Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Today's Lesson: affliction, sickness and disease?...






He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. Isaiah 53:3-5

We've been in a series of posts discussing the finished work of healing. A central theme is apparently becoming the central point. Focus on Christ's work on the cross and receive your healing. Remove all distractions and give attention to what Christ has done.

In our last post I shared how by grace we can lay aside unbelief. That we can allow the supply of grace to remove strife and unforgiveness from our thinking. With these weights removed we can give our full attention to the finished work and freely receive all He has done. 

Today I want to address a tradition that is rooted deep in the minds of some Christians. This idea that God instructs us with afflictions, sickness and disease. How can we fully trust God to heal us if we believe He is the one placing disease upon us? So is this in fact a Bible truth? 
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes. Psalms 119:71
Isn't it clear in this passage that the author was afflicted and apparently attributed that affliction to God? This passage, out of it's setting, would appear to be teaching just that.  In context however, it paints an entirely different picture. Context is always key, as well as properly defining the words in a given passage. 

You see we attribute our own definition to the words in any passage based upon our traditional understandings of the Bible. In this passage we see a word translated as affliction, or suffering in some Bible translations, and assert the idea of pain, sickness or calamity into it's meaning. Did you know the meaning of the word simply means to be humbled? Read it in context to see what the author is really saying.

Before I had trouble, I strayed from the true path, the path of righteousness, but now I live according to Your word.You are truly good, and Your acts are too; teach me what You require.The proud smear me with their lies; I will keep Your instructions wholeheartedly.Their hearts are dull and callousI am delighted to study Your teaching. It is a good thing that I was humbled because it helped me learn Your limits. Psalms 119:67-71 VOICE

See how context and proper definitions make this passage more clearly understood? The author even attributed the right character traits to the Lord. He is good and does only good. Any trouble he encountered was by the direct results of his own straying from the right path. The natural consequences of foolish pursuits actually humbled him. Nowhere in context did it state God did anything to him. The author realized he should have stayed with God's ways of living and when he didn't he had to acknowledge that his ways and thinking were wrong and God's ways were right. That is the true definition of humility. 

So does God teach us with afflictions of sickness or disease? I must emphatically state no, never! Let's look at the life of Jesus. 
Jesus the Anointed One is always the same: yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Jesus is the same God today as He was when He walked the shores of Galilee. Now we have account after account of His healing the masses. Not one time in the ministry of Jesus did He withhold healing from anyone. It is also not recorded in Scripture that He actually placed infirmity or illness upon anyone to instruct them. 

This is what Jesus ministry consisted of:
Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. Matthew 4:23
Jesus only went about preaching the good news, teaching God's way of doing things and healing all who came to Him. Why don't we see Him bringing disease to the masses to cause them to turn away from rebellion or pride? The reason is because that is not who Jesus is. So if He never used sickness to instruct Israelites then what makes us think He has changed and is using disease to teach us? Tradition may say He does but they are misinformed. 

Religion and tradition do not actually know Him. They may know about Him but they don't understand His goodness. So it is clear that sickness and disease is not God's training method for anyone. So how does God teach us? What about the chastening of the Lord?  How does He correct us? To be continued in the next post...stay tuned for these answers to come. 

Thanks so much for reading. I pray this teaching helped resolve any doubts about God's goodness. I trust the post blessed you. Thanks to all those who share this with others and have signed up via email.


Monday, June 16, 2014

Focus on the finish work and live free!



He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. Isaiah 53:3-5
"Jesus knew now that His work had been accomplished, and the Hebrew Scriptures were being fulfilled. 
Jesus: I am thirsty. 
A jar of sour wine had been left there, so they took a hyssop branch with a sponge soaked in the vinegar and put it to His mouth. When Jesus drank, He spoke: 
Jesus: It is finished!" John 19:28-30 Voice
The price for our healing is paid in full. We can now freely receive from Him. This is wonderful news. This should make every born again heart shout with resounding praise. The best way to receive is to get our focus off our circumstances, off our experiences, and off traditions and objections. We should instead look intently at His provision. At times however, we have hindrances that try and weigh us down. Their primary objective is to get us off focus of Christ's finished work. These weights typically compel us to center on ourselves.

What are these weights? Many ideas will immediately rush into our minds. Is it sin? That's got to be the biggest weight, right? Actually, sin is not a weight. Read Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 
Weights and sins seem to be distinguished apart from each other here. Besides sin was dealt with by Jesus. If our sin presently makes God withhold from us then God would be punishing us after Jesus already bore the full punishment for our sins. God is never punishing us. Now to be clear. Sins do still have natural consequences and they bring about a corrupting influence upon us. So the "punishment" some sense is not God withholding blessing or afflicting them. It is the direct consequence of a foolish decision. 

So if it's not sin then what are these hindering weights? I believe they are three major hindrances that can apply to many areas in our daily lives. I want to expose these weights to the light of God's love and grace and let them slip off our lives. 

1. Unbelief

Unbelief is a weight that pressures us to reject God's Word. It brings us to a place where we say no to God. God's healing flow is hindered when we reject it. 
And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  And he was amazed at their unbelief. Mark 6:5-6a
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief... Hebrews 3:12a
Unbelief is an evil heart. Why? Because it rejects the love and goodness and grace of God. What is the key to lay aside this weight?
Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. 
Mark 6:6b
Jesus cures unbelief by teaching the Word. It is simply taking God at His Word. When we accept His Word as truth, this weight is removed. It simply falls away. 

2. Strife

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.             James 3:16
Strife is that fussing and always offended, and always seeking its own way mentality. We see here that where strife is evil follows. This fussy attitude or way of thinking harms one's health. It will hinder the healing flow. Yes, the healing is accomplished. Yet, if one persists in this thinking pattern they're stepping away from the flow to focus on their, "Right to be right," if you will. How do we lay aside this weight?
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Philippians 2:3
Esteeming others over yourself is the key. In other words giving others the right of way. It is walking in His love. We can love with His love because He first loved us. Trust God to take care of you and be a blessing to others. Then the, I must fight and fuss thinking, loses its appeal and this weight will fall by the wayside. 

3. Unforgiveness

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13
Walking in unforgiveness towards others hinders us and actually has detrimental effects on our health. Read what Pastor Joseph Prince wrote about forgiveness here. Again, healing is a finished work. Yet if one harbors unforgiveness it is like grasping a live electric wire and continually holding onto it. All the while asking for medical treatment for the burns afflicted.  Medical assistance couldn't do anything until the wire is relinquished. That's why we need to let things go. Don't hold onto offense, it produces bitterness. Unforgiveness is really like drinking poison to make another sick. What is the key to freedom from this weight? 
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you
Ephesians 4:32
As we have already been forgiven, we should forgive. Grace supplied us with forgiveness. We just respond with the forgiveness God already gave us, towards others. This allows this weight to fall away effortlessly.

Now we know how to be free from these weights we can run the grace race and finish our course. We can freely receive all God has for us in this life. Thanks again for taking the time to read these articles. I pray this post has blessed you. Please consider sharing with others if this has blessed you. At the top right you can sign up via email so you won't miss any posts. May the Lord bless you this week. 




"Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.net."

Monday, June 9, 2014

More objections to healing answered.






He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. Isaiah 53:3-5

In the past few posts we have been studying healing in the finished work of Christ. We discovered that Christ's redemptive work on the cross included our physical healing. We also discovered that concentration on the experience of others' instead of God's Word robs us of hope and the exercising of His faith that's been deposited within us. Lastly, the Lord delivered a wonderful and encouraging word that reminds us we are whole in Him. That we can receive from Him because He has made us righteous and holy and totally accepted through His blood and finished work. 

As much as we have seen through the Word that God has provided healing in redemption, objections still arise. I want to answer two major objections with this post. In actuality these two objections often go hand and hand. So let's answer these objections with love and clarity. 
  

We can't claim healing because God is sovereign. Believing you receive your healing takes away His sovereignty

This is the major objection I've encountered over the years in ministering healing. Those captured by this mindset, can never fully trust God. How can I make that charge? Because, if one believes that God will do one thing today but have no guarantee that He will do the same tomorrow trust and expectation cannot exist. For instance, if today I say I will drive you home but tomorrow I say no and the day after I ignore you, would you believe I'm a reliable source of transportation? Of course not. So if God were to heal today but not tomorrow and you're not sure of next week how could you trust Him to heal you? Confident expectation in God concerning healing comes from knowing and understanding He never lies and will always do what He said He would because He is always good.

In the original KJV Bible no where does the word sovereign or sovereignty even appear. From the Webster's dictionary sovereignty is defined as supreme authority. See for yourself here. There is no higher authority than God. This doesn't mean He changes from day to day because "He can do whatever He wants". Is that a good image of our Father? He is everlasting and His Word is eternal. He changes not. We can trust God to perform what His Word promises. We can trust God for healing because the Word reveals that our healing is a finished work, by His stripes we were healed. He is the supreme authority.

We can't expect healing because healing is not always His will

We can see how these two objections go hand in hand. If He can do whatever He wants regardless of the Word, its inevitable that healing would then be a maybe He will and maybe He won't offer. Is this accurate? Is this true about God? I believe the Word of God reveals otherwise. Take a brief glance at the ministry of Jesus.
Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. Matthew 4:23-24
That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. 
Matthew 8:16
 As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one Luke 4:40
So these passages reveal His willingness to heal all. Has Christ changed? Has the gospel changed? Was the finished work an incomplete work? God stated in Hebrews that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If Jesus willed to heal all when He walked this Earth, surely it's His will to heal all today, that would include you. Also, this was under the Old Covenant. We have a better Covenant. If He willed to heal all then how much more now that we're His adopted children? God's will is your healing. His will is your complete wholeness. He paid for it all on Calvary. Receive it, it's yours! 

Thanks again for taking the time to read this post. I pray the blessing of the Lord overtake you. Your comments are always welcome. I pray this post blessed you and that you consider signing up via email to keep receiving them. The Lord keep you and bless you this week. 

Monday, June 2, 2014

Something to consider about receiving your healing






He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. Isaiah 53:3-5

In our last post I endeavored to answer an objection to healing in the finished work of Christ. I believe I clearly articulated the answer with love, compassion and a strong foundation of faith and the Word of God. As I write today I sense a strong leading in my spirit to share one important truth for your consideration and blessing. I believe this will empower you to embrace His finished work for your life.

Though it is absolute truth that the experiences of others are not what we base our receiving upon, this doesn't, however, translate into a lack of understanding or compassion for others. I want to pause and send you this blessing straight from our Father's heart. In times past it would be easy to just dismiss others who haven't yet received their healing. It has been stated that because there is nothing wrong with God and nothing faulty with the Word, then there must be something wrong with you. I want you to reject the premise that something is always wrong with you.

Because of the finished work of Christ we have been placed into a position of victory. This winner's circle has nothing whatsoever to do with our achievements or efforts. This is all to do with what Christ did for us on that cross. We have been made complete in Him.
so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power. Colossians 2:10 TLB
We have all victory and wholeness by Him. He purchased it for us. We have all things that pertain to life and Godliness through Him. All these things are within us already. I'll say it again we are complete and whole in Him.

Now what has this to do with you? What has this to do with your receiving from Him? It's this. We were made righteous and perfect within when we accepted The Lord Jesus in our hearts and received His finished work in our lives. This means there is nothing whatsoever wrong with God. This means there is no faultiness within the Word of God. This also means, praise God, that because of the blood and finished work of Christ there is nothing wrong with you! 

Remember this is a New Covenant. In the Old Covenant God made covenant between Himself and man. Of course man could not perfectly keep it. So what the Father did in the New was make covenant between Himself and The Lord Jesus Christ. We are the beneficiaries of this New Covenant. That is why this is not about our performance but rather it is all based upon Christ's perfect performance. Now rest in this blessing and rest in His finished work and receive your healing and wholeness that Christ's perfect work already appropriated for you.

I pray this post has blessed you in your time of need and encouraged you in your walk with the Lord. May His richest and best be yours. As always comments are welcomed and don't forget to sign up via email so you won't miss any new post. 

...Coming soon... Answering more objections to healing, you won't want to miss it...