Going Viral?

On March 2, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 91: 3

For it is He who delivers you from the . . . deadly pestilence.

Here is what I have to say about and to the coronavirus, “For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you,’” (Isaiah 41: 13). God has faced this problem before, and He has already spoken to the problem. He tells us to put our trust in Him because He is our shield and refuge. He delivers us from the pestilence. He guards our homes and health. When the plagues tormented the Egyptians, our Father held His people within the shelter of His wing.

Now, if you believe this, if you are with me here, then it is time to pull out what we learned last week from Romans 4: 17 (See the Word of the Day for Tuesday, February 25, 2020). It’s time to speak what you believe. The blessings of God do not rain on you from the sky. They are already yours, yes, but you have to move them from the spiritual realm to your life by the exercise of your faith and your words. This is the critical bit. Of course, you must believe that what God has said is true and that He is well able and willing to back up His Word with His faith and with action, but you must remember that we are in a partnership with God AND that He will not violate your freewill. You can be sick if you choose. You can go to hell if you want. It isn’t God’s will. It isn’t what He wants, but He will respect your choices. So, that means that you must be an active member of the partnership. The blessings are yours, but you must accept them. You must requisition them from the provision warehouse that Yahweh has already stocked for you. How do you know what the inventory is within that warehouse? There is an inventory list. It’s called the Bible and the way you get your order filled is by speaking words which are in accordance with the inventory.  If your words match the inventory list then the order is filled and shipped to your house.

If you fear the coronavirus guess what – you will attract it to you. I am not saying that you will contract the disease, but you certainly will not repel it. Do you remember what poor old Job said, “For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me,” (Job 3: 25). That which you focus upon is attracted to you. Then, God forbid that you say something like, “I catch everything that comes around so I will probably get the flu.” Dear One, please don’t confess anything remotely similar to that! Say, “By his stripes I am healed!” Say, “My Father delivers me from every deadly pestilence including coronavirus.” Get a stiff backbone and refuse to receive the curse. Stand in the blessing. Go read the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy and claim the blessing for you and your household.

Be healed, be whole. Reject the pestilence and remember the Word!

Back to Top

Presentation

On November 22, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 12: 1

Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Yoga can be a very contemplative time and yesterday was one of those quiet, pensive times. Thoughts about my body as a temple came to me and that is what I pondered the rest of the day which brought this verse to mind.

I have heard this verse preached and I have read it, both many times. Most of the time when anyone referenced this verse the language took on the tone of the law. I, too, want to say present your bodies to God as an act of your spiritual devotion but I have never preached on this verse for the very reason that it almost always comes out sounding like a pronouncement of law. As I enjoyed my yoga class, I felt the shift within me as relates to this verse.

After class, the instructor and I had a short conversation. In those moments she remarked how we are taking our health seriously and proactively engaging in those things which support health and wellness. I find myself thinking that first, we actually have health and fitness goals. Possibly many people do not. Then, we are pursuing those goals through diet and exercise, as well as quiet meditation time in which we can receive Father’s instruction. There is a nuance about devoting our bodies to God which does not cause us to succumb to legal mandates but rather becomes a cooperative with God. It almost becomes a praise exercise but definitely a time in His presence.

As we present our bodies to God, it is an offering. Therefore, the presentation is not all about what we have done, are doing, or need to do right. This verse doesn’t have to mean, EAT RIGHT, EXERCISE, etc. It can, instead, be a time of thanksgiving and submission when He can teach us and lead us into the things which are good for us.

Prayer: Father, I thank you for the magnificent work of art and mechanics that our bodies are. I thank you that you are not only the creator of this miracle of life but also the healer. You created this wonderful machine and know how to keep it functioning and how to repair it. Lead us, Dear One, in how to get the maximum enjoyment and function out of our bodies. We present ourselves to you, Lord, as an offering. Please receive our offering and anoint it with your grace and wisdom. We thank you for it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Back to Top

Destructions

On November 15, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 107: 20

He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

This is the verse from Wednesday. I brought it back because I want to discuss the last word in the verse: destructions. The other critical word is the possessive pronoun right before it. I want to talk about “our” destructions.

It is first important to notice that God has delivered us from our destructions. Remember that this is a verse on healing. It is not much of a logic leap to conclude that some of our health issues are related to destructive (destructions) things we do. The other side of that coin is that there are positive, supportive things that we don’t do. We can let our hearts be at ease, though, knowing that the healing Father prepared for us heals and restores our bodies even from the wrongful things we have done to it.

One of the ways God heals our bodies is in bringing wisdom and revelation to a person, a revelation which is the source of their cure. Perhaps there is some food or habit that is causing sickness. Or, perhaps there is something we can do like exercise or a fast which will correct the malady. Our Father will speak into our lives and tell us what we need in order to enjoy the kind of health we desire.

The truth is most of us make ourselves sick. It’s true, unfortunate, but true. Look at the average diet. We eat artificial sweeteners, drink sodas, eat way too many carbohydrates and not enough vegetables. Then we sit too much neglecting the body’s need for exercise. We were made to move so a sedentary lifestyle works against our body’s natural health protocol. We are too busy to be healthy, rarely having quiet time. As a result of all of these ways we are out of sync with a health regimen it is hardly a surprise that we develop physical dis-ease.

Our response is rarely to look in the mirror to ask that person what we can do to improve our health, much less to look into the face of God and ask Him. He’s only the creator, after all, what would He know about it. Our first response is to run to the doctor expecting her or him to “fix” us. Don’t get me wrong here. I thank God for health professionals. I firmly believe that medical science is one of the methods He uses to get healing to us. My beef is that we fail to look into any of the other ways God heals. We don’t ask ourselves, or Him, the questions the answer to which may heal us.

The number one method I would prescribe for your healing is to get with God and have some good quality time. What am I doing, Lord, that may be contributing to this sickness? What can I do to improve my health? Are there some things in my life which need adjustment? Do I have toxic emotions causing malady in my body? Father, what can I do, should I do to contribute to the healing in my body?

If the body of God doesn’t talk to God, and hear Him, how much of a body are we actually? If we do not take our problems to Him in a conversation rather than simply submitting a list of requests, then do we really believe we are His children? I hope you will ponder these questions. I am always open to hearing your thoughts. Reply to this email if you receive it that way or post your comment on our website or Facebook page.

Give yourself a chance to heal by involving Yahweh in the process. Good old fashion prayer is always applicable, and I invite you to leave your prayer request on our website too. We have a team of pray-ers. Don’t, however, neglect having your pastor anoint you with oil and pray for you. Don’t delay in going to the doctor. Mostly, though, do not fail to talk with the Father about your situation. Expect Him to impart wisdom to you. And, I shouldn’t leave out, pay attention to your dreams as you seek Him about your health. He may well speak to your heart and mind while you sleep.

In Jesus’ name, be healed!

Back to Top

Healing Thoughts

On November 14, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 John 3:21-22

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

One of the challenges to receiving our healing is our own hearts. Sometimes our own heart condemns us so that we are unable to accept the healing that God freely offers. Worst of all, these condemning thoughts and beliefs are often buried deeply enough that, lest we take some serious time surveying our beliefs, we likely do not realize the rubbish our hearts are holding on to. The damning beliefs are not in the thoughts of our minds, but rather the beliefs of our hearts. Therefore, a person may take account of their thoughts and pass their check-up. It’s only when we go deeper into the firmly held beliefs of our hearts that we find the truth. The thoughts that we have secreted away in our hearts are the ones that affect our health, for good or ill.

The two ramifications of this kind of heart disease is that, first, we make ourselves sick with our toxic emotions. We have nasty junk that is buried in the fertile fiber of our hearts. It is like planting a cancer cell in nice, rich, moist loam. It takes root and begins to grow and spread. It may take a year, two or twenty but eventually those unhealed emotions make our bodies sick. The body will fight it off as long as it can, but those noxious seeds will eventually bear fruit, bad fruit.

The second result, as today’s scripture makes clear, is that we cannot receive our prayer answers. Our hearts will not allow us to receive the goodness that God is sending to us. No matter how often you pray or who prays for you, your heart could block the reception. It’s just like an American football receiver who doesn’t make the catch because a defender has batted the ball away from his hands.

Two of the worst culprits are unforgiveness and unworthiness. It you believe, not in your mind, but down in your heart, that you are unworthy of God’s grace, then your heart will condemn you and you will not be able to receive God’s goodness. His healing will be blocked by your own heart and feelings of unworthiness.

The same is true if you are living with unforgiveness in your heart. Frankly, there are people who don’t deserve your forgiveness. They don’t deserve grace or mercy, but this Word of the Day isn’t written for them. It is written for you. I want you to forgive them so you can get well. I want you to forgive them so that you don’t make yourself sick.

Emotional healing is often the way to physical healing and emotional healing is part of the health package that God sent Jesus to deliver to us. Jesus can heal those emotions as easily as he can heal a body. God made your spirit and soul, not just your body. He sees the scar tissue and injuries on your spirit even if you can’t. There are actual scars there and He wants to heal them for you.

You’ll have to take some time with God and that is why some people don’t heal. People are in such a hurry these days, so busy that they don’t have time to spend in quiet contemplation with God. I mean, it may take a whole half hour. It may even take longer. What is it worth to you to be whole? The other obstacle is that people are afraid of their emotions. They are afraid of emotional hurt. I get it, emotional hurt is painful. However, if you deal with emotional injuries, the pain is short term, surprisingly short, in fact. Suppressing emotions is what becomes not only chronically painful but causes sickness in our bodies. Many people would rather bury their hurtful emotions allowing the pain to continue for a long time than to face them and be done with them once and for all. Don’t be like those naïve people. Allow the master to touch your emotions and deep-seated beliefs. Be healed in your emotions; be healed in your body.

Back to Top

Healed

On November 13, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 107: 20

He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

There is so much nuance and richness in this verse that it is a bit like eating a very rich food. Let’s begin with “word”. To get the richness from this verse, you need to connect this verse to John 1: 1 & 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” God sent Jesus to us as the great healer. He is the divine physician and heals all who come to him, but how does he heal?

This may be where we trip up at times because, though we accept Jesus as the healer, we don’t understand how he heals. We, therefore, cannot come to him in the fullness of his office of healer. Some of us believe in divine healing. This is when a prayer of faith is offered and renders one completely healed. One prayer, perhaps with the laying on of hands and even anointing with oil as seen in James 5: 14, will “restore the one who is sick,” (James 5: 15). We see this many times in the Bible, especially in Jesus’ ministry. This type of healing still works today, and people are getting healed by the prayer offered in faith all over the world. That is not God’s only method of healing, though, and not the only method Jesus brought with him. However, this first avenue of healing ministry should not be ignored. Read James 5, verses 14 through 16 and do what it says. Seek out someone to pray for you, “for tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer!” (V. 6 TPT).

When the scripture says God sent His word and healed them, it has a double meaning. Jesus is the Word and Jesus’ healing ministry is what I discussed in the paragraph above. There is, however, Jesus as the living Word. Soaking in the Word of God has healing virtue. Not only is our faith fed by ingesting the verses on healing, but the whole of the Word has healing power in it. Living in the Word; reading it, meditating on in and thinking about it brings creative, healing power to every cell of your body. Because God is the creator and Jesus the healer, every moment spent consuming the Word brings creation and healing energy to your body. The Word has power to heal every situation, every hurt, every sickness. So, meditate on the Word and let its restorative quality saturate your body.

Tomorrow, I will share some other ways God heals.

Back to Top

State of Being

On August 20, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Jeremiah 30: 17

“For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds,” declares the Lord.

There are many healing verses and stories in the Bible. The aspect of this one that is useful is that it addresses wounds. In this verse, God does not only contemplate illness, but injuries as well. If you have an injury rather than a sickness, you may like this verse.

Our bodies were designed for health and healing. They were engineered by Yahweh to heal. I can prove it to you. Have you ever had a paper cut? Do you still have it? What happened? Did you have to go to the doctor and have it sutured? Did you even put medicine on it? Why is that important? Some people, especially people who feel “old”, expect to keep any dis-ease they develop. They just say, “Oh, I guess I will have to take medicine for this the rest of my life.” Well, it’s time to stop guessing and be Christ led, i.e. make your thoughts and words agree with Jesus.

God said he would restore you to health. Why then should we accept injuries, wounds and sickness as a state of being? The state God recognizes in this verse is “health.” When He said He would restore us, because of the implication of the word restore, God intends to put us back in the state we should be in. He will “restore” us to “as we should be.” Surely, the first phrase of this verse relates to any kind of disturbance in our health.

The verse goes on to include restoration from wounds, and I like to mentally include the word “injuries.” We can be restored from injuries and that is important to consider, even ponder. Not only can we be restored but it is God’s intention. He is a healing God. While most of us recognize that, few of us truly expect Him to visit healing upon our bodies.

Shake the cobwebs off your brain and begin to expect, even require, God not to be a liar. If He said it, then let us expect Him to be true to His word. Our unbelief is all that is stopping Him. He has made His will clear. Now, let’s get in agreement with Him and get healed. Be restored to full health in Jesus’ name!

Back to Top

Salt of the Earth

On June 4, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 5: 13

You are the salt of the earth.

Did you ever wonder why Jesus chose salt? Why didn’t he say you are the nutmeg of the earth? That might have been more apropos. Or why not cinnamon? Of all the spices, salt is the most basic. Think of it as foundational as far as adding flavor goes. However, there is a lot more to salt than that. How many other minerals do you know of that are used to cure meat, to preserve? Besides that, salt is essential for health, even for life. According to Ann Musico, author and health coach, “Sodium chloride (salt) is the only trace mineral found in every cell of the body and . . . life is not possible without it. It is critical for fluid and electrolyte balance.”

Additionally, the consumption of unprocessed salt such as Celtic salt or Himalayan salt can be very effective in many health aspects. The label from my Himalayan salt claims it contains over 84 minerals and lowers blood pressure, helps acid reflux, regulates sleep and naturally promotes sleep, balances the pH inside the cells, promotes blood sugar health, supports sinus and respiratory health, prevents muscle cramps, promotes bone health, supports vascular health and aids circulation. Other sources also claim it helps with allergies.

Do you suppose Jesus knew salt was so full of healing benefits when he suggested you are the salt of the earth? Of course he did. He was connected to God at all times. I believe he was suggesting that we can have the same impact in the earth as salt by sharing the good news that he gave us. His word is health and healing. Psalm 107: 20 says, “He sent His word and healed them.”

I hope today’s devotional will cause you to consider how you can impart health and flavor into other people’s lives. I hope you will also think about your salt consumption and how adding this essential mineral can support your healthy lifestyle. Below is a link to one of Musico’s articles on salt. I hope you will enjoy it. At the bottom of her post you can also find subscription information.

Weight Loss: Another Reason for Adding Salt to Your Water

Back to Top