[Updated: Sentence adjustment -- minor corrections - 5th and 9th paragraphs, minor additions to correct reading fluency BP]
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| God guides the eagles |
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go: I will guide you with My eye. [Ps32:8]
Dot Every ‘i’ and Cross Every ‘t’
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A man named E. Skolfield once said [paraphrased] that when writing online, one must take great care to dot every ‘i’ and to cross each ‘t’. Every effort is made on my part to do so, but there may be awkward instances where I unintentionally cross every ‘I’ and dot each ‘t’ instead. [a little humour…very little lol]
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| Crossing the 'i' -- dotting the 't' |
([Side note]: A woman named Marilyn Foley wrote a novelette full of humourous short stories which was published in December 2016. I only discovered her when I was searching for a picture. Her book title was the perfect fit to express the awkward moments where I can mess things up or seemingly get them backwards when I am writing.
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The short introduction to the author written up underneath Marilyn’s picture states that she was unwell, with medical professionals and caregivers struggling to ease her suffering from health issues at the time that she was working on her short stories. That being said, and since the booklet was released nine years ago, I do not know if she is still alive. I have not read the book, which is sold on Amazon. I also do not know if she was/is a Christian. [End side note])
It is interesting how a random search for a fitting picture for my article brought me to a book written by someone who (at the time) desperately needed healing. What are the odds? A quick search to find out further information about the author turned up fruitless. I hope Marilyn Foley was made well, but if not, and more importantly, I hope she was a Christian and is with the Lord, free from suffering and all hardships.
In the last article I posted, had I indeed dotted every ‘I’ or crossed
every ‘t’? [I did not think so.] The words that are written could easily be misconstrued. I should
continually remember this because of the way the “written Word”, the
Holy Bible itself, has entire verses taken out of context. People are often divided
over the way they understand certain passages.
It is how false doctrines are created, and it is how the devil (Satan/Lucifer) leads people astray, away from Jesus, and away from childlike ‘faith’. It is also how [false] ‘faith-healers’ and false prophets/teachers hoodwink people, causing them to stumble blindly along the path of deception.
Upon rereading
it, it was easy to see where explicit details were lacking, and where questions
and doubts could rise up, which could possibly cause misunderstanding. In the writing I
was mentioning how I kept coming across scriptures (without trying), as
well as random articles and videos about healing (particularly scriptures)
after I had prayed to the Lord about it.
I have been
praying for years and in certain instances, decades, regarding healing. Various things have been
healed by Jesus, things such as pleurisy, bad flues, blood clots, etc. Even a
sick dog was healed once when I could not afford the cost of an examination and
medicine at a vet’s. Glory to God alone.
There were also many times that I had to go the usual course and allow doctors and their medicines to heal me, but I still saw it as God’s hand in it all. Yet, this time I have been praying for osteoarthritis [bone-on-bone in both knees], and in my wrists [osteo], as well as degenerative discs and sciatic nerve pain.
Over the years the pain
has increased to such a state that I have difficulty walking, and standing and
sitting for long periods of time are difficult. Some pressure sores become ulcers and have trouble healing.
Every step of the way Jesus Christ is with me. He is my joy - He never fails...
The pain has
brought me to tears many times. There are times I think I cannot bear more, and
have had enough. Others suffer more, I do realize, but pain is pain, and when
we deal with it, we have to cling to Jesus for strength and perseverance
(endurance).
Every step of the way Jesus Christ (Yeshua) is with me. He never fails...
Yet, I must say
one thing. I do know that the Lord has revealed much in me that needed changing
through all this – attitudes, harbored bitterness, anger, long list, unforgiveness,
things I was sure I had dealt with, seemingly endless. Corrupted flesh; fallen
nature…
The Lord does
good work in His people just as He promised.
Being confident
of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it
until the day of Jesus Christ: [Phil 1:6]
Yet it seems like one thing is overcome and something else pops up; deal with that, and something else…like “whack-a-mole”. There is no end to the corruption of the flesh. Every day it has to be nailed to the cross, to deny the lusts, appetites, and desires of the flesh, dying to self.
Some days we do
well, some days not so much, but the beauty is that the Holy Spirit helps us.
The more we love God, the more we mature, the more we obey Jesus, the more
often we overcome temptation – step by step, with the precious Holy Spirit and Jesus/Yeshua [their constant help when we pray, without fail-glory to the living God],
we have victory.
Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. [Rom 8:37]
Checking Every Detail
We often hear (at least I have) in Christian circles that the devil is into details. Satan’s interest in details is two-fold. Firstly, to counterfeit (copy, mimic) God's work, for the purpose of deception and destruction. The Creator of all things knows every detail and cares for everything according to His wisdom and His will. Secondly, the adversary's effort to sabotage our walk and rob us of our faith (hope and love).
I believe that
when we pray about healing and long to know God’s will in the matter, we should
seek confirmation. In the previous article I posted I wrote that I believed Jesus
was confirming His promise to me in order to remove all doubt and unbelief because
the reality is that not everyone receives miraculous healing.
Then I wrote: We all know that. None of us can explain why. Yes,
children of light understand about faith and unbelief, but nothing irks me more
than people who look at those who are suffering and say, "you just have to
have enough faith" [to be healed].
That is the place where my words can be easily misconstrued, that
being where I wrote that “nothing irks me more” than people saying “you just have to have
enough faith”. The details need to be checked carefully here so there is no
misunderstanding.
About Faith and Healing
Back to the purpose of this article. I am unsettled about just leaving the sentence and thought like that. It needed more of an explanation; some things are more difficult to explain than others. The thought of misleading anyone or misrepresenting the gospel or the words of Jesus terrify me…we are responsible for our words, and will be held accountable.
Prayer and petitions have gone up more than once to the Lord
regarding healing. Millions of people, if not billions, are praying for healing,
either for themselves, for a loved one, or someone they have been asked to lift
up in prayer before God Almighty [El Shaddai].
I had shared how I continued to come across precise scriptures
(without effort), videos, and articles about the Lord bringing health,
healing, or a cure. Although it randomly showed up in the latter two ways, it was
mostly through scriptures that keep appearing about “healing” and a “cure”, from
Old to New Testament, that strengthened me, re-enforcing and building faith.
Do get the Word of God down in your heart. Do speak forth scripture in context.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God. [Rom 10:17] NKJV
Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen. [Heb 11:1] KJV
Building our faith is done through hearing (learning)
the Word to discover God’s character, His will, His desire for us. We are saved
by grace through ‘faith’.
Abba gives all a “measure of faith”.
For by the
grace given to me, I say to everyone among you, not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think; but to think with sober judgment, each according
to the measure of faith
that God has assigned. [Rom 12:3]
One church online stated that the Lord grants each of us the
measure of faith we need to get through the mission we have (individually) in
life. That would make sense. They mention Paul and how God granted him the
faith he needed for all he endured “for the sake of Christ”, such
as being shipwrecked, stoned, whipped, hunger, thirst, fasting, cold, and more.
[2Cor 11:24-27] Source: Valley
Bible Church
Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
It is important to me that I never lead anyone astray or shake up their faith because I know what it is like to be deceived. After the orphanage, the Word of Faith church (that was its name) was the first church I attended as a young adult in my twenties.
I learned some “name
it and claim it” lessons the hard way. I will never endorse that doctrine
of devils. The false prophets have toned down some of the teachings but they will
still promote the belief that God’s will is health and wealth for all, and
blessings are a direct result of faith and “giving”.
Many have
wised-up and no longer promote seed-faith as much as to give a ‘donation’, or a
‘love-gift’. The internet has helped many false teachers cloak or help cover up
their false doctrine. All they have to do is search about false teachers or
false prophets and avoid the obvious.
Could that be
why Jesus said if it is possible the false Christs and the false prophets,
along with their signs and wonders will deceive even the very elect? [Mt 24:24]
People think if
they see a miracle (signs and wonders) it must be of God, but
Jesus/Yeshua makes it abundantly clear that Satan’s ministers (false prophets
and teachers) will perform them, and God will allow it.
We must cling
to Jesus and walk obediently in His will. We NEED the Lord and that need is increasing
as darkness in the world deepens and corruption in all things multiplies. The
adversary counterfeits what he sees God doing, as do his minions, his demonic
legions and his fleshly double agents.
That is why I
was surprised to see that I unintentionally “seemed to approve” those
who believe and operate in the teachings of the prosperity gospel on my radio
program back in 2013, and still hung onto certain beliefs, such as prophets.
I absolutely
believe in prophecy, but as for prophets. Today’s “prophets” can “get it wrong”,
whereas the ancient prophets of God, the true prophets, never got anything wrong.
That is the major difference.
Today, people
give prophetic messages as the Holy Spirit moves upon them to speak. However,
sometimes a person can get a prophecy wrong, and that would be because they
either spoke in the flesh or through divination. Today, if that happens, people
excuse it with, “I’m not perfect; I make mistakes.”
Of course that is true; we all make mistakes. There is not one person who has ever lived that has not made mistakes, except one. His name is Jesus/Yeshua, and that is why He was the only one who could be the perfect, blameless sacrifice - as atonement for our sins.
In the Old Testament the prophets spoke as the Holy Spirit moved upon them, otherwise it more often was of the flesh or a familiar spirit if there was error. Such were called false prophets or prophets of Baal.
When false prophecies failed, the prophet was to be stoned to death because they usually led people into rebellion, away from God, or promised things that God did not promise. They prophesied lies or from their own imagination, or by an familiar or unclean spirit (divination/python spirit).
There is the
difference, and that is why I am not too quick to say there are prophets today. We
do not stone to death those with wrong prophesies, we excuse them. God does not
make mistakes. He IS perfect.
As for
apostles, I believe there were the 12 and that is it. Their names will be
written on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem. There never was female apostles, and there never
shall be. Those who hold such a title today are not true apostles. Otherwise,
show me scripture that justifies it.
Many today are
hung up on titles and position, a matter of pride, ego, man-given authority and power. They will mean
nothing (the titles) in heaven – all I hope for are crowns to place at the feet
of the King Jesus.
Consequences of
Sin
As we all know, or soon find out, sin has consequences. What I later discovered is that I was in a long season [turned out to be 39 years] of consequences (due to idolatry), which affected discernment in an area.
When I was
unsaved and had no fear of the Lord, I chose to follow after a mere man; I chose a man over the Lord Jesus.
In other words, I chose the created over the Creator and fell headfirst into
idolatry. I thought my ex-boyfriend would love me (bad love is better than no
love – I deceived myself, then the enemy helped).
I grieved the
King of kings and Lord of lords that day, but thus began a season of
consequences, my own 39 year wilderness walk (I ended up with a year’s undeserved
grace when I finally came to my senses [like Nebuchadnezzar], confessed
my sin, repented with godly sorrow, and received forgiveness.
Seven years were still remaining in 2013. Season of consequences is a reality which I wrote about in a 3-part series, ending with the Backbone of America is Broken
The Prosperity Doctrine on Healing “Irks” Me
In the article “To the Weary” written in 2013, I mention two guests that were on [Warriors of Endurance] "W.O.E. in the Time of Revealing" program I hosted on BlogTalk radio (which is now defunct as of January 2025).
My guest (a fine woman who loves God, whom I met in person and
a year later drove me over the US border so I could return home to Canada)
spoke of the five-fold ministries. To this day, she goes under the title of “prophetess”,
and her husband goes under the title of “apostle”.
On the program she was sharing an urgent message that the “prophets”
were being targeted by Satan, not just for ‘attack’, but she believed ‘targeted
to be literally killed’. She was to warn all those in the 5-fold ministry
in the office of the prophet.
Another guest, Jason Pillow, an ex-Satanist, shared that the Lord
revealed to him that it was the time of sealing of God’s people by the
Holy Spirit. My message was that I had a snapshot in a dream of three [3] words
presented themselves – test of endurance.
So, was the Lord warning of a battle by the enemy that would ‘test
our endurance’? Would the time of
sealing come after the battle? How did Satan plan to literally kill the
modern-day prophets?
There never were any reports that any “prophets” were killed (murdered].
Praise God! I am sure prayer went up for protection, but such are the ‘prophecies’
that can come forth from today’s prophets. That is why I said what I said. It
is not a salvation issue, but it can and does lead people to the prosperity
gospel, and I wholly disagree with that false doctrine.
When I said it
irks me when folks mention having enough faith to be healed, it is not
those words necessarily that irks me. It is the words of those who insist
healing is for everyone, and if you are not healed it is because you do not
have enough faith. That is it right there - no healing? Not enough faith. That is simply not true.
About Faith
Yes, faith is
important to Jesus. It is crucial. Hebrews chapter eleven is the ‘faith’
chapter. In chapter six, it is written: But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]: for he that comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
[11:6]
But Jesus
turned about, and when He saw her, He said, Daughter,
be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole. And the woman
was made whole from that hour. [vs 22]
The prosperity
teaching is also called the “health and wealth” gospel, the “name it and
claim it” doctrine, or the “seed-faith gospel”. I do not know what else, but the core of the
Word of Faith (WOF – I always add an “L” for WOlF) teaching is a teaching that person’s faith is measured by their physical
health (physical condition) or their financial success, which is a doctrine of
demons.
The false teachers
and false prophets insist that God’s power moves through “positive confession”
(decreeing and declaring) combined with enough “faith” for
God to move and perform. They teach that we receive blessings, health, and
wealth (prosperity) through faith,
positive confessions, decrees and declarations.
NO ONE can
override the power and authority of God Almighty (Yahweh) NONE. No one can
cause God’s will to take second place to their will. Kenneth Copeland cannot
overrule God.
They profess that
we are little ‘gods’ and misrepresent the authority we have been given through
Christ Jesus. There is one God who consists of the Father, Son (Jesus/Yeshua)
and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons, one God, called the Godhead. [Col 2:9;
Rom 1:20] There is one God, and no other.
For there are
three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and
these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the
Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. [1Jn 5:7-8]
We are not
little ‘gods’. I do believe that we must have faith and believe for healing. We
see throughout the New Testament where Jesus said a person’s faith has made
them whole, or He commended them for their faith.
I believe in praying to God, and bringing Him all our petitions, and cares, and requests as we are instructed. [Phil 4:6] The Holy Spirit will lead us. My prayer is always (sometimes I forget, but I am getting better at it-practice) to ask the Lord that in His Sovereignty to not allow my flesh or any demon – the lying counterfeiter - to deceive me.
It has been my prayer for a few years now (since learning about self-deception -- some lessons are painful, but I would rather the truth, with the discomfort and humbling of correction than the false comfort of a lie). Seems in my life that I mostly learn the hard way, but at least, I am learning. Thanks to a very patient Jesus/Yeshua.
When the
prosperity teachers and prophets suggest or teach everyone who has enough faith
gets healed is a dangerous teaching that threatens to shipwreck the
faith of multitudes (the youth, new converts, the unlearned) if healing does
not come.
Final Thought
and Conviction
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| Nick Vijicic Joni Eareckson-Tada |
Joni Eareckson Tada and Nick Vijicic are two examples of strong Christians who glorify God in their afflictions and silent sufferings. And it is because of brethren such as these two shining examples that I did write that it “irks me when people say you just have to have faith” you will be healed.
We do not know the mind or the wisdom of God. We cannot comprehend His magnificence or ways any more than an ant can understand us. There is no one who can explain why some are healed and some are not.
I hope now my statement makes more sense. We must have faith; it is our shield. It pleases our Creator – [Heb 11:1]Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.
Trust God that
whatever He decides for us because whether we are healed miraculously in the
physical now, or have to wait until we get our glorified bodies, our Lord Jesus
cares about us. Do not listen to the lies of the enemy who wants everyone to
end up in hell.
We belong to a
loving marvelous Creator. We are His for His glory. We are in the best hands.
Even everyone
that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed
him: yes, I have made him.
[Is 43:7]
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