Handicaps and Healing

                Everyone has a handicap. For some, it’s physical and for some it’s an emotional, intangible one. Depression, smoking, alcoholism, and vanity are all examples of handicaps.

                Many people let physical handicaps or disabilities bring them down. They don’t reach their full potential and feel that they are less of a person than someone else. They don’t realize that they are just as complete as someone else. Unlike those of us who choose to sin, they didn’t ask to have a handicap, whether they were born with it or they went through a life event that caused it. God allowed for them to have a handicap. He’s not punishing them; he’s using them for his will.

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples

asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his

parents, that he was born blind?’

‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but

this happened so that the work of God might be

displayed in his life.”

-John 9:1-3

                Jesus healed that blind man so that the unbelievers could see that Jesus and God were true and real! They didn’t have faith in what they could not see so Jesus gave them a reason to believe. There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) including a time to be healed. The blood of Jesus allows us to be whole and not have broken souls. He has the power to heal disease and accomplish the seemingly impossible.

“But he was pierced for out transgressions, he was crushed for our

iniquities; the punishment that brought us

peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.”

-Isaiah 53:5

                Through his wounds and lashings that he received, we can be healed. We just need to believe and have faith. The prayer of a faithful person is powerful and effective (James 5:16). So, who can you turn to if you feel alone? God! He is always there for you with open arms and a listening ear. He will bring peace and comfort to you. Don’t let your handicap bring you down. He will always look out for you. Not only will he hear emotional handicaps, but He will also heal physical handicaps if it is according to His will. So don’t be discouraged.

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not

all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals

all your diseases…”

-Psalm 103:2-3

“For I will restore health to you and heal you of

your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because they called you

an outcast saying: ‘This is Zion; no one seeks her.”

-Jeremiah 30:17

“Lord my God, I cried out to you, and you healed me.”

-Psalm 30:2

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

-Psalm 34:19

“Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal

them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.”

-Jeremiah 33:6

               

                Do you want the healing that seems impossible? You can accept Jesus Christ into your life today. I encourage you to do so. Without the blood of Jesus, we would still be broken souls. The bible states that it is not what goes into our mouth that makes us unclean but what comes out. We are judged by what we do and what we say. Therefore, in order to be saved, we must verbally confess. Confess is the Greek word homolegeōg, meaning to declare the same thing. This means that in confessing, you are agreeing to God’s judgment concerning man and His remedy through Christ.

“That is you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe

in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

you will be saved. For it is with your heart

that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth

that you confess and are saved.”

-Romans 10:9-10

                Don’t pray out of obligation. Pray out of true belief and willingness. This is not a simple acknowledgment that He is God and Lord of the universe, since even demons acknowledge that to be true (James 2:19). This is a deep personal conviction that Jesus is your master. It includes repenting from sin, trusting in Jesus for salvation, and submitting to His will. You must confess that you believe he was raised from the dead because without resurrection there is no salvation (1 Corinthians 15:14-17).

                 

Repentance and Humilty

           

                There is no such thing as a perfect person or a blemish free Christian. Many people outside of the Christian faith believe that Christians are not allowed to make mistakes. This is very far from the truth. We are not to seek sin or continue to live as we did before we knew God.  God understands that as humans we may stumble and fall. That’s why he sent his one and only son to die for us; so that we may be forgiven and have a way to the Father.

“The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where

sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as

sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign though

righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

-Romans 5:20-21

“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through

the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to

God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,

so that we may serve the living God.”

-Hebrews 9:14

                Just because we have accepted the Lord into our lives does not mean that we are automatically accepted into the kingdom of our Father in Heaven.

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’

will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does

the will of my Father who is in Heaven.”

Matthew 7:21

                The difference between a believer of Christ and someone who has not yet received Him as their savior is that we know the difference between right and wrong, sin and righteousness. We recognize this and the Holy Spirit convicts us when we do something wrong. Without our spirit committed to God, we cannot receive the Holy Spirit to grasp us when we start to slip away. When Jesus died for us, sin could no longer come after us but we could still seek sin. After we are saved by the grace of God and our faith in Jesus Christ, we are less likely to fall into sin but it still happens.

“Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in his

sight by observing the law; rather, through the law

we become conscience of sin.”

-Romans 3:20

                But it doesn’t just take believing in Jesus to be saved from our sins. We must also have repentance and humility. When we ask for forgiveness of our sins, and mean it from our hearts, he will forget our sins.

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake,

and remembers your sins no more.”

-Isaiah 43:25

                In Luke 18:9-14, a Pharisee and a tax collector went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee prayed about himself and was not humble; he did not admit to any sin but rather raised himself up higher than everyone else. The tax collector however confessed that he was a sinner and begged for mercy. The tax collector was justified with God for he humbled himself. This is how we are to be. We should not exalt ourselves before God or before men.

“If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now

that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

-John 9:41

                   This is a difficult passage to understand but let’s look at it logically, bearing in mind that Jesus was talking about spiritual blindness. Jesus is not saying that people who are physically blind are innocent of sin, as if God overlooks their sin because of their disability. The Bible teaches that everyone will be held accountable for their sin (Romans 3:9-19). Jesus was not speaking about sin in general but about the sin of spiritual pride. Those who were spiritually blind and did not claim to understand spiritual truth were not guilty of the sin of spiritual pride, but those who were spiritually blind and yet claimed to be spiritual leaders were guilty, and Jesus said that their guilt would remain.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor,

but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous,

but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 5:31-32

                There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3). Metanoeo means to change one's mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and heart and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised. Evangelical repentance consists of a true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness; an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ; an actual hatred of sin (Psalm 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Corinthians 7:10) and turning from it to God; and a persistent endeavor of a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments. The true penitent is conscious of guilt , of pollution, and of helplessness. Therefore, he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Psalm 51:1; 130:4). We must have a change of heart to have true repentance!

                As I said earlier, through Jesus’ blood we are saved; he was the sacrifice to the Lord and with him our sins were buried. We have been forgiven.

“If we have been united with him like this in his

death, we will certainly also be united with him in his

resurrection. For we know that our old self was

crucified with him so that the body of sin

might be done away with, that we should no longer

be slaves to sin-…”

-Romans 6:5-6

                However, not all men are forgiven just because of Jesus’ death for us sinners. You can pray and ask for forgiveness but do you have true repentance? Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Christ and your savior and changed your heart and life accordingly? If not, I urge you to do so today so that you can receive the full grace of God and have the joy of knowing that you will have everlasting life not full of gnashing teeth and fire but rather of the light of God in Heaven. Say a prayer like this and mean it from the bottom of your heart:

Father God in Heaven,

I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to you that I am

a sinner and I’m sorry for the life I’ve lived; I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only Son Jesus Christ shed his precious blood on

the cross and died for my sins so I may have everlasting life in your

kingdom. Right now I confess Jesus as my Lord and savior. I believe

with my heart that you raised Jesus from the dead. From this moment

on I live for you. Transform me so I may bring glory and honor to you

alone and not myself. Use me as you see fit. Thank you for your

unlimited grace that saved me from my sins. Amen.

What's There To Fear?

                What is your biggest fear? Someone has probably asked you this before and it is only natural as a human to have fears. For some it’s a tangible thing like snakes or sharks or being drowned. For others, it is an idea such as being alone or hurting someone they love unintentionally or even losing a loved one. However, if we have Christ as our savior, we should fear nothing.

“I sought the Lord and He heard me, and

delivered me from all my fears.”

-Psalm 34:4

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but

of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

-2 Timothy 1:7

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be

dismayed, for I am your God. I will

strengthen you and help you;…”

-Isaiah 41:10

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment,

 and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

-1 John 4:18

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”

-Psalm 56: 3-4

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for

it is the Lord your God who goes with you.”

-Deuteronomy 31:6

                There are so many more Psalms and stories in the bible that reveal we should fear nothing. The only thing we should fear is God. We should fear him out of respect and fear what he can do with our spirits. For he will judge us with a sword and either put us to death (send us to Hell) or declare that we have earned everlasting life in Heaven.

“Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

-Matthew 10:28

“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one

may turn away from the snares of death.”

-Proverbs 14:27

“Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

-1 Peter 2:17

                No man can harm us if we have the Lord (Hebrews 13:6). God protects those who live for him and desire to have salvation through Jesus Christ. This all goes back to faith. If we have faith in the Lord we shall not be afraid. If we do have worries or fears troubling us we should go to the Lord.

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will

give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I

am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest

for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

-Matthew 11:28-29

                When Jesus is talking to the weary and burdened, he is not talking about a physical state but rather a spiritual state. Rest means inner peace and the Lord’s yoke is God’s will. There is no burden or stress when following God’s will and there should be no fear. No man can kill your spirit. Fear in the Lord is good because it helps keep us on the narrow and straight path in living a righteous life. However, fear of things that hurt the flesh will only hurt our spiritual walk because it will distract you from God’s will and overwhelm our minds. We won’t be able to focus on what is good and holy.

                However, there can be an unhealthy fear of God. An unhealthy fear of God, known as theophobia, can lead to debilitating factors of everyday life. A healthy fear of God leads us to live moral and ethical lives. It can even calm our anxiety and fears. But there are those who are so fearful of God that they are in a constant state of mental disturbance. In everything they do they fear negative judgement of God, even when they are doing nothing wrong. An unhealthy fear of God prohibits us from drawing closer to God. Unhealthy fear is fear that controls us and consumes us. Since such kind of unhealthy fears are based upon unreal possibilities, it causes a major obstacle to our relationship with God and in experiencing his blessings. In order to have a healthy fear, we need to understand God and his word. He is a powerful, jealous, and judgmental God but He is also a compassionate, loving God. He forgives our sins and he loves us, for he sent his one and only son to die for us. He is merciful and pours his grace down on us. He heals us and loves righteousness. If you live according to his word, you will not suffer negative consequences; he will not disown a loyal follower.
 

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord

has compassion on those who fear him;…”

-Psalm 103:13

“For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”

-Isaiah 49:13

                God never wanted us to be controlled by fear, He is the almighty one and no one is stronger than Him. Fear is a trick that the devil plays, he uses our ignorance and confuses us to fear the one we are suppose to revere. When destructive fear is entrenched in our lives, we must remember that the eternal God is greater than all our fears. Fear comes when we ignore God’s word or walk contrary to Him. He desires to empower us to dismantle and demolish fear’s strongholds in our lives (2 Corinthians 10:4).

                What ultimately matters is that “nothing in life or death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Remembering those words is the only satisfying solution to dealing with fear. As we live that good news, we entrust control of our lives to God, and stop giving control of our lives to unhealthy fear.

              Others have no fear real fear of God and see him as just a loving compassionate God who will harm no one. This isn’t healthy either. This will lead some to live as though God does not exist.

            What is your fear of God? Do you shudder at the thought of him and distance yourself? Or do you not fear God enough? If so, I hope that you have gained some understanding and will begin to live a life with a proper fear of our one true God. 

Fear must be uprooted and the truth implanted so that we are freed not merely to survive but to thrive in a dangerous world (John 8:32). Life is never risk-free. But freedom from overwhelming fear empowers us to enjoy all that God offers us in a fallen world.

Other references to fear:

Psalm 7:1

Psalm 16:8

Psalm 23:4

Psalm 91:5-6

Acts 18:9-10

Philippians 4:13

Joshua 1:9

Isaiah 43:1-3

Deuteronomy 20:1-3
Proverbs 29:25

               

Are you Really Saved?

                What if you died today? Would you go to heaven or hell? Many people want to avoid the topic of death but it’s something we should think about on a daily basis. People die every day; many are sudden or unsuspected like a car accident. The fate of every man is death.

“Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate

awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other.”

-Ecclesiastes 3:18-19

                Many people who are unbelievers think that if God is so merciful he would not condemn a man to hell. However, the bible states:

“For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God;”

-Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death…”

-Romans 6:23

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,

and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,

and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which

burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

-Revelation 21:8

                However, you can escape this punishment only through God’s grace. He sent a savior, Jesus Christ, to pay for your sins. He was the final and most precious human sacrifice. To save humans, a human sacrifice had to be made so God sent his only son to suffer for us. But through his suffering we were offered peace and a way to God. Sin could no longer attack us but man loved his desires so we need to confess with our mouths that Christ is Lord and that we believe in him. 

“…the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

-Romans 6:23

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever

believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

-John 3:16

                The only way to receive this great Salvation is through Christ, not through any human or through any church. The church is just a place for fellowship and spiritual growth and guidance.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given

among men, whereby we must be saved.”

-Acts 4:12

                You may think you are a good person but that does not mean you have received everlasting life in God’s kingdom.

“For by grace you are saved through faith; and not that of yourselves; it

is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

-Ephesians 2:8-9

“He that believes on the Son shall have everlasting life; and he who doesn’t

believe shall not see life; but the wrath of God is over him.”

-John 3:36

                You must first repent of your sins.

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:

and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

-Isaiah 55:7

                Then you must confess with your mouth that you believe.

“If one confesses with his mouth that he believes in the Lord Jesus, and believes that

God raised him from the dead, he shall be saved.”

-Romans 10:9

                You must be willing to turn from your sin and accept God’s will for you.

                Have you confessed that Jesus is Christ? If not, I urge you to do it now. God is calling out to you and the time is near for his second coming. No one knows the exact time so be prepared!