Sustained and Whole

On April 19, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 41: 3

The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, you restore him to health.

You are never alone, never abandoned. Sickness can be a lonely matter. It is easy to feel isolated, but God is with us even when we cannot feel Him.

He has a two-part plan when you are sick. First, He will sustain you and second, He will heal you. What does it mean that He will sustain you? It means that He is providing what your body needs to heal itself. We cannot see all the small processes going on inside our bodies which keep them running. Even when it feels like your body is betraying you, God is there providing the resources to keep it running and to heal.

Yahweh’s ultimate plan, though, is to restore you to health. He never meant you to be sick one day of your life. We know there are bacteria, germs, etc. and they sometimes cause us problems, but Father’s intent is to eradicate harmful germs and get you back to full strength.

Did you know that He never even intended for you to get sick as the means for you to exit the earth? It’s true. His plan is for us to walk right into eternal life with Him when we are good and ready, indeed, when we are satisfied (Psalm 91: 16). This world has a sick and broke mentality, but that is not God’s way. His way is the Blessing, nothing missing, nothing broken.

Did you also know that right now, wherever you are, as you read this, Father has His intention tuned to you that you might hear His word and believe? “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer,” (Matthew 21: 22). In this very moment, He is strengthening your heart so that you may believe bigger than ever before. Then, when you are confronted with an issue, your belief rises up to confront it. God, your Father, is sustaining you now. He is putting His Word in you so that you will have power to confront every obstacle and circumstance that deigns to interfere with your life. You have the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of the Father sustaining and feeding you. Let the healing power of God flow, unhindered, through you that you may be blessed and whole.

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Shift Gears

On April 18, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 30: 2      GW

O Lord my God, I cried out to you for help, and you healed me.

What do you hear when you read this? I can hear emotion and waves of relief. David’s anguish turned into relief. You almost want to take a deep breath for him.

This verse reminds me of 2 Kings 20: 5, “I’ve heard your prayer. I’ve seen your tears. Now I’m going to heal you.” Oh, I love that one. Of course, I believe we should speak words of faith. I think we should be strong in our belief. There is a time, though, to cry out to God. However, one of the things I have learned by reading David’s psalms is that although he may begin with the most forlorn language you have ever heard, he always ends his song in praise and thanksgiving. There is something powerful to be gleaned from that. Cry with all your heart. Bare your soul to the Lord (not to others), but when you are ready, when your grief and despondency have waned, shift into affirmative language about the greatness of God. What does that look like?

You may begin by telling God how sick you are, how bad you feel and how desperate you are. Keep it up, tell him everything. Just pour out until you have emptied yourself. Then, shift gears. “Father, though I feel sick, alone and like I will never fully heal, I know that you are the healer. I know that you sent your word and healed me. Father, the Word tells me that I was healed by Jesus’ stripes and Father, I thank you. Thank you for sending your beloved to earth to take all my sin, sickness and pain. Thank you, Jesus, that you bore, on your body, the stripes by which I am healed. Father, I confess before you that I am healed. Jesus has made me whole. I am not cursed but rather blessed. I am blessed coming in and blessed going out. I am blessed when I lie down and blessed when I arise. I am blessed, Father, when I inhale and when I exhale. You promised your healing power and Jesus has fulfilled every one of your promises. I may look sick, but I am healed. Father, I claim this healing blessing which you have provided for me. I declare, in Jesus’ name and by his precious blood, that the healing power of the Ezekiel river is running through every vein, capillary and vessel in my body. Every cell of my body is saturated with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and I declare and decree, in the name of Jesus, that I am whole. I am healed from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. And I thank you Father. Thank you for your love and for your faithfulness. Amen.”

Copy that down. Print it out. Read it out loud when you aren’t feeling your best and speak loudly. Say it until you feel the belief rising up within you and then say what you wish to see manifested. “My knee is healed, praise God.” “I shall live and not die and will proclaim the goodness of the Lord.”

Cry out to the Lord with a loud voice. Complain, moan, groan and whine, but then shift gears. Get in sync with that power which is within you and proclaim the healing in your body. End with thanksgiving and praise. You are going to feel better. I promise.

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Who killed Jesus?

On April 15, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

 

Acts 2: 23         NLV

“With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.”

It is fascinating how much resentment and anger people carry towards others in this matter, and how much recrimination goes with it. However, the legal maneuvering of Jesus’ trials and conviction is quite interesting to study and there are some interesting things that come from it.

For example, it is interesting to me that it took the ruling authorities of both the Jews and the Romans to crucify Jesus. Here is my take on this, both the Romans and the Jews were complicit in the death of Jesus. This was so neither future generations of Gentiles nor future Jews could feign innocence. The blood that saved was for everyone, but it is also true that everyone is responsible for that precious blood having to be spilled. The uncomfortable truth is that the person responsible for crucifying Jesus is staring back at me in the mirror. This is the truth that breaks our hearts, but it is also the truth which sets us free, because it was for our sins that Jesus determined to go to the cross. He saw the prize and considered it worth the price. Jesus looked into the future and saw you and saw me and then turned his face towards Calvary. That is amazing.  It is beyond words. Thank you, Jesus, and thank you Father. We will never be able to thank them enough.

Let us allow this epiphany to swell and grow because there is another important fact we must acknowledge. The truth is that no one killed Jesus, no one could. Remember that when they went to arrest him that all he did was speak, and they were all knocked off their feet. He had to wait for them to regain their feet and their senses before they could arrest him (see John 18). Also, read in the eighth chapter of John where people picked up stones to stone Jesus, but he disappeared from right in front of them. Most importantly, consider this from Jesus himself, “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again, for this is what my Father has commanded,” (John 10: 18). This is the big truth, the glowing reality.

It was for this season that Jesus came to earth. Without regard to what the Jews did, or what the Romans did, the die was cast as soon as Jesus came to earth. Early in his ministry Jesus, “began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead” (Mark 8: 31) and yet they were surprised when the time came for him to go to the cross. They couldn’t hear the truth and sometimes, neither can we. When we read that he had to go to the cross, we still wish it wasn’t so and entertain denial in our own minds even though we know what happened. The truth is sometimes a bitter pill, but ultimately it heals and sets free. And this is that castor oil; if you were the only person on earth, Jesus would have still chosen the cross. You are that important to him. It was his choice to be the perfect sacrifice so that we could spend eternity with him and with our Father and his.

The beauty of Easter is not only that he is alive. That is, obviously, fabulous news. It is life to us. But this Easter, I thank God that he gave His only child and I gratefully worship Jesus for his sacrificial choice. He chose the cross so that I might live. I find that amazing and worth celebrating.

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Deliberate Faith

On April 14, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 8: 46            NLV

But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.”

Come on, somebody shout! Man, I don’t know if I can write today’s Word of the Day because I am so excited about this. What is Jesus saying here?

Do you know this story? There was a woman who, for twelve years, suffered with a hemorrhage and none of the physicians were able to help her. However, having heard about Jesus she kept saying to herself, “If I just touch his garments, I shall get well,” (Mark 5: 28). So, although there was a large crowd around him, pressing in on every side, this woman determined that she would touch him and she believed that as soon as she touched even the hem of his garment, she would be healed. She, therefore, pressed her way through the crowd and managed to touch the fringe of his garment. As soon as she did, the hemorrhage dried up and she was healed. Jesus said he felt power go out from him and wanted to know who touched him. His disciples scoffed remarking about the crowd that swamped them. No, Jesus told them, this was different, “Someone deliberately touched me.”

So, what was it about this woman that caused her to be healed? The scriptures record Jesus as saying, “Daughter, your faith has made you well,” (Luke 8: 48). There is a huge revelation in this story if we can mine it out of here, because if we understand what happened here, we can reproduce the result over and over again for ourselves.

First, we need to understand that Jesus didn’t heal her. Don’t believe me? What did he say? “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” So, it was her faith. Second question, what was her faith in, or perhaps whom? She had heard about Jesus and how he was going about healing people so she, apparently, had faith that there was healing power on him or in him. But look, she didn’t need him to pray for her, lay his hands on her or even be aware of her presence. She had a point of contact built up in her mind. It would have still worked if she said, “If I can get within three feet of him, I will be healed.” It was a point at which her faith was released. Just look at the Roman soldier. Jesus didn’t have to go to his house for the man’s servant to be healed. He just asked that Jesus speak the word. That soldier’s point of faith was in Jesus’ word. Jesus replied to him, “‘Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed at that very moment,” (Matthew 8: 13).

Alright, think about this. 1 Peter 2: 24 reads, “By His wounds you were healed,” but Jesus had not been wounded and striped yet. Come on, let that preach to you! What is going on here?

Did we not see verse upon verse from the Old Testament about healing? Jesus is the incarnation of the Word and he never deviated from the Father’s intent. Yahweh had healing in His wings thousands of years before Jesus graced the earth. What does that mean to us? What difference does it make?

The point is that God always had healing available to us. Jesus came to earth teaching and demonstrating. He was here to teach us how to walk in the earth, not to make it harder but to make it easier for us to gain everything the Father has for us. I am telling you that this river of blessing and healing is running through you and imprinted on your DNA. The woman in the story had simply made up her mind that she was going to get healed and Katie, bar the door, because she didn’t care who was between her and Jesus. She intended to touch him and be healed. Jesus said someone touched him deliberately. He was being bumped and crowded on every side, but he recognized when determination reached out to him and drew on the healing power of God. He felt it. Glory to God. That woman has the same Father we have. She was less entitled to healing than we are, yet it worked for her. I think we just need to be more stubborn and more determined. I am making up my mind today that I am going to be healed. I am not going to accept brokenness, injury or sickness in this body, which is, after all, the temple of God. How about you?

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The River of God

On April 13, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ezekiel 47: 9             NIV

So where the river flows everything will live.

First, let me say that this little snippet from Ezekiel 47 does the chapter, and you, a disservice. I really do think you will enjoy reading the beginning of the chapter down through at least verse nine. As you read through this story you will discover that the river of God brings health and healing to everything it touches. What an awesome reality!

When I read about water in the Bible, I always relate it right back to the Holy Spirit. In John 7: 38 – 39 Jesus told us that the river of “Living Water” is the Holy Spirit. Further, he taught that river could flow right from within us. It is actually a huge revelation, but one that has gone a bit unnoticed. Let’s be clear, though, if you believe Jesus, believe his words and teachings, then you have this river of living water flowing within you. That river brings healing. When we cooperate with Jesus and the Spirit then we, literally, have living water flowing through our veins and that flow is ministering healing to every cell it touches. Think of that! Does it bring you hope?

Everything Jesus is and has done works together for our good. You believe that, don’t you? I think we all do. How, though, do we get his goodness to work for us? When we look at the world around us, it is hard to believe. When you watch the evening news, it becomes really hard to believe. What we need is more of the “Good News,” that is, more of the Bible. Most of us read and watch more of the world news than the Word news and that is tough on our spirits. It beats us down. The Word builds us up.

If you haven’t done anything with these Bible verses up until now, maybe today offers a fresh opportunity to think about writing them out on your own piece of paper or creating a deck of 3 X 5 cards.

There is a river of life, and it heals and blesses everything it touches. Jump in it. Dangle your feet in the water. Let’s get immersed and in immersion find healing and blessing. Let the river of life, the river of God, flow over you and anoint you with Christ’s goodness. Amen.

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Truth about Words

On April 12, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 16: 24             GW

Pleasant words are like honey from a honeycomb – sweet to the spirit and healthy for the body.

Early in this series we discussed the enormous impact words have on our health. This verse teaches us that there is a direct correlation between pleasant words and healthy bodies. I do not think this truth can be overstated or repeated too often. Today, I present you with proof of the influence words have over us, our bodies and our health.

Masaru Emoto conducted experiments with water and language. He spoke kind words over some water samples and unkind words over others. Then he looked at the ice crystals under a microscope. The results are astounding! Look at the pictures below and the associated word.

I know the captions are a bit difficult to read.  The first one is “Eternal.”  Beside it is “Peace.”  The second row is “Love and Gratitude” and “You disgust me.”

Emoto conducted his experiments with many different words, but the result was uniform. Nice words yielded pretty crystals. Ugly words, well, they produced ugly crystals.  Observe how much the “You disgust Me” crystal looks like sickness.

I think there are at least two implications for us. First, our bodies are composed primarily of water. Therefore, what we say in the presence of our bodies is having a profound impact on the water within us. We are creating our own Eden within, or a cesspool. This is such a substantial truth that  we all need to grasp this with vigor. What are you saying about yourself? Your body hears it AND responds. You may think not, but just look at the pictures again. It really is profound.

Second, are you praying over your food? Are you speaking kindnesses as you partake of your meals? Does your family squabble and fuss at the table? Or, are you going to lunch with someone and complaining about your boss the whole time? Guess who is harmed by those harsh words.

This is the real deal. You can create what you desire. Pray over your food with words of grace and thanksgiving. Speak kindly over the water you drink. Would it hurt to pray over your water? Why shouldn’t we thank God for providing it? And when you talk about your body, speak kindness. Even if all is not working perfectly, the kind words are more likely to breed the result you wish than the negative ones.

One finally thought. We certainly preach to mind what you say because we believe words are power containers and that they matter. Some people think the “word” preachers go too far and that what you say doesn’t have that great an impact. Here is my retort. Your body and the water in your body does not know if you are serious or just using a stupid idiom like, “I was scared to death,” or “I am sick and tired of such and such.” Negative words are negative words. Period. They do you no good and they can cause you great harm. Let’s speak kindly about ourselves, our bodies and others. Okay?

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Were Therefore, Are

On April 11, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Peter 2: 24

For by His wounds you were healed.

Does this sound familiar to you? The great prophet Isaiah foresaw the wounds Jesus would bear on his body that would redeem our every sickness and disease. We looked at Isaiah 53: 4 – 5 on March 2nd. If you would like to review, click here.

It seems obvious that Peter understood the prophecy from Isaiah and just as clear that it was fulfilled in Jesus. Isn’t it interesting that Peter wrote that our wounds were healed? Isaiah, many years before Jesus came to earth, wrote, “we are healed.” So here is an interesting question, do you think Isaiah, relying on the wounds of Jesus, could receive his healing then, hundreds of years before the scourging that paid for our healing? I would love to hear your thoughts.

It’s clear that by the time we get to Peter, we are talking about past events and that we were healed. Neither author wrote that we “will” be healed. Isaiah wrote that we are healed, Peter that we were. There is no bargain in either’s proclamation. Neither one made our healing conditional. If we were to take Peter at his word, it would mean our healing is a done deal. It was a past tense event when he wrote 2000 years ago. It is certainly a past event now. We were healed so we are healed.

“But I have this malady and that disease.” I understand that, but between “You were healed” & “I feel sick” which represents the truth? Are you sick or are you healed? The two statements are contradictory. You cannot be both. So, which is it? Is your experience bigger than your belief? This is not judgmental. It’s about growing into this reality.

We all read these healing verses, agree with them and get excited but then, when faced with a cut, bruise or more serious situation, the healing truth does not spring to our minds. It is a matter of habit, right? You have experience with getting sick, going to the doctor, getting a prescription and then getting better. You likely have less experience with hurting yourself, praying and being healed in that moment; and then, even less experience with getting sick, praying and manifesting healing. So, because we have not been taught, trained and then experienced the healing power of Jesus, it really is not within the realm of our belief system. How do we change that? How does God get His healing to be your reality? We will continue to seek this answer as we begin to wrap up this series.

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