Seeing The Unseen in 2014

2 Cor 4:16-18

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
NKJV

My Comments:

It's been 3 months since I last posted as I've been led into spending more time in prayer, especially in regards to the Church as a whole. Many great things have happened since my last post and I am grateful to God for the many experiences I've had.

Since we're now heading into the close of 2013, some of you may or may not have known that at the beginning of the year, we had a word from the Lord concerning how 2013 was going to be. For easy reference, the link to the post is as below:

http://ourlifeingod.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-do-you-see-for-2013.html

In the light of that word given, I can say that 2013 has indeed been a year of glory for myself as an individual and for our local church as a family. We've done more things in this year compared to the last year; some of us has come into a greater anointing that has had a greater impact on the ministry in the church.

And at the same time, I acknowledge that there has been ups and downs. Life isn't a bed of roses. Some of us went through some painful situations in life that makes us feel as though we're all by ourselves; but we're not. God's still on the Throne.

As such, when I was spending time in prayer this week, a word came up concerning 2014 that I believe would be of encouragement to those who still read this blog; or those who will come across this blog.

 I will blog from time to time as I am led to but for now, just read through this; be encouraged that 2014 will be a much greater year compared to 2013. Move on, move out and move up into 2014 with Him!

2013 for some has been a year of glory

But for others it may have been another story

This is no time to look at what might have been

For in 2014 we will see that which is unseen

It’s no time to give into defeat and despair

It’s time to be bold and lift both hands in the air

For He has not given you the spirit of fear

But He has called you to be with Him up here

So do not look back at what might have been

But press into victory for that which is unseen

Do not be caught up with the failures of the past 

For in My presence you’ll be having a blast

It’s time to press in for the victory that lies ahead

To be bold with your words, speaking things that will be made

For you will have a new song to sing

In anticipation of what your Father will bring

For you will possess a victory so sweet

Just remember, in Me you are complete

As Unmovable And Steadfast As His Word

Isa 40:8

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."

My Comments:

We're living in a time of uncertainty. Everything looks uncertain and we may feel as though we're on shaky ground. The economic outlook looks grim; the political arena looks insane; security issues are on the rise, no matter which country we're living in. It could be the United States, Malaysia, even in places like China or Latin America.

All this has been written out in the Bible way before it even happened. Even in the Old Testament, Isaiah saw all this through revelation inspired by God. This one verse he said sums it all up as to how God looks at it:

Isa 40:8
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."

The word 'stand' in Hebrew has a variety of meanings, some of which are as follows:

- to stand
- to be established, be confirmed
- to be valid
- to be proven
- to be fulfilled

What this means to us today is simply this: everything is temporal, but God's Word will never change! Jesus Himself said this:

Matt 24:35
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

By this, we have a supernatural confidence that God will still see us through the storms, no matter what happens. In times of lack, we will still have plenty because He's El Shaddai, the God Who's more than gnough! In times of sickness, we still have the Healer with us! In times of depression, we have Joy!

I'll rephrase Isaiah 40:8 to better reflect today's environment and circumstances, you may be amused at how I look at it:

I've several versions of it that you can choose from :P

Isaiah 40:8

The government may change, the stock market fall, but the word of my God still stands!
Petrol prices may go up, our currency go down, but God's Word is still proven!
Violence may increase, fear running rampant, but God's Word never changes!
I may face lack, I may face sickness, but His Word is still valid!

Is it arrogance for me to say that God will see us through, even in the midst of what we're facing no matter where we are? No. It's simply standing firm on His Word that what He said, He will do. If we put our trust in things that we can see with the physical eyes, we'll always be swayed and influenced by whatever happens; whether good or bad.

It is when we put our trust in the things that can't be seen, the unchangeable Word of God, we find that we'll never be moved by the circumstances that change constantly. No matter what season we're in, God is still:

- our Healer (Exodus 15:26)
- our Provider (Genesis 22:14)
- our Shield (Genesis 15:1)
- our Refuge (Deuteronomy 33:27)
- our Redeemer (Isaiah 47:4)

Everything may change; but God's Word never changes!

God's Glory - Reflected In His Goodness!

2 Chron 5:13-14

13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud,
14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
NKJV

My Comments:

We're living in a time that gets faster with every day that passes us by. I strongly believe, looking at recent events that we're in the End Times, and that we're pressing in closer to the day that Jesus will come back. 

The Bible says that Christ gave Himself for the Church, that He might present her to Himself as a Glorious Church (Ephesians 5:27). Just before He comes back, we're going to see an outburst of the manifestation of the Glory of God on the face of this earth. 

When He comes down in His Glory and His power, we'll see things happen like never before. Everything written about in the Bible; all the healings, miracles, signs and wonders; are just the warm-up to what we'll see. Even what the Church has experienced from 0 A.D to 2013 AD is nothing compared to what will take place. It's not time to look back at the past, it's time to look forward to the full manifestation of His glory!

God promised us that the earth would be filled with the knowledge of His Glory, as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14)

Note in the above text that the Glory of the Lord came, after Israel stood together as one and praised Him, saying; "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever". This is significant as we can see that God's Glory will always be reflected in His goodness!

Even in Exodus, God revealed His nature as that being good; not only that, He tied His very nature of being good to His Glory! Consider the following:

Exodus 33:18-20

18 And he (Moses) said, "Please, show me Your glory."

19 Then He (God) said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

When Moses asked the Lord to show His glory, God immediately responded by saying that All His goodness will pass before Moses!

Note also in the next chapter,

Exodus 34:5-6

5 Now the LORD descended in the cloud (the Glory) and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,

When the Glory of God hits this earth, we're gonna see more than just the signs and wonders, There will be an abundance of His Goodness being poured out on the earth!

When that happens, We'll declare like Israel:

"For He is good,

For His mercy endures forever,"

Prayer Habits #2

The awesome part about God is this: you may have prepared something but He can turn it around to fit His Plan, His Purpose. I actually prepared to share on another few habits I practice with regards to developing a strong prayer life, but He turned last night's prayer meeting into a Spirit-Led prayer meeting...how awesome is that :)

In any case, I thought I'd publish my notes so as to keep updating like I promised on my habits concerning prayer, so here's the next set of habits I have regarding my prayer life!

It's in point form again, easier reading! :)

Some of it may have more scripture references, I strongly encourage you to just read them, meditate on them, chew on them until you get the revelation of it.

Habit #4: Treat and rely on the Word of God as your fuel for prayer

1 John 5:14-15

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

- God's Word stands eternal -> it's forever established (Ps 119:89)

- He's always ready to perform according to His Word (Jer 1:12)

- God's Word is the same as His Will

- Praying using the Word isn't like you just skim over it in passing and just speak it out, hoping that something will happen. You have to go deep into it, meditate on it

- It's like petrol that keeps the car going. Too many times we start praying enthusiastically, but we run short of what we wanted to pray about.

- You find that when you just pray whatever comes to your head, you start to wonder whether you have that prayer answered. If you prayed using God's Word, you know you have something to base your faith on, because the Word is eternally there

- Reinhard Bonnke's revelation from God: God's Word in our mouths is exactly the same as God's Word in His mouth

- The Word was spoken (by God) that it could be written; and it was written so that it can be spoken: by us!

- Kenneth E. Hagin: when his daughter had a growth in her eye at an early age, all he did was spend time meditating on the Word for a few days before he spoke to that growth, commanding it to leave.

- Get the Word on the inside, and you'll find that it gives you the staying power to hold fast to what you prayed

- Kenneth E. Hagin: Find a scripture that covers whatever it is that you're believing God for. Meditate on it, then use it as your fuel to keep you going on.

Habit #5: When you pray using God's Word, mix faith with your prayer, believing that what you prayed using the Word works!

Heb 4:2

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

- Just because you pray/speak the Word does not mean you don't need faith!

- You need faith for everything (Heb 11:6) "But without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)..."

- When you pray using the Word of God as your basis, believe that you have it! (Matt 21:22) Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive

- Don't doubt that the Word works, believe it! (Ja 1:6-8) 

James 1:6-8

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Strengthening Yourself - With A Song

1 Sam 30:6

6 David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
AMP

My Comments:

We all go through storms at some point in our lives. We can see that King David of Israel certainly did in the above passage. While they were out, a group of people called the Amalekites invaded where the city where they stayed and took all their families captive. When David and his men came back, David saw that the people intended to stone him, and the Bible says that he was "greatly distressed"

Notice however what he did. It is written "But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God." Thank God that for every adverse situation we have in our lives, we can always rely on a 'But' to see how to go!

It is understood that David would have strengthened himself and encouraged himself through singing out psalms about the goodness of God and how God has continually been with him and for him. By doing this, he strengthened himself to the point that he could be able to rise up and reverse that adverse situation.

Likewise we also can do the same when we have situations that seem to rise up against us. Notice what Paul encouraged the church in Ephesus:

Eph 5:18-19

18 ...but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

In the Greek, the phrase "be filled" implies a sense of being continually filled again and again, not so much of having been filled once. Paul encouraged the church to always be "being" filled with the Spirit, by speaking to each other in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. 

If David could strengthen himself in the Old Testament through singing out psalms about the goodness of God, how much more should we, being in the New Testament be able to strengthen ourselves through giving out psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that are inspired by the Holy Spirit!

Whenever I face a situation that seems to be heading down south, I always look to the Greater One who lives inside of me. I trust Him for a song that I can sing, a poem that I can give out that can strengthen myself!

I'll close with a psalm, or a poem that the Lord gave me a few days ago. I gave it the title of "Praise" as it strengthened me in the knowledge of how praise that is inspired of God and directed to God brings us the victory!

Praise

Praising Him in the morning

Praising Him in the night

Praising Him everyday

As we live in His sight

To be strong in Him

And in the power of His might

To dwell in His glory

And to walk in His Light

We will watch and see

As our enemy is put to flight!

Prayer Habits

In our weekly Tuesday prayer meeting, I had intended to share some habits I have regarding prayer and being led by the Spirit in prayer. However, we were led into praying for some things and I wasn't able to share everything I had.

Here's some of it, there's more coming.... eventually! Might as well avoid giving spiritual indigestion if I can help it! :P

It may be pretty basic, but I like what Charles Cowan, a pastor had to say:

"The secret of a strong faith is hidden in my daily routine"

Likewise, as I practiced these habits that I have, I found that my prayer life improved, tremendously

It's in point form, as if I wrote it out in blog form... it'll be like an essay :P

Habit #1: Keep a prayer notebook

Hab 2:2
Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.

- It helps you keep track of things you were led to pray out through the Spirit
- When you see things come to pass that you prayed about, you have a physical reminder that you prayed about it. It gives you the reassurance and confidence that you're hearing accurately from God
- If you know that you prayed things out that are yet to come to pass, you can remind yourself of what you prayed and remind steadfast and immovable on the promise that what you prayed WILL come to pass
- By observing the things you were led to pray about, you may find a specific pattern that God directs you in praying like you continually praying for the Church, Israel, businesses, etc

Habit #2: Expect to hear from God

John 10:2-3
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his (God's) voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

- Prayer isn't just a monologue (you just rattling out words and talking non-stop to God), it's a dialogue!
- Having a notebook ready at your side is an indicator that you're expecting to hear from God, and that you're ready to write down whatever it is that you get from Him

Habit #3: When praying in other tongues, always keep your faith active for the interpretation

1 Cor 14:13-16
13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.15 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.

- Paul wrote to the church in Corinth encouraging them to believe and trust God for the interpretation to what  they prayed in tongues
- This is different from 1 Cor 12:10 in its function. 1 Cor 12:10 refers to a specific manifestation or operation of the Spirit for that particular moment. We see this from time to time in our prayer meetings. I can't turn this on  or off at my own will, it is as He wills!
- However, when I talk to God and I pray in other tongues, I can ask Him for the interpretation to what I prayed  out in tongues. It may come at that moment, it may come later, but I can trust that I will get the  interpretation to what I prayed out.

The above three habits can be best seen in the life of John G. Lake, possibly one of the greatest healing evangelists ever seen in the early 1900's. Quoting him directly as below:

I want to talk with the utmost frankness, and say to you that tongues have been to me the making of my ministry. It is that peculiar communication with God when God reveals to my soul the truth that I utter to you day by day in my ministry.

But that time of communication with me is mostly in the night. Many a time I climb out of bed, take my pencil and pad [Habit #1] and jot down the beautiful things of God, the wonderful things of God, that He talks out in my spirit and reveals to my heart. [Habit #2, Habit #3]

Prophecy: Mark Brazee

For the past three weeks, I've been stirred in my heart to pray about the Glory of God and that we're believing that His Glory will hit not only our church but the Church as a whole. I shared this in our weekly church prayer and just recently I was blessed to hear a prophecy given out by Mark Brazee from World Outreach Church Tulsa. 

In as much as it may have been meant for the church in Tulsa, and that city and that nation; I'm believing God that it'll happen over here as well! Too often times we write our own nation off as being beyond hope due to circumstances; whether politically or spiritually.

I trust that this would be a blessing. I wish to add that this was a combination of both prophecy, and tongues with the interpretation. I've highlighted the various manifestations in bold italic to make it easier to separate the parts.

Prophecy:

We're so close to the rain. We're so close. There's a sound of abundance of rain. Man you can almost close your eyes and hear the wind off in the distance, thunders of the Holy Ghost, lightnings of God flash. There's something out there, it's not that far off. Years ago it was like a bright cloud on the horizon now it's like at the door. And it's not just here but it's got to be here.

We've got tens of thousand of laborers in this city that are saying “God here am I just send me somewhere I’ll go anywhere just let me know where to go”. Well no use running until you got the right message. No use running. Jesus said tarry in Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high. He said you got the message now go and get the power to go and preach the message with power. I believe that’s why a lot haven't been launched so far in this city because there's another step to take.

What's that, Rain.

Isn't it interesting how rain can fall and it can act like fire. Hallelujah. Light you on fire and send you to the nations. Hallelujah. And when it falls doors will open. When it falls finances will come. When it falls invitations will show up. When it falls people will suddenly know where to go.  When it falls people will begin to see themselves in other nations and they'll pack their bags and leave and never come back. When it falls people are gonna know where to go. When it falls they're gonna hear voices from foreign languages and they're gonna know “that's where I need to go”. When the glory falls. When the rain falls. It's gonna change everything. What was impossible without will be probable with. Hallelujah. Glory to God

Tongues

So lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset you. Set aside things that are holding you back. Set aside things that will get in your way when the call comes to go here, to go there. Prepare yourself and get ready to go for the cry of the harvest is coming forth and you'll find the pull of the Spirit of God will come upon you to take you places, to send you places, or to help send others to places.

Things are gonna change. There shall come drastic changes in the not too distant future. Things will change in the natural, things will change in the spiritual. And many will find themselves saying “This is what I was born for. This is what I dreamed of. This is what I was born to do. This is what I've looked for all my life".

Tongues

Well don't think “Oh The Lord couldn't use me, I made so many mistakes”. The past is gone and must be forgotten. Rise up out of the dust. Rise up out of the ashes. Rise up out of self condemnation. And realize, you're a member of the Body of Christ and you can be used by God.

And prepare yourself for what He has prepared for you, prepare yourself in the word and prepare yourself in prayer. For there must and there shall come a move of prayer.  No, not only to this nation but to this city there shall come a move of prayer. And the day will come that it will shock many. It will shock many even from other locations to see what the Spirit of God will do in this city.

Many have said they've written this place off. Many have even said it will never happen there. Many have said “Ah I'm glad to be out of there, last one out turn off the lights, ah I'm so glad to be gone”. But those that are in the know, those that are willing to go. The Spirit of God will draw men, light them up, launch them out. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Well, lets thank Him

Prophecy

And the rain shall fall. It will fall like a trickle but it will turn into a flood. It will rain. Flooding cities. Even flooding states. The rain of the Spirit of God will fall. But it will manifest in the supernatural. For yes the supernatural shall begin to rise, the tide shall rise up.

And the things you've heard of. The things you've dreamed of. The things you've petitioned the Father for. Things you've only read about in books and said oh to be alive in those days. No don't look to the past but look to the future because that was the warmup for the end.

And the things that have been done before shall be done again. There'll be diseases that some can’t even spell and they'll be healed on the spot, there'll be bodies that'll be made right. There'll be body parts that will be replaced. There will be those that will begin to see that they've never seen in their lives. Eyes will be formed where there were no eyes. Even limbs will grow where there were never any limbs. There are those that have lost parts because of cancerous attacks and it will come back not over a period of months but even over a period of hours.

And there will come times that reports will come forth and it will even be verified and documented even the dead shall be raised in this nation. And everything you've heard of in that nation, it will all come to pass and it shall be done in this nation.

There'll come a mighty harvest, a mighty rain, a mighty harvest. And churches will plant churches. And they'll plant churches. And they'll plant churches. And they'll plant churches. And churches will begin to spring up. And leadership will be raised up supernaturally fast in new churches. Leadership shall be rapidly maturing to the point to be able to go plant a work. And it will get to the place that some will say I don't know I can't find a city anywhere I can't even find a small village that doesn't have a Holy Ghost church in it somewhere. And they'll sweep the nation, and then touch the world. Hallelujah. Lord we thank you for it. Glory to God

Prophecy: Follow Me

I was in the church a few days ago praying when a word came out regarding following God and receiving His guidance in every aspect of our lives.

I trust that this will be a blessing to you:

Prophecy:

If you will follow Me and pay close attention to when I speak, I will guide you and lead you into things that will prosper you.I will guide you with My eye. Yes, My Hand will direct you and place you onto the path if you will allow me.

For I will not lead you down a path of destruction where the end is of death; for my path leads to life in all it's abundance. Do not fear and tremble when you face the storm but be bold, be of cheer for I am with you each and every step of the way.

Walking In God's Plan - Even When We Don't See It

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
AMP

Ps 32:8

8 I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
AMP

2 Cor 5:7

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
NKJV 

My Comments:

The Bible tells us that God has a plan for each and every single one of us, that it is His Will that we walk in and enjoy the plan that He has for us. His plan for our lives is always good.

Walking in the plan and will of God for our lives is a gradual process, not something that occurs in an instant and that comes automatically. We may know that we have a plan and call of God on our lives, but at times we may wonder whether we'll be able to fulfill that plan.

The Psalmist David in Psalm 32, spoke concerning the Lord that He'll instruct us and teach us in the way we should go, that He counsels us with His eye on us. That is something to thank Him for, that He'll never leave us to our own devices, to try and blunder our way through life, but that He'll give us guidance concerning how we can walk in His plans for our lives!

His eye is upon us, which means that we'll always be under His watchful gaze. That even if we miss a step and stray from the path set before us, He'll gently guide us back onto the right path.

Walking in God's plan involves walking by faith. God leads us step by step. For every step we take, he'll give us revelation and insight into the next step to take. We see this in Genesis where He told Abraham to come out of where he was and go to where God was leading him. He didn't reveal His entire plan to Abraham, but told him what to do and where to go, step by step.

We may falter in life and wonder whether we'll be able to fulfill the plan that we know we have from God. Don't give up! Just choose to walk by faith, knowing that God is always there to guide us back onto the right track, that He watches over us fervently and lovingly, giving us counsel when we need it the most!

Prophecy: Patsy Cameneti

The following is a prophecy given by Patsy Cameneti, a well established teacher on the subject of prayer while she was ministering at the youth service in Living Word Christian Center.

This prophecy was given out in 2011 but I feel that it's especially relevant for us today, in terms of just yielding ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit and letting Him guide us in all areas of our lives.

One thing to note is that some of the sentences may seem disjointed and unconnected. This is because while prophesying, she went into other tongues before continuing on with the rest of the prophecy. For the sake of clarity, I've inserted the phrase (tongues) to highlight the parts where she spoke in other tongues.

I trust that this will be a blessing to you

Prophecy:

Don't override that witness. Don't override that witness. (tongues) You don't want to know what would happen if you override that witness. (tongues) You do want to know what would happen if you follow it. You'll go from strength to strength. Go from strength to strength. (tongues)

These are the days. These are the days of navigating by the Inward Witness. These are the days of not being moved and influenced from without. These are the days from listening to the One who lives within. He will speak to your heart. He will speak in your thought. He will enlighten your mind so that your thoughts become His. (tongues)

Not moved by what you see. Not moved by what you feel. Not moved by that that is around you. When there is a current  that is going in a certain direction, the moving of the Holy Spirit's current inside will be even stronger than anything that is flowing around you.

So you'll find yourself moving cross-current to this world's current that is taking them to destruction. For your destiny is not destruction! It is life, it is strength, it is light; and it is to be a strong place and in a strong place to help save those that are going the wrong direction!

And so His influence in you. His witness in you is speaking not just sometimes, but He speaks to you everyday. Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart but respond ye unto the Holy Spirit. Respond unto His voice Respond unto His wooings. For He'll cause you to know what you need to know. And He'll prepare you to go where you need to go. And He'll cause you to learn what you need to know in the place where He has led you to go.

So that when you arrive there you'll be well prepared, you'll be thoroughly prepared for what he has prepared for you. So listen! Because even in this room there is a leading of the Holy Spirit in the area of preparation. And He'll prepare you to take on study. He'll prepare you to learn things, skills. He'll prepare you and lead you to come into some knowledge of some areas that will help you in the thing that He has prepared for you to do.

Don't reason those things away. Don't think "Oh I can't do that". You must do that! That is His plan for your life! And you'll find that as you respond onto the Holy Spirit that He'll fill your vessel. And He'll fill your understanding And your intellect will become quickened. And you'll have quick understanding of the thing He's leading you to learn Put your hand to the thing. Don't just think about it, respond ye unto the Holy Spirit.

Today if you hear His voice, respond unto Him. And as you do, take a step and He will take another and then you'll respond again unto Him and then He'll take another until it will be a fulfillment of what was prophesied through the mouth of Jeremiah that God would walk in His people, and He will walk in you, and He will literally walk you to the thing that He has ordained for you to do.

God's Plan For You Is Always Good!

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
AMP

Num 23:19-20

19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
NKJV

Ro 11:29

29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [He does not change His mind]
NKJV

My Comments:

God declared through the prophet Jeremiah that He knows the plans for us, that they are for our good and not for evil. Every single one of us has a calling from God.

At times we may fail to walk in the plans that He has for us. Some may even lose faith in their calling from God. Others may think that due to sin, they disqualified themselves from being able to continue on in God's plans for their lives.

If that's you, I have news for you. God doesn't change His mind and disqualify you just because you missed it! In fact, as far as He's concerned, that plan is still in effect if you would just turn to Him and choose to walk in His ways!

Others may feel that they missed out on those plans due to circumstances and the people around them. That doesn't matter! What God has established for you can't be stolen by anybody! In fact, we can see an example of this in the Old Testament where a soothsayer called Balaam was hired to curse Israel as they were entering Canaan. Notice what he said in the above scripture Numbers 23:20:

" He (being God) has blessed and I cannot reverse it."

Man can try everything and anything they want, but what God has already blessed, no man can curse no matter how hard they try!

So from today's sharing, I want to point out three things:

1. God always has a plan for you, and it's always good
2. What He planned for you to do or receive, He never changes His mind about it
3. No man or circumstance can nullify the plans and blessings of God for your life!

If You Don't Have Faith, Find Friends Who Do!

Mark 2:3-5, 10-11

3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their [the four men] faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic,
11 "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
NKJV

James 5:16

16 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.
NKJV

My Comments:

The entire passage of Mark 2:1-12 gives the account of how Jesus was teaching in, and how it was so crowded that there was literally no more space to fit anyone else. Four men came carrying a paralytic and couldn't get to Him, so what they did was climb to the roof, still carrying the paralytic; broke through the roof, and lowered him down to where Jesus was.

It says in verse 5 that Jesus saw their faith. There is no mention of the paralytic having faith at all, and by reading through the passage, we could assume that it was through the faith of the four men that he was healed.

There will always be a point in life where you find that you just don't have the faith that you can be healed; or that your breakthrough is on the way. When that happens, you're paralyzed metaphorically. In times like that, when you find that no matter how hard you try, you just can't bring yourself to exercise your faith in God that He'll see you through, find friends who can help you with their faith!

Notice what the four men did:

1. "They uncovered the roof."

For them to uncover it they obviously had to climb up to the roof to start with. And consider the possibility that they brought the paralytic with them up the roof. That takes dedication!

2. "They had broken through."

In those days, the roof would most likely have been a thatch roof, a tight layer of dead stems, straw and dried roots. It may be assumed that such a roof would have been easy to break through, except that the Greek word for "broken" is the word "exorusso" of which the root word "orusso" means to dig or to burrow into the ground. By this, we could assume that the four men took time and effort to dig through the roof!

3. "They let down the bed"

In Greek, the impression of letting down the bed is compared as to lowering oneself into a gulf or into a void. It gives the idea of being lowered very carefully. Applying that comparison to the above, it could be said that the four men lowered the bed down very carefully. They had a choice of just dropping the paralytic down, he's already paralyzed to begin with, how much worse could it get?

By the three actions of the four men, we can see that they had a lot of faith that the paralytic could be healed, hence the emphasis on how Jesus saw their faith!

James strengthens this in his letter to the Church, where he encourage the believers to "Pray for one another, that you may be healed" and concluded that sentence by declaring that the "prayer of a righteous man avails much" or it makes "tremendous power available, dynamic in its working" in the Amplified Translation.

So if you find yourself at the end of the rope, unable to hold on and you see yourself paralyzed in your faith, find friends who can stand alongside you, add their faith to what you don't have, and see your healing come to pass!

Tongues & Interpretation: Lynne Hammond

I don't remember exactly when this service occurred, but I believe that the following message in tongues and its interpretation is especially relevant for us this day. It took place in Living Word Christian Center as part of the youth service. The interpretation for that tongue was given by Lynne Hammond.

For clarity of reading, I separated the interpretation into several paragraphs but the entire interpretation was given for one message in tongues.

This is especially dedicated to all those who's been wanting more of God and His plans for their lives; but got tired along the way and are possibly on the verge of giving up. This is also dedicated to those who already have given up and have nothing to look forward to.

[Message in tongues]

Interpretation:

There are certain destinations for each one of you. There is a place to come to. You're not finished yet, but there is a finishing line.This is not the time for you to draw back. This is not the time for you to stagnate or park somewhere and just be happy where you are, but this is the time to move forward.

There are right in front of you, if you could see into the realm of the Spirit. There are right in front of you new places, new things, new doors, new opportunities for each one.

So cry out to Him, press in for those places! For this is the generation that has the greatest mission yet to fulfill! This is the one I've waited for and watched and known. You were the one that I put on the end because you were the one all along I knew could finish the best

So look to Me in these hours. Look to Me in these times. Not to yourself and your own willpower. 

His Power For Your Weakness!

Matt 11:28-30

28 Come to Me, all you who labor (are wearied) and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 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.

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

NKJV

Isa 40:29-31

29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,

31 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.

NKJV

My Comments:

It should be a known fact that the more weary or tired we are, the less effective our immune system is likely to be; thereby leaving us exposed to more types of sicknesses and disease. Experts have advised that we should take time off to relax and not allow ourselves to get too tired in order to avoid having a poor immune system.

We have to note that Man is a 3 part being; he has a spirit, a soul and a body. We stand by the theory that our soul comprises of our mind, our will and our emotions. You can be in a state of relaxation physically and yet have your mind, will and emotions working overtime, which would still have a negative impact on your immune system irregardless of your physical state of activity. Stress can be in any form, whether it be physical or mental.

God has given us a far better way. Like He said to the multitudes, just go to Him, and He will give you rest! He promised that when we go to Him and just learn to follow Him, we'll find rest for our souls.

Therefore when Jesus said that we'll have rest for our souls, in essence He was saying that we'll obtain rest for our mind, our will and our emotions. A state in which even if we engaged ourselves in physical activity, we'll still be at rest, His rest!

Not only that, Isaiah spoke of the Lord that He gives power to those who were weary, and that He increases strength to those who have no strength. (Isaiah 40:29) Even youths and young men will eventually fall and give out as a result of weariness, but those who choose to go to God and wait upon Him, they are the ones who will keep going on, not on their own strength but on the strength of God!

His Healing Power Is Always Active!

Luke 6:19

19 And all the multitude were seeking to touch Him, for healing power was all the while going forth from Him and curing them all [saving them from severe illnesses or calamities].
AMP

Isa 55:11

11 So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
AMP

My Comments:

The Amplified Translation of Luke's Gospel Chapter 6:19 tells us that God's healing power was all the while going forth from Jesus, healing all who would come to Him.

What this means to us is this, that God's power to heal is never "off", in the sense of one turning off a switch and cutting off the power to it; but that it is always constantly "on"!

God said of His own word through the prophet Isaiah that it never returned to Him void (or without producing any effect, useless in it's application), but that it always accomplished what He purposed it to do! If what He spoke was not accomplished or done, it will never return to Him until it is done!

From the time this was written until our time, we can see that it is God's will that we all be healed in our bodies of whatever sickness or disease we may have in our bodies. As long as there is at least one person sick on this earth, we cannot say that God's Word has been fully accomplished. As such,  we can then boldly declare that His Word concerning healing is still active and powerful even till today for us to hold on to!

So whatever you're going through in your bodies, don't sit there and wonder whether God's power to heal is still present today, just believe that His Word is all the time going out to see to it that you receive your healing!

Revived To Live In His Presence!

Hos 6:2

2 After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.
NKJV

Heb 2:9

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
NKJV

My Comments:

The prophet Hosea prophesied in chapter 6 verse 2 concerning the resurrection of Jesus from the dead; but not only that, that we also would be raised along with Him.

Jesus had no obligation to die for our sin, yet He chose to. The Son of God chose to come down in human flesh to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sin for all eternity. That in itself is something that we can never comprehend as to the depth of His love for us, that He would come and die for us, frail creatures as we are.

He took on Himself at the cross all our sins and sicknesses that we could be freed from such. A Divine Exchange which encompasses more than what I can number below:

1. He took our Sin and gave us His righteousness
2. He took our Sicknesses and gave us Healing
3. He took our separation from God and gave us His access to the Throne

But on the Third day, He rose again, and took us with Him! Paul confirms this in his letter to the Ephesian church where he writes that God raised us up together with Christ and that we're seated together with Him in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6).

In Hosea 6:2, the root word for the word 'revive' and 'live' is the word 'chayah', which has many different meanings, but all of which have one thing in common: being physically whole or having restoration of one's physical health.

So we can rejoice, knowing that on Resurrection Sunday, we have a yearly marker to remind us that God raised us with Christ, and not only that, that He also has restored us to our state of physical health that we should walk in today!

Speak His Word, Speak Life!

John 6:63

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life [the God kind of life].
NKJV

John 10:10

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life [the God kind of life], and that they may have it more abundantly.
NKJV

My Comments:

There are many different words used for the word life in the New Testament, but in the above passage of Scripture, the word used for life is the word zoe, which can be taken to literally mean life! Some commentators also refer to it as the "God kind of life". This is also valid as John described Jesus as having zoe (or the God kind of life) in Himself, and that He (being Jesus) manifested that life on the earth.

Jesus said that His purpose of coming was that we could have and enjoy life in all its fullness, in every area of our lives. This also applies to us in the area of our health! We could be as rich as Bill Gates yet not enjoy life a result of sickness or disease in our bodies.

Notice that Jesus said to His disciples that the words He spoke were "Spirit, and they are life". Also consider that throughout His ministry, He spoke, and things happened. Blind eyes were opened, deaf ears made whole, people were raised from the dead. There was power in what He said, because life was in them!

Likewise when we face sickness or disease, rather than speak what our circumstances dictate, why not just speak the Word of God concerning bodily healing; knowing that when you do so, you release zoe or the God kind of life into your bodies, which is more than enough to take care of whatever ailment it is that's troubling you?

Don't Look At Your Circumstances - Look To Jesus!

Num 21:8-9

8 And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent [of bronze] and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole, and if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of bronze [attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze], he lived.
AMP

John 3:14-15

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life
NKJV

My Comments:

In the Old Testament, it is seen that when the Israelites were bitten by serpents as a result of their sin against God, the Lord gave them a remedy by commanding Moses to make a bronze serpent and to place it on a pole; and that whoever looked at the serpent after being bitten, he would live (that is to say that he would recover). We see that this was a shadow of what Jesus would do on the Cross for us 2,000 years ago.

It is not to say that He was compared to a serpent. In Bible interpretation, the serpent is identified with sin, as it was because of it that Man fell from his position and relationship with God; and bronze is identified with a sign of God's righteous judgement which can be seen in Deuteronomy 26:23 where the Lord established it as a statute that the heavens would be like bronze over the heads of Israel if they turned from Him. (Or it'll not rain at all, which was vitally important to them for the growth of their crops.)

So when Jesus was crucified on the Cross, in the eyes of God; He was considered as a sinner not because He actually sinned, but because He took our sins upon Himself. But He also took our sicknesses as well!

The Lord's remedy to Moses for the people was that they should look at that serpent on the pole, and they would live. Notice Numbers 21:9 in the Amplified translation:

9 ...when he looked to the serpent of bronze [attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze], he lived.

The Israelites had to choose between looking at the snake bites or at the bronze serpent on the pole. It was not a case of switching their gaze from serpent to bite from time to time, it was looking steadfastly at the serpent!

Likewise we have to decide whether to look at our physical circumstances that may tell us our health problems, or to look at Jesus, who took our sin and our sicknesses for us. Choose to look at Jesus, attentively, expectantly, knowing that we will be healed by looking to Him!

If Jesus Is Willing, The Father Is Too!

John 14:8-9

8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
NKJV 

Mark 1:41

41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."
NKJV

Heb 13:8

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
NKJV

My Comments:

Throughout the Bible we read how Jesus went about healing the sick who came to Him in the course of his three-and-a-half year ministry in Israel. We see how He was moved with compassion for the people, and showed His willingness to heal them all. There was no exception, no bias in His ministering to the sick.

Some of us may have heard Christians tell us that if we just believed and came to God, He would heal us. But it's a reasonable assumption to say that some may entertain doubt, saying that "Jesus is Jesus, God is God. Just because Jesus was willing to heal does not mean that God is just as willing to heal"

Note how Jesus answered that question in His own way. When Philip, once of His disciples asked Him to show them the Father (that being God), his answer was simply this, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."

By saying that, He was declaring this, "That what I do is what the Father does, If I am willing, He is too!" He goes on to establish that statement in v 10, where He said to them,

...The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. (John 14:10)

What Jesus did is what God did! If Jesus stretched out His hand to heal the sick, it was the Father in Him who stretched out His hand to heal! If Jesus was willing, it is because the Father is willing!

So when thoughts come flashing through your mind on whether God is willing to heal you of your sickness, refuse to entertain them! Just look to Jesus, and know that as He is willing to heal, the Father is willing to heal!

Behold - Your Healer!

John 1:29

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
NKJV

1 Peter 2:24

24 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.
NKJV

My Comments:

In the first chapter of John's Gospel, we see how John the Baptist (who's different from the Gospel writer John by the way) described Jesus the first time he saw Him; as the Lamb of God who bore all our sins. Jesus, as the Son of God, was also the sacrificial offering made once and for all for us, that we could be reconciled back to God. The Bible also says that He was made an offering even before the world was made as we know it (Revelation 13:8).

We also know that the Bible says that He took our sins, and He took our sicknesses upon His own body at Calvary. And that as children of God, we can boldly come to God for bodily healing when we need it.

Notice however how John starts it off by exclaiming "Behold!" The Greek word used here is the word 'ide' which is the active version of the word 'eido'. The word 'eido' has many meanings; one of which is behold, but some of the others are as follows:

to - be aware, consider, have knowledge, look on, perceive, understand,

By inserting the alternative meanings above into John 1:29, we can see that John the Baptist was not merely making an exclamation of surprise when he saw Jesus for the first time, he was exhorting the people around him to be aware of Jesus as the Lamb; to consider Him as their offering for their sin, to understand His purpose for coming, to have knowledge that their sins were to be forgiven because of Him, etc!

But not only are we to be aware that Jesus is the Lamb of God who took our sins, we must also be aware that He took our sicknesses upon Himself! We must consider His sacrifice that we could be made whole physically, to understand that by His stripes we are healed, and to have knowledge that we can trust Him for our healing!

So just look to Jesus and as John said, Behold Him, the Lamb who takes our sins and sicknesses!

Be Slow, Speak Life Not Death!

Prov 18:21

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
NKJV

Prov 12:18
18 There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
AMP

My Comments:

We know by virtue of Mark 11:23 that what we say or confess will manifest itself in the physical. Jesus Himself taught that lesson through the physical demonstration of His cursing the fig tree before He entered Jerusalem, and after leaving Jerusalem, the fig tree was found withered and dried from the roots.

What we must also know is that this principle of confession will work in either direction, depending on the words that come out of our mouth.

King Solomon, in the book of Proverbs, said this: that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue". Think about it. The words that come out of your mouth can either produce life or death to anything! The effect is that tremendous! But notice also that he finished the proverb by saying this, that "those who love it will eat its fruit." 

He also said in Proverbs that  "There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." In essence, what he said was to not be so quick to speak, as the words you say can't be retracted back. People who speak rashly and don't think much about the words that come out of their mouth tend to regret what they said later. What you say can either bring death or healing to anything!

There's an old saying that goes like this: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Don't kid yourself. Words can and will kill you if spoken wrongly, especially in the area of physical healing

Using the example of a gun with live bullets, you can aim the gun in any direction you want; but once you pull the trigger, you can't retract the bullets. They'll keep on going in the direction you aimed them in until they hit the target. Now think about what you've been saying about your situation, whether it's related to finances, health, relationships, etc!

By putting both Proverbs 18:21 and Proverbs 12:18 together, we can say this, use your tongue to speak life and healing into your body, not death! In fact, be slow to speak death, and quick to speak life!

Manifested For A Purpose!

1 John 3:5,8

5 And you know that He [being Jesus] was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
8 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.
NKJV

Isa 53:5

5 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.
NKJV

My Comments:

The fundamental doctrine of Christianity is that Jesus came, bore our sin [or transgressions against God] upon His own body on the Cross at Calvary, died and rose again for our justification [right standing with God].

The Apostle John, in writing to the Church, expressed this fundamental doctrine as the purpose behind why Jesus was manifested on the earth. We know that as we express our faith [conviction] that Jesus bore our sins for us and that we have right standing with God because of what He has already done, we're justified by our faith.

Notice however that Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 53:5 that Jesus was not only wounded just for our sins, it is also by His stripes that we are healed! 

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested [Or this is why Jesus came], that he might destroy the works of the devil" is what John wrote to the Church. Notice however that He only did that when He died at the Cross. Peter, in preaching to the Gentiles on who Jesus was and what He did, spoke in Acts 10:38,

38 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.

When Peter says that Jesus "healed all who were oppressed by the devil", he could not have been referring to spiritual healing, or bearing the sins of the people as He only did that on the cross; but Peter mentions that He "went about doing good". I believe that this "good" Peter referred to was the physical healing of the people who came to Jesus! Not only that, Peter would have referred to physical sicknesses as demonic oppression.

I am not implying that all sicknesses are demonic in origin, but I suggest that what Peter was saying was essentially this, sickness does not come from God. God is not the author of sickness and disease, and He won't strike people with illnesses just to teach them a lesson, or to get them to repent and turn back to Him!

By going through all four Gospels in the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), we can see that the ministry of Jesus throughout Israel was punctuated by Him going about healing the sick, casting out devils, and raising the dead.

So we can see that Jesus had a two-fold reason for His coming,

1. To bear our sins for us
2. To heal us of our sicknesses.

Therefore we can have full confidence in the reality that we can believe God for physical healing, knowing that sickness and disease does not come from Him! For this reason Jesus came, that we might be forgiven AND healed!

Your Time Of Captivity Is Over!

Ps 126:1-3

1 When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.
NKJV

My Comments:

Psalms 126 was written after Israel's return from Babylonian captivity (~538 B.C) when Cyrus the Great, King of Persia issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland. This psalm was written as a song of praise, praising Jehovah God for having restored them to their homeland after 70 years of exile.

When the psalmist wrote "The Lord has done great things for us", he also wrote that even the nations said of Israel, "The Lord has done great things for them", referring to their deliverance from captivity into freedom.

When you're down with some physical issue that affects your health, you're a captive of that sickness. Here's news for you: You've been released from captivity because of what Jesus has already done for you at Calvary! He was God's payment for our freedom, so that our captivity has been overturned! God purchased us, spirit, soul and body to walk in freedom from bondage, physical and spiritual.

We don't have to wait for God to bring us out of captivity from sickness, He's already brought us out 2,000 years ago! We can just rejoice that our captivity's been turned into liberty, and that even others will say that "God has done great things for them" as we ourselves can declare, "God has done great things for me, and I am glad!"

Healing And Deliverance When You Call!

Ps 107:19-21

19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
NKJV

My Comments:

We know in this passage of Scripture that one of the methods of Divine Healing that we can find in the Bible is through God sending His Word and healing us. We also know that He delivers us from all things that are not of Him.

However, note that Psalm 107:19 says that they (being the Israelites) cried out to Him, and He healed them in response to their cry! I propose that if they did not cry out to God, He may not have responded to their requests.

This can be seen throughout the Old Testament, where God moved in response to the cries of the Israelites. When they went through hardship in Egypt, it says that God heard their cries; remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and sent Moses to them (Exodus 2:23-25). Even when they sinned against God throughout the time of the Judges and they were attacked by their enemies, He raised up people who led them in response to their cries (Judges 2:18)

Likewise, in the New Testament, we see how Jesus taught His disciples, and us that we can have what we say (Mark 11:23). And that whatever we ask in prayer; if we believe, we will receive (Matthew 21:22). If we do not come to God and call on Him in times of trouble, we should not be expecting any answer to our problems!

After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended on high, we see that the principle of asking and receiving is still in effect even in the Church of Acts and beyond. James wrote to the Church, rebuking them that "You do not have, because you do not ask". All the way down through Church history up till today, we can see that God is a prayer answering God, but we have to pray first!

So just call out to God, knowing that when you call on Him, He will answer, and heal you!

Who Has The Final Report?

Isa 53:1

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
NKJV

Rev 22:13

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."
NKJV

My Comments:

Everyone likes to believe God and walk by faith. It's easy to walk the life of faith when everything's going fine and we're not experiencing trouble at all, whether it be in the area of our health, finances, relationships, etc. It's when we go through the storms of life that we wonder whether God's there.

Before Isaiah described how Jesus; as Messiah bore all our sickness and disease upon His own body, he began the chapter by asking this one question, "Who has believed our report?". Then he went on to describe what we read on in the later verses concerning Jesus.

When you're down with sickness or ill health; and the doctor gives you a bad report, don't give up and resign yourself to going through that sickness! Jesus has the final say on your condition! He said of Himself in the book of Revelation, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

What that means is that He has the final judgement to make concerning your physical state of health, not anyone else! And we also know that He is able and more than willing to heal you of your condition! This doesn't just work for physical healing, it'll work for any area of your life!

So when you receive a negative report, look to Jesus, knowing that He has the final report!

You Have Authority - Use It!

Matt 10:1

1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power [exousia] over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
NKJV

Luke 10:19

19 Behold, I give you the authority [exousia] to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
NKJV

My Comments:

In the course of His ministry on earth, it is written that Jesus gave His disciples power to cast demons out and heal the sick in Israel. It is interesting that just before Matthew 10, it is also written that Jesus was filled with compassion for the people in Israel and He said to His disciples to pray that more laborers be sent out into the field because the harvest was plentiful. Immediately after that, Matthew 10:1 says that His disciples were given power to do the mentioned.

There are several different words used for the word 'power' and in Matt 10:1, the word 'power' is the word 'exousia' which means 'authority'. Authority is defined as 'The power or right to give orders, make decisions and enforce obedience.' An example of the same Greek word being translated into different English words is seen in both Matt 10:1 for 'power' and Luke 10:19 for 'authority'. Both words are the same in Greek - exousia.

So when the Bible says that Jesus gave His disciples power over unclean spirits, it actually means that He gave them the power or right to give orders to demonic powers, make decisions and enforce obedience from those demonic powers! The disciples could heal the sick and command demons to leave based on the authority that they had from the Lord.

Likewise in today's context, because we too disciples of Jesus; and even better, we're children of God, we have the same authority that the disciples had in the Bible. All we need to do is use that authority when we find we have sickness in our body! Exercise your right to command sickness to leave your body in the Name of Jesus, and enforce obedience from that sickness!

From Sowing Healing to Harvest!

Mark 4:14

14 The sower sows the word.
NKJV

Mark 4:26-29

26 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,
27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
NKJV

My Comments:

We know that Jesus in His lesson on the power of the Seed likened it as to the Word of God being planted in the hearts of men.We also know that we sow the Word into our lives by our confession.

What we must also remember is that seeds take time to grow! It may seem obvious to some, but sometimes the obvious is not so obvious when we get blindsided by situations that crop up, especially in the area of health.

In Mark 4:26-29, Jesus described the seed and its natural process of growth after having been sowed into the ground. We could go into all the various scientific processes as to how it sprouts and grows, but do we really have to know that? All we have to know is that depending on the condition of the ground, the seed we sowed would eventually grow and produce a harvest that we could then reap.

Likewise when we're faced with sickness or disease, we should recognize that from the moment we sowed God's Word regarding healing in our bodies; that a harvest is on the way! It may take a short time, it may take a while, but it's still coming!

We don't know how it's coming; we don't have to know, all we need to know is that if we hold fast to our faith in God that His resurrection power is at work in us, our harvest of healing is coming! What we sow, we will reap!

Resurrection Power In You!

John 11:25

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
NKJV

Rom 8:11

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
NKJV

My Comments:

John 11:25 is a popular verse used frequently at funeral services, where we like to say that even though we die, we live because of Jesus.

However, I want to look at it from another angle. John 11:1-44 speaks of how a man named Lazarus was sick and died while waiting for Jesus to come. When confronted by his [Lazarus] sisters, Jesus gave a simple statement, "I am the resurrection and the life." We see later on that He went on to raise Lazarus from the dead, even though the body had been lying in the tomb for four days.

Think about it. If Jesus could call a man back from the dead, and it is implied that all of Lazarus' body functions were restored; how much more He is able to heal a sick man! The only thing being worse then being sick is being dead! And Jesus raised the dead!

Paul wrote to the Church in Rome exhorting them that if the Holy Spirit was in them, they could expect the same resurrection power that raise Jesus from the dead to work in them! Resurrection power is effectively life-giving power; a restoration of all bodily functions to their proper normal function. And you have it because you have the Holy Spirit!

So if you have any illness or sickness in your body, just believe that as God raised Jesus from the dead, He will also give life and healing to your body!

Sow Healing and Health Into Your Body!

Gal 6:7,9

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
NKJV

Mark 4:14

14 The sower sows the word.
NKJV

Prov 4:22

22 For they [God's Word] are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
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My Comments:

God's Word is unchanging and the principles He established are eternal, i.e. they will never pass away. The principle of sowing and reaping is therefore unchangeable. Everything is subject to change except the laws instituted in Gen 8:22 of Seedtime and Harvest, Cold and Heat, etc.

In His lesson on the parable of the Seed in Mark Chapter 4, Jesus made this simple but profound statement in v14, "The sower sows the word." He compared the Word of God as to seed planted that would eventually produce a harvest. The amount of harvest produced was dependent on the type of ground the seed was planted in, as some produced a thirtyfold return on the seed, some a sixty and some a hundred.

The question then arises as to how we are to 'sow' God's Word into our lives. Through confession of His Word as true in our lives, and standing firm on those promises, not wavering even in the midst of situations and bodily symptoms that tell us otherwise.

In Proverbs 4, Solomon; probably the wisest man of his age, instructed his son to pay attention to his instructions and said that by doing so, his words was life and health to him. We know that all Scripture is inspired of God for our benefit. Therefore, if we treated Prov 4:22 as God speaking directly to us, we could then say that God's Word is life to us, and health to all our flesh!

If Jesus compared the Word of God as to seed, and that the law of Sowing and Reaping never changes, we can then rest assured that if we searched through the Word of God for promises of healing, and 'sowed' them into our own bodies, we can then expect a harvest of healing to manifest in our lives!

If You're His Child, Healing is Yours!

Mark 7:27-29

27 But Jesus said to her [the Syro-Phoenician woman], "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread [healing] and throw it to the little dogs."
28 And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."
29 Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."
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Matt 7:9,11

9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
11 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!
NKJV

My Comments:

The story of the Syro-Phoenician woman in Mark 7:24-30 talks about how she had heard of Jesus and His healing ministry and was desperate for healing for her daughter. When she approached Him, what He said to her was that "The children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." Although it is unknown in this passage of Scripture who the 'children' referred to, a parallel passage in Matt 15:21-28 identified them as the children of Israel.

In His earthly walk, the ministry of Jesus was clear and specific in that He was sent to Israel as their Messiah. As they were the children of Abraham; who God had a covenant with, they were also known as a covenant people, and as previously discussed, one of the Covenant Names of God that was given to them was "Jehovah Rapha" or "The Lord Your Healer". What this meant was that seeing as that they were the descendents of Abraham, they had a right to trust God for their healing.

In His conversation with the woman, Jesus compared healing as to bread, when He said to her that the "children's bread should not be thrown to the little dogs." Because she was outside of the covenant, she was compared as to a dog. However, she went on to impress Him with her persistent faith and as such, she received her miracle.

The point I'm trying to get across is that we are under a much better covenant than that woman as in his letter to the church at Galatia, Paul wrote the following:

Gal 3:26,29

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
NKJV

The moment you believed and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you became a child of God! And that qualifies you to be a 'child' of Abraham, which means that healing belongs to you as much as it belonged to Israel during the time of Jesus!

Therefore when you go to God for healing, go knowing that you are His child; and that if you have any sickness in your body, ask boldly for healing, knowing that He will give you much more than that!

All It Takes Is One Word!

Matt 8:8

8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
NKJV

My Comments:

The story behind this verse talks about how a Roman Centurion (or officer) came to Jesus asking for healing for his servant. When Jesus said that he'll come to the centurion's house, the response from the man was "Only speak a word, and my servant will be healed."

Jesus was amazed at what the centurion said and He said to the crowd around Him that He had not found anyone with such faith and confidence in Him; even in Israel. And He said to the centurion that "As you have believed, so let it be done for you"

Kenneth Copeland said once that "One Word from God can change your life!" Sometimes that's all it takes, just one word from the Master's lips that can change your life and turn your situation around. The Bible is full of God's promises concerning bodily healing!

If you're facing sickness, you don't have to memorize the entire Bible in order to obtain healing in your body; just find one promise in His Word concerning your healing, stand on it, believe it and as Jesus said to the centurion, "As you have believed, so let it be done for you!"

Don't Just Wait For An Elder - Pray!

James 5:14-15

14 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.
15 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.
NKJV

My Comments:

James wrote that when a person is sick, he should call for the church elders and have them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Name of Jesus, and that he would be well as a result of such a prayer.

As much as it's written in the Bible, people have turned it into a church tradition where they say that only the church elders should come and pray for the person who has been struck with sickness. As such, there are cases where people have died as a result of their sickness before the elder could reach them.

Notice however that James writes in v15 "The prayer of faith will save the sick." I want to state my belief that we don't necessarily need to have the church elders come to pray for the sick. Going on the principle of Mark 11:22-24 where Jesus taught His disciples on having faith in God, I believe that God is no respecter of persons in regards to believing Him for Divine Healing.

Jesus also said that "Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matt 21:22). Therefore all it takes is you having faith in God's ability to heal you; that would encourage you to be able to pray that prayer of faith for yourself even in the midst of your sickness!

God's Healing Power Is Always Present - In Us!

Luke 5:17

17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
NKJV

Luke 24:49

49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
NKJV

Acts 1:8

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
NKJV

Acts 10:38

38 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.
NKJV

My Comments:

In the course of His ministry, we read that Jesus was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit; and that the 'power' was always present to heal the sick.

There are many different Greek words used for the word 'power', but in the above portions of Scripture, the word that is used commonly is the word 'dunamis' which refers to 'miraculous power'. It is from this specific word that we derived the word 'dynamite', which is well known world-wide.

However, notice also that dunamis could also refer to 'abundance'. In a way, we could consider dunamis to be 'an abundance of miraculous power'. This is important as when Jesus was about to ascend back to heaven, He instructed His disciples to wait until they were endued; or empowered with dunamis - an abundance of miraculous power before going into all the world to preach the Gospel.

And as we read it in Acts 2:4, they received the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, and from that point on, they just went out and did what was commanded of them. We do not find in the Bible any particular point in time after Acts 2:4 where the disciples questioned as to whether that 'power from on high' was still present with them. They just went about preaching the Gospel and healing the sick and we read how the Lord confirmed the Gospel through the signs promised in Mark 16:17-18.

Likewise, we have the Holy Spirit, who is the Source of that dunamis or miraculous power living on the inside of us. And we know that there's always an abundance of that miraculous power because we have the Power Source!