I want to share two vital Truths with you today! One comes from today's portion of our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and the other from Kenneth E. Hagin's Faith Food for today. First we'll look at Matthew 8:1-3:
1 WHEN JESUS came down from the mountain, great throngs followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came up to Him and, prostrating himself, worshiped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. 3 And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed.
Did you notice in verse 2 that the leper KNEW that Jesus was ABLE to heal/cure him of leprosy? His question was whether or not Jesus was WILLING to heal HIM! Have you ever prayed, or heard someone else pray, "if it be Thy will"? We are only to pray that type of prayer when His will is not yet known. Is His will concerning healing known? ABSOLUTELY! Jesus reveals His will in verse 3 when He says "I am willing"! Check out, also, 2 chronicles 19:7; Romans 2:11; and Ephesians 6:9. In those references you will find out that our God is NOT a "respecter of persons"! What His will is concerning healing for one, is His will for ALL! Also look at Isaiah 53 and Matthew 8:17 that speaks of the fulfillment of it! Matthew 8:17:
17 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.
God WANTS you healed and whole! THAT is why Jesus bore it all on the cross! Don't EVER question His willingness again! He would sooner have you question His ability than to question His willingness! THAT involves His great love for us! Amen! Today's Faith Food goes right along with this! The Scripture used is 1 Corinthians 3:1-3:
1 HOWEVER, BRETHREN, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to nonspiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], 3 For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? AMP
Paul was telling these believers that as long as they continued to be "body-ruled" instead of following their born again spirit, the Word of God would have no affect for them! We HAVE the Spirit of God IN us to teach us the Word of God! We are ABLE to receive the meat of the Word when we continue to obey the Word we know, and to learn more! Refuse to be a "mere man"! Here is a portion from Faith Food:
Don't do it! Refuse to live like mere men! Live like the new creature you are! Determine to let the new man in Christ dominate your being.
Confession: I refuse to walk as a mere man. I am changed. I am a new creature in Christ. I will grow up in Christ. I will grow up spiritually. "I" - the man on the inside - will dominate my being. I will walk as a spiritual man. I will behave myself after the standard of God's Word. I will walk in love. I will walk in faith!
Amen! Here, to encourage you today, is Hillsong's "God Is Able". Remember, He IS able, and He is even more WILLING than He is able! Count on it!
God Is Able
He Will Never Fail
He Is Almighty God
Greater Than All We Seek
Greater Than All We Ask
He Has Done Great Things
Chorus
Lifted Up
He Defeated The Grave
Raised To Life
Our God Is Able
In His Name We Overcome
For The Lord
Our God Is Able
God Is With Us
God Is On Our Side
He Will Make A Way
Far Above All We Know
Far Above All We Hope
He Has Done Great Things
Repeat Chorus
God Is With Us
He Will Go Before
He Will Never Leave Us
He Will Never Leave Us
God Is For Us
He Has Open Arms
He Will Never Fail Us
He Will Never Fail Us
Repeat Chorus 2x
Repeat 2x
For The LordOur God Is Able
He Will Never Fail
He Is Almighty God
Greater Than All We Seek
Greater Than All We Ask
He Has Done Great Things
Chorus
Lifted Up
He Defeated The Grave
Raised To Life
Our God Is Able
In His Name We Overcome
For The Lord
Our God Is Able
God Is With Us
God Is On Our Side
He Will Make A Way
Far Above All We Know
Far Above All We Hope
He Has Done Great Things
Repeat Chorus
God Is With Us
He Will Go Before
He Will Never Leave Us
He Will Never Leave Us
God Is For Us
He Has Open Arms
He Will Never Fail Us
He Will Never Fail Us
Repeat Chorus 2x
Repeat 2x
For The LordOur God Is Able
Shalom in Him!
