Archive for December, 2009
December 28th, 2009
Philippians 2:10
… at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
“Whatever is troubling you, if it has a name, it must bow to the name of Jesus! Cancer must bow to the name of Jesus. Poverty must bow. Shame must bow. The Bible tells us that God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow!
That is exactly what happened when a severely demon-possessed man saw Jesus. The demons in him — called Legion for there were many of them — not only begged Jesus not to torment them, but they also fled when Jesus commanded them to go. The man was left whole, healed and in his right mind. (Luke 8:26–35)
My late father was similarly delivered from his drinking addiction of many years. I remember how he was in a drunken stupor one day. I prayed over him in Jesus’ name for him to be loosed from his addiction to alcohol. He threw up violently soon after that and from that moment on, he never touched the bottle again!
Beloved, if your child is sick, lay hands on him and say, “In Jesus’ name, cough, stop. Fever, go in Jesus’ name. Health flows in your body in Jesus’ name!” If there is strife and confusion at home, deal with it the same way. I have used the name of Jesus as I prayed for a couple who were quarreling in a food center. It was amazing. All the strife between them seemed to melt away and they started to talk calmly after that.
That is the power of the name of Jesus because that is the name of the one who died for you, who rose again and today is at the right hand of God, for you! That is the name which is above every name, and at which every knee must and will bow!” _Pastor Joseph Prince
We learned the truth of this message many years ago and practice it in our daily walk. It would take hours for me to list all of the instances in our personal experience where the name of Jesus has forced circumstances to bow. Broken bones (an ankle, an arm) must bow the knee at the name of Jesus. Cancer must bow, addiction must bow; head colds and flu must bow…. Every name that is named must bow the knee at the name of Jesus.
In my life, before Jesus Christ, a tumble off the curb causing my ankle to crumble under me like a rag doll would have produced cursing and a trip to the doctor at the very least. Thank God we’d learned the truth of the power in the name of Jesus! Sitting in the street, with my ego and my ankle in bad shape, my first thought was not to damn the circumstances but to call out “Jesus is Lord over it!” D. helped me up and agreed…”yes, Jesus is Lord over it.” I’m thankful to have walked away without a broken ankle, without a sprained ankle, without any real damage at all…a bit embarrassed at my clumsiness, but otherwise perfectly healthy.
Yes! It is true. The name of Jesus IS above every name.
Learning to accept this truth as fact and use it in every circumstance…that’s the tricky part.
December 21st, 2009
The shortest day of the year…after this the sun begins its migration north once again and the days start getting longer. More hours of sunlight mean more time in the garden, not so much time indoors and a general uplifting of spirit that says “can spring be far behind.” Hooray!
The white narcissus along the creek bank are ready to wish us all a Merry Christmas and for those of us in the northern hemisphere the first signs of spring are oooooh sooooo welcome.
I pray for each and every one a wonder filled winter solstice and a joyous week before Christmas. Remember the REASON for the SEASON…and take time to smell the flowers.
December 19th, 2009
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:16
Possibly one of the most difficult questions – for someone in crisis who wants to please God, because they desperately want something from God – is, “what should I do to get God’s attention?”
The answer is really pretty simple. Believe that God exists. Believe that God sent Jesus to the cross to bring you personally into a relationship with his Heavenly Father. Believe that God is who he says he is, that God will do what he says he will do, and that you can have what God says you can have.
Once you’ve decided for sure, I DO believe in God and I DO want to please Him, and you’ve told Him so in plain non-manipulative language, you can enter into a relationship with Him. Once you’ve entered into a relationship (contract) with God, all His promises are yours for the asking.
Let’s break that down into the simplest form. Let’s say you know of a major corporation that offers its employees fantastic benefits, amazing perks and a world class retirement package. You’ve seen evidence of this in the lives of people you know who work for this corporation. You think to yourself, “Everything they have, I could have, too; if I worked for their corporation.” You know the CEO of the corporation has the final say in who gets hired, but you also know the chances of your meeting him face to face are pretty slim. But you belong to the same social network as the CEO’s son. You have access to the son and you feel fairly certain getting to know him won’t be too difficult. So…whatcha gonna do? Get the son to introduce you to his Dad, right? Then, once you’re introduced to Dad, the CEO, the BIG man… you’ll eventually work your way around to telling him who you are, what you want, what you need and if you’re a friend of his son, you stand a pretty good chance of getting what you want and need. We often begin our relationships with an eye toward what we will gain from them…it’s human nature to do so.
Often we try to begin a relationship with God, from a point of crisis…crying out to Him to get his attention. We’ll try bargaining with Him so He’ll pay attention to us…”give me what I’m asking for and I’ll do thus and so for you.” I gotta tell you honestly, that’s not the best way to approach the situation. There’s a pretty good chance you aren’t gonna meet the BIG man face to face anytime soon. And even if you could force yourself into His presence…God doesn’t need anything you can offer Him. He created it all in the first place!
Ok…so there you are, and you’re still in a crisis and people are telling you about all the wonderful benefits of knowing God, and you can’t get past security to meet Him!
Here’s the good news. You belong to the same social network as His Son! Get to know Jesus. He’ll introduce you to His Father, and the Father will give you what you want, and what you need, and even more than you can ask or even think, just because you are friends with His Son.
So, let’s say you’ve hired on as a junior executive with THE corporation. What’s next? Well, it’s a pretty good bet you won’t be promoted to VP-in-charge-of-everything your first week on the job, right. And even if, by some miracle you did land a really cushy job, there will still be a training period. I mean, come on, we may think we know it all…but truthfully, most of us don’t. That means we’ve got the job, and we’re going into the training period, and we’re gonna have to read the company manual.
Same goes for signing on with God. Before you can know what to expect you’re going to have to read the manual….it’s called the Bible. (An acronym for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth). It’s in the pages of God’s Word that you’re going to find out God is who he says he is, God will do what he says he will do, and you can have what God says you can have.
Following along with our analogy of reading the company manual…let’s just say what you’re really interested in learning about right now, is healing, and you don’t have time to read all 66 books of the manual cover to cover to find out what you want to know. Common sense and years of schooling tell you, if you want to know about a particular subject, you go to the index, look up that subject and find out all you can about it. Right? So…you rummage around in your space (on your desk, in your room, in the trunk of your car, whatever) and find that Bible somebody shoved into your hands awhile back, and check out the index (it’s usually in the back of the book). After you find the word you’re looking for, you do what you’ve always done when you were studying, you look up each reference, maybe make notes about it, memorize it, do whatever helps you remember the information so you can pass the test. And believe me – there will be a test – there always is. And sometimes it’s a POP quiz. Don’t you just hate those?
Now, when you get past the crisis – and with God on your side, you will – if you don’t pick up the company manual again until the next crisis your only alternative is to panic and start bargaining with the BIG man for your job all over again. I gotta tell you here, if you’ll spend a little time reading the manual every day, checking out the subjects you need to know about as you think of them, your next job crisis is gonna be a whole lot easier to handle, because you’re gonna KNOW what God says you can have.
December 17th, 2009
Yet it was our grief he (Christ) bore. our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed – and we were healed! We – every one of us – have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him (Christ) the guilt and sin of every one of us!
Isaiah 53:4-6 LB
Well…here’s the thing….everything we receive from God comes down to this: First we have to believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 We are told that without this belief (faith) it is impossible to please God.
Now I know that when you’re 18 or 21 or even 25, you’re not particularly interested in what your parents and grand-parents think. I remember what it’s like to flex your independence, make your own decisions, run your own life. I remember how much interference and ‘suggestions’ from parents, grand-parents, older sibling…heck, most anybody who’s trying to tell you what to do and how to do it…can be received. Why can’t they just leave me alone and let me live my life the way I want to? But when a crisis of major proportions hits, we figure out pretty darn quick that pleasing those who can help us out is the smart thing to do.
Let’s take a son and his father for example. The son is all grown up…running his life on the fast track…making his own decisions and doing pretty well. Then something comes along that throws the whole deal into a crisis. The father has been trying to stay out of his son’s business; keeping a low profile, watching from a distance. But when the crisis comes down full force, the son, if he’s not totally stupid, suddenly wants his dad’s help badly and he’s not afraid to ask for it. He has faith that dad will do what dad has always done – bail him out of the mess he’s made. I can pretty much guarantee you, from my own experience, any father who is called on for help in a crisis is going to reward that faith if he can.
People who are raised in church are taught to think of God as a Father – true, a Heavenly Father but a father none the less. And we are told in the scripture “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then who are (evil) human know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:1-12 & Luke 11:9-13
OK…so if you make a mess of your life, or get sick – really sick, or smash up your new car, or lose your job, or whatever…whatcha gonna do? Ask your father for help. Right? I mean, come on…I was thirty-something and still looking to my parents for help. Then I was given a better way to clean up the problems. Ask God to help.
“God, if you’re out there, somewhere…if you really do exist…HELP ME. Heal me!”
Now here’s the sad thing in all of this. God has no grand-children! God isn’t going to answer my prayers based on my mother’s faith, or my father’s faith, or my BFF’s faith. God wants a personal relationship with me! God wants a personal relationship, through his son Jesus Christ, with each and every one of us. God will accept the faith of a little child in absolute love, guarding and protecting that child through all of his growing up years. But eventually, when a child becomes an adult, God again asks for a personal relationship based on our grown-up understanding. It’s not so hard to understand really. Little children are loving and trusting, and have faith simply because their life depends on it. A little child without faith in his parents wouldn’t know where to turn for what he needs; food, clothes, toys, education…whatever. But when we reach the place where we want to run our own life, our own way, God gives us the choice to trust him again…this time with an adult’s understanding. So at that point in each life, God gives us these words:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and clinging to him; for that means life to you and length of days…. “ Deuteronomy 30:19-20
“God, will you really heal ME?”
There’s an old song of the church…it’s not rap pop, or hip-hop. I’m telling you it’s OLD. It goes like this: “It is no secret what God can do. What he’s done for others, he’ll do for you.”
So what has he done for others? Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Count the times Jesus was surrounded by crowds of thousands..and he healed them ALL. Talk with D for awhile. Let him tell you about the times God has done amazing things for him and through him. Ask him about a broken arm that was healed between x-rays. Ask him about a diagnosis of stage three cancer, that was nowhere to be found in a second biopsy. Ask me about what should have been a broken ankle, bit never needed a cast. Ask me about recovering from a surgery that should have taken months, but instead took weeks. What he’s done for others…he’ll do for you…..If you believe that he exists and rewards those who seek him.
December 15th, 2009
“It is good to say, ‘Thank you’ to the Lord, to sing praises to the God who is above all gods. Every morning tell him, ‘Thank you for your kindness,’ and every evening rejoice in all his faithfulness.” Psalm 92:1-2 LB
Thank you Lord, for your kindness. Thank you that you are who you say you are, and that you will do what you say you will do. Thank you for your guidance and your protection; for your mercy and your understanding. Thank you, Lord!
The past week has been an interesting time around here. Having made the decision to add my daily devotional thoughts to my blog I wasn’t exactly surprised when most of the time set aside for writing was filled up with dozens of other distractions. Writing about the weather, the garden, whatever…is easy for me. Writing about God and what he’s done and is doing in my life? Not so much.
“Why is that?” you ask.
Well…primarily because I have an intense desire to draw people to Christ, rather than drive them away. Yesterday I watched an example of how easily people can be dissuaded from earnestly seeking the Lord by well-meaning, but over-zealous, believers unfold before my eyes. Sometimes those of us who have been believers for years and years forget how hard it can be to put one’s faith and trust in a God who must be taken by faith. And sometimes the over-zealous among us, in our zeal to draw new believers in, actually end up pushing them farther away. Sometimes new believers, teetering on the brink of a complete commitment to Christ, can be overwhelmed with ‘you should’ do this and ‘you should’ do that.
So…that being said. My thought for today is aimed at taking us all back to basics. These are the basics:
First basic: Man (you, me, the guy down the street, your mother, your brother…man) is a spirit. Not has a spirit…is a spirit. If you doubt me, check with anyone who has ever done serious drug use; most of them will tell you at some point they had an ‘out-of-body’ experience. It usually goes something like this, “I was hovering above my body, watching myself….” From the beginning of time man has known, on some basic level, his is a spirit. Evidence man has always been aware if this fact crops up in the history of every ancient culture from the Egyptians to the Mayans.
Man’s spirit is eternal. Again, history shows that on some basic level, in every culture from the extremely intellectual early Greeks to the tribal pygmy in darkest Africa, man has always been aware of an ‘after-life’ as well as a ‘spirit realm’.
The spirit of man (yours, mine…etc.) lives in a body. You have a body primarily to house your eternal spirit. OK, I don’t have to convince you on that point…you’re reading this. Eyes, fingers, brain – body.
And finally, man has a soul. For the purpose of differentiating between spirit and soul – your mind, will and emotions make up your soul.
The apostle Paul, writing to the church at Thessalonica, said in closing his first letter, “May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful and he will do it. “1 Thess. 5:23-24
Second basic: God is a spirit being.
Actually all gods, and there are many, are spirit beings. Again, I point you to what history tells us about the religions of the world and the gods they have worshiped in the past and still worship today.
The first tenant of the Christian faith says: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3. We are told “whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
And we are also told “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” John 4:23-24 The Message
Third (and most important) basic: Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
If you are an intelligent adult human being, having grown up in one of the more civilized countries of the world, you are familiar with this premise, whether you agree with it or not. Jesus Christ lived and walked the streets of Jerusalem 2008 year ago. Historians agree this man did more to impact the world than any other single human being before or since. The rub comes when we are asked to believe that he was not just a mere man, but God incarnate.
Millions of people, worldwide, believe in Jesus, the Son of God, and accept their right to access God The Father because of their personal relationship with the Son. The basic principle here is this: each and every one of us must come to know Him and believe in Him on our own. We are told “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
We are told, “he (Jesus) came that we might have life, and life more abundantly.” John 10:10
If you are contemplating becoming a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ you’ve known it for awhile. Deep in your heart of hearts, the decision has already been made. You know there is a God. You know you need God in your life. And you know when you finally give in and say “God if you’re out there…if you really exist…please help me, show me.” your life is going to change. Probably change dramatically.
What you may not know is this – the dramatic change in your life after you give in and decide to follow Christ is going to be for the better. It is not going to be about what you have to give up or what you have to do. It is going to be about seeing God do wonderful and amazing things with your life, just because he loves you.
Don’t be put off by the over-zealous long time believers, or the self-righteous religious. Don’t be taken in by their laundry list of shoulds and should nots. Get to know Jesus and through him get to know God.
Simply say: “Here I am Lord. I’d like to have you make a difference in my life, because I’ve tried running it myself and I’m doing it all wrong. Lord, you have promised to take away all the rotten stuff I’ve done up until this moment, forgive me for it, and then forget about it. I believe you can and will do that for me. Lord, you have promised to bring love, joy and peace into my life. I believe you can and will do that for me, too. So, here I am Lord. I give myself to you, spirit, soul and body – right now. Thank you for the difference you are going to make in my life, beginning today. In your name, I pray. Amen.
December 14th, 2009
Another call for prayer from a frantic parent…"my child is in the hospital again!"
If I was able to teleport myself from California to Tennessee where I could help…if it were possible…here’s what I would do. Go to that hospital room and turn it into a battle station. We know from experience this plan has power and brings divine healing. Three times in the past 20 years Dick has been hospitalized with a life threatening illness. Three times we have turned his hospital room into a battle station and seen first hand how God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit will accomplish in the supernatural what cannot be seen or hoped for in the natural.
First invite God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to come into the situation; to be present in the room.
Next invite all visitors to respect your privacy and leave the room. Suggest they go to the hospital chapel and pray while they wait for your invitation to re-enter the room. Turn off the TV, turn off the secular music (rock, hip-hop, rap, country, whatever) and turn on praise and worship music. If you don’t have an iPod or CD player filled with Christian music for just such emergencies find a good Christian radio station and play that.
Get out your Bible, look up, and write down, at least ten scriptures that speak of God’s willingness and ability to heal – then put them on mirrors, the computer monitors, and the bathroom door. (see Word Study HERE for quick a reference)
While you’re waiting, and when dealing with the medical profession you will be waiting, read the Word. If you don’t have a Bible or Book of Psalms handy – get one. Most hospital gift shops will have one or the other, if they don’t, send anybody who asks, “is there anything I can do for you?” to get one for you. Read the Psalms, aloud if possible, under your breath in a whisper if necessary, but in such a way as to be putting the Word into the realm surrounding you and your loved one. At home you can play a CD of someone reading the Word…turn it down so it is barely audible. Even if you can barely hear it, it will accomplish God’s purpose and force the enemy’s crowd to back off.
Call everyone you know who understands the power of prayer. Ask for prayer – put your situation on prayer chains and in prayer circles.
Finally, and importantly, Watch Your Mouth! Why? Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34-37 And by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned. Why? Where two or more are gathered together and agree as touching anything, there I am in the midst of them. Matthew 18:18-20 And spiritual principles apply whether in the positive (it will be done by my Father who is in Heaven) or in the negative. Satan has ears and hears, we’ve been talking about that for awhile now. The whole purpose of this process is to surround the patient, and their family, with God’s healing power.
God’s Word is filled with promises we can claim in times of crisis. Make them your own.
December 14th, 2009
What God has to say about it –
“I am the Lord who heals you.”
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Psalm 107:19–20
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20–22
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:11
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:2
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
Psalm 118:17
So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. …
Exodus 23:25–26
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4–5
Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Isaiah 58:8
And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.
Deuteronomy 7:15
… who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed.
1 Peter 2:24
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 1:2
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Matthew 14:14
… and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
Matthew 14:36
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.
Jeremiah 17:14
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
Matthew 4:23
Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
Psalm 91:9–10
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”
Matthew 8:16–17
But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
Matthew 12:15
… how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Acts 10:38
But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
Luke 9:11
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
Mark 16:17–18
And behold, a leper came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 8:2–3
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases,
Psalm 103:2–3
With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.
Psalm 91:16
Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.
Jeremiah 33:6
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21
… For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; no one seeks her.”’
Jeremiah 30:17
He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes.
Psalm 105:37
“… I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
Exodus 15:26
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