For long time 'readers', you know my stance on the Bible. We are told we must walk by faith and not by sight. We must look at what is unseen and call things that be not as though they were. I believe that the bad things that happen are from Satan, not a tool God uses to teach us things.
The Lord has been bringing me deeper and deeper into understanding faith and His Word. More and more is being illuminated to me and it's awesome. I had no idea how much fear I dealt with, because it was so subtle! Fear is the opposite of faith- fear drives it away.
I also believe in our words and the power they have. I did a study on this down in the left hand column called "Faith and Words". I don't have a lot of time to review, but basically Jesus says we can have what we say. How many people have you seen talking about something, like when they were a kid that they were going to be someone special or live somewhere particular someday, and they did! It's because they spoke it over and over again, and drove towards it, and they got it.
Mainly I want to talk about fear and the authority we have. Many times I have tried to stand in faith about something like healing, but still felt a lot of fear or anxiety inside. The fear was because in my mind I was honestly thinking, " I hope it works." or " What if God doesn't do it?" This is so off. What we have to realize is that God already did it.
In this verse that we know so well, everything we ever needed has already been taken care of.
" For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. " John 3:16-17
Saved in Greek is " sozo"~ Definition of sozo: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction
a) one (from injury or peril)
1) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health
1) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue
b) to save in the technical biblical sense
a) to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment
b) to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance
Other words for " be saved" ~ 'save, make whole, heal, be whole'
So, Jesus already made us whole and healthy. It's a matter of continually standing on that and being fully persuaded that we are healed until the enemy runs off. If we keep it in our head that we already know the ending, he is already defeated, and we are filled with the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. What can he do to us?
Many think, well that was Jesus, He was God. That's why He was never sick or poor etc.
"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19
"... assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17: 20
Sounds like Jesus empowered us with the same that He had.
So anyways, God has really been opening my eyes to a lot of little things I say or think that are a hindrance. And like I said before, I didn't realize how much of it was rooted in fear! Just in the last week, I have been miraculously healed from a burn, back pain and a bladder infection. I'm talking searing excruciating pain one minute and gone with no visible effects a few minutes later. All because I remembered what Jesus already did, prayed it and praised Him for it until it was gone.
Another thing we've dealt with is pests- mosquitoes and we heard that scorpions are bad around here. Well, Jesus gave us authority over those. We prayed in faith and not one person got a mosquito bite and there are no scorpions.
So what about finances and the current economic situation? First of all, we're in God's family if we are believers.
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly." John 10:10
Abundant~exceeding some number or measure or rank or need
a) over and above, more than is necessary
1) exceeding abundantly, supremely
2) something further, more, much more than all, more plainly
b) superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon
1) pre-eminence, superiority, advantage, more eminent, more remarkable, more excellent
How can we have a more excellent life if we are poor?
"...that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints..." Ephesians 1:18
Riches~ riches, wealth
a) abundance of external possessions
b) fulness, abundance, plenitude
c) a good i.e. that with which one is enriched
Another important factor is the giving of your tithe to the Lord. God doesn't need the money, but He wants us to show Him that we completely depend on Him in everything. And what is the reward for acknowledging that He is our source?
We have lived in exceeding abundance the last few months. We bought a house! We had literally no budget. Now we do, but, God has opened up several things that will flood it all in again soon. And we aren't the only ones!
I honestly believe that time is very very short. I know there is to be a great GREAT awakening before Jesus comes for His bride. If I was chosen to live in this hour and this day, then I don't want to miss out. I don't want to be on the sidelines watching, I want to be at the front. It's going to take people who understand how faith works to do this. We cannot go by what we see in the world, or feel. I admit I get awful sad when I hear about what's going on in Washington, but then I remember, he was meant to be there. No longer can we depend on our government to do what it was designed to do, our dependency now is on God. The President doesn't save America, what America needs is an awakening to God. So I don't let it bother me, because my Saviour is Jesus, my home is heaven. My work here isn't done and how WONDERFUL to get to be a part of this!
The early church began it, and we get to finish it. Isn't that so special? We could have lived in any time on the earth, but we were chosen to live NOW. God is creating an army, a real army of faith that can destroy the strongholds the enemy has created. An army that has more faith in the unseen than what is seen, and is unafraid. Why should we be afraid? If we walk with God we are protected, healed, delivered, whole, saved...we have power and authority like Jesus did.
I know this is a lot of info, and you may think I'm a weird radical, but Jesus was considered a radical! I have so so much pouring out of me right now, so if this doesn't flow well or make a lot of sense, it's because there's so much and not enough time to write it!
It's time for the church to kick it up a notch. I believe that many are. What do you think?
great post...looking forward to more deep thoughts...
ReplyDeleteI love your deep thought posts! Isn't so true that our enemy 's best tactic is indeed fear,and how when we give in to it,we believe him more than what God tells us.this angers me so much! But praise God because of who HE is and he is the Almighty GOD!
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, are you saying more people would be healed from diseases (diabetes, infections etc) if their faith were stronger? What about the people who are cured who have no faith at all?
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying you need stronger faith to get healing. What I am saying is that healing is already there, it's a matter of getting into the unseen to the seen. As Jesus said, calling things that be not as though they were. Someone could be attacked by a migraine, pray for it, believe it and praise God for it. They may still feel symptoms, but as long as they do not waver, it HAS to go. When I burned my hand, the pain was so intense, I was crying while praying. I sooooo wanted to get emotional and go into 'begging mode' pleading with God to fix it. But He already made provision for its healing, so I have to take it by faith. I just kept quoting the healing scriptures I knew and thanking Him for it. Within 5-10 minutes, the pain was gone. The next day, there were no visible signs of a burn. Child-like faith-- taking Him at His word and not doubting is what I'm talking about.
I'm not sure what you mean when you say that people have been cured with no faith. Are you talking about those relying on natural methods or medicine that get cured? Because I can't think of an instance where someone got healed without faith. How many times did Jesus say " Your faith has made you whole." ?
Amen. This is such a great post, thank you for sharing those deep thoughts! The Lord has been teaching me such wonderful things, I'm completely coming out of religion into relationship and total childlike trust in Him for everything, He is so very good!
ReplyDeleteI've so much to say lol! about this, but would take up too much of your time.
Thank you for posting and please keep these thoughts coming!
Vicki
Well, for an example of a person who was healed with no faith, my dad. He had a stroke in 2005, and within a year has no visible signs of it, even though it left him unable to move his left side, or speak. My dad belives in the existence of God, but does not think anything else is necessary. My dad didn't do anything to be healed, he just came home from the hospital in a wheelchair and went to bed. He still smoked and ate junky food. Within 5 weeks he was talking understandably and within 8 weeks he was walking unassisted. He just took the meds the drs. perscribed. He didn't even go to therapy. I never questioned his healing, and I am grateful for it. I just can't help but wonder how or why it happened. I did pray for him to live, because for a few days there it looked grim. Could it have been my bit of faith?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you taking the time to answer my comment.