What is God's Will?

Today's Bible Reading:  Numbers 33:40-35:34, Luke 5:12-28, Psalm 65:1-13
Proverbs 11:23

We need to set something up today before talking about our scriptures:

Many people in the Body of Christ believe that God will heal them someday when He is ready.  Many of them pray "Lord, I know when I'm ready, you will heal me.", or "Lord, please heal me... if it is your will.  I only want your will to be done in my life.".  

Some even believe that they have a "thorn in the flesh" and that God uses that thorn to keep them humble.  This idea comes from 2 Corinthians 12:7 - And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Remember that Paul prayed three times that the Thorn in the Flesh would be removed and Jesus said in verse 8 "My grace is sufficient...".  

So people will make the mistake of thinking that their sickness comes from God, because they too have received an "Abundance of Revelations", and that He is keeping them humble.  I hope you can see the pride in this attitude.  I have pulled an a story out of Smith Wigglesworth's Book "Ever Increasing Faith" that can reveal alot to us about this issue:

 I visited a woman who had been suffering for many years. She was all twisted up with rheumatism and had been two years in bed. I said to her, “What makes you lie here?” She said, “I’ve come to the conclusion that I have a thorn in the flesh.” I said, “To what wonderful degree of righteousness have you attained that you have to have a thorn in the flesh? Have you had such an abundance of divine revelations that there is danger of your being exalted above measure?” She said, “I believe it is the Lord who is causing me to suffer.” I said, “You believe it is the Lord’s will for you to suffer, and you are trying to get out of it as quickly as you can. There are doctor’s bottles all over the place. Get out of your hiding place and confess that you are a sinner. If you’ll get rid of your self-righteousness, God will do something for you. Drop the idea that you are so holy that God has got to afflict you. Sin is the cause of your sickness and not righteousness. Disease is not caused by righteousness, but by sin.”

No, its not always because of sin that people get sick.  He was operating in the Gift of Knowledge here and we have no business accusing people when they get sick.  

There are two points that I want to pull from today's reading:

1.  What is the "Thorn in the Flesh"?

2.  What is Gods will on the topic of Healing?

1.  The Thorn in The Flesh

In today's reading in Numbers 33:50-54 God tells Moses that when they attack Canaan, that they need to drive out ALL THE INHABITANTS of that land.  Destroy Everything.  Leave nothing, and if they obey, then they will possess the land and be able to give an inheritance to many generations.  But if they do not...

Numbers 33:55 - But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. 

In the Bible, the Thorn in the Flesh is ALWAYS a person, or someone being used by our enemy.  Look at 2 Corinthians 12:7 again.  He says it is a "Messenger of Satan".  God will never send you a messenger from Satan.  Look at 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, this is the "Buffeting" a continual "throwing blows" over and over again.  This is the work of Satan because Paul has received these revelations and he is sharing them and spreading the Gospel.

See Joshua 23:13, Judges 2:3, & Ezekiel 28:24 - ALWAYS a person or personality.  NEVER sickness.

2.  God's Will in Healing

Let's look at our scriptures in Luke 5:12-13:

12  And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13  And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. 

It is clear over & over & over again in God's Word that He wants us to be healthy. Jesus didn't go through all of that so you could remain sick. Look at Romans 8:32 -  

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 

You may ask, "Well, then why am I always sick?"  Look at your question!!!  You say "I'm always sick." or "Every year I get the Flu" or "Everyone in my family has high blood pressure and heart disease, so I guess I will too."  What did Jesus say?

Mark 11:23 - ...but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 

What you are saying over and over and over is going to happen.  Lets change the way we talk.

Instead, lets say what God's Word says.  Remember it has Power, especially when we speak it!!!

"I am the Healed of The Lord"

"God sent His Word and Healed me"

"It was by Jesus' Stripes that I WAS healed"

"No Weapon formed against me shall prosper"

"Christ has redeemed from the Curse of the Law"

You are a Child of God, you have a new Bloodline!  Tell the mountain (sickness) to leave.

Pastor Luke Willis

 

There is Power in God's Word -For You

Today’s Bible readings are: Numbers 32:1-33:39, Luke 4:31-5:11, Psalm 64:1-10, Proverbs 11:22

Luke 4:31-32(AMP)

4:31  And He descended to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and there He continued to teach the people on the Sabbath days. 4:32  And they were amazed at His teaching, for His word was with authority and ability and weight and power.

Remember, this is soon after Jesus taught in his home town of Nazareth where He announced that the Spirit of The Lord was upon Him, He reminded them of the unbelief and unfaithfulness of their fathers in the days of Elijah, and that no prophet is accepted in their own country (Luke 4:18-27).  Then in verses 28-30 they were filled with wrath when they heard these things and tried to kill him. 

Jesus moved to Capernaum in Galilee and taught the people there.  In verse 32 the scriptures tell us that “his Word was with Power”.  We need to look at a few details here before going on.

I want to look at the word Word in the Strong’s Concordance:

Word - logos

log'-os

something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension a computation; specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (that is, Christ): - account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say (-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.

Joh 1:1-5  In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There are many uses of this Word in the scriptures:  Luke 8:11, Philippians 2:16, II Timothy 2:15, Hebrews 4:12, I Peter 1:23, but remember John 1:1 talking about how Jesus is the Word!

Now we need to look at the word Power:

exousia

ex-oo-see'-ah

 (in the sense of ability); privilege, that is, (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: - authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.

God delegated this authority to Him.  Jesus speaks with authority and we will see in today’s Bible reading alone MANY examples of this authority in his Word, and then we will see that we too have this same power and authority delegated to us.  Hope you’re excited!!!

Now notice in today’s Bible reading the examples of Jesus using the Word in Authority:

1.      Jesus rebukes the “unclean devil” in verses 33-35.  The unclean devil knew Jesus from before the fall of Satan, and recognized Him as the Holy one of God.  Jesus told him to shut his mouth.  Oh, we need to tell that joker to shut his mouth!  In the name of Jesus!  Then notice in verse 36 how everyone was amazed at the authority in the Word.

2.      Peter’s mother in law was sick in verse 38 (yes, Peter was married), and Jesus rebuked the fever, and it immediately left her.  When you pray, believe you receive, and you shall have (Mark 11:23).  Expect immediate results!

3.     Verse 40, Jesus healed everyone!  Healing is his will for you!  See in verse 41 how Jesus rebuked the devils as they were confessing Him as Lord!  You may be asking: “Would God use me for this?”

4.      In verse 44 Jesus preached.  You will find Jesus doing three things over and over and over:  Preaching, Teaching & Healing.  All with His Word!!!  “Would God use me for this?”

5.      Chapter 5 – They pressed upon him to hear the Word of God!!!  Are you pressing?

6.      Chapter 5 verses 4-7:  Jesus tells Peter to “launch out into the deep”  so they could catch some fish.  Check out Peter’s response, “nevertheless, at you Word”.  What happened when Peter obeyed Gods Word?  That is when they were in the place of Jehovah Jireh – The God who is my provider!!!  He is the God who is More Than Enough!!!  They filled both ships so that they began to sink.  Wow!

God gave Jesus this authority to use the Word, now you have this authority:

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

When Jesus says “GO”, You is the understood subject of the sentence.  God has given me the authority, now You Go!!!  This is what Jesus is saying.

Lets look at this in Mark 18:15-18:

      And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.   He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.   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.

Yes God will use you to do these things if you are a Believer.  Look at Mark 11:23-24 again.  You have to speak with the authority that has been given to you.

Remember, You Are Annointed!!!

Pastor Luke Willis

You Have An Anointing

Today’s Bible readings are Numbers 30:1-31:54, Luke 4:1-30, Psalm 63:1-11, & Proverbs 11:20-21

Luke 4:18-21

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free, ⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

This was when it all changed for Jesus. His ministry took a turn into the supernatural from this day forward. He went from an ordinary carpenter to the Builder of the greatest building of all time—The Church. He went from doing natural things to doing SUPERNATURAL things. What was it that brought about this change? Why did things take such a drastic turn so quickly? The answer is:  The anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had just been baptized & the bible tells us that the Spirit came to rest on Him. He was anointed at that very moment. From the moment that He realized HE was anointed He went about doing good & healing ALL who oppressed of the devil for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)  How was God with Jesus:  In the form of the anointing. God was with Jesus through His Spirit.

The same is true for us today. Jesus declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. That is the power that God the Father sent Jesus out in. Remember, Jesus came to show us who He was & to show what He was like. He came to show us how to do life. He came to show us how we were to live under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

This was always what God wanted from the very beginning. He spoke of it through the prophets throughout the ages. He sent His Son to be the first fruits offering to ensure us the same provision. That is why upon Jesus’ ascension He made this declaration to the church:

John 20:21-22

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

This was the born again experience that we needed in order to have the life of God in us. Jesus was sent in the power of the Holy Spirit. HE WAS NOW SENDING US IN THE POWER OF THE SAME HOLY SPIRIT. He made further arrangements for us to receive AN EVEN GREATER MEASURE of Spirit to help us when He said:

Acts 1:8

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Now this truly equips us to fulfill the mission He gave us. My word for you today is simple: 

YOU HAVE AN ANOINTING.

 

1 John 2:20

²⁰ But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

This is what the anointing is:  “God on flesh doing what flesh cannot do.”

•        The anointing is given to enable, empower, & equip us to:

1.      Do the work of ministry.

2.      Lead.

3.      Build the kingdom of God.

4.      Break yokes & remove burdens.

5.      To be used in the supernatural.

“God on flesh doing those things that flesh cannot do.”

The greatest things that can happen in your life as a Christian is for you to realize that YOU have an anointing from the Holy One. You have been anointed to:

1.      Preach the gospel.

2.      Set prisoners free.

3.      Give recovery of sight to the blind.

4.      Deliver the oppressed.

5.      Heal the sick.

This is what your everyday life should consist of. This is what it is to BE THE CHURCH. I pray for you what Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus:

Ephesians 1:16-23

¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Pastor Richard Schlotter

Never Be Shaken

Today’s Bible readings are Numbers 28:16-29:40, Luke 3:23-38, Psalm 62:1-12, & Proverbs 11:18-19

Psalm 62:1-2

¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. ² Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

This is a psalm that we all need to get an understanding of. The content of this psalm came to David because he was a man who had to endure adversity. There were many times in his life when the enemy raged against him. There were numerous times in his life when the odds were against him. Things happened in his life that would have caused most people to walk away & quit, but not David. He was a man after God’s heart. He learned that with God on his side he would never be shaken.

The day & age that we live in we see that nothing is constant. Gas prices are always changing. People are always changing. It is rare that anything lasts in our generation. Truly we live in a world that is unpredictable.

•        Economy

•        Jobs

•        Family situations

•        Personal struggles

•        Relationship tension

•        Health issues

•        Natural disasters

These things can cause a lot of pressure in people’s lives. Many people are so centered in these things that they cannot find any stability themselves. They have far to much trust in things that are only shifting sand. The problem is that when these things change—SO DO THEY. Their lives are turned into chaos. I have a word from God for you:  “YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE SHAKEN!!!”

Psalm 16:8

⁸ I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

I don’t want to get all doom & gloom on you, but I believe that things are going to get worse in our world. Sin is increasing, wickedness is getting more bold, God is dishonored at so many levels. Listen to these words:

Hebrews 12:25-29

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? ²⁶ At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ²⁷ The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Jesus also said these words:

^{Matthew 24:4-8 (NLT)}

^{4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.}

Things may get difficult but we have a promise from God. That is why we don’t have to be shaken.

Isaiah 43:1-3

¹ But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. ² When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. ³ For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Here are 3 reasons why you don’t have to be shaken:

1.      We serve an EVER-PRESENT (omnipresent) GOD.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NLT)

²³ Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the LORD. “No, I am far away at the same time.  ²⁴ Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?  Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”  says the LORD.

God is always watching out for those who are His. As long as you remain in the Vine you have nothing to fear. God sees you & He will help & deliver you.

              

2.      We serve an ALL KNOWING (Omniscient) GOD.

Isaiah 40:13-14 (NLT)

¹³ Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD?  Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?  ¹⁴ Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice?  Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice?

God know how to deliver you while He administers His justice. We may not know how He is going to do it but that is ok. God knows the beginning from the end. We can trust is Him.

3.      We serve an ALL-POWERFUL (omnipotent) GOD.

Revelation 19:6 (NLT)

⁶ Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the LORD! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Our God is greater than anything. We don’t trust in the things of this world. We trust in Him. When the things of this world are fading away, we trust in a God who NEVER will. When the things of this world are falling apart, we trust in a God who NEVER will. This is our God. This is why we will NEVER BE SHAKEN!

Pastor Richard Schlotter