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!
Monday, February 11, 2013
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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