Part 2 of Working Your Faith (if you have not already, you should first read Working Your Faith at http://www.saintsinlight.com/post/2010/06/Working-Your-Faith.aspx)

Faith as a Garden

Consider faith as a garden. What you plant in your garden of faith will grow and bring forth harvest. We are all given the same size garden but we all see differing results depending on how we prepare, plant, tend to and protect our garden.

We can see this concept in the following, where it describes the Word as seed and the different types of ground with their results and what causes different situations:

Mar 4:13  And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
Mar 4:14  The sower soweth the word.
Mar 4:15  And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Mar 4:16  And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
Mar 4:17  And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
Mar 4:18  And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Mar 4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Mar 4:20  And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

In our Garden of Faith though, we plant seed which can come from many sources, and that seed produces either “belief” or “doubt”.  If we work our garden and planet good seed everywhere we should have a good harvest of faith without any doubts.

Prepare the Ground

The first step to bring forth a good harvest is to till the soil and get it ready for seed.  If your soil is not prepared it will not bring forth the best harvest and may not bring forth one at all, if the soil is too hard.  -- The garden of faith is in your heart. If the ground is hard due to hurt, bitterness, unforgiveness or other sins, you will not receive the desired results. We must walk in love of  both God and mankind to have the soil properly prepared.

Hos 10:12  Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Jer 4:3  For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

Some hardened clods and even some stones in the ground are strong holds we have built up that must be broken down and removed.  The strong holds are in our mind and heart, they are hardened ground from what we have heard, reasoned or experienced that is not based on the true Word.  For example, in healing, you might have been raised to believe healing is not for today, healing is not for every Christian, perhaps that healing is dependant on God’s timing, or any number of excuses that people use.  These must be cast down as they go against God’s word.  These are from lack of knowledge or improper teaching.

Strong holds are also formed by experiences we or others have had and cause us to form an opinion, which does not conform to God’s Word.  And example of this, again with healing, you might have prayed for someone you thought were very close to God and they still died of the sickness.  You then feel that healing is not for everyone or that person would have been healed.  Issues like this are some of the hardest to break as we MUST rely on God’s Word and not our experiences.  When we study healing as many other topics, we will find the answers to these issues, but if there is even one Scripture that clearly points against what we think, then we cannot accept our experiences as truth, we need to be more diligent in our studies to find the truth.

We need to get a hold of:

2Co 10:3-4  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Notice, this is referring to strong holds in our mind and heart, that we are to cast down these imagination that try to put themselves above the Word of God.  We are not to allow these into our hearts  in the first place and must control our thoughts.  You might think it is impossible to do this, but if God’s Word says that we are to do this, then it is possible for us, He would not tell us something we could not do.

The Seed

Another important step is that you must plant seed in your garden of faith if you want a harvest.  You cannot bring forth a harvest if you do not put the seed in the ground, you only will end up with fertile soil and nothing growing in it and eventually it will become hardened and fallow again.

We must be careful of what seed we plant.  Good seed is the Word of God that we understand.  If we are not sure about the meaning of Scripture then it cannot bring forth the harvest we would expect.  For example, if we have a passage about healing and we are not sure the passage is referring to healing, we have just be told it is, then it is defective seed.  We must know the Word that we are planting, it can only enter into the heart and be planted properly if we know it and become intimate with the Word, making it real in our heart.

Another  type of seed we do not want is mutated seed.  When we listen to people about the Word or try to reason something without enough study, we can mutate God’s Word to say something it does not say or at least, weaken its effectiveness.  For example, traditions often have a foot in the Word, but have a lot of man’s carnal reasoning added to them and thus mutating the meaning and producing a different result.  We must STUDY to make sure what we say we believe IS the true Word of God or we will not receive the harvest you expect.

Mat 15:3-6  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Mar 7:7-9  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

The only seed that will bring forth a full pure harvest is true seed from the Word of God that we know intimately in our hearts.  All other types of seed will produce either strange results from what we plant or ineffective results.  At times it may even harm the good seed nearby.

You might ask, how can we know for sure what seed we have planted and the condition of our garden?  The easiest way to know the condition of your garden is to listen what comes out of your mouth.  Jesus told us that out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks.  If for example in healing, we keep saying we are not healed or dwell on the sickness then we have not planted a full crop or an ineffective one.  Once we plant enough good seed and maintain our garden, we should speak what the seed says and not what our doubts say.

Mat 12:34-37  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Luk 6:43-45  For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

We must keep a close watch on our lips be alert to the condition of our garden.  By this same principle, we know the state of other people’s gardens also.

Time for Growth

We know we have the seed in the ground, we rest in the knowledge we will have a great harvest as long as we are patient and wait as the seed needs time to grow and bring forth, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn.  The amount of time varies by the time of the season and the type of seed.

Heb 10:35-36  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Mar 4:26-29 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.  For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.  But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Caring for the Garden

We must understand though, we need to tend to our garden or our harvest will not be full and may not come at all.  It needs to be watered and fertilized for best results.  This is where worship and prayer comes in to work as the Holy Spirit moves. 

Eph 5:25-27  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

There is one last very important step, we must protect our garden from weeds, frost and invaders. The enemy tries to come and destroy our crop before we harvest. The thief comes to steal kill and destroy, he roams around seeking whom he MAY devour.  We must watch out for the enemy, be alert, set up scarecrows, put up a fence, watch out for tracks around our garden, and be ready to take action.

The primary tool used by the enemy upon our garden is “doubts:, the are like weeds, blowing in from many sources, they try to lodge in our garden and grow.  Once they fully grow they go to seed and spread all over our garden with the end result of overtaking and killing what we have growing or choking it out and bringing forth an incomplete harvest requiring even more work at harvest time to separate the grain from the weeds.

2Co 10:3-5  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Rom 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

That part “renewing your mind” is a daily experience, we need to keep planting our garden and keep it full to make it harder for the weeds to find a place to take hold.  This is simply remembering and meditating on the promises of God we have sown.

Doubts are in our mind and heart.  We need to take care not to allow them into us and if they do make it inside, then we pull them out. The passages above show the battle is in our mind, the weapons of our warfare is not carnal, that is to say it is  not of the material world nor of worldly reasoning, but effectual only through God.  We use God's Word to bring down these thoughts that come in and destroy their efforts.  When some doubt comes, we apply the Word so what in the end is planted is the Word, which replaces the weed with good seed.

Our five senses are bad for brining in doubt.  If you are working faith for healing, the body will give you a pain or you might see some change and sow vast amounts of doubt in your field.   All these need to be put down with what the Word says about our healing and not take in all that doubt seed.

Another source of doubts come from where your garden is located.  If we have a garden and it is next to someone’s field that is not kept and is overgrown with weeds, seeds of those weeds of the unkempt garden will blow into our garden and pollute our field.  We need to keep our field around other fields where people take care of them and keep them weeded.  It is important WHO we are around as others will sow into our field if allowed.  This will cost us much more work and perhaps will cost us part if not all of our harvest.

As an example, if we are believing for finances and we are around people who think every Christian should be poor, that prosperity is evil, when we mention anything from our garden (remember out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, we should expect to be talking about those promises if we have sown them properly), they then come back saying it is a bunch of rubbish and anyone who teaches it are evil. 

Another example is if you we believing for a healing and caring, loving people with unkempt gardens might tell you that you need to do this or that, or perhaps they knew someone who had that same thing and they died, or perhaps that it may happen in God’s time or it is just up to God’s will.

In both these examples, we have waves of bad weed seed from those around us.  The more you have of these types of fields around you the less likely you will be to keep up with all the bad seed and it can overwhelm you, the end result, you good harvest is lost.

We know from the Word that Jesus had times He had to limit those around Him to only ones of faith so they did not hinder His miracles:

Mar 5:35-42  While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.  And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.  And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.  And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

He only wanted those that He knew would not fight His faith.  Then there is the time in His own country:

Mar 6:4-6  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

We need to surround ourselves with people of faith that speak faith and live by faith. This will help keep the weeds from coming into our garden making less work on weed control work.  Note though, this is a two way street, we MUST also be diligent to keep the weeds out of ours as not to spread them to those around us and cause them harm.

Pro 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Pro 13:20  He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Amo 3:3  Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Conclusion

If we tend to our garden of faith and keep the tares out, we will have faith without doubts (all faith) and be able to move mountains.  We have to be diligent!

Everything is by faith. Without faith we cannot be Born Again or ever please God without faith, it is required.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Once we hear and receive faith, how much faith do we get and how do we grow it?

This is a misconception about faith. When we are born again we are all given a measure of "faith" and we do not need more and cannot have less. 

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Here we are told that everyone has been given the same measure of faith. Some have thought this is the beginning and now we grow it, but this passage is actually trying to warn people who were thinking they were better or greater than others because they had more faith and Paul was telling them that they all had the same measure of faith. You cannot boast in your great faith as we all have the same measure.

There are passages that sound like you will grow in faith, but if read carefully, you will see they are saying grow in "the" faith, that we mature in our walk with God. Kind of like that old song, "Through it all we have learned to trust in Jesus we have learned to trust in God". This is our experiences in "the faith" that adds richness and depth to our walk but we still have the same measure of faith.

What about all those passages of little faith? How is it we pray according to the Word and we do not receive?

This is a point that took me a while to understand. I was confused by the passage

Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

I did not understand what was meant in the version I was reading as it sounded like it contradicted itself, he said he believed and then asked to help his unbelief.  When I come by Scriptures such as this that I know I am missing something, I put it in the back of mind and let it hang around pondering them every now and then to see if I have found an answer.  When I was going through the New Living Translation I found the meaning of that passage quite clear.

Mar 9:23-24  "What do you mean, `If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes."  The father instantly replied, "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!"

That revelation opened a door to a flood of knowledge.  I could clearly see that faith and doubts can coexist and doubts can cancel out the effectiveness of our faith.  So, no longer we need grow or receive "more" faith, but rather, we need to get rid of and protect ourselves against, doubts coming in and taking root in us undermining our faith.

Now these mountain moving passages become very clear:

Mar 11:22-24  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 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. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mat 21:21-22  Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye HAVE FAITH, and DOUBT NOT, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Mat 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Luk 17:6  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

For some time now I have understood this concept, but faith was still kind of hard to share with others and give them a clear picture of how a person can “work” their faith.  I prayed for God to give me some way to picture working faith to be able to share it with others.  Shortly, the idea of “Faith as a Garden” and “Faith as a Shield”.  Later I could see another point was missing and “Faith as Pipe” fill in the rest of the thought.

The next three posts are a rough draft of what was floating around inside me.  Over time, I keep finding more points, but I will share now what I have so far.  Be sure to share with others!

Look for:

Working Your Faith – Faith as a Garden

http://www.thesaintsinlight.com/post/2010/06/Working-Your-Faith---Faith-as-a-Garden.aspx

Working Your Faith – Faith as a Shield
Working Your Faith – Faith as a Pipe

http://thesaintsinlight.com/post/2010/08/Working-Your-Faith-ndash3b-Faith-as-a-Shield.aspx

I was visiting a church last night and when they started their service, they said they had bitter/good news, that a member was no longer in pain and he had the victory, he had passed on and was with Jesus.  He continued to suggest people pray for the wife and children during this time of loss.

This type of thing makes me wonder how many people have to die before the church wakes up and, at the very least, acknowledge there is a problem and perhaps suggest steps to move in a direction to a remedy.  Some of you who are reading this might not have a clue at what “problem” I am even referring.  Maybe you are one of those that needs woke up…

The Problem

After being in a place of need of a healing, I researched the topic with a great deal of prayer and study during a period of over two years.  The conclusion was eye opening and clearly pointed to a Last Days of this Age Church that is sleeping and superficial, they are not fully trusting in God nor many of them even reading His Word, or if they are they are mutating the Word into some form of Christian Ease that strips its power and relies on the natural for everything.

Scriptures point to Healing as being part of the atonement.  That is, when you are Born Again, you are now in a place where Healing belongs to you as well as your salvation.  Since it is part of the atonement, God does not control or limit it in any way, it is simply by Faith with no Doubts just like your salvation.  Most churches have changed this message to say:

• God sometimes puts sickness on you to teach you a listen
• God sometimes puts sickness on you to let you reach someone you might not otherwise
• It is all in God’s timing and that He may not want you healed it is something you are to endure until death and bring glory to God.
• God uses many ways to heal you and cutting out large parts of your body and making you a cripple or unable to live with any quality of life, may be the method God chooses to heal you

Those are all lies straight from the devil.  The source of all sickness and disease is the devil regardless of what you think.  One of the reasons I say this is that we had no sickness or disease in the Garden of Eden until after they sinned and authority over this world was handed over to Satan.  The Bible is QUITE clear that it is the thief that comes to steal kill and destroy, that our adversary like a roaring lion goes around seeking whom he may devour.  It is his world and all the corruption thereof.  In Acts it says that Jesus went around healing all that were oppressed of the devil.  The woman with the issue of blood, Jesus said she was bound for over eighteen years by Satan.  I am not going in to detail in the post about healing, Paul’s thorn, or any of that stuff, it is already here on the site and on TheAwakening.com.

So, healing is for us, every Christian should be healed and the Bible says for those that are in need, to call for the elders of the church and have them anoint them with oil and pray over them and they shall be healed.  My question here is, “Where are the elders”.  I know of NO church in this country that this passage is fully working.  There is supposed to be people that you can call and help those that are not walking in perfect faith without doubts, but unfortunately, the true elders DO NOT exist at this time.

So, what is the problem with what was said at the beginning of this post?  The problem is that churches do not want to admit there is a problem, that elders do not exist that most people are on their own to receive from God.  Isn’t that a little harsh?  NO!  What is harsh is how churches will continue to go on under the same schedule and act like nothing is wrong, while people die inside and outside their church of sickness. 

In the example at the start of this post, he mentioned the person now has victory, no it is not a victory, the person left this world in defeat to the enemy and the enemy rejoices.  Why would the enemy rejoice?  Because it is yet another testimony that they enemy has defeated a praying church and stole the life of one of their members.  I do not blame the member of course, it is the entire church that is at fault and not just one church, the Church as a whole.  We have for too long ignored the promises of God and many taught all kinds of excuses, making the Word of God of none effect.

Image if someone came inside this person’s home, took the man outside on the lawn, shot him, killing him and they ran away and was not caught.  The church I would imagine would go into prayer that the man would be found and mourn over the loss.  The difference here would be the the church could not prevent someone from breaking into the man’s house and killing him, but we ARE supposed to prevent people from having the enemy take their life with sickness.  We are supposed to lay hands on them and the see them recover.

Is it time for sackcloth, ashes and fasting, crying out to God for repentance over allowing this evil in our churches?  What will wake the people up and see the truth from the Word and not COMPROMISE the Word?  Healing is for every Christian and if they leave this world in sickness, then it is victory for the enemy.  Yes the person makes it to heaven, but their testimony is one of the power of the enemy over the church through people who do not stand up for the Word of our Living God.

Every death of a Christian with sickness should bring the church to a cry of repentance and one of seeking God until the elders can be restored, and doctors and their worldly fixes are no longer needed.  No Christian should ever have to have health care, we already have the best plan from the stripes of Jesus and it comes with the best retirement plan along with it!

Here is a great spiritual resource I found on the internet. It contains many sermons of and several books about Smith Wigglesworth.  If you do not know him, you need to read about him. Throughout the ministry God gave him, there were the confirmed account of 14 people raised from the dead and thousands saved and healed by Jesus through him.  Wigglesworth died at an old age in 1947 but the message of faith he preached continues and is foundational for many teachings today.  His teachings should be required reading for all new believers!

The link below takes you to chapter one of “Smith Wigglesworth: Apostle of Faith 1949 -First the blade.."  You will find other chapters of the book, to continue his story, on for down on the left side of the page under the heading  “Smith Wigglesworth: Apostle of Faith 1949, "First the blade..", "An helpmeet for him", "Then the ear...", etc.

http://smithwigglesworth.blogspot.com/2008/11/first-blade.html

Many of us in the Church today have little sins that we do not think much about, we confess them and ask for forgiveness and move on, it does not impact our life like those big sins we happen to have every now and then.  Well, just look at the picture on this post and see the price that was paid for those little sins just as much as for any of them.  This is what paid for those little sins so that you do not have to face a Just God and receive your Just punishment for those little sins, or any sin!  This was the price that was paid, even those little sins are important, but that is another post one day.

Some feel that they are not worthy.  Some feel they have no worth, no value to anyone.  Every person already has a value set on them, by none less than God Himself.  Your worth to God is show in the picture on this post.  He values you to this great degree.  Let your mind and heart never forget how much value you have in God’s sight!

The focus of this post is on what the Blood has purchased for us as part of this new covenant.  This new covenant that is sealed with the Blood of God.

It was only the blood of Jesus that could forge this new covenant.

1Co 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Heb 10:16-17  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

1Co 11:23-26  For 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:  And 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.  After 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. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

What is in this covenant though?  We claim to have this covenant through faith in Jesus and His finished work, but what does it include?

I am still learning of all that the Blood of Jesus has purchased for us and the revealed power of that blood.  I often ask God to show me about the Blood, because I know there is even more than what I detail here, but brothers and sisters, if what I mention here was all of it, that would be enough that we should live our lives for God, if only as a thank your for all that He has already done and given unto us!

Here are four core benefits this great sacrifice has already purchased us:

1: Salvation

We undergo the Born Again experience where God removes our old dead spirit and then creates in us a new spirit and then places inside our spirit the indwelling of His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Rom 5:8-12  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Gal 3:13-14  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace

Mat 26:26-28  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;   For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Heb 10:16-7  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

1Jn 1:6-9  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Pe 1:2  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And many more like passages.  Salvation for us was purchased through is body and blood.  That sacrifice has justified us to God and removed our sins, not just covered them, they are gone.  We are in right standing with God as though we never sinned.

2: Deliverance from the powers of darkness

There is deliverance in the blood atonement!  You have been delivered from the power or authority of darkness and it has no power over you unless you give it power.

Col 1:12-13  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

We clearly see in this passage that we have already been delivered from the power and authority of darkness.  You are no longer under the Satan’s domain, the enemy has no power over you in this covenant.

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Jesus has taken all power and authority.  Thus there is no power of Satan that can directly hurt you unless you give him power.  Notice I say “directly”, he still works indirectly through others to persecute us as he did Paul and all other believers.

Those outside the covenant though, the enemy can take over at his will:

2Ti 2:25-26  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

The enemy has power and authority over non-believes and he can take them at his will (unless we are praying for them).  But once you are are born again, he no longer has any power over you.

If that were not enough, we have:

Eph 2:4-6  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

We are made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, thus above all the powers of darkness.  The only power the enemy has over us is that power we give them.  One way is to open doors with our mouth.  People say things like, “Cancer runs in my family, so I will probably get it” or even things simple like “oh, watch out for devil, he will rip you to shreds” or “It does not fail, I always seem to get the flu”, or “I never seem to have anything” or “well, if I did not have bad luck I would have no luck at all” or ….  Want to know what you truly believe, watch the words that come out of your mouth they tell the condition of your heart, Mat 12:34, Mat 15:18, and Luk 6:45.

Let us not forget:

*Mar 16:17-18  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

If we, after being born again (them that believe) have power to cast the devils out, then it would seem we have authority, by the new birth, over the power of the enemy.

* Some will argue the validity of Mar 16:17-18 as it appears in some scripts from the past and not in others, but the content of the passage has been proven by experience time and time again, so the validity of the verse stands.

There is also:

Rev 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

I am still trying to learn the fullness of this passage and of it’s use of the Blood.  As I said, I do not know all there is about the Blood, but I see the Blood in this passage possibly being used as defense or perhaps as a weapon against the enemy, but I still need more study and prayer on this verse.  I mention it here as a note as the passage refers to overcoming and having power over the darkness.  This may only apply to those that are here during the Tribulation.

Overall though, It is clear, the enemy does not have any power over you, unless you give it to them.  You have been delivered from his power and authority by the sacrifice of Jesus. The enemy’s only weapon is deceit, he can only trick you into giving him power over you as he did with Adam and Eve. So be on the alert and remove those things from your life and heart that empower the enemy.

3: Healing

There are many different witnesses of healing complete in the covenant.  First we are free from the curse of the Law which God would put on those that were disobedient and did not follow the Law.  In that curse, God would smite them with all kinds of horrible things such as poverty, sickness and disease.  God has set us free from such curse, so that even though we do not keep the Law, He does not send these terrible things upon us:

Gal 3:13-14  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

So we know God does not put sickness on us as punishment nor to teach us a lesson, it is the thief that comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

The Sacrifice of:

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isa 53:5  But 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.

There is a lot wrapped up in these two verses.  First in verse 4, the translation does not represent the actual meaning.  In many translations the “griefs” and “Sorrows” are better translated “Sickness” or “Diseases” and “pains”.  But another is found in:

Mat 8:16-17  When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

He took sickness and disease  upon Himself just as He did our sins.

We also have the ending of verse 53:5 that says “with His stripes we are healed”.  Some try to translate that out to mean just spiritual healing and not related to the physical body, but when studied more, you will find it means all planes, that is mind, flesh and spirit, it is to make whole again, to put back together us and God. renewed and restored.

If all that were not enough, in verse 53 it says the “Chastisement of our peace was upon Him”.  He paid the price for our Peace, but there is more to that word than some know.  The Hebrew word for “Peace” actually means safety, welfare, health, prosperity, contentment,  completeness,wholeness, nothing missing, nothing broken.  Again, He is making everything whole and complete again.

Healing is not just found in the new covenant, but even under the prior covenant God had health and prosperity under the blessing of Deuteronomy 28 and God says He will taken away sickness from them in Exodus 23:25 and Deuteronomy 7:15.  Healing is not new, God is a “Good” God and takes care of those that are His and this covenant is built with healing in it, sealed by the blood of God.

See also: Mark 16:17-18, James 5:14-16, Mark 11:22-24, Matthew 21:21-22, Mat 17:20, Luke 17:6, Rom 12:3, John 15:7, 1 John 5:14-15, Psalms 103:1-5, Psalms 107:20, 1 Peter 2:24, John 14:12-14, John 16:23-24

4: Blessing

This is about blessing for us, right now, here, not some day in the future after we are in heaven.  Some blast prosperity messages from ministers, but they need to look to the Word and not to the other ministers, the Bible is full of passages of blessing on the people of God.  When you read and study the Bible you find that God desires to pour out blessing upon HIs people.  Prosperity, just like healing is there in the covenant, but we have to reach out and take it and not go around denying the blessing on our lives thus hindering the work of God for us.

Here is a very clear scripture that shows the sacrifice of Jesus brought blessing on EVERYONE that believes in Him:

Gal 3:13-14  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Yes, you have seen this passage a few times in this posting, that is due to the  power of this passage.  We have been redeemed from the curse of the Law, so God is not putting poverty upon us since that was included in the curse.  It is, once again, the the enemy which comes to steal, kill and destroy.

This passage goes further than just the fact we have been redeemed from the curse of the Law, it says “that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus”.  Yep, EVERY believer has the blessings of Abraham upon their lives just he same as his physical descendants.

If that is not enough to make you say you are blessed, there is also:

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

There are so many passages when we read through the Bible that clearly show God’s desire to bless His people.  And we are His people and should expect to be blessed.  Again, God is a “Good” God and wants the best for us.

Conclusion:

This post points out that Salvation, Deliverance, Healing, Blessing are all brought to us through the Blood Sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross.  Look at the picture attached to this post and realize the fullness of the price that was paid for us.

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Rom 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

That is a strong statement and one that many in the Body of the Christ do not believe.   Many think that God has for some reason to put sickness on them to teach them a lesson or He “Allows” it on them for some purpose.  It is NEVER the will of God to have any believer sick nor in poverty and He will NEVER put that on you, He has promised!

Gal 3:13-14 ~ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus the Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

There is a lot mentioned in that one passage and this post will not even start into the blessing of Abraham nor the promise of the Spirit, we will just look at the first statement, that the Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.

While the curse and blessing in Deu 28 represented the nation of Israel at the time, it is applicable today in an example of what God will or will not do.  Here is the curse of the law as God described it:

Deu 28:15  But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Deu 28:16  Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
Deu 28:17  Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.
Deu 28:18  Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
Deu 28:19  Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Deu 28:20  The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
Deu 28:21  The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.
Deu 28:22  The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
Deu 28:23  And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
Deu 28:24  The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Deu 28:25  The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
Deu 28:26  And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
Deu 28:27  The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
Deu 28:28  The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
Deu 28:29  And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
Deu 28:30  Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
Deu 28:31  Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.
Deu 28:32  Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.
Deu 28:33  The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
Deu 28:34  So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Deu 28:35  The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
Deu 28:36  The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
Deu 28:37  And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
Deu 28:38  Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
Deu 28:39  Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
Deu 28:40  Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
Deu 28:41  Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
Deu 28:42  All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
Deu 28:43  The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
Deu 28:44  He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
Deu 28:45  Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
Deu 28:46  And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
Deu 28:47  Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
Deu 28:48  Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Deu 28:49  The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
Deu 28:50  A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:
Deu 28:51  And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
Deu 28:52  And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deu 28:53  And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:
Deu 28:54  So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:
Deu 28:55  So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.
Deu 28:56  The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,
Deu 28:57  And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.
Deu 28:58  If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
Deu 28:59  Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
Deu 28:60  Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
Deu 28:61  Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Deu 28:62  And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
Deu 28:63  And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Deu 28:64  And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.
Deu 28:65  And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
Deu 28:66  And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:
Deu 28:67  In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Deu 28:68  And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

God was clearly serious about transgression and would thoroughly judge those that turned away from His commands with this curse.

Jesus was made a curse for us so that we would not face the curse of the Law anymore.  God poured out all His judgment for us upon the Christ on the cross.  For those that are His, He will NEVER afflict them with this curse.  The Lord still chastens us to help us grow and stay on the right path, but He does not and cannot bring this curse or any part of it, upon us as Jesus already took it.

We clearly see in 28:61 that He did not limit the curse to just the known sickness at that time nor specific ones, but “Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law”.  That is every sickness to ever afflict anyone!

Why then do Christians get sick some some die of sickness?  Well simply, it is our own fault as we either bring it upon ourselves by our actions or allow the enemy to do so without standing up for our rights.  Some might say that they know of a person that was so close to God that they almost walked on water, that they seemed to never have one bad thought nor did the ever sin.  First, time for a reality check, we cannot see into the heart of another and know what they truly face, so you can only make assumptions about them, you do not know their battles.  Everyone who lives in a fleshly body will have a daily battle without anyone even knowing about it.

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Let’s look at it this way, God clearly does not want us sick nor in poverty, this does not bring glory to His name (and do not even go with the “He can use sickness to get glory” stuff, if we are healed and made whole by His hand, there is not greater glory, nor greater witness than that!).  If it was His will for us to be sick then He would not have included all the healing Scriptures such as these obvious ones:

Jas 5:14-16 ~ Is 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:  And 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. Confess 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.

Isaiah 53:4-5 ~ Surely he hath borne our griefs, (took our infirmities, bare our sicknesses, according to Mat: 8:16-17) and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But 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.

I Peter 2:24 ~ Who 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 strips ye were healed.

Mar 16:17-18 ~ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Psalms 107:20 ~ He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions

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

Joh 14:12-14 ~ Verily, 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. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

So, if it is God’s will for us to be whole and it brings Him glory, then the problem is not on His side and there is only one other side and that is ours.  If we act in true faith without doubts we will receive, every time without fail.  For many though, having that kind of faith for ourselves can be hard, it is easier to believe for others than ourselves.  That is where James 5:14-16 comes in as there is supposed to be Elders in a close walk with God who trust Him and always have “faith without doubts” to pray for people as a last line of defense.  Trust comes from spending time with God and deep relationship, continually partaking of His promises.

It is a lot like the filling of the Spirit, some believe, seek God on the matter and receive, others deny the experience or perhaps only seek for a short time and never receive.  Did God without from them?  No, they just did not take claim on what was theirs by faith.

I might have written before about this, but here it goes again.  I heard an old tale about a person taking a cruise and it goes something like this:  There was a man who had saved up money for years to be able to go on a cruise.  He gets on the ship and for the next week he is carried all over the world to see wonderful sites.  The entire trip he does not eat one thing as he only saved enough money for the ticket, so he went without.  When the trip was over they started to leave the ship and the captain spotted Him and asked if there was something wrong with the vast array of food they had as he noticed the man did not eat anything throughout the trip.  The man replied to him that he did not have enough money and the captain told him that it was all included in the price of the ticket.  The captain did not withhold anything from him, no one was being unfair, the man simply did not know what was included and never received.

Brothers and Sisters, it is all included in the price Jesus paid.  We must take it though and truly believe in our hearts that it is ours.  We can only blame sickness and poverty on either ourselves or the enemy that is about steal, kill and destroy.  But God is always there to heal you and make provisions you need when we come with faith.

When will it wake up?  This last year of 2008, I researched healing in the Scriptures and found that everyone who meets the following list of qualifications are promised every time, healing from sickness and disease:

• Must be a Born Again Christian (there is still healing available to some extent for non-believers but not promised)
• Must not have any unrepentant sin, must be walking the walk
• Must not have unforgiveness in your heart
• Must believe that the Christ can and will heal you without doubts

If you meet those qualifications, then there is nothing to hinder you from being 100% healed.   That said, it can still be hard for people to have the faith without doubts unless they are walking very close to God.  This is where the elders come in though, as they should be in that close walk and be able to pray a prayer of faith over you, but elders are hard to find.

Okay, so, everyone should be healed and not only healed but be blessed under the new covenant. But what is the reality we see in the churches today?  There are probably more people at church on medications and receiving medical treatments than there are healthy people.  This should not be!  It is a sad thermometer of the Church as a whole and shows we are not taking the work seriously.   Don’t believe that?  Here is a list of names I received in a prayer request email for December 25th, 2008:

JESSIE 11, TUMOR ON BRAIN STEM  
GRACIE ANN,6, PREMATURE, LUNG PROBLEMS
BAILEY,14, LEUKEMIA   
MICHAEL,19, HEAD INJURY, HOLE IN BRAIN
NICHOLAS,12, LUNG TRANSPLANT
SHERIDA,10, DOWNS SYNDROME
HUNTER,14, PRENATAL STROKE
MITCHELL,15, CANCER
LISA,14, NEEDS KIDNEY
SHILOH,9,PARKINSONS
BRANDON,7, TOXIC SHOCK
MATTHEW,18, SPINAL MENENGITUS
AUDREY ANN,11, NEEDS LIVER TRANSPLANT
CANDY,16, CANCER SINCE AGE OF 2
KEVIN,16, CEREBRAL PALSY
ANNA,17, MUSCULAR DISEASE
ASHLEY,11, BLOOD DISEASE
BO,9, POMPES DISORDER
LEAH,12, HEPITITUS
BECKY,RACHEL,14, 12, CYSTIC FIBROSIS
JESSE 17, CANCER
JARED,9, FLUID ON BRAIN
JOHN, BEATRICE,DIEF,15, 14, 12, RICKETS
BELLE,16, HAD HEART TRANSPLANT
MEGAN,11, HEART DEFECT
BRANDON, KYLIE,10, TWINS, HEART DEFECTS, ASTHMA
STEPHANIE,18, INTESTINAL BLOOD DISORDER
GABRIEL,10, CEREBRAL PALSY
SHEY,12, LEUKEMIA
SADIE,12, DOWNS SYNDROME, NEEDS VERTABRAE FUSION
CRYSTAL,10, CANCER
BETHANY,8, SERIOUS ANKLE PROBLEMS
HANNAH,7, CEREBRAL PALSY
EB,6, SKIN DISEASE
JUSTIN,12,HYPOGLYCEMIA
TAYLOR,7, SEVERE BURNS
TAMERA,12, CANCER
ASHLYNN,4, HYPOTHYROIDISM
AUSTIN,12, CEREBRAL PALSY
JOEL 13, HEART TRANSPLANT, OTHER ORGANS REJECTING IT
SAGE,8, BORN WITH INTESTINES ON OUTSIDE OF BODY,DIABETIC
DOMINIC, 8, MELANOMA
SULLY, 16, CANCER
JOHN MARK, 19,  HEAD GREW FASTER THAN OTHER, WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SEE 2ND BD, CAN�T SPEAK, SIMILAR TO QUADRIPLEGIA
JARED 8 MONTHS SKULL SURGERY
AVA, 5, LEUKEMIA
SARAH,10, UNDERDEVELOPED BLADDER
ZACH,6, RARE SKIN DISEASE
Ric  12, disease  similar to lupus
CALEB  2  HEART SURGERY
JOSHUA 4 HEART MURMUR, REFLUX
ZACH 14 MALIGNANT BRAIN TUMOR
HEATHER 14 KIDNEY PROBLEMS
JACKSON 6 LEUKEMIA
JARON 6 RARE BLOOD DISEASE
NICHOLAS  10 NEEDS LUNG TRANSPLANT
AIDEN 8 MONTHS, GOING THRU CHEMO
JAKE 7, TUMOR ON BRAIN
AMY 8, LUNG CANCER AND BRAIN TUMOR
MADDIE 6, CANCER
SARAH 5, CANCER
DANIEL 6, NEUROBLASTOMA
CHRISTIAN 2, NOSE OPERATION
CHRISTAL 19, BIPOLAR
LIZZIE  18  NEEDS HEART TRANSPLANT
MASON 9, LEUKEMIA
GRAYSON 11 LYMPHOMA
MEGAN 9 BRAIN TUMOR, SIGHT PROBLEMS FROM CHEMO
EMMA JOY- NEW BORN NEEDS OPEN HEART SURGERY
KATIE 4 LIVER CANCER
KATIE 4 HEPATOBLASTOMA
REANNA 3 HAS HAD HEART SURGERY AND TUMORS REMOVED FROM HER LUNGS
CHANDLER 16 ONLY PARTIAL USAGE OF ONE KIDNEY
IVY 5 LUNG DISEASE

These are primarily children, they should not be sick, the Church should be there with healing in their hands so that this horrible suffering is never seen.  Again, the reality of it, is lists like this pop up often with many children going through things that bring horror to your heart.

What will it take for us to spend time building a relationship with God, cutting out the cares of this world and actually taking our faith seriously?  There should be healing centers in every town where elders can lay hands on people and make sure there are all are healed every time and the sad truth is, I do not know of a single center anywhere in the the USA.

The Scriptures are clear, healing is provide and is for today, but we only have our life of complacency to blame for all this sickness and disease that is upon us.  As see clearly in:

Rev 3:14-22 ~  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

We need to wake up and get out of our lukewarm state of mind.  What will it take to bring us to our responsibilities? It is time to wake up and hear the call!

More on this topic coming soon!

This documentary film is about an hour long and tells the true story of five different families and how their life was touched by Prayer.  The different stories have different themes where prayer changed things.  There are two stories on documented physical healing, one on daily needs, one on supernatural forgiveness and another on handling devastating loss of a young daughter.

It is a touching film, but my favorite is the first story about a man who experiences an infection in his throat which damages his nerves to the point doctors say it is only a short time before he will not be able to speak at all.  This can be a bad situation for some, but the man in the story is a Pastor which means he would no longer be able to preach.  VERY touching story and his healing is recorded on audio tape so that you can experience the moment he is healed!!

If you are a Netflix’er, this is also available on their “Watch Instantly” delivery as well as DVD.

Everyone needs to see this film of true stories of prayer working!

Is your alarm set to wake up and get busy for God?  A few days away, that mode of as soon as I get through with this or that?  If it is, then your alarm needs adjustment, that day will never come, as you will only find more things to keep the alarm from ever sounding until it is too late.

Is your alarm set for months or years away, such as when the kids are grown or other responsibilities no longer require you.  This also will never happen and you are only fooling yourself.  The enemy of the Cross has you where they want you, always put off the work of God…

Is your alarm set to go off when someone else comes by and helps it sound?  That is, you are waiting for others to come along and stir a fire in your soul?  What are you waiting for then, Jesus has already came along and stirred you, now it is time to wake up!

What will it take for you to push the cares of this world to the back burner and actually take the time to seek God’s face and have His Holy Spirit flow through you?  Do you really need to have yourself or a loved one experience a life-death situation before you wake up?  Perhaps it will take the loss of everything that is important to you? 

Remember, you are bought with a price and are no longer your own.  You have been purchased, it is time to wake up and take your place in the Body of the Christ.  It is not my words, it is:

1Co 6:19-20 ~  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Rom 12:1-2 ~ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Rom 6:19 ~ I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Luk 17:7-10 ~  But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?  And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?  Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.  So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

2Co 6:16-18 ~  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Bothers and Sisters in the Christ, it is time that we walk in newness of life and no longer looking, acting or partaking of things as the world does.  We are set for better things than the temporal form of this world, we are called to set our affections on the things that are above as in Colossians chapter 3.

Do you not realize that God dwells IN YOU and He has available to you the entire power of creation to do His work?  His power is in you and ready to be used:

Eph 3:20-21 ~ Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by the Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

If you do not already know it, you are called to higher things than the mere entanglements of this life.  You, not just some others, but You are important to the Body of the Christ and You are to grow until the full stature of Christ:

Eph 4:11-16 ~ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

How would you like to heal the sick by anointing them with oil and praying over them?  This is what believers are supposed to do:

Mar 16:17-18 ~ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

This is no different than when Jesus sent out the disciples and then the seventy, He told them:

Luk 10:19 ~ 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.

Mat 10:7-8 ~ And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

This is not just for the top ministers or a select few, this is for all believers.  Remember, God dwells IN YOU.  Also remember, healing is just one of the Gifts of the Spirit.  It is time to wake up and use your supernatural Gifts of the Spirit.

Maybe it is time to spend a few days in a burn center or a child cancer center.  That should wake you up and look at the things of this world as being dimmed and of no importance as you earnestly seek a move of God through your life.

Whatever it takes, just wake up.  It is no longer time to sleep, it is time for work, while we have the chance.  The Lord could return at any time and the time for work will be over.  Even if the Lord should tarry a little while more, tragedy could come into your life tomorrow, are you prepared, walking with the Master to know you will be able to receive of His power in that time of need?

WAKE UP!

Healing IS the atonement.  What?  Yep, the healing is of our total being, body, soul, spirit.  We have been made in right standing with God, our relationship has been “healed”.  We inherit the blessings and this includes physical healing.  The price has already been paid and we are no longer under the curse of sickness. 

In the wilderness, when the fiery serpents were killing many people, God told Moses:

Num 21:8-9  And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.  And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

This was the Lord’s healing of the people who had sinned against Him.  They lifted up the serpent and “ALL” where healed that looked upon it.  In the New Testament, Jesus said John 3:14-15:

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Jesus knew exactly what the reference to being lifted up would portray.  For when the people of old who spoke against God, would look upon that serpent nailed to the poll being shown powerless and defeated, that God had taken the victory over that curse, which they had brought upon themselves and their sin would be forgiven, they would be physically healed and not perish.  This is what Jesus performed on the cross, who healed us into right standing with God, defeating the curse of the law.  That curse included sickness, disease and lack of provision.  We have been reborn and now live under the favor of God!

This is yet another picture of the atonement being complete, bringing a greater covenant not a weaker one.  The message of the Good News is that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, placing a new spirit within us and giving us the Holy Spirit to lead us unto perfection (He has placed His Law into our hearts).  No longer are we under the curse of the law, we have inherited this blessing through the Christ Jesus!

This lines up with:

James 5:14-16 ~ Is 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:  And 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. Confess 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.

See the resemblance?  We look to God in faith, we are healed and if we have committed sins, they are forgiven.  Again, physical healing and forgiveness tied together.  Many times through the Gospels we see Jesus healing them physically and then forgiving their sins.

Again, under the past covenant, we have:

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

We clearly see physical healing, provision and forgiveness of sins all bundled into one package.  See the pattern emerging?  This pattern runs through the Bible if we pay attention.  It is God’s will to “Heal” you, to make you in right standing with Him, which brings healing to your physical body, forgiveness of sin and provision, this is the blessing of God, which the Christ shed his blood on that cross to bring to us.  It is the Good News, the favor of God!