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!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
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!
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!
Monday, February 25, 2013
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.
NKJV
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!
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.
NKJV
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!
Friday, February 22, 2013
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."
NKJV
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!
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."
NKJV
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!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
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!"
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!"
Monday, February 18, 2013
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!
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!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
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!
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!
Friday, February 15, 2013
What He Bore, We Need Not Bear!
Isa 53:4-5
4 Surely He has borne our griefs [sickness, disease] and carried our sorrows [pain] ; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
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
Matt 8:16-17
16 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,
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."
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:
The above portions of Scripture contain one of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity; that not only did Christ bear our sins upon Himself at the Cross of Calvary, He also bore all our sicknesses and pain upon His body when He suffered on the Cross.
In Isaiah 53, the prophet Isaiah prophesied of the coming Savior, and what He would do for mankind in His atonement for the sins of mankind. However it must be noted that when Isaiah 53:4 was translated into English, the translators used an alternative meaning to describe the words 'griefs' and 'sorrows'.
In Hebrew, the word 'griefs' is the word 'choli' which more often than always refers to sickness or disease; and the word 'sorrow' is the word 'makob' which refers mostly to pain. By rewording Isaiah 53:4, it would therefore be more accurate to read it as
4 Surely He has borne our sickness (disease) [choli] and carried our pain [makob] ; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
In Matthew 8:17, Matthew is inspired of the Holy Spirit when He describes the ministry of Jesus and quotes Isaiah 53:4, correctly translating it as "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses".
Peter, in his letter to the Church states in 1 Peter 2:24 that Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree (or cross) in order that we need not bear them. He ends it with the statement "by whose stripes you were healed".
In the context of this particular passage, commentators say that it would have been referring to spiritual healing. However, I would like to comment that without God, Man was spiritually dead to start with and you can't heal something that's already dead to begin with; it must be recreated anew.
In order to be reconciled to God, we have to be born again through the Spirit, as Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John 3:3, and Peter confirmed by writing that we were born again through the Word of God (1 Pe 1:23). Therefore I believe Peter was writing that not only were we able to live a new life of not having to bear our sins, we could also live a life of not having to bear sicknesses or pain because Jesus already bore them for us!
This is a promise that we can stand on in regards to believing God for healing, that not only could we believe that all our sins were borne by Jesus upon the Cross, He also bore all our sicknesses and pain. Therefore we need not bear them because He already bore them!
4 Surely He has borne our griefs [sickness, disease] and carried our sorrows [pain] ; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
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
Matt 8:16-17
16 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,
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."
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:
The above portions of Scripture contain one of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity; that not only did Christ bear our sins upon Himself at the Cross of Calvary, He also bore all our sicknesses and pain upon His body when He suffered on the Cross.
In Isaiah 53, the prophet Isaiah prophesied of the coming Savior, and what He would do for mankind in His atonement for the sins of mankind. However it must be noted that when Isaiah 53:4 was translated into English, the translators used an alternative meaning to describe the words 'griefs' and 'sorrows'.
In Hebrew, the word 'griefs' is the word 'choli' which more often than always refers to sickness or disease; and the word 'sorrow' is the word 'makob' which refers mostly to pain. By rewording Isaiah 53:4, it would therefore be more accurate to read it as
4 Surely He has borne our sickness (disease) [choli] and carried our pain [makob] ; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
In Matthew 8:17, Matthew is inspired of the Holy Spirit when He describes the ministry of Jesus and quotes Isaiah 53:4, correctly translating it as "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses".
Peter, in his letter to the Church states in 1 Peter 2:24 that Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree (or cross) in order that we need not bear them. He ends it with the statement "by whose stripes you were healed".
In the context of this particular passage, commentators say that it would have been referring to spiritual healing. However, I would like to comment that without God, Man was spiritually dead to start with and you can't heal something that's already dead to begin with; it must be recreated anew.
In order to be reconciled to God, we have to be born again through the Spirit, as Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John 3:3, and Peter confirmed by writing that we were born again through the Word of God (1 Pe 1:23). Therefore I believe Peter was writing that not only were we able to live a new life of not having to bear our sins, we could also live a life of not having to bear sicknesses or pain because Jesus already bore them for us!
This is a promise that we can stand on in regards to believing God for healing, that not only could we believe that all our sins were borne by Jesus upon the Cross, He also bore all our sicknesses and pain. Therefore we need not bear them because He already bore them!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Church - To Preach, Teach, and Heal!
Mark 16:15-18
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 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."
NKJV
My Comments:
Continuing from the previous post regarding hearing the Word of God in order that faith might come, we have Jesus' last command [The Great Commission] to His disciples before He ascended back to God. In His list of signs that would follow the person who believed; notice what He said, that "they [being the Believer, or Christian] will lay hands on the sick, and they [being the sick] will recover."
Based on the authority of the Word of God, what this should produce in the Christian is faith that when they pray for the sick, they can expect the person being prayed for to recover!
But also note that prior to Jesus talking about the signs that would come, He commanded His disciples to go preach the gospel everywhere. It was an exact replication of how He went about healing the sick! They were to preach and teach the gospel before healing the sick. They couldn't stir up the faith of the sick if the people didn't even know that they could be healed.
So likewise in today's environment, how much more the Church should be able to fulfill the Great Commission, preaching and teaching the gospel; and being able to produce faith in the hearers that they can be healed!
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 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."
NKJV
My Comments:
Continuing from the previous post regarding hearing the Word of God in order that faith might come, we have Jesus' last command [The Great Commission] to His disciples before He ascended back to God. In His list of signs that would follow the person who believed; notice what He said, that "they [being the Believer, or Christian] will lay hands on the sick, and they [being the sick] will recover."
Based on the authority of the Word of God, what this should produce in the Christian is faith that when they pray for the sick, they can expect the person being prayed for to recover!
But also note that prior to Jesus talking about the signs that would come, He commanded His disciples to go preach the gospel everywhere. It was an exact replication of how He went about healing the sick! They were to preach and teach the gospel before healing the sick. They couldn't stir up the faith of the sick if the people didn't even know that they could be healed.
So likewise in today's environment, how much more the Church should be able to fulfill the Great Commission, preaching and teaching the gospel; and being able to produce faith in the hearers that they can be healed!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Come To Him, Hear And Be Healed!
Luke 5:15
15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
NKJV
Rom 10:17
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
NKJV
My Comments:
Throughout the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; it shows that when Jesus went about healing the sick, more often than always the healing ministry was preceded by Him teaching and preaching to the people. By doing so, it can be seen that He gave the sick faith that they could receive their healing.
Paul, in writing to the Church at Rome, wrote in Romans 10:17 that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Notice that it says "by hearing", not "by having heard". The conclusion that we must reach is that we have to keep going back to the Word of God for faith to come! If faith comes by hearing the Word, it can be concluded that the opposite can hold true, that faith goes by NOT hearing the Word! This principle will work in whatever area you have a need; whether it be financial, healing, spiritual, etc.
To qualify the above, it would help if you can dig deep into the Word of God for His promises concerning the issue that you're facing. I doubt that if you're have a health issue, that faith would come by you reading the entire book of Revelation concerning the Second Coming of Christ, though anything's possible.
In the very first book of the Bible, Genesis; the writer was inspired of God to mention that everything reproduces after its own kind, or type. An example of this would be that if you planted an apple seed, you'd expect an apple tree to grow, not an orange tree.
Jesus, in teaching His disciples, compared the Word as to seed (Mark 4:14), and our hearts being the ground that the Word (or seed) is sown in. Therefore by going on the principle that everything reproduces after its own kind, we can therefore conclude that if we want healing in our bodies, we'd best find God's promises concerning healing that we can base our faith on.
15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
NKJV
Rom 10:17
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
NKJV
My Comments:
Throughout the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; it shows that when Jesus went about healing the sick, more often than always the healing ministry was preceded by Him teaching and preaching to the people. By doing so, it can be seen that He gave the sick faith that they could receive their healing.
Paul, in writing to the Church at Rome, wrote in Romans 10:17 that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Notice that it says "by hearing", not "by having heard". The conclusion that we must reach is that we have to keep going back to the Word of God for faith to come! If faith comes by hearing the Word, it can be concluded that the opposite can hold true, that faith goes by NOT hearing the Word! This principle will work in whatever area you have a need; whether it be financial, healing, spiritual, etc.
To qualify the above, it would help if you can dig deep into the Word of God for His promises concerning the issue that you're facing. I doubt that if you're have a health issue, that faith would come by you reading the entire book of Revelation concerning the Second Coming of Christ, though anything's possible.
In the very first book of the Bible, Genesis; the writer was inspired of God to mention that everything reproduces after its own kind, or type. An example of this would be that if you planted an apple seed, you'd expect an apple tree to grow, not an orange tree.
Jesus, in teaching His disciples, compared the Word as to seed (Mark 4:14), and our hearts being the ground that the Word (or seed) is sown in. Therefore by going on the principle that everything reproduces after its own kind, we can therefore conclude that if we want healing in our bodies, we'd best find God's promises concerning healing that we can base our faith on.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
He Healed Them All
Matt 4:23-24
23 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.
24 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.
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 passages above, the root word 'pas' is used repeatedly in reference to the word 'all'. It contains the following meanings: all (manner of, means), alway (-s), any (one), daily, ever, every (one, way), as many as, no (-thing), thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.
What this tells us is that Jesus healed whatever kind of sickness that was present in His time. There was no sickness or disease beyond His ability to deal with! God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and He had Divine ability backing him in healing everyone who came to Him.
Not only that, it also says that He healed everyone who came to Him who had various sicknesses and disease! He had no racial bias towards healing only a specific group, the Bible says He healed them all! And it was a complete healing, He didn't leave anyone partially sick with a hope of full recovery!
The Bible also says that Jesus is still the same as He was yesterday, and as He will be tomorrow (Heb 13:8)! He never changes! This encourages us that as we go to the Father in the Name of Jesus, we can have confidence that what He did 2,000 years ago for those who were sick, He still does for us today!
23 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.
24 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.
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 passages above, the root word 'pas' is used repeatedly in reference to the word 'all'. It contains the following meanings: all (manner of, means), alway (-s), any (one), daily, ever, every (one, way), as many as, no (-thing), thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.
What this tells us is that Jesus healed whatever kind of sickness that was present in His time. There was no sickness or disease beyond His ability to deal with! God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and He had Divine ability backing him in healing everyone who came to Him.
Not only that, it also says that He healed everyone who came to Him who had various sicknesses and disease! He had no racial bias towards healing only a specific group, the Bible says He healed them all! And it was a complete healing, He didn't leave anyone partially sick with a hope of full recovery!
The Bible also says that Jesus is still the same as He was yesterday, and as He will be tomorrow (Heb 13:8)! He never changes! This encourages us that as we go to the Father in the Name of Jesus, we can have confidence that what He did 2,000 years ago for those who were sick, He still does for us today!
Monday, February 11, 2013
God's Double Cure!
Matt 9:5-7
5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?
6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
7 And he [the paralytic] arose and departed to his house.
NKJV
Ps 103:3
3 Who [being God] forgives all your iniquities, Who [being God] heals all your diseases,
NKJV
My Comments:
In Matthew 9:1-8, the context of the passage talks of how a paralytic was brought lying on a bed to Jesus, and He said to the paralytic that his (the paralytic) sins were forgiven. When the scribes thought among themselves that Jesus was blaspheming; presuming to take on the authority of God who was the only One able to forgive sins, Jesus responded in kind by asking them which was easier, to tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven or to command him to rise up and walk.
In today's terms, this is an interesting question as most of us would probably have opted to tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven rather than command him to rise up and walk. Why I'm saying this is because by in theory, we would have no idea whether the man's sins were actually forgiven, and there's no pressure on us to keep up to what we said as only God has the power to forgive sins and not us. Whereas if we commanded him to rise and walk, there's 'pressure' on us to see that the man was healed.
But Jesus demonstrated His ability to both heal and forgive sins when he spoke to the paralytic! He told the scribes "that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" and demonstrated that forgiveness by commanding that paralytic to rise up and walk. And that paralytic rose!
The Psalmist David, in Psalm 103, spoke of God as one who forgives all our sins. And in the same breath, He also described God as one who heals all our diseases. This is the double cure that God, through His unmeasurable grace, has graced us with through Jesus!
So when you go to God, don't just go knowing that your sins are forgiven you, go knowing that He is also able to heal your sicknesses too! Just receive the Double Cure that God has for you!
5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?
6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
7 And he [the paralytic] arose and departed to his house.
NKJV
Ps 103:3
3 Who [being God] forgives all your iniquities, Who [being God] heals all your diseases,
NKJV
My Comments:
In Matthew 9:1-8, the context of the passage talks of how a paralytic was brought lying on a bed to Jesus, and He said to the paralytic that his (the paralytic) sins were forgiven. When the scribes thought among themselves that Jesus was blaspheming; presuming to take on the authority of God who was the only One able to forgive sins, Jesus responded in kind by asking them which was easier, to tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven or to command him to rise up and walk.
In today's terms, this is an interesting question as most of us would probably have opted to tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven rather than command him to rise up and walk. Why I'm saying this is because by in theory, we would have no idea whether the man's sins were actually forgiven, and there's no pressure on us to keep up to what we said as only God has the power to forgive sins and not us. Whereas if we commanded him to rise and walk, there's 'pressure' on us to see that the man was healed.
But Jesus demonstrated His ability to both heal and forgive sins when he spoke to the paralytic! He told the scribes "that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" and demonstrated that forgiveness by commanding that paralytic to rise up and walk. And that paralytic rose!
The Psalmist David, in Psalm 103, spoke of God as one who forgives all our sins. And in the same breath, He also described God as one who heals all our diseases. This is the double cure that God, through His unmeasurable grace, has graced us with through Jesus!
So when you go to God, don't just go knowing that your sins are forgiven you, go knowing that He is also able to heal your sicknesses too! Just receive the Double Cure that God has for you!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
God's Promise Of Healing!
Ex 15:25-26
25 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,
26 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."
NKJV
Matt 5:17
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
NKJV
My Comments:
One of the Names of God in the Old Testament is that of Jehovah Rapha, or 'The Lord Who Heals'. He established this as a covenant between Him and the Children of Israel, that if they obeyed the Law that He gave them, He would be their Healer (Or their doctor in today's terms).
How this applies to us in today's context is that God is still the same today as He was 2,000 years ago! He's still healing all types of sicknesses and disease that exist even now!
Some of us may be wondering how He can be our Healer when He gave a strict condition; that we fully obey every commandment given by Him to Israel in those days.
Notice what Jesus said of His purpose in the New Testament. In speaking to His disciples and the multitudes surrounding Him, He proclaimed that He came to fulfill what was required in the Law! And He did! He lived a perfectly sinless life, died for our sins and rose again on our behalf in order that the Law of God be fulfilled!
Now that He's living in us, we have a right to claim that promise that God is our Healer! So if you have any pains or sicknesses that you're suffering from, boldly go to God believing that He is your Healer!
25 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,
26 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."
NKJV
Matt 5:17
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
NKJV
My Comments:
One of the Names of God in the Old Testament is that of Jehovah Rapha, or 'The Lord Who Heals'. He established this as a covenant between Him and the Children of Israel, that if they obeyed the Law that He gave them, He would be their Healer (Or their doctor in today's terms).
How this applies to us in today's context is that God is still the same today as He was 2,000 years ago! He's still healing all types of sicknesses and disease that exist even now!
Some of us may be wondering how He can be our Healer when He gave a strict condition; that we fully obey every commandment given by Him to Israel in those days.
Notice what Jesus said of His purpose in the New Testament. In speaking to His disciples and the multitudes surrounding Him, He proclaimed that He came to fulfill what was required in the Law! And He did! He lived a perfectly sinless life, died for our sins and rose again on our behalf in order that the Law of God be fulfilled!
Now that He's living in us, we have a right to claim that promise that God is our Healer! So if you have any pains or sicknesses that you're suffering from, boldly go to God believing that He is your Healer!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Call On His Name And Be Saved!
Rom 10:13
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
NKJV
My Comments:
Paul, in writing to the Church in Rome; made this simple but strong statement that "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." To God, there is no difference between a Jew and a Gentile who stands before Him in prayer. In simple terms, He does not play favorites!
In fact, the root word for the word 'whoever' is the word 'pas'. One of its meanings is simply 'whoever'! It's that simple, that 'whoever' means 'whoever'! If a Jew calls on the Name of Jesus, they'll be saved! If we call on His Name, we'll be saved!
If you're struggling in a situation that you just can't seem to break out of, just call on the Name of Jesus and see that situation turn itself around!
On another point, the root word for 'saved' is the Greek word 'sozo' which means the following: to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
As much as it applies to the salvation of the person's soul, have you noticed that most of its meanings have something to do with recovery of your health? By just taking that verse as it is, you can call on the Name of the Lord if you're sick, and know that He's working on your behalf to cause you to recover from whatever health issue you're suffering from!
The topic of prayer is extensive, and it can lead into a discussion on the subject of Divine Healing and what God has so graciously provided for us in His Word regarding it. I intend to share within the next few posts on what Divine Healing is, some wrong beliefs concerning it, but most importantly; how we can believe God for Divine Healing in our bodies based on His Word.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
NKJV
My Comments:
Paul, in writing to the Church in Rome; made this simple but strong statement that "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." To God, there is no difference between a Jew and a Gentile who stands before Him in prayer. In simple terms, He does not play favorites!
In fact, the root word for the word 'whoever' is the word 'pas'. One of its meanings is simply 'whoever'! It's that simple, that 'whoever' means 'whoever'! If a Jew calls on the Name of Jesus, they'll be saved! If we call on His Name, we'll be saved!
If you're struggling in a situation that you just can't seem to break out of, just call on the Name of Jesus and see that situation turn itself around!
On another point, the root word for 'saved' is the Greek word 'sozo' which means the following: to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
As much as it applies to the salvation of the person's soul, have you noticed that most of its meanings have something to do with recovery of your health? By just taking that verse as it is, you can call on the Name of the Lord if you're sick, and know that He's working on your behalf to cause you to recover from whatever health issue you're suffering from!
The topic of prayer is extensive, and it can lead into a discussion on the subject of Divine Healing and what God has so graciously provided for us in His Word regarding it. I intend to share within the next few posts on what Divine Healing is, some wrong beliefs concerning it, but most importantly; how we can believe God for Divine Healing in our bodies based on His Word.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Counting On His Goodness!
Num 23:19
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?
NKJV
2 Tim 2:13
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
NKJV
My Comments:
The context of Numbers 22 tells the story on how King Balak of Moab; a heathen king, hires a soothsayer Balaam to curse the children of Israel, to prevent them from entering and slaughtering him and his people. Balaam attempts to do so, but ends up blessing them instead of cursing them.
However, in the midst of his prophesying, he (being Balaam) gives four descriptions of the nature of God in Numbers 23:19 that are extremely important to how we see Him in our coming to Him in prayer:
1. He does not lie.
The definition of a lie is to intentionally make a false statement that you yourself know is not true, with the intention of deceiving the person listening. God's nature is that of Truth. He will not go against His nature to deceive anybody with the objective of getting that person's heart in worship towards Him.
2. He does not repent.
The phrase 'to repent' could be rephrased as 'to change one's mind'. Thank God that He doesn't change His mind! If He did, we'd all be in serious trouble! What He decides on or purposes to do, He won't change His mind regarding it. If He decided to bless you, He won't change His mind on a whim and retract that blessing from you!
3. He does what He says.
When God says He will do something, you can count on His nature that He will do what He said He will do. The phrase 'Your word is your bond' applies to Him, because by doing so, He knows that we can have confidence in Him; that He will answer our prayers, and not just leave us hanging on a thread, wondering whether He'll do what He said.
4. What He says and does is always good.
This is basic theology that we must recognize if we want to have confidence in our Father; that what He says and does is always good. That He loves us and wants only the best for us. He is not the One who sends sickness, disease and natural disasters our way as an act of love! Jesus said that even as earthly fathers knew how to give good things to their children, how much more their Heavenly Father is able and willing to do so! [Matt 7:11, Luke 11:13]
How this applies to our prayer lives:
When you consider the above points, you have boldness to go to your Father for your requests, knowing that He won't lie to you, or that He'll change His mind. If He said He'll do it, you can stand on that promise knowing that it's already done! In fact, there are many promises in the Bible relating to whatever situation you find yourself in, whether it be related to finances, relationships, health, etc!
Not only that, He'll do what He said He'll do in His Word, and you know that it'll always be good! He won't send sicknesses, poverty or any other thing your way because what He does is always good! So just be bold to go before Him in prayer, knowing that your Father's always good!
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?
NKJV
2 Tim 2:13
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
NKJV
My Comments:
The context of Numbers 22 tells the story on how King Balak of Moab; a heathen king, hires a soothsayer Balaam to curse the children of Israel, to prevent them from entering and slaughtering him and his people. Balaam attempts to do so, but ends up blessing them instead of cursing them.
However, in the midst of his prophesying, he (being Balaam) gives four descriptions of the nature of God in Numbers 23:19 that are extremely important to how we see Him in our coming to Him in prayer:
1. He does not lie.
The definition of a lie is to intentionally make a false statement that you yourself know is not true, with the intention of deceiving the person listening. God's nature is that of Truth. He will not go against His nature to deceive anybody with the objective of getting that person's heart in worship towards Him.
2. He does not repent.
The phrase 'to repent' could be rephrased as 'to change one's mind'. Thank God that He doesn't change His mind! If He did, we'd all be in serious trouble! What He decides on or purposes to do, He won't change His mind regarding it. If He decided to bless you, He won't change His mind on a whim and retract that blessing from you!
3. He does what He says.
When God says He will do something, you can count on His nature that He will do what He said He will do. The phrase 'Your word is your bond' applies to Him, because by doing so, He knows that we can have confidence in Him; that He will answer our prayers, and not just leave us hanging on a thread, wondering whether He'll do what He said.
4. What He says and does is always good.
This is basic theology that we must recognize if we want to have confidence in our Father; that what He says and does is always good. That He loves us and wants only the best for us. He is not the One who sends sickness, disease and natural disasters our way as an act of love! Jesus said that even as earthly fathers knew how to give good things to their children, how much more their Heavenly Father is able and willing to do so! [Matt 7:11, Luke 11:13]
How this applies to our prayer lives:
When you consider the above points, you have boldness to go to your Father for your requests, knowing that He won't lie to you, or that He'll change His mind. If He said He'll do it, you can stand on that promise knowing that it's already done! In fact, there are many promises in the Bible relating to whatever situation you find yourself in, whether it be related to finances, relationships, health, etc!
Not only that, He'll do what He said He'll do in His Word, and you know that it'll always be good! He won't send sicknesses, poverty or any other thing your way because what He does is always good! So just be bold to go before Him in prayer, knowing that your Father's always good!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Plug Back Into God's Power Source!
1 Cor 14:2-4
2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
NKJV
Jude 20
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
NKJV
My Comments:
The root word for 'edify' and 'build' is the word 'oikodomeo', which has the direct translation of being a 'house-builder' or to 'build a house'. In a sense, we could say that when we pray in other tongues, we're building a house for God to inhabit.
James described the tongue as beyond the ability of man to tame (James 2:8). But when we yield our tongue to God and just start to pray in other tongues, we surrender that 'unruly evil' to Him for Him to speak through us, to build our lives into something that He can work through!
On the other hand, linguists have theorized that in modern speech, a better way of explaining the word edify would be to compare it as to 'charging a battery'. It's like you being on a cellphone with somebody and the battery's just about out. Unless you can find a power source and a charger, you'll run flat! But when you find both the charger and the power source; and you plug your cell-phone into the charger, it's a matter of time before you're able to start talking again! God is the power source, and you charge yourself up by praying in other tongues!
Likewise, in our own prayer lives, we can only talk to God so much before we run flat. When times like that happens, just open your mouth, yield your tongue to God and start to pray in that tongue you have! You'll start to charge yourself up again until you're full and ready to run!
2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
NKJV
Jude 20
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
NKJV
My Comments:
The root word for 'edify' and 'build' is the word 'oikodomeo', which has the direct translation of being a 'house-builder' or to 'build a house'. In a sense, we could say that when we pray in other tongues, we're building a house for God to inhabit.
James described the tongue as beyond the ability of man to tame (James 2:8). But when we yield our tongue to God and just start to pray in other tongues, we surrender that 'unruly evil' to Him for Him to speak through us, to build our lives into something that He can work through!
On the other hand, linguists have theorized that in modern speech, a better way of explaining the word edify would be to compare it as to 'charging a battery'. It's like you being on a cellphone with somebody and the battery's just about out. Unless you can find a power source and a charger, you'll run flat! But when you find both the charger and the power source; and you plug your cell-phone into the charger, it's a matter of time before you're able to start talking again! God is the power source, and you charge yourself up by praying in other tongues!
Likewise, in our own prayer lives, we can only talk to God so much before we run flat. When times like that happens, just open your mouth, yield your tongue to God and start to pray in that tongue you have! You'll start to charge yourself up again until you're full and ready to run!
Monday, February 4, 2013
All You Have To Do Is Just Ask!
Matt 7:7-11
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
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
Matt 21:22
22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
NKJV
Mark 11:24
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
NKJV
My Comments:
Most of the time I find we like to really complicate our own prayer lives when it comes to believing God for answers. We tend to come up with a long prayer, hoping we can somehow impress God into answering our prayers because we made it sound nice.
In God's eyes, it's really simple; just ASK Him! Speaking to His disciples, Jesus gave them (and us!) the assurance in Matt 7:11 that their Heavenly Father was much better than their earthly fathers, that even as earthly fathers knew how to give good things to their children, how much more God, being our Father in Heaven, is able to give good things to us when we ask Him!
So the next time you pray, just make it simple, and ask God as though you were asking your father for something. He is much more than your father, because He will give it!
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
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
Matt 21:22
22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
NKJV
Mark 11:24
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
NKJV
My Comments:
Most of the time I find we like to really complicate our own prayer lives when it comes to believing God for answers. We tend to come up with a long prayer, hoping we can somehow impress God into answering our prayers because we made it sound nice.
In God's eyes, it's really simple; just ASK Him! Speaking to His disciples, Jesus gave them (and us!) the assurance in Matt 7:11 that their Heavenly Father was much better than their earthly fathers, that even as earthly fathers knew how to give good things to their children, how much more God, being our Father in Heaven, is able to give good things to us when we ask Him!
So the next time you pray, just make it simple, and ask God as though you were asking your father for something. He is much more than your father, because He will give it!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Praying When You're Dry & Thirsty
Isa 44:3
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;
NKJV
Hos 6:3
3 Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.
NKJV
Zech 10:1
1 Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.
NKJV
John 7:37-38
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
NKJV
My Comments:
There will be times when you find that your times of prayer and communing with God to be dry. It's like you're in a desert and you feel as though you're all dried up. I've been there. I've been through times where I found that I didn't want to pray at all, that it seemed to be the most trying time to just sit down and pray.
It's times like this that I'll start going back to the Word where God promised that He'll pour out His Spirit like the rain. Isaiah 44:3 is one such promise, where God said that if you're dry and thirsty, you more than qualify for an outpouring of the Spirit on your life!
All God said to do was just ask Him for rain, and He'll answer that request! He's more than faithful to pour His Spirit out on you afresh, and to fill you again with that joy you had in talking to Him! Jesus Himself promised that if you're thirsty, just come to Him, and He'll cause rivers of living water to flow right out of you!
So if you're thirsty, just cry out to God to pour His Spirit upon you again!
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;
NKJV
Hos 6:3
3 Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.
NKJV
Zech 10:1
1 Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.
NKJV
John 7:37-38
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
NKJV
My Comments:
There will be times when you find that your times of prayer and communing with God to be dry. It's like you're in a desert and you feel as though you're all dried up. I've been there. I've been through times where I found that I didn't want to pray at all, that it seemed to be the most trying time to just sit down and pray.
It's times like this that I'll start going back to the Word where God promised that He'll pour out His Spirit like the rain. Isaiah 44:3 is one such promise, where God said that if you're dry and thirsty, you more than qualify for an outpouring of the Spirit on your life!
All God said to do was just ask Him for rain, and He'll answer that request! He's more than faithful to pour His Spirit out on you afresh, and to fill you again with that joy you had in talking to Him! Jesus Himself promised that if you're thirsty, just come to Him, and He'll cause rivers of living water to flow right out of you!
So if you're thirsty, just cry out to God to pour His Spirit upon you again!
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