Journal # 8
"And thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took (in order to carry away) our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases." Matthew 8:17 AMPC
My journey into faith took a long while for me to understand the foundational principles of the kingdom of God. The churches I attended throughout the years led me on the path in the wrong direction. None of these leaders taught me that I can have victory over death, hell and the grave. I am not placing any aspersions on any one, because these leaders did not know enough. One heresy that was purported was, God was the one who was teaching us a lesson by punishing us with some type of affliction or sickness. And that healing was done away with; that God does not heal anyone anymore. I remember when the HIV and AIDS epidemic of the 1980s came on the scene, I truly believed God was punishing these people who participated in this sexual perversion. But some were affected due to intravenous drug use and those who had to have a blood transfusion. In retrospect, I did not have all the facts and I certainly did not have a right to judge any one who was not part of the kingdom of God. They were under the enemy's jurisdiction. I did not know enough. But as the years flew by and I kept searching for my niche, my place, where I could be taught the right things from the Word of God was drawing closer and closer, as I searched and searched, seeking to find the truth. I eventually learned a few things from informed preachers and evangelists, who had revelation knowledge of the Word of God. I learned to read the Word for myself and with the help of the Spirit of God, knowledge and wisdom grew. I still have a whole lot to learn but I believe I am headed in the right trajectory. Praise God. As I read the synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, I read that Jesus, the Son of God, healed people saved and unsaved everywhere He traveled and taught. The only time He was unable to heal anyone was in His own home-town because they did not believe He was the Messiah. Jesus only did what the Father told Him to do through the Holy Spirit. So to say God brought sickness, death and diseases on mankind to teach them a lesson, to punish them for their evil ways is a lie that came right out of the pit of hell. To say God does not heal people anymore is another indictment against Satan. There are many, many people who have been miraculously healed by God and have testified about them. John 3:16-17 declared: "for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Each person has an opportunity to come to the Lord and be saved, no matter their spiritual condition and healing is part of that package.
Anyone who believes God punishes us by bringing sickness, pain and diseases have been deceived by the enemy, called the devil. The devil or Abaddon is our destroyer and he came to earth to "steal, kill and destroy." I learned not to adhere to any of his lies, since he is the father of lies. I should endeavor at all times to adhere to God's Word. When I am in doubt I must always ask the question, what did the Word of God say about this? One Saturday, in one of those churches I attended, there was a woman teaching us about health and how to take care of various illnesses some people already had issues with in the church. She was teaching about what to eat if there was a diagnosis of hypertension, or diabetes and other illnesses. While I listened it was as if the Spirit of God was urging me to get up and say something about what I had learned about health from the Word of God. So, I stood up and declared that we who believed in Christ Jesus, and have received Him as our Lord and Savior, already have the Healer on the inside of us. We do not have to live sick, or with some terminal disease, or with a chronic or acute illness. As Christians we have the right to be whole, healed, delivered and well. We do not have to live our lives as the world does. I learned that I was blessed and what God has blessed cannot be cursed. And sickness, disease, pain and every evil work is of the devil, it is a curse. As Christians we have been delivered from darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. Jesus is our Healer. We are not to allow sickness and disease to attach themselves to our bodies. I learned that sickness is a spiritual phenomenon and not just a physical attack on our bodies. Our healing must emanate from the inside out, directly from our spirit. I learned doctors are very limited in their treatment to alleviate the symptoms of a disease. Doctors cannot cure anyone. However, God created our bodies to have an innate capacity to heal itself. I remembered a testimony of a woman in Matthew 9:20-22 and Mark 5:26-31. This woman had a hemorrhagic condition for twelve years. She had gone to many doctors and none of them were able to help her, in fact she grew worse, and all the money she had spent on doctors was depleted and she had not been healed or cured. But she heard of Jesus, the Healer and she decided to throw caution to the wind. The laws back then did not permit her to come out in public because she was considered unclean. She did anyway, because she was desperate and knew if she didn't she would die soon. She kept saying to herself, "if I can only touch the hem of his garment, I am certain I will be made whole." She crept up slowly through the crowd, and with determination she got to where Jesus stood in the midst of the crowd and touched His garment. Immediately, "the fountain of blood" had ceased and she felt in her body that she was healed of the "plague". Jesus knew also that the anointing in Him had left Him and He turned around in the crowd and asked "who touched Me?" His disciples turned to Him and asked Him, "You see the crowd around us and You asked who touched You? " Jesus looked around at the crowd, searching but the woman who had been healed timidly spoke up because she was in awe of what had just occurred. She spoke up. She moved forward toward Him, in a posture of worship and admitted to Him she was the one who touched Him. She told Him her testimony, and He said to her: "Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace and be whole of your plague." We heard two things, her faith made her whole. She used her faith in God and she received her healing and everything she had lost restored to her. She was completely whole in every area. Jesus told her it was her faith that cured her. She took hold of her healing by force and so we too must learn as she did. It is our faith in God's Word and ability to heal us even if we are on our death beds. Nothing is impossible with God to those who believe. The second thing she learned was that she had peace. The word "peace" or (Shalom) in Hebrew encompasses everything: completeness, wholeness, health, welfare, safety, soundness, prosperity and everything of the blessing of God. These things belong to every born again child of God.
Anything outside of the Word of God or His promises for us are lies of the enemy to deceive us and to annihilate us. I learned too, that some of us may unknowingly open a door to the enemy. If I did I need to ask myself some questions; did I open a door for the devil to come in and attack me or my family and how do I close that door immediately? What is actually going on in my soul that I may have inadvertently initiated or triggered an onslaught of the enemy? Strife; not walking in love; not being obedient to God's Word; lack of faith; staggering or being in doubt and the "biggie" is, living with an unrenewed mind. I am learning each day how important it is for me to monitor my thoughts and filter them through God's Word. If it doesn't match up with God's Word I am learning to cast them down immediately. This is an ongoing process. It is not one time and it's over, no, it is not, because I know I have an enemy who is constantly on the prowl to ensnare me. He is very sneaky and encourages me to say the wrong things if I am not paying attention. If I walk outside the will of God, or do not walk in love or if I strive with my family or a brother or sister in the church or walk in unforgiveness, I have been ensnared. Just as he tempted Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden he is still using all the same tricks, and strategies to trap us and to destroy us. His ultimate goal is to let the world believe that he doesn't exist at all, while we place all the world's ills on God. God gets the blame for every evil work and the devil surreptitiously hides behind the scenes while systematically destroying us and our world. He is an evil spirit and he and his demons need human hosts to occupy where they can do their unholy and corrupt agenda and if we look around we can see their effect on people who are unaware they have demons pulling their strings as a puppeteers do to their puppets. Who are pulling our strings? Renewing our minds on God's word daily gives us the ability to gain victory over the devil. Besides Jesus has already done all the difficult work for us. I learned that all I have to do is to follow the blueprint of the Word of God. God will keep me in perfect peace as I keep my mind stayed on Him.
Anything outside the parameters of the Word regarding our health and contrary to God's Word is heresy, or wrong thinking. We must strive to get our thinking right. Our very lives depend on how we conduct ourselves in regards to our health. What we say, we will receive. Because our words are powerful and have created abilities if we use them consistently for the things of God. Meaning our words must be reliable, consistent and honest. When we live in the righteousness of God and renew our minds daily on God's Word, our words become powerful. We have the Holy Spirit's presence in us and He performs the work, according to what we hear from God and what we say consistently over time. We ought not to use our words arbitrarily or inconsistently. But only when we are creating or building up someone. Regarding my own health, and the health of my family, I speak God's Words over myself and them consistently. I might say: "Thank You God, for healing all my diseases and redeeming my life from death" Psalm 103: 3 NLT. Another favorite verse of scripture that I say, God, "You sent Your Word and healed me, snatching me from the door of death, I give You praise for Your great love and for the wonderful things You have done for me." Psalm 107:20 NLT. There are many, many scriptures that promise us divine health. We ought to live well and whole because we have the gift of divine health, and healing which belongs to each believer. "According to our faith be it done to us." We must have faith that God will do what He says in His Word. Because His word will not return to Him void. I daily say my healing scriptures whether I am sick or not because the enemy is the one who brings sickness, diseases, pain and death to us. We have to be on the offense at all times and be watchful and vigilant "because our adversary, the devil walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." He is constantly on the prowl looking and seeking for those of us who are not paying attention or who have not been wearing the armor of God. One part of being on the offense is being in the Word of God and mediating the promises on health and wellness day and night. God is not the Author of sickness, or pain or death. God is love and loves at all times. Jesus came to give life and give it more abundantly to all who would believe in Him. I surround myself with fellow believers and those who honor God's Word and who do not create a strange doctrine as some "churches do. Strange doctrine and heresy are orchestrated by the devil to keep me and others bound. God said, in Hosea 4:6 (a), "My people are destroyed or perished for a lack of knowledge; because they have rejected knowledge.."
Heavenly Father, thank You, for the Healer who abides in me. He took my infirmity and bore my sickness, sorrow and pain, so that I do not have to bear it. What an awesome God, You are. You are good and Your mercy endures forever. Praise the Name of the Lord. In Jesus' Name. Amen. So be it.
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