101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH

PART 20

39. If I received news from my doctor that I have a life threatening medical problem and I came to you for help, what could you do and what advice would you give? Pastors are faced with these types of situations all the time because when people are facing trials they turn to whoever they believe is close to God. I am sure you have heard and read about the crowds that attend the faith healing meetings and it is simply because when people become desperate they will do anything to live – and that’s perfectly normal. I would in no way discredit a meeting where people have gathered to pray for the sick. If anyone has not been sincere that is between them and God. If you feel strongly that God is leading you to one of these crusades then by all means you should go. Is this any different than when people came to Jesus? These ministers are NOT Jesus and neither do they have any power in themselves but God can flow through them just like He can flow through us as we become instruments to help others. I personally believe in all of the gifts of the Spirit and the unlimited power of God! “And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick AND THEY SHALL RECOVER.” (Mark 16:17-18).

Prayer is a vital component within the personal relationship with Jesus. It is the “straight-line” connection between God and man and very effective when we become serious about it. Yes, we should call for the elders of the church to anoint us with oil and lay hands on us but I believe that generally speaking, personal faith moves the Lord to respond to human need. It only seems logical that spiritual power could be multiplied when many people are praying for the same thing but that also does not mean that we do not have God’s full attention when we pray alone. If someone is in a coma or unable to respond I believe that God will honor our faith and raise them up if this is His plan. If they are not a Christian we can pray God’s mercy upon them and ask God to save their body and most importantly their soul. For the Christian, we ask God for wisdom in knowing how to pray and when we have His mind, we can proceed to AGREE with them, interceded and spiritually stand in the gap for them to be restored.   When we study the ministry of Jesus, we know that as the Son of God, He had the power to automatically heal the world – but in the cases where the people were cognitive, it always came down to the individual believing that He WOULD heal them and this became the deciding factor. How many times did He say, YOUR faith has made you whole? We are reminded that many in His own home town did NOT believe He was the Savior and this hindered the release of the divine manifestations.

When an emergency crisis arrives, there are several solid actions we can take that will make a difference. We do not want to admit it but most Christians do NOT live as close to God as they should and when life becomes “serious” they are caught off-guard and realize they are not equipped to go to war. When life “shows up” sadly we are caught with our pants down and it is difficult to start the faith “boot camp” when bullets are flying over our head. In some cases there is not enough time to learn and develop faith and they pass away. The lack of understanding of God’s Word can result in destruction because knowing who HE is and who we are in Him is our sword and shield. This is why it is wisdom to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit as a “lifestyle” instead of only calling on God when we are in trouble. People usually do not want to hear about this, but a wonderful place to start is self-examination and repentance. Yes it is true, sins like unforgiveness, resentment, jealousy, envy for example can open up doors to many serious problems including our health and in many cases this is associated with our finances. (If we cannot work, we cannot make money). It is interesting to notice that one time when Jesus was ministering, a sick man was lowered down to Him through the roof because it was so crowded. Jesus forgave him of his sins FIRST and then healed his body as it seems this is a spiritual principal of divine order. I believe that God is much more concerned with the condition of our heart than He is with our physical infirmity. Since healing is a part of the blood covenant of Jesus we must see this holy vow as a walk of holiness and not as a vending machine where we ask God to help us get back on the road so that we can keep living a life of sin. When you have repented and made sure there is no sin that stands between you and God, it is crucial that you spend much time in God’s Word in order to absorb the energy of God and to saturate your mind and conscience with LIFE! God’s Word builds faith and this is a time when faith even as small as a grain of mustard seed can make the difference between life and death. Write out a list of positive confessions (what needs to happen in your life) and speak them over your body constantly. “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) Let us realize as we have said before that if we have done everything we know to do, then it is time to wait before God and draw as near to Him as we can. This may require us to go into isolation or whatever it takes to remove ourselves from the distraction and the attacks from the enemy. Remember, there were several times when Jesus would get away from the world and spend time with His Father alone. One time He went into the desert for forty day and nights without eating. Whatever it takes for you to find the voice of God and to listen to His instructions – do it! I can say with confidence that we can use this standard thought when it comes to our prayer request and the different answers we may find the Lord is saying. I mentioned it recently but this deserves listing again. Yes – No – Wait – or Adjust. All of these can be the will of God and some of them we have heard before and will no doubt hear again. It is all about His perfect plan. As long as He is happy with our life – we should be thrilled. “And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:41-42).

40. If I was facing serious financial problems and came to you for counseling, how would you advise me? This is a broad and vague question because there are so many causes and reasons why things happen. Without knowing the specifics of this particular situation, I would first of all ask you to backtrack and find where the problem began. Most general financial problems start with a lack of understanding about money. Finances are a resource that carries a responsibility of stewardship. God blesses us by giving us the opportunity to make money and realizing that it is His blessing makes us aware of how we spend it. Asking God to lead us in our purchases is a huge step toward learning how to walk with Him. Most people figure they work hard to make it and deserve the privilege to spend it however they want however, this is not allowing Jesus to be Lord over ALL of our heart. If Jesus is not the Lord of our spending then what is He the Lord over? When Jesus becomes our Master, the idea is that we are to learn how to become His servant. This includes listening to His instructions and trusting His decisions. This would be a wonderful place to start, and if we do not like this type of counseling then our situation will probably not improve.

Another step in the right direction would be to become serious about prayer. This may sound elementary but praying and fasting can help open the eyes of our heart and reveal what is really going on. Many times our life may seem to be a certain way but we can discover that we are actually not seeing correctly. Things that are important to us in the natural realm may lose their value when observing through the eyes of God’s Spirit. You see, prayer is not begging God to let us have our way – it is letting go of our control so that He can help us fulfill the destiny HE has chosen for us. Prayer helps prepare us to surrender our will which must happen before we can take the next step of the process – obedience. It is true that we can pray all day and nothing will happen unless we are sincere and serious about following what He is saying. He might tell us to give all that we have away, or He may give us instructions to help others or tithe or something that we thing is strange. Whatever it is, He has a perfect idea that will not only deliver us but help us get back on track. If we made some bad decisions and have gotten in over our head, He will reveal to us what to do. We will probably NOT like it and it might not be what we had in mind but it will be a solid learning experience that can help us in the future. Many times MORE money or a “bailout” is NOT the answer! Sometimes we must “re-structure” and start all over in order to find a new beginning within the guidelines of God’s perfect peace.

Let us list one last thing, even though many pages could be written about this. The idea of confessing God’s Word is a very powerful revelation.  Most people and this includes Christians, have not realized the power of what they say. We have been called to study and pray and as the Lord shows us His will, we can confess this truth as a way to help us live in victory. It is crucial for us to repent and ask God to forgive us for not listening to Him. This will not remove the financial problems but it will bring us closer to God and clear the way to being able to listen to His voice. With us being pure and holy in our heart, we can speak forth His Word and extend our faith. As we hear His will and know where He is leading us, we can ask Him to help us and confess what we believe God wants for us. For example, we can confess statements like, “I am led by God and not my emotions” and “I walk in God’s wisdom” and so on. We can make a list and say it over and over to help build our faith and encouragement while allowing God to “CREATE” the fruit of our lips. He wants to bless us and take care of our needs but He wants us to be seriously involved with doing exactly what He says. These are just a couple of places where we can begin to realize that where God guides – He provides.

 

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH

Part 19

37. Since Jesus no longer walks the earth touching people, how are we healed now? When discussing issues like health and wealth, it does not take a Bible scholar to see that when Jesus left, things were not the same. I know He is the same but when He walked the earth, people could SEE Him and it was much easier to believe because He was standing right in front of them. But now without us being able to reach out and touch Him, we seem to have a more difficult time receiving from Him. We have to admit that if He would manifest Himself and help us through our situation; it would be more persuasive to believe (especially when we compare it to what we find today within the church). In the light of all this, I am reminded that not only has Jesus NOT changed but neither has faith. The Lord honored faith then and honors it NOW just the same. In fact, it seems that He is definitely moved when someone believes and has NOT seen. “Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Faith hears God’s Word and becomes stronger as it knows God’s Word. I do not believe we need another person to pray for us to receive our healing because the personal relationship with Jesus is all we will ever need and the greatest treasure we could ever have. However, to have others sincerely praying for us and with us, is definitely a blessing along with being a positive multiplication of energy and power. When Christ commissioned His disciples to carry on His work, His vision was for every one of His children (then to now) to realize the responsibility that they should represent Him as a proxy allowing Him to work through them (and us). “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth in me, the works I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father” (John 14:12). So, we see that the flow of miracle healing power was never intended to stop, He was just trying to demonstrate to us how He wanted us to keep it going.

It seems when Jesus went back to heaven and things returned to normal, the religious world immediately began to presume that the days of miracles were over and the demonstrations were meant to be used as a type of promotion or marketing campaign to establish Jesus as the incarnate Son of God. The true church did and still does understand the mystery of the faith but the imposter church does not walk with God neither do they embrace faith or love or any other traits or fruits of spiritual accountability. I am not sure how they explain verses like the one above but they have definitely decided they are NOT going to participate. Today, it is common to hear people say, I’ll be praying for you but one wonders just how serious they are about it. I talk with nurses and staff caregivers all the time and they seldom ever witness anyone praying for the sick. Let us look at a passage that specifically describes a way that we can receive our healing. “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of FAITH shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be HEALED. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:13-16). Now, I am not saying this is not being practiced today, but it does seem that it is few and far between. The remnant church has always been small in number because it has always required the abandonment of the will. Do you remember when Jesus demonstrated humility, love and the heart of a servant what He washed His disciple’s feet? This was practiced in a few churches down through the years but I am afraid we have become too dignified and haughty to do such a thing. Today’s church would much rather discuss theology than actually put it into action. If you are going to a church and you become seriously ill, I hope that when you call for the elders to come and anoint you and pray they are ready to respond with fervent faith.

Is our faith the same as the faith of 2000 years ago? Does Jesus honor faith today? Does He operate the same or has He changed His plans about our covenant relationship? Were His miracles just for a few years and only for the purpose of establishing who He was? Is the “comforter” here to comfort us in our suffering or to help us overcome – or both? There are so many details about this massive subject that we can research and it seems that every day there less and less individuals that have solid answers. I personally do not believe that God wants us to walk around in this life without an understanding of truth. We are NOT to become arrogant with what we know but we can be bold and confident that we are following what is right because God IS absolute truth. Set all of your doubts aside and let’s make a new list of a few things that we can establish as TRUTH. Let me assure you that Jesus is here today just like He always has been. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and loves us now as much as He always has. His presence is in us and all around us as well as the Holy Spirit is in us and the angels are all around us. Jesus shed His blood so that we might be redeemed and live in covenant with God in this life and the one to come! We know we are abiding in Him, with Him and through Him.

We do not need to be spiritually blind – because the eyes of our heart can be opened.

We do not need to be ignorant – because the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

We are not to be lost or confused – His Word is a lamp and a light unto our path.

We are not powerless – the redeemed are filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit.

We can have understanding – because we can have the mind of Christ.

We can know the way – because God SPEAKS and He has created our unique destiny.

We can be healed and prosperous – God’s covenant is a promise that His WORD will is TRUE and will never fail.

We can know our prayers are being heard – God listens, cares and responds to faith.

Above all deeds – God watches, monitors and observes our love more than anything else.

Health and wealth is ours and we will receive these promises in certain degrees here on earth and in completion in the next life. If God did not think that health and wealth was not important He would not have CLEARLY established that our eternal life will include a perfect, glorified, beautiful and pain free body along with being an heir to riches beyond comprehension. I believe there is NOTHING impossible when God’s people are saturated with God’s Word, they confess His Word in faith and obey His Word with determination! Why in the world would I choose to believe anything else? There is no way that we have been given this wonderful opportunity to walk with God and accomplish His mission while being plagued with doubt, confusion, fear and defeat. If we have accepted the blood covenant theology into our belief system then we must break out of the negative mentality that it is God’s will that we live defeated. Number 1: If we are to die a horrible martyr death for the glory of God and fulfill His will (like Jesus did) then that is one thing! Number 2: If there is such a thing as being predestined and elected to live a life of poverty and sickness then we certainly would not want to disobey God and be healed. Number 3: But if we are suffering only because we refuse to learn what His perfect destiny is or because of a lack of knowledge, faith or obedience – then we are missing the mark and disappointing Him. We can come up with every excuse under the sun but we cannot find any examples where Jesus refused to release miracles if someone was sincerely putting their faith in Him! What we need to settle is whether or not this applies to everyone.

I understand we cannot learn a lifetime of spiritual development in a week, but we can at least begin to KNOW why we believe the way we do. If we have solid EVIDENCE that proves God wants to keep His people in poverty and stricken with disease then we have every right to build our case and fulfill His desires. However, if we have nothing to base our opinions and worldviews on except to “throw our hands up and tell everyone we don’t know” then it would seem that we could at least be interested in learning more about the subject. Job said in chapter 1, verse 21,”Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” We must assume that God gives and takes and that His sovereignty gives Him every right to do HIS will at whatever it may cost us. Our spiritual maturity is crucial for trusting God’s decisions but our emotions have a very difficult time accepting our losses and pain. Much of this is because we can only see today and are not able to see the big picture clearly. Since we have mentioned the story of Job, let us observe that Job was living a wonderful life and was also a much hated target for Satan. To the natural man it seems that God allowed great pain and agony to someone that was living a dedicated life unto the Lord. It also appears that Job did not deserve to be hammered out of the clear blue, but through his sufferings God revealed many valuable lessons of spiritual wisdom to millions of truth seekers through the ages. Yes, Job had to walk through some very difficult trials but it was a classroom for him (and us) to learn much about the wisdom and sovereignty of the Almighty. If we could develop an attitude of humility and brokenness as a lifestyle we would not be thrown into shock when the bottom falls out. We could stay on the path of balance, contentment, peace and joy. Even though this was before Jesus shedding His blood and establishing His blood covenant with His children, we still see that the devil attacks – man suffers – and God intervenes. God honors faith and no matter what we are going through we can know that God LOVES for a person to stay strong and to NOT compromise what he knows to be true and just. Did God restore Job because He loved him more than someone else? No. Actually God responded to Job’s love! Love gives us the BURDEN to pray for others. This is why the Lord said that we can do everything under the sun but without love it is nothing. “Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works” (James 2: 18). Love is the tree and faith is one of the branches. The answer to the question is that people can be healed and are healed today just like they always have been. Study closely the faith of those in God’s Word that received.

38. Do you believe that God can speak to us about someone’s situation and then use us to reveal to them why they are sick or struggling in poverty and what they need to do to be healed and delivered? Actually yes. God has always used prophets and the spiritual gifts of prophecy and being able to speak into others people’s lives as a way to communicate His messages. This has much to do with our belief system and theology because if we do not believe this happens today, then we will not even consider it as a possibility. If we do accept this ability as a way for the Lord to use US, we can begin to develop a spiritual sensitivity and to become aware of possible divine appointments. Even if many people are suffering because of their own sin, then we must also take into consideration that God wants to see His people forgiven and restored. I realize that the curse of the fall has DNA imperfections within our genetic makeup and there is an active devil and hordes of demons that are trying to destroy us; however I also firmly believe that God and His angels are all around us protecting and helping us fulfill the perfect blueprints He has drawn. A huge part of working in God’s Kingdom is allowing God to get us into position to RELAY His love. The role of a messenger is NOT easy. If we do not love people and have a burden for their soul – shame on us for thinking that we have been called to be a minister of the gospel. Do you believe you have been called to preach the gospel? Do you really believe you are called to be a minister for God? Why not? How can God use anyone that is afraid of offending someone and who refuses to personally get involved with other people? Jesus always knew what to say and always knew what to do. This same Jesus that has never failed and is always perfect is trying to guide us and desires to use our hands, feet and mouth. So many people are living in denial and NEED to be awakened about their responsibility. The old revivals were led by individuals that were NOT afraid to speak the penetrating truth that pierced hearts and souls. Speaking into someone’s life is NOT for the lukewarm or fearful. Holy boldness is given to those who are broken, compassionate, on fire, and filled with love and humility from the Holy Spirit. “Unto me who am less than the least of all saints, is the grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:8-9).

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH

part 18

35. When it comes to healing and resources, it is difficult for me to know whether to be bold and aggressive in faith, or humble and passive with accepting whatever happens as God’s will? I realize that many of God’s people are very hesitant to become strong when it comes to reaching out to God, and much of this has to do with an imbalance of understanding about His sovereignty. We often are reminded that He will do whatever He wants but it is seldom followed up His actions being within the framework of His truth. In other words, God will not contradict who He is because He is perfect. Thus, I would much rather be bold and He punish me for being too aggressive than to hide in the shadows and have Him say that my fear caused me to lose everything. It is good to realize there is a huge difference between being humble and being afraid. Perfect spiritual humility is a “correct” perception and recognition of who God is and who we are in His eyes. Fear is of the devil and is the complete opposite of faith and trust. You will never find God applauding fear or willing to compromise or look over anyone that is fearful. In fact, God is angry and insulted by anyone that is controlled by fear and many times judges harshly. In some ways, we can see that fear is associated with pride because it is choosing to support that things are the way we believe than what God says they are. It is NOT being prideful to come to God with boldness. It is prideful to avoid speaking up to God while planning our own ideas and strategies about how WE are going to live! Sometimes being passive is not true humility – but rather a lack of confidence. The poet Rudyard Kipling wrote the following words in 1897, an admonition to the British Empire against pride:

The tumult and the shouting dies; the captains and the kings depart.

Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, a humble and contrite heart.

When Kipling spoke of a contrite heart as an “ancient sacrifice,” perhaps he had in mind the words of King David in the 51st Psalm: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart” (v. 17). David’s words reveal that even in Old Testament times, the Lord’s people understood that their conscience must be given to God and that burnt offerings alone may have been legally and temporarily sufficient but not the complete fulfillment. The sacrifices mandated during the Mosaic dispensation pointed symbolically to the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah, who ultimately offered a lost world complete reconciliation with God. So, what is a broken heart and a contrite spirit and why is it considered a sacrifice? As in all things, the Savior’s life offers us the perfect example: though Jesus of Nazareth was utterly without sin, He walked through life with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, as manifested by His submission to the will of the Father. “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). To His disciples He said, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). And when the time came to pay the ultimate sacrifice entailed in the atonement, Christ did not ignore or run away from partaking of the bitter cup but submitted completely to His Father’s will. The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the likewise the very essence of us surrendering our will and abandoning our “homemade” blueprint. This example from Christ teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of Godliness and is the only way to truly walk with God. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Holy Spirit and recognize our dependence on the Lord for all that we have and all that we are. This is a sacrifice of pride and independence that must die. Like soft clay in the hands of a skilled potter, only the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master which is the heart of redemption to become a true follower of Jesus.

When we sin and desire forgiveness, a broken heart and a contrite spirit leads us to a “Godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10). This comes when our desire to be cleansed from sin is so consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace with our Father in Heaven. Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead. In such a condition of submissiveness, the atonement is activated and true repentance can occur. The penitent will then experience the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, which will fill them with contentment of conscience and the joy of reconciliation with God. In a wondrous union of divine attributes, the same God who teaches us the beauty of brokenness invites us to rejoice and to be of good cheer. When we yield our hearts to the Lord, the attractions of the world simply lose their luster. There is yet another dimension of a broken heart; our deep gratitude for Christ’s suffering on our behalf. At Golgotha, He “poured out his soul unto death” (Isaiah 53:12), as His heart literally broke with an all-encompassing love for every child of God. When we remember the Savior and His suffering, our hearts too will break in gratitude for the Anointed One. As we make the sacrifice to Him of all that we have and all that we are, the Lord will fill our hearts with peace. He will “bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1).

36. Can you give an example of someone being bold and aggressive in order to gain the attention of God and receive miracles of health and financial prosperity? Absolutely! When it comes to knowing the message of God, where else can we turn but to His Word? We can argue philosophy until the cows come home, but it is crucial to in order to know truth – to be able to see truth and we have examples along with His directions in the Bible. A wonderful illustration of how boldness resulted in physical healing is found in Mark 10:46-52. Jesus is coming down the street and the word has spread all over the area that He has performed many instantaneous miracles. Bartimeus is a blind beggar that lives on the street and becomes excited screaming for Jesus to have mercy on Him. Jesus hears him and calls for him to come. Jesus asked him what we wanted and he said that he wanted to see. Jesus said, “thy faith hath made thee whole” and immediately he received his sight.” Now, let us notice that this man was bold and aggressive and even when he was told to stop screaming, he called out even louder. We must consider the powerful question of what would have happened if he had been afraid to speak up? How easy it would have been to “listen” to the negative and unbelieving voices that were trying to discourage him. I am confident that Jesus would have walked past him and no miracle would have been given if he had doubted and I also believe that Jesus operates in the same way today.

Tithing is the most popular illustration of the principal of sowing and reaping and I believe we can receive this in a personal context of our covenant relationship with God, but I also have 2 specific examples of how being boldly obedient along with exercising strong faith concluded with receiving a financial blessing. In II Kings chapter 4 and verses 1-7 we read about a widow woman that has children and is facing foreclosure. She cries out to Elisha the prophet and tells him what is about to happen and he wants to know how he can help? He asked her what she had in the house and she tells him that she only has a pot of oil. He then tells her to borrow from her neighbors every container she can find, and then go into her house and begin to FILL the pots with oil. She did as he said and began to pour and fill every container from that same little original pot of oil. This took BIG faith! How many of us would have believed this was possible and actually borrowed all those containers? The oil was valuable and when she sold it, she was able to pay not only her debts – but had money to live and continue to support her family. What would have happened if she had laughed and said, “Get real – that is crazy!” She would have NOT received her miracle. Giving releases blessings both natural and spiritual as we trust and obey.

The second illustration for finances is found in Matthew 25. We see there are several spiritual types and shadows associated with this parable and much of it centers on responsibility and stewardship. It is taught this is referring to our abilities and that we should use the gifts that God has given with all of our heart and this is absolutely true. In addition to this example we also cannot deny that the literal description of the story is focused on financial affairs. We do not have time to go through these all of these connections but we can just take a practical approach and through the simplicity of the story, we can notice the basic meaning which is the contrast of faith and fear. We see here that faith boldly has the confidence to INVEST the money and is rewarded with increase. Fear, is trying not to LOSE the original amount by hiding what they have and it is the reaction of the master toward these 2 ways of thinking that is worth noticing. To the ones that increased the finances, Jesus is saying that the master was very pleased with their faithfulness and will promote them into a higher position of authority. (It also did not hurt the situation with the 5 talents gaining an earned PROFIT of $26,100). To the one who buried the money in the ground, the master is very angry and accuses the person of being lazy and wicked. This servant is stripped of everything and cast out of the kingdom. Why? Because we can only live within the nature and character of God and fulfill our divine blueprint when we are listening and following His voice. When we study God’s Word, we notice that FEAR is something that God HATES for anyone to have in any type of situation. This is not to be confused with the reverential fear of God. I am talking about the lack of boldness and confidence to trust the Lord even when all hell is against us. The reason why people do not trust Him is because they do not really know Him and that is the central issue of why we are called to be a minister. Walking in God’s Spirit allows Him to manifest Himself through us as we reach out to the world in love. Being filled with God’s nature is exactly what will DRAW everyone to us which will give us the opportunity to explain the gospel. God has always been eager to reward the boldness and aggressiveness of our faith as confidence IN HIM and this is the key that unlocks His storehouse of blessings. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38).

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH

 PART 17

 

33. Are Christians eligible to receive the blessings of divine healing and divine prosperity if they do not actually believe in them? Yes and no. YES in the fact that they will receive the default plan which means the basic standards of God’s blessings which in every aspect is nothing less than glorious. NO in the light of pleasing God with obedience and walking in His perfect specific will. As far as being healed and being blessed, it is easy to see that many have enjoyed these benefits without hardly noticing or even being grateful. For example, those who never actually consider that God will touch their bodies and give them a miracle are many times healed through surgeries and doctors exactly like everyone else. The same is true with many Christians that have a gift for making money and being extremely successful without praying about it in faith or confessing God’s Word. My worldviews include the general belief that if someone rejects an idea or does not practice faith or follow spiritual principals they will not receive the benefits from it – however as I just pointed out, there are exceptions. The Word of God is filled with conditional promises and these are truly available to those who develop faith to live this blessed lifestyle but it is true that others can be seen obtaining health and wealth without hardly having any faith at all. For reasons only known to God, it seems that some need to believe and work hard for it and others are just given these gifts. Let us remember, that things are not always the way they seem and God has a specific and complex purpose for everything He does.

34. So, if we are going to receive the same outcome whether we have faith or not, then what is the big deal about living this “extreme fanatical” lifestyle? That is not exactly what I said and I do not believe that God intended for us to think this way. It would be a shame for anyone to have that kind of attitude because it is a direct reflection of something that is seriously wrong within the heart. All of God’s Word and His revelations that we learn in this journey are NOT in vain. Each hour of our spiritual growth, every confession that comes out of our mouth and every deed that we have done in obedience for the Lord is counted as holy and perfect and a part of His plan. This is not a performance – it is supposed to be a love affair between us and God. Yes, there are certain ones that stumble through life without taking God seriously and they might even do OK. They might be able to pay their bills and live to be in their nineties and eventually go to heaven – praise God! But, did they advance and become mature in His Spirit? Were they sensitive to all the divine appointments that God arranged and did they accomplish the specific blueprint He drew up for them? Did they truly follow His voice? Did they make Him happy and was He pleased with their life? I do NOT believe we have a clue as to how important it is to follow directions. Whoever came up with the song, “just give me a cabin in the corner of glory land” seemed to suggest that we can somehow squeeze through and by a slim chance make it into heaven. The mentality that we can do whatever we want and that God might feel sorry for us is a twisted idea that gives the flesh a false hope that we do NOT need to try to obey and yet still be given a golden ticket. The truth is that God knows every heart and sees every thought and deed and He rewards faith and blesses those who do what He says. He does not want us to just get by but He wants us to EXCEL and OVERCOME in the power of His might! He desires for us to study and grow strong so that we can stand in FAITH and DEMONSTRATE His glory!

Why would we want to just get by and live in mediocrity? If we truly love God with all of our heart, we should want to do EVERYTHING he says. This includes following His directions and living according to His perfect will. I would not think that anyone would be happy with scoring 56 out of a hundred and then say that it does not matter because God is not going fail anyone anyway. Walking in God’s Spirit is being the best we can be and what He died for us to be! “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Let us come to the place where we realize that faith was not imparted as a way for US to live on easy street. Health and wealth is NOT for us to build an empire of selfishness that gives us glory – it is to be used to help others understand God’s truth! Health is the energy to relentlessly spread the gospel and wealth is the supply of resources needed to finance God’s Kingdom. We teach those whom God has led to us and when they begin to learn and grow in God’s Word, they in turn receive the BURDEN and PASSION to teach others the revelation of God’s will. In the story of the rich man and a beggar named Lazarus, we see the ABUSE and blindness of wealth that has the arrogance and lack of compassion to pass by a person in need every day and NOT reach out to help. God wanted the rich man to bring Lazarus in, take care of him and teach him so that in time Lazarus could manage his own affairs. Eventually the Lord would have blessed Lazarus and then he could have started his own outreach ministry. And of course, the rich man would have been blessed even more (in this life and the one to come) and would have been given new divine appointments that involved possibly helping thousands of people in need. You see, our faith is for the purpose of bringing us closer to God and to help do His work. The “extreme fanatical” lifestyle of living in the awareness of God’s presence is not a bunch of hoops for us to jump through so that we can have a fat bank account or even be found worthy to enter heaven. If this is how we are seeing the Christian life we have missed the point and possibly have missed God altogether. We become fanatical about God because we choose for Him to become the most important person in our life. Our zeal and passion is not about what we can get! It is about having the honor to be His child! When we fall deeply in love with God the health and wealth will always be secondary to enjoying the intimacy of His person. When health and wealth become our highest priority we are guilty of worshipping the gift instead of the giver. God has given us everything we need to do all things, but it will only succeed according to His directions.

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWER ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH

PART 16

 

Question 31: As I study your teachings, I notice that you definitely believe that God can heal anyone, and you have mentioned several reasons why healing does not happen but are there “other things” involved that you have not mentioned? Very good question and I am glad you asked. I have many thoughts for the remainder of this series about God’s covenant and the promises of His Word but now is the time to share a spiritual but also practical revelation about healing. I am going to make a bold statement by saying that every child of God WILL be healed! I will go as far as declaring that TOTAL healing is a definite reality that is bought and paid for. So, how can I say that within the destiny of EVERY Christian is a positive guarantee of a perfect healing – it is the easiest confession we will ever make because it is a part of our inheritance. How is that? When we are well, we do not think about healing because we do not need it. This would be like having a brand new car without a scratch on it but worrying all the time about having it painted. However, when we are having problems and things are not working we begin to seek help and when we think of healing, most Christians reach for the medicine bottle first or do not hesitate to go to the doctor. Let us to stop for a moment and consider something and realize that there is NOT just one way to be healed – there are 3. In this context, let us be encouraged to discover that God can heal in several different ways and ALL of them are associated with His love and mercy and no matter what happens there WILL be a healing.

Number 1: Jesus responds to faith and still reaches out just like He did when He walked the earth and nothing has changed about His promises, power or desires. His Word is still alive and applies in every way. His miracles can be released whether in the middle of the night, down in the woods, within the closet of prayer, around a hospital bed with hands being laid and oil being applied or whatever the situation may be. Our direct contact with heaven is as real as anything God has ever said or done and He is carefully listening to every prayer just as He always has. However, I will be the first to admit that the request for instant miracles do NOT always happen. As I have said before, this does not mean that His Word is not true or that God does not still do them. The Lord has a specific plan and everything He does most of the time affects others so He has many things to keep in mind. Not receiving an instant miracle might just mean that He has other ideas that will work out better and these are still closely associated with His sovereignty.

Number 2: God created living beings (humans and animals) with a “built-in” healing process. This is because God knows that people did not always have doctors or medicines in remote areas and there was many years before understanding and wisdom were used to know about cures, medicines and the human body. When we have an operation and we are sewed up, the doctor has very little to do with the wound growing together, the glands releasing the right amount of chemicals, the brain controlling the entire body and all the organs doing what they need to do just to name a few of the normal responses. God brings ALL of this together when we have a traumatic event or even when we have something as small as a cold as a created intension of HEALING us. There are microscopic warriors in our blood that go to where the problem is and begin attacking infections or whatever is making us sick. Actually our body is in a constant conflict against germs and serious threats 24/7 and we not even realize it. Furthermore, we rarely even thank God for the sicknesses that do NOT manifest because He takes care of it so efficiently we hardly know what is happening. It is like virus protection for the computer that eliminates problems we are not aware of. How many times has our body responded and possibly even saved our life? We sit around and cry because we are not seeing the healing when on the other hand we have actually NOT realized that our body has been healed a thousand times.

Number 3: When we have not received a direct touch AND the body is not able to heal itself, we can turn to another way that God can administer healing. The Lord has used doctors and medicine for a long time and thinks very highly of giving people His wisdom and instruction about the power of His creation to provide healing. Certain plants have wonderful medicinal properties not to mention the huge laboratories and scientist that have spent lifetimes trying to find answers to devastating diseases. If we discard the idea that God could possibly use this way of helping us, we may be overlooking a wonderful opportunity to receive a physical blessing. Some believe that a direct touch by God is the only way to be healed and have actually died by refusing medical care. If we did not receive a direct touch from God but was healed by doctors and medicine would we still not be healed by God? I am sure there are some doctors that comprehend they are only helpers and give God glory for being the healer. They realize they were given a talent and skill but that ultimately God blessed their touch with HIS touch.

Number 4: This is the guarantee – the positive, definite healing that is always perfect and will never fail. When God does not directly touch us, when our body cannot heal itself and when all surgeries and medicines cannot heal us or keep us alive, then it is time to trade in the old model and get a brand new one! Each child of God will hang up the old suit one last time and be given new body that has no disease, no weakness, no corruption, no chance to deteriorate, and no aging! Praise God forever more! Whatever our condition is now or whatever shape we find ourselves in before we leave, we will ALL be healed and transformed into a perfect image of who we are. We will be an immortal reflection of who we were but in a perfect state of strength, vitality, beauty, purity and joy! The ultimate healing at last! The promise of God never fails!

Question 32: Is the same thing true with blessings and wealth? Absolutely! The Word of the Lord has come unto us this day. Be encouraged and know that we are rich beyond measure and blessed beyond comprehension. Our natural concept of wealth is usually calculated in money and earthly possessions but the child of God has been delivered from the limitations of fleshly understanding and been transformed into the highest dimension of existence as a spiritual citizen of heaven. Within this realm of divine perfection with God, we have already been given access to the highest treasures and wonders of infinity. When we consider the beauty of this earth, we stand in awe of God’s imagination and creative abilities. Just to be able to witness the glories of what He has made, is one of the greatest honors of living. We are truly rich when we look up to the majestic mountains, out over the vast expanse of the sea, up toward the heavens and into the eyes of an infant. All of the TRUE meanings of life can be experienced in its fullest without money or authority. We are blessed beyond all measure in the time and space of all eternity to have been given GRACE, PEACE and COMPASSION to be a part of God’s family.

For those of us that have lived within the physical shell that has enjoyed strength and times without pain, we must include this as another treasure beyond comprehension. It is true that some have suffered with diseases and limitations and these disappointments have been challenges and trials that require great measures of faith. For others, life has been generally a place of good fortune and privilege to breathe, see, walk, think and enjoy the freedoms and pleasures of living. How could we NOT include a physical life of freedom and independence as a part of our abundance and blessings? Money means very little to someone on life support.

Many spend their lives trying to make huge amounts money, or dream of winning sweepstakes or inheriting fortunes, and these may not be wrong in themselves but this is the lower dimension thinking. Money has its place and can be used to help in many ways but it is NOT true or complete wealth. We forget the good news of our spiritual position many times and fail to realize that we are ALREADY wealthier than we can imagine. Listen to this, “But ye are a chosen generation” we have been personally invited by the Word of God and convicted by His Holy Spirit to receive the greatest expression of love and grace that has ever been offered. “A royal priesthood” the idea of royalty may not always be on our mind but nevertheless, we cannot dispute that God is the King of all Kings and that we are His children and joint heirs with Christ. “A holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9) Being called out of darkness includes being delivered from the old way of thinking and in this context – our thoughts play a huge part about our views of value and worth. His thoughts are NOT our thoughts.

So, we see that whether we accept it or not, on this earth we are the wealthiest people that have ever lived – and there is much more. God’s love HEALS us and has truly made us RICH – BUT the highest blessings of our inheritance is living with Christ FOREVER!! Jesus promises us in John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” This is why we shout and testify of God’s good news as we KNOW that He is going to take us into His realm of wonders that is far beyond our dreams! Humans spend their life trying to dig for a pan of gold while Revelation 21:21 says that where we are going, the streets will be made of such pure gold they will be like transparent glass! Our wealth began when we were born because the opportunity for our spirit to be saved was given. We continued to be extremely wealthy with our good health, prosperity, family and having the earth to enjoy. And the greatest of all – being rescued by Jesus, living with Him as our LORD, and knowing that we will be with Him FOREVER when we step from this life. Glory to God!

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH
 
WEEK 15
 
 
 
Question 29: The Lord says we are “bought” with a price. Doesn’t His sovereignty mean that He can do whatever He wants to us and we just must accept it and live with it? Worldviews become foundations when making decisions about certain thoughts. These ideas and persuasions continue to grow and develop into personal convictions and these are what we stand firmly upon when it comes to voicing and living what we believe. We see this clearly especially when we discuss politics and religion because there are usually as many ideas and opinions as there are people.

This topic of health and wealth is no different as we can see conflicting worldviews about God having complete “predestined” control over us as in the idea of Him making us exactly what he wants us to be VERSES the belief system that teaches about faith, blood covenant and obedience   that shares in the responsibility for our personal destiny. First of all, I am not saying that God is not sovereign but surely we can agree that our faith activates Him to move on our behalf. So, if we believe on His Word and have faith that empowers that Word to manifest in our life, we can realize that if we DID NOT believe we would have not received. Thus, our faith in His Word changes our life and agrees with His specific will for our destiny. If a terrible tragedy happens in our life are we not to rise against it by confessing God’s Word, praying fervently and activating our faith toward total victory over the situation? When Goliath came against Israel, should David have gone to the army and said, we should all run away and learn how to live in another country? When the doctors tell us there is no hope and that we are finished, should we not go to war in prayer and do everything we can to LIVE? Of course we are! Why? Because, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
 
We notice in first Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  In the previous verses, Paul is talking about how the body is to be treated very carefully and that we have the responsibility to guard against sin. The flesh is important to God and we are NOT to bring corruption into our life because PURITY in the life of the believer is to be a top priority. The PRICE of course refers to the great length that God the Father went to provide salvation and the horrible death and suffering that Jesus endured on the cross to rescue us from eternal death. We again notice in the next chapter Paul referring to how we have been purchased, “For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant (slave). Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men” (I Corinthians 7:22-23). I have mentioned this before and it is worth repeating that His sovereignty does not allow Him to contradict or cancel out His Word. His Word is His general will for our lives but His specific will cannot go against what He has said.
 
<"Question 30: So, does this mean that no matter how much we PRAY and BELIEVE that God will decide and have the last word based on His desires and plans?I have always believed that God has a complete blueprint drawn for our life even when we are in the womb. It is an outline of His desires and plans that He “hopes” we will follow. He is ready to help us in every way IF we are serious about committing our heart, mind and will to His general and specific plan. My theology also includes that man’s freewill disappoints God and ruins many of the original hopes that God has for individuals. On the other hand, there are certain events and deeds that God chooses to accomplish and no man or devil can stop them, some of which are His prophecies. Yes, there are times when prayers are wrong. What do you mean? All prayers are not in tune with the Holy Spirit. Many prayers are simply petitions and request that do not line up with God’s heart. We can pray to win the lottery until the cows come home but that does not mean He will do it because He loves us so much that He does not want to see us destroyed. It would be similar to allowing a five year child play with a loaded pistol or let a 10 year old kid drive on the interstate. Listening to God’s voice and then praying in His perfect will – is the key to answered prayer.

 
We notice in James chapter 4 in the first 3 verses, that NOT asking as well as NOT knowing what to ask for is crucial to receiving from Him. Verse 3, “Ye ask, and receive NOT, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” This is an example of how we can pray day and night, and plead and stomp and have emotional breakdowns without moving the heart of God. He is not a vending machine that will “produce” results when we put in the correct amount of change. His desires and plans are always based on the original blueprint He created for us and we can agree that He does not change His mind about our destiny just because we throw a fit.
 
Walking in the awareness of His presence is the idea behind knowing God’s will because it is just as important to listen to Him speaking NOW as it is to listen to what He wrote thousands of years ago. When we learn His general will, we know right and wrong and discovering His specific will allows us to know when to stand in faith and when to let it go and embrace His decision. For example, if we have disobeyed God and are being punished in some way, this is the time to take the spanking, repent and move on. I believe there are many people that are going through chastisement and to intervene into their situation like a bull in a china shop would be to interrupt what God is doing. This is why we should pray BEFORE we proceed in ministry to make sure we are working under the anointing and leading of the Holy Spirit. This is also a solid reason why many prayers are not answered because they are out of order with God’s specific will. Another example; if we are going through a difficult time because of our rebellion and we are begging God to “fix” the problem without repenting, we are NOT following the spiritual principals of His divine judgment. This would be like grounding a child for a week because of their disobedience and them coming to you the next day and wanting to you to cancel the punishment without saying they are sorry. As we have said before, there are also consequences to our sins and no matter how much we beg and scream we will be required to pay the price.
 
I have always believed that God’s general will was for each of His children and that ALL of His written promises are meant to be given to those who walk in His ways. I know this sounds simple but I cannot see any other way. This includes the blessings and the judgments because if God’s Word is different for everyone, it would be chaos and this is why we call it a universal or “general Word.” His Word calls and is offered to all that hear and only a few are chosen. I might add that Calvinism believes that God selects who He wants and only focuses on these predestined individuals. I am convinced that God knows with His foreknowledge those who will accept His invitation of grace but freely offers His salvation to whosoever will believe. If we said that John 3:16 applies to you but it does not apply to her, it would be so confusing that no one would be able to preach a message that made sense. It would also mean that His general Word is filled with favoritism and that He respected some over others. I would say this is stretching His sovereignty to the limit because it goes against His nature and character of unconditional love for all. God honors His Word and honors the faith of the believer. The Bible is not based on emotions and neither is the Lord Himself. If this was true, He would respond to certain situations based on cries and tears. Yes, He is filled with compassion but responds to faith more than He is moved by feelings or human need. When it comes to knowing His specific will, our intimacy with Him is the only way to discover what He desires from us simply because we are close enough to His voice. If we are truly walking with Him, we will sense is we are praying “outside” His will because it will not seem right within our spirit.
 
We talk a lot about being formed and molded into the image of Christ but sometimes forget that this includes laying down our ideas and plans so that we can fulfill His will. What better example of this is there in Luke chapter 43 where Jesus Himself is praying to the Father? “And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless NOT my will , but thine be done.” (Verses 41-42).  If we listen every day and sincerely focus on hearing His heart instead of praying for our will, we will learn that true joy comes when we want what He wants. Praying the will of God (and choosing to obey His instructions) is a huge part of walking in His Spirit and that my friend is what being a good and faithful servant is all about.

101 Questions and Answers about HEALTH AND WEALTH

PART 14

   27. What “glory” could God possibly receive from His people staying disabled or remaining in poverty? This is a question that pertains to human suffering and at the same time to the wisdom of God to successfully work through the weakness of mortals. The world has an earthly mindset of achievement and accomplishment and this is based on the philosophy of riches and pleasures, beauty and health. However, there is another dimension that is called the divine reality and it is founded on the eternal wisdom and judgment of the perfect creator. Every human has a spirit and it is within this eternal identity that God knows every why and every why not. “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” (Proverbs 20:27) Man in his natural ignorance and blindness judges what he can see with his natural eyes and categorizes every person based upon their physical form, intelligence and social status. Living in this way of thinking is to miss the beauty and sovereignty of an Almighty God that uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. The revelation of this wisdom includes the ability of God to receive glory in those that appear to be last but in the eyes of God they are actually first. “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19:30) In order to even scratch the surface of spiritual understanding we are to humbly fall before Him and listen intently. The deeper we walk in fellowship with Him the higher we progress into spiritual dimension thinking which the pathway toward the mind of Christ. Knowing or having the mind of Christ does not mean we will know all there is to know but I believe we can know what He wants us to know. When Jesus calls us, he expects us to listen to Him and to begin thinking like Him. Learning to think like Jesus isn’t as impossible as it sounds because the Apostle Paul says we have been given the mind of Christ. “But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (I Corinthians 2:15-16) It is good to pray for God to give us wisdom and the mind of Christ as we mediate upon His Word and listen to the Holy Spirit, who is our guide into all truth. Understanding discipleship as a progressive journey, we realize the more time we intentionally spend with Jesus day in and day out, the more we will become intimate with His likes and dislikes and will be astounded to notice what He sees and recognize what He hears. In this level of awareness, we can know what He cares about and discern what he considers insignificant or distracting.

In first Corinthians the first chapter and verse 27, it speaks of how God has “chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” It is true that when a person is strong and healthy, good-looking and obsessed with their own beauty, they have a tendency to let their flesh rule and develop a “heart condition” of haughtiness and vanity. The same is true when a person becomes immersed in wealth as this also has a tendency to negatively influence the mind and cause us to become puffed up with arrogance. These feelings of power and temptations to be in control are infectious and open the floodgates to further deception. It is clear to see how that health and wealth can distract lost people from God because it nurtures a very powerful attitude of not NEEDING God at all, but what about Christians who are blessed with the pleasures and blessings of the abundant life? Could it not develop the same way of thinking? I have the opportunity at this place in my life to witness the extremes of both ends of this spectrum. I know people that are extremely rich, healthy and beautiful in the eyes of this world and they live in a whirlwind of excitement and indulgence. They are so busy with riding the winds of power and luxury, there is not enough hours in the day to experience all they desire to absorb. They have a staff of workers just to help them accomplish and maintain their jet-set style of living because there are so many successful opportunities each and every day. Do they understand what life is really about? Maybe to a certain extent as it depends on the individual but generally speaking I would say probably not. Why? It would depend if the individual was a Christian because this is the only way people can comprehend spiritual truths. It is also difficult to have sincere sympathy and compassion without spiritual sensitivity. Sadly, it is common for the rich to become so entangled in the worldly chaos of business that they confidently boast about how that giving time for spiritual matters will need to wait until they are ready to give it consideration. When will that be? Most of the time it is when someone has used every drop of energy and spent every dollar and are sitting in a wheelchair looking out the window waiting to die. This is not God’s intention of blessing us and it certainly gives no glory to Him. His idea is to give us strength and prosperity so that we can do HIS work and provide resources to support HIS cause. People may seem to be living the lifestyle of the rich and famous but the consequences of disobedience will not have a happy ending. Some may convince themselves they can give money to charities and use their wealth to feed the hungry or whatever (and this is good) but without agape love and a heart that is dedicated to LIVING for God, it is all sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. I personally believe that it is not the wealth that is the sin – it is how wealth works on the mind and corrupts the heart that makes it dangerous. Can the average person handle great amounts of wealth? Probably not. Can wealthy people bring glory to God? Yes, I believe it is possible but VERY difficult. If a disciplined Christian person was mega-wealthy, I believe they could listen to the Holy Spirit and do many wonderful things for the Kingdom of God when they control money instead of allowing the money to control them.

As far as God receiving glory from those who are sick and poor, I think it depends on what we consider “glory.” The glory of God is the beauty of His spirit. It is not based on fleshly accomplishments an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but it is the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. James 1:10 calls on a rich man to “glory in his humiliation,” indicating a glory that does not exalt earthly riches or power but on a reverential fear. This glory is revealed occasionally within man and in the world, but it is NOT of them; it is of GOD! The glory of man is his outward ability, which is fallible and eventually passes away, and is therefore only demonstrated by the mercy and longsuffering of God. But the glory of God, which is manifested in all His attributes, is perfect divine beauty that is eternal and can only be brought forth by the Spirit of God. The glory of God is seen when someone reduces themselves to such a level of meekness and obedience that a glimmer of God’s love can be seen. It was brought to my attention the other day that being healthy and or wealthy does NOT necessarily bring glory to God and I believe this is true and likewise we could also agree that everyone that is being devastated with disease or who climbs in and out of trash dumpsters would not either. The Lord can receive glory in ALL types of situations because it is simply based on God being seen through a person or situation because it is how we LIVE and how we REACT to whatever circumstances we are in.

In John the eleventh chapter and verse four, Jesus was gathered with the family of Lazarus after he had died, “When Jesus had heard that, He said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the GLORY of God, that the Son of God might be GLORIFIED thereby.” In this we can see that God can receive glory through suffering AND through healing. I am reminded of those that have been martyred and have suffered unimaginable pain and torment for their faith in God. They lived their lives giving glory to God AND still remained steadfast in the hour of standing courageous so that His glory was seen in their ultimate sacrifice. Yes, there are countless demonstrations of strength and perseverance through the lives of those who suffer as it comes down to a determination to allow the spirit to rule over the mind so that the body can be brought into subjection for God’s purpose. We can be as a city set upon a hill whether we are rich or poor – healthy, or afflicted! Yes, of course it would be more preferred to live in perfect health and never have to worry about finances but if for some reason we fall into a difficult situation we can still glorify God in the way we think, the words we say and the love we demonstrate. In this light, we can say that God can be glorified in whatever state we are in if we choose His will as our highest priority. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4: 11-13)

    28. God did NOT stop Adam and Eve from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Is this the same way He approaches His children when they choose not to incorporate His will about health and wealth? I believe there are unique situations that provide for individuals the same as there are terrible problems. There are blessings and curses that people are born into and many circumstances that challenge us in the way we live. However, we cannot ignore God’s wisdom, spiritual faith and holy obedience because this is how we receive from God. When we learn about God’s general will and arrange our life around His desires, we are promised many things that contribute to a life of peace, security and victory. Through fervent prayer and learning His revelations of truth, we are demonstrating and activating our free-will to trust Him. If we choose to NOT follow His commands, He will not force us to enjoy this life OR the life to come.

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH

PART 12

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

23. Do you believe that “whatever happens” is what we should accept as God’s will for our life? Not necessarily! This is a good question and one that needs to be addressed. I am reminded about God’s will concerning birth control. This subject may NOT be something we have thought about concerning health and wealth but it could be connected. Those who decide to use no birth control are putting the opportunity to have children in the hands of God instead of trying to exercise population control. There are some parents that have birthed many children while others have placed a limit on the amount they wanted to have. Is this wrong or right? Should they look at it as giving God the “call” to create the amount of people He desires? Should young couples just accept by faith that God will give life to as many as He desires? Could people just as easily pray and ask God to let them have a certain number of children, or do they not trust that God will listen and honor their prayers? So, in this light, is not using birth control simply gambling with the odds or does this allow the Lord to create life?

The same could be said with health and wealth. With health for example, does not going to the doctor allow God the opportunity to do a miracle or the chance to use a doctor to bring the healing? Let’s look a little deeper with many that are sick with serious diseases and these have caused much destruction through the family blood-lines. Should the person just accept this as God’s will and not try to pray against it? If it is God’s intention to give someone a horrible infirmity and make them suffer, are we not interfering when we bring the medical world into the situation? No! I do not know any other way to say this except, we pray and go to the doctor because we all want to be healed! If we are NOT healed, the first thing always mentioned is that it was God’s will that the person suffer and die. This is very difficult to agree with because it is hard to imagine Jesus saying no to anyone that reaches out to Him in faith, especially when we cannot find Jesus ever doing this. I know this is difficult but I just cannot imagine God saying that He does not want to see someone healed and set free that is begging and truly believing. We also have heard of individuals that were so confident that God was going to heal them that they did NOT even go to the doctor. Is that faith or is that foolish? What if they died? 1. Was it because they were not listening to the Holy Spirit and did not use wisdom and go to the doctor? 2. Was it because they did not have enough faith? 3. Or was it because it was “their time” and God’s will that they pass on? Mmmmm…

When it comes to wealth, we have already noticed in previous teachings that obedience “automatically” produces blessings and increase. It does NOT compute within the principals of God’s divine reality for His children to follow His instructions and remain in poverty. He does not fail – and His Word does not fail, so in this light when we boil it down, if we are living in poverty it is because of some other reason than God’s will and most likely the lack of Biblical knowledge. This is one obvious reason why we have been called to preach the gospel to the world. When people receive Christ as their Lord, they need to be taught the fundamentals of covenant living and how to be an overcomer within the faith. Giving is the key to receiving because reaping is the result of sowing. Instead of accepting the negative consequences associated with poverty as God’s will, we should examine very carefully the power of faith and the responsibility of God’s people to believe, release and demonstrate His Word. When we understand that God’s WILL “is” His WORD we can have a more clear perspective of truth.

24. Do you believe the Holy Spirit and God’s Word can reveal to us what is God’s will and what is a lie from the enemy? Absolutely! I am convinced that most Christians have not even scratched the surface of understanding what walking with the Holy Spirit is about and even less are aware of events before they happen. Staying in an attitude of spiritual communion and being constantly aware of God’s presence can sharpen and increase our spiritual discernment. However, all of this will not manifest until we discipline our mind with continual practice, and work diligently to control our thoughts. This is the part that has somehow slipped through the cracks within the teachings of the church. Of all the things that Christians need to know, I cannot think of anything that is more important. Do you actually believe that the average Christian can figure out who is saying what? When situations occur, it is crucial for people know whether to rebuke the devil or accept that God is punishing or testing them. We were definitely created and called to KNOW what God is saying and have been equipped to DO His perfect will!

We have heard of the word “discernment” but not many have become spiritually sensitive enough to operate in it. Yes, I admit it would be awesome to be able to hear clearly and know at all times exactly what God is saying but to be honest – we just have too much flesh in the way! I believe one of the most disastrous deceptions in the Christian faith is the lack of knowledge when it comes to our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We are saturated with the continuous flow of information about walking with Jesus (and this is wonderful) but He sent the Holy Spirit to live with us and help us in our life before He left to go back to heaven. It would seem that many times we are crying out to Jesus for what we need while IGNORING the Holy Spirit that is living in us and all around us! I believe we could all agree that it would be impossible to follow God unless we are led by the Holy Spirit.

But how do we develop this closeness with the Holy Spirit? Well, like everything else, it is training! For example, when we are learning how to play a musical instrument, we must spend many hours in seclusion “practicing.” The same is true with physical exercise, we “spend time” in a private place where we can concentrate and focus on what we need to do as we are learning about the aspects of our visions and goals. The concept of “practicing the presence of God” is birthed within the desires and responsibilities of becoming serious about our spiritual life. When we spend time alone with the Holy Spirit we naturally get to know Him more personally and this is the key to recognizing Him when we come upon circumstances in our everyday life that require us to make right decisions. Developing an awareness of the Holy Spirit will enable and empower us to LISTEN and KNOW what God is saying which is crucial if we are to walk in God’s presence. We are called to be God’s hands, feet and voice so how in the world is this going to work if we cannot hear what He is saying to do? Do you believe there could come a time when the Holy Spirit might whisper, “lay your hand on that persons shoulder and God will heal them?” This is a very powerful reason why the Holy Spirit was sent to walk with us! Have you ever had the Holy Spirit whisper and tell you to give money to someone or to do something that can help a person? If we feel we are too busy to spend time with God then we have convinced ourselves that we are smart enough to make our own choices and that we can do just fine in our own strength and intelligence. What we discover is that we miss many opportunities and ruin our divine appointments because we are not sensitive and discerning to what God is specifically trying to relay to us. Take notice that even Jesus made time to get away and pray in order to rejuvenate and “refill” His mind and clarify His heart with divine direction. Let us take a peek at just a few places where Jesus made the conscious decision to fellowship with His Father and become refreshed with a “reloading” of energy, courage, wisdom and zeal.

“And He [Jesus] withdrew Himself into the wilderness and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)

“And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone.” (Matthew 14: 22-23)

“And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit, into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward ahungered.” (Matthew 4:1-2)

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH

PART 13

DESPERATELY LOOKING TO GOD

25. Does the Bible suggest that someone who is sick or desperate can hear the Shepherd’s voice more clearly? I am reminded of this type of thinking from the monks in the monasteries as they would whip themselves with the intention of bringing their flesh under submission. The idea was that through the pain of physical suffering, the mind and will could be humbled and this in turn could bring an individual into a deeper spiritual sensitivity. I am not condoning self-mutilation but the concept of suffering and sacrifice can definitely create a serious focus on what is important. It could be argued that those who have been afflicted and have walked through grief, sorrow and pain within the valley of death know more about the divine reality of spiritual awareness than those who have not been there. Within the times of isolation and quiet we can more clearly meditate about God and listen to his voice but the sad truth is that we seldom take the time. Unfortunately, it does seem that people become more SERIOUS about touching the face of God when their life is falling apart than when things are wonderful. Why? Because when things are going great we are caught up in the moment of enjoyment and happiness.

We know the apostle Paul had some type of problem and asked for it to be removed but we cannot confirm what it was or what happened about it. Some believe this hindrance was for his “benefit” so that he could stay humble and focused on his mission and not drift away through pride and the carnal temptations of the flesh. Since God can use whatever means necessary to accomplish His will and produce results why should we not accept this line of thought? I do not like to agree along these lines that God would bring affliction in order to discipline us but I also want to stay open to the truth of His sovereignty. Another view on this event is that God was trying to explain that His grace was available to be “activated” through an individual’s faith and the authority and power in the name of Jesus would be sufficient to take care of the problem. Whatever the case, hopefully none of us will ever become so rebellious or distracted that God would need to bring a plague upon us just to communicate with us. What do you think? Do you feel that God loves us so much that He would intervene into our life and intentionally bring suffering so that He can get our attention? God knows exactly what would cause us to lay down our self-independence and become more dependent on Him – right? Becoming physically helpless has a way of getting God’s point across. The common response is that it would be better to save our spirit and lose our body than the other way around and I must admit I do agree. I personally believe the perfect life would be to live for God completely and be a recipient of all of His covenant blessings (including a long healthy life) but as we have said before, the Lord can see the entire spectrum of not only our life but how we cross-over into other people’s lives while we are only able to see one day at a time. Within our mortal limitation we cannot understand all that He does or why – we just need to have faith in Him. In this light, the strongest pillar of our foundation is to trust and obey and know within our soul that He always wants the best for us.

26. In the Beatitudes, Jesus say’s in Mathew chapter 5 and verse 3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Why would God use the word “poor” and what does this really mean? I do NOT believe this is in the context of materialism or worldly riches. I believe Christ is referring to spiritual realities that are crucially important for all of us to learn in order to walk intimately with Him. Being “poor in spirit” is not something that many people are aware of and those that have thought about it – quickly forget. We are poor because we have nothing to give (God or the world) except the love within our heart and even that has been placed there by God’s mercy. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) Being poor in spirit is admitting that, because of our sin, we are completely destitute spiritually and can do nothing to deliver ourselves from our hopelessness. Jesus is saying that, no matter your status in life, you must recognize your spiritual poverty before you can come to God in faith to not only receive the salvation He offers but in order to walk with Him in the fullness of His anointing. We must admit we are desperate for His grace and help in all that we do and all that we are. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). When Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” He is declaring that, before we can enter God’s kingdom, we must become aware of the utter worthlessness of our own righteousness and the inability of our own power to do anything.

I am honored to have a weekly nursing home ministry along with singing and preaching at a cancer hope center on a regular basis. I am familiar with fear and anxiety and I have looked into the eyes of helplessness, weakness and frailty. I am learning firsthand what it means to not have the power or ability to change a circumstance or to bring deliverance. I KNOW who has the power and I pray for the sick and the afflicted but being poor in spirit realizes that God is the ONLY one that can change a situation! In the cancer center, I have never witnessed a more intense, hungry audience that wants to hear EVERY WORD anyone speaks about hope and healing. I cannot hold back the tears when I read God’s promises and sing the great songs of peace and hope. When a person is literally clinging to the bare threads of life, believe me they are attentive to any sliver of hope and encouragement. This sounds strange, but when I speak, I can “feel” the words being pulled out of me and I know that God’s message is being absorbed like a sponge. These warriors hug me and cry the tears of joy when I leave and I know that God has touched them with His compassion and love. Oh if we could live in this level of tenderness and awareness of His presence. This would be living and breathing within the Kingdom of heaven and walking with the King of Kings. I have always heard the beatitudes could be nicknamed, “be in this kind of attitude” and I can see this more clearly than ever before.
Through many years of singing and teaching in the church environment I have discovered that when people are healthy and blessed they have a tendency to be sluggish and lukewarm. However, when a crisis arises, it is common for people to cry out for God to immediately fix what is broken so they can continue their way of living. I was raised in a religious tradition that provided salvation messages every service (which is fine) but some pastors do not seem concerned about discussing how to live once a person gives their life to Christ. Just explaining Bible events as a history lesson alone does not necessarily impart revelation that can inspire us to demonstrate God’s will. This lack of practical spiritual education gives the impression that Christianity is just about obtaining a golden ticket for a front seat on the bus to heaven and that everything else will all work out somehow. I have studied about the blood covenant of Jesus for over 30 years and it amazes me how ordained ministers can shrug their shoulders and say they do not really know God’s will along with an attitude of whatever happens – happens. If God’s general will is closely associated with His general Word, (and it is) then our prayers of healing and deliverance are in agreement with what He has already promised. (That is worth reading again). If Christ did not intend for US to continue His ministry He would NOT have recorded His examples and demonstrations of miracle power. I thought the life of Jesus was to show us how to replicate His works and continue where He left off and that the Holy Spirit was sent to lead and guide us into these divine appointments! I thought “If we asked for a fish would He give us a stone” was not just a clever saying but a revelation of divine wisdom to encourage our faith so that we might believe and ACT on His Word! Amen!

Is there not such a thing as power and authority in His Name? YES. But the when’s and the when not’s are always the mystery question. We react when God reveals (I like that). Does it always turn out the way we think? No. When it comes to our specific blueprint, our individual unique destiny is conditional upon our obedience which clearly explains much of the failures and disappointments we face. God does all that He can with what we offer Him and yes there will be situations that will leave us speechless, but I also understand that it is much easier to blame and use the excuse that it is God’s “will” than to stand courageous in faith and believe who He is and who we are IN HIM. It is time to face our responsibilities and realize the serious consequences of being lazy. Imagine the opportunities we are missing and the souls that need to hear the life changing power of the gospel. Of course there is good news! There are still pastors that are preaching the divine truth of God and there are still committed followers of Jesus Christ that live in the reverential fear of God! Yes, there is a movement to destroy right and wrong and to eliminate spiritual absolutes but we will NOT allow the lies of the devil to stop us from proclaiming God’s miracle power! Jesus is moving NOW! His Word is setting people free and nothing is impossible with Him! He has never changed His thoughts and desires about healing or being blessed – He is still the same as He always has been! I’ll even amen that! There is VICTORY in Jesus and ABUNDANT LIFE but in order to WALK in This level of spiritual awareness it will take a very serious minded student and disciple of Christ! His mysteries are being revealed to His remnant and they are being used in this last hour to glorify His Name.

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ABOUT HEALTH AND WEALTH

PART 10

LIVING IN PEACE

I have been privileged to sit under many great speakers and teachers in my life. In my younger years of being involved with learning about ministry, I learned about God and His Word and now in my later years I am being given the opportunity to learn more about how to apply His Word in ministering to others. There are deep mysteries and difficult questions that we will never understand while we live in this realm. But, there are also many practical lessons that God can reveal to us by giving His divine peace that is woven together with His infinite wisdom. I know a special lady that has enjoyed a fulfilling life of adventure and has been used as a blessing to many, however, mixed within her life of success and respect there is also a great deal of tragedy and disappointment. It is not that this is rare or unusual, but rather it is the way she has learned to deal with this journey and how to take each day as an opportunity to do something good. She has spent much of her life helping to comfort and counsel people in crisis along with dedicating her life to bringing comfort and stability to those who are hurting she has transformed her mind and has genuinely become more like Christ.
She is known for a simple phrase; “life shows up” and in this seemingly elementary wisdom is actually a profound message to all of us. There will be times when all of us will be shocked, surprised and caught off guard. These times of crisis can hit us so hard that we can be literally “knocked out” and paralyzed with fear and confusion. When things are going well, we seem to float along and enjoy the ride and we can relate to this as a part of normal life. However, if we have never invested the time to make sure that our faith level is high and our psychological first aid toolbox is loaded, we can expect a fierce battle with our emotions which attack our ability to think and act clearly. Of course we who are Christians realize there is no substitute for prayer, but just saying a prayer is not always an automatic fix for the person in need or all the ones that are being affected from the crisis. In times of tragedy there are things we can do that are good and things we can do that are not good which include doing nothing. We have heard that, “it is not what happens – it’s how we react to what happens” and in the light of how sometimes “life shows up” I can agree. May the Lord continue to give you His strength and endurance as you continue to stand in the gap for those that are on your prayer list. The ones who are walking through a dark valley realize how much you care about them and they are comforted with your love. If you are the one that is going through a difficult crisis, I pray that you will continue to feel God’s presence and be surrounded by His peace that passes all understanding. He knows your heart, He has heard your prayers and He is working on your behalf. Be encouraged, and believe that He is trying to reveal His will to you so that you can have comfort and confidence. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”. (Psalm 46:1)
19. Why do we need to learn about health and wealth, what does it matter? There have always been two kinds of people; the haves and the have not’s. When it comes to health there are those that are well and those who are not well. The same is true when it comes to finances there are those who live in poverty and those who do not. And there are situations where someone can be poor and healthy or rich and sick. The reason why we need to know God’s truth is because it allows us to live in the peace of God’s will. The ones who are in good health usually are not concerned about sickness and the ones who are sick do everything they can to get well. When we are feeling great we are so far removed from the negative feelings of suffering that many times we fail to appreciate our blessings. On the other hand when we are suffering a crisis we can hardly think of anything else. In fact, few topics catch our attention more than health and wealth. Much of our time and money is invested pursuing how to maintain our health and wealth. For something we seem to not be concerned with, it is amazing how serious we become when we are in pain or behind in our bills. The cost of treating the sick is a trillion dollar industry and the cost of staying well is staggering also. Of course we appreciate the medical technology and the advancing skills of science however we also know there are many things they CANNOT do because of so many incurable diseases and circumstances. We do not worry when we cut our finger but cry out in desperation when we are told we have cancer. Why? Because we know that unless we get a miracle, we will not be around long. I have been in hospital rooms and nursing homes where the smell of death was in the air. I have seen fear and desperation from those who did not know where to turn. Yes, I would say it is very important to be interested in this subject.
20. Even if I believed He could, how do I know that God wants to help ME? When we talk about healing, we usually think physical restoration, but God’s power to heal is for the entire being so that we might be a whole person. One of the first things we need to settle in our mind is that God desires for ALL us to be well as He declares in His Word that healing is not limited to our body. If we cannot comprehend that Jesus has come to touch us and heal us just like He did in the Bible, then we must be listening and trusting someone else. The question is; exactly who is telling us that God does not want to heal us? “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole SPIRIT and SOUL and BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 5:23) Mentioning the spirit “first” was not a random coincidence because we must have the new birth transformation to enter into the blood covenant that opens the door to our spiritual intimacy and love relationship with Christ. If we do not believe the blood of Jesus is the authority for us to live in total salvation then it will limit our faith to believe in prayer. The absorption of God’s Word into our heart is the key to experiencing the truth that changes our life. If we do not believe God wants to help us or give us miracles then we have closed and locked our own door to His power. Many will not hesitate to say that God desires to save peoples souls, but they are not convinced he wants to heal the body or increase their wealth. This is because they are listening to voices but as we said before, where are these voices coming from? Here are 10 common messages that are discussed and thought about when it comes to us receiving from heaven. It is up to us to discern if these statements are true or false.
1. God does not care about the physical body because it is decaying and corruptible.
2. The Lord is using sickness and poverty as discipline to teach us a lesson.
3. Jesus has decided that it is NOT necessary to do miracles anymore.
4. He only helps certain ones.
5. Prayers for healing and prosperity only work when it is God’s will. (His will is His Word)
6. It is God’s perfect plan (specific blueprint) for people to be sick and poor.
7. People suffer because they do not have enough faith.
8. People suffer because they do not have knowledge of God’s Word about covenant.
9. The devil rules the world and has the authority to make people sick and poor.
10. The curse of the fall is more powerful than the blood of Jesus.
As we think about these suggestions and possibilities, let us close with a few scriptures that may give us more insight in our pursuit of truth. No one can really convince another person that God desires to give His children abundant life. When someone gives us a gift it is up to us to unwrap it and receive it. How can we seek out our own salvation with fear and trembling unless we study the world AND the Word of God in order to find what is true and what is a lie?
“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is NO respecter of persons: but in every nation he that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him” (Acts 10:34-35).

“How that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and HEALING ALL that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38). Healing is “good” and for all who believe.

“And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together [crippled] and could in no wise lift [straighten] up herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, woman, thou art LOOSED from thine infirmity. And He laid His hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Luke 13:11-13). Is He the same today as He has always been?
“And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from His birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and He said to him, go wash in the pool of Siloam. He went his way therefore, and washed, and came SEEING” (John 9: 1-3, 6-7). It is NOT the blindness that brings glory to God it is the healing!

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to ALL men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” James 1: 5-8). We cannot allow doubt and negativity to be mixed in with what we believe or it will cause us to miss out on God’s very best.

“Do NOT err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:16-17). This clearly explains that sickness and poverty are NOT good gifts because good gifts come from God! How many would agree that good health and financial success are good gifts? Most of us do. How many have ever said, God bless you? What does this mean? When we see an older person get around good and have a strong mind, we are amazed and glad to see a miracle like this. We usually ask about their secret to abundant living because we think it is wonderful. When we become sick we want everyone we know to please pray so that we can be restored. If we really believed God wanted us sick, we would want anyone to pray against Him. When we have a financial need, we beg God to please help us but hardly consider that the one who “helps us” is someone who is wealthy enough and spiritually sensitive enough to obey God by giving to us. This is how God’s people should live. Healthy enough to do His work and wealthy enough to help others in need. How can we be a front line warrior in God’s Kingdom if we are sick and poor? Do we want to see our children blessed? In what ways? We want to see our children walk in divine health and be prosperous in order to live a wise and happy life. I cannot help but think this is exactly the kind of life God wants us to live.

“Father, speak to our heart and as we concentrate on You, please teach us Your truth. Give us wisdom and the revelation to know Your will. Open the eyes of our heart that we might see that we cannot out-give You. Teach us the principals of reaping and sowing. Give us compassion for the lost and the needy. May we do everything for Your glory, in Jesus Name we pray, amen.”