faith will increase and we will learn to cast away fear for God has not given us the Spirit of fear but power, love and sound mind. And as we walk in the Father’s love we can give it away. God’s word is true:
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 1 John 2:5
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:17-18.
“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: . . . these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:30-31
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:1-4
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. : I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Psalm 91:1-8
Christianity that is preached on television or churches today is very shallow! It not only neglects the miracle working power of God and His blessings in the now but the fact that our adversary the devil is a deceiver who walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour and we are warned to be sober, be vigilant ( 1 Peter 5:8). And it is also a fact there are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Yes the end of these false apostles, deceitful workers will be in hell, not heaven! God’s word is unchanging:
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "Therefore by their fruits you will know them. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Matthew 7:15-23
Speaking of bad fruits The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And these false prophets especially in the “Third Wave” such as Todd Bentley and Rick Joyner don’t demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit but rather the works of the flesh including adultery, sorcery, contentions, selfish ambitions, dissensions, and heresies. God’s word is unchanging:
Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:12-18
James Jacob Prasch in
his article “The Delusional World Of Mark Stibbe & St Andrews Chorleywood[ix]
“give us a sordid glimpse of the deception and demonization in the Third Wave:
Welcome to St. Andrew’s Chorleywood, The UK Platform For The Promotion Of Sexually Perverted Deceivers From Paul Cain To Todd Bentley.
After Its Latest Fad The Question Must Be Asked: Is St. Andrews Merely A Spiritually And Doctrinally Deranged Church Or A Lunatic Asylum With A Cross On The Roof?
It was the predecessor of Mark Stibbe, Anglican vicar at St. Andrew’s Chorley Wood , David Pytches, who promoted the ‘Kansas City Prophets’, (now proven by scripture and history to be false prophets), with his wild book ‘Some Said It Thundered’ in which he lauded Bob Jones and Paul Cain.
The fanciful false prophetic predictions of a great British revival for October of that year made in the Name of The Lord by Jones, Cain and their pastor Mike Bickel and the late John Wimber made in August of 1990 came to nothing. More mosques have been built in Britain than churches in the last 18 years since their promised ‘latter day rain’ and as with the failed Alpha courses the UK has only witnessed steadily increasing moral and spiritual decline including a Church of England headed by a member of a Druid sect and favoring same sex marriages and the lesbian and homosexual ordination urged by Desmond Tutu.
Pytches, Sandy Miller, Nicky Gumbel, Terry Virgo, Gerald Coates, and RT Kendall all quickly jumped on the ‘Kansas City’ bandwagon, but the assured revival never materialized; the diametric opposite transpired instead. Lakeland meetings were also mimicked in Dudley, England and predictably endorsed by Gerald Coates who tried to copy the failed Pensacola revival in London.
Lakeland is the most recent sequel but Kansas City was the prequel. Indeed, the gross distortion of The Book of Joel by the Kansas City false prophets, by means of abandoning biblical exegesis and embracing pure Gnosticism in the mystical subjectivist interpretation of Joel, saw the Babylonian invaders whom God will destroy retro-identified as ‘The Triumphant Church’. The participants at the Docklands fiasco saw the locusts of Joel’s apocalyptic vision identified as the demon cohorts of hell in Revelation chapter 9 , re-identified as the ‘Kingdom Now’/ Manifest sons participants in the conference. The mishandling and distortion of scripture was religious madness that set the stage for the next failed revival from Toronto, Canada led by John & Carol Arnott. This was likewise followed by the demise of its American clone at Brownsville Assemblies of God that ended in a massive church split and public financial scandal, but likewise no revival despite an avalanche of big talk and hollow promises.
Indeed, as one who himself believes in the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit when practiced scripturally, the consecutive failure of these counterfeit moves of Gods to deliver what they falsely promised was predictable, and in fact inevitable. Abject theology leads to abject spirituality. Doctrinal bankruptcy equates to spiritual bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City False Prophets hyped and promulgated by St. Andrew’s Chorleywood to no end have publicly fallen from grace. Bob Jones was debunked as a sexual predator with vulnerable women while Paul Cain was publicly disclosed to be a drunken pervert with a life long history of alcoholism and homosexuality.
Well David Pytches - Thunder indeed!
Elim's Ian Bilby, and his worship leader, the cheer leaders of the Toronto deception in New Zealand were likewise found in publicly exposed serial adultery with as many as 20 women.
No revival ever materialized from Kansas City, which was the first link of the twisted chain of carnal and demonically inspired folly that has so discredited, damaged, and divided the church courtesy of St. Andrews Chorleywood who championed these false prophets with David Pytches and his ludicrous book.
Neither did any revival emerge from Toronto or Pensacola. Those freak shows are long over as is their attempted UK imitations in Sunderland and Marsham Street, London. Despite this, just as the Elim denomination continues to try to resuscitate the Toronto failure in its magazine, under the leadership of Mark Stibbe, St. Andrews Chorleywood continues promote John & Carol Arnott at their “School of International Ministry”. They seem to teach everything from “dream interpretation” to biblical groundless nonsense that is essentially New Age practice absurdly put into Christian jargon.
Now Mark Stibbe has promoted the ‘Third Wave’ sequel of Toronto and Pensacola in Lakeland, Florida . Lakeland pastor Stephen Strader admits it is the continuation of the Toronto and Pensacola phenomena.
According to various news reports, The Florida District Attorney believed Pastor Stephen Strader to be as guilty as his brother Daniel, but obtained a RICO conviction on his brother Daniel, now in prison until 2036 after defrauding elderly Christians out of $3 million dollars. Strader was convicted as a professional racketeer under RICO laws. RICO anti racketeering legislation is used in the prosecution and sentencing of professional gangsters engaged in various forms of organized criminal activity. These are the Strader brothers.
Strader brought in a criminally convicted Canadian homosexual pedophile named Todd Bentley to conduct his counterfeit revival. Bentley was imprisoned for the homosexual molestation of a seven year old before being commissioned to lead the Lakeland pandemonium. Bentley has meanwhile filed for a separation from his wife which by Canadian law is the first step to divorce. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Bentley has a history of adultery excluding him from ministry that has been covered up and has once again become involved in a yet another improper extra marital relationship. Yet it is this same Bentley that Wendy Alec of the so called 'God Channel' has defended labeling those critical of him and his carnal antics as being of the devil, and it is this same Lakeland hoax that Mark Stibbe and St. Andrews Chorleywood promulgated aggressively.
Bentley was exposed on national TV in the USA on the ABC Nightline broadcast for being unable to medically document a single claimed healing. Some of those pronounced healed at Lakeland have however since been medically documented as deceased, and a statement by Arnold Palmer hospital likewise contradicts claims of a resurrection from the dead as bogus.
That the ‘Fruit of The Holy Spirit’ according to Galatians is ‘ekreitei’ “Self Control” not the lack of, never mattered to proponents of Toronto or Pensacola. That such Fruit is also ‘gentleness’ does not matter either as Bentley kicks old ladies in the stomach and baptizes people in the name of ‘Bam’. Christ’s own clear and unambiguous warning to avoid those like Bentley who claim His physical return before the ‘parousia’ and revelatory visitations from a healing angel named ‘Emma’ (there are no manifestations of angelic beings as women or as agents of healing in God’s Word) could hardly matter to someone like Mark Stibbe.
It is well know by police and social services that pedophiles frequently profess a religious conversion in prison as a parole stunt and then seek work in scout groups, schools, youth camps and churches in order to get near children. Although Bentley fits this profile, we do not have any evidence of any recent homosexual pedophilia by this self-disfigured heretical freak, however current verified information certainly exists in the public media about his taking his wife to court for a separation and his more recent history of adultery.
But even if he did undergo an authentic regeneration and become a Christian, many ask why he would then say The Lord led him to cover his body with an array of disfiguring tattoos that give him the appearance of a rather freakish goon? Even if his sexual perversion was prior to becoming a Christian as he claims, that is not true of his openly confessed mentor, sexual predator Bob Jones, whom Bentley lauds and endorses. Jones preyed upon women sexually in lewd acts as a ‘prophet’. Why would anyone serving Jesus endorse the ministry of a sexually immoral preacher who misused Christian ministry to perpetrate his perversions and who according to The New Testament has no biblical right to be in ministry as he is not above reproach?
These are the deranged antics of Lakeland we are speaking of and these are the kinds of people we are talking about; an assortment of perverts, swindlers, drunks, homosexuals, demonstrable false prophets, and even a tattooed criminally convicted pedophile child molester turned adulterer filing separation procedures against his wife. This is the whacky world of Mark Stibbe.
It’s evident from their agenda, their words, and their deception the leaders of the Third Wave don’t have the best interests of the sheep at hand. They are happily filled with greed, pride, lies, and false doctrine. Those who follow these Svengalis…those who have been preyed upon and duped with lies are the ones, are also under the influence of demons. The leaders of these insidious movements such as The Third Wave are tools of the Devil. They have an evil nature and possess extreme craftiness. Whether delusional or just plain evil, whether they believe their own lies or see no lies, just profit and power…they are the masterminds. These hypocritical liars spread demons, to those vulnerable enough to believe them. The bible tells us about them:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 1 Timothy 4:1-2
For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:10-16
Dr. Pat Holiday of
Jacksonville Florida who discerned that Todd Bentley and Rick Joyner were
sorcerers in her article Blasphemers ~IDOLARTORS[x]
writes:
The Bible is full of testimonies of true as well as false teachers. Jesus wanted His people to discern the truth from the false. “And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Lk. 6:39). KJV The test of God’s prophet was not because of the popularity. The majority did not appreciate Jeremiah's prophecies though he spoke God's Words. Jeremiah's condemnation of the sins of the people aroused much hostility, both in his hometown of Anathoth also Jerusalem (Jer. 11:18-23). He spoke out fearlessly and drew upon himself the anger of the court by predicting the capture and ultimate destruction of Jerusalem.
He was forced into hiding during the reign of the tyrannical Jehoiakim who showed their contempt not only for him but for the word of the Lord by cutting up and burning the roll of Jeremiah's prophecies. They chose the things they wanted to hear and became enraged with Jeremiah, even putting him into a pit. The ear-tickling false prophets of Jeremiah's day have passed away into obscurity while everyone remembers God's prophet, Jeremiah. He was vindicated when his prophecies came true!
"The way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps," (Jer. 10:23). Jeremiah's statement is just as valid today as it was when he wrote it. Unfortunately people looking for material success in this world do not necessarily understand spiritual success in the spirit world. Jesus must be the dominant part of us, so that we become known in the world as men and women of God.
As we learn obedience and dependence upon the teaching of the Holy Spirit, we are able to see the works of Satan and detect the true works of God. Heresies exist but The Holy Spirit exposes them in His word, “ . . . that they which are approved may be made manifest among you,” (1 Cor. 11:19). You supposed to discern the difference between God’s true servants and the false servants.
Many famous preachers have changed their teachings that even deny that Jesus Christ is Lord. Churches undergoing radically restructuring of doctrine, structure, methods and practices and the reality of Jesus Christ and His Word.
1. False teachers are proud. They are concerned for their own popularity. They are concerned for their own fame. They are concerned for their own notoriety. They are concerned for their own prestige. They’re concerned to see themselves and hear themselves in the public eye. They want large crowds, as it were, to bow down in great homage to them. They’re characterized by pride and they will do anything to gain the ground they need to gain for the welfare of their own personal ego, including any amount of compromise necessary.
2. Secondly, false teachers are characterized by selfishness. They tend to be self-centered. They are concerned for their own comfort. They are concerned for their own popularity. They are concerned for their own prosperity. In the end, it’s all about money, fame, and prestige and notoriety equals an increased bank account. They are in it for the money and the personal material benefits that they can gain as they endeavor to feed their selfish desires.
3. Thirdly, They are characterized by deception. They usually can weave a very sophisticated web of deception in their teaching because they tend to be articulate, if they’re going to be successful, and they endeavor to engage other people to aid them in their deceitful enterprise which gives it sort of, THE facade of credibility.
4. They’re not only proud and selfish and deceptive, but [fourthly] they’re irreverent. If there’s anything that sort of dominates in my thinking about false teachers, it is their irreverence. They have absolutely no regard for God. The fact that they would go against God, that they would elevate themselves the way they do, that they would pervert the truth indicates their utter irreverence. They have little, if any, regard for God, His Word, His truth, His glory, His honor…
5. Finally, they are spiritually destructive. They seek to use people; they seek to abuse people. They seek to lead people into error, which destroys them ~~ into sin, which pollutes them. So, as you look at false teachers with regard to the world, they are proud and they seek fame and popularity. With regard to themselves, they are self-centered, selfish, self-aggrandizing, self-gratifying. With regard to the nature of their ministry, they are dishonest and deceptive and lack integrity. With regard to God, they are utterly irreverent; in fact, they are blasphemous. And, with regard to the people that they influence, they are spiritually destructive. So, their relationship to the world, their relationship to the ministry, their relationship to themselves, their relationship to God, and their relationship to their people all reflects the deviation of their hearts.
The false failed and demonic Lakeland revival of 2008 demonstrated to the world not only how deceived and idiots the Third Wave leaders were but also the “Kundalini spirits” that possess them! (See Todd Bentley John Arnott https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aWpTvcM74U&feature=related).
As a result Peter Wagner, one of the major Third Wave leaders, stated
Todd Bentley now carries the label of a liar and a deceiver. I'm sorry to mention it, but I felt personally deceived in the same way when Ted Haggard's sin was exposed and he was immediately removed from ministry... Suffice it to say that there is more than I am going to mention. First of all, Todd has been removed from public ministry until further notice. He has resigned from the ministry he founded, Fresh Fire, so he is no longer a part of that board. It has become clear that he indulged in periodic drunkenness. He has no intention at the moment of reconciling with Shonna, nor does she with him. Their marriage has been torn for years by his emotional attachment with at least one other female whose physical contact went beyond hugging and kissing and holding hands. Enough said-maybe more details will be revealed later-but it was clearly immoral. All of this was skillfully concealed by lying and by swearing close associates who had observed his behavior to secrecy.
Jacob Prasch of Moriel Ministries http://moriel.org/ stated
Todd Bentley, the
criminally convicted homosexual pedophile turned drunken heretic and adulterer
who kicked old ladies in the face and stomach on YouTube at the failed
Lakeland, Florida counterfeit revival has entered into a biblically adulterous
re- marriage while under a “process of restoration” led by biblically proven
false prophet Rick Joyner.
Bentley was ring master at a debacle of lunacy and false healing debunked on national TV orchestrated by the infamous Strader family, whom the District Attorney implicated in financial scandals defrauding elderly Christians of millions of dollars. While the Florida District Attorney publicly names Pastor Steve Strader as complicit in the swindling, his brother was sent to prison for over 30 years as a professional gangster under American anti racketeering RICO statutes. Bob Jones was debunked as a sexual predator with vulnerable women while Paul Cain was publicly disclosed to be a drunken pervert with a life long history of alcoholism and homosexuality.
Pastor Bola Olivia Ogedengbe of ABBA HOUSE church, Paris ( http://bolaoged.com/?p=743) stated:
In 2009 after the revival failed and Todd Bentley divorced his wife, Rick Joyner led the restoration team which included leaders who had vouched for Bentley’s good character in the past even as he was deceiving us all, and has posted a letter on his web page. We are informed that ‘Even so, they are married now and are resolved to make the most of their marriage, their lives, and to continue to serve the Lord in the best way that they can.
Their being married far from making it right has in my view made matters even worse and totally disqualified Todd Bentley from any reinstatement in ministry in the foreseeable future. It means there is no repentance. He has simply gone into outright rebellion by marrying his mistress. Even if his wife had chosen to divorce him, which does not seem to be the case, a more judicious, moral and righteous course of action would have been to break off this adulterous relationship and stay celibate before God Instead, he remarries quickly. And we are put before the fait accompli. Is there a recent translation of the New Testament that decrees that the solution to adultery is to quickly divorce the offended party and marry the mistress?
Rick Joyner and Bill Johnson being both caught up in the realm of deceiving spirits, could only reinforce TB’s behavior. TB’s declaration of “opening up the stargate portals to the third heaven” had absolutely nothing to do with God or His heavenly realms…it is based on previous declarations by high level occultist. His “angel” connections were not God’s angels, they are familiar spirits and demonic forces. What he does and declares is UTTERLY SATANIC…not “just a little eccentric.” (See AN-ANGEL-CALLED-EMMA http://www.scribd.com/doc/2909690/AN-ANGEL-CALLED-EMMA And TODD BENTLEY DEMONIC MINISTRY http://www.scribd.com/doc/3113512/Investigating-TODD-BENTLEY-AND-HIS-DEMONIC-MINISTRY- )
The opening up of these “portals” that TB is engaged in is activated by his own soul power/soul energy called kundalini in Hinduism. There is much material on the web about it as it is practiced by those in the occult/new age especially http://newchristian.org.uk/kundalini.html It gives a list of some the symptoms. Serpent Power of the Awakening Kundalini!
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8- 9
Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:9-11.
Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some have already turned aside after Satan. 1 Timothy 5:15.
Faith is used not only to obtain good and marvelous things from God but to keep our adversary, Satan, when he comes in like a flood and tries to overwhelm us by his onslaughts, at bay. As a result through faith we can not only have great victories over Satan but great victories from God from standing on His promises and quoting His word. Our feelings and inadequacies have nothing to do with God. He doesn’t look at or consider them but only at our faith. Even though there are many hindrances to faith, but when we are tempted, or a delay has come, we are to be still and wait upon God who is faithful and true and has promised to deliver us and answer our prayers. His word is true:
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:15-19
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common
to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that
you may be able to bear it. 1Corinthians
By faith the walls of
God has more than enough for anything we need - be it salvation healing, salvation, baptism with the Holy Ghost, deliverances from bondages, miracle ministries, or anything else. And through faith kingdoms are subdued, righteousness worked, promises obtained, the mouths of lions stopped, the violence of fire quenced, the edge of the sword escaped, strength comes to weakness, become valiant in battle, and turn to flight the armies of the aliens. So we are not to take our faith or the use of our faith lightly as prayer and faith accomplish things which are impossible with men but not impossible with God. And Satan knows all this and he does everything to try to prevent God’s miracles and answers from becoming a reality from using sin, discouragement, persecution, oppression, sickness, diseases and other negative things to stop the Christian from believing and trusting God. Secret sins can and do destroy faith and hinder a person from receiving healing and other deliverances as well.
The devil also knows that if a person becomes self righteous or hurts other people that will prevent God from keeping His promises to him. Many people are quick to see the faults of others, but are blind to any faults of their own. With this spirit, one cannot have faith for healing, for deliverances of any kind --- God will not give faith to a self-righteous person. Many people pass through many healing lines and are not healed not because of lack of faith, but because they have not confessed their faults to God. They have not been honest to find out what was the root cause of their sickness even though God’s word tells them:
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.
"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:21-26
For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:30-32
Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:17-20
Yes, people, fools, get sick because of their transgression and because of their iniquities and when they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, He saves them out of their distresses. He sends His word and heals them, and delivers them from their destructions. Hence the word of God states:
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:14-16
Those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (1 Timothy 3:5) are wonderful ground for the doctrines of men and demons to take root in their lives and for the devil to bring all kinds of negative things in their lives and pretend that it is the will of God when it’s all from the pit of hell including poverty, loss, sickness, diseases, sorrow and grief. Those who do not believe in the miracle-working power of God and deny that there is any such power cannot be true sons and daughters of God because He always was and is a miracle working God. Such unbelievers who are full of erroneous teaching and do not possess the power of God in their own lives, make excuses for themselves by adjusting the teaching of the scriptures to their own thinking. Peter tells us these kind of wicked people wrest the scriptures to their own destruction. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation-as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:15-18.
He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men-the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' "But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"-' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:6-13
But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 1:5
Sickness, destruction, and dearth ARE NOT the will of God for His people. IT IS THE WORK OF THE DEVIL. Not once in His entire earthly ministry did Jesus ever command any person be to sick, although He commanded many to be well, and healed them with His Word. Not once did a sick person come to Him asking to be healed and received the answer, “It is God’s will for you to remain sick for His glory.” There is no place in the Word of God where sickness is declared to be an evidence of God’s favor. The God who healed and delivered Job and restored all his real losses has not and doesn’t change. And He will do the same for all those who trust Him for it. The reward of obedience and faith is health and healing for God’s word is unchanging:
So Moses brought
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15.
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2
Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." Psalm 35:1-3
Proud and arrogant men who want to steal the glory from God lie to us and say that they are our salvation for whatever need we might have be it social, political or emotional. But God alone is the strength and healer of His people, not others. He might use others and then dispose of them just like He has done with others. God’s word is unchanging:
"Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. "Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. "But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. "For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. "You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. "So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. Exodus 23:20-25
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:7-8
Many of God’s people don’t have victory over sickness and diseases because they are either deceived, full of unbelief or are not living righteously as on the cross of Calvary Jesus took every one of the sicknesses and diseases that would beset us for us all. He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. He came to destroy ALL the works of the devil, and sickness and disease is of the devil for there is no sickness and disease in Heaven. Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday today and forever is able to heal all who are oppressed by the devil. God is able to sanctify us completely and ensure that our whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23). If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in us.
Now the devil is a real adversary who has come to steal, kill and is to destroy us. And since "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" we are to submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from us. Because we have set our love upon the Lord therefore He will deliver us; He will set us on high, because we have known His name. With Christ God will freely give us all things and make us more than conquerors. God has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Through Christ Jesus and His anointing God has give us the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt us. We have ALL power over ALL the works of the devil!' Through the Baptism of the Spirit there is healing in our hands and we are anointed to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. Through the Spirit, signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit can be manifested in our lives and circumstances for the profit of all. God’s word is unchanging:
"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:13-14,
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:7-8
I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "And I will heal him." Isaiah 57:18-19
There is no reason to be sick, broke, tired, and disgusted because heaven has more than enough of everything that we need and is available just for the asking in Jesus name and abiding in His words. It doesn’t matter what shortages or lacks we face in our lives, we can call those things that are not as though they be. That is faith in action! Through the prayer of faith we can save the sick and be healed and see real changes in our negative circumstances for God’s word is unchanging:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:15
So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:22-24
Sickness and disease is part of the curse, but Jesus came to
be a curse for us, so He took the curse for us on the cross (Galatians
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:5-10
The ways of men are not God’s ways. He has a plan they have never dreamt of. For He is greater than any problem the planet may offer. Man is limited by his upbringing and wounds. But God is not so limited. He has all the power of the universe at His disposal and He will not leave His anointed and true children stranded. They are to keep on praying and trusting to see the mountains moved out and cast into the sea. For God is always with them and for them and never against them. He will prosper them and bless them and provide all their needs according to His riches in Glory. For His word is true:
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:16-21
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philiipains 4:19
By the power of the Holy Spirit, which works in us and around us God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, including filling His people with the glory and the fullness of God. As God’s word is true:
And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 'for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; "and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?
"I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
"If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? r if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Luke 11:5-13
God encourages His children to ask so that it will be given to them; seek, and they will find; and knock, and it will be opened to them. Jesus Christ does not lie and He has promised that everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. For their heavenly Father desires to give good gifts to His children especially the Holy Spirit to those who ask. But God’s delays are not His denials and persistent faith will unlock the doors of heaven and give them the desires of their hearts, as God’s s word is true:
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region
of
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send
her away, for she cries out after us."
But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep
of the house of
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Matthew 15:21-28
Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come near now and kiss me, my son." And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: "Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed. Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!" Genesis 27:29
"And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them." Deuteronomy 28:13
When Isaac, the son of Abraham, the father of faith, blessed Jacob, he expressed the will of God for His chosen ones of prosperity, protection and prominence. If God didn’t want His people to have the best in everything, He would not have given them the best His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and His wonderful Counselor, the Holy Spirit. Everything else that God gives His people is only gravy on the table of abundance. If poverty was God’s will for His people He would not delivered and blessed and made head, not tail Naomi and Ruth and He would not have healed Job and restored to him double all his losses! But God’s word is unchanging:
So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”
And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. “The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:10-12
Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” Ruth 3:18
The story of Ruth in the bible is not just the story of two desolate and poverty stricken widows who God Himself gave full rest, refuge, redemption, reward and renown, but a testimony of what God wants to do for each one of His children. God wants to make each one of His children rich and to bless them mightily in all things. For His word is unchanging:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
God loves His own very deeply. He is not concerned for the future because He knows the future. It is bright and beautiful for those who are His. He is not going to allow anything to come between them and their promised future. He is not fickle or unreliable. He doesn’t change. What He has promised is written in Gold. They are pure like the Ten Commandments He has given to men on tablets of stone. They are unchangeable. The road of life might be rocky and full of pitfalls but God Himself is on the road with them. His word is unchanging:
“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. “Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
“For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. “You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.
“So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. “No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.
“I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. “And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. Exodus 23:20-28
God has made a covenant with His people to be their God and a God to them. He has made a covenant to be their provider, defender, helper and everything they need. He has promised to abundantly bless and prosper them if they will listen to and obey His voice and walk in His ways. For His word is true:
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: “of sin, because they do not believe in Me; “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. “All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:7-15
The Helper, the other One, whom Jesus sent in His name will guide them into all truth. He will speak to them what He hears from the Father. He will tell them of things to come. He will glorify Jesus by taking of what belongs to Jesus and sharing it with and giving it God’s true ones. For all that belongs to Father now belong to Jesus and hence they belong to God’s true children.
All of heaven riches and resources are theirs because God, Himself, is their shield, rock, refuge, strength, friend and their exceeding great reward. They are to be of good cheer. For in the world they have tribulation but their brother and friend Jesus Christ has overcome the world. For God’s word is true:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Jesus Christ overcame the worst that the world, the flesh and the devil had thrown at Him. He is literally the Victor and the “more than a conqueror.” As a result all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth including the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty. For all that is in heaven and in earth is the Lord’s including the kingdom of God and He is exalted as head over all. As God’s word is true:
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” Daniel 4:34-35
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:4-6
Jesus Christ is the ruler over the kings of the earth and He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.
To Jesus Christ belong the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; as all that is in heaven and in earth is His. Both riches and honor come from Him and in His hand is power and might; to heal, deliver, make great and to give strength to all. Hence He desires and wills and works to make His trusting ones also the victory and more than the conquerors in all things.
As a result, God’s true ones are not to be concerned about the obstacles in their path. They are to take each one as it comes and do what they do best—stand! They are to take authority over it and persevere until it is out of their path by the Spirit of the Living God. For God’s word is true:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints- Ephesians 6:10-18
The answers of life are not in men’s wisdom or the world’s system. It is not in the abundance of what one possesses. It is in Jesus Christ, His truth and His wisdom and person in one’s spirit. This closer walk with God and His person brings a person into a position of unity with Heaven that is yet untapped and totally miss-understood.
God doesn’t want His teachers and preachers to point to themselves but to God. He wants His sheep to turn to Him and He will give them their marching orders. Then, they will find victory in battle and they will do the right kind of service to Him. They all have a part in His great plan and purposes. Yet, God is left with a weak and hurt people. This will not be forever. He is coming through to strength His people and unite them in a way unprecedented in the history of the church. He has ordained it from the beginning. The church, His body, will learn to learn and hear His voice and follow their true shepherd. This day is coming and all will see it.
But His true ones are not to be shy. They are to ask God what they will and He will do it because He loves them so much. He has promised to do whatsoever they ask in Jesus name. They can come to His throne boldly and He will hear their prayers and He will deal with their concerns. For they have His promises, His person and Him. Hence they can walk in the assurance of God’s Presence in their life. For as God walked with Noah, Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Elijah, and Jesus so now He walks with them. God in Christ Jesus has given to us His P’s. The P’s of His presence, promises, person, power, protection, provision, prosperity, providence and promotion:
His Presence - God is always with His own. He has commanded them to be strong and of good courage and not to be afraid, nor be dismayed. For the LORD their God is with them wherever they go and His presence goes with them to give them rest and victory.
His Promises – Every promise and every line in the bible is theirs including that no weapon which is formed against them shall prosper and those who rise against them shall become a nonexistent thing.
His Person - God is a Good God who is for them, with them and not against them. He is on their side no matter what they are facing. There is no searching of His understanding. His ears are open to their prayers and His eyes are upon the righteous to bless them.
His Power – When God’s true ones have His presence, promises and power they can trust Him to use His power for their good in all kinds of circumstances and situations. Just like God did for Jesus on Calvary when He raised Him from the dead, gave Him victory over all His enemies and seated Him at His right hand.
His Protection - God is the shield and exceeding great reward of His true ones, as well as He is their rock, refuge, strength, tower security and inheritance. He will bless and promote His own and He will deliver and honor them.
His Provision - God has promised to meet and supply all their need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus and He unlike others is able to keep His word.
His Prosperity – God is not poor or stupid and neither should His children be. He is their security and inheritance and provision in the deserts of life. He is their hiding place! He will move out every mountain and deal with every enemy and dispel every lack in their life. Their prosperity will come upon them as the dawning of a bright and new day. They will not be able to contain their joy and ecstasy at the provision and security He is providing. He will multiply back to them a hundred fold all they have done for Him.
His Providence - The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and though he fall God will not allow him to stay down but will lift him up.
His Promotion – God has promised that for those who set their love upon Him He will deliver them and set them on high because they have known His name. He has promised to make them head and not tail and above and not beneath. They shall call upon Him and He will answer them. He will be with them in trouble and deliver and honor them. With long life He will satisfy His true ones and show them His salvation.
As a result, the psalmist stated it very well about those who put their trust in God alone and not others for their deliverance:
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The LORD shall reign forever- Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD! Psalm 146:5-10
For after all is said and done God has not changed. He still is a miracle working God who gives the best to those who ask Him for the best. He gives His all to those who give Him their all and believe Him for His all. His word does not change to His true ones:
“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them-the children of Israel. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. “From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:2-9
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
There is none like our lovely Lord who has come to give us all things including Himself, rest and everything that we need! The Lord Jesus Christ knows our burdens and worries we carry in life and says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. When we arise from the problems, sin and worries that suppress us and run to the Lord and follow Him, He gives us rest.
Yes, we can throw away all our burdens and worries and receive rest from the Lord and follow Him. And He not only gives you rest but also gives great blessings when we follow Him even a hundredfold. God’s word is unchanging:
Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You." So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, "who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time-houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions-and in the age to come, eternal life. Mark 10:28-30
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
Yes, whatever we lose for the sake of Christ and follow Him, we will be rewarded a hundred fold in this age and in the age to come and be blessed with eternal life. We have a no lose situation but only a win situation with a God who is good and a great giver if we look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! Nobody has power, riches and goodness like the LORD! Yes the LORD is the only source of goodness. The bible tells us:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17
The Lord loves and cares for us as a father cares for His children. He takes great delight in building us a home and filling it with His goodness. In the Bible we see that the Lord led the Israelites in the wilderness as a pillar of cloud, during the day and as a ball of fire in the night to the Promised Land, Canaan. The Lord showed them where to pitch their tents when he stopped. “Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents” (Numbers 9:17).
The Lord showed them as how to build the tents (Numbers 1:52. And He will bless us with a home and fill it with goodness. The Bible says, “He (the Lord ) gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). Yes, the Lord will cause His goodness to follow us in the midst of an evil and dark world. The Bible says in the times of Noah the earth was full of evil and the Lord decided to destroy the earth by floods. But He made a way for Noah the righteous man and his family from the destruction. The Lord commanded him to build an ark and take a pair of each animal and bird with him into the ark.
“They went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in” (Genesis 7:15,16). The Lord told Noah and his family to get into the ark first and then let the animals and the birds get in. As the Lord commanded, the animals and birds got into the ark. Similarly the Lord will command all the blessings to follow us. And the good Lord will not only bless us with His goodness but He will also give us the power to enjoy them (1 Timothy 6:17). The Bible says that God gives power to enjoy the fruit of your labors and the wealth and riches (Ecclesiastes 3:13; 5:19).
Dear Friend, do you say, “There is no happiness in the family? or I do not have a good job? or my children get poor marks?” or is there any good thing that you are longing for? Cheer up! Look up to the Lord. He will fill your home with happiness. He will give you a good job, promotion, and make your children to excel in their studies. The Bible says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Yes, His goodness shall overtake us and He shall give us the power to enjoy them from today and all the days of your life. He will fill our mouth with praises of thanksgiving and make us happy for He is the source of all goodness. As He revealed His plans to Noah, He will reveal His plans to us and use us to transform lives. He will bless the labor of our hands and give us the power to enjoy them. He will fill our life with goodness and loving- kindness in abundance and give us victory in and over all things just like He gave to Abraham, David, and many others. His word is true:
Genesis 15:1
Yes, we can overcome anything with the Word of God. In Genesis 14 Abraham took God at His Word that he was in covenant with him and he boldly went after Lot and his family and brought them back. He feared not and believed that God would be with him and give him victory. He believed he would overcome, conquer have victory and so can we in every situation. There is nothing is impossible for God u spiritually, physically, financially and emotionally . His word is true:
Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: "Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.. 1 Chronicles 29:10-12
Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. Psalm 98:1
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. 1 John 5:4
The secret to Joshua and King David success and victories was not only their courage but they took their orders from their Commander in Chief - The Lord. Joshua as a brilliant general had his own ideas on how to take the mighty walled city of Jericho but the LORD Himself appeared to Him and told him what was to be done. The bible records:
Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. "You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. "And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. "It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him." Joshua 1:1-5
Joshua obtained his victory over his enemies not only because he was a man of faith and bold and courageous but he listened to the LORD and the instructions that He gave and obeyed. The truth that obedience to the voice of the LORD is seen though out the bible; including in the life of David who faced one of the most devastating crisis in his life.
David his men came to Ziklag, to find that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. It was very distressing to find their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. So David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
David was also greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God and inquired of the LORD Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.
And because David heard from the LORD He pursued and recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.
Now the good news is the LORD has not changed one bit, He is with us to save us and to deliver us and to help us recover all that the enemy has stolen from us, be it money, health, or our good name. He is just as much for us as He was for David. His word is unchanging:
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. Psalm 145:18-20
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning- Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities. Psalms 130:5-8
Do not say, "I will recompense evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. Proverbs 20:22
For thus says the LORD of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. "For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me. "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," says the LORD. Zechariah 2:8-10
The devil would lie to us and tell us that we are nobodies and not important to God, but the truth is that we are priceless and very important for we cost the life of God’s only son to redeem us with His precious blood. We are very valuable to God and there is nothing that He will no do for us especially fill us full of faith and power so that we can do great wonders and signs among the people just like Stephen full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom did. And those who disputed with him were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke (Acts 6:9-10). Yes, in Christ Jesus we have a great inheritance including God Himself. We are forgiven, made clean and reconciled to God. We are saved by the gospel, born again. We are an incorruptible seed, a new creation in Christ and complete in Christ Jesus. We are now free from the control of men and from the law of sin and death. Yes, Christ has set us free from the curse of the law and we are free indeed.
Peace, liberty and God’s glory are our inheritance now. We are God’s property and the temple of the Lord in whom the Holy Spirit lives. We are a branch connected to the vine and His life flows through us. We are now good soil in which the Word of God abides in us and bears much fruit. We are an epistle, a letter of Christ, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. We are servants of the living God demonstrating the power of God in us and through us. We are also fellow citizens with all the saints in the kingdom of God. We are strangers to this world, pilgrims just passing through. We are part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. We are citizens of a holy nation and one of God’s own special people.
We are also heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Jesus. We are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to all the promises made to Abraham. Yes, we are members of the household of God with rights and responsibilities. We are led by God’s Spirit and are called to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Because of Christ’s light in us, we are the light of the world. As a result our life brings divine flavor wherever we go for we are the salt of the earth. God has called us priests and kings and has put on us a kingly anointing, that enables us to enforce God’s will on earth. We are also seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus from which we can make heavenly decrees.
We are blessed in the city and in the country. Our children are blessed too. We are blessed in all that we put our hands to. We are blessed when we come in and when we go out. We are above and not beneath, the head and not the tail. God has called us to be a lender and not a borrower for He has freely given us all things through Christ. In Him we are rich as everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to us. The Lord is our shield and exceeding great reward. He covers and protects us. We are filled with His joy, peace, patience and love and freely love others. We freely give to others what we have freely received. His kindness and goodness work powerfully through us and enables us to have gentleness and self-control and display the fruit of the Spirit. Because of the Baptism of the Spirit we speaking in tongues and as believers in Jesus Christ, we cast out demons in His name. We have power over serpents and every work of the enemy; and as God’s ambassador, we lay hands on the sick and they recover.
Because of what Jesus suffered before His death, we are healed from every infirmity and immune from every sickness and disease. We are also endued with power from on high and are strong in the Lord and the power of His might. We overcome the wicked one and the world by the blood of Jesus and the words of our testimony. God’s word is unchanging:
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:36-39
Yes, we are born again by faith. We live by faith. We fulfill the will of God in our lives by faith. When we’re sick, we receive healing by faith. When we are broke, we get financial increase by faith. When we have trouble, we get help from God by faith. We receive anything and everything that we need from God…by faith - not by works or perspiration but by faith! Faith is simply believing what God says in His Word is true. Faith is trusting what God says more than we trust our natural senses or what other people say. Faith is believing God enough to talk and act as if His Word is true, even when circumstances around us would seem to indicate that it’s not.
By faith we resist the devil, who is out to steal our health, our wealth and our blessings by any means. We don’t give to him what Jesus gave to us, including divine health and divine prosperity. When devil pressures us with symptoms, circumstances and discouraging lies, we continue to believe God and His word. We keep our eyes upon God and confess His word no matter what. When symptoms of sickness come, we resist those symptoms and speak faith. We tell the devil to go away and we don’t accepting the sickness that he wants to put on us because Jesus healed us two thousand years ago. He paid the price for us to be well and the devil can take his symptoms and go to hell where he belongs.
Yes, Jesus heals sick bodies today! How much better, and more scriptural, it is to wait until Jesus of Nazareth passes by and speaks the word of faith to the needy heart, than to mistake our belief in healing for the faith which He alone can give. It is our privilege to take our troubles and our cares to Him in prayer. Within our heritage is the right to draw apart from the world to the sacred place of communion, where “Heaven comes down, our souls to greet, and glory crowns the Mercy. By faith we hold fast to the Word of God and absolutely, positively, refusing to give up until we see God’s promises manifested in our lives. We don’t cast away our confidence, which hath great reward. We have patience, that, after we have done the will of God, we will receive the promise for the just shall live by faith and he doesn’t draw back to perdition but believe to see our salvation.
We receive what God has promised us—whether that is healing or any other scriptural blessing—because we believe it not just with our head but with our heart. When we hear lies to the contrary, we don’t buy them. We are fully persuaded of what God says that we act as if it’s true even when natural circumstances look like it’s not. We don’t quit when the going gets tough. But we stand until we see our desired results of what God has promised us. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Hence we tell the devil we are healed and delivered and blessed and prospered and our end is better than our beginning. We confidently put the devil under our feet where he belongs and step boldly into a future full of the promises and provisions of God! God’s word is unchanging:
"For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. "I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. "I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 36:9-11
Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: Daniel 9:20-23
LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD-how long? Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake! Psalm 6:1-4
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:9-10
In this foolish world that we live in there is great emphasis on accomplishing things by your own strength and efforts and using the services of doctors, banker and other professionals who ironically cannot do much for you when you have real problems while God can! As a matter of fact God has a great track record of helping those who have put their trust in Him and even doing the impossible for them.
The bible tells us when God delivered the Children of Israel from their Egyptian oppressors He not only spoiled them with the wealth of Egypt by bringing them out with silver and gold, but there was none feeble among His tribes (Psalm 105:37). No who in the world can do this for anyone including themselves? No one!
The problem today is that this modern materialistic society with its great emphasis on intellectualism and humanism has rejected the many commandments of God including:
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. Psalm 4:5
Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:4-6
You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. Psalm 115:11
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:3:5-10
In the midst of the storms of life when we are assailed by the curses of sin, suffering, poverty, lack and death, we can trust in God to turn all things around and meet and supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. We can also take great hope in the fact that no storm on this earth no matter what it’s magnitude is greater than our God!
And just like a child trusts his parents with a simple trust, we can rest in the assurance that the Lord will fight our battles against the enemy and give us victory. God shall rebuke the raging storms of our life to be calm. The Lord will never put us to shame when we trust Him in trouble for He is a good God. He shall never allow the wicked to triumph over us but He will deliver us and honor us. He will give us perfect victory over each problem in life. We shall be more than a conqueror through Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, the Lord is near to us and He will help us. He will destroy our enemies and give us victory for He is our Helper and Deliverer (Psalm 70:5) and the devil is a liar. And God’s word is unchanging:
"For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. Deuteronomy 15:6
not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9
"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Psalm 91:15-16
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35
"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18)
The message of the cross in reality is the various blessings God gives us through His cross. This message has the power to turn a man’s life upside down. The sinner who hears this message receives a holy life (2 Corinthians 5:17). Moreover, it gives a divine strength to those who come to salvation (2 Corinthians 12:9). It can change the life of people who do not know God, people who have stony hearts and people who know Him but do not seek Him. Yes! It can change the life of everybody irrespective of the differences they have.
When we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He took our name! Our name was sin. Our name was weakness. Our name was fear and poverty and every other evil thing we inherited from Adam. Jesus took those names from us and gave us His own in exchange. That's right! Ephesians 3:15 says that the whole Body of Christ has been named after Him both in heaven and earth. That means we have been given Jesus' Name. Its authority is now ours!
We are named after "Jesus, Mighty God, Wisdom, Deliverer, Avenger, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Word of Life, Advocate, Provider, The Great I Am, Helper, Savior, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Savior, Healer , Deliverer, Lamb of God, Lord of Hosts, Root of David, Author and Finisher of our Faith, The Way, Healer, Son of God, Man of War, The Truth, Judge of all the Earth, Advocate, Refuge, Rock, High Tower, Strength, Friend, Brother, Chief Cornerstone, King of Kings, Light of the World, Chief Shepherd, My Strength and Song, Righteous Judge, Son of Righteousness, Resurrection and Life, The Alpha and Omega."
Jesus is now our Jubilee. He has restored to us all the benefits God originally planned for mankind. Because of Jesus, we can walk in divine health and have all our needs are met-spirit, soul and body and financially. God’s word is unchanging:
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:1-10
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24
[i]
http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2009/07/31/thecry-vancouver-i-hope-it-rains-on-the-generals/#comment-111330
[ii] http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2009/04/the-art-of-the-apologeticnonapology.html
http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2009/05/i-guess-that-if-you-die-and-go-to-heaven-thats-a-healing-of-sorts.html
[v] http://www.charismanow.com/index.php/charisma-channels/marriage/18226-dont-marriage-vows-matter-anymore
[vi] http://www.religiousrightalert.ca/2009/08/24/stand-on-guard-a-prophetic-call-research-on-the-righteous-foundations-of-canada/#comment-368
[vii] http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2009/07/31/thecry-vancouver-i-hope-it-rains-on-the-generals/#comment-111371