May-03-24 | Daily Devotions

Christ’s Example of Humility

5/03/24So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ²complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,^[a] ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,^[b] ⁷but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,^[c] being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11) ESV

The Name of Jesus

A compilation

2022-11-01

The name of Jesus is the most powerful name there is. God gave Jesus the “name that is above every name.”¹ Why is this name so powerful? It is because of the sacrifice He made—through living a perfect life, dying a sinner’s death, and being resurrected. Jesus made a way for all of humanity to be saved and made right with God: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”²

The literal name “Jesus” is not inherently powerful; it is powerful because of Jesus Christ, the person, God incarnate, who made a way for our salvation. When we talk about the name of Jesus, we are talking about Jesus Himself, His character and the things He does.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God gave Him the most powerful name there is. Philippians 2:8–11 says: “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The name of Jesus compels us to worship Him and bring glory to God. Each person will one day come face to face with Jesus and will confess that He is Lord.

It requires faith to believe in the power of Jesus’ name.³ Without faith, His name will not be powerful. With faith, the name of Jesus is the most powerful name there is. We are instructed in the Bible to pray in the name of Jesus and with His authority.⁴ In John 14:14, Jesus says: “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”⁵ …

As believers, we are fully convinced of the power within the name of Jesus. When we pray, we have the power of Jesus at work within us. Our lives as Christians are lived from a place of acknowledging the power in Jesus’ name: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”⁶

The powerful name of Jesus makes it possible for all people to be saved, healed, and delivered. Psalm 115:1 reminds us: “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”—CompellingTruth.org⁷

In the name of Jesus

There are several verses in the Bible where Jesus says, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” or “Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He will give it you.”⁸ Jesus told His disciples to pray in His name.

But since Jesus also said, “I and My Father are One,”⁹ what does praying “in His name” mean? It means that we have the right to come to the Father through Jesus and because of what He’s done for us.

If you are born again, you are coming to the Father in Jesus’ right, in His name. We are able to approach God in Jesus’ name because the Lord has already given us the invitation. Jesus has already invited us to pray to Him, to come to the Father in His name, because they are One. In other words, we already have that relationship with Jesus, and every time we pray, we are coming before the Father in His name. It’s not merely a formality depending on certain words, but it’s the personal relationship with Him that counts.

There’s a verse about Jesus in Isaiah that says, “And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”¹⁰ There are a lot of other names that are used in the Old and the New Testament: Lord, Christ, Messiah, Emmanuel, Son of Man, Son of God, Son of David, the Word, the Lamb of God.¹¹ Although Jesus has many names or titles—the Way, Love, Peace, Truth, Life, Light—and although He is all of those things and they in a sense are some of His names, the Bible tells us that we can call specifically on the name of Jesus.

The disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and He gave them the Lord’s Prayer, which is considered the prayer that Jesus gave not only to those disciples, but to Christians down through the ages.¹² The disciples already knew Jesus personally, and that certainly wasn’t the only time He taught them to pray. The verses about praying in His name were from times that He was teaching His disciples how to pray. Those who know Jesus and have accepted Him as their Savior can pray in His name, and in His authority and what His name represents.

Jesus said, “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.”¹³ And “there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”¹⁴ We can’t even come to the Father except through Jesus. We have no right to come to the Father except through Jesus!

When you truly come to know Jesus and understand who He is and what He has done for us, you want to pray in His name—the name of Jesus.—David Brandt Berg

Significance of the name

If ever a name was packed with significance, it is the name Jesus. Scripture says Jesus has been given “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”¹⁵ Why is our Lord’s name so powerful? What does the name Jesus mean?

The name Jesus, announced to Joseph and Mary through the angels,¹⁶ means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.”… The meaning of Jesus’ name—“Yahweh saves”—reveals His mission (to save and deliver) and His identity as Savior of the world. …

The name of Jesus is important because of its meaning and because of whom it represents. There is power and authority in the person of Christ Jesus, and, of course, the person is designated by the name. More so than with other names, we associate the name of Jesus with His distinctive character, quality, and work, as seen in the following biblical truths:

Salvation is in the name of Jesus alone: “Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”¹⁷

Forgiveness of sins is received through the name of Jesus: “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”¹⁸

Believers are baptized in the name of Jesus: “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”¹⁹ …

Jesus teaches believers to pray in His name; that is, to pray, in His authority, the type of prayer that He would pray: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”²⁰ …

In the Bible, when people spoke or acted in the name of Jesus, they did so as the Lord’s representatives with His authority. The very life of the believer is to be lived in the name of Jesus ²¹ and by doing so bring glory to God: “We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”²²—GotQuestions.org²³

All in the Name

I recently read an article about how the sound of certain words can affect our emotions. Unsurprisingly, words like accept, bountiful, embrace, glow, humor, laugh, play left the subjects feeling positive. In the same way, hearing the name of a loved one can make us feel happy.

When I hear “Jesus,” I can’t help but smile. The mere sound of His name brings up everything that He is—my closest friend, an ever-present guide and conscience, the source of my strength, and a true confidant who knows even my innermost fears, hopes, and thoughts.

The Bible encourages us to pray about everything.²⁴ I try to take that advice quite literally, and as a result, Jesus becomes a part of every bit of my life.

A few days ago, I was mulling over an important personal decision. Whatever I decided would be irrevocable and have long-lasting consequences. I felt the pressure and responsibility growing. As I was trying to come to a conclusion, I suddenly heard a voice inside me say, Why worry? Jesus is here! The sound of His name changed my entire perspective. I remembered that Jesus wanted to help me decide, and that if I asked Him, I could trust that He would guide me on the right path.

I was reminded of a childhood song that says, “There is power in the name of Jesus.” As I’ve grown up, I’ve realized how true this is. Jesus’ name carries His unique purpose within it. “Jesus,” meaning “God with us,” reflects His identity, His divinity, His purpose as our Savior.

And that’s why His name is so precious. Jesus—it’s all in the name!—Sukanya Kumar-Sinya

Published on Anchor November 2022. Read by John Laurence.
Music by Michael Dooley.

¹ Philippians 2:9.

² Romans 10:13; see also Acts 4:12.

³ Hebrews 11:6.

⁴ John 16:23–24.

⁵ See also 1 John 5:13–15.

⁶ Colossians 3:17.

⁷ https://www.compellingtruth.org/power-in-the-name-of-Jesus.html.

⁸ John 14:14; 15:16.

⁹ John 10:30.

¹⁰ Isaiah 9:6.

¹¹ See Genesis 18:14; Matthew 16:16; John 1:41; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 8:20, 2:15, 1:1; Revelation 19:13; John 1:29.

¹² Matthew 6:9–13.

¹³ John 14:6.

¹⁴ 1 Timothy 2:5.

¹⁵ Philippians 2:9–10 CSB.

¹⁶ Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31.

¹⁷ Acts 4:11–12.

¹⁸ Acts 10:43; see also 22:16.

¹⁹ Acts 2:38.

²⁰ John 14:13–14; see also 15:16; 16:23–24.

²¹ Colossians 3:17.

²² 2 Thessalonians 1:12.

²³ https://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-name-Jesus.html.

²⁴ 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

The 144,000 of Israel Sealed

5/02/24After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. ²Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, ³saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

9 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.^[a] ²He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. ³Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. ⁴They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
(Rev.7:1-3, 9:1-4) ESV

13 – In Conclusion

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

There is a lot in Daniel’s short book. There are amazing accounts of triumph from trial and deliverance from execution. Daniel and his three companions refused to compromise their convictions, and even though that kind of stand could have cost them their lives, it ended up ensuring their protection and elevation to the very top in the administration of foreign empires. Kings trembled in awe before them and made them their counselors and confidants. If all this book contained were these accounts, it would still be one of the Bible’s most read and loved books.

But there is much more. It is the Old Testament’s single most prophetic look into the future. It contains amazingly accurate predictions of events that were to follow its writing, events now fulfilled to the letter, which we now can only sit back and marvel at. They are so accurately fulfilled that skeptics, in order to debunk them, claim that the predictions post-dated the events. They can’t deny the accuracy, so they snipe at the delivery.

Yet it is not the fulfilled prophecy that is the greatest thing in this book. It is the prophetic predictions of the soon-to-be-upon-us future, the Endtime, that are its greatest gift to us. For by them we are forewarned and forearmed and at least somewhat prepared to face those coming days with faith instead of fear. Being aware of what is occurring and knowing what their outcome is and how long they take can give us faith to endure. They will be momentous days, and the Antichrist will be a dreadful and demonic tyrant who will do his damnedest to destroy all believers and lovers of the one true God.—Not to mention the war and havoc he will wreak on the world.

Yet his doom is sure. He and his puppet master, Satan, are destined for calamity and defeat. We can rest assured that even if at times it looks like they are the sure winners, they are nothing but the ultimate and foreordained losers. And even when it looks like we are losing, we are the sure winners because it has been written in God’s book that we are. For we are on the side of the One Who cannot lose, the God of love Who is also the unbeatable God of gods and Lord of lords.

The events of the future covered in this book might sound frightening to some, and understandably so. They will be dark days for the world, but we who believe in and love Jesus, and do our best to serve Him, have His special protection. The book of Revelation states that the servants of God are sealed and that at least some of the calamities and plagues of the Tribulation only affect those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (Revelation 7:3; 9:4).

Furthermore, we must remember that Jesus has a vested interest in preserving us. He wants us to reach others with His love and truth, and so if we are doing what we can in that respect, then we can be assured that He is doing His part to protect us. Daniel wrote that those “that know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32). You may not feel capable of that right now, but He gives power for the hour, usually when you need it and not before.

Christians have endured many hard times before. But the end result has always been a victorious one for Christianity. It is in time of trial that Jesus has the greatest opportunity to show His power. The accounts in Daniel of his and his companions’ deliverances from danger are not just for us to enjoy reading. That same power will be put to use on our behalf by the same God who protected and prospered them. You might not feel you have the same courage or faith to face dangers like they did, but you do. It is not our strength that will save us but God’s. He doesn’t expect us to be fearless, but He will make us fearless and bold and triumphant as we call out to Him to come to our aid. His Word says, “’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5–6).

I pray that this book leaves you with your faith strengthened. We have nothing to fear. Even if there are some dark days ahead, those days are numbered. And after that, those who believe in Jesus and His atonement have only the brightest of futures—everlasting and filled with joy and happiness—to look forward to.
I look forward to seeing you all there!

The Seventy Weeks

5/01/24“Seventy weeks^[c] are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. (Daniel 9:24)

Daniel 9: The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

David Brandt Berg

The Captivity

Daniel was in Babylon at this time, because the Jews were taken captive after the fall of Jerusalem. Jerusalem had fallen and risen again a few times before to this conqueror or that, and Northern Israel had been conquered, but in 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar had his army tear down the walls, wreck the city, and destroy the temple completely.

God had predicted their captivity and return through the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10). Jeremiah, by the word of the Lord, predicted they would be in captivity 70 years. They couldn’t go home; they weren’t allowed to leave. They were captives in that sense of the word. They couldn’t leave Babylon, and later Medo-Persia, until Cyrus came along, whom God had predicted years before, even his name, that he would let them go back home (Isaiah 44:28; 45:4,13).

As long as they couldn’t go home, they considered themselves captives, even though they were allowed to live in their own cities and farm and ply their own trades. They were even given land and cities. God was still merciful and good to them. But of course it was a great sadness and sorrow to them, and they sang songs of weeping under the willow trees along the banks of the river, and they hung their harps on the boughs of the trees. They didn’t even want to play their guitars because they were so sad, because they were a thousand miles from home. That was a long way in those days when you usually had to walk or ride a camel (Psalm 137).

Finally Cyrus decided to let them go, by the will of God, a fulfillment of prophecy. They were released in 516 BC by Cyrus, after exactly 70 years just like the Lord had told the prophet.

Daniel understood the prophecy of Jeremiah. “I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:2). He understood from what Jeremiah had said that it meant 70 years. He was interpreting prophecy and predicting when they were going to be released, because he was understanding the number of the years and days so that he could encourage and assure the Jews that they were going to be released soon.

(Verse 20:) “And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God …” He probably meant Jerusalem, because the Scripture often speaks of the holy mountain. While Daniel was confessing Israel’s sins, the Lord loved him so much that He sent him the archangel Gabriel. He was the annunciation angel, who announced to Mary that she was going to have the Messiah.

“Whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation (Daniel 9:21). Gabriel came while he was still speaking in prayer. Daniel calls him a man. He looked like a man to Daniel, but he knew he was spiritual. “He touched me about the time of the evening oblation,” the evening offering. Daniel was a long way from Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed, the altar gone, and sacrificial offerings were no more, but it was still about the time they used to offer them, and Daniel was praying.

“And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved” (verses 22–23).

God did try to help him understand, but a lot of this, the Lord told him, wasn’t for him to understand. God was predicting it thousands of years before it ever happened, and Daniel didn’t have to understand. But he had to put it on the record so that we would understand when the time comes. “Therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision” (v. 23).

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people” (v. 24). It would have been far better if the original King James translators had translated the word “weeks” into “seventy sevens.” The Hebrew word shabua means “seven.” Because there are seven days of the week, the word was used interchangeably for the figure seven or for the weeks of the month. The King James translators didn’t catch on that He wasn’t talking about weeks of the month, but He was talking about sevens; not only sevens, but sevens of years—490 years. If you try to say these are weeks, it would come out just over a year later, and none of this happened in that time, so you can’t interpret it that way.

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” We have found out by actual history that the Lord Himself, Jesus, exactly 483 years after this prophecy began to be fulfilled, was crucified and died for the sins of others. Then what is he talking about here, 483 years and seven years more?

“To make an end of sins.” I’ve heard preachers and Bible teachers explain that this was all fulfilled at the death of Jesus. Was it really? Did that bring an end of sin? If so, what’s this hell all over the world I read about in the paper every day?

“To make reconciliation for iniquity.” Within that period, Jesus made reconciliation, but not everybody’s reconciled yet. “To bring in everlasting righteousness.” Jesus at His death brought everlasting righteousness to some, but there sure is an awful lot going on that is not righteous. So if it’s talking about ever since Jesus, it doesn’t look to me like the picture was very well fulfilled.

“To seal up the vision and prophecy.” To fulfill it, completely finish it, the whole 490 years, the complete end. “And to anoint the most Holy.” Who’s the most Holy? It’s talking about Jesus, of course. In fact, Yeshua ha Messiah, or the word “Christ” in Greek, literally means “the anointed one” or “the Messiah.” He was anointed in a sense spiritually to be King of kings, Lord of lords, by God the Father before the world began.

But when is it going to happen? Did it happen at His crucifixion? Did He become King of kings then? He became King of kings before the Creation, but that is in the Spirit and the mind of God, and the future is already settled. All that is predicted about the 490 years is only partially fulfilled, spiritually fulfilled in the spiritual kingdom of God in us on earth now. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). It certainly wasn’t outside in the Roman Empire.

When is this going to be fulfilled? At the Second Coming when He takes over the world as King of kings, to be anointed the Most Holy and bring in everlasting righteousness.? It isn’t completely fulfilled at the Second Coming. He only rescues some of the people at the Second Coming, and He doesn’t take over the world. In fact, it’s hell on earth after that, as the world reaps the judgments and the Wrath of God after that.

This is not completely fulfilled both spiritually and literally until the Millennium at the end of the Battle of Armageddon, when the King of kings takes over His kingdom and gives it to you. Isn’t that marvelous! We’re always talking about God’s kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God on earth and kingdom of Jesus Christ, the King of kings, etc., but it’s not only His kingdom. He gives it to the saints, the holy people of the Most High—you! (Daniel 7:22, 27).

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Hallelujah!

Foretelling of the Messiah’s Coming

(Daniel 9:25:) “Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince,” Jesus, “shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” The seven weeks was the 49 years it took them to rebuild the city and the wall. And from then on, it was three score and two weeks, 62 sevens from then until the coming of the Messiah. A total of 69 weeks or 483 years, which is exactly what it was from the edict of Ahasuerus, which permitted them to rebuild the city, to the crucifixion of Jesus.

Cyrus had told them they could rebuild the temple, but Ahasuerus told them they could rebuild the city, including the wall (Ezra 7:11–23), which the other emperors had refused because they were afraid the Jews might rebel again. But as long as the walls were down flat, they knew they couldn’t defend themselves. They weren’t allowed to rebuild the city or the wall until King Artaxerxes, also called Ahasuerus, issued the commandment. He was the husband of Esther, so apparently Esther must have persuaded him to finally let the people go home and rebuild their city and wall.

It was very important to them, this rebuilding of the city and the wall for their self-defense, so the Lord is foretelling the future and predicting that it is going to take them 49 years to rebuild the city and the wall. And then after that, it will be another 62 times seven, or a total of 69 sevens, which is 483 years until the crucifixion of Christ.

He issued that decree in 453 BC. Jesus was 33 years old when He died, and He was born in 4 BC, so He died in 30 AD. He was in His 33rd year when He was crucified. According to most Bible scholars and historians, they actually set the date for the proclamation or edict within the year of 453. Some scholars have said 454, so you can’t go by exact, certain days of the year or even months in this case. I think it suffices to say that it was close enough that it was exactly 483 years later, or within the 483rd year. I think that’s pretty good prophecy, that it was that close, no matter how you figure it.

Don’t try to get so technical and split hairs; don’t try to pin things down to try to be exact about some things except where the Bible gives you the exact amount of actual days. When it just gives you a general figure of years, a lot depends on what time in the year it happened, what time in the year it was fulfilled and how long the months are. This prediction was that accurate, that whenever the edict was made, it was about 483 years later when Jesus was crucified, because that’s what happened.

(Verse 26:) “And after the threescore and two weeks”—after the threescore and two sevens of years, that is, meaning that last period of 434 years—“shall Messiah be cut off. But not for Himself.” He was cut off for us.

“And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” First it talks about the prince that shall come. “And the people”—the Romans. What a prophecy!

We do know what people came later after the temple was rebuilt and the city and the wall were rebuilt, who completely destroyed and flattened the city and the temple and the works. The Romans, the people, the armies of Emperor Vespasian, under General Titus, came and destroyed the city.

“And the end thereof shall be with a flood.” Ever since then, it has suffered nothing but floods of trouble, wars and desolations. In fact, they have never rebuilt the temple since the Romans destroyed it. Ever since the people that destroyed the city, there has been exactly what he predicted here: floods of trouble, desolation, and war. Jerusalem has known very little peace. In fact, at that time the Romans drove most of the Jews out of Israel, killed millions of them and drove out the rest, and they were scattered all over the world, called the great Diaspora, or the Dispersion.

It says “the people of the prince that shall come … and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” (seven of years). So this “prince that shall come” is not talking about one of the Caesars, not about Vespasian or any of those that succeeded him. The prince that shall come is referring to the Antichrist, because we know that he’s the one that shall confirm the covenant with many for seven years. He makes the covenant for seven years. He promises they’ll have religious freedom and rebuild their temple.

Who were the people of the prince that shall come? The Romans. So once again in the mind of God and in the Scripture, the Roman Empire extends all the way from old Rome to the present, and clear up to the Antichrist, and he is the final revival of the old Roman Empire and its final emperor. His horn sprouts out of the head of the Roman beast, along with ten other kings, three of whom he overthrows. The old Roman Empire covered Europe and some of the Mideast, but mostly it was Europe. So the kings or kingdoms today which are literally a revival of the old empire of Rome are the nations of Europe.

He is going to arise out of the extension of the old Roman Empire. The old Roman Empire still exists today in Europe, and one king is yet to come, “the prince that shall come.” And when he comes he’s going to “confirm the covenant with many for one week.”

(Verse 27:) “And in the midst of the seven years he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.” At first he encourages it to restart, and even lets them rebuild their temple. They’ve got to have the temple; they’ve got to have the altar to have sacrifices.

The Seventieth Week

We have dealt with about 483 years, 69 weeks, from the issuing of the edict up to the death of Jesus. What happened to the 70th week? How come God left that hanging until the very end, the very last seven years of world history? Why did He divide the 70th week from the 69? Why has there been nearly 2,000 years since the 69th week to the 70th week?

This big gap is between the time they killed their King and therefore God was through with them as a nation, until the time they are restored as a nation and guaranteed peace and are building the temple.

When they killed Jesus, Israel, in the sight of God, ceased to be Israel. It ceased to be His people, it ceased to be His country, a nation in the eyes of God. But the false messiah comes along and literally re-creates Israel into a world power with security, guarantees, covenant, promises, restoration of the temple and resumption of sacrifices. Israel has never been fully restored. Even though they declared their independence in 1948, they will not consider themselves fully restored until they have the temple and sacrificial services are resumed.

It is as though God suspended Israel’s history when they killed His Son, and He’s not going to allow it to be restored until the very end of the world, man’s world. Their real King was crucified at the end of God’s history for Israel as far as He’s concerned, but He allows them to restore themselves to full power under the Antichrist in the last seven years. Israel will not be fully restored as a nation to full power and religion, including the temple and the sacrifices, until the Antichrist comes into power. That’s the seventieth week, the last seven years of Israel’s history and the last seven years.

(Verse 27:) “And in the midst of the seven years he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” As far as God’s concerned, they are going to be desolate at the end of the Antichrist reign; in fact, through the last half of it unto the end.

Life in the Spirit

4/30/24 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.^[a] ²For the law of the Spirit of life has set you^[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,^[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus^[d] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:1-11) ESV

You Can, You Can, You Can!

Encouragement for someone who was feeling washed up and out of date

Words from Jesus

2012-08-23

With Me, your age doesn’t matter. With Me there is newness and expansion. With Me you can begin again and again, and you can truly rise above.

I know that when you take a look at your life and the way you are, the habits you’ve formed, your negative and bad reactions, the things about yourself and your actions that you don’t like, you think, “What’s the use? I’m stuck in certain personal habits. This is the way I’m always going to be. I can’t change in all these little areas that have been part of me and my nature for so long.”

But this is where I come in, because I have given you the power to overcome.¹ You have access to My power at any time you need it. It’s part of My free gift to you, and you can claim it as yours. All it takes is your exercising more faith.

I know that it’s harder for you and more of a test of your faith to believe Me for the little areas, habits, and less-than-trustful reactions in your life than the bigger areas. I have helped you in some major areas, but these little areas still loom in front of you—the areas in which you’re not full of faith, and where you have a hard time rising above the circumstances.

But I want to challenge you to believe Me for these so-called smaller areas. I challenge you to call Me to help you to change in these parts of your nature that you don’t like, these habits and parts of your nature that cause you to be easily irritated and bugged over little things, that cause you to be easily on edge and stressed, that cause you to crumple under any sort of pressure. You hate these things about yourself and desperately want to change in these areas and to be able to rise above these small things. But you have lacked the faith that I can change you, that I can help you rise above your normal, inborn reactions. Remember that whatever age you are, whatever you’ve been through, you can begin again, you can rise above.

I want to give you a personalized list of the enemies in your life that pull you down and hold you back from rising above. One by one, I promise to help you cut down these enemies, if you’ll call on Me and give Me your faith and your willingness and desire to change and to be made anew.

Enemy One: Complaining and negativity. Strive to adopt the attitude on every occasion and at every instance in which you’re tested that “in whatsoever state I am, therewith I will be content.”² Put on a spirit of faith and trust, knowing that I am ultimately in control, and no matter what happens, I have the power to turn your circumstances into good for you.

Pray the spirit of contentment into every area of your life. This will make a huge difference in your level of faith, not to mention the facial expression of the new you!

Enemy Two: Criticalness. Fight the attitude of, “Well, I’m doing okay, but look at so-and-so.” Fight to look at others with faith and with the eyes of My love. Beware of criticalness, even in small matters. Trust Me that I am working in each person’s life in the way and with the timing I know to be best.

Enemy Three: Rigidity and dogmatism. It’s a natural tendency to settle into deep, unchanging habits over time, whether in your behavior, reactions, personal habits, pet peeves and preferences, or even in the way you look at life and others. These are ruts that can become hard to climb out of, because you can see them as a part of you that is impossible to change. But with Me, all things are possible.

Enemy Four: The impulse to say, “I can’t!” and “It can’t be done!” You must resist the “it’s impossible” reactions. Remember that I’m working through you and with you, and the power to change lies in My power. All I ask is that you give yourself to Me and say, “Jesus, I want to change, I need to change, and I’m willing to make the sacrifices involved in bringing that change to pass.” When you say, “I can’t,” it means that your thinking is centered on yourself and your circumstances rather than on Me. Exercise the weapon of faith against this enemy.

Enemy Five: The temptation to seek the easy way out, to not challenge yourself. The way to change this is to live more in Me and My Word, to love Me with all of your heart and soul, and to ardently seek after those times that we share together. Seek to love Me more and to take on My nature more and more. I am the antidote to spiritual degeneration in your life, and being with Me will give you back the glowing newness of one who is in love with her First Love and desirous of becoming all that I want and know you can become.

Enemy Six: Dullness and pessimism. Have you stopped expecting miracles? Has it been a long time since you felt your heart leap with joy over some new spiritual truth—or since you did the unusual or offbeat thing, just out of sheer joy and happiness at being one of My disciples? If it has been a long time, then allow Me to surprise you, to thrill you, and to manifest My ability and power to regenerate and change you and give you even more zest and fervor for life and living than you had in your earlier years! Grab ahold of enthusiasm and optimism as opposed to your natural tendency to be a “realist” on all occasions.

Enthusiasm for life and for all I’m doing comes from living more in Me. Enthusiasm is the rainbow atop faith’s sky; it puts a new positive light on things. So strive for the spirit of enthusiasm. That doesn’t mean you won’t stumble and fall sometimes, but an enthusiast “falls forward.”

My resurrection life within you is more actual energy than you’ve probably ever realized or utilized. You have the Spirit of My Father which raised Me from the dead dwelling within you, and just as He raised Me from the dead, so can He quicken your earthen frame by His Spirit. That’s one of My wonderful truths and promises I’ve given to you, and this resurrection power that is within you through Me has given you the same power to rise above. Claim it as yours!³

Enemy Seven: Looking back. I often save the best wine for last, and with Me beside you there is always newness, growth, change, and challenges.⁴ Forget those things that are behind (your bad habits and the negative you), and reach forward to those things that are before (the new empowered you).⁵ Expect miracles! Anticipate all that I’m going to do for you and through you. Have a large vision—not a narrow one—of all that I’m going to do through you!

Recognizing these personal enemies to your faith will put you on the road to greater happiness, fulfillment, and success. You won’t be bothered or so easily irritated or stressed by external circumstances or little things that come up, by all the little nagging details of daily life that seek to pull you down, because you will be learning to truly live in Me, drawing from My internal reserves and springs of faith within you.

Originally published November 2010. Adapted and republished August 2012.
Read by Simon Peterson.

¹ 1 John 4:4, 5:4.

² Philippians 4:11.

³ Romans 8:11.

⁴ John 2:10.

⁵ Philippians 3:13.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

4/29/24 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippian1:3-6) ESV

Prayers and Miracles

By Maria Fontaine

April 10, 2024

Periodically I like to step back and take some time to review my relationship with the Lord and take stock of all that I’ve lived and learned from.

We’ve often said that looking forward to what is ahead is the way to keep going in difficult times. It provides us with a vision that motivates us. We look forward, like the many men and women of faith before us, to His coming kingdom. (See Hebrews 11.)

However, many times when we’re struggling to find something solid to hold onto, the solution can also be to look backward to the times when the Lord has brought us through challenging or seemingly impossible situations in the past. What these two approaches have in common is that we are looking to Jesus to see Him at work in everything, every moment.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His love for us doesn’t change. His care for us doesn’t ebb and flow when we stumble or fall or are beset by troubles. He remains faithful.

When we are faced with daunting circumstances, we always have a solid foundation for our faith in the fact that Jesus has brought us through every step of our life up to now. I would venture to say that we’ve all faced impossible situations where it took a miracle to bring us through. We’ve also heard about so many others who have gone through similar experiences in the Bible and throughout history. Stopping to look back and remember those times bolsters our faith that Jesus is going to keep bringing us through whatever we face, today and in the future.

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds.”—Psalm 77:11–12

Jesus has known us from the foundations of the world. He knows every detail of our lives, including whatever challenges we face right here and now and those we’ll face in the future. It would make no sense for Him to do such amazing things to keep, nurture, and teach us in the past, only to abandon us or allow us to be defeated in the present.

“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 1:6 NAB

There are many opinions about how prayer works or what technique brings about the best results, but I don’t believe that such details are where we should focus our attention, because it’s not about us, it’s about Him!

The Bible says, “The prayer of faith shall…” (James 5:15). Prayer is our hearts opening up to our Creator in faith, trusting that our Father’s love is perfect and powerful and unlimited, so that even before we call, He has answered.

“The results of prayer don’t hinge on the greatness of our faith but on the absoluteness of His love. Our faith may be like the tiny mustard seed, but it’s His love that moves mountains in response.”—Author unknown

I decided to gather some examples of how prayer and the miracles we often need go together to accomplish His highest and best purposes. Here are a few examples that inspired me, and I’ll be adding more of them in posts in the future, God willing.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

Prayers and Miracles

By Maria Fontaine

April 10, 2024

Periodically I like to step back and take some time to review my relationship with the Lord and take stock of all that I’ve lived and learned from.

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds.”—Psalm 77:11–12

“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 1:6 NAB

* * *

The boy, the dream, and the bike

A missionary couple were preparing to launch into a challenging mission field with their family. Their eight-year-old son was talking about wanting a bicycle to take to the mission field. His mother was about to explain that they didn’t have the money to buy a bicycle. However, she saw that he believed that this is what the Lord had shown him to request, so she told him, “We don’t have the money to buy a bicycle, but you can always pray!”

So, the young boy prayed. A little time went by before the parents got a call from an evangelist in another part of their country. The evangelist asked if one of their sons had been praying for a bike. The man explained that he had had a dream where one of their sons was praying for a bike. The man said that in the dream the Lord told him to send their son the funds for that bike!

This young prayer warrior stepped out to believe in prayer, and God answered. He took his new bike with him to their mission field. Everything in that little boy’s life, except his personal family, was about to change, and God wanted to let him know that he mattered and God saw him and that He is interested in the details of his life, and all our lives.

* * *

The prayer, the lens, and the ant

Something that makes Jesus so wonderful is that He not only provides the big things we need but He is always in tune with the tiniest details of our prayers.

Brenda knew the Lord, but this incident made her connection with Him all the more personal because it brought home the fact that nothing happens without the Lord knowing and caring.

Brenda had been invited to go rock climbing and was having a great time, until partway up the cliff she paused for a moment on a tiny ledge for a breather. As she hung there, the safety rope snapped and hit her face, knocking out one of her contact lenses.

Without her contact lens, she was in a dangerous situation as she was not able to see clearly where to position her feet and she was hundreds of feet up in the air. She prayed desperately, claiming that the Lord knew every rock and leaf on these mountains and she knew that He could help her to find the contact lens. She searched the tiny ledge, but she couldn’t find the contact lens.

Her climbing team helped her to finally reach the top of the cliff. They carefully examined her gear and her hair, but there was no sign of the contact lens. As they took the path back to the bottom, another team of climbers was starting up the cliff when a voice shouted to them, “Hey, did anybody lose a contact lens?”

That would have been amazing enough, but the reason the other climbers found her contact lens was that they saw this strange sight: An ant was moving across the face of a big rock carrying a contact lens!

When Brenda told her father, who is a cartoonist, about the story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging this contact lens on its back with the words under it, “Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it and it’s awfully heavy, but if this is what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for You today.”¹

“Prayer is the impetus for the miracle. Nothing that a man may possess, however great his physical prowess or how colossal his intellect, is greater than his prayer life. Man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, but when a man prays, it means that his soul is hungry for God!”—Leonard Ravenhill

“Nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer without God’s ordering and permission. There is no such thing as ‘chance,’ ‘luck,’ or ‘accident’ in the Christian’s journey through this world.”—J.C. Ryle

Note to reader, regarding the above quote: The term “ordering” has several meanings, both in the Bible and in our dictionaries. In this situation, its meaning refers to God “ordering” or putting the events of our lives in proper sequence or timing. “The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey” (Psalm 37:23 BSB). It’s saying that nothing happens without God’s permission and in the order and timing that He knows is best to accomplish His loving purpose in our lives.

* * *

God’s purpose and the desires of our heart

As with many famous people, the stories about events in their lives may vary from one telling to another. But even when we can’t determine which details are the most accurate ones, they still can reflect characteristics or qualities which they were known for, and they can make good illustrations of godly principles.

One such story is told about Abraham Lincoln (16th American president, 1809–1865). There are a number of similar accounts of this event, but they vary in the details. As this information was compiled from a number of sites, I cannot credit this to any one site. Overall, the accounts painted a compelling example to me of how prayer and the Lord’s love and compassion, exercised toward others, can help us to find the Lord’s calling that He has placed on our hearts.

As the story goes, Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks, was known to be a Christian with a strong prayer life. Of her, Lincoln said, “I remember her prayers, and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”

His life began in poverty, and though his passion was to study law, he’d been unable to afford to do so. Together with a friend he had opened a small general store in little more than a tent on a wooden platform. His hope had been that their business could help him raise the money needed to buy a particular book called Blackstone’s Commentary on English Law, considered to be the standard authority on law at the time. With that, he could begin to fulfill his heart’s desire.

But the business had failed, and they were in debt. All they had left, once everything was settled, was fifty cents (approximately $30 in today’s dollars).

As he stood on the porch of the failed store, an odd-looking wagon pulled up in front of them. The couple in the wagon were desperately poor and they had decided to go out west to try to start a new life. The man had only one good barrel left and said that if he could sell it for fifty cents, then they could reach their destination.

The wife looked so emaciated that Lincoln had pity on them and took out the last fifty cents he had and bought the barrel. His partner was angry with him for essentially giving away the last money they had, since they had no need of a barrel. But later that evening Lincoln noticed that the barrel was a little heavier than it should have been, and when he reached into the barrel, he found that something was in it. It was the book, Blackstone’s Commentary on English Law!

Lincoln held the book and looked up to heaven. He said that at that moment he realized that God had something more planned for his life.

We’re often tested in a similar way when everything seems to be going wrong and we feel that the circumstances we find ourselves in seem out of our control. In such times, we can worry and stress, or we can stop and remind ourselves that God is sovereign, and that whatever we face, He will cause it to work together for our good as we bring it to Him in prayer. (See Romans 8:28.)

Jesus knows the complete picture and takes everything into account. He knows what’s best. As we stop to look at our past and the pasts of countless other men and women of faith, and we reflect on the unfathomable love that is woven throughout God’s personalized care for each of His children, this can help to reinforce our faith, challenge us to believe, motivate us to overcome fear, stir our hearts to stand strong, and give us the determination to get back on our feet and carry on the fight.

¹ Adapted from a story by an unknown author, posted on numerous sites, including https://www.godsotherways.com/stories/2020/3/25/do-the-next-thing-4baw5-8faz4-8858t-9sdzk-7e82s-aytj5

1 Corinthians: Chapter 1 (verses 4-16)

By Peter Amsterdam

February 27, 2024

Having opened his letter to the Corinthians by presenting his credentials—that he was an apostle of Christ Jesus through God’s will—and complimenting the Corinthian believers as being called to be saints alongside all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul then extends thanksgiving to God for the Corinthian believers.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.¹

From his long introduction (verses 1–3), Paul moves on to thanking God for those to whom he is writing. His use of always reminds the readers that Paul has an ongoing concern for the Corinthian church. He is likely trying to make it clear that he prays for them every time he prays. Elsewhere in his writings Paul also expresses the depths of his prayers for the churches.² Because Paul is writing to members of God’s church, it is God who is thanked for the grace He has shown to them. Paul stresses that their gifts come from God and Christ, who are to be thanked for such riches.

…because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge.³

These clauses give two reasons for Paul’s thanksgiving. The first is expressed as because of the grace; the second (5a) begins with the word “that,” which can also mean “because.”

God is thanked because this grace was given “in Christ Jesus.” This grace was received as the Corinthian believers were identified with Christ and came to find themselves represented by Him, as part of His community.

Verse 5 further explains the content of the grace. God’s grace meant that they were made rich in every way “in him,” meaning in Christ.

The phrasing “you were enriched” suggests that it happened at a time prior to Paul’s letter. It didn’t mean that they were no longer rich, but it may have been a reminder to the Corinthians that the gifts they had did not come to them recently, nor did they come and go depending on their spiritual maturity. Paul speaks of God’s grace as “riches” and “treasure” in various places, and he always expresses thankfulness and amazement at what God does for His people and provides for them “in Christ.” As the Corinthians were tempted to boast about their gifts, Paul pointed them to their source—God—and noted that these gifts are riches of His grace.

This passage also amplifies the nature of the riches Paul was drawing attention to: they were enriched “in all speech” and “in all knowledge.” It’s likely that he was referring to the gifts of “speech” and “knowledge,” spiritual gifts which he mentions later in a positive light (verses 12:8, 14:2–19). These two gifts were prominent in the church and were therefore singled out for mention. Paul’s drawing attention to them at this point in his letter and thanking God for them will remind the Corinthians later that Paul’s problem with their “knowledge” has to do with the way they use the gift and let it function in their community, rather than with the gift itself.

…even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you.⁴

Paul is speaking to the whole community of believers in Corinth. It was in the confirming of the gospel, the testimony of Christ, that God poured out the riches of His gifts upon them.

…so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.⁵

As part of Paul’s thanksgiving, he is reminding the believers that they were made rich in Christ, which resulted in their not lacking in any “grace-gift.” Paul further qualifies this with a reminder of the age in which Christians live. It’s a time of waiting for Christ’s glorious coming, the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. The gifts were given to help the church live rightly until the time they will see Him “face to face.” Paul wants to remind Christians of the goal ahead of them, and that God guarantees their arrival.

…who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.⁶

God’s grace, which Paul gives thanks for, is that the Corinthians have been called by God, given great riches in Christ, and God will ensure that they will be found “not guilty” on the day of the Lord. At that time, the Corinthian Christians will be guiltless. By God’s grace, through Christ, they will be free of any charge when Christ returns to judge.

The term day of our Lord is drawn from the Old Testament. The prophets spoke about the day of the Lord with apprehension.

“Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’ For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.”⁷

Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.⁸

In this portion of Paul’s letter, he has focused on God’s grace in Christ for the Corinthian Christians. Though they have their faults, Paul thanks God that He has been giving them grace for the present age.

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.⁹

This final verse of Paul’s thanksgiving section of the letter provides both a summary of his greeting to the Corinthians and a connection to what is to follow. Paul begins by affirming God’s faithfulness. The faithfulness of God is expressed throughout the Old Testament. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.¹⁰ The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.¹¹ We also find the phrase “the Holy One of Israel is faithful” in Isaiah 49:7.

God’s people are “called” or “chosen” by Him, and He promises to be faithful to them. Through His prophets, God warns His people of the dangers of sin, but He always does so in faithfulness to His promises.

Paul ends this section by referring to Jesus with a longer title, “Jesus Christ our Lord.” When He returns, judgment will take place, but those who are His will not be found guilty. Christ is the source of grace, and those who are in His covenant community will be recipients of His riches, now and in the future.

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.¹²

Paul now addresses his first concern. He does so with the authority of an apostle. He expects to be listened to and followed by the Corinthians. However, he also addresses them lovingly, calling them brothers and sisters. Later in the text he asks them to consider him and other leaders as “servants of Christ” (4:1). He appeals to them as my beloved children (4:14) and as their father in Christ (4:15). Even though the matters he addresses are serious ones, we can see his appeal is rooted in his deep love for his “family” in God.

Paul appeals for them to agree, so that there will be no divisions among them. The Corinthians had been quarreling and were divided, which had become a serious matter. However, though they were divided, they were still together as a church. Paul was urging them to agree with one another and to restore fellowship. He wanted there to be harmony and agreement among them. He wanted them to have the same “mind,” the same outlook on things. Having Christ’s mind and following His attention and purpose is what brings true unity.

For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.¹³

Paul had spoken of their problems, and here he explains where his knowledge of the quarreling came from. Chloe was probably a believer who lived either in Corinth or Ephesus. We don’t know anything more about her, as this is the only mention of her. However, we can assume that she was a woman of some wealth who had servants she was able to send between Corinth and Ephesus. She may have hosted and cared for a church based in her home. So she likely would have been concerned about matters within the church and therefore covered the expense of sending a delegation to Paul to ask for his advice and assistance. The news that Paul received from Chloe’s people was serious and resulted in his letter to the Corinthians.

What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”¹⁴

Paul addresses the issue that the believers are supporting individual church leaders and claiming that they have a relationship with, or support, a particular leader. It seems that groups are identifying themselves by the leader’s name: “of Paul, of Apollos…”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?¹⁵

Normally the response to the question “Is Christ divided?” would be no, but in this instance, the answer would be yes.

Paul continues to focus on the absurdity of these splits. The next two questions, Was Paul crucified for you? and Were you baptized in the name of Paul? both expect the answer “no.” Of course Paul was not crucified for the sins of believers. Of course they were not baptized into Paul’s name. He reminds the Corinthians that the defining event for Christians, and for the existence of the church, was the death of Christ. Throughout his writings Paul elaborates upon the death of Christ “for us.” As Jesus died on the cross, He represented all His people, and in the sacrifice of His life for the sins of His people, He took upon Himself the judgment they deserved. As He was crucified, He alone is the redeemer, the sacrifice, and the head of the church.

Paul clearly states that neither he nor any other church leaders matter. Baptism shows that there is one Lord to follow and indicates to whom Christians belong. Christ alone is king, and all others are His servants. Faith does not rest in human leaders and their wisdom, but in God’s power.

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius.¹⁶

Paul briefly looks back over his time in Corinth as he continues to make the point that human leaders and personalities aren’t what counts. If they were, he might have spent more time focusing on baptizing as many as possible. However, he only baptized a few, including Crispus and Gaius. It’s likely that Crispus is the one mentioned in Acts 18:8 who was a “ruler of the synagogue” and who came to faith with his household. Gaius may be the one mentioned in Romans 16:23, since Paul probably wrote that letter from Corinth. If so, Gaius seems to have been a person of some wealth, as he hosted Paul and the church.

…so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.¹⁷

The reason Paul hadn’t baptized anyone other than Crispus and Gaius is likely because from an early time, the apostles and evangelists delegated baptism to the local overseers or leaders in churches. A few verses later, Paul states that his calling is to preach the gospel.

(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)¹⁸

Paul then remembers that he did baptize the household of Stephanas, but doesn’t remember baptizing others. It may be that the person Paul was dictating the letter to reminded him that he had baptized Stephanas and his household. Later in this letter Paul refers to Stephanas’s household as the “firstfruits of Achaia,” which implies that he and his people or family were among the first converts in the area.

(To be continued.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ 1 Corinthians 1:4.

² Philippians 1:4, 9; Colossians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:11.

³ 1 Corinthians 1:4b–5.

⁴ 1 Corinthians 1:6.

⁵ 1 Corinthians 1:7.

⁶ 1 Corinthians 1:8.

⁷ Ezekiel 30:2–3.

⁸ Joel 2:1–2.

⁹ 1 Corinthians 1:9.

¹⁰ Deuteronomy 7:9.

¹¹ Deuteronomy 32:4. See also Exodus 34:6; Psalm 31:5, 57:3, 69:13, 71:22, 86:15, 89:8, 98:3, 145:13; Zechariah 8:8.

¹² 1 Corinthians 1:10.

¹³ 1 Corinthians 1:11.

¹⁴ 1 Corinthians 1:12.

¹⁵ 1 Corinthians 1:13.

¹⁶ 1 Corinthians 1:14.

¹⁷ 1 Corinthians 1:15.

¹⁸ 1 Corinthians 1:16.

1 Corinthians: Chapter 1 (verses 17-25)

By Peter Amsterdam

March 12, 2024

In verse 16, Paul wrote that he had baptized very few of the Corinthians while he was with them. He continued this topic in verse 17.

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.¹

This verse brings an end to the subjects Paul wrote about in the first 16 verses of this chapter and serves as a bridge into the next passage. Paul uses himself and his calling as an example, to further his argument. His calling was to preach the gospel. This didn’t mean that he never baptized new believers, but his focus was on preaching the message of Christ. This is the first use of the word gospel in this epistle. Its meaning here is to preach or to bring the good news. That was Paul’s commission, given to him by Christ.

Along with Paul’s call to preach, there was also a call as to how the message should be presented. He insists that the power of the gospel doesn’t lie in how elegantly it is presented. In fact, he states that Christ didn’t send him to preach with words of eloquent wisdom. He indicates that the way of expressing the message affects the reception of the message.

Having completed his introduction, Paul introduced the substance of his letter.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.²

After explaining how he had been called to preach in a way that would not take anything from the power of the “cross of Christ,” Paul begins to address the nature of that power, which is found in proclaiming the gospel. He also speaks about the “word of the cross,” which he states is experienced in God’s power within those who are saved. The “word of the cross” is a metaphor for the proclamation of the gospel which is found in Christ.

To be put to death on a cross was a painful and shameful way to die. In addition, because Jewish law taught that death “on a tree” meant a person was cursed, damned by God,³ Jesus having died on a cross was a cause of “stumbling” to the Jews, as Paul mentions later in this chapter. For the Jews as well as the Gentiles, the horror of crucifixion made the whole idea of preaching about someone who had been crucified, and a king at that, seem to be madness.

Paul compares the two groups of people: for one group, the word of the cross is “foolishness”; but for the other group, the word of the cross is the power of God. Through people’s reaction to Christ, who had died on a cross, God would reveal who was perishing or being saved.

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”⁴

Quoting from the book of Isaiah,⁵ Paul gives support for what he has been saying. Through the cross of Christ, God’s intention is to destroy the wisdom of the wise. Paul is quoting scripture to point out that this was always God’s intention—to destroy all wisdom that was not from God, and to bring about salvation in His way. Paul’s use of the future tense, “I will destroy,” expresses the idea that worldly wisdom, which is in opposition to God and His ways, is not just another way to look at the world, but rather is resistant to God and is to be set aside. Those possessing worldly wisdom will be destroyed, according to Isaiah’s prophecy.

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?⁶

Paul continues to point out God’s opposition to worldly wisdom by asking four questions. The first one alludes to the book of Isaiah. (1) Paul asks: Where is the one who is wise? Isaiah spoke similar words in Isaiah 19:12 to mock the Egyptian wise men who could not comprehend the ways of God. (2) Where is the scribe? The scribe might refer to a person well versed in the Mosaic law. (3) The debater of this age might refer to someone who engages in philosophical debate and discussion for its own sake.

In the fourth question, Paul asked whether God had made foolish the wisdom of the world. God had done so in the days of Isaiah by defeating the Egyptians and Assyrians. But Paul was expressing an idea broader than this. God had shown the folly of human wisdom in that human wisdom would never consider that God would allow His Son to be crucified in order to save humankind. By acting in a way that human wisdom would label “foolish,” God had frustrated human wisdom.

Paul assumes that the Christians he is writing to are following his point, and the fourth question expects the answer “yes.” God “made foolish” the wisdom of the world when Christ was crucified.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.⁷

While Paul has spoken of the “power of God” in contrast to the world’s “wisdom” (verses 18–19), now he speaks of the wisdom of God. This wisdom is spelled out in the main clause (it pleased God). It is God’s decree to save believers through the death of Christ. This is God’s wisdom, and as Paul goes on to demonstrate, it is a wisdom that is alien to the wisdom “of this age.”

Paul reminds the Corinthians that men and women have not known God through their own ways. Knowing God is not just knowing about God. It is about identifying with the Lord as the only one who can save. It’s about calling “upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”⁸ It’s about being in a relationship with God, which brings about a whole new way of seeing, a new mindset.

The term it pleased God shows that God laid out His way for people to come to salvation. He planned that people would be saved, and how this would be achieved. The idea of God being pleased, referring to His deliberate plan, is seen elsewhere in the New Testament. He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”⁹ “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”¹⁰

Those who are being saved (v. 18) are those who “are believing” (v. 21). Faith and commitment to Christ are the main issues. This requires turning away from human wisdom and having a commitment to God’s plan for salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ. In God’s plan, people will be saved. The means of this salvation is through the folly of what we preach.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom.¹¹

By referring to these two main religious divisions of the world at the time, Paul shows that no one is excluded from what he’s been saying. It’s not that some religions are closer to God than others; rather, all people everywhere have thought that they can reach God by their preferred means.

Paul states that Jews ask for “signs.” At different points in Israel’s history, God acted in their midst with powerful signs. For example, during the Exodus.¹² Also, the encounter of the people with God at Mount Sinai, as well as signs in the days of Elijah.¹³ However, instead of trusting in God and waiting for Him to operate in whatever ways He wished, the Jewish people came to see signs as proof of God’s presence. Their demanding such proofs was condemned in the Old Testament. “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.”¹⁴

“Greeks” are synonymous with “Gentiles.” Paul says that the Greeks seek wisdom, which meant that this was characteristic of their society. Wisdom was highly esteemed in the world of the Corinthians. Paul saw that while their wisdom had led to great religiosity, it resulted in ignorance of God.

…but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.¹⁵

In a world where no one, Jew or Gentile, had come to true knowledge of God, Paul says we preach Christ crucified. He now sets up a series of contrasts. The Jews and the Gentiles both end up in the place of rejecting a crucified Christ, although they get there in different ways.

For Jews, the crucified Christ is a “stumbling block.” The concept of stumbling will be an important theme later in the letter. In Paul’s day, Israel is seen to have stumbled on the stone (Christ) rather than finding salvation in Him.

In the Gentile Greek culture, where the ideal was to seek wisdom in rhetoric or religious and philosophical debate, the crucified and humiliated Christ was considered “folly” and would be rejected.

…but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.¹⁶

Those who are called have come to believe that in the crucified and risen Christ lies God’s power to transform a people who will be His forever. This wasn’t only true in Paul’s day but continues to be true today. Those who are “called” are those who “believe” (v. 21) and who are “being saved” (v. 18). This group is not distinguished by race, education, wealth, or background, for God has called all types of people, both Jews and Greeks. Those who have been called see things differently. They recognize that the crucified Christ is in fact both “the power of God” and “the wisdom of God.”

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.¹⁷

Paul rightly states that what God is and does cannot be compared to what humans might do. God turns the ways of men and women upside down, for He is wiser than can be imagined, and is able to bring His plans into effect in ways that transcend human understanding. His ways are much higher than our ways, as the heavens are higher than the earth (Isaiah 55:8–9). Nothing will obstruct Him and His good purposes for His creation.

(To be continued.)

Note

¹ 1 Corinthians 1:17.

² 1 Corinthians 1:18.

³ Deuteronomy 21:23, Galatians 3:13, 5:11.

⁴ 1 Corinthians 1:19.

⁵ Isaiah 29:14.

⁶ 1 Corinthians 1:20.

⁷ 1 Corinthians 1:21.

⁸ 1 Corinthians 1:2.

⁹ Matthew 17:5.

¹⁰ Luke 12:32.

¹¹ 1 Corinthians 1:22.

¹² Exodus 10:1, Deuteronomy 11:2–3.

¹³ 1 Kings 17–18.

¹⁴ Deuteronomy 6:16.

¹⁵ 1 Corinthians 1:23.

¹⁶ 1 Corinthians 1:24.

¹⁷ 1 Corinthians 1:25.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

4/26/24But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹envy,^[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do^[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
(Galatians 5:16-25) ESV

Virtues for Christ-Followers: Love

By Peter Amsterdam

April 16, 2024

In our study on the book of Galatians, in chapter 5, I highlighted where Paul tells the readers to “walk by the Spirit” and to “not gratify the desires of the flesh.”¹ He then proceeds to list vices and warns the Galatians—and all believers, as he has before—that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.²

Paul then goes on to contrast the “vice list” with the “virtue list,” where he enumerates the fruit of the Spirit that will be manifest in believers’ lives. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”³ We learn that these are meant to be present in the lives of believers.

These godly qualities—or virtues, as I will refer to them in this series—are the fruit of the Spirit, as opposed to the product of human strength or character. In this series we will review each of the nine virtues, including quotations and commentaries that I hope you will find motivating as we each strive to grow in these virtues and become more Christlike, so that others will see God’s Spirit shining through us and be drawn to Him. (For a more in-depth study on each of these virtues, see the More Like Jesus series.)

While there is not a particular order to these virtues, love is listed first, and in 1 Corinthians 13 we learn that “the greatest of these”—referring to faith, hope, and love—“is love.” Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”⁴

The following article illustrates the power of God’s love, and our great need for it.

The Surpassing Virtue

Nothing rivals the power of God’s love. It has the ability to heal a broken heart, repair a deep emotional wound, and mend a shattered relationship. In the end, love makes all things new. The apostle Paul understood this. He wrote, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”⁵ In other words, without the love of God in his life, he was no more than an empty tin can. The same is true for us.

On a scale of one to ten, the love of God is a ten—surpassing all other virtues in importance. Love is patient and kind—long-suffering and full of hope and encouragement. It never discourages. It always builds and refuses to tear down. It is never in a hurry. It is not forceful, demanding, or self-centered.

Love waits for God’s best, whenever and whatever that may be. It does not panic in the face of trial, defeat, or fear. It won’t grasp for human solutions but always seeks to do God’s will. Love is kind, gentle, and understanding. It acts in the best interest of others, overlooks offenses, and is extravagant when it comes to giving to others.

“It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”⁶ It waits for God to promote and exalt. It credits Him for any personal success, while acknowledging the contributions of others. It always applauds the godly gain of another and does not flaunt or taunt, but bends its knee in humility.

Love is not rude. It is polite and courteous—even to those who are ill-mannered, ill-tempered, and hurtful. True love is never self-seeking, but thinks of others first. Love is not irritated by the behavior of others. It refuses to judge, leaving that to God. It does not keep a mental record of offenses. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It meets each day with cheer and a smile. It thinks upon good things and is happy in simple obedience to God.

Paul concludes his description by writing “Love never fails,”⁷ and the love of God never will. Not only does this indicate that His love will never run out; it also means that whatever the situation, the proper response always is love. When we extend the love of God to others—especially those who have hurt and opposed us—we are set free from feelings of bitterness, anger, rejection, hostility, and unforgiveness.

Learning to love God and others the way He loves you will lead you to discover places in your heart where you would never venture on your own. One thing is for sure: when you live in the light of His love, you will come to know the intimate care of a loving heavenly Father.—Charles Stanley, The Power of God’s Love

There are two aspects to love that we are called to, as Jesus highlights in Matthew 22: love for God and love for our neighbor. Of course, they are interrelated, as our love for our neighbor is an expression of our love for God and the presence of His Spirit in our lives, since God is love. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”⁸

The love of God is portrayed throughout the Bible as a love that actively pursues us and seeks to enter into relationship with us and to draw us close to Him, as we see in the following quotes:

Christianity is not simply a religion or rules or rituals. Christianity is a relationship—and not just any relationship, but one that the Bible likens to a marriage, where there is meant to be intimacy, transparency, open communication, and shared hopes and desires. The Bible tells us, “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name,”⁹ and that we are “married to Him who was raised from the dead [Jesus], that we should bear fruit to God.”¹⁰—Ronan Keane

Our God is not patiently standing by and waiting for us to offer love; He is actively and vigorously pursuing us.… He is the father running down the trail to embrace the prodigal son even before the boy can speak his act of contrition. He is the mad farmer showering a full day’s wage on men who hadn’t even worked. He is Jesus forgiving the sinful woman even before she spoke her sorrow. He is the king lavishing a banquet on beggars. These are all symbols of a God whose love for us is so active, so strong, that by human standards He would be, at least, said to be mad.—Andrew Greeley

The overriding character trait of Jesus is love, and the entire gospel story is woven with love. Sometimes it’s not easy, and oftentimes it requires sacrifice, but it’s when we love that we are most like Jesus.—Steven Furtick

When we think about how to pattern our lives according to the biblical command to love our neighbor as ourselves, the well-loved parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 so often comes to mind. The parable was Jesus’ response to the question “Who is my neighbor?” The following quotes, starting with excerpts from an article I wrote on the parable of the Good Samaritan, express the answer to this all-important question:

When the lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” he wanted a categorical, black-and-white type of answer. But Jesus’ story showed that there is no short list limiting who you are responsible to love or who you are supposed to consider your neighbor. Jesus defined “your neighbor” as anyone in need whom God brings across your path.

Through this parable Jesus was making it clear that our neighbor is anyone in need, regardless of their race, religion, or standing in the community. There are no boundaries when it comes to whom we should show love and compassion to. Compassion goes way beyond the requirements of the law, and we are even expected to love our enemies.

The beaten men and women whom we come across in our lives may not be physically half dead by the side of the road. But so many need to feel love and compassion, to receive a helping hand, or someone willing to listen to their heart cries, so they know that they matter, that someone cares for them. If God has brought you across their path, then He may be calling you to be that person.

Jesus set the bar for love and compassion in this parable, and His closing words to you and me—the listeners of today—are “Go, and do likewise.”—Peter Amsterdam, “The Good Samaritan”

Each of us is surrounded every day by our neighbors. They’re ahead of us, behind us, on each side of us. They’re every place we go. They’re sacking groceries and attending city council meetings. They’re holding cardboard signs on street corners and raking leaves next door. They play high school football and deliver the mail. They’re heroes and hookers and pastors and pilots. They live on the streets and design our bridges. They go to seminaries and live in prisons. They govern us and they bother us. They’re everywhere we look. It’s one thing we all have in common: we’re all somebody’s neighbor, and they’re ours. This has been God’s simple yet brilliant master plan from the beginning. He made a whole world of neighbors. We call it earth, but God just calls it a really big neighborhood.—Bob Goff, Everybody, Always

We define who our neighbor is by our love. We make a neighbor of someone by caring for him or her. So we don’t first define a class of people who will be our neighbors and then select only them as the objects of our love. Jesus deftly rejects the question “Who is my neighbor?” and substitutes the only question really relevant here: “To whom will I be a neighbor?”—Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy

It is helpful to take stock from time to time of how we’re doing in “loving others as ourselves” and determine ways that we can grow and improve, as the following excerpts from two articles illustrate.

Love’s Prerogative

Love ever gives, forgives, outlives.
And ever stands with open hands.
And while it lives, it gives.
For this is love’s prerogative—
To give, and give, and give.—John Oxenham

Jesus tells us: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”¹¹

Easier said than done, you may say. You’re not even sure you want to love those who have hurt or wronged you. After all, they don’t deserve it. You’d just as soon distance yourself from that cranky boss, that former friend who hurt you, that coworker who talked badly about you behind your back.

One of the most wonderful things about God’s love is that it can override our sometimes-all-too-human reactions and prejudices. He may not be happy about some of the things some people do or the way they do them, but He still loves them. Isn’t that the way He is with us? He never stops loving us no matter what our faults and flaws, and in spite of what we do. He never rejects us or withdraws His love. He always has hope for us, no matter how far we’ve strayed.

That’s the sort of love He wants us to have for others, and it’s ours for the asking. “Love will cover a multitude of sins.”¹² God will give you as much grace and love to forgive others as you ask Him for.—Shannon Shayler

What Does Biblical “Love in Action” Look Like?

The Bible shares ways that Jesus showed compassion and care through His words and deeds. Praying, traveling long distances to provide comfort and healing to the sick and dying, sharing quiet time with God, and more, Jesus provided examples of ways for us to show love in action. Jesus never asked to be given compliments or accolades for what He shared and how He loved others. Jesus called us to love one another. In showing care and love for others, we have the opportunity to bring people closer to Him¹³…

Scripture shares how we can offer hope to others who may be experiencing difficult times. A dear friend of my husband and mine recently passed away due to coronavirus. This special friend and her husband were the first people to welcome us into the neighborhood. They arrived at our door carrying brightly colored flowers. A visit with this sweet couple allowed us to learn more about their lives and for us to share with them. A wonderful friendship was formed, and we continued to visit almost every day and enjoy laughter and meaningful conversations.

When our friend was diagnosed and admitted to the hospital, the neighborhood was notified. Immediately, people began asking how to help. A meal train was organized by one neighbor. Other neighbors mowed the lawn, took care of the outside trash cans, and purchased needed items from the grocery store. All of these people were showing love in action…

We have the opportunity to share the love and glory of Christ in every moment. Whether we are physically able to act or not, we are given ways to share His love. When we don’t know how to physically show love in action, we can pray. …

Opportunities to show love in action are found every day. From caring for sick friends, helping neighbors with chores, holding the hands of someone grieving, to sitting still and listening, God provides ways for us to show love.

Are there times when we have difficulty showing love in action? Yes. We are human and we have faults. When those times come, we can go to the Father and ask for His guidance.¹⁴—Melissa Henderson¹⁵

Food for Thought

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12).

“We want to learn how to live so that our very presence will speak of the love and forgiving grace of God.”—Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40 RSV).

“Jesus said when we give away love freely to one another and meet the needs of poor and needy and isolated and hurting people, we’re actually doing it for Him.”—Bob Goff, Everybody, Always

(To be continued.)

Note

¹ Galatians 5:16.

² Galatians 5:19–21.

³ Galatians 5:22–23.

⁴ John 15:12–13.

⁵ 1 Corinthians 13:1 NAS.

⁶ 1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV.

⁷ 1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV.

⁸ 1 John 4:7–8.

⁹ Isaiah 54:5.

¹⁰ Romans 7:4 NKJV.

¹¹ Matthew 5:44–48 NKJV.

¹² 1 Peter 4:8 NKJV.

¹³ John 13:34–35.

¹⁴ 1 Corinthians 16:14 NIV.

¹⁵ https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-does-biblical-love-in-action-look-like.html

The Greatness of God

4/25/24 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
³⁰Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
³¹but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah40:27-31) ESV

Wings of Prayer

Virginia Brandt Berg

1970-01-02

There are two verses that have been much in my mind this last week. The one is “In godliness and contentment there is great gain.”^[1] That’s in First Timothy. The other is “I have learned, in whatever state I’m in, therein to be content.”^[2] That was spoken by the apostle Paul.

These have been impressed on my mind because of contact with a young woman lately who seems to know nothing about contentment. Just since I’ve known her in not quite two years, she has changed churches six times, her living quarters five times, her position twice, and friends at about the same rate. Before I knew her, she had changed husbands also. It seems she has so much to make her content; I’m amazed at how much she does have. Yet she lives in a state of constant discontent.

There are others like her who feel there’s always something better “just over the hill.” But this is not new, for David the Psalmist also was so—and he was so full of praise—but at the time of this [writing] he was full of discontent. For he cried out one day, “Oh that I had wings of a dove. I’d fly away and be at rest” (Psalm 55:6).

I don’t know why he spoke thus of a dove, unless he had been watching them from his window. Doves, it seems to me, are sort of restless birds. They only fly a little ways, and circle around and then light back, and it seems like, in the same place. But anyhow, he’s describing the feeling that he had of confinement and the certainty that there’s surely something better in the “over there” than there is in the “right here.”

That’s the attitude of so many people. Any place but just here—just any place but here. “Something else is surely better than that which I have.” But everyone knows that real contentment—and I say this with a depth of earnestness—real contentment has never been found in places and things. It sounds trite, doesn’t it? But if I could just impress it upon some hearts, and could make you really know that it’s not in what you have, and it’s not in where you are. It’s an attitude of your own heart and mind, and it comes from finding rest and peace in God Himself. You hear so much, don’t you, and it doesn’t go in very deep. But we’ll learn.

A group watching the astronauts in their preparation for the Gemini flight expressed various thoughts the other night. One said, “What a wonderful way to get away from it all. Surely up there out in space there won’t be all this hurry and confusion, and so many responsibilities. I’d certainly like to get away and get up there myself.” It was the same old discontent that David was expressing.

But you know, there is a far sweeter thought. I would lift you to it for a moment: a little verse of scripture that’s on that beautiful jeweled window of Wesley’s Chapel in London. He had ingrained into the glass these words: “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”^[3]

He’s saying that even though you fly so far away, it’s only God that can satisfy your restless heart. Fly as far as you can—that isn’t going to help. But the peace will come because you know His hand is leading you. The rest comes because His right hand is holding you, just as it said in the verse.

What you’re looking for is here, and not there. It’s not out in outer space; it’s within, within your own spirit. When the precious Holy Spirit dwells within, and if His Spirit takes full possession of your life, then there’s going to come that sweet contentment, because you’re going to be content in Him. Your peace, your joy, all that you have will come from Him. It’s an age-old cry isn’t it? “If I had wings”—if I had the wings of the morning.

You know, across the very dome of the universe today, one could write the word “wings.” For man is flying everywhere above the clouds, way above where the eagle flew, now above the clouds into outer space.

Long before man had any wings and went circling around the world, the great poet Alfred Tennyson wrote a strange prophecy. You’ll not appreciate it unless you know that what he wrote was long before the Wright brothers ever even tried to fly. Listen carefully, or you’ll not get the benefit of it. He wrote this prophecy. Remember that Tennyson died in 1892, years before the Wright brothers tried to fly, and this is what he wrote:

For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,
Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be;

Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails,
Pilots of the purple twilight dropping down with costly bales;

Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain’d a ghastly dew
From the nations’ airy navies grappling in the central blue;

Far along the world-wide whisper of the south-wind rushing warm,
With the standards of the peoples plunging thro’ the thunder-storm;

Till the war-drum throbb’d no longer, and the battle-flags were furl’d
In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world.^[4]

How much we hear today about the federation of the world. I remember well, because it was in my day, in 1903, that this flying machine—the first one that was heavier than air—rose above the ground with the Wright brothers. How they shocked the world by remaining in the air for just 12 seconds! That was over the sand dunes of North Carolina.

It seemed so impossible at that time that a reporter on the New York newspaper lost his job for writing up such a fantastic story as that. They didn’t believe such a thing had happened. But then it wasn’t long after that, that the Lone Eagle flew alone across the ocean.

This was just the beginning, for not only are there wings over every sky today, but man goes hurtling through space in the strangest kind of crafts. They scorn wings. Today he’s challenged the moon in his space craft, and his voice shouts from a satellite way up in the sky. What marvelous things are taking place and how prophecy is being fulfilled, and how all of Tennyson’s prophecy has been fulfilled.

Of course, we are not talking of real wings, just the symbol that God gives His children. Every one of us can have this kind of wings. Sometimes, as someone has so beautifully said, “Wings are born out of weights.” When wearied with the strain of it all, then we fly to God for the rest He’s promised and the relief that He alone can give, and then the weight becomes a wing. God really uses that weight to lift us to Himself, and then it does become wings.

An acquaintance of mine has this little poem tacked above her kitchen sink:

Lord of all pots and pans and things,
Since I’ve no time to be a saint
By doing lovely things.
Or watching late with Thee,
Or dreaming in the dawn light,
Or storming heaven’s gates,
Make me a saint,
By getting meals and
Washing up the plates.^[5]

That always reminds me of that beautiful verse in the Psalms: “Though ye have lien among the pots, ye shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and your feathers with yellow gold.”^[6] Isn’t that beautiful? If you’ve lain among the pots, then you know exactly what this means, if you’ve had to strive down in the lowly place and amongst the sordid things, and then God lifts your spirit and it seems to fly away on the wings covered with silver feathers with yellow gold.

So what brings such a miraculous change? David knew the secret, and he knew just how to mount up with wings as a dove, because in the third Psalm, he cries out like this: “Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me. But I did lay me down and slept. I awaked, for the Lord sustained me.” Oh, that’s the secret of it, isn’t it?

Then he continues: “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me.”^[7] The Lord sustained David, and his weights were changed to wings.

As this person has said, wings are born of weights. There isn’t a truer scripture in God’s Word than this: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as the eagle.”^[8] Oh, putting that in the simplest words, just as like to a child, the one that flies to the Word of God, and there you’ll meditate and seek the presence of the Lord and wait in prayer until God touches your soul.

That’s what prayer is: prayer is the soul of man tired of earthly wanderings, flying to the bosom of God, and waiting there in prayer until God speaks to his heart and revives his spirit. You really mount up and up to realms of peace and rest, and just as the verse says, then you’re sustained by the Lord.

Oh, there’s a sort of devilish gravitation in this old world that daily strives to keep you from the noblest and best, to pull you downward. But the Word tells us that there’s an upward pull that lifts you right up to the very heart of God. That’s for those that wait upon the Lord, who wait there in prayer.

It’s a practical, everyday religion. If you’ll just go apart by yourself, and take your Bible and read and read and wait upon the Lord, talk to Him, and wait for Him to speak to you, soon you can run and not faint. You’ll walk and not grow weary.

You need His strength, and it’s available to you, if you’ll just give God a chance. Won’t you do it? The Lord’s waiting to lift your spirit. He’s waiting to rest you. He’s waiting to give you peace. He’s promised it to you. But remember, you’ve got to give Him the time. You have to wait upon Him or He cannot reach your soul.

God bless you and help you that you might live in His Word this week.

^[1] 1 Timothy 6:6.

^[2] Philippians 4:11.

^[3] Psalm 139:9–10.

^[4] From “Locksley Hall,” by Lord Alfred Tennyson, 1835.

^[5] From “The Lord of all Pots and Pans and Things,” written in 1928 and attributed to a 19-year-old girl in service, author unknown.

^[6] Psalm 68:13.

^[7] Psalm 3:1,5–6.

^[8] Isaiah 40:31.

By Grace Through Faith

4/24/24 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ²in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^[b] ⁴But^[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

What Is Faith?

Maria Fontaine

2023-04-04

Someone who loves Jesus, yet has faced many difficulties and hardships, told me that she couldn’t help but wonder whether, if she just had greater faith, perhaps she wouldn’t have so many troubles. I explained that having more afflictions doesn’t mean that you are lacking faith. Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” We all face struggles; they are an unavoidable part of this life. The verse goes on to say, “but the Lord delivers them out of them all.” It is the Lord who delivers us as we place our trust in Him and His love for us.

Faith in God isn’t something that we create within ourselves through our own effort. It is the fruit of opening our hearts to His love and placing our trust in Him. That’s why memorizing His promises can help strengthen our faith and help us find peace in the midst of difficulties. Jesus’ “commandments” are the conditions He has given us in order to claim His promises. As we take them to heart, we are reminded to look to Him, wait on Him, and follow Him and His Word with trust, gratitude, and faith.

“Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call understanding your kinsman.”—Proverbs 7:2–4

The spiritual principles that Jesus teaches us are simple and attainable for all when we are trusting in Him, knowing that whatever God allows, He does in love. Faith is built on trusting Him and loving Him. I’m using the word “simple” to mean something that is uncomplicated, clear, and understandable. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it is easy to implement.

God makes what He is teaching us simple. It’s humankind that too often turns it into something tangled, complicated, and nearly impossible to attain. Whether it’s salvation, faith, perseverance, loving God, obedience, what God expects of us, or many other spiritual principles, there always seem to be simple answers which God has provided for what could be seen as very deep and complex topics. Some examples are:

Salvation: Rather than the impossibly complex and unachievable act of being good enough to deserve God’s forgiveness, Jesus gave us the simple requirement of receiving Him as our Lord and Savior. (See John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8–9.)

Pleasing God: Rather than following every detail laid out by the Mosaic Law and the prophets, and trying to never make a mistake, Jesus gave us two simple rules: to love God with our whole heart and to love others as ourselves. (See Matthew 22:37–40.)

And about faith: What is faith? Is it something we have to work up enough of to meet the need? Or is it an attempt to impress God, so that we can overcome any problem? The book of Hebrews explains what faith is and why it is essential to our relationship with God.

“Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. … And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”—Hebrews 11:1, 6

So, is there a simple path to faith? Faith is knowing that no matter what difficult situation you find yourself in, He will bring you through to something better in His perfect time.

Reminding ourselves of His truth and His promises can help us to turn to Him, but taking that step of faith is a choice that we have to make. Our faith doesn’t have to be “great” or perfect. Sometimes, we may falter like the apostle Peter did. He began to walk on the water to Jesus in the storm, but then he looked around at the waves and storm and started to sink. Looking at the impossibility of our circumstances can easily distract us, because we are human, but even then, Jesus understands the love and trust in our hearts and never fails us. He holds on to us, as He did with Peter. (See Matthew 14:22–32.)

Faith is the act of trusting in God’s love for us. Faith is placing ourselves in His hands, trusting Him no matter what situation we are faced with. It doesn’t mean that it’s always something easy to do. We never know what a day may bring. But if we are trusting Him, then we might be surprised by what that trust can turn into when the need arises.

When we are struggling to have faith, sometimes it’s because we think that we can’t hear Jesus’ voice, but perhaps the solution is as simple as moving closer to Him, by pausing in our frantic rush, and getting quiet in His presence. I like this little anecdote, which illustrates this point.

A man had lost his job. He was at the point of desperation and didn’t know which way to turn, so he went to see an elderly preacher who had once helped him.

Pacing about the preacher’s study, the young man ranted about his problems. Finally, he clenched his fist and shouted, “I’ve begged God to say something to help me, preacher, why doesn’t God answer?”

The preacher, who sat across the room, spoke something in reply, something so hushed that it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the room. “What did you say?” he asked.

The preacher repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the preacher’s chair.

“Sorry,” he said. “I still didn’t hear you.”

With their heads bent together, the old preacher spoke once more.

“God sometimes whispers,” he said, “so that we will move closer to hear Him.”

This time the young man heard and he understood.

We all want God’s voice to thunder through the air with the answer to our problem. But God’s voice is often the still, small voice, the gentle whisper.

Nothing draws human focus quite like a whisper. God’s whisper means that I must stop my ranting and move close to Him, until my head is bent together with His. And then, as I listen, I will find my answer.

Better still, I find myself closer to God.—Author unknown¹

And here are some inspiring quotes that give good insights on faith and trust:

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.”―Max Lucado

“When the solution is simple, God is answering.”—Albert Einstein

“Each of us stands as an individual before God. And, before God, each of us must have the faith to trust God’s will in our lives.”—Bernard Schnippert

“My faith didn’t remove the pain, but it got me through the pain. Trusting God didn’t diminish or vanquish the anguish, but it enabled me to endure it.”—Robert Rogers

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.”—Martin Luther

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”—Corrie ten Boom

“True faith is willing to accept a ‘no’ answer as well as a ‘yes’ answer.”—Joseph Tkach

“None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward, because we trust, because we have faith.”―Paulo Coelho

“To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.”―G. K. Chesterton

“When you get to the end of all the light you know and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.”―Edward Teller

“The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.”—Billy Graham

I will close this post with a few verses that we can hold on to, as reminders of the love we have for our Savior.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.—John 3:16

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.—Ephesians 2:8–9

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”—Matthew 22:37–40

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”—Micah 6:8

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”—Psalm 46:10

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”—1 John 5:3

“Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’”—John 14:23

God Is Our Fortress

4/23/24 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present^[b] help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah (Psalm 46:1-3) ESV

You Are Not Alone

A compilation

2019-12-03

Several years ago, I felt sure God had forgotten me. My marriage had ended, my heart was destroyed, and my mind was in a perpetual state of panic. Overall, my life was a mess.

Psalm 43:2 reads: “For you are God, my only safe haven. Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?”¹

The psalmist … struggled with the same thoughts and emotions as I had—pleading to God, trying to understand why He was letting bad things happen, and why people were hurting him. It seems the psalmist was at the end of his rope as he expressed his true feelings to God, even asking why it seemed God had tossed him aside. …

Maybe you’re experiencing a season of life right now where you feel the same way: tossed aside, rejected, abandoned, disappointed, unwanted, alone.

Wondering, like the psalmist, if God has forgotten you. …

Instead of holding on to anger and distrust of God’s ways, the psalmist chose to recognize God’s sovereignty and sought after Him in the midst of his solitude and confusion. …We read this in Psalm 43:3–4: “Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!”²

Despite his heartache and overwhelming emotions, the psalmist remembered God truly was his only help and that GOD was always there, never forsaking him even when it felt like it.

If you’re feeling forgotten, by others or by God, let your hope swell and your joy return by intentionally believing that God will never leave you and is always by your side. Make a commitment to focus on God’s presence and the blessings He’s given you, and let God be the source of your joy.

Dear Lord, I’ve been feeling forgotten and alone in this world, but also by You at times. Sometimes I feel like I’m not important enough for You to care about my troubles or my needs. Forgive me for doubting, and fill my heart with the joy of Your presence. I commit today to seek after You, put my hope in You and praise You even when I’m struggling. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.—Tracie Miles³

Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.

Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.—Henry Francis Lyte, 1847

Where is God when it hurts?

It seems we desire to know the answer to this question most when faced with painful trials and attacks of doubt. Even Jesus, during His crucifixion, asked, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”⁴ To the onlookers of that time, as well as to those who first read the story, it seems that God did forsake Jesus, so we obviously conclude that He will forsake us as well in our darkest moments.

Yet, upon continued observation of the events that unfolded after the crucifixion, the truth is revealed that nothing can separate us from the love of God, not even death.⁵ After Jesus was crucified, He was glorified.⁶ From this example alone we can be assured that even when we do not feel God’s presence in the midst of our pain, we can still believe His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us.⁷ …

Where is God when it hurts? The message to take with you in hard times is that when you cannot see His hand, trust His heart, and know for certain that He has not forsaken you. When you seem to have no strength of your own, that is when you can most fully rest in His presence and know that His strength is made perfect in your weakness.⁸—From gotquestions.org⁹

God’s Word tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”¹⁰

That’s His promise. He is our refuge and strength. He is “a very present help in trouble.”

Once, when I was very burdened about something I cried out, “Lord, what should we do?” Instead of telling me what to do, He told me what not to do. He simply told me, “Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”¹¹

So don’t be afraid. Be like King David, who exclaimed, “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid.”¹²

The Lord’s going to take care of us, whatever happens, and He’s going to do what He wants to do. God is in control, and nothing happens to His children without His permission, and all things that He allows will eventually work together for our good. Praise the Lord!

Lord, help us not to worry or fear, but only to fear You and love You and follow and obey You. You said, “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.”¹³ Help us to remain at peace in You, Lord. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.”¹⁴ Help us not to worry. Help us just to look to You, and keep our eyes on You and trust You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.—David Brandt Berg

Published on Anchor December 2019. Read by Jerry Paladino.
Music by Michael Dooley.

¹ NLT.

² NLT.

³ https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2018/11/23/i-feel-forgotten.

⁴ Matthew 27:46.

⁵ Romans 8:37–39.

⁶ 1 Peter 1:21; Mark 16:6, 19; Romans 4:24–25.

⁷ Hebrews 13:5.

⁸ 2 Corinthians 12:9–10.

⁹ https://www.gotquestions.org/where-is-God.html.

¹⁰ Psalm 46:1–3.

¹¹ Isaiah 41:10.

¹² Psalm 56:11.

¹³ Proverbs 14:26.

¹⁴ Isaiah 26:3.

Jesus the Great High Priest

4/22/24 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16) ESV

Wonderful Healer

Words from Jesus

2014-08-28

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars and calls them all by name.
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension!
The Lord supports the humble. The Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
—Psalm 147:3–6, 11¹

Cease from your struggling and rest in My love. Rest assured that as you seek Me, you will find Me. Fear not, and don’t let condemnation stop you or make you feel that I don’t love you. I know the weaknesses and the frailties of your human frame, but I am making My path as easy and as light for you as I can in spite of these.

Like a father pities his child who tries hard to please him, I pity you as you reach for the doorknob, and I freely open the door of My own accord. I give you free entrance into My kingdom. Come and partake of the fruits of My Spirit. Freely I give of My Spirit, and you are free to enjoy the fruits of My Spirit forever.

Time in the desert

Be not weary, but have faith and trust in My love. Trust that your trials and battles, your times in the desert place when you must lie under the trees and dip your hand in the cool water to find strength, come from Me. You do not see them now as a blessing, but this time of quiet, of prayer, of solitude, of reflection will result in a depth of spirit.

You will find wisdom, compassion, and understanding. You will find your strength in Me. You will find the power that you need through your relationship with Me. You are thinking, “So many times I have been in this desert place. So many times I have partaken of this quiet and solitude. Why must I once again? Is it because I’m not learning my lessons? Is it because I am so hard of heart that I am not hearing His voice that His hand is upon me to chasten me and to break me again and again?”

This time is not a punishment or a chastisement. It is not because you are not hearing My voice or learning your lessons. I am blessing you and honoring you and privileging you with this special time with Me—time when we can commune with each other and get to know each other in a more intimate way.

I want you to have no other gods before Me—not your family, not your work, not your ministry. You will need this intimate relationship with Me to fulfill the plan that I have for you in the future when you will be called upon to be in tune with Me, to be prayerful, to be wise, to be kind and loving and sympathetic, and to be understanding of those who feel discouraged and hopeless.

Because you have spent this time in the desert place, you will be able to speak from a full heart. You will be able to speak from experience and testify of the blessings and benefits of placing your trust in Me and listening to My voice.

Heart surgery

Come to Me just as you are. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I am aware of the many little stones that mar the beauty of your heart. Trust Me to do what you are unable to do: remove the stony bits one by one. Do not expect this work in you to be painless. Heart surgery is serious, and it always involves pain. Many of the hard things you experienced were, unknown to you, My skillful operations on your heart. When you are going through tough times, look up to Me with a wry smile and thank Me for the renewal I am working within you. This act of faith does not instantly stop your suffering, but it does lend meaning to your pain.

Marvel at the wonder of being a new creation, grafted unto Me—the Messiah. You are forever set free from the condemning law of sin and death. You can rejoice in this glorious truth even while you are in the throes of suffering. Since I am the Creator of all that is, and you are made in My image, you have a wealth of creative power within you. Strive to look at your circumstances with a fresh perspective: eager to collaborate with Me as I create newness within you—and through you. Though I am Lord of the universe, I desire to work in partnership with you. As you say yes to this sacred adventure, you become more fully the one I designed you to be.²

Bringing your ship into harbor

I feel the pain and trauma that you have felt, both in body and spirit, when going through this difficult experience. I know the heartbreak, sorrow, and feeling of loss, the feeling of being incomplete. To overcome this depression, this moodiness, and to step off this emotional roller coaster, cling tightly to Me. Pray for greater faith, and believe My promise, that I will keep you in perfect peace. Keep your mind stayed on Me and allow yourself to believe in and accept My love and the love of those around you.

This breaking, this crushing, these deep emotions, this tumultuous experience is like the polishing of a rare and priceless gem. I allow some parts to be chipped away and seemingly lost, but in the process the true inner beauty is revealed—the beauty that sparkles and shimmers and shines. In this process, you have gained an inner depth, which is a priceless gem. Now the love inside your heart can flow forth more freely, for it is unobstructed.

The key to strength and victory is in your love for Me, your trust in Me, and your faith in Me and in others. It is important for you to look on all that you have, and not that which you do not have. It is essential that you believe in and accept the love that you receive from Me and from your loved ones. As you receive and believe, as you trust and rest in love and respond with love, you will find peace and healing of mind and spirit. Your ship that is now being tossed about on the high seas will enter into the calm harbor of My peace, rest, and joy.

I am with you

There is nothing hid from Me. I know your every thought, your every desire, and every secret prayer. Every time you look up to Me and you cry out to Me, I am near. I hear your prayers and My heart is moved with compassion. I never harden My heart. I never get tired of listening to you. I never turn away. I never sleep. I never have a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. I am never distant. I am never too tired or too busy for you. I always hear and answer your prayer—sometimes in the way that you would desire, and sometimes in ways that you know not, or in ways that you cannot yet see. But I do hear and I do answer!

Since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.—Hebrews 4:14–16³

Originally published in 1997, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished August 2014. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso. Music by Daniel Sozzi.

¹ NLT.

² Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009).

³ NLT.

A Worker Approved by God

4/21/24 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God^[b] not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,^[c] a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷and their talk will spread like gangrene. (2Timothy 2:14-17) ESV

“Study to Show Thyself Approved Unto God”

David Brandt Berg

2015-03-16

The more you study the Word of God and really dig into the Word, the more it will become a constant source of pleasure to you—a source of enjoyment, inspiration, encouragement, edification, information, and continuous guidance. Real study time is not only reading time, but also listening to God time. The minute you begin to stop, look, and listen to the Lord’s recorded written Word, you are immediately putting yourself in the position of being willing to listen, so then the Lord can begin to speak to you and give you His living Word.

To feed from the Word and hear from the Lord this way, to spiritually graze in the green pastures by the beautiful still waters of His Word that He has for you,¹ you need to bear in mind what my teacher used to tell me in typing class, that the most important thing is not speed, but accuracy. When you’re reading the Word of God, it’s accuracy that’s important. So it’s important that we read His Word carefully, prayerfully, and thoughtfully.

You can miss a lot of the meaning, the real depth of what the Lord’s talking about, unless you stop to really think about it sometimes and apply the Word to your personal situation, and ask, “How is that true and how is that so?” Not with a questioning or a doubtful attitude, but one of faith, knowing that you can learn even more lessons if you search further and dig deeper.

Remember also, the Lord loves a mystery. He likes for you to learn to dig things out. To find the real precious jewels, you sometimes have to do a little mining, a little digging, and put a little effort into it. He said, “I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”²

As with the most precious metals and jewels, gold and silver and diamonds, you have to hunt for them and dig them up and find them. He purposely doesn’t make it too easy for you. He says, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.”³

If you will diligently and prayerfully labor in His Word, He will greatly reward you, and you will agree with David, who exclaimed, “Thy Word is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.”⁴

Effects of the Word of God

The Word of God always has an effect. No one can hear or read the Word of God without being somehow influenced. Everyone who hears the Word is affected one way or another. Here are some of the dramatic effects of reading and living in His Word:

Life and victory: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season.”⁵

The wonderful water of God’s Word can revive you even if you seem to be spiritually dead. Even if you’ve neglected the Word for a long time, if you’ll only drink it in again, you can again become beautiful and fruitful. Just as we’ve seen seemingly “dead” trees, shrubs, plants and gardens which were utterly barren and lifeless and leafless spring to life and become productive again when properly watered, so the water of His Word can bring you, though spiritually withered, new life and virtual resurrection if you will soak in His Word.

It’s reading the Word that kindles the desire to change in your heart—because you will be inspired, revitalized, renewed, invigorated, challenged, enthused, and filled with faith from His words.

His Word seeds excite you, and they invite you, and they exorcise you, and they right you, and they plight you, and sometimes they bite you, or indict you, or fight you, or enlight you (make you glow), and enheight you, and enmight you (make you strong), and requite you, or right you, or sight you, or invite you and delight you.

The Word is the secret of victory or of defeat. It’s the secret of success or failure. It all depends on how you treat the Word, and how you live in it and live on it, or try to go on without it. That’s the secret. The secret of power and victory and overcoming and fruitfulness and fire and life and warmth and light and spiritual maturity is the Word!

Growth and strength: If you stay close to the Word and really let it change you, you will grow steadily, and mature into what the Lord wants you to be. A lot of your spiritual growth is up to you and how much nourishment you receive.

Jesus told us that His words should abide in us, and that “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.”⁶ So in order to have the strength to do our work for the Lord, we have to spend time getting filled up with His Word. As the old saying goes, “You cannot do the Master’s work without the Master’s power.” And to get it, you must spend time with the Master feeding from His Word.

Even getting out the message to others is not as important as getting into the Word yourself first. We need to get the Word in as well as out. Otherwise, you’ll never have the spiritual strength and stamina or the spirit that will sustain your bodily strength and stamina to keep going, unless you are drinking in the Word and being spiritually nourished and strengthened by it yourself first.

Faith: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”⁷

You get faith from reading the Word. Faith is built by faithful study of God’s Word. You have it because you’re full of the Word of God.

The best way to encourage your faith is to bury yourself in the Word of God. Encourage your faith with His Word and hang on to the Lord! Just read His Word and you will believe.

Freedom: “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”⁸

The only way on God’s earth to find true freedom is to continue in God’s Word. There’s no other way to be truly free. His Word is His truth, and His Word is what makes us free, nothing else. So if you want freedom, it comes from living in the Word, knowing the Word, and following the Lord and His truth.

Cleansing: “Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.”⁹

The only way to be thoroughly cleansed from the spiritual stench of the old, stinking, soiled, filthy, dirty clothes of your old past life and your sinful self is a good bath in the pure water of the Word to thoroughly wash away all the old pollutions and any further desire or taste for them.

So if you need cleansing, go to the washing of the pure water of the Word, and let God’s truth cleanse you and rid you of all the filth and hogwash of this world and your own sinful heart.¹⁰ “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word … Cleansed with the washing of water by the Word.”¹¹

Spiritual ballast: “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”¹²

If your faith is founded on God’s Word, it doesn’t even matter how you feel, you know the Word is still the same. God’s Word is still just as effective and unchanging, regardless of your feelings. And it is your faith in His Word that counts and will pull you through in times of severe trials or tests. “For this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”¹³

The Word of God is your spiritual ballast, your hope of salvation, that will keep you steady and on the firm foundation of truth. If you retain His Word in your heart, and your faith is founded on the Bible, they will preserve you no matter what you may go through. Even though you may sometimes be weakened, you will still stand if you remain on God’s firm foundation of faith, balanced firmly with His Word.

Our weapon: “The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”¹⁴

The Word of God is our spiritual sword that drives away and defeats the Devil every time we use it. When Jesus Himself was tempted by the Devil, He fought back with the Word.¹⁵ So when the Enemy comes around, take out your sword and whack away. He can’t take it. He’ll run every time. Sock it to him with the sword of the Spirit! The Word! That’s the stuff that victories are made of!

Nothing scares the Devil like the Word of God. He just can’t take it; he can’t stand the Word. The best way to put the Enemy out of action is with the Word. Just bury him in a flood of truth, and he and all his doubts and fears will flee.

The Word is also a light that drives away and defeats the Enemy’s darkness. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”¹⁶ When the Devil attacks you with his doubts and his fears and his discouragement and his temptations and all the rest, turn on the light of God’s Word and the shadows will flee.

Surgical scalpel: “The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”¹⁷

When witnessing to others, never underestimate the power of the Word. There is absolute power in the Word of God. This sword of His Spirit is sharp enough to pierce the hardest armor, so that the warmth of His Spirit of love can flow into their empty hearts. As a witness for the Lord, you can wield His Word to cut and remove the cancers of evil that afflict so many today.

His Word is the most powerful weapon in the world, sharper than any two-edged sword, sharper than any other weapon on earth. It can do more than split atoms; it has greater power than the hydrogen bomb! For it can even divide asunder the soul and the spirit of man. And can change hearts and change minds and win people to Christ and His cause.

Help us, Lord Jesus, to fill our hearts and minds with Your Word so that we really get close to You and get to know You and to depend on You. Help us to saturate ourselves with Your Word. Inspire our hearts by Your wonderful Word.

Help us to read and put into practice all the things Your King David said about Your Word in that marvelous Psalm 119. He talks so much about Your Word, and that’s where he got his strength and his life and his wisdom and his power and his victory. David lived in Your Word night and day, as we do also, in trying to teach it to others. In Jesus’ name.

Let’s keep the connection strong with His Word and His Spirit, His truth and His love, in humility and obedience, amen?

Compiled from the writings of David Brandt Berg, originally published November 1988. Adapted and republished March 2015.
Read by Jon Marc.

¹ See Psalm 23.

² Isaiah 45:3. The Bible scriptures in this post are from the King James Version (KJV).

³ 2 Timothy 2:15.

⁴ Psalm 119:72.

⁵ Psalm 1:2–3.

⁶ John 15:4,7.

⁷ Romans 10:17.

⁸ John 8:31–32.

⁹ John 15:3.

¹⁰ Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 12:2.

¹¹ Psalm 119:9; Ephesians 5:26.

¹² Psalm 37:31.

¹³ 1 John 5:4.

¹⁴ Ephesians 6:17.

¹⁵ See Matthew 4:1–10.

¹⁶ Psalm 119:105.

¹⁷ Hebrews 4:12.

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

4/19/24 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” ⁵⁰But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9:49-50) ESV

08 – Afterthoughts to the Divine Healing Series

Divine Healing

Peter Amsterdam

2012-04-17

Maria and I have received a number of letters from TFI members regarding the Divine Healing series over the past weeks, and we thought it might be helpful to address some of the points that these letters raised.

Most of the letters we received were letters of thanks. A number of people commented that they had been quite confused about the various doctrines of healing, and that the series has helped bring them peace on the matter. Others had questions, such as the one who wrote and asked if, since Maria and I don’t agree with everything that Curry Blake teaches, does that mean that we are saying that TFI members shouldn’t use his method of praying for people? The simple answer is no, that’s not what we are saying. While we don’t personally agree with everything Curry Blake teaches, we do agree with him—and it is one of TFI’s core beliefs—that God heals and that Christians can and should pray for the healing of others.

While much of what Curry Blake teaches is helpful, there are many Christians who don’t adhere to all that he teaches regarding the healing of the sick. In this series, we have used examples of others whom God uses to heal people, including others who aren’t fully in agreement with Curry Blake, and who even fundamentally disagree with him on certain issues and interpret some scriptures on healing differently. We have used their examples in order to show that God doesn’t demand that everyone must adhere to only one method or one set of beliefs regarding His Spirit healing the sick.

Jesus Himself set an example of tolerance among those using the power of His name:

“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”^[1]

Healing comes from God’s hand. He uses Christians who are willing to step out and pray for others as conduits of His power. That power is available to Christians through the Holy Spirit. The fact that God heals people when Christians of diverse healing beliefs pray for the sick shows that the Holy Spirit isn’t limited to using only those who follow one particular method or even doctrine of healing. God’s clearly not that dogmatic on the topic.

Maria and I applaud those who use healing in their witnessing. We’re thrilled that people are healed and that the Gospel is preached. We’d be happy to see more of it. We’re happy for members who have embraced God’s calling to make healing their ministry and vocation.

At the same time, we have been saddened by a handful of people who have displayed a lack of love and wisdom, and according to the letters we have received, have caused distress, condemnation, and hurt. Some people have told us that they have been put off to getting prayer for healing because of the actions and words of some who have been unloving and hurtful.

One purpose of the Divine Healing series was to encourage members to have faith to pray for the sick when the Lord leads them to, as a part of reaching others and ministering to them with the Lord’s love and power. From some of the responses we’ve heard, it has helped some people to follow His Spirit and pray for those in need. We are happy with that result.

A further purpose of writing this series was to try to help and encourage those who have been deeply hurt and offended due to a lack of wisdom and love on the part of a few individuals. Thankfully, from some of the responses we’ve received, the series has helped them to heal spiritually and emotionally, and has restored their faith in God’s healing power.

A few individuals repeatedly wrote us after every article in the series to express their disagreement with what we wrote. The view they have repeatedly expressed to me is strongly based on the teachings of Curry Blake. The impression we’re left with after each of their letters is that as they see it, anyone who isn’t in agreement with Curry Blake and the way he interprets the scriptures on healing is wrong. They question why I included other healing evangelists’ examples and points of view in the series. They dismiss these others’ teachings and results on the basis that they don’t believe and practice exactly the same things that Curry Blake does.

I’m thankful for people like Don Dunkerley, John and Sonja Decker, Curry Blake, and others who have dedicated their lives to healing evangelism. They may not all agree with each other, but it seems Christians should be praising God that there are people out there ministering and healing the sick even if they aren’t in agreement in all things regarding healing.

When doing research for this project, I took the advice of several TFI members, including those who have since then written me, and I watched Curry Blake’s videos. Maria and I didn’t stop there, however. We also sought out the teaching of others who practiced healing ministries and who had different points of view, but who also had a history of healing people. We felt it best to present more than one outlook on the subject, seeing as others are dedicated to the ministry of healing and have results.

What impressed us most was how much these healing evangelists have in common, both in the principles and techniques of healing. While they hold to many of the same beliefs and methods, they disagree on others; yet God seems to use them all to heal the sick. It is important to understand that God is not confined to working healing miracles through those of one doctrinal persuasion, but that He can and does manifest His power through individuals using different methods.

As I said earlier, Maria and I are happy to see healing being used throughout the Family. We’re happy that there are those who feel called to use it for evangelism. We don’t see the necessity of demanding that everyone follow a certain manner or belief when it comes to healing, as it doesn’t seem that the Lord does.

God’s Spirit leads individuals in different ways. We, as Christians and as TFI members, are each individuals with whom God has an individual personal relationship. We are each different; we act and react differently. God made us that way. Seeing members engage in healing is very inspiring. The notion, however, that all members should make it their focus, or are somehow failing God if they are not, is much less inspiring and limiting of how God works in each life.

Our stance is that individuals should follow God and do what He shows them to do, and that when they do, they will accomplish what He is leading them to. If He leads you to use healing in your ministry or to make healing your ministry, praise God. If He calls you to feed the poor and destitute, praise God. If He calls you to a job that allows you to influence others and lead them to Him, praise God. If He calls you to devote your time to raising your children in His nurture and admonition, praise God. The key is to follow what God shows you, what He leads you to do. The only boundaries are that members operate within the beliefs expressed in our Statement of Faith, and that they don’t cause schism.

What we see as a problem is when someone feels that what God has led them to do is what He means for everyone else to do as well. When it comes to God’s leading insofar as how to reach others with the Gospel, it seems that God Himself isn’t stuck on one method or means. If a Christian has a certain natural talent and/or a certain spiritual gift, it makes sense that the Lord can use that talent or gift for His purpose in reaching others. If someone’s faith runs in a certain direction, such as being able to provision large amounts of food, blankets, and clothes, then it seems that God would want that person to use their faith to help those in need, and in doing so, bring them the Gospel. If another Christian’s gift is music, then it makes sense that the Lord would lead this individual to use their gift to offer salvation to others through their music.

If the Lord has called someone to use healing as their ministry, or to make healing a major part of their witness, then they should do so. However, I’m not convinced that the provisioner or musician, to continue with the above examples, should feel compelled to focus all of their ministry efforts and time on healing; if they do, there is a good possibility that those who need food and clothing, or who respond well to messages framed in music, would miss opportunities of hearing about the Lord.

There are examples of Jesus witnessing to others using means other than healing. While He healed the sick, He didn’t only minister in that fashion. He fed the multitudes; He preached to large crowds; He ministered one on one. This can be seen in the Gospels in instances such as with the woman of Samaria, the rich young ruler, Nicodemus, the woman who anointed His feet with ointment, etc.^[2]

The key to success in Christian service is to follow what the Lord shows you in the situation He leads you to. There are diverse means of reaching people with the Gospel, and what works often depends on the needs of the person being witnessed to.

In Blueprint for the Future, the following points were expressed:

We aim to create an atmosphere in which members can follow Jesus according to the personal call He gives them, and enact their commitment to God’s will for their lives.

We value each individual and his or her unique talents, skills, and strengths.

In ministry and mission service, creativity and personal initiative are highly valued. When God guides, and we take action to follow Him, anything is possible.

We put our faith into action and reach out to the weary and troubled hearts, the disadvantaged, downtrodden, and needy, as unto Jesus.^[3]

The values expressed in these statements make room for diversity within TFI. We firmly believe that those who feel called to a certain type of ministry as their means of conveying the Gospel should do what God shows them to do.—That when they follow His directions, God will use their gifts, talents, faith, burdens, and actions to change lives. Our goal is to reach as many as possible with the message of salvation, of Jesus’ soul-saving sacrifice, of eternity with God. As the needs of people are diverse, so the methods of meeting their needs will be diverse.

Maria and I are pleased to see healing used in evangelism, just as we are pleased to see all of the methods members use to bring Jesus to needy hearts. Our hope and prayer is that you will each find a way to share the Gospel in the manner the Lord leads, and that there will be enough tolerance among members to recognize that while the Lord may call you to operate in a specific manner, He calls others to minister the Gospel in other ways. That doesn’t make what someone else is doing wrong; neither should it be looked down on. We should remember that we are a body and that all members of the body don’t have the same function.

By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.^[4]

If the Spirit of God has called you to major on healing, then heal. If He’s called you to share what you have learned about it, then share it. But do so with love and tolerance, without condemning those who don’t agree with all that you teach, remembering that even among those who pray for the sick, there are those whose point of view or methods differ from yours, and the Lord answers their prayers and does beautiful miracles of healing. Some people seem to be able to teach healing with compassion and tolerance, and without ministering condemnation, and we feel it’s great that they are sharing what they know. It would be wise for those conveying teaching on healing, or on any issue, to remember that even if one speaks in the tongues of men and angels, without love it’s just a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.^[5]

Above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.^[6]

Maria’s and my prayer for all TFI members is that you will find and follow the ministry the Lord guides you into; and that no matter what gifts of the Spirit He gives you, you will exercise them with faith, love, and compassion.

^[1] Luke 9:49–50.

^[2] John 4:4–26; Mark 10:17–21; John 3:1–21; Matthew 26:6–13.

^[3] Blueprint for the Future, Core Values, May 2010.

^[4] Romans 12:3–8.

^[5] 1 Corinthians 13:1.

^[6] Colossians 3:14–15.

Jesus Heals Many

07 – In Conclusion

Divine Healing

Peter Amsterdam

2012-04-10

Chapter 7

Follow the Examples

4/19/24 Each of the healing evangelists that I researched wrote or spoke about how Jesus went about His healing ministry, and gave examples of the methods He used. All these evangelists seem to use these same methods to some extent, though they aren’t locked into doing it the same way all the time. While they generally may lay hands on or touch the people they are praying for, they don’t always do so. Many will anoint the sick with oil, but not always. One thing they always do is pray, claiming God’s Word for healing and telling the sickness to leave.

Following are scriptures which show the different actions of Jesus and the early disciples when healing those in need.

When giving the disciples the Great Commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, Jesus also said that these signs will follow those who believe: “They will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”^[1] Throughout the Gospels, there are numerous examples of Jesus using touch in healing.

Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.^[2]

When the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.^[3]

Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed Him.^[4]

Taking her by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.^[5]

Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.^[6]

Then He came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.^[7]

There are other instances mentioned of Jesus touching those whom He healed.^[8]

The apostles also used touch in their healing of others.

[Peter] took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.^[9]

Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight.^[10]

Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”^[11]

It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him.^[12]

Often people would touch Jesus and be healed.

When the men of that place recognized Him, they sent around to all that region and brought to Him all who were sick and implored Him that they might only touch the fringe of His garment. And as many as touched it were made well.^[13]

She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If I touch even His garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.^[14]

Wherever He came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored Him that they might touch even the fringe of His garment. And as many as touched it were made well.^[15]

All the crowd sought to touch Him, for power came out from Him and healed them all.^[16]

As the above verses show, touch can play a role in healing. Don Dunkerley says the following about touch in healing:

When I invite those who have received a healing touch from Jesus to testify, they speak of having felt heat or power flowing through their bodies when I touched them. They speak of fever leaving, pain going, lame limbs getting new strength, eyesight improving. And most of them tie the instant of healing to the moment of my touch.

These times of healing prayer usually follow the sermon and Gospel invitation. Many of those healed have just received Christ. Some may have come for the healing prayer and obtained salvation while they waited.

As I listen to these testimonies, I realize that the Lord uses my touch for healing, even though He is perfectly capable of healing if I only pray and do not touch. I can also tell from the testimonies that these persons were strengthened in faith to believe that Jesus would touch them by the simple fact that I was touching them in His name. Faith, as well as my touch, was an element in their healing.^[17]

Another example we can follow is using oil for anointing when we pray.

Is anyone among you sick? 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 will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.^[18]

They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.^[19]

There were times when Jesus healed in public, and other times when He took the person aside to a private place to heal them.

They brought to Him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged Him to lay His hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, He put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.^[20]

He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when He had spit on his eyes and laid His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid His hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.^[21]

Sometimes when Jesus would heal, He would instruct the person to take some sort of action.

Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.^[22]

Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight.^[23]

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”^[24]

The Greatest of These Is Love

In addition to healing being a platform for sharing the Gospel, one of the main motivations for praying for people is compassion. Jesus had compassion and sympathy for the suffering of others, and He did something about it.

When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick.^[25]

Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” … He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied.^[26]

As He drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”^[27]

A leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.^[28]

Compassion can be seen as love in action. Jesus leaving the halls of heaven to live among us was a manifestation of God’s love for mankind. God is compassionate. Jesus reflected the compassion and love of God through His actions. We are filled with the Holy Spirit, meaning the Spirit of God dwells within us, and thus we too should be moved to action by compassion and love.

The Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, has made available spiritual gifts, one of which is healing. The apostle Paul wrote about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. He states:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.^[29]

After speaking about these gifts, he says:

I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.^[30]

Paul strongly makes the point that if we have the gifts of the Spirit and can do all kinds of wonderful things because of these gifts, we must do them in love, as without love we are nothing.

The motivation for healing as a ministry, just as for the mission in general, is love—love for the searching, for the needy, for the infirm. It’s a manifestation of the compassion which Jesus showed through His example. As Paul says, love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.^[31] No matter what your theology or methodology regarding healing, ministering to people must be done with love.

It is wrong to say and do things which make people who don’t get healed feel condemned about it. It’s unkind and unloving to tell people who are suffering that they or their faith has failed, and that’s why they aren’t getting healed, or to tell the parents of a sick child that it’s their fault the child isn’t getting healed. Those who do so may feel they are trying to help, and perhaps they are full of zeal in regard to healing, but it’s important to temper zeal with love and compassion—to put yourself in the position of the sick person, or those grieving their loss, and act in a loving manner by showing sympathy. Love is the key when working with the infirm and with their loved ones.

Closing Thoughts

Reading the books on healing, listening to the audio and video classes, and studying the theology of healing has caused Maria and me to become much more aware of the good fruit and the lives helped and reached through ministries of healing in evangelism. Those who minister healing have a wonderful tool in their arsenal for showing the power of God and the love of Christ.

Those who pray for others’ healing can be conduits of the Lord’s healing power and can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

These articles have barely skimmed the surface when it comes to using healing as a witness, but our hope is that in reading them, your faith will be increased to pray for others as part of your witness, as the Lord leads you. Those of you who feel called to develop a ministry of evangelism through healing might want to go over some of the material that we studied. The names of the books, audios, and videos used in these articles are in the introduction. You also may want to do further research about healing.

In each of the books and the classes, there may be some things that you will not agree with, which was definitely the case for us. However, they each teach the basics of healing, give many how-to tips on the practical aspects, and can help to increase your faith that God can use you as a vehicle of His healing when ministering to others.

As Christians, we’ve all been given the power to pray for the sick, as evidenced by the words of Jesus, His commands to His disciples to pray for the sick, His personal example, and the example of the early disciples. We can all pray for those who are sick, and when we do, we can be the means by which God brings them healing. It takes faith to step out and pray for others, especially in a witnessing situation where you don’t know the person. It may be awkward, it could be embarrassing, but in doing so, the opportunity is given to someone to be touched by God. Many people would be happy to have someone pray for their healing, whether they are believers or not. When we pray for someone’s healing, we provide an opening for His love and power to be manifested to an individual.

His Word is clear—healing is available! He’s given us as believers power to heal. He’s sent us as disciples to preach the Gospel and heal the sick. The Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, has made the gift of healing available to us. When we pray for the sick, they will be healed in accordance with God’s will. No matter what method we use, God’s Spirit can use us as vehicles for His healing if we will take the step to pray for others. What a wonderful gift! What an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others! What a tremendous vehicle for showing someone the love of Jesus, God’s compassion!

We may not know all the theological ins and outs, we may not know every method available, we may not completely understand why some people are healed and others aren’t, but what we do know is that the power of healing is available to us, as Christians, to help in ministering to others and leading them to salvation.

May God’s love and compassion motivate us to use all the means at our disposal, including the power of healing, to fulfill our mission of bringing Jesus into the lives of others.

(Please also see: Afterthoughts to the Divine Healing Series)

^[1] He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:15–18 ESV).

^[2] Matthew 8:3 ESV.

^[3] Matthew 9:25 ESV.

^[4] Matthew 20:34 ESV.

^[5] Mark 5:41–42 ESV.

^[6] Luke 4:40 ESV.

^[7] Luke 7:14–15 ESV.

^[8] Other verses on Jesus touching those He healed are:

He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve Him (Matthew 8:15 ESV).

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened (Matthew 9:29–30 ESV).

Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose (Mark 9:27 ESV).

He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God (Luke 13:13 ESV).

^[9] Acts 3:7 ESV.

^[10] Acts 9:17–18 ESV.

^[11] Acts 20:10 ESV.

^[12] Acts 28:8 ESV.

^[13] Matthew 14:35–36 ESV.

^[14] Mark 5:27–29 ESV.

^[15] Mark 6:56 ESV.

^[16] Luke 6:19 ESV.

^[17] HE 141.

^[18] James 5:14–15 ESV.

^[19] Mark 6:13 ESV.

^[20] Mark 7:32–35 ESV.

^[21] Mark 8:23–25 ESV.

^[22] Matthew 12:13 ESV.

^[23] Mark 10:52 ESV.

^[24] John 11:43–44 ESV.

^[25] Matthew 14:14 ESV.

^[26] Matthew 15:32, 36–37 ESV.

^[27] Luke 7:12–14 ESV.

^[28] Mark 1:40–42 NAU.

^[29] 1 Corinthians 12:4–11 ESV.

^[30] 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:2 ESV.

^[31] 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 ESV.

Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds

4/18/24 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. ²⁴So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. ²⁵And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. (Matthew 4:23-25) ESV

06 – Where Healing Evangelists Disagree

Divine Healing

Peter Amsterdam

2012-04-03

Chapter 6

While those involved in healing ministries agree on many fundamental points, one point on which there is some divergence is their interpretation of why God does or doesn’t heal each person who is prayed for.

The healing evangelists and theologians whose material we studied on the topic of healing—with the exception of Curry Blake—all believe that while God heals, one should not expect that every time you pray for people they will be healed instantly, or in some cases even in this life.

Curry Blake teaches that the person who prays is the one responsible to have the faith for the healing, and if the person isn’t healed, then the fault lies with the person praying. He teaches this to those who are participating in or are entering into the ministry of healing. I don’t think that he’s making an across-the-board statement that, for example, if Christian parents (who aren’t involved in a healing ministry) are praying for their sick child and the child doesn’t get well, or even dies, it’s the parents’ fault for not having enough faith.

There are others (none of whom I have quoted in this series) who believe that if someone is prayed for and doesn’t recover, then the fault lies with the sick person for not having enough faith. Some also believe that in a case where a child of Christian parents dies, the parents or others who prayed are responsible for not having enough faith.

John and Sonja Decker, Don Dunkerley, as well as various theologians whose work I studied, and many other Christian teachers, all believe that God miraculously heals, but that He doesn’t heal every time; that there are times when He chooses not to do so for reasons that are His. They explain that God is sovereign, that He has His reasons for what He does and allows, and that those reasons are often beyond our comprehension.

They also comment that it’s unfair and cruel for people to blame a parent for not having enough faith for a child’s healing. It’s very interesting that both Curry Blake and Don Dunkerley had a child who died, and that this loss was instrumental in starting them off in their healing ministries.

Curry Blake teaches that God won’t fail His Word, and that when you pray for someone’s healing, God will heal, and if He doesn’t, there is something wrong—not with God, but with the faith of the person praying. He says:

So if you don’t get anything else, just get perseverance, get that tenacity, get that grit to just dig in and go, “The Bible says this [that if you pray for the sick, they will be healed], and it will be this no matter what.” And you just keep on plowing through. If anything gets in your way, if you ever hear a “no,” it’s the Devil. Do you understand? Because God won’t say “no,” because all the promises are in Christ yea, and in Him, Amen. So if you hear a “no,” it’s not Jesus, it’s not God, because they say the same thing. It’s a devil. So just refuse to take it. And when you do, you watch what happens.^[1]

Jesus was not just saying, “I will do it.” He was saying, “I will always do it because it is My intense desire and longing to act on My nature, which is to deliver.”^[2]

I do not believe in “hindrances,” as used by most Christians. It usually goes along with … “God won’t heal you until …” There is no reason why God won’t heal you. God is not the one holding back your healing. Even the Devil can’t hold back your healing any more than he could hold back your salvation once you decided to get saved. The only way the Devil can hold back your healing is by convincing you that you are not healed and that God has a reason for not healing you. We usually call these reasons “sacred cows,” because they are the traditions of man (and the doctrines of devils) that must be destroyed.^[3]

It’s kind of like this: When they get healed, give glory to God. If they don’t get healed, it’s your fault. That’s a pretty good deal on God’s end, but that’s kind of what you have to think about, and then you have to realize what’s going on.^[4]

Your Commander in Chief has given you everything you need to win, and any time you don’t win, it’s because you failed to use a tool or a weapon that He has provided. Simple as that.^[5]

John and Sonja Decker have a different point of view:

The truth is, the Lord has provided a means by which His body, working with the Holy Spirit, can facilitate healing in those coming to Him in faith. He is not only able to heal us, He is willing. We contend in prayer with the best understanding and leading we have, and leave the rest in the hands of a gracious and loving Lord.

God in His infinite wisdom has the answer for those who are not healed. This remains a mystery to any honest minister who preaches that Jesus Christ is our Healer. Our experience is that not everyone is healed. Many are, but not all.

When we carefully examine the God of the Old Covenant, there were sometimes conditions surrounding the God who heals. Jesus Christ inaugurates the New Covenant with better promises, one of which is healing. He is the same sovereign God of both covenants. We must rely on His mercy and not on our desire, our effort, or our faith formulas.

To not include this biblical principle in our discussion regarding divine healing is to ignore the sovereignty of a loving God who ultimately decides who receives healing and who does not. We pray for the sick, not because He guarantees healing; we pray because He has declared that He is willing! The final outcome rests with Him.^[6]

Dunkerley expresses his belief in this way:

When Jesus said of us, “They will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well” (Mark 16:18), He did not say that everyone would get well or that those who did would be healed instantly.

In the same passage He promised deliverance from potentially fatal accidents (snakebites) and from those who would murder us for the sake of the Gospel (deadly poison). But surely Christians have died in fatal accidents; and Jesus taught that many would be martyred for the faith (Matthew 24:9).^[7] He specifically predicted the martyrdom of Peter (John 21:18–19).^[8] The promised healings and rescues will happen often enough to commend the Gospel to unbelievers, but they are not promised for every single instance.

The Kingdom of God came with the first coming of Christ, who preached that “the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17). He demonstrated the power of that Kingdom as He advanced it against the kingdom of darkness by healing the sick and casting out demons (Matthew 4:23–25). But the Kingdom of God did not come in its fullness. That awaits the Second Coming of Christ, “when He hands over the kingdom of God to the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24–25).

So the Kingdom of God is here and, in another sense, not yet. The sick are healed, but not all of them, and not all instantaneously and completely. The presence of the Kingdom encourages us to pray for ourselves, that it may be true of us that “the power of the Lord [is] present . . . to heal the sick” (Luke 5:17). The absence of the consummated Kingdom keeps us from discouragement when we do not see the powerful results we would like.^[9]

We have many questions about the mysteries of God’s sovereign will. Perhaps the best answer is the one Moses gave: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

God has revealed many things to us, but there are secret things He has chosen not to reveal. The answers to our questions about why evil exists, why all are not brought to Christ, why some (including some very righteous persons) suffer and others do not, why some we pray for are healed and others (whom we may pray for more earnestly) are not—all these are included in the realm of the secret things.^[10]

As you can see, there is a major difference in outlook between what Curry Blake teaches and what others teach on this particular issue. It must be pointed out that all of those quoted have successful healing ministries. Clearly, whether one believes that everyone should get healed when they get prayed for, or believes that there are times when some people don’t get healed because God chooses not to heal them at that time or in their lifetime, doesn’t affect whether the Lord uses these men and women in their healing ministries.

Both points of view can have their downsides. If you believe that God will always heal the sick person when they are prayed for, without exception, then when He doesn’t, you have to place the blame somewhere and assume a lack of faith on someone’s part. In a sense it both limits God and opens the door for condemnation on the part of whoever gets the blame for the failure.

If you believe that there are times when God chooses not to heal in this life, then when you pray for the sick and they aren’t healed right away, it might be easier to give up and not keep praying and fighting for healing, when perhaps more persistent prayer would bring healing.

In listening to and watching Curry Blake’s classes, something that I found inspiring and faith-building was his conviction regarding God’s Word—if God said it, it will happen, no ifs, ands, or buts. There is a certain uplifting simplicity within this stance. Maria and I agree that what God says, He will perform; that His Word is settled in heaven; that His promises are promises we can stand on. We also believe that God is God, that He is almighty, that His ways are higher than ours, and that in His divine wisdom and understanding, He may have reasons which are beyond our understanding for not healing someone when we pray for them. We believe that the ever-compassionate and loving God sometimes does or allows things that to our human way of thinking don’t seem fair, or may seem as if He is failing to keep His word or answer our heartfelt prayers. We believe that’s His prerogative, that He knows more than we do, that He knows the future, that He has His reasons, and that His reasons are based in love. Trusting God, even if it seems to us that He’s not keeping His word or answering our prayers, takes faith—perhaps as much faith as it does to believe God for His healing.

In his teaching, Curry Blake states that no one ever learns anything from sickness, that nothing good can come from being sick.—That since sickness is originally due to the fall of man, to the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and is part of the curse, nothing good can come from it.

Others with healing ministries teach that God can and does use sickness in some cases to draw those who are sick closer to Him; that when God doesn’t heal, the patience and faith the sick person needs to sustain them through the illness can draw the person closer to the Lord, and it often does.

While we can admire the conviction with which Curry Blake teaches, his passion for healing the sick, and his faith in God’s Word—all of which inspire us to trust God for healing and instill in us a greater desire to pray for the sick—at the same time I find roadblocks in his definiteness. My personal experience has taught me that not everyone who gets prayed for gets healed, and that those who endure sickness and pain often do gain important lessons or spiritual growth from the experience. I’ve seen and read about the lives of those who have physical infirmities and because of those infirmities have helped countless others find the Lord. In times of sickness, I have learned things about myself, or about my connection with the Lord, which have helped me in the long term.

While it’s a good thing to stand on God’s Word, to know that God has promised to, and does, answer prayer, I think it’s important to face certain truths—such as that not every prayer is answered in the manner we expect, and that sometimes God chooses not to answer immediately or in a way that we see it as His answer. God is greater than we are, and while we should claim His Word and stand on it and trust Him thoroughly, we need to understand that His ways are higher than ours and that He, in His infinite love and wisdom, may do or allow things in our lives or those of others that we don’t understand.

To demand that God answer every prayer for healing in a way that we expect, and, if that prayer is not answered, or is answered differently than we would have hoped, to put the blame on someone, in my opinion takes away from God’s power, from His sovereignty. It’s saying that we know better than God. God has more dimensions than we do. He knows so much more than we do—He knows supremely better than we do what’s best for each individual.

I believe that God heals people who are prayed for. Sometimes He heals instantaneously, sometimes progressively. Some He heals in this lifetime, and some He heals eternally through taking them home to Him. Whether God heals someone in this lifetime or in eternity, He is compassionate and loving. I believe it’s best to follow His Word by praying for the sick in obedience to His commands, trusting that as you pray, God will answer, and then leave the way He answers in His hands, and not try to place blame on someone—yourself, or others—if a healing doesn’t take place every time.

At the same time, we also need to remember that there are many promises of healing in God’s Word; that Jesus, the apostles, many believers in the early church and throughout Christian history, including nowadays, have used healing in their witness, as well as for one another. They have prayed for the sick and people were supernaturally healed. What I admire about Dunkerley, the Deckers, Blake, and those in TFI who have taken up this ministry of healing as part of their witness, is their passion for healing, their desire to use God’s power for physical healing, and through it the greatest healing of all—salvation. I may not agree with everything these healing evangelists teach, but I love that they pray and expect to see God’s hand move to heal, even if they know He may not heal in this life every time. I love that they stand on God’s promises and pray for the sick, and as they do so, some of those they pray for are supernaturally healed. I admire their faith and their willingness to minister to others in such a wonderful way. I believe that they have found a powerful way to preach the Gospel, one which many more Christians, including TFI members, could utilize.

(Next in this series: In Conclusion)

^[1] DHT Video 9.

^[2] DHT Manual 4.

^[3] DHT Manual 4.

^[4] DHT Audio 5.

^[5] DHT Audio 7.

^[6] DWJD 3.

^[7] Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake (Matthew 24:9 ESV).

^[8] “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this He said to him, “Follow Me” (John 21:18–19 ESV).

^[9] HE 53–54.

^[10] HE 68.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

4/17/24 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. ²And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud ⁷and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. (John 9:1-7) ESV

05 – Process of Healing

Divine Healing

Peter Amsterdam

2012-03-27

Chapter 5

It Takes Persistence When One Begins Praying for the Sick

Another point that those in the healing ministry wrote about had to do with persistence. They expressed the need to keep praying for the sick even if you don’t see a lot of results at first. From their experience, there is a “learning curve,” or at least a “persistence curve,” when people incorporate healing as part of their ministry. If you feel called to a healing ministry, a key component is to keep taking advantage of opportunities that come up to pray for people, even if you don’t have much success in the beginning.

Curry Blake says:

When you start to push a car, when you first start, there’s a whole lot of effort with very little result. But once you get it rolling, it will gain speed and it actually gets easier, or it feels easier anyway, to actually keep the car moving or even to gain speed once you get it rolling. That’s what it is. See, the enemy does not want you to get those first few battles. He doesn’t want you to get those first few victories, because once you get those first few victories, even if you have defeats after that, you’ll keep going. But if he can keep you from getting the first few victories, then there will always be that little doubt in your mind of, “Is this for me? Is this right? Is this for today?”^[1]

So you may start with absolutely no results, but it is the incorruptible seed of the Word of God. If you do not grow weary in well-doing, you shall reap in due season. So that means, there can be a time when you don’t really see the result. So whenever you start to do this, you have to realize that as you start out in this, it may start small.^[2]

When telling the story of how he started in his healing ministry, John Decker said:

It was there [in a healing meeting in Seattle] I began praying with conviction for the sick. I did not see too much happen, but I continued to minister to the sick like the other men I had been watching the past months.^[3]

Start with something easy. In learning how to heal the sick, we sometimes have to start with something that does not seem to require much faith. Headaches, high fevers, pains in the neck, or sore backs may be easier to tackle than praying for someone dying of terminal cancer. All healing is easy for God. However, for the Christian who has never prayed for the sick, start with something similar to the next passage.

When Jesus entered Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve Him (Matthew 8:14–15 ESV). ^[4]

Not All Healings Are Instant

Another point of agreement among those who minister healing is that not all healings are instantaneous healings. Sometimes healings happen immediately; sometimes it’s a process, a progressive healing that takes time.

Curry Blake says:

All of Jesus’ healings weren’t instant. Over and over again, it says, “the child began to amend from that hour.” So healing can be a process.

There are some diseases that we see [healed] instantly more than others. There are some that we see progressive more than others. I don’t like progressive, nobody does. I will take it any way I can get it, but as we say in Texas, “If I have my druthers,” I’d rather not have it progressive. I would rather have it instant.

We saw a young boy who had Down Syndrome. He had all the characteristics of Down Syndrome, and over a period of 1½ to 2 years, even the structure of his head changed, to where now you look at him and you can’t tell he ever had Down Syndrome. He went from a 5-year-old mentality up to his rightful age.^[5]

John Decker writes:

I teamed up with Ken and began ministering with him. We would pray for anyone who needed healing. Pains were leaving people as we prayed. Some people never received anything, others did. Headaches would leave, casts from broken bones would come off early, sore backs would become normal, and sinuses would clear up. Some of the healings would take a while. Other healings were instant.^[6]

Dunkerley states:

Nor were all of Jesus’ healings instantaneous: The blind man at Bethsaida was first healed partially, later completely.^[7] The timeframe was short but not instantaneous. The lepers in Luke 17:11–19 were not healed until after they left the presence of Jesus.^[8] The man in John 9:6–7 was blind when he left Jesus’ presence.^[9] He was not healed until after he washed.

What, based on the experience and teaching of Jesus Himself, should we expect and teach with regard to healing evangelism? First, we should not assume that every prayer will lead to instant success, nor should we teach that everyone will be healed instantly who truly believes.^[10]

More Than One Method

One thing I was glad to see among the healing evangelists was that while they all use somewhat different methods and even believe some different things regarding healing, they make a point of not being dogmatic regarding how healing is done, what methods are used. They realize that Christians with fruitful healing ministries use different methods and have good results, which shows that the promises regarding healing in the Bible are the standard, and yet the methods used can be different.

This is important, as some of the healers vary quite a bit from one another in belief and practice. In his videos and audios, Curry Blake often makes a point of saying that you don’t need to do this or that, referring to some of the methods others use, but even he makes the point that the actual methods used aren’t the most important thing and that people shouldn’t get dogmatic about it. He says:

People ask me, “What’s the best method for healing or best method for this or that?” Now, it’s very simple. The method that you believe in is the method that will work for you. There’s no one method that Jesus gave. The closest He gave was in Mark 16 where He said, “Lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” That’s the standard.^[11]

The message [the Bible] is sacred; our methods are not. Our methods change with the generations. That’s why our music changes; that’s a method. The way you do certain things will change, but the message has to be sacred, it has to be kept pure.^[12]

What I’m trying to get you to do first is to understand the principles of it, so that when I teach you the specifics and the methods, you won’t get hung up on the method and you’ll realize that the method I show you is not the end-all method. It’s a method to get you started.^[13]

When we will start to minister I will take you through several different ways to pray for people and you will know what to do. So we will be specific. Now just don’t take that for a formula and think that you have to mimic word for word every time. But essentially it comes down to this: Tell the spirit, the sickness, or the body what you want it to do. That’s it.^[14]

John and Sonja Decker make the point about different methods in this way:

Jesus grants more grace toward us than we do to each other. Just because a minister displays an unusual style in healing the sick, we need not discount him because he is unorthodox. Jesus reminds us to examine the fruit of their presentation. Are people genuinely healed? Do they give God all the credit? Are people being saved? We shall know them by their fruit. Remain on the side of Jesus by following His examples from the written Word.^[15]

Don Dunkerley, who is from a Presbyterian background, wrote about his previous skepticism toward some with evangelical healing ministries, especially flamboyant ones who use certain gifts of the Spirit in their ministries, such as the word of knowledge. He gives three stories in his book about mass evangelism and healing that helped him overcome some of his skepticism. He wrote about a Ugandan preacher who ministered healing and who had more faith in divine intervention and miracles than Dunkerley did. Upon getting to know the man and seeing his sincerity in preaching the Gospel and his love for souls, he realized that there are those with large healing ministries who use rather flamboyant methods who truly are concerned with salvation of souls and not just healing of bodies, or in promoting themselves.

He tells another story about working with Richard Roberts, the son of Oral Roberts, a famous Pentecostal healing evangelist. It was at an interdenominational crusade with many different churches working together. He was one of the few non-Pentecostals on the team and his job was teaching training seminars for pastors. He wrote the following regarding the nightly evangelistic rallies:

[During the rallies] I had no function except to sit on the platform—which gave me an opportunity to observe carefully. I also had the opportunity to observe the team members behind the scenes, including at dinner after the crusade each night in the dining room of our hotel.

One evening a team member from ORU [Oral Roberts University] had a word of knowledge describing a woman who was being healed at that moment. The team member pointed to the section of the crusade grounds where she was seated. He mentioned her age and described the illness from which she was being healed. Almost immediately a woman from where he had pointed came to the platform and said she was the person. Her age, she said, had been given exactly. She indeed had the very illness he had described, but could feel that she had been immediately healed.

A few years before, if I had seen such a thing on TV or even from the audience, I would have been sure the woman was a “plant.” But at dinner that evening after the service there was amazement and rejoicing over the precise accuracy of the word of knowledge. Clearly if the woman was a plant, it was unknown to any of the team members, including Richard himself.

I am sure it was a miracle. Everything I saw and heard during that week seemed genuine.^[16]

Dunkerley watched people get saved and healed by those using methods which he didn’t employ and which he, in times past, considered fake. The method was different but the results were the same, because those preaching and praying for the sick applied God’s Word, were sincere, and were motivated by the love of God to lead others to salvation.

Different people use different methods in healing ministries. Some put emphasis on using different gifts of the Holy Spirit; others on fasting and praying beforehand; some insist on anointing with oil; others don’t do any of these things. Yet there are successful healing ministries using all of these methods and techniques.

The simple fact of the matter is that God heals. He uses Christians who have the faith to pray for others as a conduit of His healing power. The actual methods that are used, the technicalities and details, are secondary to the fact that He wants to show His power, love, and compassion to others through healing them and bringing them to Him. I believe He is looking for those who will take up the challenge to use healing as part of their witnessing ministry.

(Next in this series: Where Healing Evangelists Disagree)

^[1] DHT Audio 8.

^[2] DHT Video 1.

^[3] DWJD 3.

^[4] DWJD 3.

^[5] DHT Video 9.

^[6] DWJD 3.

^[7] And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to Him a blind man and begged Him to touch him. And He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when He had spit on his eyes and laid His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid His hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village” (Mark 8:22–26 ESV).

^[8] On the way to Jerusalem He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:11–18 ESV).

^[9] Having said these things, He spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing (John 9:6–7 ESV).

^[10] HE 52, 54.

^[11] DHT Audio 11.

^[12] DHT Audio 11.

^[13] DHT Audio 11.

^[14] DHT Audio 12.

^[15] DWJD 3.

^[16] HE 191.

Jesus Heals Many

4/16/24 And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. ¹⁶That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. ¹⁷This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
(Matthew 8:14-20) ESV

04 – Healing Is in the Atonement

Divine Healing

Peter Amsterdam

2012-03-20

Chapter 4

A significant principle that those whose material I studied agree on, and that has been in our Statement of Faith for decades, is that divine healing is in the atonement—that Jesus not only died for our sins so that we could be saved, but He also suffered so that we could receive physical healing.

The concept of healing fitting within the atonement is based on Isaiah 53:4–5 and Matthew 8:16–17:

Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.^[1]

The word translated as infirmities (griefs in the KJV) is the Hebrew word choliy, meaning sickness.

Donald Dunkerley comments:

So what can we conclude about healing and the atonement?

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases” (Matthew 8:16–17).

Matthew was telling us that when Jesus healed the sick, He was setting them free from illness in direct fulfillment of Isaiah 53. That beloved Old Testament prophecy cannot be spiritualized to mean that Jesus would take on Himself only our spiritual problems. Matthew saw it fulfilled in the healing of physical illness. And when Isaiah said, “By His wounds we are healed,” physical healing was very much a part of what he had in mind.

Christ died to deliver us from sin and all its consequences, including disease and death. He died to provide holiness for us in this life and resurrection and glory in the life to come. He did not, in His earthly ministry, tell people to wait for heaven before they could be healed. He healed many of them right then.^[2]

Our founder David also taught that healing was part of the atonement.

He didn’t have to suffer for our sins, He only had to shed His blood and die for our sins. But His body suffered stripes, wounds, beatings, pain and agony so that through this He could also atone for our sicknesses: “By His stripes we are healed!” (Isaiah 53:5)^[3]

Lord, You suffered in Your body for our sicknesses and our illnesses as well as for our sins. You took our infirmities in Your own body, by Your stripes we are healed. You didn’t have to do all that, Lord, but You did that for our health, to show by Your vicarious suffering that You atone for our physical bodies as well as our spiritual souls.^[4]

It’s Jesus’ body that heals them, which is what we teach. Why else was He beaten? Why else did He suffer stripes? Why else did He suffer physically without dying? If it was only His blood that was necessary to save us, why didn’t He just die and why did the Lord let Him go through all that suffering? “By His stripes we are healed.” “This is My body which is broken for you!”—Not to save us, but to heal us! (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Corinthians 11:24) It’s in the atonement, praise God! Hallelujah!^[5]

So as you partake of this [bread in communion], it’s a symbol of our faith that His body was broken for us and it is for our healing and we can claim it through the sacrifice of Christ. It’s a part of His atonement, the whole salvation for the whole man—body, soul and spirit.^[6]

While the fact that healing is part of the atonement is generally believed by those who teach healing evangelism, there is a variance in the way it is interpreted. Some believe that while physical healing is contained within the atonement and “by His stripes we are healed,” this doesn’t mean all sickness will be healed immediately or even in this lifetime. Others believe that because healing is in the atonement, this means God will heal all diseases now.

David expressed that while we can and do get healed in this life, it’s only a touch of the full healing we will experience eternally.

This little ceremony [communion] today, Lord, symbolizes our message, that You’re the whole Christ for the whole man! You meet every need, physical and spiritual. You not only save souls, but You heal bodies too. And You’re going to redeem our body completely one of these days, and give us a whole brand new one. We have experienced a little touch of it in healing. Thy healing is a little touch of resurrection life, a little bit of Heaven, it’s a little bit of redemption, a little bit of redemption of the body.

We already have the salvation of our souls by faith, but Lord, even our spirits are not yet made perfect. If we receive Thee by faith, Thy Spirit by faith and Thy healing by faith, we already have the Kingdom of God within us. We have this all by faith. We have everything, a little bit of Heaven in our bodies and in our hearts as a result of taking this by faith here and now. And yet, Lord, it’s not going to be really completely fulfilled until we receive our new Heavenly bodies and “the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23)^[7]

In his book Healing Evangelism, Don Dunkerley writes about his wife, Eileen, who was told she would not have any more children, yet had a miracle pregnancy and delivered a baby girl, Joy Anne. After her birth, the doctors found a congenital defect from which only one in ten survive. His church and others were praying for and expecting healing. Don says:

But the Lord took Joy Anne to heaven when she was just a half-hour short of one week old. This was a great blow to many who had prayed in faith. One member of our congregation told me recently that her prayer life was disturbed for years because she was so angry at God that Joy Anne had died when virtually the whole city of Pensacola was praying for her healing. Eileen and I were established enough in our understanding of God’s sovereignty that her death did not shake our faith or disturb our prayer lives.

On my first Sunday back in the pulpit, I preached a sermon to reassure the congregation (and Eileen and me) that God had not failed to keep His promises. My text was Ephesians 1:5, and the sermon title, “His Kind Intention.” Healing is in the atonement, I told them, but heaven is in the atonement, too. When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are instantly forgiven but we do not instantly go to heaven. Some of the blessings of the atonement we have in a partial sense now, and some we will have in a complete sense in the future, when we get to heaven. One day we shall all be perfectly healed of our diseases when we stand before the throne of the Lamb and sing His praises. It is God’s will ultimately that all His people be healed. Sometimes it is His will that we be healed instantly, but sometimes He has something better for us, because our illnesses and infirmities can be part of His wonderful work for our sanctification.

God did not heal Joy Anne in the way we were praying for, I said. He healed her by taking her to heaven.^[8]

In his book When God Doesn’t Heal Now, Larry Keefauver tells a story of two situations, one in which a woman is hospitalized with an unknown condition which put her into a coma. The doctors had no idea what the problem was. Over the months, specialists were brought in from the top U.S. hospitals to attempt various procedures, but to no avail. The doctors told the husband his wife was brain dead. The husband believed God for his wife’s healing and continued to pray for her. He took her home and cared for her for months on end. In time, she began to regain consciousness, and after many more months she was completely healed.

He relates another account of a Christian couple who were serving the Lord for twenty years when the wife was diagnosed with cancer. After much prayer, over a period of time she improved, but not for long, and eventually she died of the cancer.

After sharing these two accounts, the author says:

Both couples walked by faith. In one instance, God healed physically in a miraculous way in time and space. In the other instance, God healed eternally.^[9]

Keefauver makes the case that God always heals. Some He heals “in time”—that is, in this life, and others He heals “in eternity”—meaning that He heals them through delivering them from this life and taking them into eternity, where they are healed forever.

Healing evangelist Curry Blake teaches that healing is in the atonement, yet he takes a different stance regarding what results should be expected because of it. He makes the case that since healing is in the atonement, when someone is prayed for, their healing in this life is just as sure as salvation. He teaches that healing in this life is always God’s will. That if someone is prayed for and they aren’t healed, or at least the process of healing doesn’t start, then there is some failure on the part of the person praying. His premise is that because healing is in the atonement, it is always God’s will to heal, so healing in this lifetime is guaranteed. While the other healing evangelists believe that healing is in the atonement and is God’s will, they also believe that while many people will be healed in this lifetime, others will be healed in eternity.

I’m including Curry Blake’s point of view, though I must add that David’s teachings, as well as those of the other healing evangelists I’ve read, and the theologians I’ve studied, don’t agree with his point of view. Maria and I also differ from Curry Blake on this point. We don’t feel you can insist that everyone prayed for should be healed in this lifetime and that if they aren’t, there is something wrong.

Curry says:

All you need to know is that healing is in the atonement. It’s always God’s will.^[10]

If God will never turn away a person who comes to Him for salvation and healing … and healing was paid for at the same time and to the same degree that sins were paid for, then the same rules apply to healing as apply to salvation.^[11]

There’s only two things you need to know about healing: it is God’s will and it is in the atonement. If it is in the atonement, then it’s God’s will. Once you figure out it’s in the atonement and therefore is God’s will and therefore it’s always God’s will, then that means it can never not be God’s will. ^[12]

And let me tell you, if you think now that you know this, it’s not gonna hurt any more if somebody dies, let me tell you, it hurts more because now you know absolutely without a shadow of a doubt and with no excuses, they shouldn’t have died. I take away all your excuses, so now you know it was usually a failure somewhere in something that you didn’t do.^[13]

You say that they had faith and the person who’s praying has faith, but if they didn’t get healed, then no. The Bible says if you pray the prayer of faith they will get healed. You’re saying that these people prayed the prayer of faith and they didn’t get healed. I can’t go with what you said. I have to go with what the Bible says.^[14]

No spiritual-minded Christian ever died of sickness or disease. If a person dies of sickness or disease it is because they are carnally minded. Why? Because to be carnally minded is death. To be spiritually minded is life and peace.^[15]

When discussing God’s will regarding healing, John and Sonja Decker quote Mark 1:40–42 to build their argument that it is God’s will to heal. They make reference to the two other times this story is told in the Gospels: in Matthew 8:2–3, and Luke 5:12–13.

A leper came to Him, imploring Him, and kneeling said to Him, “If You will, You can make me clean.” Moved with pity, He stretched out His hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.^[16]

Their explanation is as follows:

The above Scriptures reveal God’s will concerning healing. His will is plainly revealed in these three passages. They all say the same thing: He is willing to heal us! He is willing not only to heal leprosy, He is willing to heal all manner of sickness and disease. Jesus has revealed His eternal compassion and mercy to heal the sick.

Most believe that God is able to do anything He wants. These passages proclaim that God is not only able, He is also willing to heal those who come to Him in faith. Therefore, we can preach with confidence that divine healing is now available through the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

Sick people (like this leper) who are serious and determined to get healed, demonstrate the kind of faith that will set the stage for healing.

The timing of when the healing will actually manifest is always left in the hands of the Lord. Even though He is willing to heal now, the full, physical manifestation may be instant or may take hours, days, or weeks.

Our confession remains: “God is willing to heal you now. Your healing starts today. We will continue to thank Him until the physical manifestation comes to pass.”

Only God knows those sicknesses that will end in death (see John 11:4).^[17] This is why we need revelation knowledge from the Lord about how to pray in these kinds of situations. We contend for healing until the Lord reveals otherwise.^[18]

Since John and Sonja Decker emphasize the use of revelation in healing, they seek for the guidance of the Holy Spirit regarding whom they minister to and for how long they should pray for physical healing for someone who is ill. This is why they say they fight for people’s healing until the Lord reveals otherwise. While they believe it’s God’s will to heal, they also understand that sometimes God chooses not to heal someone in time, but rather to take the person to Him and heal them in eternity.

When writing about God’s will in regard to healing, Don Dunkerley expresses it this way:

Sickness is no more God’s will than sin and unbelief are His will. God is always on the side of healing, just as He is always on the side of righteousness and faith. And ultimate healing for His people is always God’s will. But there are mysteries about God’s plan. We know He allows and uses things of which He does not approve, and His plan for human history includes sin, unbelief, sickness, even death. God used Joseph’s slavery in Egypt to deliver many people, though He did not approve of Joseph’s being sold as a slave (Genesis 45:7–8; 50:20). God used the murder of Christ as the center of His plan of redemption, although that murder was wickedness (Acts 2:23).

The mystery here is that God does not approve of sickness any more than He approves of slavery and murder. But that does not mean He always heals. In fact, sometimes He actually uses sickness for our sanctification. So instead of praying, “If it be Thy will,” we should pray for healing “according to Your will.” Healing is His will; it’s just that His timing is not always immediate.^[19]

Healing is part of the atonement. When Jesus was resurrected and then ascended into heaven, it wasn’t only His spirit that rose from the dead and ascended into heaven—His physical body did as well. When Jesus returns at the Rapture, we will meet Him in the air, and not just our spirits but our bodies too. We will have supernatural bodies like Jesus does, and those bodies will be fully healed for eternity. That’s the ultimate fulfillment of the atonement.

While there may be differences of opinion on whether healing in the atonement means everyone who is prayed for must be healed now, or that some will be healed now and others only in eternity, one thing we can count on is that because of Jesus’ suffering and death we will live forever, with resurrected bodies which will suffer no pain and will never be sick.

We can also know that healing is available to us and others while we live on earth, through Jesus’ atonement. We can bring that healing to many, if we have the faith to believe what Jesus said, and to step out and pray for those in need, thus bringing them the opportunity to receive healing at God’s hand.

(Next in this series: Process of Healing)

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

4/15/24 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ²and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. ³And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.^[a] ⁴And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. ⁵And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
(Luke 9:1-6) ESV

03 – Healing Is for Evangelism

Divine Healing

Peter Amsterdam

2012-03-13

Chapter 3

In the previous article, we presented some of the main points of agreement among the healing evangelists, one of which is that the power of healing is available to all Christians.

Another key point they teach is that one of the primary purposes for the gift of healing is as a tool for evangelism—that praying for the sick is a means of opening the door to preach about Jesus and bring people to salvation.

While they do pray for other Christians who need healing, they each make the point that healing is a very effective means of preaching the Gospel. When you pray in the name of Jesus for someone who is sick and they are healed, it’s a powerful testimony that what you preach about Jesus is true.

Don Dunkerley wrote the following about the effectiveness of healing in evangelism:

Using healing prayer in evangelism is a major emphasis in developing countries and is a reason for the meteoric rise of Pentecostal and charismatic churches in the twentieth century.

Missionaries observe that in many places the churches that grow most rapidly are churches that incorporate the ministry of healing into their normal church activities. This naturally raises questions about churches that downplay healing and also do not grow particularly well. Is there a correlation?^[1]

My advice to missionaries is to pray for the sick and distressed on every appropriate occasion. Pray for the healing of believers, and pray that unbelievers will be healed and saved.

Healing prayer is a key to growth in numbers of churches throughout the world. And using healing prayer as a means of evangelism is popular in churches around the world.^[2]

Jesus seemed to expect that this kind of evangelism would continue because He announced shortly before His ascension, “These signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands: and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”^[3]

Wayne Grudem, a theologian, has this to say about healing and its purposes, including evangelism:

As with other spiritual gifts, healing has several purposes. Certainly it functions as a “sign” to authenticate the Gospel message, and show that the kingdom of God has come. Then also healing brings comfort and health to those who are ill, and thereby demonstrates God’s attribute of mercy toward those in distress. Third, healing equips people for service, as physical impediments to ministry are removed. Fourth, healing provides opportunity for God to be glorified as people see physical evidence of His goodness, love, power, wisdom, and presence.^[4]

Curry Blake states it succinctly:

The teaching for the Divine Healing Technician [those he is teaching healing to] is … for Mark 16:15. It’s for the street.^[5]

Praying for those who are in need of healing is a method of evangelization, which can be very effective. It’s something Jesus told those who believe to do and has given them power to do. Some TFI members have begun to incorporate healing prayer into their regular witnessing and are using it as a powerful addition to their mission outreach.

It’s God Who Heals—Give Him the Glory

The next foundational point that each of these healing evangelists preach is that it is God who heals, not the person doing the praying. One must always give credit to God, as all healing should glorify God.

Has there ever been a human heal anybody? No! Who did it? Jesus. It was actually the Spirit of God. Jesus said, “Even the works I do, even I don’t do them but it’s the Spirit of My Father. He does them.” Even Jesus didn’t take credit for the works He did. He gave the credit to the Spirit. So every healing that ever took place, one person did it. The Spirit. Right?… There has never been a healing, ever, there has never been a raising from the dead, there has never been a miracle that took place that the Spirit that is in you didn’t do.

I started realizing, this thing is easy. Why? Because the One that has the full knowledge of everything, the One that knows every situation and has healed every sick person, every bit of it, lives in me. And when I realized that, then I realized it wasn’t about who was laying hands on that boy. It was about the Spirit of God that healed that boy, and what I was feeling was the Spirit of God.^[6]

John and Sonja Decker write:

God gets the credit. Moving from surprise encounters to authentic manifestations of God’s healing power was a process that took over ten years. We observed all kinds of healings. Some were questionable and some were obvious. Some were routine and some were spectacular. Regardless of who was ministering or how they prayed, we learned one vital truth. We are very careful to always point to an awesome God who receives all the credit and glory. We receive no acclaim on how we or anyone else achieved the various healings. Prolonged intercessions with fasting may have played a part. However, the ultimate reason for the healing lies in a compassionate God who is willing to heal those who rely on His Word, His mercy, and His grace.

Be aware of people with religious spirits announcing that you are special. Avoid allowing people to “puff you up” by praising you for what is happening. Respond by having everyone lift their hands and voices in praise and thanksgiving, glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ for what He is doing.^[7]

As Christians We Are Engaged in Warfare Against Satan

As has been commonly taught by Christians throughout history, those who follow God are at war with Satan.^[8] Each of those involved in healing whose material I read teaches about the warfare between the kingdom of God and Satan and his demons. They see the fight for the healing of souls and bodies as spiritual warfare.

Don Dunkerley puts it this way:

Everyone doing healing evangelism is engaged in spiritual warfare. It is by the power of the kingdom of Satan, after all, that people are afflicted with sin, disease and demons. And as the Kingdom of God advances, the kingdom of darkness is pushed back and people are set free. So in order to understand healing prayer, we need to understand spiritual warfare and the role of prayer in that warfare.

When engaging in healing prayer [privately, before beginning to pray for people], rebuke spirits of infirmity specifically as Jesus did (Mark 9:25). Break their power and command them to loose their victims. You might pray something like this: In the name of Jesus I take authority over all spirits present that are not of Him. I particularly rebuke you spirits of infirmity and command you to loose your victims. By the power of the blood of Christ I command you to depart and go where Jesus sends you. I invite the healing power of the Holy Spirit to burn out all impurity.^[9]

Curry Blake states:

This whole thing goes back to warfare, it’s all it is: Warfare between two kingdoms—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness … If you could take that and just grow from that, that’s everything you need to know; that’s it in a nutshell. … They are the sick. They are the oppressed. They are a prisoner of war by Satan. … The prisoner of war is never the problem. It’s his guards that you have to deal with. ^[10]

Praying for the Sick Sometimes Puts You in a Position that Requires Casting Out Spirits

Before going into what the healing evangelists teach regarding casting out spirits, I want to make it clear that Maria and I, and these healing evangelists as well, don’t feel that every illness—whether physical or mental—is due to oppression or possession by demons or evil spirits.

According to the experiences recounted by these healing evangelists, at times they are faced with people who are hindered by an evil spirit, and when the healer begins to pray for the person, the spirit manifests itself and hinders the healing. At such times, the evangelists claim deliverance for the person. This seems to be fairly rare, but it is something that happens sometimes when praying for the sick. Since I am covering those things which these healing evangelists hold in common, and since they all spoke about finding themselves in situations where the person who needed healing also needed prayer against a hindering spirit, I felt it was important to include mention of this. While not a pleasant subject, it’s part of what they face from time to time.

They all wrote or spoke with compassion for those needing this type of prayer, and their main concern is setting people free from the bondage of Satan. They weren’t linking every sickness to the need for deliverance from a spirit. They spoke about prayers of deliverance in a matter-of-fact way, stating that there are sometimes occasions when such a prayer was needed. In such cases, people needed prayer for their physical healing, along with prayer against a troublesome spirit.

When they pray against spirits, the evangelists claim God’s Word and know that because God has given Christians power over evil spirits, the spirit must obey when they command it to leave. They speak about times when more than one spirit is hindering the person and they have cast them out one by one.

Jesus gave His disciples authority to cast out demons, and He said that He’s given that authority to believers.

These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues.^[11]

He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.^[12]

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!”^[13]

They went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.^[14]

There is also mention of some of Jesus’ followers being healed of evil spirits and sickness.

The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.^[15]

It should also be noted that the Gospel speaks of healing in reference to both infirmities and evil spirits. Jesus healed the sick and He healed those who had evil spirits. What was important to Him was setting people free from whatever ailed them. I found it interesting that Jesus had people with Him who had been healed of evil spirits and sickness. He didn’t stigmatize them no matter what their problem had been. They were healed and accepted.

In the book Doing What Jesus Did, John Decker shares an experience where he had to pray for someone who was hindered by a spirit. He concludes with:

I left with a different attitude about demonized people. It was as if I was allowed to experience what Jesus did so many times as illustrated in the Gospels. To Him, the demon-possessed were viewed in the same category as the brokenhearted, sick or those in pain. They all needed to be free and well. In Luke 4, Jesus Christ’s mission is stated clearly. He wants His followers to continue the same mission:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”^[16]

Our mission is fulfilling the Great Commission by doing the same things Jesus did. We are to preach, heal, set the oppressed free, and give Jesus Christ all the credit.

We are to set at liberty those who are oppressed of the devil by removing the demons that are oppressing them.^[17]

Dunkerley says something similar:

Evangelistic teams today, like those Jesus sent out long ago, are not only to preach the Gospel but to heal the sick and cast out demons.

Because we have the biblical mandate to do these things, we also have the power. … In what we call the Great Commission, Jesus told the disciples to teach all nations “to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Since Jesus commanded these very same men to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons” (Matthew 10:8), doesn’t it stand to reason that those acts are among the “everything” that He commanded them to teach the nations? If so, then we should be doing those very things.^[18]

When we witness, when we engage in the mission in any form, we are engaging in spiritual warfare. Our goal is to win souls, to bring people to salvation, and in doing so we are fighting against Satan’s hold on humanity. This holds true when we pray for the sick—when we use the authority given to us through God’s Word to heal people physically through divine healing, and when we help heal people spiritually through guiding them to salvation.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.^[19]

When Jesus sent His disciples out, He gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. As Christians carrying the message of salvation to the world, we too have power and authority to both heal the sick and cast out demons.

As disciples we are called to fulfill the Great Commission. Doing so involves spiritual warfare. Whether we are contending for someone’s salvation or their healing, we are fighting for the kingdom of God.

(Next in this series: Healing Is in the Atonement)

^[1] HE 20.

^[2] HE 21.

^[3] HE 25.

^[4] Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Page 1064.

^[5] CB Audio 7.

^[6] CB Video 8.

^[7] DWJD 3.

^[8] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

(Ephesians 6:12–18 ESV).

^[9] HE 95.

^[10] DHT Video 9.

^[11] Mark 16:17 ESV.

^[12] Luke 9:1–2 ESV.

In their Gospels, Matthew and Mark state the same:

He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction (Matthew 10:1 ESV).

He appointed twelve (whom He also named apostles) so that they might be with Him and He might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:14–15 ESV).

^[13] Luke 10:17 ESV.

^[14] Mark 6:12–13 ESV.

^[15] Luke 8:1–3 ESV.

^[16] Luke 4:18–19 NKJV.

^[17] DWJD 6.

^[18] HE 43.

^[19] Ephesians 6:12 ESV.

The Great Commission

4/14/24 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. ¹⁵And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. ¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

¹⁹So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]] (Mark16:14-20) ESV

02 – Cornerstones of Healing

Divine Healing

Peter Amsterdam

2012-03-06

Chapter 2

In the introduction to this series, we covered the differences in belief between Christians who are cessationists (who believe that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit are no longer active within Christianity) and the continuationists (who believe that all of the gifts of the Spirit are active today, just as they were at the beginning of Christianity).

Even among the continuationists, there are some differences of opinion concerning the use of the gifts of the Spirit. This is evident when it comes to divine healing. We will discuss these differences in later articles.

Despite the differences, however, there are fundamental principles regarding healing which those with healing ministries strongly hold in common, and on which they base their belief in divine healing. Their beliefs in the scriptural precedents and promises of healing are the cornerstones of their ministries. Because they strongly believe that the power of God works through them, as promised in the Bible, they step out with faith in the promises and commands of Jesus, and pray for the sick, often with outstanding results.

The 10 cornerstones which the healing evangelists I read hold in common are:

Jesus healed people and showed God’s power through doing so.
Jesus commanded His disciples to heal and gave them power to do so.
Authority to heal has been given by Jesus to His disciples.
Healing is for evangelism.
It’s God who heals—give Him the glory.
Healing is in the Atonement.
As Christians we are engaged in warfare against Satan.
It takes persistence when one begins praying for the sick.
Not all healings are instant.
More than one method.

Let’s take a look at these cornerstones of healing.

Jesus Healed People and Showed God’s Power Through Doing So

It is clear from the scriptures that a major part of Jesus’ ministry was healing. He had compassion on people because they were “as sheep without a shepherd.” As the Good Shepherd, He loved and cared for them by healing them and setting them free from pain and disease. In doing so, He was showing God’s love and power. Jesus’ healing miracles also gave credence to His ministry. The fact that He healed people proved that the words He spoke came from God. His words were backed up by His actions. When the scribes questioned Jesus’ forgiving of the paralytic man’s sins, it was His healing miracle that testified to His power to forgive sin.

Getting into a boat He crossed over and came to His own city. And behold, some people brought to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.^[1]

When John the Baptist sent his followers to ask Jesus if He was the Expected One, Jesus responded by pointing out the healings which were happening and the Gospel that was being preached to the poor as proofs that He was the one sent by God.

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”^[2]

Jesus’ power to heal showed the people of His day that He had authority from God, and thus that the message He gave and the words He spoke were from God. People recognized that He spoke with authority and that His works were unique, showing that He was from God.

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”^[3]

They were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.^[4]

They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”^[5]

They were astonished at His teaching, for His word possessed authority.^[6]

Jesus Commanded His Disciples to Heal and Gave Them Power to Do So

Jesus healed the sick and He commissioned and empowered His disciples to do so too. At one point He sent out the 12 to preach the Gospel and heal the sick, and at another time He sent out the 70 to do the same. Just before His ascension into heaven, He commanded the disciples to preach the Gospel, to make disciples, and to heal the sick. It is evident from Scripture that Jesus intended for His disciples to preach the Gospel and to heal the sick.

He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal … And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the Gospel and healing everywhere.^[7]

He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.^[8]

Proclaim as you go, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.^[9]

These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.^[10]

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.^[11]

These are promises and commands of Jesus which each of the healing evangelists whose work I’ve studied has written or spoken about as being foundational to their healing ministries. Jesus made it clear that believers will do the works that He did, and even greater works. Healing is one of those works. Believers have the ability to heal through the power of God. Jesus said they did, and He instructed His disciples, including those of today, to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and to preach the Gospel.

Authority to Heal Has Been Given by Jesus to His Disciples

Jesus not only instructed His disciples to heal, He also gave them the authority to do so.

It is in this authority, given to His disciples, that Christians can have the faith to exercise the gifts of healing.

Healing evangelists John and Sonja Decker in their book Doing What Jesus Did write:

Healing gifts are not a single great gift for special individuals. Gifts of healing are available to whoever wants to believe and steps out in faith and begins to pray for the sick. There are no “special” ministers with privileged “inside” information—though some well-publicized evangelists would want you to believe to the contrary. The Scriptures are open for any believer to read and believe what is promised. Jesus promises that every Christian can pray for the sick and believe God for healing.^[12]

Don Dunkerley in Healing Evangelism states:

Please notice that when Jesus spoke of casting out demons and laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover, He was speaking of signs that “will accompany those who believe” (Mark 16:17). These are the privilege of all believers, not just apostles, deeply devoted saints or professional healing evangelists. They belong to the lay people … And if you are a believer, they belong to you! ^[13]

In his Divine Healing Technician course Curry Blake says:

You don’t need anointings, you don’t need impartations, you don’t need to stay in line and get hands laid on you to get what I’ve got or what anyone else has got [the gifts of healing], because if you’ve got the Spirit of God, you’ve got what we’ve got.^[14]

Jesus said that certain signs, including healing, would follow those that believe. According to the Bible, the power to heal the sick is available to Christians. That means it’s available to all of us.

In 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul lists the gifts of the Holy Spirit, he explains that different ones receive different gifts.^[15] He goes on to say:

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.^[16]

This verse makes it clear that the Spirit of God gives individuals these gifts according to His will. This indicates that not every Christian has every gift. As such, not every Christian has the gifts of healing, just as not every Christian has the gift of wisdom, the ability to distinguish between spirits, etc. At the end of the same chapter Paul says:

But earnestly desire the higher gifts.^[17]

In saying to earnestly desire certain gifts, it can be concluded that one can pray earnestly for a particular gift. Having the gifts of healing, as someone who witnesses, could be beneficial to your witness. If you feel called to use healing in your witness, don’t let anything keep you from asking God for it and stepping out by faith to use it as He leads you.

Throughout this series, the healing evangelists I quote make reference to Christians having the power to heal. They don’t state specifically that they believe that every Christian has the gifts of healing, so I don’t really know their stance on the subject, but from what they say, it can be interpreted that way.

Throughout the articles I also state that healing is available to Christians. By this I mean two things: first, that when a Christian is in need of healing, they can pray for themselves as well as ask others to pray for them. “The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”^[18] Second, that any Christian can pray to receive the gifts of healing, and as such the gifts of healing are available. It is, of course, up to the Lord if He gives you the gifts, and as the healing evangelists brought out in their books, it sometimes might require a fair amount of practice or stepping out by faith before you see it manifested in full in your life.

(Next in this series: Healing Is for Evangelism)

^[1] Matthew 9:1–8 ESV.

^[2] Matthew 11:2–5 NAU.

^[3] John 3:2 ESV.

^[4] Mark 1:22 ESV.

^[5] Mark 1:27 ESV.

^[6] Luke 4:32 ESV.

^[7] Luke 9:1–2, 6 ESV.

^[8] Matthew 10:1 ESV.

^[9] Matthew 10:7–8 ESV.

^[10] Mark 16:17–18 ESV.

^[11] John 14:12–14 ESV.

^[12] DWJD 3.

^[13] HE 32.

^[14] DHT Audio 11.

^[15] Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.

^[16] 1 Corinthians 12:11.

^[17] 1 Corinthians 12:31 ESV.

^[18] James 5:15 ESV.

God Is Love

4/13/24 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸There 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. ¹⁹We love because he first loved us. ²⁰If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot^[a] love God whom he has not seen. ²¹And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
(1John 4:13-21) ESV

Slay the Dragon!

Peter Amsterdam

2015-08-17

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.¹

Throughout our lives, we encounter situations and opportunities that have potential to open new doors of service and influence. Sometimes it’s very clear to us that the Lord is opening a door; other times we simply have a sense in our heart or spirit. That “sense” tugs at our attention, as if the Lord were trying to pull us in a certain direction. There’s often an accompanying feeling of excitement and positive anticipation that calls us to advance into unfamiliar territory.

After years of following God, many of us are pretty experienced in sensing God’s leading and checking in with Him to confirm His will. Therefore, we might feel pretty solid on some new plan and we’re on the verge of making a decision and taking action. Everything is set; we’re ready to start.

But then what happens? Why at times do we delay making the decision or avoid taking the needed first steps?

Often, the culprit is fear. I hate to admit it, but in my own life, fear shows up in many ways and it can be paralyzing. When I stop to think about it, I recognize there are times when I’m afraid of failing or of making a mistake or of what something might cost me in terms of hard work and sacrifice.

Those are not the only kinds of fears that hold us back. Sometimes taking the next step involves asking for something we need—someone’s advice, financial help, or permission. In such instances the fear of rejection comes to the fore. Even if we don’t take the time to analyze and identify our emotions and put these fears into words, they’re there and they hold us back. So, what do we do about that?

God’s Word says: “There is no fear where love exists. Rather, perfect love banishes fear, for fear involves punishment, and the person who lives in fear has not been perfected in love.”²

When we have faith in God’s goodness toward us and we believe He is leading us and He wants to bless us, we are on the path to overcoming fear. But this victory over fear can’t just be in our thoughts; it’s not just a philosophical or spiritual matter. The Lord often expects us to face our fears and take action and move in the direction that He is leading, and through such steps of obedience, no matter how difficult, the Enemy will be defeated and we will overcome our fears.

Facing your fears robs them of their power.—Mark Burnett

David, our founder, spoke on the topic of fear in the Letter “Attack”:

Fear is a very interesting subject. And you don’t realize so much of it is subconscious until you try to put it in words and try to analyze it. I suppose my being afraid to talk about my fears is one of the worst fears of all, because to confess your fears is really to expose your innermost self—the part you hide from everybody—even those dearest to you. In fact, the part you’re even trying to hide from yourself, because you’re afraid to think about it. You don’t even want to confess to yourself that you’re afraid, because that would be admitting you’re a coward, and you don’t want to confess you’re a coward for fear of being exposed.

So it not only pays to face your fears and to acknowledge them, even confess them, but to take a positive stand against them, especially in the power and Spirit of the Lord with the promises from His Word.³

We have to come to grips with our fears and overcome them so that we can be free to pursue God’s calling and design for our lives—so that we can have the full experience that He intends for us. Judy Blume put it well when she said:

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”

Here’s another good quote on facing fear, this one by Rick Warren:

“The greatest failure is the failure to try. When I die I want four words written on my tombstone: ‘At least he tried.’ For the glory of God. You’ve got to take risks. That’s what brings abundance. That’s what brings success in life. Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb, that’s where the fruit is.”⁴

In order to take a stand and face our fears, there are practical steps we can take. I’ll touch on a few here, and you might have learned other tactics that work well for you.

Let’s say you have written a book and you’re looking for a publisher. In the meantime, you’ve decided to personally market your book by going to local bookstores and libraries. So you take your 200 printed copies and off you go to pitch your idea to store managers and those who have the authority to help you. But lo and behold, it’s not as easy as you thought it would be to ask them to promote your book. In fact, it’s so hard you don’t make a single request, and you toy with the idea of quitting. You procrastinate. You go to the bookstores, but then walk out again, telling yourself, “It’s not the right time; they’re too busy today.” Eventually you pull the books out of the trunk of your car, thinking that maybe after the school year (or holiday or summer or whatever) will be better timing.

This same scenario of procrastination that leads to inactivity can show up in any number of situations or circumstances. Other examples might include the following: you want to ask for a raise at work, you’re seeking a scholarship for college, you need to approach a donor for sponsorship for a new aspect of your mission work, you want to ask someone out on a date, you want someone to be your mentor, you want more meaning and intimacy from a relationship, you want more responsibility in your place of employment, etc.

If we have a dream, waiting will not help us achieve it. Telling ourselves that tomorrow is better for X reason is usually just an excuse. We’re afraid, and instead of admitting it and taking a chance by taking a step toward that dream, we talk ourselves out of it and then justify our lack of action.

Waiting to develop courage is just another form of procrastination. The most successful people take action while they’re afraid!—Unknown ‎

The best way to change your situation is to do something different. You have likely heard these two familiar sayings:

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got. The definition of insanity is continuing the same behavior and expecting different results.”

When we feel that nudge in the spirit and we have a pretty good idea that God wants us to do something, we have to take the first step. He can’t do that for us. Often, the longer we wait, the more nervous we get.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.—Dale Carnegie

We are creatures of habit, we get used to things the way they are, and consequently it’s hard and scary to change; it’s uncomfortable.

Growth and development require some discomfort. As one young skiing enthusiast [said], “If you want to get good at skiing, you’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

[Many of the things we need to do to reach our goals] may all be things that are uncomfortable at first. So what! Do it anyway! One of the ways to get through the discomfort is simply to do the thing you are uncomfortable doing.⁵

An important aspect of getting out of your comfort zone has to do with starting before you feel ready. If you wait until you feel like you’re “ready”… well, we know what that leads to—procrastination, distraction, perfectionism, and sadly, often total inaction. Realistically, you may never feel like you’re ready. So if we can muster up the courage to just start, even if we don’t feel ready, we’ll be miles ahead.

Winners are those people who make a habit of doing the things that [others] are uncomfortable doing.—Ed Foreman

Let’s apply the wise advice of Napoleon Hill:

“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”

The sooner we take the plunge and endure those terribly uncomfortable first steps, the sooner we’ll get past that scary stage and start to have a lot more fun and success. It’s a predictable cycle: Decide what you want to do, be confident of God’s blessing in the matter, make a plan, commit to a plan, begin, do it again and again, and with time you’ll get better and better!

If you wait for perfect weather, you will never plant your seeds. If you are afraid that every cloud will bring rain, you will never harvest your crops.⁶

As hockey great Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.”

When you are faced with doing something that’s difficult for you, ask yourself: “What’s the worst that could happen?” When you answer that question and then deal with it until you determine that you’d be able to handle that worst-case scenario, it will relieve the tension and help you to face your fears.

Also, if you’re embarking on a new project or challenge that makes you feel uneasy and scared, it helps if you give yourself permission to be awkward and to stumble and to not be perfect. Realize and accept that you’re not going to be good in the beginning. In fact, you might fail at first, and that’s okay.

There’s nothing wrong with being awkward while you’re getting the hang of something new, so go ahead with whatever the challenge is and just say to yourself, “I’m learning, I’ll be okay. It’s perfectly fine that I’m not very good at this yet. I’ll get better. I’m going through the steps to greatness.”

When you lower your expectations for immediate success, it makes it easier for you to actually make the first move toward a new challenge. With this attitude, the “firsts” that we’re afraid of can become gateways to amazing progress.

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face. … You must do the thing you think you cannot do.—Eleanor Roosevelt

Here’s a true story that we might all relate to, as told by Rory Vaden:

I once heard a true story of a woman who was trapped in a burning building on the 80th floor. She was terrified of heights and enclosed spaces, and when the fire alarm went off, she refused to follow her colleagues into the stairwell to evacuate to safety.

The firemen did a sweep of the building and found her hiding under her desk, waiting to die. She was screaming “I’m scared, I’m scared!” as the firemen insisted she walk down the stairwell until one fireman said, “That’s OK, just do it scared.” He repeated it all the way down the 80 flights of stairs, until he brought her to safety.

We’ve all faced these moments in our careers—when you know what has to be done, but your fear holds you back. In order to stand out, you must develop the habit of acting in the face of fear. It’s fine to be scared—do it scared. It’s fine to be unsure—do it unsure. It’s fine to be uncomfortable—do it uncomfortable. Just do something.

I’d say taking that first daunting step is the hardest part. The next biggest test comes in persisting. When you’re not good at something, you encounter a lot of seeming “failure.” Back to the book scenario I mentioned earlier: If you’re not experienced in pitching your book, you probably won’t be that great at it to start with. But if you keep doing it over and over, and learning from others’ reactions and your mistakes and successes, pretty soon you’ll be good, and then great, and eventually find success.

Do the thing you fear and keep on doing it … that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.—Dale Carnegie

You can probably think of some skill or talent that you’re really good at, but when you look back to when you first started, you will recall you were clumsy, scared, and anything but an expert. This could be your ability to witness and win souls, or your skill in teaching Bible classes, raising support, speaking publicly, playing music, teaching or caring for children, leading business meetings, selling a product or service, organization, making appointments or cold calls, etc. But becoming skilled and confident all started with you taking the plunge and stepping out by faith to do whatever you were afraid of—again and again and again. And that is not easy for anyone.

A new challenge can be very awkward for us, even scary, at first. But if we deliberately put ourselves out there and do the very thing that we’re afraid of over and over, inevitably it will become easier and we’ll get better at it. Eventually we will no longer be afraid. That is, in essence, conquering our fears!

¹ Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV.

² 1 John 4:18 ISV.

³ “Attack!” June 1972, ML 171:1,12.

⁴ Rick Warren

⁵ Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, The Aladdin Factor (New York: Berkley Trade, 1995).

⁶ Ecclesiastes 11:4 ERV.

Jesus the Great High Priest

4/12/24Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16) ESV

Wonderful Healer

Words from Jesus

2014-08-28

Time in the desert

Heart surgery

Bringing your ship into harbor

I am with you

Originally published in 1997, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished August 2014. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso. Music by Daniel Sozzi.

¹ NLT.

² Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009).

³ NLT.

The Light of the Gospel

4/11/24 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,^[a] we do not lose heart. ²But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice^[b] cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants^[c] for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
(2 Corinthians 4:1-6) ESV

When It Doesn’t Happen

Maria Fontaine

2019-01-05

If you have been struggling with long-term battles with your health, and your healing seems to be nowhere in sight, it’s natural to have some questions, as this woman did who wrote me. She said:

For many years I’ve had some rather serious afflictions. I’ve prayed desperately for deliverance, and others have prayed for me. I’m still here and these haven’t completely incapacitated me, and I thank God for this. Nevertheless, a number of these afflictions have continued to one extent or another and at times it can be a challenge to hold on.

Recently a TFI brother with a fruitful healing ministry prayed for me. Still, no obvious physical healing has resulted. However, I know that as far as Jesus is concerned the answer is on its way and I’ll see it in His time. That’s what God promises when we pray. But it can be disappointing when I see others getting miraculous healings, and I wonder, “Lord, why not me! What’s wrong when I pray fervently and I don’t see it happen?”

And then, a more recent experience: A month ago when I was sitting on the edge of my bed and stretching my legs, suddenly a sharp pain shot up my legs to my lower back and it spread to the upper part of my back. It was so painful that I couldn’t move.

I was in extreme pain and I was alone. I managed somehow to reach my phone and called a friend to pray for me. She prayed for me three times, yet the pain didn’t subside. I held on to the edge of my bed, putting all my weight on it to try to push myself up, but I couldn’t. It took all my strength to just lie back on the bed till someone could help me.

For the first week or so, I couldn’t find any comfortable position, except lying flat on my back, and changing positions was extremely painful. All I could do was fight to survive.

The second and third week went by, yet the healing and release from pain I was praying and hoping for didn’t come, though the pain subsided a little and I was able to move a little more.

Now, it’s been a month, and I am very thankful to the Lord for delivering me from most of that excruciating pain, but I still have pain in the left side of my lower back and my left leg.

During that extreme pain, I could hardly even pray in words. But I knew He knew my heart and my prayer, so I just rested in His arms and trusted that His healing would manifest in the physical.

I believe that God can heal instantly, but many times He doesn’t. Why is that?

I’ve come to the conclusion that this is where the Lord’s will comes in. I don’t think there is any specific formula for healing beyond having faith and trust, including praising Him, no matter what things look like in the moment. Of course, we need to do our part, but He sees the ultimate best for us and works with us to bring that result, whether or not in the moment we can see or understand how that works.

I prayed desperately throughout every day, commanding the pain to leave and my body to be healed, and my husband also prayed for me daily. I praised the Lord for all the wonderful things He had done in my life and for what I knew He would yet do. I claimed the keys of healing, and called on my spirit helpers. I prayed in tongues. I asked the Lord to forgive me if there was anything I had done to cause it, but the pain didn’t stop. It was a very slow process.

I struggled with thoughts like: “Is there something wrong with me? Is it that I don’t deserve His healing? What else can I do? I’ve tried to do everything I could think of, and still I’m not healed.”

As I looked to Him, the Lord comforted me with the thought that He is honored by our faith—faith when we are in the midst of pain, faith when our prayers are not being answered as far as we can tell, faith when we don’t see even a hint of victory, yet we trust, counting on the Lord to do what He knows is best and believing that He’ll come through for us. “For without faith, it is impossible to please Him.” And “the trying of your faith is more precious than gold.”

The Lord values the qualities of faith, trust, endurance, perseverance and patience. He uses those dark times to polish and strengthen these qualities. It surely has been a test for me. My faith was under attack!—Again. I was feeling weary and not sure if I could take much more. But I can see now that through these times He was helping me to grow.

When the Lord heals people instantly, it’s a great manifestation of His power in a very tangible way, especially to those who are unbelievers or still young in the Lord. But for us and others who’ve been serving the Lord for many years maybe He sometimes delays His healing, so that He can strengthen our relationship with Him in a deeper way. He knows that we are not going to give up or turn our back on Him. He wants us to hold on in these tests as we trust in His unfailing love.

I believe it is God’s will to heal, but maybe He’s looking at a bigger picture, beyond today, beyond the moment, beyond the pain. I don’t know why God doesn’t always heal instantly. I can’t figure it out, and probably God is not going to reveal it to us, because in doing so, we wouldn’t gain as much of the good that grows from these things. We probably won’t get to see all the mysteries of His great plan and purpose and all the reasons why God does and doesn’t do things the way we think is best until we get to Heaven.

I think it is so important to keep an attitude of simple trust in Him and His deep love for us. That’s really the core and foundation of our faith. The way God works in our lives is beyond understanding. As Peter said, “God is God, and we are not.”

I think the furnace of affliction is one of the most difficult places that God brings us through. I was being sorely tempted and tested, but I was also aware of His presence. I felt His grace and strength each day and the overwhelming love He had for me. That pulled me through.

I think the most important thing is that we know Him, love Him, trust Him, and need Him intimately in every way, situation and circumstance.

When you know how much He loves you and cares for you, you can be sure that His hand is on your life. You can trust that He is doing what He knows is best for you and what He knows needs to be done. In His time, the storm will pass.

* * *

All I could say was “Bravo! Well said!” This woman really got it! Just like so many of you have also endured long-term afflictions and still continue to say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!” What a wonderful example of faith! I was so moved by this testimony that I asked Jesus if He would share His perspective on the situation, and perhaps give us some further understanding of how He looks at those who hang on, even when things don’t happen the way we think they should.

Here’s what He said:

My precious love, I know how these things that you endure and keep enduring can be wearying. I know how much you long to see a complete healing and to experience the sheer joy of having these afflictions completely vanish without a trace.

My heart knows your every pain, every frustration, and every time some trouble doesn’t pass and you have to hold on, one more hour, one more day, one more week. I have been with you from the beginning and I’m not going to abandon you now in your suffering. I understand what you are passing through and My heart aches for you, but I also know that good will finally come from what is so difficult.

It can be a real struggle when you watch someone else receive complete healing, even when it comes from your prayers for them, yet you must continue to carry your burdens. That takes great faith to trust Me through.

The truth is that it is the greatness of your faith that makes you able to do this. When this happens, many times it is not that something in your faith or walk with Me is missing. It’s the opposite. It’s because you have great faith that you are able to carry on in spite of more troubles, which enable you to help still more people.

I could stop that process, but your life’s mission on this earth would be incomplete. You have run so much of this race, so don’t stop now! I will bring you over that finish line victorious; I will see you through these things to the unimaginable glories to come. You just have to trust Me.

I’m so proud of you for the way you have endured over and over and over. Those things that linger demonstrate something wonderful about you.

In the Bible when Jacob fought the battle with the angel in order to claim the greater blessing,¹ it resulted in his hip being injured. He broke free from his past and became Israel, yet he limped for the rest of his earthly life. I could have healed him, but there was an important purpose in My not doing so. When you read the faith chapter you get a hint of this when it describes him worshipping, leaning on the top of his staff.²

Can you imagine how many times he wished for this condition to change? But it was a reminder of how far he’d been willing to go to follow his God. He suffered many things, much grief, many times when he couldn’t understand what seemed to devastate his life, like when his son Joseph’s bloodied clothing was brought to him by his brothers, who claimed he’d been killed by a wild beast. Hope almost died in his grief, but he held on. He faced many times of great suffering and had to still cling to My promises by faith even when he couldn’t see any end to it.

He didn’t see the full healing of his body, but he praised Me by faith anyway. He was a picture of faith: the man with a broken heart and unhealed body, refusing to allow anything to come between him and his God. My promises, like that staff, were all he had at times to uphold him. His faith gave him the strength to praise Me and to peer into the future to the time when I would make all things right.

The troubles, pressing as they were at times, could not crush his spirit. The persecutions could not destroy his trust in Me that I would never forsake him. He was cast down but not destroyed because I was with him. He didn’t see the complete fulfillment of My promise in his physical life, but he rejoiced in it all the same.³

You have that kind of great faith. Whether you see or feel complete deliverance from the troubles and afflictions in this life or not, you know that we are always walking together. I know what each person can bear. Sometimes I give a total healing because someone has gone as far as their faith can bear at that time and I remove a trouble because they can go no further with it.

Many times, though, I allow those of great faith to face troubles or afflictions that continue or are only partially healed. Among other things, the remnants of these troubles offer a reminder of what those of faith have conquered. It’s like a badge of honor, because they have found their faith and strength in Me to overcome the troubles and struggles and to grow even more and gain even greater victories.

Look at virtually every great person of faith and you’ll see troubles and hardships that they continued to face, sometimes for their whole lives on earth. But their determination gave them the strength to brave the winds and hardships of this life, and they became examples that have encouraged so many.

It is the greater victory over any trouble to not just survive it, but to find a way to use it to bring about an even greater good.

Your life has been an ongoing example of this to so many. Though it often carries a high price tag in this life to follow Me and trust Me, it is glorious in the sight of heaven.

The many trials and afflictions that you have suffered have made you wiser. Whether you feel this way or not, you stand as a powerful testimony of faith. You’ve overcome, because you have remained true, faithful, and close to Me.

You exemplify the battles and the victories that so many of My faithful ones of the past and the present and the future have or will yet face in their own times of intense struggle. Your testimony will stand with those of your brothers and sisters in Me for eternity. You have rough battles, but you continue to come through victorious. Keep up the fight. I’m right there hallowing you about. Nothing that tries to come against you will be able to withstand My power through your bond with Me.

¹ Genesis 32:22–32.

² Hebrews 11:21.

³ 2 Corinthians 4:7–9.

The Final Judgment

4/10/24 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,^[f] you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:31-40) ESV

149 – Jesus—His Life and Message: Final Judgment by the Son of Man

Jesus—His Life and Message

Peter Amsterdam

2021-03-23

(You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in this introductory article.)

The previous two articles in this series, The Coming of the Son of Man (Parts 1 and 2), covered Matthew chapter 24, part of which addressed endtime events and Jesus’ return. The latter part of Matthew 24, verses 45–51, along with Matthew 25 verses 1–30, consists of three parables: the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servant (Matthew 24:45–51, Luke 12:39–40);¹ the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–13);² and the parable of the king and the stewards (Matthew 25:14–30, Luke 19:11–27).³ These parables were covered in The Stories Jesus Told series, so are not included in this series. After these parables, Matthew 25:31–46 focuses on the final judgment by Jesus, the Son of Man.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.⁴

Jesus’ earthly life in many ways was one of lowliness and service. However, the time will come when He will return in His power and majesty, accompanied by the angels. Within the Gospels we find a number of other references to Jesus returning with angels accompanying Him.

The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.⁵

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.⁶

Jesus continues to speak about when He comes in His glory.

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats^. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.⁷

The statement that “all the nations” will be gathered together makes the point that Jesus is referring to the final judgment of all people. Sheep and goats were the most common of small domestic animals in Israel, with sheep considered to be better than goats. Sheep and goats often grazed together; however, because goats were more sensitive to the cold, they were generally put in a warmer place for the night. The concept of the sheep and the goats being separated by the shepherd would be understood as standard practice within Israel at that time.

There is no explanation given as to why sheep are viewed positively and goats negatively. However, as the sheep and goats are separated, the sheep receive favorable judgment and the goats are seen in an unfavorable light. The right-hand side was generally considered the favored side. To be seated at the right hand of a ruler was the highest honor a ruler could give, whereas the left side was seen as representing an ill omen.

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”’⁸

Earlier, in verse 31, we were told that the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne; now, the Son of Man is referred to as the King. It is He who will pronounce the verdicts to those who are before Him. In the Gospel of John, we read that the Father has given Jesus this authority.

As the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.⁹

Jesus first speaks to those on His right side, those who are blessed of the Father. The blessedness of those on the right is the inheritance of the kingdom. This reflects what Jesus said earlier in this Gospel.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¹⁰

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¹¹

Elsewhere Jesus referred to the future when He said to His disciples,

Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.¹²

Jesus then pointed out some of the things that those who “are blessed of my Father” do in their lives—they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison. This list is repeated four times in this chapter (verses 34–46). Such repetition emphasizes that these activities are meant to be a discipleship guideline for believers. A Christian’s life should exhibit evidence that God is at work in and through them, and such acts of kindness mirror the Lord’s love and care. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.¹³

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’¹⁴

The “sheep,” now called “the righteous,” are surprised to hear that they did these commendable things. They reviewed the list of actions which Jesus referred to and asked when they did such things. It’s clear that they didn’t do these acts of kindness in order to be rewarded; rather, they acted in love and in alignment with Jesus’ teachings.

The King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”¹⁵

Jesus’ answer begins with the phrase “Truly, I say to you,” which adds to the importance and seriousness of the statement. His ministry focused on the poor, needy, and outcasts—the least of these. Elsewhere in the Gospels, we find examples of those He ministered to. Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.¹⁶ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.¹⁷

Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”¹⁸

Following the commendation of those who have lived their lives in alignment with what Jesus taught, He then focused on those on his left. While He invited those on His right to “come,” those on the left hear the opposite: “depart from me.” They are referred to as “you cursed.” These who are rejected go into the fire which is prepared for Satan and his angels.

In the book of Revelation we find the vision of the lake of fire into which the Devil, the beast, and the false prophet are thrown.

The devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.¹⁹

If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.²⁰

In the Gospel of Matthew, we find other references to hell fire.

I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire.²¹

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.²²

While the ESV translates these verses as the hell of fire, other Bible versions translate this as hell fire, fiery hell, fire of hell or the fires of hell.

Jesus made reference to the devil and his angels, which refers to fallen angels who are Satan’s helpers. Other references to fallen angels are found in the New Testament.

God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.²³

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.²⁴

Jesus continued,

I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.²⁵

Jesus listed the same needs and actions that He did when commending those on His right hand, but this time in the negative. These, in contrast, have been so focused on themselves and their own concerns that they have ignored the plight of others. What is staggering is that in not doing these things for others, Jesus states that they were not doing them for Him personally.

Then they also will answer, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” Then he will answer them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”²⁶

The people are just as surprised as those in the first group, as they aren’t aware of any time they refused to give Jesus food or water or any other help when He needed it. They didn’t understand that in failing to serve the needy they failed to serve Him. One author writes: We should notice that their condemnation is expressed not in terms of their having done some awful crime but in terms of their failure to do what is right. Sins of omission can be very important.²⁷

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.²⁸

Commentators have different views about eternal punishment. Some interpret it to mean punishment which lasts forever, that someone assigned to hell will endure punishment eternally. Others understand it to mean punishment which relates to the age to come. In this understanding, it is seen not as continual punishment which goes on forever, but as punishment which has eternal consequences, meaning the loss of eternal life through being destroyed by fire. Either one means a permanent separation from God.

The thought of being permanently separated from God and His goodness and love is deeply sad and disturbing. It is certainly a motivating reason to share the good news of the gospel with all who we can, so that they too can spend eternity in the presence of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

¹ https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=47105&treeId=12869

² https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=48303&treeId=12869

³ https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=26585&treeId=12869

⁴ Matthew 25:31.

⁵ Matthew 16:27.

⁶ Matthew 13:41–42. See also Matthew 24:30–31.

⁷ Matthew 25:32–33.

⁸ Matthew 25:34–36.

⁹ John 5:26–27.

¹⁰ Matthew 5:3.

¹¹ Matthew 5:10.

¹² Matthew 19:28.

¹³ Hebrews 13:2.

¹⁴ Matthew 25:37–39.

¹⁵ Matthew 25:40.

¹⁶ Matthew 11:4–5.

¹⁷ Luke 4:18–19.

¹⁸ Matthew 25:41.

¹⁹ Revelation 20:10.

²⁰ Revelation 20:15.

²¹ Matthew 5:22.

²² Matthew 18:8–9.

²³ 2 Peter 2:4.

²⁴ Revelation 12:7–9.

²⁵ Matthew 25:42–43.

²⁶ Matthew 25:44–45.

²⁷ Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 641.

²⁸ Matthew 25:46.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

4/08/24 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,^[b] but the Father only. ³⁷For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴²Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

148 – Jesus—His Life and Message: The Coming of the Son of Man (Part 2)

Jesus—His Life and Message

Peter Amsterdam

2021-03-16

(You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in this introductory article.)

In the previous article, we read Jesus’ statement that heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.¹ He went on to say,

Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.²

Jesus clearly said that the time of His return, His parousia, is unknown to anyone but the Father. Throughout history there have been many predictions of when Jesus was going to return. None of them proved to be true, which makes perfect sense, since Jesus made it clear that no one knows except the Father.

Some may wonder how Jesus couldn’t know the day nor hour when heaven and earth will pass away when He, like the Father, is God. This is a matter that has to do with the inner workings of the Trinity, which is beyond our knowing. The ESV Bible commentary states:

How Jesus could have limited knowledge and yet know all things is difficult, and much remains a mystery, for nobody else has ever been both God and man. One possibility is that Jesus regularly lived on the basis of his human knowledge but could at any time call to mind anything from his infinite knowledge.

We find another example of this paradox in the book of John, where Jesus states I and the Father are one,³ and also the Father is greater than I.⁴

As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.⁵

Jesus’ return will be sudden and without warning. Those who are alive when it happens will be carrying on with the normal affairs of daily life, just as those in Noah’s day were.

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.⁶

These examples of people going about their daily lives and work at the time of Jesus’ return express the importance of being ready. In both examples there is a division, a separation, between the people. Jesus’ return brings this separation. Those who have made the choice to believe in Christ will be with Him forever, while those who make the conscious decision to reject Him and to live without God will find that their choice will be respected, resulting in their permanent separation from Him.

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.⁷

As it is certain that Jesus will return, He calls His followers to live in a manner that they will be ready for that time, whenever it may be. If people knew exactly when He was going to come again, they could put off any preparation until shortly before His coming. However, they do not know, and therefore they must live in a state of constant readiness.

Know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.⁸

Jesus included this illustration to help them understand that His return would come unexpectedly. Clearly, if one knew when his house was going to be robbed, he would prepare himself. The timing of Christ’s return, however, is not known. This point is made throughout the New Testament.

You yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.⁹

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.¹⁰

The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.¹¹

“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”¹²

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.¹³

Because the disciples did not know when Christ would return, and knew that His return would be at an unexpected time, they were instructed to live in a state of constant readiness. Jesus’ instruction to His disciples applies equally to all present-day believers as well, because we are in the same state of not knowing when He will return.

Jesus continued with:

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”¹⁴

Jesus turns from the topic of watchfulness and focuses on the faithful and wise servant. He refers to a household in which there are numerous servants. One of them is put in a position of responsibility by the householder. Among other things, he is responsible for making sure the household is fed. This servant does his job diligently. He doesn’t know when the householder is going to return, but that doesn’t matter to him; he is focused on being faithful in his work. When the master returns, the servant will be blessed.

Jesus’ statement, Truly, I say to you, emphasizes that what He is about to say is significant. He will set him over all his possessions. The master will reward the servant by putting him in charge of all that he owns. The reward for faithful service is the opportunity of serving in a position of even greater responsibility.

But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards…¹⁵

There is another possible outcome, as Jesus pointed out. He brings up a hypothetical case of that wicked servant. This servant lacks the moral strength of the first servant. With the master away, he knows that he will not have to answer to anyone for some time, and he sees it as an opportunity to be selfishly irresponsible. His true character is exposed. He uses his temporary authority to beat his fellow servants. He also partakes in self-indulgence as he eats and drinks with drunkards.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.¹⁶

The wicked servant lost sight of the fact that his being in charge was a temporary situation. The master will return at an unexpected time, and the servant will be called to account for his deeds. The fact that the master was away for longer than the servant expected didn’t mean that he was never coming back. Though the Son of Man’s return may seem delayed, it doesn’t mean that He isn’t coming back. As Jesus stated earlier in this chapter, You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.¹⁷

Jesus predicted the fate of the wicked servant: the master will severely punish him. The statement about putting the unfaithful servant with the hypocrites is a bit unclear. One author explains:

Perhaps we should bear in mind that throughout this Gospel hypocrites come in for severe condemnation; Jesus has left no doubt that their ultimate fate will be a most unhappy one.¹⁸

We’re told that In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Gnashing of teeth” is a phrase which is found a number of times in the Gospel of Matthew.¹⁹ It stands for the pain, distress, anguish, and suffering of those who pass on without having a saving relationship with God.

Jesus clearly stated that the time of His return, His parousia, is unknown to anyone but the Father. Since Jesus’ ascension into heaven, believers have been waiting for His return. For two millennia, Christians have lived their lives, passed on from this world, and gone to be with the Lord. At the time of Jesus’ return, those who are alive on earth will experience His second coming. In 1 Thessalonians we are told that those who have already passed on will return with Jesus.

Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.²⁰

While Jesus’ return at the time of the rapture is an important part of our faith, we, like all the Christians who have gone before us, may not be on this earth when it happens. Therefore, while the endtime events are important, how we live our lives during the time we have on earth is even more important. We are called to love others, to share the gospel, to do our best to live the teachings of Jesus. May we all strive to follow the example of the One who gave His life for us, so that we can live with Him forever.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

¹ Matthew 24:35.

² Matthew 24:36.

³ John 10:30.

⁴ John 14:28.

⁵ Matthew 24:37–39.

⁶ Matthew 24:40–41.

⁷ Matthew 24:42.

⁸ Matthew 24:43.

⁹ 1 Thessalonians 5:2.

¹⁰ 1 Thessalonians 5:4.

¹¹ 2 Peter 3:10.

¹² Revelation 16:15.

¹³ Matthew 24:44.

¹⁴ Matthew 24:45–47.

¹⁵ Matthew 24:48–49.

¹⁶ Matthew 24:50–51.

¹⁷ Matthew 24:44.

¹⁸ Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 618.

¹⁹ See Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30.

²⁰ 1 Thessalonians 4:14.

For God So Loved the World

4/07/24 “For God so loved the world,^[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21) ESV

Walking By Faith, Not Sight

A compilation

2016-06-30

Second Corinthians 5:6–7 says, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.”¹ Other versions use the word live rather than walk. The “walk” here is a metaphorical reference to the way a person conducts his or her life. We still use the phrase “all walks of life” to mean a variety of lifestyles or cultures.

The apostle Paul reminds his readers that followers of Christ must not build their lives around things that have no eternal significance. Rather than pursuing the same things the world pursues, a Christian should focus on the unseen realities such as Jesus and heaven. Paul goes on to say, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”² Jesus instructed us to store up treasure in heaven.³ He promised rewards to everyone who does His will⁴ and punishment for those who reject Him.⁵

Walking by faith means living life in light of eternal consequences. To walk by faith is to fear God more than man; to obey the Bible even when it conflicts with man’s commands; to choose righteousness over sin, no matter what the cost; to trust God in every circumstance; and to believe God rewards those who seek Him, regardless of who says otherwise.⁶

Rather than loving the things of this world,⁷ Christians should spend their lives glorifying God in everything they do.⁸ It requires faith to live this way because we cannot see, hear, or touch anything spiritual. When we base our lives on the truth of God’s Word, rather than on the popular philosophy of our day, we are going against our natural inclinations. … To walk by faith requires that we tune our hearts to the voice of the Holy Spirit and the truth of His Word.⁹ We choose to live according to what God reveals to us, rather than trust our own understanding.¹⁰—From gotquestions.org¹¹

Have you ever imagined that you were blind? I have tried many times to identify with those who are blind by taking just a few steps with my eyes closed. After a couple of steps I am totally disoriented. It is so unnatural for us to walk without looking where we are going…

The Bible challenges us to “walk by faith, not by sight.” This task is as unnatural as walking with our eyes closed. But the more steps we take, the more comfortable this walk will become, and the more confident we will be of the destination of our walk. And ultimately that’s what faith is all about—it is “the assurance of things hoped for.”¹² —Shane Scott¹³

A classic example of faith versus sight is Peter’s attempt to walk on the water of the Sea of Galilee. One night Peter and some companions were in a boat being battered by a storm. They were in grave danger of sinking when, suddenly, they saw Jesus walking toward them amidst the surging waves, telling them not to be afraid.

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. [So far, so good!] But when he saw the wind [faith now gives way to sight], he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”¹⁴

One of the greatest hindrances to faith is that the world around us, like the waters swirling about Peter, seems so real. We, made from the dust of the ground, are naturally in tune with the physical. We feel pain when we are sick. We hear harassment or threats from neighbors and relatives. When we lose a job, we see the cold reality of a termination notice and the accumulation of bills. Family problems are real. Medical reports are real. So are the temptations and weaknesses of the flesh.

Whatever the situation is, we can look around and see, hear, taste, smell and feel material reality. Knowledge of it comes to us through our senses. But there is another vital dimension: faith. …

If our minds are mostly on the world and material things, exercising the spiritual element of faith is extremely difficult. We easily begin to sink in the waters of doubt as Peter did. …

On the other hand, getting one’s mind off the physical and onto the spiritual is one of the greatest keys to strengthening faith. We can fill our minds with spiritual understanding by studying God’s Word and allowing God’s Spirit to work in us. Also, through God-centered prayer, our minds will be more focused on the reality of God’s presence in our lives.—Author unknown¹⁵

Some problems are short term, such as a bout of flu or a temporary falling out with someone at work. Others may last much longer: a chronic illness, a disability or an addiction, the loss of someone dear, or an ongoing battle to overcome a personal weakness such as anger or moodiness. You may have to struggle with such difficulties for weeks, months, or even years.

Sometimes problems persist even when you feel you’ve already done all you could: You’ve been praying, reading and following God’s Word, claiming His promises, and trying to trust Him. Still you see no answer, which can be discouraging.

In cases like that, God may be testing you to see whether you will continue to trust and believe and thank Him for all the other good things He sends your way, even when it seems He is not answering your prayers about a certain thing. “We walk by faith, not by sight. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”¹⁶ God loves to see His children’s faith manifested, and He promises to greatly reward those who bravely endure the trying of their faith.

If God is working in your life to bring out a special quality, the process may take some time. Lumps of coal aren’t turned into diamonds overnight; so it is with our lives.

When you think you’ve reached the end of your rope, just hold on a little longer. Patience is often the key that opens the door to God’s blessings, and sometimes we must be content to wait for His answer. While we may expect God to put an end to our problems right now, He may know that later is a better time. God’s timing is impeccable. “He has done all things well.”¹⁷ Trust Him!

Faith is believing. Faith is trusting. Faith doesn’t quit. Faith refuses to call anything impossible. Faith refuses to be robbed of its joy and peace by circumstances or battles.

If we refuse to concede defeat, but rather hold on to God no matter what, if we determine to believe His promises, even though we may not see the fulfillment immediately, victory will be ours in the end. Such faith cannot be defeated. God will always come through for us.—Shannon Shayler

Published on Anchor June 2016. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.

¹ ESV, emphasis added.

² 2 Corinthians 5:9–10.

³ Matthew 6:19–20; Luke 12:33.

⁴ Matthew 16:27; 1 Peter 1:17; Revelation 22:12.

⁵ Matthew 25:24–46; John 3:16–18.

⁶ Hebrews 11:6.

⁷ 1 John 2:15–16.

⁸ 1 Corinthians 10:31.

⁹ John 10:27; 16:13.

¹⁰ Proverbs 3:5–6.

¹¹ http://www.gotquestions.org/walk-by-faith-not-by-sight.html.

¹² Hebrews 11:1.

¹³ http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-2-corinthians-5-7(2).htm.

¹⁴ See Matthew 14:28–31.

¹⁵ https://www.gci.org/spiritual/faith/notsight.

¹⁶ 2 Corinthians 5:7; John 20:29.

¹⁷ Mark 7:37.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

4/06/24 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. ⁷So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. ⁸But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. ⁹The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. ¹⁰And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” ¹¹But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? ¹²Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, ¹³would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” ¹⁴Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. (Ruth 1:6-14) ESV

Walking by Faith

A compilation

2017-08-29

Ruth, in the first chapter of the book named after her, is a perfect example of someone refusing to walk by sight, and choosing instead to find her security only in God. This is faith looking at the future and trusting the great and loving God to guide it as he has the past. This is faith to walk in the dark, faith without sight.

The trouble with the first chapter of Ruth is that most of us know in advance how the story will end. We know that it all worked out happily, that Ruth got married and had children. But that was just what Ruth and Naomi did not know…

Here is Naomi, an old widow who badly wanted to be a grandmother—not for her own sake, but so her family could be carried on—and who had seen every chance of this snatched away from her as her two sons died childless. She was bewildered, sad, and bitter. Here is Ruth, a young widow, one of Naomi’s daughters-in-law, eminently marriageable, yet torn between the desire to stay in her own country, Moab, and her desire to go with her aging mother-in-law into the unknown world of the Jews. In these two women, we have a picture of the people of God in every age, under stress in difficulty, troubled in spirit, unable to see what God is doing in their lives, feeling even that there is nothing left to live for.Naomi looked at the darkness, and knew that it was God’s darkness. She knew that the bitterness she was experiencing came from the and of a loving Father… Naomi had learned the secret of a faith in a sovereign, almighty God…

Ruth was drawn irresistibly to this God who remains sovereign over all the affairs of his people, who somehow inspired trust without visible reasons… When Naomi offered her the chance of going back home to her family and its gods, she refused. She must go with the people of the almighty God. “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried.”¹ She must go where Israel’s God is honored, even if only to a grave. Ruth, like Naomi, walks by faith, not by sight.

The two women together give us a tremendous picture of biblical faith. It is faith that looks at a black past and says, “God is almighty.” It is faith that looks at a present without security and says, “We belong to God’s people.” It is faith that looks at a future without prospects and says, “God will provide.” At the end of the chapter, the two women arrive at Bethlehem with a hopeless future, but with an almighty God. When all hope is gone, God reveals his plan.—N. T. Wright²

Practicing the presence of God

We practice the presence of God by faith, not by sight and not by feeling. The beautiful light in the sky that you see with your eyes is not God. Neither is the wonderful feeling you feel in your soul. Both are only God’s footprints, God’s gifts, one in the outer world and the other in the inner.

The practice of the presence of God does not mean the attempt to cultivate a certain kind of permanent feeling. For one thing, that is impossible. There are no permanent feelings, any more than there are permanent rainbows. The law of feelings is the law of undulation. They come like waves and go like waves.

For another thing, even if it were possible to feel God always, we have to learn to focus on God instead of on ourselves and our feelings. This is equally true when our feelings are exalted and when they are depressed. Focusing on God when we are exalted avoids pride; focusing on God when we are depressed avoids despair.

The ancients made idols of things in the physical world, idols of silver and gold and stone. We may think we have progressed out of the error of idolatry, but we have not. We make just as many idols, but in the inner, psychological world. We make our idols out of happiness and adjustment and self-acceptance and contentment. To the worshipper of any idol, any substitute god, objective or subjective, the real God comes like a shock, like a sword: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me!”

If we put other gods before God, they block our practice of the presence of the real God… This is precisely the ideal the saints aim for, and what we hope for in Heaven. That is how Jesus defined Heaven, in his high-priestly prayer to his Father, in John 17:3: “This is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God.” The closer we get to that knowledge, by the practice of the presence of God, the nearer we get to Heaven and the clearer discernment of God’s will becomes.—Peter Kreeft³

God has a plan

No matter how well we may know someone, it takes years (if ever) before we will fully understand why certain things happen the way they do in other people’s lives, just like we can be in the dark as to why some things happen in our own lives. But whether or not we can see it, understand it, or identify it, God has a plan in each person’s life. It takes faith to believe and trust God’s plan—for both our lives and the lives of others.

Let’s take a look at someone who faced some pretty big difficulties, yet allowed God to use her for His purpose. Naomi was an Israelite woman who had moved with her husband, Elimelech, and two sons to Moab (a country in Bible times, located in present-day Jordan), at a time when there was a famine in Israel. Sometime after their move, Naomi’s husband died, leaving her alone with her sons. Her two sons eventually married Moabite women. One of her sons married a young girl named Ruth. After only ten years of marriage, however, both of her sons died, and Naomi was left alone with her two daughters-in-law, without the men, who—in that age and culture—were necessary to support the family. Needless to say, she felt as if the Lord had turned against her. She said, “The Almighty has done evil to me.”⁴ Naomi felt as if her whole world had crumbled; she even told people not to call her Naomi, but Mara, which means bitter.

When Naomi decides to return to her husband’s ancestral home in Israel, she tells her daughters-in-law to go back to their families. However, Ruth, who had grown close to Naomi, boldly tells her mother-in-law in a very famous passage, “Please don’t tell me to leave you and return home! I will go where you go, I will live where you live; your people will be my people, your God will be my God. I will die where you die, and be buried beside you. May the LORD punish me, if we are ever separated, even by death.”⁵

If we look at Naomi and the many tragedies she faced, without factoring in God’s greater plan, we might assume that she must have done something to deserve all that happened to her. Or maybe we’d wonder if the move to Moab had been the wrong move.

However, reading this story many centuries later, we can know and understand that all these troubles, difficulties, and, as Naomi put it, “evils,” would eventually lead to good. The famine took Naomi’s family from Israel into Moab, to find a girl named Ruth, and back to Israel, to give Boaz the opportunity to meet and marry Ruth. As we know from history, Ruth was the great-grandmother of King David, and an ancestor of Jesus. But how could Naomi have known that everything would work out for good as long as she continued to love and hold on to God? She could only go on her faith and knowledge of God and how He cares and provides!

None of us can know the future or God’s plan for our lives. In times of difficulty, we can strive to do what we know is right, but in the long run, we have to trust God and flow with His plan for us.

There are many difficulties—sometimes downright tragedies—that take place in our lives that we can’t understand and we can’t see any good in. However, Jesus is concerned about everything that happens to each of us. Because of His interest and involvement in our lives, we can know that everything will be okay. He has a plan for each of us—and no matter how difficult life might get, He will never leave nor forsake you.⁶—Dan Roselle

Published on Anchor August 2017. Read by Jerry Paladino.
Music by John Listen.

¹ Ruth 1:16–17.

² N. T. Wright, Small Faith, Great God (SPCK Publishing, 2011).

³ Peter Kreeft, Making Choices (Servant Books, 1990).

⁴ Ruth 1:20–21 GWT.

⁵ Ruth 1:16–17 CEV.

⁶ Hebrews 13:5.

A Worker Approved by God

4/05/24Remind them of these things, and charge them before God^[b] not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,^[c] a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁰Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,^[d] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:14-21) ESV