Biblical Faith and Healing
Many
times, people are trying to 'get more faith', thinking that if they
just believe they will be healed, then it will happen. I have news for
you, that is new age faith, NOT Christian faith!
Faith is not
simply believing that something will happen before it does. Faith is
knowing that the provisions have been made for that healing, then
trusting God to manifest it on your behalf.
Before we get started,
I want to debunk two myths that are commonly believed today in the
church. These two myths accuse and blaspheme the name and true nature of
God and therefore need to be exposed.
Myth: "Isn't everything that takes place here on earth the will of God?"
First,
if everything that happened was God's will, then apparently we wouldn't
have a freewill of our own, because we would be forced to always do His
will. Every day, murders, rapes, human sacrifices, etc. are taking
place. Would we dare say that such things glorify God? Right now a
little boy or girl is about to be sacrificed, their body burned before
an alter to Satan, and the blood drank by somebody, and you're going to
tell me that that God is glorified by this? I think we had better
seriously reconsider our faulty belief that everything which happens on
earth is the will of God. What blasphemy against the Holy name of God to
accuse Him of such horrible things as bringing Him glory!
Myth: "If God doesn't heal somebody, it must have not been His will for them"
And,
behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve
years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said
within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But
Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of
good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made
whole from that hour. Matthew 9:20-22
What if the woman with the
issue of blood didn't have faith to be healed? Would that have made it
God's will for her to live on in such awful sickness? Absolutely not!
But if she didn't have faith in Jesus, then guess what? She would have
died in her sickness, and who knows, she may have died long before her
time? Apparently her faith (believing God) had something to do with
receiving God's will for her.
In the following passage, it is very
evident that even though the disciples were not capable of driving out
the demon from the young boy, did NOT mean it was the will of God for
him to be tormented.
And when they were come to the multitude,
there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord,
have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes
he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to
thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and
said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?
how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked
the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that
very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could
not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,
ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:14-20
Just
because His disciples couldn't cast it out, does NOT mean that it was
God's will for the boy to be epileptic; it was because of their unbelief
that they could not drive out the stubborn demon.
The term faith defined
Perhaps the best verse in the Bible to define faith is in Hebrews. Let's consider the depth of this passage:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
According
to NT Greek, the word substance here is referring to assurance or
confidence. To have faith means that we can confidently know that what
we hope for will take place. When we place our faith in Christ for the
forgiveness of sins, we can know that those sins are indeed forgiven. If
we read on in this chapter in Hebrews, we find many examples of faith
being exercised throughout the Bible. Basically what is taking place is
that God promises something, and men of God believe Him and take what He
said seriously. They acted upon the promises of God, and as a result,
they were known as great men of faith in the Bible today. I like how the
New Living Translation sums up these stories in verse 33:
By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them... Hebrews 11:33 NLT
Genuine
Christian faith is simply knowing the promises of God, the provisions
of the work of Christ on the cross, and the Word of God, and then
accepting and believing that what God says concerning those provisions
is undoubtedly true. Abraham was said to be a man of faith, and if we
take a closer look at his faith, it was simply believing what God said
was true:
He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and
worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by
the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted
to him for righteousness.Galatians 3:5-6
As I just said,
Christian faith is merely knowing the will of God (which is found in His
Word), and believing it. Lack of faith is present when (a) we don't
know the will of God or (b) we don't really believe that it is true.
This is why the Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.Romans 10:17
If
Jesus said that your healing was paid for on the cross, do you really
believe that? Jesus asked Peter, "Why did you doubt me?" Why do you
think He did that? Because Peter questioned the integrity of Jesus'
command to "Come!"
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be
thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when
Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to
Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning
to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus
stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of
little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?Matthew 14:28-31
In other
words, Jesus was saying, "Peter, didn't you believe me?" This is why it
is so important to know what God is saying to us (get in His Word!),
and believe it. Fear questions, casts doubt upon, and calls God's Word a
liar! The Bible even tells us that without faith, it is impossible to
please Him:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for
he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.Hebrews 11:6
The key is to get
yourself to the point where you know the Word of God, then simply
believe what He says... THEN you will have real genuine faith...
anything else is just false faith.
True and genuine Christian faith is nothing more than simply knowing what God has said, and believing it.
Faith and divine healing
Today,
so many are 'hoping' that it is God's will for them to be healed, when
it says so in their Bibles. The problem is, we need to be childlike in
our faith, and simply believe that what God says is true. Jesus said
that unless we come to Him with a mind of a child, we will not
experience the kingdom of God. The mind of an adult is naturally full of
reason and wants an intelligent answer, but the mind of a child of
believing and accepting of what it is told. That is why Jesus said that
we must have faith such as a little child if we are to receive the
kingdom of God:
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.Mark 10:15
Did
you know that just as Jesus made provision for the forgiveness of our
sins, He also did the same for our physical healing when He shed His
blood for us? He demonstrated this right away in His earthly ministry:
When
the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that
were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Matthew 8:16-17
Then if we begin to read the accounts of divine
healing in Jesus' ministry, we come across people who believe in Him and
knew that it is His desire to heal them, receive their healing through
faith. Jesus made it clear that it was their trust in Him that allowed
them to receive their healing. Here are a few examples:
But Jesus
turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good
comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole
from that hour. Matthew 9:22
And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way;
thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight,
and followed Jesus in the way.Mark 10:52
And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.Luke 17:19
The
truth is that even in Jesus' ministry, people were healed because of
their faith. Faith has a lot to receiving the promises of God, including
our salvation and the forgiveness of sins. When Jesus would say,
"According to thy faith," what He was really saying was, "According to
your belief in my Word and my provision to heal you!" The Messiah was
prophesied to bare the people's sicknesses back in Isaiah.
There
are two very good passages where a person is raised from the dead. In
both cases, note that Jesus told the people to believe, or have faith in
God (Him). Consider these passages:
While he yet spake, there
came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy
daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as
Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the
synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow
him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he
cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult,
and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he
saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead,
but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them
all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them
that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he
took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is,
being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the
damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And
they were astonished with a great astonishment.Mark 5:35-42
Jesus
said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead,
saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead
four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou
wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took
away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted
up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And
I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which
stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And
when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come
forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with
graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith
unto them, Loose him, and let him go.John 11:39-44
It is by FAITH that we receive the promises of God, including the forgiveness of sins and healing!
The prayer of faith
Is
any sick among you? 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: And
the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him
up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.James
5:14-15
Notice that it says that the prayer of faith WILL save the
sick (when the KJV says 'shall', it means 'will' - as in John 3:16). It
also calls it a prayer of FAITH, which is very important. This is the
type of prayer where you stand on something that God has promised or
made provision for, and if this verse calls it a prayer of faith, then
it is obviously something that there is provision for (see Matthew
8:16-17 for the provision concerning our physical healing).
Most
of the time, when a person goes before the Lord in prayer for a healing,
they simply hope that they will receive their healing. They call it
faith, but it's really just hope. They can hope really hard, and build
up lots and lots of hope, and walk away disappointed because it doesn't
happen. Then they go on in life suffering and worse yet, they go around
telling other children of God that He wants them to suffer! What
blasphemy against the loving nature of God!
What is the difference
between a prayer of faith and hope? As I mentioned earlier, faith
involves assurance but hope does not. A prayer of faith can only be
prayed for something that is promised or made provision for us by God.
The forgiveness of our sins is a prayer of faith, and according to the
Word of God, so is prayer for our physical healing.
But let him
ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that
he shall receive any thing of the Lord. James 1:6-7
The problem is that most people just hope that God heals them when they are prayed over, but friends, hope is NOT faith.
You may not need a healing
From
working with deliverance ministries, I will tell you from experience
that many sicknesses and diseases are not physical, but demonic. There
are a variety of examples of this in the scriptures, where demons would
cause boils (see the book of Job), to muteness, and bone/spinal
infirmities. Here are a couple examples:
And, behold,
there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and
was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus
saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art
loosed from thine infirmity.... And ought not this woman, being a
daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be
loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? Luke 13:11-12,16
As
they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a
devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the
multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. Matthew
9:32-33
There are numerous healings that take place in deliverance
sessions. Healings from things such as arthritis, cancer, physical
pain, epilepsy, etc. are not uncommon to manifest when casting out
demons. Henry Wright, an internationally famous minister said that every
case of epilepsy that came to him for a healing was healed - so what
was the root? The same deaf and dumb spirit that Jesus cast out of the
boy who experienced seizures in the Bible!
And when they were come
to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to
him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore
vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then
Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long
shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to
me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the
child was cured from that very hour. Matthew 17:14-18
If you try
to pray for a healing, when you actually have a demon which needs to be
removed, you might be praying right into your grave because you're not
addressing the root of the problem.
Cancer is a demon
I
believe that Benny Hinn, Perry Stone, and others who are in the healing
ministry will tell you first-hand that cancer is almost always caused
by an evil spirit. So when somebody says, "Well, it was God calling
grandma home - it was her time to go." What the headline should actually
read is, "Child of God gets killed by an evil spirit, and Christians
claim that it was God's timing to take that person home." GIVE ME A
BREAK!
The other day, I received an email from a deliverance
minister who is a dear friend of mine, and he was telling about how they
just ran a woman through deliverance and drove out several evil
spirits, and when these demons left her body, she was instantly healed
of various physical infirmities including cancer! This man of God has
seen scores of healings take place during deliverance sessions with
people!
I was talking with a doctor recently, and was saying how
cancer is a demon, and he agreed that I had a good point. Medical
science does not know the root cause of cancer, and one man who had
cancer saw his X-rays, only to find a demonic looking face in his hip
where the cancer was. He asked the doctor what that was about, and the
doctor said that they saw it quite often with cases of cancer. Make no
mistake, Satan really is a killer, and he's using spirits of cancer to
take out millions of God's children! When is the last time you heard of a
demon physically attacking a person and killing them? Yet Jesus made it
very clear that one of Satan's goals in our lives is to take us to the
grave early by killing our physical bodies!
The thief cometh not,
but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.John 10:10
You gotta know God!
You
have to know somebody before you can really put your faith in them.
That is why it is important to spend quality time with God, just as you
would your wife, children, or friends. You need to get to know Him, so
that you can put your confidence in what He says.
King David knew the love of His heavenly daddy when he said:
David
said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion,
and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of
this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with
thee.1 Samuel 17:37
How do you come to know God? You spend time in
His Word. The Bible has a lot to say about the nature of God, and how
you can trust Him. If you read one account after the next of a
compassionate and loving Jesus that wants us to heal, deliver and bless
us, then it's hard not to begin to trust Him with our lives as well.
Imagine the truth of your healing
Satan
will often build fear in people by constantly injecting 'what if'
thinking into their mind. They meditate on the fearful possibilities,
and strongholds quickly begin to form in their minds. The devil will try
to get a person to imagine the worse in a situation; because that is
the key to break down their faith. So let's turn this around, and use
our imagination for the glory of God. Let's imagine ourselves healed.
Let's begin to imagine what it will be like to receive our healing!
I'm telling you, this tactic is dynamic and works!
Satan's next tactic against faith
If
Satan can't blind you to the truth about healing and how Jesus paid a
steep price for your healing, then he will attempt to make you feel like
you are unworthy to take hold of this truth in the Word. He will
attempt to get you in a religious mindset, and begin to pull up your
past as an excuse or reason to why you are not healed.
Once you
(a) know the will of God and (b) believe it is true, the next thing
Satan will attempt to do is make you feel unworthy to receive or act
upon God's Word in that situation.
One day the Holy Spirit spoke
to me and said, "You need to know that you're clean... your faith
depends upon it!" The problem is that even though you may have all the
provisions, if you feel unworthy to receive those provisions, then you
will not reach out with confidence (faith) and receive. While by our own
efforts are not made worthy, by the precious blood of the Lamb we are
made worthy to enter the holy of holies. If we go on to claim that we
are unworthy, after He has made us worthy, this is denying the work that
Christ has accomplished for us on the cross! It has nothing to do with
our righteousness; it's all about the righteousness of Christ that is
upon us:
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.Hebrews 10:19
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.2 Corinthians 5:21
Biblical faith in a nutshell
If we could wrap Biblical faith up in 3 simple requirements, these would be them:
1.
You must know the Word of God, the promises of God, His will, and so
forth. This is why spending time daily in the Word is so important!
2. You need to know that the Word of God applies to you. You must accept
the truth in the Word concerning your position with Christ, and who you
really are. You must accept the truth about being washed clean from
your sins, and feel a clean conscience because of what Christ has done
for you. This is important because you stand against Satan when he tries
to remind you of your past failures and say, "You aren't worthy to
receive those promises and provisions of God!" Friend, if the Blood has
made you worthy, then let no demon in hell tell you otherwise!
3.
You must accept the Word of God as truth. If it tells you that Jesus
paid the price for your healing, then you need to accept it as truth
with childlike faith. Simply believe what God has said is true. This is
true Christian faith. It's merely believing what God says is true.
Paul's thorn and healing & other arguments
Psalms 103:
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name!
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul! Do not forget all his kind deeds!
3 He is the one who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases,
4 who delivers your life from the Pit, who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your life with good things, so your youth is renewed like an eagle's.
1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed.
There are some really devastating arguments being taught in Christian circles today that completely tear part a person's faith which is required to receive their healing. We need to know that our healing has been paid for in the same manner that the forgiveness of our sins was, otherwise, we won't have the genuine Biblical faith needed to receive our healing. I would like to put the light on some badly misinterpreted passages in the Bible, which are used to so-called prove that it may not always be God's will to heal.
Paul's thorn was not sickness or disease
This is one of the most popular reasons why the body of Christ is seeing their members go to the grave, when they could have been healed. The gruesome thing about this misinterpretation is that not only does it tell people that it may not be God's will to heal them, but it actually makes the person accept, welcome, and be thankful for their sickness! The flesh that is being talked about here in this passage was not Paul's physical body, but rather his fleshly nature. If you read the whole passage carefully, it tells us clearly what this thorn really is, and it all has to do with the human limitation (infirmity) of man, and the power of God being shown through Paul; as a result, Satan sends along persecution (a messenger) to cause reproaches, distresses, and other persecutions upon Paul for the sake of the gospel. Let's take a close look at this passage:
It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. 2 Corinthians 12:1-13
If we read the entire passage, we get a new light that would otherwise be missed. What is Paul really talking about here? He's speaking of how it is God working through Him, and giving Him abundance of revelation, visions, etc. Then Satan decides to send Paul a thorn in the flesh (notice that it's called a message of Satan - an evil spirit sent from Satan to Paul), to stir up persecution and trouble for Paul.
How do we know this thorn was persecution?
Verse 10 comes right and tells us so: "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake..."
Whenever you see the word therefore, it is referring to what was just being said a moment ago. So if we look at verse 9, what was it that God wasn't taking from Paul? It involved infirmities (weaknesses or human limitations), reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses FOR Christ's sake. Why were these things upon him? Because of Christ's sake; it was because he was preaching the gospel, that these things came upon him... reproaches, beatings, lashings, prison, hunger, and persecution. All of this falls under the banner of persecution!
Why is Paul's thorn not sickness?
1. The Bible tells us that our healing was PAID for by the Blood of Christ. Would God withhold the other benefits of the cross from us, such as the forgiveness of sins or the right to be delivered from demonic inhabitation? Absolutely not! He paid for those things for us, and they are ours to be received and enjoyed.
2. Does the passage above come out and say, "Sickness or disease"? No, it uses the term flesh, which can refer to either the physical body, or the fleshly nature of man.
3. If you look carefully at verse 7, it tells us what it was - a messenger of Satan - a DEMON!
Some other interesting things about Paul's thorn
1. People often think that the FLESH is physical, but they would never believe that the THORN was. Do you honestly believe that Paul had a PHYSICAL thorn stuck out of his hip? Then why do we think that it was referring to a PHYSICAL flesh then?
2. The whole context of the story here wasn't talking about sickness or disease, but about what Paul had to go through because God was using him so powerfully to present the gospel to the world.
3. If you look at verse 7, it tells us that this thorn was a messenger of Satan - a DEMON! So let's say it was a physical sickness, then it would have been caused by a demon of infirmity (as we find in Luke 13). Is there anybody alive today that would claim that God would give His child a demon to inhabit their body so that through this weakness, He could be glorified?
By the way, if you look up the word 'messenger' in this passage in the NT Greek, it gives us the root word aggelos which actually refers to an angel (or in this case, a fallen angel). This was clearly a demon that was stirring up reproaches, persecutions, distresses, and hardships for Paul.
Our cross is not one of sickness or disease
The next thing we find are believers sickened and diseased, and convinced that they are doing God a service by 'carrying their cross' in life. This is so important to understand that the cross Jesus was referring to had absolutely nothing to do with sickness or disease! Let's take a look at this passage:
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:32-38
Looking at the bigger picture here, Jesus was clearly speaking about persecution that we will endure for His sake. He even says that those of our own household will be our enemies (providing they do not accept the truth about God and His Word), and we need to be prepared to have even those closest to us turn against us for Jesus' sake.
Some might say, "But Jesus carried our sickness and diseases on His cross!" Well, He also took our sins too... are we supposed to carry our sins as Jesus did? Absolutely not! He carried our sins, sicknesses, and diseases so that we don't have to.
Jesus carried a cross of persecution, and He also requires that we carry one as well.
...If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. John 15:20
Persecution is just a fact of life for those of us who desire to take the Word of God seriously.
What about Joni Eareckson Tada?
It seems you can't get into a conversation about healing and faith, without Joni coming up somewhere in the discussion. Before I begin, I want to make it clear that I do not hate Joni in the least bit way, shape or form. It would bring me much joy to see her healed if she were receptive to the truth in the Word of God concerning her healing.
I would like to point out a few things about Joni's case in particular that most people may not be aware of. As a result of her trauma, she became bitter with God for not healing her right away. Bitterness against God will block a healing in anybody's life. Unfortunately, I do not believe this root of bitterness was fully resolve, as it is still evident in her when she attacked the Word of Faith movement like she did. In an interview, she claimed that Benny Hinn or Kenneth Copeland never called her to invite her to one of their crusades - why should they have to call her? Did they do wrong by not calling her? These people did nothing wrong to her, and even if she did go to their crusades and was prayed over, if the unresolved bitterness was not dealt with, it doesn't matter who prays over you, that healing may never manifest. In my experience with working in the area of deliverance and spiritual bondages, a comment like this came out of a heart of bitterness. She has taken offense in her heart against them because they did not call her, and when the right time came, it bubbled out of her in front of an audience of thousands and thousands of people - she slammed her brothers in Christ when they did nothing wrong! Most people will deny any sort of bitterness in their heart, but Jesus said that out of abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Comments like this come out of somebody who's heart has unresolved issues of bitterness.
...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Matthew 12:34
Unfortunately, she misleads other believers by proclaiming that it is not always God's will to heal, simply because that has been her own personal experience. Joni's experience (which does not consider all the facts) is being preached over what the Word of God has to say about divine healing. Her experience, excluding all the facts, is devastating to the body of Christ, because it attempts to prove God's Word as unreliable and untrue - it proclaims that it can be God's will for His children to suffer when Jesus paid a steep price for our physical healing when He shed His blood!
Why some are not healed
There are a lot of factors to consider when seeking a healing. Often when a person is not healed, there is a reason for it, just as when a person's deliverance fails. Wouldn't it be silly to give up on a stubborn demon in somebody, and consider it God's will for them since it won't come out at the first command? Goodness gracious!
Here are some common reasons why a person may not receive their healing:
1. They do not know the will of God concerning their healing, therefore their prayer is a prayer of hope and not faith. In other words, because they do not know God's will, they cannot have true Biblical faith to receive their healing.
2. There may be mental, emotional, or spiritual roadblocks to their healing. For example, if a person's heart holds unforgiveness towards somebody who has wronged them, it will cause them to abide in spiritual death (see 1 John 3:14) and keeps their own sins between them and God (see Matthew 6:15). Fear is another roadblock to healing, because it is not trusting or believing that God will take care of them.
3. They may need to go through a deliverance, because we're finding that many diseases are instantly leaving as demons are being cast out of people! Like the woman in Luke 13 or the man that was mute in Matthew 9, there are many cases of physical infirmities that are caused by an unclean tormenting spirit. I believe that Benny Hinn and Perry Stone, along with others will tell you that cancer is almost always a demon. If you're praying for a healing, when you need to be casting out demons, then you might be praying yourself right into your grave.
http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/faith_healing.phphttp://www.greatbiblestudy.com/faith_healing.php
http://billyburke.org/PrayerMinistryRoom/JourneyofYourPrayerRequest/tabid/142/Default.aspx
Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts
COMPLETE DELIVERANCE http://goo.gl/EYySIi
ALL IS YOURS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2Az
GOD’S WILL IS PROSPERITY http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2Av
PROSPERITY 1,2 http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2FI
PROSPERITY 3,4 http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2FN
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SING AND DANCE AND PRAISE THE LORD, IF YOU ARE IN REBELLION OR HAVE NOT DEALT WITH UNCONFESSED SIN IN YOUR LIFE, GOD WILL NOT MOVE ON YOUR BEHALF!
Thursday, December 31, 2015
PROSPERITY III & IV
The silver and gold here on earth
Some religious folks think that God doesn't have anything good for us here on earth, but that's not what the Bible tells us. God wants to bless us right here on earth, and then in heaven too!
Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed [rewarded] in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner. Proverbs 11:31
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is
no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or
children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold [abundantly] more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. Luke 18:29-30
God's Word even talks about His people taking over and enjoying the WEALTH of the gentiles!
But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. Isaiah 61:6
Here again in Proverbs, we find the same thing - the wealth is laid up, or just waiting for the righteous to inherit it!
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Proverbs 13:22
Jesus' poverty to our benefit!
We all know that the forgiveness of our sins is included in the work that Christ has done for us, and you probably already know that healing and deliverance are also benefits that God has purchased for us. But did you know that Jesus also redeemed us from the financial curse that Adam brought upon himself? The Bible tells us that Christ redeemed us from the CURSE of the law.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Galatians 3:13
In Deuteronomy 28, we find that financial abundance is considered a blessing, and financial lack is considered a CURSE!
Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt
thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the
fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy
kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy
store.... The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to
give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of
thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. Deuteronomy 28:3-5,12
Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou
be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall
be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of
thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.... The stranger that is within
thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very
low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be
the head, and thou shalt be the tail. Deuteronomy 28:16-18,43-44
Now let's get to the point: as Jesus redeemed us from the CURSE of the law, He also redeemed us from financial LACK. Does the Bible stop there? No, it actually comes right out and tells us that Jesus was made poor and lived a life of poverty, so that we could be RICH!
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
"To be (or become) wealthy (literally or figuratively): - be increased with goods, (be made, wax) rich."
To further prove my point, if you look up the word "poor" in the above verse, it refers to a BEGGER! Jesus became a poor begger, so that we could become wealthy and increase in goods. We can reason that away all we want, but if you want a literal interpretation of God's Word, that's what it tells us!
I think it's also interesting that over half the chapter of 2 Corinthians 8 speaks of financial giving, and verse 9 is right in context with finances.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE the prosperity gospel (when it is Biblically based), just like I LOVE health and healing, and I LOVE deliverance and freedom. I LOVE to receive the good things that my Savoir has so lovingly purchased for me!
How to be blessed
Now your question is, how do I enter into these blessings? While I won't go into all the details, I do want to leave you with a basic education on some Biblical principals that lead to financial blessing. The first key is to realize that it is the blessing of the Lord, not money, that makes us rich.
The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?
or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after
all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:31-33
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that
getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the
merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more
precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be
compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Proverbs 3:13-16
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD,
that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty
upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Psalms 112:1-3
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into
your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again. Luke 6:38
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap
also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove
me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the
windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your
sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall
your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD
of hosts. Malachi 3:10-11
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the
firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with
plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10
He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he
that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. He that trusteth
in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be
delivered. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. Proverbs 28:25-27
Another key is through honoring God's ministers through our tithes. When we honor God's messengers, we honor God, and He will in turn honor us. In one teaching I remember telling how God takes it personally how His children are treated and His ministers are no exception. We are told to give double honor unto those who labor well, especially in Word and doctrine, and not to muzzle the ox that is laboring because they are worthy of their reward.
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of
double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For
the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the
corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. 1 Timothy 5:17-18
Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Galatians 6:6
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:19
But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his
Law doeth he meditate day and night. And he shalbe like a tree planted
by the riuers of water, that bringeth foorth his fruit in his season,
his leafe also shall not wither, and whatsoeuer he doeth, shall prosper. Psalms 1:2-3
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom
tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom
honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that
loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Romans 13:7-8
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:4
The Duggar family is another amazing testimony of God's provision with this concept. I know that both Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, who are very much Bible believing ministers have applied this principal in their own lives and have seen some amazing supernatural provisions from God's hand in their lives. So with those few stories, I tend to believe that there's something very special in store for those who purpose to get out of debt and do their best to stay out of debt!
One day I felt like the Holy Spirit spoke to me about the "owe no man anything" concept, and as I thought about all these Christians being in debt, I felt this bubble up in my spirit, "What do you think that does for my reputation?" You know, it just makes sense, God Almighty, being our provider, carries a terrible reputation when His people are always in debt to others.
God's Word tells us that those who borrow are a servant to their lender, and those who lend are ruler over those who are borrowers:
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the
priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so
with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the
lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the
giver of usury to him. Isaiah 24:2
For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised
thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow;
and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over
thee. Deuteronomy 15:6
Righteousness or prosperity?
I have read this passage in Psalms many times, and always associated righteousness with holiness:
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Psalms 23:3
But I felt the Lord leading me to do a little bit of research on the Hebrew root word behind 'righteousness' in this passage. What did I find?
"From H6663; the right (natural, moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity or (figuratively) prosperity: - X even, (X that which is altogether) just (-ice), ([un-]) right (-eous) (cause, -ly, -ness)."
Apparently, that word can mean more than holiness, but also prosperity. Now that makes more sense the way that the passage was worded. He forgives our sins for His sake, and He also causes us to walk in paths of prosperity for His sake as well. God's Word tells us that He takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant (see Psalms 35:27), so this should come to no surprise to us. This is just the nature of our God!
Now let's look at the context of this passage in Psalms 23. In verse 1 we read "I shall not want", while verse 2 speaks of green or lush pastures, then in verse 5 we read about how "out cup runneth over." Is this speaking of holiness, or prosperity? I think it's talking about prosperity!
To help add weight to this interpretation, the Lord also turned my attention to Psalms 112, where it speaks of financial prosperity that He desires that we walk in:
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the
LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be
mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness [or
prosperity?] endureth for ever. Psalms 112:1-3
The love of money is evil!
For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows.1 Timothy 6:10
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and of God. Ephesians 5:5
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. 2 Timothy 3:2-4
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if
any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an
idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an
one no not to eat.1 Corinthians 5:11
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be
therewith content. But they that will be rich [meaning, those who desire
to be rich] fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and
hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.1 Timothy 6:7-9
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and
it becometh unfruitful. Mark 4:19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where
moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.Matthew 6:19-21
In 1 Timothy, we are given the secret to keep ourselves from falling into these terrible snares; be thankful for what you have!
But godliness with contentment is great gain.1 Timothy 6:6
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?
or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after
all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:31-33
Matthew 6:31-33
The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.Proverbs 10:22
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD,
that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty
upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.Psalms 112:1-3
Satan seeks to hinder the church!
Toiling the earth for a living was a result of the CURSE of sin. It was not a blessing or something God intended Adam and Eve to experience. God's heart was that Adam would not even have to work, but live a life of fellowship with Him, having his every need provided for.Poor people are unable to financially support ministries and missions, where lives are impacted and changed for the sake of the kingdom. Poor ministers cannot afford expensive tickets to go on mission trips and preach the gospel to those in other countries. Poor churches cannot do much in terms of outreach ministries, because everything in this world costs money. Poor church members make for poor churches. Do you see why it is important for God's people to have an abundance? So that they can be a blessing to the world around them, and sow into the kingdom to further the message of Christ and impact the lives of people around the world! We are told to go into all the world and share the gospel, but how is that going to happen if we're slaving just to put food on our own tables, say nothing about buying a $2,000 plane ticket to visit Africa and share the good news with precious souls over there? And $2,000 is just the plane ticket, say nothing about all the other expenses involved. I'm telling you, God's people are hindered for lack of money! If Satan can keep the church poor, then the church won't be able to do all that God has called them to do. Poor people are unable to help others who are in financial need, they are unable to afford the travel costs and such of delivering the gospel to other countries, and the list goes on. The Bible speaks of God's people giving generously, but that is just not possible when they don't have enough themselves.
My partner Jay Bartlett has ministered not too long ago to somebody in a poor area, and the demon in that person came right out and boasted about how it's intention was to keep the people in poverty in that city or area. This ought to come as no surprise to us because Jesus had made it clear that it is the enemy who came to steal, kill, and destroy. Might I add that Satan came to render the church ineffective and unable to reach and impact lives for the kingdom?
Some closing thoughts
It's a false humility that stands behind this whole idea of God calling His church to be poor. False humility, not faith in God's Word, is nothing more than dead religion and spiritual pride. You can drive a rust bucket and be proud of it ("hey folks, look at me, I'm giving up everything to serve Jesus!") or you can drive a spanking new Cadillac and be humble and thankful in your heart for what God has blessed you with.I make such a strong point of how God wants to prosper us, but I also want to clearly define true prosperity gospel before I close. Yes, God does want to prosper us, but He also doesn't want us to covet (longing to have the things of this world) or seeking God so that we can be rich.
True prosperity gospel is not about being rich, but seeking first the kingdom of God, and then experiencing the favor and blessings of the Lord. God's Word tells us that the blessing of the Lord makes us rich, and adds no sorrow to it (see Proverbs 10:22). The whole idea is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then receive the blessings of God that He wants to bestow upon us.
http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/prosperity_gospel_biblical3.php
http://billyburke.org/PrayerMinistryRoom/JourneyofYourPrayerRequest/tabid/142/Default.aspx
Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts
COMPLETE DELIVERANCE http://goo.gl/EYySIi
ALL IS YOURS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2Az
GOD’S WILL IS PROSPERITY http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2Av
PROSPERITY 1,2 http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2FI
PROSPERITY 3,4 http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2FN
PROSPERITY GOSPEL I & II
Prosperity Gospel
Is it Biblical to be blessed?
Just as many today are brainwashed concerning things such as divine
healing and casting out demons, so also are many today believing
unbiblical teachings concerning financial prosperity. Ministers such as
Kenneth Copeland are degraded to "prosperity gospel" preachers. What I
want to do here is show you a closer look at what God's Word has to say
about prosperity, as it should be our final authority on things of this
nature.A really good teaching which compliments this one is The Will of God on Earth. I highly recommend reading both when you have a chance, as it will open your mind up to what God's Word really has to say about prosperity, and His will to bless His children right here on earth.
Dead religion appears to be right and good, but in reality, it denies the goodness of God. For example, religion says that it's wrong to have riches or financial blessings here on earth. But the goodness of God wants us to have an abundance so that we can not only know how much our Heavenly Father cares for us, but so we can also show His goodness to those around us!
Let's take a close look at scriptures concerning God's will for us to be blessed, and see what it really says about God's desire to bless us! Allow me to expose the dead religious mindset lurking behind the idea that God wants us poor and miserable here on earth. I like how either Gloria or Kenneth Copeland said that when folks claim God gave them a sickness, they are taking the Lord's name in vain. How? Because they are blaming His holy name for something that He had nothing to do with, but rather the devil! God's Word warns us never to call evil good or good evil.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that
put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter!Isaiah 5:20
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread,
will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a
serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Matthew 7:9-11
Money itself is not evil; the love of it is
The first misunderstanding is that money is the root of all evil. The Bible does not say that! If we look carefully, it is the LOVE of money is the root of all evil; not the money itself.
For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10
If we look in Deuteronomy 28, the famous blessing and curses chapter, we learn that having an abundance of money is considered a BLESSING or a GOOD THING! It is in no way evil for a child of God to be financially blessed.
I like how Kenneth Hagin says that we must take the things of the world lightheartedly. I believe that we cannot have a tie with our money. Jesus proved that the rich man in the Bible had a tie to his money that was stronger than his tie with God, and as a result, Jesus said that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for somebody who holds dear their money to enter the kingdom of God. That is HUGE! I wonder how many Christians today would fail the test if they were asked to sell all they had and give it unto the poor?
Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him,
One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up
the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away
grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and
saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter
into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words.
But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is
it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of God. Mark 10:21-25
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
Let's get our priorities straight. If we want the blessings of God upon our lives, then we need to seek first His kingdom, and put His priorities above our own.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.Isaiah 1:19
False humility versus true humility
The Bible tells us to be humble. Many believe that being humble, means driving a rust bucket and eating mac and cheese for dinner every night. They think that because they don't eat of the good of the land, that they are more spiritual than those who do. Poverty is poverty, and has nothing to do with humility! Some in the body of Christ are even proud of their poorness, and that is nothing more than religious pride. That is the exact opposite of true humility! Others look at some of God's wealthy ministers and scoff saying that they have too much money. I wonder how they would treat Abraham if he lived in this day and age? Perhaps Job, who was extremely wealthy? Or Solomon? Or Lot, who was told to leave the country because of his great wealth?True humility is not being poor, but being thankful. You can be wealthy and thankful to God for those blessings, and that is true humility. You can also be poor and proud of it, and that is a terrible sin in the eyes of God. If we consider wealthy Christians whom God has blessed, as being less spiritual than ourselves, then religious pride is in our hearts, and we are not right before God.
It is very important for us to be humble and thankful for the blessings that God pours out upon us. God's Word tells us that when financial blessing was poured out, and the people refused to acknowledge Him for the blessing, it was not a good thing...
And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy
silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which
brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Deuteronomy 8:13-14
True humility is a realization and appreciation for the provision (healing, deliverance, financial blessing, etc.) that Christ has made available to us (at a costly price!).
God loves blessing His people
I think that we can all agree that God blessed America because it was founded on Godly principals and by Godly forefathers. America is known as THE Christian nation. Israel, though they are God's physical people, rejected Christ and to this day still rejects Him. Why do you think that God blessed America? Was it for the ungodly living in the land, so that they could build prosperous businesses and drive sports cars, all while pastors are out jump-starting their cars every Sunday morning so they can drive to church and deliver the Word of God to the bride of Christ? I find it ironic that it's acceptable to many Christians for an ungodly basketball star (whom they idolize) to be wealthy, but it's unacceptable for a pastor to be blessed financially!God's Word tells us clearly that the wealth of this earth belongs to those who fear the Lord!
He will bless them that fear the LORD, both
small and great. The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your
children. Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. Psalms 115:13-16
And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied... But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:13,18
In the famous blessings and curses chapter in the Bible, we find that financial abundance and the ability to lend others money, is under the category of BLESSINGS, while financial lack is listed under the CURSES.
Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt
thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the
fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy
kine, and the flocks of thy sheep [all of those things were referring to
their businesses increasing!]. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy
store [they were blessed in the marketplace!]. The LORD shall command
the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses [you might replace that with
BANK ACCOUNTS], and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he
shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.... And
the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body,
and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the
land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee... The LORD
shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto
thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and
thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow [they would
not be in debt... how many Christians today wish they were walking in
that??]. Deuteronomy 28:3-5,8,11,12
There are numerous other verses in the Bible, which make the will of God very clear on this matter. Here are a few other examples:
Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Genesis 27:28
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.... And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.... And ye shall eat in plenty,
and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath
dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. Joel 2:3,24,26
He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. Psalms 147:14
Exposing the worm theologians!
Myth: God gives us our needs, not our wantsThis is so much the worm theology, which believes that we are to live on barely-get-by street, struggling throughout life just to make ends meet. God's Word tells us quite the opposite; He desires to give us the desires of our hearts!
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalms 37:3-4
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17
God's Word even goes on to tell us that we shall enjoy the wealth and riches of the sinners, for they are laid up for us to inherit right here on earth!
But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. Isaiah 61:6
Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:16
So if God doesn't want us to go into debt (see Romans 13:7, Proverbs 22:7 and Deuteronomy 28:12), and He wants us to give generously, then apparently He's relying on us having an abundance! How can we give generously to the poor, if we don't have an abundance to give from? We can't!
A lot of people who preach against prosperity, do so in a condemnation tone. Their arguments lay guilt and condemnation on those who desire the goodness and blessings of God. The Bible warns us about people who speak lies in condemnation (hypocrisy).
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy [loading people down with condemnation];
having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry,
and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be
received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For
every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be
received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:1-4
The wealth of the gentiles
Now this might sound absurd to some of you, but did you know that the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous? As I said earlier, who do you think God wanted blessed, when He financially blessed America? Was it the sinners? Or was it those who are precious in His sight?
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Proverbs 13:22
But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. Isaiah 61:6
If we begin to dig into the OT, we find that when God delivered His children out of Egypt, He made to it that they were given much wealth, and not a single person left with a sickness or disease... God healed them all!
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and
there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Egypt was glad when
they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them. Psalms 105:37-38
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto
a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto
the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the
Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Exodus 3:8
Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:16
It's an honor to be rich!
So many run around today preaching against prosperity gospel, claiming that God wants us poor 'n humble, but God's Word tells us that riches are stored up for the righteous and those who fear the Lord. It is an honor to be wealthy as a result of God's blessings! Consider some of these passages, concerning God's desire to bless them who walk in His ways:
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me;
yea, durable [valuable] riches and righteousness.... That I may cause
those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their
treasures. Proverbs 8:17-18,21
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalms 37:3-4
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD,
that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty
upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Psalms 112:1-3
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. Proverbs 22:4
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. Psalms 35:27
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalms 84:11
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Psalms 34:10
Then we find another side of the story, where God would have eagerly blessed the sinners, but because they had no fear of God and failed to walk uprightly, He couldn't. God cannot bless sin.
The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. Psalms 81:15-16
And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an
honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the
good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the
goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it. Jeremiah 33:9
I said earlier that it is the Blessing of the Lord that makes us rich. Did you know that the blessing of Abraham is available to all those who are in Christ? That's right!
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him
that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed.... And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. Genesis 12:3,13:2
http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/prosperity_gospel_biblical.php
http://billyburke.org/PrayerMinistryRoom/JourneyofYourPrayerRequest/tabid/142/Default.aspx
Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts
COMPLETE DELIVERANCE http://goo.gl/EYySIi
ALL IS YOURS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2Az
GOD’S WILL IS PROSPERITY http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2Av
PROSPERITY 1,2 http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2FI
PROSPERITY 3,4 http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-2FN
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
THE LAWS
7 POWER LAWS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
I know you want to make a difference with your life. You’re not like everybody else that’s just droning around in some reality television haze. No, you are part of God’s remnant. The remnant is hungry, thirsty, and press into the Word and ways of God. Everything in you wants more of the Holy Spirit. You feel like Micah with power shut up in your bones.
To understand how the kingdom of God operates, it’s helpful to look at how Christ taught his disciples. Most of what he did was to teach them about the Dominion power of the anointed Word of God in this earth realm. You can study all the individual lessons like healing the sick, casting out demons, cursing the fig tree, rebuking storms, or multiplying fishes and loaves, but the big picture was the dominion power and authority of the Word of God in this earthly realm. That’s apostolic lesson one.
So starting from that big picture of the Word’s authority we can add seven vital principles to help us understand how we function within the kingdom of God. I call these "Seven Power Laws of the Kingdom of God". Here we will simply introduce them and later we will explain them more.
1. THE LAW OF BEGINNINGS
The first power law is the Law of Beginnings. The Law of Beginnings states that everything new in your life starts with a Word from God. I know you are trying to do everything possible to get your life moving in the right direction. That’s good, but it’s vital you understand how the sons of God get things going within the kingdom. They start by waiting for the Word of God. By that I mean they are listening carefully for the Holy Spirit to release a rhema word into their spirits. That rhema word is the unlocking of a new season. Within that revelation is the entrance to another level, another thing you need to do, clarity of purpose, or what decisions to make with your life. Notice that this prophetic announcement in Isaiah opens a new thing. Scripture says,
“Remember ye
not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I
will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I
will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
(Isaiah 43:18-19)
2. THE LAW OF THE SEED
The second power law is the Law of the Seed. The Law of the Seed is this; the seed knows what to do. As Christians, we associate seed in this context to the revealed Word of Christ in our spirits. I get excited about this power law because the revealed word is like a seed released into our lives. Jesus taught his disciples that the kingdom of God is like a man that cast seed into the ground and that seed knows what to do. Awesome! That means that once you receive a revelation the seed of His Word is fast at work and cannot fail. This means you don’t have to figure everything out. All you have to do is go about your business in faith, and the seed will do what’s it’s designed to do, produce a harvest. Not any harvest, but your harvest.
“So
is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and
grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of
herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the
ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the
sickle because the harvest is come.” (Mark 4:26-29)
3. THE LAW OF THE SOWER
The third power law is the Law of the Sower. The Sower is a spiritual warrior. He understands the five demonic assignments Satan uses to steal, kill, and destroy the rhema out of the heart of the sons of God. Understanding the Law of the Sower will move you beyond the powers of darkness that steal through pressure, ill-treatment, debt, wealth answers all, and things forbidden and launches you mightily into your harvest.
“And he said unto them, Know ye not
this parable? And how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth
the word. And these are they, by the way side, where the word is sown,
but when
they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that
was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on
stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive
it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a
time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's
sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown
among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and
the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in,
choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are
sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring
forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark
4:13-20)
4. THE LAW OF DOMINION
“So
shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return
to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall
accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the
thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11 AMP)
5. THE LAW OF FUTURE HARVEST
The fifth law is the Law of Future Harvest. The Law of Future Harvest understands that the seed of revelation enters the future and waits for your arrival. One day Christ demonstrated this law when he cursed a fig tree. Speaking to the fig tree, he said, “No man eat the fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it” (Mark 11:14). Can you imagine this? Surely the disciples were amazed. Here is Christ talking to a tree. They said nothing and saw nothing, but the next day they did. They saw the fig tree withered up from the roots. Christ was not teaching how to curse fig trees. The lesson was the Word of God released did what it was sent to do. Notice the results, however, of that seed were waiting in the future for the disciples to pass by.
“And
in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from
the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master,
behold, the fig tree which thou cursed is withered away.” (Mark
11:20-21)
6. THE LAW OF THE BUILDER
The Law of the Builder states that you can frame your world with the Word of God. In Genesis Chapter One, God reveals himself as the Voice that Speaks to create. In John Chapter One, God reveals himself as the Word that Speaks to create. Christ said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples” (John 15:7-8). Just as God framed the world with words you can frame your world with His words.
“Through
faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so
that things that are seen were not made of things that do appear.”
(Hebrews 11:3)
7. THE LAW OF THE RUDDER
The Law of the Rudder teaches that you steer your life with words. Life is a journey. Some walk through life without direction, focus, or purpose and are blown here and there and everywhere by all kinds of circumstances. These never seem to find their lane. That’s not you. You understand the powerful principle of the Law of the Rudder. Apostle James taught that you are the captain, your heart is the boat, and your tongue is the rudder.
“Behold,
the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds,
are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the
steersman willeth. So the tongue also is a little member and boasteth
great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!”
(James 3:4-5, ASV)
These
profound truths belong to you. Because you were created in the image of
God, it’s okay to act like your heavenly Father. In the Old Testament,
He was the Voice that created. In the New Testament, He was the Word
that created. In closing remember, “The word is nigh thee, even in thy
mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we
preach”(Romans 10:8). God bless you.
Apostle Jonas Clark
http://www.jonasclark.com/7-power-laws-of-the-kingdom-of-god/
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