March 2015 Spirit Food

This month let’s focus on our Divine Inheritance.

Song of Solomon 4:7 – “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.”

This past month, I tripped, fell, and hurt myself. Immediately, my mind was bombarded with thoughts of self-condemnation; however, I also know from studying the Word that the words we speak have power, and control our minds (as the brain has to stop and focus on what the mouth is saying). I started focusing and speaking words of faith - - like Father, thank you for your love for me, thank you for supernatural healing, ministering angels, attend. I did this while I was still down on all fours (hands and knees), after I could get up that far off the ground.

The fact was, in the natural, I was hurt. However, the Truth is:

Isaiah 53: 4-5 (Amp) - Surely He has borne our griefs (sickness, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains (of punishment), yet we (ignorantly) considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God (as with leprosy). But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities, the chastisement (needful to obtain) peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes (that wounded) Him we are healed and made whole.

1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Jeremiah 30:17 - "I will give you back your health and heal your wounds," says the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31 - But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

John 8:32 - “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

I had to consider the cold, hard fact that I was hurt. I knew I needed medical attention to identify what the extent of the injury was. Then I remembered that recently I’d been studying in the Bible in the book Song of Solomon, where it states (among other things) that there is no “spot in me”. So I started to think about that, as I had a right leg that was hurting badly.

I was believing for my immediate healing, so I could arise from my position (on all fours) and continue on with the task at hand. But that didn’t happen … so I had to stay focused on the Truth, and accept assistance from some people around me to get me up to a sitting position. The X-rays showed that my tibia had multiple fractures behind the right knee.

Sometimes, when we don’t receive our healing immediately, we can’t help but think that something is wrong with us. We tell ourselves, “Nothing’s wrong with God, nothing’s wrong with the Word, so something must be wrong with me!” My readers, if you think that your miracle depends on you, then you are on shaky ground. You need to stay focused on God’s love for you and the Truth.

When such situations hit us (like the fact of a multiple fractured tibia), we must stay focused on The Truth and not allow the facts to settle in our hearts. When we accept the truths of God’s Word as the final authority instead of the fact(s), we will sense the Holy Spirit bearing witness to the truths that we are believing. He is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). He is not the Spirit of facts and does not bear witness to facts. His Truth will change the fact(s).

The X-ray film showed me a fact. But God’s Word says that by Jesus’ stripes I am healed! (Isaiah 53:5) That is the truth about my situation. What is the difference between fact and truth? Facts change, but truth —God’s Word—remains!

God is my “Abba, Father”. I choose to defy the facts and walk instead in His truths regarding my situation. The Holy Spirit within me will bear witness to the truth that I am believing. God’s Word settles the truth about my situation. And as the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truth that I am believing, the facts will change and I will receive my healing!

You know, in the old covenant, we see this “it’s all up to me” demand put on man. God’s part was to bless His people, but only if they played their part by obeying all of His laws. If they didn’t do their part, not only would they not be blessed, but the curse would also come on them.

Most of the time, they ended up under the curse because they just could not keep all of God’s laws. So God found fault with that covenant; because though He wanted to bless man, man’s sins made it difficult for Him to do so. Man himself was the weak link.

In the new covenant, man has no part to play except to believe and receive. The new covenant of grace was cut between God the Father and God the Son—both infallible and more than able to keep the covenant.

God the Son (Jesus) is man’s representative. Jesus represents you and me. So in this covenant, how much we can receive from God depends on how good our representative is, how perfect His obedience is. Of course, Jesus is the perfect Man with perfect obedience. So in Him, we are qualified to receive all the blessings of God! We only need to believe and receive.

So, while I’m laying here in bed (waiting for this bone to heal), I’m thinking and asking the question: ok Lord Jesus, what is my part in this? Then, the Holy Spirit within me reminded me that I was to work to enter His rest.

Hebrews 4:10–11 – “… he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His (When He created this world). Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest...”.

The Holy Spirit also reminded me that the Christian life also begins with sitting. God “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. (Ephesians 2:6) How well we walk after that depends on how well we sit and rest in the finished work of Christ.

Today, there are believers who still cannot believe that the work of Jesus is truly complete and finished. They are trying to complete a completed work, finish a finished work, and defeat a defeated devil. I choose to believe in His Truth.

There are believers today who are always working and trying to produce their healing, success and victory. God wants us to stop trying (working), and start trusting in His love for us. He wants us to stop working and struggling, and start resting and believing in His grace toward us. I choose to believe in His Grace towards ME!

The only “work” left for me to do today is to enter His rest. We are to labor every day to enter His rest. We are to rest inwardly and believe that the work is done because it is a finished work, and trust in God’s undeserved grace, mercy and favor toward us. We are to rest in Jesus (our true ark), who will carry us through tempestuous waters of life situations.

I choose to listen to the Holy Spirit within me and hear His voice. As the scripture says: “if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…be diligent to enter that rest”. (Hebrews 4:7, 11) … . Let’s enter His rest. Let’s enjoy sitting together with Christ in the heavenly places, then we will run and not be weary! (Isaiah 40:31).

Jesus doesn’t have a fractured bone. As He is, so am I in this world (make 1 John 4:17 personal). Before He left (ascended), he gave me the Power of Attorney to use His name (John 14:12-14). I’ve spoken to the fractured bone in my right knee area, In the Name of Jesus to be healed; laid hands on it (Mark 16:18), and taken Holy Communion over it, so I know healing has begun and I have the victory. Glory To God!

Here’s something else for you to understand: Exodus 23:25-30

Remember, in the above passage He was talking about their land (which was their inheritance), so health is covered in our inheritance. Also, long life is in your inheritance. So all believers inherit, but the timing may vary. Why is it then that God doesn’t heal everybody instantaneously? God knows what the best timing is for each of us as individuals. In verse 29 & 30, it explains that little by little He will act until we have the increase, as He knows the demands of this world we would be subjected to by those in authority over us, or the obstacles we are about to face, and doesn’t desire us to be overwhelmed.

Every time you have righteousness consciousness (believing and saying that you are the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ), brings faith (right believing). Faith for healing will be there, and I will increase “little by little”, step by step, until completely whole. The word increased in the Hebrew is “parah”, which means fruitful, it’s the same word in in Genesis 1:28.

Right thinking leads to right believing, and right believing leads to right living. Regardless of what appear to be facts, The Truth (God’s Word) will change the facts. Work to enter His rest, and make His Word the final authority in your life.