Shalom,

Once we understand from the Word of God that we have been given authority over all the power of the enemy, we need to know how to use that authority. Remember that when Jesus first gave authority to His disciples, when He was still ministering here on earth, He said:

Luke 10:19 (KJV)
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

The Amplified Bible is a little more accurate here because it shows that the two Greek words translated power in the KJV are two different words. The first "power" is the Greek word "exousia" which means authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right and strength. The second "power" is the Greek word "dunamis" which means inherent power, the power that resides in something or someone. The verse is here:

Luke 10:19 (Amplified)
19Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.

Remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven after His death, burial and resurrection, He said this to His disciples:

Matt 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.(KJV)

That word "power" is again the Greek word "exousia".

The Amplified Bible says this:

Matt. 18:18-20 (Amplified)
18Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
19Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).

All power and authority has been given to Jesus and we now, as part of His body, have that SAME power and authority over the enemy here on earth. How do we use that authority? Jesus gave us this example:

Mark 11:22-23 (KJV)
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Verse 22 should more accurately be translated ..Have the faith OF God, not IN God. Jesus was telling us to operate in the same kind of faith that He operates in. How does that faith operate? Jesus goes on to tell us that. He said we are to exercise our God-given authority by SAYING! You and I need to be speaking to things, situations and circumstances in our lives to MOVE! Whatever mountain of circumstance we may be facing, Jesus said to handle it this way. SPEAK TO IT! What do I say? Say "Be removed!"

The reason many born again believers feel that their prayers are not heard, is that they are continually asking God to do something that He specifically told US to do! What is Jesus doing in Heaven now? Let's find out:

Heb 10:12-13 (KJV)
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Rom 8:34 (KJV)
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 8:34 (Amplified)
34Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?

Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us, and waiting for US to use the authority He gave us to put HIS enemies, who are also OUR enemies, under His feet! Under the "foot" of our God-given authority! We need to be continually meditating on the Word of God, finding out what belongs to us as children of God. We cannot operate in something we know nothing about!

What SHOULD we be asking God for? We should ask for the things we need and don't have. We need to ask for His specific guidance and direction for our lives. This comes AFTER we have followed the general guidance found in the Word. We are told to ask for wisdom for any given situation when we need it. (James 1:5) We are told to ask for the Lord to send laborers into the harvest. (Matt. 9:38) Ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit baptism (Luke 11:13) so that you can pray in other tongues, praying spirit to Spirit with God, so that you can develop a better understanding of His Word, which must be spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:14) THEN you will begin to understand how to operate in YOUR God-given authority over YOUR life!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to look at "authority" in the Word of God. Jesus operated in authority:

Matt 7:28-29 (KJV)
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Matt 21:23 (KJV)
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

Mark 1:27 (KJV)
27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

Luke 4:36 (KJV)
36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

John 5:26-27 (KJV)
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

The word "authority" in all of these verses is the Greek word, exousia, which means: ability, competency, capacity, mastery, delegated influence, jurisdiction, power, liberty of choice, physical and mental power. We all agree that Jesus had and operated in authority! He commanded and demons fled. He spoke and sickness and disease disappeared. He turned water into wine, a lunch into a banquet, opened blind eyes, made crippled legs whole and many more. Remember the story of the centurion? Jesus just spoke and it was done:

Luke 7:6-9 (KJV)
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.


Then we see where Jesus gave His disciples His authority:

Luke 9:1 (KJV)
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

Luke 10:17-20 (KJV)
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Notice the first word, power, in verse 19 above. It is the same Greek word, exousia, that was translated "authority" in the other references. The second word "power", is the Greek word, dunamis, which means, force, power, inherent power. So Jesus gave the disciples the "authority" over all of the power and influence of the enemy! They, operating in the authority given to them by Jesus, did what Jesus did! They went about teaching, preaching and healing, casting out demons and setting people free!! That brings us to the commandment that Jesus gave to the church before He ascended into heaven. He said:

Matt 28:18-20 (KJV)
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus says here that ALL power belongs to Him and notice what the Amplified Bible says:

Matthew 28:18-20 (Amplified)
18Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).

Jesus says, "Go ye"! We are individual parts of His body, of which He is the head. The whole body has the same "authority" as the head! Jesus fully expects His people, His body, His church, to go into all the world, armed with HIS authority over all the power of the enemy, and use that authority to set people free from the bondage and control of the enemy!

We'll talk more about how to exercise that authority in a future blog post.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to look at some Scriptures concerning the Gospel today. The word "gospel" is only found in the New Testament. That tells me that it pertains specifically to the New Covenant that we believers have through the Blood of Jesus Christ. The word translated "gospel", is the Greek word, euaggelion, which means: a good message, good tidings, glad tidings, the proclamation of the grace of God manifest. We will look at several Scriptures that refer to the gospel:

Matt 4:23 (KJV)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matt 9:35 (KJV)
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matt 11:5 (KJV)
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Mark 1:1 (KJV)
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

Mark 1:15 (KJV)
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Luke 4:17-19 (KJV)
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 9:6 (KJV)
6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

Acts 8:25 (KJV)
25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Acts 14:7 (KJV)
7 And there they preached the gospel.

Acts 15:7 (KJV)
7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Rom 1:9 (KJV)
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Rom 10:15 (KJV)
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Rom 15:19 (KJV)
19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Rom 15:29 (KJV)
29 And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

1 Cor 1:17 (KJV)
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

2 Cor 4:4 (KJV)
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

What we see through all of these verses is that from Jesus, to His disciples, to the church (that's us!), the most important thing that they did and continued to do, is to preach the Gospel! The last thing that Jesus told His disciples before He ascended into heaven was this:

Mark 16:15 (KJV)
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

The Amplified Bible says this:

Mark 16:15 (Amplified)
15And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].

We are to be about the business of preaching the Gospel, the good news, because Jesus said so! The word "preach" is the Greek word, kerusso, which means: to herald as a public crier, to publish, to proclaim openly and always with an authority which must be listened to and obeyed. We are to preach the Gospel, because it is the Gospel that will change people's lives. Look at this Scripture:

Romans 1:16 (KJV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The word "power" here is the Greek word, dunamis, which means: miraculous power, strength, ability, abundance, inherent power. The Gospel contains the miraculous power of Almighty God Himself! This Gospel, when received by faith, will result in "salvation", the Greek word, soteria, which means: deliverance, preservation, safety, rescue and health. It is the deliverance from all the works of darkness, beginning with the New Birth and eternal salvation, and continuing into every area of our life here on earth! When John said:

3 John 2 (NKJV)
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

..that is what he was referring to! When we meditate on the Word of God, the Gospel, until it becomes real to us, then we will be able to walk in all the fullness of life that our heavenly Father intended! He wants the best for us and He has provided the way for us to have it. The rest is up to us! How much "soteria" will you have in your life? Get into the Word of God. Study it, love it, meditate on it, believe it, obey it and you will see deliverance happening in every area of your life! Jesus said so!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to cover one last thought, for now, concerning health and healing. Our attitude is so very important while we are making a stand of faith on God's Word concerning any of His promises. The verse we will look at first is found in the book of Proverbs:

Prov 17:22 (KJV)
22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

The word "merry" is the Hebrew word, sameach, which means: blithe (happy & lighthearted) and gleeful, glad, joyful and rejoicing. "Doeth good" is the Hebrew word, yatab, that we have covered before on this blog. It means: to do well, to make a thing good or right or beautiful. The Amplified bible says this:

Proverbs 17:22 (Amplified)
22A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Maintaining a joyful, happy heart (our spirit, soul combination) will keep us in a faith frame of mind. You cannot discourage a joyful heart. It is impossible to do. Remember this verse:

Neh 8:10 (KJV)
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

The Amplified Bible says this:

Nehemiah 8:10 (Amplified)
10Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.

The joy of the Lord (Jehovah) is our "strength", the Hebrew word, ma'owz, which means: a fortified place, a defence, a fortress, a place of safety, refuge and protection. Keeping a joyful heart will keep us in a place of refuge and protection while we wait for the manifestation of the Word of God in our lives. Remember that the Bible says this:

Prov 23:7 (KJV)
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

The attitude of our heart is vitally important to walking in all the fullness of what God has promised. The last two days in our Bible Plan we read Psalms 149 & 150:

Ps 149:1-6 (KJV)
1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

Ps 150:1-6 (KJV) 1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

So DO it! Praise Him and keep on praising Him! He alone is worthy of ALL glory and honor and praise! In so doing, you will keep your heart in a right attitude for your faith to produce and you will not grow weary standing!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We've shown from the Word of God that it is God's will for us to be healed. We've also shown that our healing was provided for us at the cross. That Jesus was not only made sin with OUR sin, but also sick with OUR sickness and disease. By His stripes, we WERE healed. That's past tense. It's a done deal! Then we showed different ways to receive healing for our bodies. We talked about calling for the elders of the church to anoint us with oil. We talked about receiving healing with the remembrance of our covenant through communion. We saw in yesterday's post that health and life are found in His Word. Today I want to share the best way to receive healing for your physical body.

John 15:7 (KJV)
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

The Amplified bible says:

John 15:7 (Amplified)
7If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

The Word of God tells us here that when His Word "lives" in us, we speak and it is done! How do we get the Word to "live" in us? We covered that yesterday when we discussed meditating on the Word. When we spend time in and with the Word, the Holy Spirit, our teacher, will make the Word come "alive" to us! It will begin to "live" in us, and then we can be doers of John 15:7. But it does take time. How much time? As long as it takes! Are you willing to pay the price? Then you will be able to walk in divine health. Another Scripture we want to look at is this:

Mark 11:23 (KJV)
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

The Amplified Bible says:

Mark 11:23 (Amplified)
23Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

When we really believe that what WE say will happen, then it WILL happen! Remember that this is Jesus speaking here! When we have the same faith in our own words that Jesus does, then we WILL speak and it WILL happen! Of course faith in our own words will only come as His Word becomes our word! That happens through meditation! So get busy reminding yourself of these and any other healing Scriptures you can find. Get them inside and let the Holy Spirit make them real to you. Then begin to speak to your own mountains of sickness, disease, weakness, infimity, poverty, lack or any other work of darkness and expect them to MOVE! They HAVE to! Jesus says so!!!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We haven't added to this blog for a while because of other pressing priorities. I hope that you have been going over all of the posts and that you have been meditating on the Scriptures we've already covered in order to get them "in" you! We're told in Joshua:

Joshua 1:8 (Amplified)
8This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

The word "meditate", remember, is the Greek word, hagah, which means: to murmur, to ponder, to imagine, to speak, to study, to talk, to utter and to muse. We are to continually think about the Word we've studied, to allow the Holy Spirit to paint pictures on the inside of us so that the Word becomes "real" to us! Remember, John tells us:

John 8:31-32 (KJV)
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

If we are continually meditating on the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, Who is our Teacher, will be able to bring understanding of the Word. We will begin to "know" the Word and the Word we "know" will set us free, and, if we "continue" in that Word, it will also keep us free! The word "continue" is the Greek word, meno, which means: to stay, to abide, to dwell, to remain. The word "know" is the Greek word, ginosko, which means: to learn to know, to come to know, to understand, to perceive, to become acquainted with. It is definitely a progressive, daily process! The more time that we spend in the Word of God, the more knowledge and understanding of that Word we will develop. That knowledge will set us free and will enable us to remain free!

A good gauge of whether or not the Word is real to you is your attitude toward hearing something you have already heard before. If you are excited to hear it again, chances are very good that you are understanding and obeying that Word. If you don't really want to see or hear it again, then chances are pretty good that you haven't really meditated on that Word until you know it so you can obey it. The Bible warns us about that:

2 Tim 4:2-42 (KJV)
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Don't allow your ears to "itch"! Hear the Word, love the Word, know the Word and obey the Word. His Word is:

Proverbs 4:20-22 (KJV)
20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.(KJV)

There you are, another way to receive healing from the Lord! Happy meditating!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We want to look at another way that a believer in Jesus Christ can receive healing for their physical bodies. We will be looking at 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 11:23-30 (KJV)
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

This is the Apostle Paul speaking. He says that what he is teaching came directly from Jesus! Paul was not there in the Upper Room to know what happened, Jesus Himself revealed to Paul what happened there! He took the bread and the cup and told the disciples what it represented, His shed blood and broken body! Then He said something that we need to be aware of and obedient to today. He said: "this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." The phrase "do ye" is the Greek word, poieo, which means: to make or to do, to act rightly, to carry out, to execute, to perform, to celebrate, to keep, to institute. Jesus was saying to do this, and as many times or as often as you do it REMEMBER! What are we to remember? We are to remember, always, what He accomplished for us in His death, burial and resurrection! He went on to say that whenever we do this, we "shew the Lord's death till He come". The phrase "ye do shew" is the Greek word, katagello which means: to proclaim, to declare, to preach, to speak of and to teach. Every time we partake of what we call "communion", we are proclaiming and preaching what Jesus accomplished for us. See the earlier blog talking about Isaiah chapter 53 and Psalm 103 and 1 Peter 2:24. He dealt with our physical healing at the very same time that He provided for our eternal salvation from the kingdom of darkness! If we don't remember why we are taking part in "communion" then the Bible says here that we are taking it "unworthily". That is the Greek word, anaxios, which means irreverently. Irreverently means: lacking proper respect or seriousness. These verses tell us that not having proper respect or seriousness about what Jesus accomplished for us is why many believers are weak and sickly (feeble, diseased, weak and sick).

What we should realize from this teaching is that we can and should receive healing for our physical bodies EVERY TIME we partake of "communion" because we are reminding ourselves, again, of all that Jesus accomplished for us. He bought us back from death to life, from satan's dominion into the family of God. And AT THE SAME TIME, He bore our sicknesses, diseases, pains and physical weaknesses on His own body so that we could receive His divine health, wholeness, wellness and fitness. So the next time you partake of the elements of communion, (and you can and should partake often, in your own home and not just at church) REMEMBER His shed blood and broken body provided health and healing for you, and receive it as your own, the same way you received eternal salvation. It is your blood-bought, covenant right as a member of the Body of Christ!

Keep meditating, you'll be walking in divine health before you know it!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

If you've been meditating on the health and healing Scriptures we've shared so far, then you are ready to learn about a couple of ways to receive healing. Remember now that we are speaking about healing for your physical body. We learned earlier on the blog that we are triune beings. We are spirit beings, who possess souls and live in physical bodies. Our spirits do not need healing and cannot be healed. John 3:3 says they "must be born again." Our souls (mind, emotions and will) do not NEED and cannot BE healed, they must be renewed with the Word of God. Romans 12:2 tells us to not be comformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. So it is our physical bodies only that require healing. We've seen through the Scriptures we've shared so far that it IS God's perfect will for us to be healed and whole. So how DO we receive healing? I'm glad you asked that! Let's look at one way that is found in the Epistle of James:

James 5:13-16 (KJV)
13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14Is 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:
15And 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.
16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

The word afflicted refers to tests, trials, troubles and hardships. Those who are in the midst of those things are instructed here to pray, to make supplication to God about their situation. A person who is glad and has a merry heart is instructed here to sing psalms or praises to God. Those who are "sick" (the Greek word: astheneo, which means to be feeble, diseased, sick or weak) are instructed to do something also. They are told "let him call for" (Greek: proskaleomai, which means to summon, call or invite) the elders of the church. They are to ask for the mature believers of their church, IF their church is one that believes and teaches what the Bible says about healing. Those elders will pray over them, anointing them with oil (as a point of contact and remembrance) in the Name of the Lord and the prayer of faith (confidence, trust and reliance in the Word of God) will save the sick. That word "save" is the Greek word: sozo, which means to save, deliver, heal, preserve, protect and make whole. The Lord is the One Who will raise them up and, at the same time, any current sins will be forgiven. The next verse tells us that the "effectual fervent" (Greek: energeo; active, efficient, effectual and operative) prayer of a righteous (a believer, one in right standing with God through the blood of Jesus) person has much power available! The Amplified Bible says this:

James 5:14-16 (Amplified)
13Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God].
14Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord's name.
15And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

That tremendous power that is available is the same power Jesus operated in when He walked this earth and went about preaching, teaching and healing! That power is available for every beleiver to walk not just in healing, but in divine health, every day, and to minister that healing power to others to show forth the power of God!

Let's be about our Father's business, just like Jesus did. We'll talk more about how to walk in divine health in a future blog post. Until then, continue to meditate on all of the healing Scriptures we've covered. You can NEVER have enough of God's Word!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share a couple more Scriptures on healing today:

Psalm 107:20 (KJV)
20He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
21Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

The Amplified Bible says:

Psalm 107:20-21 (Amplified)
20He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.
21Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

He (Jehovah!) sent His Word for the purpose of healing US and delivering US from any and all destruction! The Amplified Bible says "sends" and this is accurate. It is a present tense continuing action. God the Father sent His Word and His Word was, is and ever will be active and working on our behalf, IF we let that happen! Oh that all believers everywhere would continually praise Him for who He is and for ALL the GOOD things He has done for us! Hallelujah to the King of Kings forevermore!!!

Another Scripture I love to meditate on is this one:

John 10:10 (KJV)
10The 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.

I absolutely LOVE the Amplified translation of this one:

John 10:10 (Amplified)
10The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Our wonderful Heavenly Father wants us to have His life (Zoe!), which is total life with no death or lack involved in it! And He wants us to have SO much of it that it is in abundance, filled to the full and overflowing in our lives! That way it gets all over others to bless them, too. Then God is glorified and people WANT to know more about Him!

Here is another favorite health and healing verse:

3 John 2 (KJV)
2Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth

The Amplified Bible says:

3 John 2 (Amplified)
2Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

It is the Father's heart and desire that we would walk in prosperity in every area of our lives. Prosperity simply means being in control (in finances, our families and every area) and not being controlled by the world system. He wants us to prosper and to be well, to be in GOOD health! And we see that it will happen AS our souls prosper! Remember that our souls consist of our minds, our emotions and our wills. Those areas "prosper" when we meditate on God's Word until it becomes real to us and comes alive on the inside!

Continue to meditate on these and all the other healing Scriptures we've shared and you will be well on your way to walking in divine health and wholeness in every area!

Shalom in Him!!!

Shalom,

Are you ready for some more healing Scriptures? Do you want to know what Jesus REALLY thinks about healing? Here is the WORD on it:

Matthew 4:23 (KJV)
23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matthew 9:35 (KJV)
35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity.

Luke 9:6 (KJV)
11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

Acts 10:38 (KJV)
38How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

The word "healing" in this verse in Acts is the same Greek word, iaomai, which we find in 1 Peter 2:24, which means to cure, to heal, to make whole. The word "oppressed" is the Greek word, katadunasteuo, which means to exercise control over or to use one's power against. It is a compound word the root of which is the same as the word "power" in the first part of the verse, dunamai, which means to be able, to have power, to be capable, strong and powerful. Jesus was anointed by God with power to heal the sick and deliver them from the ability of the enemy to oppress them! The Amplified Bible says:

Acts 10:38 (Amplified)
38How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.

Do you understand that the devil has the "power" to deceive us into believing something contrary to God's Word. That means he has the ability to LIE to us and IF we believe his lies rather than the Truth of God's Word, then we give him the ability to devour us:

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

So don't BE one he may devour. Continue to find out what God's Word has to say about health and healing and the devil WILL NOT be able to devour you anymore!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We want to look at some more verses today that talk about health and healing. We will look at Proverbs today:

Proverbs 4:20-23 (KJV)
20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

The words, "my son", is the Hebrew word, ben, which means: a member of a group, children or a people or nation. The word "attend" is the Hebrew word, quashab, which means: to prick up the ears, to listen, to hear, to give or pay attention to. Our Father wants us to pay attention to His Word. He says here to "incline" our ears, which is the Hebrew word, natah, which means: to stretch out, to bend, to extend, to turn to. We need to direct our attention to His Word. We are told to "let them not depart" from our eyes. That is the Hebrew word, luwz, which means: to turn aside or be lost from view. Then He says to "keep" the word in our hearts. That's the Hebrew word, shamar, which means: to guard, to protect, to take care of. Why? Because His words are life to those that find them and "health", Hebrew, marpe', which means: healing, a cure, a remedy, deliverance, to ALL their flesh. Whose flesh? The ones who find His Word, pay attention to His Word, guard and protect His Word, keep it alive in their hearts, believe it, receive it and obey it!

Be one of those who does this and you will find yourself walking in health more than ever before! He IS the God who heals us!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share some more healing verses today. We've covered these verses earlier, but not specifically concerning healing:

Psalm 103:1-5 (KJV)
1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's

We are told here to bless (express adoration to) the Lord (Yehovah, the eternal, self-existing One) with our soul and with all that is within us. Part of our blessing Him is to remember, to take account of and to thank Him for ALL His benefits. For every good thing He has provided for us. Some of those are listed here for us. He forgives all of our sin (when we confess that sin:1 John 1:9) and heals (Hebrew rapha': mend, cure, thoroughly make whole) ALL our diseases (Hebrew tachaluw': malady, sickness, disease). He reedems (buys back) our lives from destruction and crowns us with His lovingkindness (Hebrew checed:kindness, goodness, faithfulness) and tender mercies (Hebrew racham:compassion and tender love).
Our Lord wants us to be blessed in every area and He has provided for that blessing. This includes health, healing, wellness, fitness and wholeness in our physical bodies. We need to establish that truth firmly in our hearts and minds so that we will not be deceived about where sickness and disease ultimately originates from! The Amplified Bible is very clear on this:

Psalm 103:1-5 (Amplified)
1BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!
2Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits--
3Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,
4Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;
5Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

Say this with me: "God wants me well! He wants me healed and whole!" Now believe that! Continue to meditate on the Scriptures we have already shared on this blog concerning healing and you will be in position to receive your healing from the Lord!

Shalom in Him!

Yesterday we looked at some powerful Scripture verses that describe how Jesus provided for our physical healing. We will look at another one today. The Apostle Peter had this to say:

1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)
24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

We see almost the same things said of Jesus here that we found in Isaiah 53. "His own self" refers to the Lord Jesus. He "bare", the Greek word, anaphero, which means: to take up, to take upon oneself. What did He take? He took upon Himself our sins while on the cross. Why did He do that? So that we could have sin removed (be dead to) and to live as a righteous one (one in right-standing with God through the Blood of Jesus). And one more thing: By whose (His) "stripes",( the Greek word, molops, which means: a wound that trickles blood), we were (past tense) "healed", (the Greek word "iaomai", which means: healed or made whole.

Do you get the picture that God WANTS you healed and made whole? If not, you need to meditate some more until His Word gets inside of you to the point where you really believe it! Then you can begin to act on God's word and watch Him confirm that Word!

Mark 16:20 (Amplified)
20And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it).

God WILL confirm or establish His Word with signs (miracles) following our speaking that Word! We need to find out what God has to say about every area of our lives and then believe His Word and begin to SAY it, so that He CAN confirm it with "signs" and attesting miracles! Really pay attention to this next verse, it could and should change your life!

John 15:7 (Amplified)
7If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

That's one of the ways to receive healing from the Lord and His Word. Spend time in fellowship with Him and get His Word in you in abundance, then YOU can speak to every symptom of sickness and disease and command it to leave your body, in Jesus Name! And that sickness and disease HAS TO leave!

Keep meditating on the Word for yourself so that you can better understand what God has prepared for you! And then speak out of your own mouth exactly what the Word says about you. Then you BEGIN to walk in what He has promised in His Word.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to look at some very powerful verses today that talk about Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. The verses we will look at are found in the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 53:4-5 (KJV)
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

The word "surely" in verse 4 is the Hebrew word "aken", which means: firmly, truly, certainly, indeed (strong assertive force). There is no doubt about it! Surely what? He (Jesus) has (already) "borne", which is the Hebrew word "nasa", which means: lifted, carried off, taken away. What has He taken away? Our "griefs", the Hebrew word "choliy", which means: malady, disease, sickness. Jesus also, according to Isaiah 53:4, "carried", which is the Hebrew word, "cabal", which means: to bear a load. What did He carry? He carried our "sorrows", the Hebrew word "mak'-ob", which means: pain (both physical and mental). In spite of all that, the Bible says, mankind thought that He was stricken and smitten of God because of what He said about Himself. The entire time he was going through all of that for US! For YOU and for ME!

Verse 5 says He was wounded for OUR "transgressions", the Hebrew word, "pesha", which means our sin and rebellion. He was "bruised", Hebrew word, "daka", which means beat to pieces! For what? For OUR "iniquities", Hebrew "avon":sin. The chastisement of OUR peace was upon Him and "with His stripes", Hebrew chabbuwrah: bruise, stripe, wound, blow, "we ARE healed", the Hebrew word "rapha", which means: mended, cured, healed, made whole. It is summed up, really, in the previous word, peace. That word is the Hebrew word "shalom", which we discussed in the first post on this blog. It means: completeness, safety, soundness, welfare, health, prosperity, peace. The Amplified Bible says this:

Isaiah 53:4-5 (Amplified)
4Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]
5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

As you can see by these verses, Jesus has already paid the price for our complete and total health, healing, deliverance in every area of life! We will talk more tomorrow about how to take advantage of what Jesus has provided for us. In the meantime, meditate on these 2 verses over and over until they get inside of you!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We're going to look at another verse today that, if we meditate on it until it becomes real to us, will absolutely change our lives. That verse is:

John 10:10 (KJV)
10The 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.

We all know what a thief does. The thief referred to here is the devil, our adversary (1 Peter 5:8) and our enemy (Matthew 13:39). He comes for the sole purpose of stealing from us, killing us, and destroying our lives. But Jesus Himself said that He came for a different purpose! He said that He came so that we may have life. That "life" is the Greek word: zoe, which means real and genuine life, active and vigorous life, the absolute fullness of life. In other words, it's life as God has it in Himself! The Amplified bible says it very well:

John 10:10 (Amplified)
10The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

He wants us to have and enjoy the same "life" force that He has in Himself! God's life in us will put us in a position to be blessed, prosperous, healthy, whole, filled with peace, confident, delivered and able to deliver others! That's why Jesus came, but not everyone will be able to take advantage of that life. This verse tells us who qualifies:

1 John 5:11-13 (KJV)
11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Amplified bible says:

1 John 5:11-13
11And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life.
13I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God, so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life.

This "eternal life" is "zoe", the life that God has in Himself! That life belongs to every born again believer! If you have received Jesus of Nazareth as your personal Savior, then you have His life in you. If you haven't, then you don't! Is there ANY reason you can't receive Jesus as your personal Savior right now? Pray this prayer:

Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen.

Now you are a child of God and you have His life in you. Get into His Word and find out who you are in Him! Get into a good local church and be taught the Word of God and fellowship with like-minded believers. If you need help to find a church, please click on The Spoken Word Church website and we will be glad to direct you to one in your area! Your life will never be the same!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have been talking about wisdom. Walking in the fear of the Lord, loving Him, praising Him, worshipping Him, being aware and in awe of His presence is the first step to obtaining the wisdom we need to operate successfully in this life. The next step is a very simple one, just ask!

James 1:5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.(KJV)

To "ask" is the Greek word: aiteo, which means to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require. How much do you really want wisdom? Make it your strong desire, then ask of God! This verse tells us that he will give to all who ask "liberally". That's the Greek word: haplos, which means bountifully, liberally, simply, openly, frankly and sincerely. He WANTS us to have the wisdom that comes from Him alone, but it won't just fall on us. We must go about it the way He tells us in the Word and then our generous and bountiful Lord will give it to us and will not "upbraid" us for asking. The word "upbraideth" is the Greek word: oneidizo, which means to chide, reproach or revile. He will not chew us out for asking for wisdom! The Amplified bible says it very clearly:

James1:5 (Amplified)
5If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

Keep meditating on the Word of God and you will grow in knowledge. Then as you spend time in His presence with a worshipful heart, begin to ask Him for wisdom, which is the ability to USE the knowledge you have obtained, and He will give it to you. Then you have the choice to be obedient and obedience brings blessings!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began looking at wisdom yesterday. We found that the "fear" of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is the place where wisdom starts to operate in our lives. We saw that the "fear" of the Lord is reverance, awe, respect, honor and being in an attitude of worship. We encouraged everyone to meditate on the greatness of our Lord. We want to help with that today by looking at some Scriptures that discuss His greatness. The word we will be looking at today is "Almighty".

Gen 17:1
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.(KJV)

Gen 35:11
11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;(KJV)

Exod 6:3
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.(KJV)

Job 37:23
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.(KJV)

Ps 91:1
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.(KJV)

In all of these verses the "Almighty" is the Hebrew word: Shadday or Shaddai. It means all mighty or most powerful. He is ALL we will ever need! The New Testament also has some references to the Almighty:

Rev 1:8
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.(KJV)

Rev 15:3
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.(KJV)

The word "Almighty" here means:the Almighty, Omnipotent, all powerful, all ruling, referring to God as the absolute and universal Sovereign! It also means: He Who holds sway over all things, the Ruler of all.

As you meditate on these things you will begin to realize the Scripture that says:

Mark 10:27
27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.(KJV)

The Lord we love and the God we serve is powerful and mighty and CAN DO all that He says He can and will do! Keep meditating, you're getting wiser by the moment!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to talk about wisdom. We all need it, we should want it and we're going to look at how to get it and use it! First things first:

Psalm 111:10 (KJV)
10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Proverbs 9:10 (KJV)
10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

If we want wisdom, these two verses say, the first thing we need to understand is the fear of the LORD! Lets look at some word meanings:

fear: the Hebrew word, yir'ah, which means: respect and reverence. It comes from the Hebrew word, yare', which means reverant, to stand in awe of, to show reverence, honor and respect.

The word fear simply means to be in awe of how wonderful, powerful, majestic, almighty, all-knowing, all-seeing, glorious and on and on...that our Lord really is! The Amplified Bible says it very well:

Psalm 111:10 (Amplified)
10The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever.


Proverbs 9:10 (Amplified)
10The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding.

The first step in gaining godly wisdom is to meditate on the Lord. Find out what the Word has to say about Him. Study His attributes, His nature, His power, His glory. Realizing the "bigness" of God will cause Him to be a big God in your life! And you will BEGIN to be wise!

We'll look at this more tomorrow. In the meantime, discover Him! You want to be like Moses:

Psalm 103:7 (KJV)
7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

The Lord made his ways (Hebrew:derek: character and manner of life) known to Moses and only His acts (Hebrew:'aliylah: deeds, doings) to the rest of the people. I want to know Him, His character, how He thinks and what pleases Him! Seek Him and you WILL find Him!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Yesterday we looked at the fact that at the new birth the Holy Spirit recreates the human spirit and then indwells the new believer. Jesus said this to His disciples:

John 20:22 (Amplified)
22And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit!

We also see this in the Epistles:

1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV)
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, dwells inside of believers, those who have received Jesus Christ as personal Savior. He is ever present to help us. This verse in the Amplified bible shows Who he wants to be to us:

John 14:26 (Amplified)
26But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

We see here that the Holy Spirit lives in believers and wants to operate as our Helper, Comforter, Counselor, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby and Teacher. He will operate in us to the extent that we allow Him to!

But what we want to look at today is the fact that the Holy Spirit wants to do even more. Check out what Jesus said to His disciples:

Acts 1:4-5 (KJV)
4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

And also in this verse:

Acts 1:8
8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Notice that this is AFTER He breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus told them what would come to pass and we see the fulfillment of this here:

Acts 2:4 (KJV)
4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 4:8 (Amplified)
8Then Peter, [because he was] filled with [and controlled by] the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and members of the council (the Sanhedrin),

Acts 4:31 (Amplified)
31And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.

Acts 6:3 (Amplified)
3Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty.

Acts 8:12-17 (KJV)
12But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Acts 10:45-46 (Amplified)
45And the believers from among the circumcised [the Jews] who came with Peter were surprised and amazed, because the free gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed and poured out largely even on the Gentiles.
46For they heard them talking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and extolling and magnifying God.

We see from all of these Scriptures that there is an additional experience with the Holy Spirit, AFTER the new birth, that God has planned for believers. What is the purpose of this "Baptism" with the Holy Spirit? Here are a few examples:

Jude 1:20 (KJV)
20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, or:

Jude 1:20 (Amplified)
20But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;

I've heard it put this way: "When we talk to God in English, He comes down to our level. When we talk to God in our heavenly language, we come up to His level". I like that!

1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (Amplified)
14For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody].
15Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.

Notice that Paul also says:

1 Corinthians 14:18 (Amplified)
18I thank God that I speak in [strange] tongues (languages) more than any of you or all of you put together;

The purpose for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is to give us the power to be His living witnesses, to communicate with our Lord spirit to spirit, to walk in the same power that Jesus walked in on earth in order to set people free, and so that we could do what Jesus said:

John 14:12 (KJV)
12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

John 14:12 (Amplified)
12I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

When God the Father took Jesus back to heaven to sit at His right hand, He didn't leave us alone! He planned for the Holy Spirit to live in us and also to fill us to overflowing with all that we would need to be overcomers in this life and to set others free, the same way that Jesus did! If you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, but have never received the "Infilling" of the Holy Spirit, I invite you to pray this prayer, believing:


Father, I am Your child. I desire to be filled with Holy Spirit and speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives me the utterance. By faith, I receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. As I lift my hands to praise You, I fully expect to speak in my heavenly prayer language. Amen.

Now open your heart and mouth in praise to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to give you that powerful, personal, prayer language. If you have further questions, please check out The Spoken Word website at the top left and contact us there. We will be happy to help you in your spiritual growth. Have a great and wonderful day!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a very powerful Scripture that, when we really get it inside of us, will change our lives forever! We will never be discouraged or held back by the enemy of our souls again! That Scripture is this:

Philippians 4:13 (KJV)
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Do you understand what that means, that we can do ALL things? The words "can do" here is the Greek word, ischuo, which means: to have or exercise force, be strong, have power, have strength to overcome. Do you understand HOW Christ strengthens you and me? The word "strengtheneth" here is the Greek word, endunamoo, which means: to empower, enable, endue with strength. It comes from the Greek word, dunamis, which means: miraculous power or inherent power. I want to show you the Amplified translation and see if that doesn't clear some things up!

Philippians 4:13 (Amplified)
13I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].

This says I have the strength or the power to overcome in every situation! I am up to the task! Where does this power or strength come from? From Him Who infuses me with His strength, His power, His ability. The word infuse means: to cause to be permeated with something that alters usually for the better. The example would be like a tea bag in a cup of hot water. What happens to that clear water when the tea is "infused" into it? It changes that water. That water is filled with the smell and flavor of the contents of the tea bag. That is what happens to our inner man. When we are born again, the Spirit of God recreates our old, dead spirit and makes it completely new and in the image of God. We look like Him! The Holy Spirit lives in us from that time on. All of the ability of God lives in us, but we have to learn how to release it. When we meditate on God's Word until the understanding comes, then we can act on it or obey it. As a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you NOW have all the power of God residing in you to accomplish everything He has called you to do!

If you are not a born again believer in Jesus Christ, if you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, then you DO NOT have this power available to you. You are at the mercy of the world, the devil and his demon spirits. Is there really ANY reason you can't accept and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior right now? Believe in your heart and pray this prayer with me right now:

Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen.

Now you are a child of God. You have the Spirit of God living inside of you and you CAN DO anything and everything He calls you to do!

Have a wonderful day filled with thanksgiving and praise for Who He is and all that He has done for you!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to take a look at Pastors. Jeremiah has this to say:

Jeremiah 23:1-4 (KJV)
1Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
2Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

The Hebrew word for pastors and for shepherds here is the same word: ra'ah, which means : to tend, to feed, to shepherd, to rule, to teach. Pastors are to be as shepherds to the sheep. A natural shepherd is responsible for looking out for the sheep, for keeping them safe, for providing access to food and water. A spiritual shepherd, a pastor, is responsible for all of these things and also to teach the people God's Word so they can learn to feed themselves and so help other people. God says here that He was upset with the pastors (shepherds) that were not feeding His people. They were neglecting His sheep! He says He would deal with those evil pastors according to their deeds and He would give His people, His sheep, good shepherds (pastors) who would do the job right! Those who would feed the sheep!

We read in Ephesians that after Jesus rose to heaven, gifts were given to men and those gifts included these:

Ephesians 4:11-12 (KJV)
11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The Greek word for pastors here is: poimen, which means the same as the Hebrew word above! The meaning is clearer here, though, in that the word "and" in verse 11 means "an added thing" or "a continuing thought", except in the first and last instances. In those cases the word is the Greek word: kai, which has the idea of "accumulation". It means "both", so that what we really have here is that God has given us pastors who are also teachers! You cannot really pastor a congregation if you can't teach them the Word of God so that they really can grow up in the things of God. The reason for giving all of these ministry "gifts" was for the perfecting (the complete furnishing or equipping) of the saints (all born again believers are saints!) for the work of the ministry. We've got work to do and pastors are to do their part in preparing us for that work!

So what are we saying today? We are saying that the main job of a pastor today is the same as it was then, to feed, guide, teach and train the sheep! If you are attending a church where the pastor does not teach the Word of God, you need to find yourself another church! You need to prayerfully ask your heavenly Father where He wants you to attend so that you can be properly prepared for the ministry He has called you to. Every believer is called to minister the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ, some from the pulpit, most just one on one with people we come in contact with. If you don't attend any church and you think you will just learn on your own, you are also wrong! God Himself gave pastors who teach His Word because that's how He wants it to be! There are some things you will never learn until you are submitted to the teaching ministry of a pastor.

Find out where God wants you to be. Study to show yourself approved unto God. Be about the business that He has called you to and you won't be able to stop the blessings!

Have a great day in His love!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Yesterday we looked at the Psalms and found out that God is GOOD! Today we want to look at that just a little more! You can't ever get too much of a good Word from God! Today we will look again at Psalms:

Psalms 107:1-2 (Amplified)
1 O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

We are told here, again, to give thanks! To laud (applaud!) and praise (to revere and worship Him with hands lifted up)! Why? Because He (the Lord Jehovah!) is good, and all the meanings of it! And His mercy (loving kindness) endures forever, never stops, is ALWAYS available to us! We are also told in the Psalm for today that the redeemed of the Lord (every born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ) should SAY so! Say what? That we are redeemed, bought back, saved, delivered, made new! If we don't tell them, how will they know! That word, say, is the Hebrew word, amar, which means to speak, to utter, to avow, to boast! If you are the redeemed, let your voice be heard! Brag and boast about what He has done in and for you! Another verse we want to look at today is found in the book of Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 9:24 (KJV)
24But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

The Amplified Bible says this:

Jeremiah 9:24 (Amplified)
24But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me [personally and practically, directly discerning and recognizing My character], that I am the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.

What should we "glory" in? What should we "boast" about? That we are the redeemed of the Lord and that we are progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him! Knowing Him more every day! Understanding Him and His wonderful "Goodness", so that we can tell others and they will want to know Him, too!

Have a very blessed day filled with thanksgiving and praise to our wonderful Lord and bragging and boasting about Him to everyone you come in contact with. GOD IS GOOD, all the time!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

If there was one message that I feel it is vital for people to really get inside, it would be this: GOD IS GOOD! If you can understand the real, powerful goodness of God, you would have a better understanding of the Bible as a whole, and of why God tells us to do some of the things He tells us in His Word. These Scriptures tell us this:


Psalm 118:1-4, 29
1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The Amplified Bible says this:

Psalm 118:1-4, 29
1 GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
2 Let Israel now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
3 Let the house of Aaron [the priesthood] now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
4 Let those now who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
29 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

"Give thanks" is the Hebrew word yadah, which means to give thanks, to laud or praise, to revere or worship with extended hands. "The Lord" is the Hebrew name Yehovah (Jehovah) which means the Eternal, self-existing One. "Good" is the Hebrew word towb, which means good in the widest sense, excellent, pleasant, agreeable, glad, happy, prosperous, rich, valuable, and more. "His mercy" is the Hebrew word checed, which means favour, good deed, mercy, beauty, goodness, kindness, faithfulness.

When we truly understand the goodness of God, we will be so quick to obey His Word, knowing that His plans for us are only good, all the time!
Have a wonderful day, fully celebrating the goodness of God with all that is within you! You'll be surprised how His Word will come alive to you like never before!

Shalom in Him!