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JESUS'

STRIPES

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HANDS FOR JESUS

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ISBN 1-891125-23-0

BY JESUS' STRIPES

Many Christians are trying to believe God for the forgiveness of their sins. But, can you believe God for the healing of your body?

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." In John 6:38 Jesus said, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." Hebrews 10:7 says, "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." Jesus came to do the will of God the Father.

Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah 53:3 says, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." This is speaking of Jesus, the Son of God. In 1 John 3:8, it says, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Jesus also came that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

Isaiah 53:4 says, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." Another translation says, "Surely he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering . . ." (WEB). Yet, another translation says, "Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains--he hath carried them . . ." (YLT). Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." By using these other translations we can plainly see that Jesus took upon Himself our sicknesses, our diseases, our pains and our sorrows.

Jesus also took our sins and iniquities upon Himself. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 it says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It's not just our sins and iniquities that Jesus took upon Himself, it's also our sicknesses and diseases, our pains and sorrows.

In Exodus, the LORD said to the children of Israel, "I am the LORD that healeth thee" (Ex. 15:26). In Matthew 8:16,17 it says,

When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

Matthew said, Jesus healed all that were sick, that the prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled. It was being fulfilled by what Jesus did that evening. Yet, Isaiah did not limit his prophecy to only a few people. For that prophecy to be completely fulfilled it had to include You and me also. Isaiah 53:5 included, "our transgressions, our iniquities." Ours means, yours and mine, everyone's transgressions and iniquities. Then it also says, "with his stripes we are healed." "WE,"includes you and me.

Actually, what Isaiah prophesied when he said "we are healed" meant "it's already done." It's not something in the future, it's already done. God already declared it done "from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).

When Jesus took upon Himself all our sins and iniquities, He also took upon Himself all our sicknesses and diseases. He did it all on the Cross. Yet, the Word of God declares that the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Isaiah 46:9,10 says,

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

When Isaiah prophesied, the LORD was declaring the end from the beginning. The works were already done. You were already healed before you were born into this world. It was already done on the Cross for you! That was almost two-thousand years ago. It was done for you and me that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

We can see that it was already done from the foundation of the world when we look at Isaiah 43:25. It says, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." If the LORD blotted out their transgressions and would not remember their sins already then, then He did it for you and me also. In 1 John 2:12 it says, "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake."God is not a respecter of persons. What He did for them He also did for you and me.

Look at what Jesus said to a man, sick of the palsy in Luke 5:20. It says, "And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee." His sins were already forgiven. It's not a matter of Jesus going to the Cross over and over again for every persons sins. He did it once, for the whole world (1 John 2:2). It was declared done already, before Jesus went to the Cross, and it was already effective for the man with the palsy, before Jesus was crucified.

It was finished already then, and it is still FINISHED for you and me. Our sins are already forgiven, our sicknesses and diseases were already taken by Jesus in His body on the Cross. That was almost two-thousand years ago, and it was a one-time deal that will last for all eternity. We are already HEALED, by the STRIPES Jesus bore for us!

It's not a matter of what Jesus is going to do, someday in the future, it's already done! He bore them for us, back when He went to the Cross for us. Now, it's up to us to receive what He has already done for us. Receive forgiveness of sins and healing for our bodies. Receive what belongs to us, for it is a gift from God to those who believe. Healing is a gift, it's not something we have to work for, or earn. It's a free gift, given to everyone who will believe.

We receive it by faith! FAITH, not in what we did or didn't do, but faith in what God did for us in Christ Jesus. When Jesus died on the Cross He died for us, for you and me, that we could receive forgiveness of sins and healing for our bodies. It's a free gift from God to you and me!

God loves us, and wants us to be free of sin, sickness, and disease. Therefore, He laid all our sins, sicknesses, and diseases upon Jesus. He bore them for us that we could be free.

Remember, it is A GIFT from God. Receive it by faith in His Word. Put your faith in what God said in His Word. Be free of sin, sickness, and disease. God is Love (1 John 4:8). God wants His children healthy, no sickness or disease in their bodies, no sin in their lives.

In 1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." It's so important to God that we are without sin that He made it possible for us to be cleansed daily of all our sins, by walking in the Light of His Word. God knows that we cannot, of our own ability, be cleansed from all sin, therefore He sent Jesus to take away the sin of the world.

How did Jesus take away the sin of the world? By His blood that He shed for us on Calvary. If we walk in the LIGHT of God's Word, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us of ALL sin.

This is the same with HEALING for our bodies. If we walk in the LIGHT of God's Word, we will be FREE of all SICKNESS and DISEASE! WHY? Because in His Word is healing for our bodies. In Psalm 107:20 it says, "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." When they received His Word, they were healed of ALL their destructions. Destruction means, "anything that would destroy our bodies." Anyone that had any sickness and disease was healed BY HIS WORD!

Healing comes BY HIS WORD! When we believe HIS WORD, we receive healing for our bodies. Notice Mark 11:24, which says, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." We must believe, BEFORE we can receive. No matter what it is, healing, forgiveness of sins, whatsoever we need, WE MUST BELIEVE before we can RECEIVE! If we wait until we see the evidence we will not receive whatsoever we desire.

There are multitudes of Christians living today with sickness and disease in their bodies, not because God doesn't love them, not because what Jesus did on the Cross was not for them! NO! The reason they have sickness and disease in their bodies is because they do not believe BEFORE THEY CAN RECEIVE! FIRST WE MUST BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD, THEN WE WILL RECEIVE whatsoever we believe!

FAITH, is believing WITHOUT any evidence. FAITH itself, is the EVIDENCE of things HOPED for (Heb. 11:1). Without FAITH, it is impossible to please GOD (Heb. 11:6). WE must believe without any physical evidence, then WE WILL RECEIVE whatsoever we are believing for.

Going back to the man sick with the palsy, Jesus said, "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee" (Luke 5:20). Then look at the next thing Jesus said to the man! Jesus said, "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house" (Matt. 9:24). The man believed, and did what Jesus told him to do. It says, "And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God" (Luke 5:25). Immediately, the man did what Jesus told him to do! He didn't wait to let his mind tell him anything differently than what Jesus said he should do. He didn't let his mind control what he did. He obeyed the Word of God and took up his bed and departed!

But what else did the man do? As he departed, he "glorified God" for what the LORD did for him! When we receive the free gift of healing for our bodies, we should "glorify God!"

If the world would glorify God for all He has done, Satan would be defeated! The more we glorify God the more God does for us! Give all the glory to God, and to His Son, Jesus Christ, for all that He has done!

Let's look at another example. In John 5, there was a man "which had an infirmity thirty and eight years." For thirty-eight years this man was sickly. That's a long time to live with sickness, when all the time he could have been made whole. Here he was, right outside of the temple, right by the sheep-market, one of the entrances to the temple. For thirty-eight years not one Levite ever went to set that man free!

In John 10, Jesus talked about the thief that came to steal, kill, and destroy. He said, "All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers" (John 10:8). The Levites did not tell the people that their sins and iniquities were already blotted out. They should have known the Scriptures. In Isaiah 43:25 it said, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." The Levites were like many religious leaders today, more interested in MONEY and their own worldly possessions then healing for those with sickness and disease.

When Jesus came to the man, knowing he was in that condition a long time, He said, "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6). Jesus was asking this man, "Do you want to know the love of God and be healed?"

Jesus is the express image of the Father (Heb. 1:3). God the Father is LOVE, and desires that EVERYONE would be free from all the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

Jesus didn't say a word to this man about the sin in his life. He simply said, "Wilt thou be made whole?" When the man came up with an excuse, Jesus overlooked his ignorance and said to him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk" (John 5:8). What did the man do? He obeyed the LORD. It says, "And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked" (John 5:9).

If Christians would listen to the WORD of God, and receive their healing by FAITH, they too could take up their bed and walk. They are already healed! They were healed by the stripes Jesus bore for them on the Cross of Calvary. If they would believe, and not doubt, they could also take up their bed and walk.

What about sin? Was there sin in that man's life? Yes? For it says, "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14). The man was not trusting in the WORD of God! The man was looking for an angel to come down and stir the water (John 5:7).

The greatest sin of all is, NOT BELIEVING THE WORD OF GOD! By His Word, we are already healed! By His Word, we already have forgiveness of sins!

God is LOVE! It is His desire to give us the Kingdom! (Luke 12:32). The kingdom of God is "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17).

It's not easy to have "peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" with sin, sickness, and disease in our bodies. Righteousness itself, is right-standing with God! Sin, sickness, and disease are of the devil. To have right-standing with God we cannot have fellowship with the devil.

God has already taken all our sins, sicknesses, and diseases and laid them upon Jesus. He bore them for us that we could be free! Romans 8:32 says, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" How much more would God want to take away all your sicknesses and diseases? He did it for YOU!

Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23). Can YOU Believe the Love of God in Christ Jesus and receive your healing?

Jesus is saying to all who have sin, sickness, or disease, "Wilt thou be made whole?" You can be whole, if you will receive by faith, that which God has already done for you on the Cross of Calvary. Believe and receive, that your joy may be full!

WHAT DOES

THE SCRIPTURE SAY?

Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23). The Scriptures tell us that "by His stripes we are healed!" If we will believe the Scriptures we will receive whatsoever we believe.

Jesus went from city to city, from synagogue to synagogue healing the sick. In most cases Jesus Healed them with His Word. He spoke the Word and they were healed. It was not always the same words. To the man with the palsy, Jesus said, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house" (Mark 2:11). Then it tells us, "immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all. . ." (Mark 2:12). In Mark 3:5, Jesus said to the man with a withered hand, "Stretch forth thine hand." Then it tells us, "he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other." To the Syrophenician woman in Mark 7:29 it says, "He said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter."

In Mark 9:25, Jesus spoke to the spirit in a man's son, saying, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him." To the nobleman, whose child was sick, Jesus said, "Go thy way; thy son liveth." (John 5:49,50). Over and over we see that all Jesus did was speak words, and devils came out and people were healed.

If we believe when we speak the Word of God it will come to pass, sickness and disease will leave and demons will depart. The words we speak will cause the power of God to manifest. The believing is the most important thing concerning healing.

To the woman with the issue of blood, Jesus said, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague" (Mark 5:34). To Bartimaeus, a blind man, Jesus said, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole" (Mark 10:52). To a leper in Luke 17:19, Jesus said, "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."

We cannot have faith without believing. Faith comes by believing the Word of God.

When Jesus was in the wilderness the devil came to Him, tempting Him (Matt. 4 & Luke 4). Jesus said to the devil, "It is written." To the Jews, Jesus said, "the scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35).

As Christians, we should believe the Scriptures. We should never let anyone convince us that anything in the Scriptures is not true. We should insist that the Scriptures cannot be broken. What is clear, should be held to and never let any thought remain in our mind that it doesn't agree with what it says.

Satan tries to blind our minds to the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4). He uses every available means he has to blind our minds. Especially, those who say they are in the ministry. Satan knows we often listen to those who say they are serving the LORD. Therefore, they become his servants when they teach against HEALING.

Anyone who believes that Jesus bore our sins for us on the Cross, and by His blood we are cleansed from our sins, should also believe He took our sickness and diseases and bore them for us also. If we don't believe that "by His Stripes We Are Healed," we don't believe the Scriptures.

Why don't we believe that "by His Stripes We Are Healed," when two of His disciples agree that Isaiah 53:3-5 says, "by His Stripes We Are Healed"? Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. Matthew wrote,

When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses (Matt. 8:16,17).

Matthew was with Jesus when this happened. Peter was also there when it happened. It was Peter's mother-in-law that was healed that very day. Peter wrote, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew and Peter to write what is written (2 Tim. 3:16). Therefore, we could say "the Holy Spirit and us agree, By His Stripes We Are Healed!"

In 1 John 5:8 it tells us that there are three witnesses on earth, "the Spirit, and the water (Word), and the blood." What other witnesses do we have? Are there any other witnesses greater than these three? Not according to the Scriptures. In 1 John 5:9, it says, "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater . . ." If we don't believe the Scriptures, how can we say, We Believe God?

If we truly believe the Word of God, then we need to believe everything the Word of God tells us. The Word tells us that Satan uses people in the ministry to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). That doesn't mean we should not listen to those in the ministry. That means we need to study the Word for ourselves, to know the truth. The Word also tells us,

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world (1 Peter 5:8,9).

Be sober, be vigilant, means "be awake, and watch." Why? The devil comes looking for those who are not careful. Those who do not continue steadfast in the faith.

There is something about faith that many do not understand. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of God." Faith comes by hearing the rhema of God. The rhema of God comes by a witness of the Holy Spirit within our spirit. This witness comes when we insist that the Word of God means what it says. When we cast down all thoughts that do not agree with the written Word of God, and hold fast to that which does agree (1 Thess. 5:21). In Hebrews 10:35, it says, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward." Be confident that the Word of God is true. Do not cast away your confidence. When we do that, the Holy Spirit will give us peace and joy within. Not always before we hold fast to our confidence, but after we do, peace will come from within. Not only will peace come, but we will also see the manifestation of the power of God, bringing to pass that which is written.

Jesus took upon Himself all our sicknesses and diseases. Now it's up to us to insist that the Scriptures cannot be broken, that they are true. God never fails to bring to pass that which we believe.

Sometimes it takes persistence and insistence that the Word is true to obtain the rewards. Hebrews 11:6 says, "without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Diligence in persistence and insistence brings great rewards. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We seek God, not in spiritual experiences, but in His Word. We will find God "in His Word." God and His Word are One (John 1:1).

We should not seek experiences, but rather experience the manifestation of the Word of God when we seek His Word! It is the Word of God that we must seek, and He will honor His Word. Manifestations will come as a result of our standing upon His Word.

Bring Every Thought Captive!

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 it says, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." It tells us we should cast down all imaginations and every thought that does not agree with the Word of God. Thoughts originate in the spirit realm. Many times our thoughts come from the devil.

In Isaiah 55:8,9 it says,

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

If the thoughts of the children of Israel at that time were not the LORD'S thoughts, whose were they? In Ephesians 2:2 it explains, they were of the devil. It says, "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." This means, everyone who is not born again receives their thoughts from the devil. He is called "the prince of the power of the air."

What Christians do not understand is that, when they do not cast down all thoughts that do not agree with the Word of God, they are being disobedient to the LORD. They are called "children of disobedience." While we are being disobedient by not casting down all thoughts that do not agree with the written Word of God, the prince of the powers of the air is in control or our thoughts and our way of life.

To obey the LORD, we must cast down thoughts that do not agree with the Word of God. Peter received a thought from the devil in Matthew 16:22. Peter spoke to the LORD according to what he thought. Jesus "turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."There's no question, the thought Peter had came directly from the devil.

Sometimes thoughts come from other spirits. John and James received a thought one time when the Samaritans would not receive Jesus. "They said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" (Luke 9:54). Jesus "turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of" (Luke 9:55).

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, it tells us to "bring every thought into captivity." What does it mean to bring into captivity? The word "captivity" in the Greek is "aichmalotizo." This Greek word comes from a primary root word "airo," meaning "to lift up." By implication, "airo" means, "to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind)." The Hebrew equivalent of this word means "to put away, remove." We must "put away and remove" all thoughts that do not agree with the Word of God.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 it starts off saying, "Casting down imaginations." Another translations says, "overthrowing reasonings" (dby). Reasoning and imaginations are works of the natural mind, these are contrary to the Word of God. These must be cast down and overthrown. We cannot let them remain in our mind.

No matter what thoughts come to your mind that do not agree with the Word of God, cast them down. There are great rewards for those who cast down all thoughts that do not agree with the written Word of God. Cast down all imaginations and everything that exalts itself against the written Word of God. God honors His Word. His Word cannot fail!

Jesus quoted the written Word of God against the devil. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." If we look at where Jesus was quoting from we can better understand what Jesus meant. Deuteronomy 8:3 says, "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

The LORD humbled them and let them know that the Word of God can supply all their physical needs. By His Word, He fed them with manna, which they had no part in it's supply. It came down from heaven, for the LORD had given His Word that He would supply them with manna. In other words, it was supernaturally supplied by God, man had nothing to do with it. All man had to do was believe, and the LORD supplied, according to His Word.

During the forty days in the wilderness, when Jesus was hungry, the devil tempted Him. Jesus made it clear to the devil, the Word of God will supply every need, including food for our bodies. God is well able to uphold and manifest His Word in every need. Therefore, it is God's desire that we live by the Word of God above the natural means.

Those who are new creatures in Christ are born of the Spirit. We should also live by the Spirit. The Spirit lives by the Word of God. Therefore, we can safely say, "The life of the Spirit is in the Word!" Christians must learn how to live by the Word of God, "Casting down imaginations," "Putting an end to reasonings," that the Word of God can have first place in our lives.

Those who do not cast down reasoning and imaginations usually do not receive the free gift of healing for their bodies. We cannot receive what is ours by faith if we permit reasoning and imaginations in our mind to rob us of the Word of God. We must live by the Word of God, not reasoning or imaginations. When we insist that the Word of God is true, and is our source for everything God has promised us, we will receive that which is rightly ours.

Satan has many ways to put thoughts into our minds to make the Word of God of none effect in our lives. I recall one time in the late 80's. For years I had gone to a dentists. He did everything he could to help me keep my teeth. By the late 80's I had a number of teeth that were broken off below the gum level. For years my dentist would put pins in my teeth and build up a crown on them using some type of plastic. This would only last for a while, then they would brake off again.

My teeth were like chalk. They broke off easily. After ten or more years of working on them, I decided to have all my teeth pulled and false teeth made. I went to a hospital to have them pulled. I was in the operating room for about three hours. Every tooth the dentist tried to pull broke off. He had to dig them out. In doing so, a lot of jaw bone broke off also.

After coming out from under the anesthesia, the nurse asked me if I wanted something for pain. The first time she asked me if I wanted something for pain it was about 1:00 PM in the afternoon. At that time I actually did not have any pain. The Word of God is true, "He bore our pain" (Isa. 53:5). It was not a faith confession, I actually did not have any pain. Almost every hour she asked me if I wanted something for pain. I kept telling her, I didn't have any pain.

Around 6:00 PM my son picked me up and took me home. The next morning I went to the dentist's office and he checked my mouth, and took out some of the stitches. This was on Friday morning. I went back again on Saturday morning. All that time, from Thursday morning until Saturday evening I had no pain whatsoever.

On Saturday morning the dentist took out more stitches and checked everything over. Then he said to me, "if you want I can give you a prescription for some pain pills." I told him, I don't have any pain. I didn't have any pain at anytime, even from the time I came out of the operating room. He continued taking out the stitches.

A second time he said to me, "are you sure you don't need me to write you a prescription for pain pills?" I said, "I don't have any pain."

Before I left his office that morning, being Saturday, he said, "I could write you a prescription, just in case you do have some pain. You could always go and have it filled if you needed it."

Finally, being the third time he asked me, I agreed to let him write me a prescription, "just in case I needed it" before Monday morning. That evening the pain came. It was terrible! I prayed, but it didn't help. I went to the drugstore and had the prescription filled. I took the pills, pill after pill, and the pain continued. On Monday and Tuesday the dentist could do nothing for me to stop the pain. He could only ease it for a few hours, then it was back, it seemed even worse then before.

I continued to pray but it didn't help. On Monday, I tried to get in contact with my Pastor, but that was his day off, and he didn't answer the phone. On Tuesday I tried to contact other Christians who could pray with me, with no success. On Wednesday, I finally got in contact with a Christian friend who came over to my house that evening. We prayed for a few hours, when "inside, I knew the pain was going to leave." The pain was still there, but I knew it would leave. So, we just praised the LORD for the victory and he went home.

The next day the pain was getting less and less all day long. On Friday the pain finally left for the first time. That was a long six days of pain I should not have had. The Word of God declares, Jesus bore my pain for me!

Had I not let the thought of a prescription for pain pills linger in my mind, but continued to reject the thought I would not have had any pain. We do not have to accept pain. If we keep our faith up we will not have any pain. But, if we let the thoughts remain in our mind, Satan has a place where he can manifest.

This is not to put anyone under condemnation for taking medications or going to a doctor. But, God has a better plan than doctors or medication. His Word is healing for all our flesh (Psa. 107:20).

The Word of God is true. But, if we don't do what the Word of God tells us to do, then we will reap the results. Galatians 6:8 says, "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." The flesh includes the unrenewed mind of our soul. If we don't renew our mind on the Word of God to stand against the enemy, it could result in the enemy having a place in our lives. Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." A part of God's perfect will is no pain, for Jesus bore our pain for us. This is a part of our inheritance.

Children of God have a right to reap the benefits of their inheritance. What Jesus paid for belongs to us. He paid the price for our healing on the Cross. Healing belongs to us, by inheritance. It is ours, purchased for us by Jesus. We must receive it by faith, believing it is ours. Believing the Word of God is true, and God cannot lie. God is our true Father, and He made it possible for us to live in health by putting all our sicknesses and diseases upon Jesus. By His Stripes We Are Healed!

The Spirit, the Word, & the Blood

In 1 John 5:8 it says, "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."It is very important that Christians understand this verse of Scripture. If we do not understand this verse, then we will easily be deceived by the serpent that deceived Eve in the beginning. Therefore, let us expound a little on this verse and the surrounding verses.

Every verse of Scripture must agree with the complete Bible from Genesis through Revelation. Therefore, to understand a particular verse we must first keep it in context with the other verses surrounding it. The word "And," used in the beginning of this verse implies that what is stated here is in addition to that which was already stated in the previous verse or verses. Therefore, we must also take into consideration verse 7, which says, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." By this we can easily see that verse 8 is parallel to verse 7. Being parallel means, "closely similar or corresponding, as in purpose." Verse 7 specifically states there are three in heaven, and these three are One. Verse 8 states that there are three on earth, and these three agree in One.

Again, keeping everything in context, verse 7 starts off with the word "For." The word "for" implies that what is stated in verse 7 is a continuation of what was stated in verse 6, which says, "This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."

For those who have received revelation by the Holy Spirit, they know that the word "water" used here and other places by the apostle John is symbolic of the Word of God. Why did the Holy Spirit have the apostle John use a symbolic word in place of the correct word, we do not know. But we do know that God will bring the wisdom of man to nothing, that the wise in their own understanding will be deceived, and the simple will know the truth (1 Cor. 1:19-21).

We do know that Jesus Christ came by "the Word and the Blood." The "Word of God" pertains to His deity, His supreme power as the Son of God, the creator of this universe. Jesus is called "the Word of God" many times in the Scriptures. It tells us that God created the world "by His Word." It also tells us that God created the world "by His Son," Jesus Christ. These two are One.

The "blood" pertains to Jesus' humanity. He was man in the flesh and God in the Spirit. As God, Jesus created the world (John 1:3, 10, Col. 1:16, etc.) As the Son of Man, Jesus defeated the devil,

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth (Phil. 2:9,10).

Therefore, verse 7 tells us that there are three in heaven, "the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost." Then verse 8 tells us that there are three witnesses on earth, "the Spirit, the water (Word), and the Blood." These three agree in One.

In the times of the Old Testament, the Law of Moses required that there be two or more witnesses before a person could be condemned, or judgment passed against them (Deu. 17:6). This was a witnesses of men. Now, the witness of men is Old Covenant. The Old Covenant was for men in the flesh, that is, it was a type and shadow of the New Covenant which is for those who are "in the Spirit" (born again of the Word and the Spirit).If we live according to the Old Covenant we will perish, that is, we will be under the Law rather than under grace (Rom. 3:19-22). But, we are not under the law, but under grace. By which the Holy Spirit bares witness with our spirit, and we know what is of God. We do not live by the letter of the law, but by the witness of God in our spirit. The letter of the law kills, but the spirit of God gives life.

A good example of the difference between the witness of men and the witness of the Holy Spirit is in John 8. The Scribes and the Pharisees brought unto Jesus a woman taken in adultery (John 8:3). They were judging according to the law. But Jesus, operating by the Holy Spirit, under grace, did not condemn the woman, but rather set her free that she could live unto God in the spirit, and not unto men in the flesh.

Therefore, the Word says, "the witness of God is greater" than the witness of men (1 John 5:9). The witness of God includes the witness of "the Spirit, the Word, and the Blood."

God will always bare witness to "the Spirit, the Word, and the Blood." In the New Covenant, God does not accept the witness of men. God only accepts the witness of "the Spirit, the Word, and the Blood." Once we understand this, we will be able to walk as Jesus walked and do the works Jesus did.

God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). The gifts and callings of God are without repentance (Rom. 11:29). The anointings are "as the Spirit wills" (1 Cor. 12:11). When we understand this, we will receive that which is of God and reject that which is not of God.

In the book of Judges, God used Samson to deliver the children of Israel from the Philistines. There was an anointing upon Samson when he came against the Philistines. Yet, in Samson life there was much evidence of what is called sin, adultery and fornication. How could God use Samson? How can God use Christians whose lives give evidence of sin? "The gifts and callings of God are without repentance" (Rom. 11:29). God did not use Samson because Samson was someone great, or important in the eyes of man. What happened in Samson's personal life is between Samson and God. You and I do not have to give account for what Samson did. But, we will give an account for what we do!

God used Samson to set the children of Israel free of the oppression of the Philistines. The anointing was on Samson for that purpose. God was not raising up Samson. He was only keeping His Word to the children of Israel. When they called upon the name of the LORD, God answered. This is Our LORD God! It says, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered" (Joel 2:32).

God will deliver His people, who will call upon the name of the LORD (Acts 2:21, Rom. 10:13). It wasn't Samson that delivered the children of Israel from the Philistines, it was the LORD, using Samson to deliver them. God will use whosoever He desires to deliver those who call upon the name of the LORD. Not according to our understanding, but according to His Word.

We should not put confidence in people, but put all confidence "in the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the Blood of Jesus." Never look to men for a witness from God. That is Old Covenant law. We are not under the Law, but under grace "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

By grace, God made His Son "to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 2:2). "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5:21). When God made Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins, He laid our sins upon Him, "by His Blood" we were set free! It's not something we did, or even deserved. It was by the love and grace of God that He put all our sins and iniquities, all our sicknesses and diseases upon Jesus. He did it for us, for You and Me.

If we will believe the Word of God, the Spirit and the Blood will bare witness with the Word and we will be free! It's believing the Word of God, putting confidence in the Holy Spirit and the Blood that sets us free!

When we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth the LORD JESUS CHRIST, we will be saved (Rom. 10:9,10). Saved, means "delivered and protected." We will be "delivered" that is, set free of all the works of the devil. Also, we will be "protected" as long as we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

If we put our trust in people, we will be deceived. If we look for the witness of men we will be deceived. But if we put our trust in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, relying upon "the Holy Spirit, the Word, and the Blood" we will live in victory all the days of our lives.

Why Christians

Still Have Sickness And Disease

When we were born into this world, sin and death reigned in our bodies. Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." This sin and death came in the form of mortality in our flesh and corruption in our souls. These two forms of death passed upon all people from Adam and Eve on down to everyone born of the flesh.

Mortality, is the process of physical death in our bodies. Mortality is "the first death" of man. It is that which overtakes the physical body and causes it to die. Because of mortality, our bodies have a natural process of dying, residing within us at all times. Satan works in our flesh to speed up this process of death by sickness and disease. This sickness and disease is working in the flesh because of corruption in our souls.

The corruption within our souls is the result of sin. Satan has access to our mind, which is a part of our soul. Before we are born again, our minds are very much under the control of Satan's forces. Ephesians 2:2 says, "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."

In 2 Corinthians 4:4 it says, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." Satan is called "the god of this world." He blinds the minds of those who do not believe "the glorious gospel of Christ."

At one time we were all blinded by the god of this world. Our minds were corrupted by the thoughts of this world, the reasoning and imaginations of men. We lived the way the world lives, seeking our desires, controlled by own ideas.

In Isaiah 55:8,9 says,

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Man's thoughts were controlled by the prince of the power of the air, the satanic forces that now controls those who do not believe the glorious gospel of Christ. To change this, the Word of God tells us in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Again in Proverbs 3:5 it says, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." The LORD knows Satan has power to inject thoughts into our minds. Thoughts that the world accepts as normal, but the LORD knows they are contrary to His Word. Therefore, we are to trust in the WORD of God with all our heart, and not to rely upon our own understanding. When our minds are renewed on the Word of God we will have a witness in our spirit knowing what is of God and what is of the world.

Only by the renewing of our mind on the Word of God can we become transformed to believe the Word of God rather than the circumstances, or things that the world accepts as normal. With God, it is not normal to have sickness or disease in our bodies. It is not normal to have sin in our lives. These are works of the devil. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

God has provided a way, by the Body and Blood of His Son, for us to be free of sickness and disease, sin and iniquity. God laid all our sins and iniquities, our sicknesses and diseases upon Jesus, before He died on the Cross. Jesus took our sins and iniquities, our sicknesses and diseases upon Himself, that we could be free, and live unto God. That we could renew our minds and be transformed by the Word of God, proving "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Knowing that our thoughts and our ways are not the thoughts and ways of the LORD, we must renew our minds on the Word of God. We must reject all thoughts and all ways that do not agree with the written Word of God. In doing so, we agree with the Word of God, and His righteousness sets us free of all sin. With sin done away with in our lives, we can receive healing for our bodies.

Sin was the cause of death, for death came by sin (Romans 5:12). Sin is corruption of the mind, not thinking the way God thinks. When we think the way God thinks, sin is overcome. When sin is overcome sickness and disease cannot dwell in our bodies.

For this cause it is important that we renew our minds on the Word of God, and become transformed into thinking God's thoughts, and living God's way. Not by our minds, but by His Word. Casting down all reasoning and imaginations that exalt themselves against the Word of God (2 Cor. 10:5). When we reject every thought that does not agree with the Word of God, and the glorious gospel of Christ, we will be free of all sickness and disease.

When Satan comes against our bodies with sickness or disease, don't do as the world does, by going to the doctor or medical system; go to the LORD. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). But, how can they call upon the Name of the LORD if they have not believed He will deliver them? Who can believe if they have not renewed their mind on the Word of God? Who can have faith if they have not been hearing the rhema of God?

It's time to renew our minds and be transformed by the Word of God. If we are born of the Spirit, then we should walk after the Spirit. If we walk after the Spirit "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus will make us free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:4). The Word already declares that we are free, but we must believe the Word for it to be effective in our lives. Just like everything else God has done for us, unless we believe the glorious gospel of Christ our minds will still be blinded by the god of this world.

Once our minds are transformed by renewing them on the Word of God, we will experience the glorious liberty we have in Christ. When our minds have been renewed we will believe that "by His Stripes We Are Healed!"

If we continue in the Word, the Holy Spirit will help us in time of need. There was a time when I broke my toe on a Saturday afternoon in a downtown apartment building. I drove home, took off my shoe and saw the swelling, the black and blue coloring of my foot. I felt the pain. When this happened my mind began to receive thoughts from the devil. I knew it was broken. I had experienced a broken bone in my body years ago. The pain of a broken bone is different than that of a sprain or torn ligament. The thought came to me, I had better go to the hospital and get it x-rayed, to be sure the bone was in the right place. The second thought that went through my head was, when I do that the doctor will cut out the front of my shoe and put a bandage on my toe, and I will go around like that for about six weeks. Then the Spirit of God rose up within me and said, "you don't have to do that, by His stripes you are healed, He bore your sickness and infirmities". Immediately I said, "Devil get out, I don't need this and you can't put this on me, by His stripes I am healed." "Jesus Himself took my infirmities and bare my sickness, so you can go take a jump. Thank you Jesus."

All this time I was alone in the house. I spoke out loud to the devil and I confessed before God my healing. Then I took a shower, dressed up, and went out for lunch. The thought came to me again, to go to the hospital and have an x-ray, but then I said within myself, "why should I spend God's money for something I didn't need. God's Word is true and I am healed."

That day my foot was very sore but I kept on going. The person I went to lunch with said to me, "Merle, you should have stayed home and not be walking around on that foot." I just said, "don't worry about it, it's Ok."

The next day the soreness left. On Monday evening I showed my foot to those at my house who were there for a share group meeting. All we could see was one red spot and a blue stripe where the break had been. Praise the Lord for His word! By Tuesday all was back to normal, no red spot, no blue stripe.

On Friday of that week, I showed my foot to a nurse friend of mine. I told her what had happened the Saturday before and how the foot came back to normal in three days. She said, "It had to be God, for in the natural it would take ten days to two weeks before the black and blue would be gone."

God has given us a way to defeat sin and death, sickness and disease. It has always been that "by the words we speak, so shall our ways be." As we speak the Word of God, the Holy Spirit brings to pass whatsoever we say. By our words we are set free. God honors His Word, every time we speak the Word in faith.

In the Old Covenant they did not have what we have today. They could only speak the Word in their language, but in the New Covenant we have "tongues." Speaking in tongues accomplishes two major things for us. First, when we speak in tongues we have the help of the Holy Spirit within us. He gives us the utterance, "the words we speak" (Acts 2:4). They come from our spirit not from our mind where Satan can inject thoughts (1 Cor. 14:15). When we speak in tongues, our understanding has no effect (1 Cor. 14:14). We do not need to understand, for the Holy Spirit only speaks the will of God in our lives (Rom. 8:27). When the will of God is spoken from our mouth, the Holy Spirit is able to bring the will of God to pass in our lives. God's will for us is, no sin, no iniquity, no sickness, no disease. Therefore, healing can come by speaking in tongues.

There are many who do not know that healing can come by speaking in tongues. Some are like Thomas (John 20:24,25), they do not believe unless they can see it with their own eyes. Yet, the LORD is merciful and even helps those like Thomas. You too, can see the power of God manifest before your eyes while praying in tongues.

Go to someone with a short arm or short leg. Instead of commanding the arm or leg to come out in the Name of Jesus, just look at the short arm or leg and pray in the Spirit (tongues). In front of your own eyes you will see the power of God bring out the short arm or leg.

It doesn't make any difference to the LORD if we pray in our own understanding or if we pray in tongues. He still honors His Word and the manifestation will come. Sometimes, we can use a combination of both tongues and our natural language. Sometimes it is better to start by praying in tongues and then switch over to our natural language after the Holy Spirit has given us the utterance. Other times the Holy Spirit will switch us over from tongues to our natural language Himself. This happened to me one day, years ago.

A sister in the LORD had gotten into an automobile accident and the left side of her face was all cut up by flying glass. I met her in the hospital just after she came down from the emergency room. When the doctor came in with the x-rays he examined her face very closely. He then said to her, "There are no broken bones, but there is a lot of damage. Part of your eye-lash is missing, and part of your eye-brow is missing. There is no place on your body where I can get eye-brows or eye-lashes from at this time. All I can do is sew you up and after it is healed somewhat we can send you to another hospital about 100 miles away and they will be able to graft in some eye-lashes and eye-brows."

After the doctor left the room she said to me, "We are not going to accept that are we?" I said "no, let's pray!" I began to pray in the Spirit (unknown tongues). I must have prayed (in an unknown tongue) at least five minutes or more when she said to me, "is that all you are going to do is pray in the Spirit?" I said to her, "Let the Holy Spirit do what He wants to do." And I continued to pray in the Spirit (unknown tongues).

After praying in the Spirit for quite some time, words began to come out of my mouth in English. I began to say, "In the name of Jesus I command the eye-lashes to be there. In the name of Jesus I command the eye-brows to be there. In the name of Jesus I command the tear glands to be whole and working. In the name of Jesus I command the eye muscles to be working properly. In the name of Jesus I command 20-20 vision in her eyes." Then, unexpectantly these words came out of my mouth "And she will be in church on Sunday." When I heard myself say that my mind stopped my spirit from praying. I could not believe in my mind that she would be in Church on Sunday. It was about 6:00 PM on Friday at that time.

Following the prayer, they took her up for surgery. About 11:00 PM the doctor came to me and said, "Praise the LORD! The eye-brows and eye-lashes were all there. The tear glands were fine. Everything was there, all I had to do was sew her up."

When we pray "all supplications and prayer in the Spirit" we authorize the Holy Spirit to do the will of God in every situation we pray for. The Holy Spirit knows what to do and how to do it. All He needs is our cooperation. When we begin to pray in (unknown) tongues our spirit does the praying, and the Holy Spirit helps us (Rom. 8:26,27). Sometimes, while praying in (unknown) tongues the Holy Spirit can switch us over to a ministry gift of (diverse kinds) of tongues, such as intercession, spiritual warfare, etc., while speaking in tongues. He will give us the words to speak in tongues, or in English.

A second benefit of speaking in tongues is that it helps us to build up our faith (Jude 1:20). The more we speak in tongues, the greater our faith. The greater our faith the more God can do for us in our lives. God rewards us for our faith. God desires that "the just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38). By the help of the Holy Spirit we speak in tongues and the will of God is done in our lives.

In both instances, speaking in tongues overcomes the work of Satan in our minds. Satan cannot control what we say, for the Holy Spirit is in control instead. When the Holy Spirit is in control of our tongue, the things we speak will benefit us and God. Satan will be defeated by the words we speak, when we speak in tongues.

Now let me relay another similar experience I had with speaking in tongues. A Christian friend of mine picked up another friend of his and myself to go to a meeting. At the meeting the power of God was working mightily. Many people were going out in the Spirit as a woman laid her hands upon them. Doubtless, many things were happening in their lives because of the anointing.

When we left the meeting to go home, I was riding in the back seat and his friend was in front of me. His friend said, "I should have had that woman lay hands upon me." My friend said to him, "Merle could pray for you." I said to his friend, "What's the problem that you need prayer for?" He said, "I have a pain in the back of my neck," and he went on naming many other parts of his body where he was experiencing pain or discomfort.

As we rode back to my house, I just continued to pray in the Spirit. While I was praying in the Spirit, in my mind (without speaking a word out loud in English), I started saying to the LORD; "LORD, heal his neck, take the pain away, LORD, heal his side, LORD heal his back, LORD, heal this and LORD heal that..." I just spoke to the LORD in my mind, never saying a word out loud in English. Yet, I never stopped praying in the Spirit all the time I was talking to the LORD in my mind.

I had learned something a while ago. Since God knows every thought, then I should be able to talk to God in my mind (1 Cor. 3:20). So, all I did was talk to the LORD in my mind while I was praying in tongues.

My friend told me later that when I got out of his car by my house, his friend said to him something like this, "I see you brought your armor bearer along with you tonight!" After my friend answered him, he said, "that man can ride behind me anytime he wants to. All the time he was praying in the Spirit back there, I could feel the LORD healing my body."

The body of Christ needs a much better understanding of the gift of tongues, and all it's benefits. It is one of the most powerful tools we have to defeat the enemy. The more we use this weapon of tongues the greater our victories will be in this life.

OUR INHERITANCE

Healing for Christians is a part of their inheritance. Romans 8:16,17 says,

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

If we are children of God through the new birth, then we are also "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." This inheritance is automatic, it becomes ours through the new birth. When we become born again of the Spirit (John 3:6), and of the Word (1 Peter 1:23), we automatically become "children of God." That's what the new birth is all about. We are born again of the Word of God and of the Spirit into the family of God. God the Father becomes our true father, and we become His children.

When we become born again, we become a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Our old spirit is passed away and we have a new spirit (Ezek. 11:19, 36:26). We are no longer in the flesh, but in the Spirit (Rom. 8:9). We are no longer in Adam, but in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 15:22). We are delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's Son (Col. 1:13). In Christ, we are children of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16,17).

If we believe the Word of God concerning our being joint-heirs with Christ, then we should "claim our inheritance." Our inheritance includes all that Jesus did for us on the cross and in His resurrection from the dead.

In Luke 16:8 it says, "the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." When it comes to our inheritance it seems that way also. The children of this world, when they find out they are an heir to someone's possessions they make sure they get all they have coming. They go to court before a judge and demand their inheritance.

Why don't Christians do the same as the world? Why don't Christians go before the righteous Judge of this world and claim their inheritance? Why don't they command the devil to release their inheritance to them? Satan is stealing their inheritance right in front of them. He is taking away that which is rightly theirs by inheritance.

Jesus paid for healing for our bodies "before He died on the cross." By the stripes that Jesus bore, He paid for our healing. What Jesus bought and paid for belonged to Him before He died. When Jesus died, all that belonged to Jesus became ours "by inheritance."

But, Christians must claim their inheritance. Christians must go before the Judge of this creation and receive their inheritance. Christians must command Satan to release their inheritance. Satan has no right to our inheritance. He is a liar, a thief, and robber, out to kill, steal, and destroy. Christians should take back from Satan all that he has stolen from their inheritance.

When Christians go before the righteous Judge of all creation, we should go like the world goes before a judge. That is, take an advocate (attorney) with you, don't go on your own. When those of the world go before a judge they have an attorney represent them, one who knows the law. Their attorney advises them of their rights to their inheritance. Sometimes, when someone of this world cannot afford an attorney, the court appoints one for them.

We already have an attorney (an advocate) appointed to us by the Father, "Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Hebrews 2:18 tells us, "in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (help) them that are tempted." Not only is He able to help us, but He is also the One who already paid the price for our healing. When Jesus stands before the Father on our behalf, He pleads our case, based upon our inheritance, what He has already paid for, for us.

Jesus is the creator of this universe (John 1:3, Col. 1:16). The devil has nothing on Jesus. Jesus is our righteousness. All that Jesus did on the cross, He did it for us. Why? So that we could be free of all sickness and disease "by the stripes He bore for us" (1 Peter 2:24).

When we understand how decisions are made by a judge in a court of justice, we can also understand how that Jesus, our advocate pleads our case before the Father. Many cases in the lower courts are ruled upon according to how a similar case was ruled upon previously in the higher court. The ruling that was made in the higher court becomes the ruling for the lower court.

For us, God the Father is the righteous Judge over all creation. God the Father has already ruled that His Son, Jesus, has paid the price for all sickness, disease, sin, and iniquity. This was declared from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Now, we have this ruling of God the Father recorded in the Bible.

Christians can take the ruling of the Father (the Righteous Judge), which is written in the Bible and go before the devil, stating "it is written," "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matt. 8:17). Even though our inheritance is automatically added to our account when we are born again, we still must claim it ourselves. No one else can claim our inheritance for us. We must claim it ourselves. We must go before the highest court in this creation and claim our inheritance.

HOW TO CLAIM

YOUR INHERITANCE

How do we go before the righteous Judge of all creation and claim our inheritance? When we claim our inheritance we must go before the Father "in faith." God only rewards those who come to Him in faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

If God is not pleased with us, we will not be rewarded our inheritance, even though it is ours. Even thought it belongs to us by inheritance. God only rewards those "who come by faith." Abel offered to the LORD by faith, Cain did not. Abel's offering was accepted but Cain was not.

Then, how do we come before God by faith? First we must have faith. Those who have no faith will not receive from God. Yet, all Christians do have faith. The problem is they don't know how to exercise their faith.

When a person is born again into the family of God they receive a gift of faith, which comes along with "the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22). Then, Romans 12:3 tell us, God deals to everyone of His children a measure of faith. Yet, those who are not born again do not have faith (2 Thes. 3:2).

Christians have faith. But most Christians do not use their faith. Most Christians do not know how to use their faith. They are like the disciples of Jesus' time. When they should be using their faith they are looking for someone else to do it for them. The disciples were on the sea of Galilee in Luke 8:22-25. Jesus was asleep in the ship when a storm arose with great winds. It looked to them, that they might perish in the storm. They awake Jesus, that He would do something about the situation. Jesus rebuked the wind and it become calm. Then Jesus said to His disciples "Where is your faith?" They had faith, but they didn't use it. They awoke Jesus, that He would use His faith to calm the winds.

The reason most Christians are not receiving healing for their bodies is that they are not using their faith. Too many Christians are looking for someone else to come and use their faith to set them free. God is asking Christians everywhere, "where is your faith?" Why are Christians not using their faith? They have faith. God knows they have faith. But, they are not using it to claim their inheritance.

Many Christians do not understand how faith works, therefore they do not receive by faith. First of all, "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). Many Christians are looking for some manifestation before they will believe. Yet, the manifestation will not come unless they believe first, then the manifestation will come.

When you believe first, the only evidence you will have is your faith, for your faith "is the evidence" of things hoped for. You don't need faith to receive what you can already see. You need faith to bring into sight (or manifestation) that which you hope for. Faith comes when we believe without any evidence in the natural, only an inward witness that God's Word is true. God will not fail if we will only believe. Therefore, Faith works when we believe without any manifestation.

Faith does not work without patience. Patience is the ability to continue to believe against all opposition. No matter how great the wind on the sea, no matter how great the storm, faith works with patience. We speak the Word of God and then we stand in patience against all opposition until the manifestation comes.

The correct meaning of the Greek word translated "patience," is "the will or ability to wait or endure without complaint." Stoicism, which is a synonym of patience, "suggests such endurance of suffering without flinching as to indicate an almost austere indifference to pain or pleasure." Therefore, faith with patience stands the test of the devil. No matter how the devil tires or what type of test he puts us through, we don't even flinch. We believe we receive no matter what the circumstance.

It's the believing that causes faith to operate. If we believe when we speak the Word, God will reward us for speaking the Word, and faith will bring the manifestation. Jesus believed when He spoke to the wind that it would obey His command, therefore, faith caused the wind to cease. It's your faith that brings the manifestation. To the woman who had an issue of blood, Jesus said, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole" (Mark 5:34). It was this woman's faith that brought the manifestation of healing to her body. A number of times in the gospels, we see where Jesus told certain individuals, "your faith has made you whole."

In 1 Peter 1:7-9 it says,

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Christians need enduring faith. Faith that stands the test, and endures until Jesus returns. Again, Peter exhorts us, concerning our faith, saying,

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

True faith stands the test. Satan cannot succeed against true faith. Therefore the New Testament emphasizes "the just shall live by faith!" By faith in the Word of God concerning our inheritance as children of God, we receive all that belongs to us. We walk in victory over all the works of the devil. We triumph over every circumstance by our inheritance as children of God. Jesus purchased it all for us on the Cross, and we receive "by faith," all that Jesus purchased for us.

SAVED BY FAITH

Healing is a part of salvation. Salvation means "delivered and/or protected. If we have any "sin, iniquities, sickness, or disease" we can be delivered and/or protected. They were all on the cross. Jesus bore them for us, that we could be free of all of these works of the devil.

How do we get free? Romans 10:8-10 gives us the answer. It says,

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The faith we need to receive our deliverance or protection is already in our mouth and in our heart. God put it there Himself. He knows we have faith to receive. Our problem is, we don't understand how to receive.

Verse 9 tells us, "if we confess with our mouth the LORD Jesus Christ. . ." Many Christians miss it on the confessing. The reason they don't confess it, is they don't understand what they are to be confessing. We are to confess "that God hath raised him from the dead." What does that have to do with being saved from sickness or disease?

Before God raised Jesus from the died, He was crucified on the cross of Calvary. Before Jesus died, He took upon Himself all our sickness and diseases, as well as our infirmities, our sins, and our iniquities. Jesus took all the claims the devil had against us and nailed them to His cross (Col. 2:14). By His stripes, He paid the price for our healing. By His blood He paid the price for our sins and iniquities. Then Jesus died, and God raised Him again from the dead.

Our confession is that by His death and resurrection the price for our deliverance and protection was paid in full. Satan has no claim against us, all his claims against us was nailed to the cross. Therefore, when we confess that God hath raised Him from the dead, we are also confessing that by His stripes we are healed.

This confession of "by His stripes we are healed" must come out of our mouth "before there is any evidence." The only evidence we have is our faith, "the Word of God that is in our heart and in our mouth; that is the Word of faith that we speak."

Romans 10:10 sums it all up by stating, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." We believe the Word of God that is in our heart and in our mouth, then we confess unto salvation (deliverance and/or protection). The deliverance and/or protection comes when we confess with our mouth "before there is any evidence" other than "our faith." Faith, is the only evidence we have. That is it, "just faith." We believe the Word of God that is in our heart and in our mouth, therefore, we confess the Word of God against all other circumstances.

Keeping everything in context, look at verse 11, "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." If anyone is ashamed to confess that they are already healed by Jesus stripes "before there is any evidence in the natural," then they may never receive their healing. Healing comes after we confess with our mouth that "by Jesus stripes we are already healed."

Satan hates it when Christians confess they are healed when there is no evidence in the natural. He bombards our minds with thoughts like "that's a lie, you're lying when you confess something and do not have the evidence in the natural." But, God says, "if you are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, then confess your healing before there is any evidence in the natural." God's thoughts and God ways are not the same as the worlds thoughts and the worlds ways. Therefore, take God's ways and God's thoughts; confess with your mouth "by Jesus stripes I am healed."

I was told of a woman who had a growth on her face. She came up for prayer for healing. She was told to receive her healing when she got prayed for. From that day on, even when there is no evidence, continue to confess "I received healing the day I was prayed for, by Jesus stripes I am healed."

She did this daily, for ten days. Many times a day she repeated, "I received healing the day I was prayed for, by Jesus stripes I am healed." On the tenth day, she said, "while I was washing my floor the growth fell off my face onto the floor. I looked in the mirror and there was new skin where the growth had been."

Confessing without being ashamed brings the manifestation. Faith is the time between when you first confess and the manifestation comes. It could take weeks, months, or even more, but the confession never changes. We continue to confess, without being ashamed and God will honor His Word, the manifestation will come.

The problem Christians have, is they are ashamed to confess when there is no evidence. They want to wait until the evidence is there before they confess. But the Word of God says, "confess before there is any evidence in the natural." Confess, based upon the Word of God that is in your heart and in your mouth, that is the Word of faith (Rom. 10:8-11).

HINDRANCES TO FAITH

There are hindrances to faith. Some of them are;

(1) a lack of knowledge of the Word of God.

(2) a lack of understanding the completed work of God on the Cross.

(3) the blinding of the minds of Christians by the god of this world.

(4) a lack of knowledge of who Christians are "in Christ."

Let us just touch a little on these four hindrances. Number One, "a lack of knowledge of the Word of God." God has given us His Word. The LORD said in Isaiah 55:11, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." God's Word will never fail, it will accomplish that which He says it will. In Jeremiah 1:12, it says, "Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it."

Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1,2). Jesus did not fail and Jesus will not fail. Whatsoever Jesus said He would do, He will do. As an example, Jesus said in John 14:13,14,

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

If you do what Jesus said, and ask in His name, He will do it. You must stand in faith and patience, not doubting, and in the process of time it will be done. You must stand in faith, no matter how long it takes, you must not waver.

Those who do not know what God promised, and what Jesus said will be hindered in receiving, for "a lack of knowledge" of the Word. The Word is truth, and it will not fail for those who believe and do not waver.

Number two, "a lack of understanding the completed work of God on the Cross." What Jesus did on the cross, is done, it is complete. All our sins and iniquities, all or sickness and disease were laid upon Him. He nailed them to the cross and won the victory over them for us. He didn't just do it for a few special, elect people. He did it for you and me also. All our sins and iniquities, our sickness and diseases are already paid for.

Now, it's up to us to believe they are already taken away, laid upon Jesus and He bore them for us. It's like the rod of Moses. When Aaron cast Moses' rod before Pharaoh it turned into a serpent. So did the magicians of Egypt, their rods turned into serpents also. But, the rod of Moses swallowed up their rods (Ex. 7:9-12). Just like the rod of Moses swallowed up the magicians rods, Jesus swallowed up all our sins and iniquities, all our sicknesses and diseases.

Christians are hindered in receiving their healing by not believing in the completed work of Jesus on the Cross. If they would believe it in their heart and confess it with their mouth they would receive forgiveness of sins, and healing for their bodies.

Do not doubt the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Don't let any thoughts remain in your mind concerning what Jesus did for you. Believe it is done, and do not doubt. Confess it and believe it and stand in faith and patience until the manifestation comes.

Number three, "the blinding of the minds of Christians by the god of this world." In 2 Corinthians 4:4 it says, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

There are many pastors and people in the ministries that do not believe that Satan has blinded the minds of Christians. They believe the only minds Satan has blinded are the minds of those who are not born again into the body of Christ. Because they do not believe the powers of the devil in the minds of Christians, many Christians never receive healing for their bodies. The glorious gospel of Christ includes healing for our bodies. Jesus demonstrated this during His three and one-half years of ministry before He went to the Cross. Sickness and disease are works of the devil. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). "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).

If we do not believe the complete gospel of Christ, we will be hindered in receiving healing for our bodies in the time of need. The glorious gospel of Christ is for today, just as much as it was for those of Jesus' time of ministry here on earth. The apostles demonstrated the same power that Jesus walked in. The book of Acts mentions a few of the great healings that were done through the apostles.

Believe the glorious gospel of Christ and receive your healing, and forgiveness of sins. Don't let some church denomination or some pastor or other minister tell you the glorious gospel of Christ is not for today. It's just as much for today as it was way back when Jesus walked this earth.

Fourthly, is "a lack of knowledge of who Christians are 'in Christ.'" In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." This new creature is born again of the Word and the Spirit (1 Peter 1:23, John 3:6). This new creature is in Christ, not in Adam. We were in Adam when we were in the flesh (Rom. 7:5, 1 Cor. 15:22). But now, Romans 8:9 says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

If we are in Christ, then our "life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). We are, "One spirit with the LORD" (1 Cor. 6:17). "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9)."And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power" (Col. 2:9).

Don't let the devil put thoughts in your mind as to what you can do and what you cannot do. Stand on the Word of God and do what the Word tells you to do. Speak the Word of God over every circumstance. Continually speak the Word, day and night (Joshua 1:8). Never let the devil have any place in your life.

If you are born again of the Word and the Spirit, then Satan has nothing on you. Everything he tries can be overcome by living by faith and speaking the Word of God out of your mouth.

Never be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all that believe (Rom. 1:16). You can be delivered from anything the devil tries to come against you with by believing in your heart and speaking the Word of God out of your mouth. You can be protected from anything the devil tries to do to you by believing in your heart and speaking the Word of God (Rom. 10:8-11).

Remember, the cross of Jesus is where the LORD paid the price for your redemption. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. Satan has nothing on you. You have authority over all the works of the devil and nothing he can do can harm you if you believe and speak the Word against him.(Luke 10:19).

You are a child of God. You have the same power and authority that Jesus had while He was here on earth. All the works that Jesus did, you can do also (John 14:12). Never let the devil have any place in your life.

If you fail in any area, remember 1 John 1:6-10, and 1 John 2:1,2,12). In 1 John 1:7 it says, "if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Then 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The Word of God doesn't stop there it goes on to say in 1 John 2:1, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." And if that isn't enough, go to 1 John 2:12, where it says, "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake."

It's all on the Cross. Jesus did it "just for you," and all who are in Him. That you could be free of all the works of the devil and live unto God in all truth and holiness. Walk as Jesus walked for 1 John 4:17 tells us, "because as he is, so are we in this world."

We are in Him and He is in us. Therefore, we are one in Christ, our "life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). When we know who we are in Christ and live accordingly, Satan will have nothing on us.

In my life, I come against thoughts that come to my mind daily, sometimes a number of times in one hour. I refuse to let the devil have any place in my thought realm. I belong to Jesus. He purchased me back from the devil on the Cross of Calvary. Satan has no claim on me.

I could be driving down the road when a thought comes to me, someone is going to hit my car, or someone is going to stop in front of me and I'll get in an accident. I immediately, speak against those thoughts, "Satan, you are a liar. I will not get in an accident, and you have no authority to try to get me into an accident." "I rebuke you Satan, in the name of Jesus."

Whenever I speak against the thoughts that come to my mind, I never get in an accident. No matter what the situation is, every thought that comes against me, I try to speak against it, using the name of Jesus against Satan. There is power in the name of Jesus, power against all thoughts that Satan puts in our minds.

When thoughts of sickness or disease come to my mind I speak against them, "in the name of Jesus." Even when there are symptoms of sickness or disease in my body, I speak against the symptoms in the name of Jesus.

It doesn't make any difference if the symptoms remain for days or weeks I still keep speaking against them in the name of Jesus. They do not always leave immediately, but they have to go, they have no choice but to leave. The Name of Jesus is above every work of the devil. Nothing the devil can do can harm anyone who uses the name of Jesus daily, day and night.

I recall years ago, I had a growth on my right-hand index finger. It kept getting larger and sore. I put a band-aid on it, and changed the band-aid every few days. This went on for about two weeks.

One day, while I was driving I received a thought from my spirit, "why don't you curse that growth and command it to die"? Immediately I raised my hand up in front of me and said "in the name of Jesus, I command this growth to die, and fall off." Nothing happened in the natural. It remained on my finger, but I kept going. For days, in the natural, according to what I could see with my eyes, nothing changed. Yet, I noticed it was not getting any larger. It remained about the same size. I continued to believe it would die and fall off my finger.

About a month later, one day while I was changing the band-aid, as I took the old band-aid off the growth come off with the band-aid. There was no mark on my finger where the growth had been. My finger looked like there never was a growth there.

The name of Jesus works against all the works of the devil. You do not have to be conformed to this world. You can live in victory over all the works of the devil if you will believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, "the Word of faith that we preach" (Rom. 10:8).

Healing is a part of our inheritance. It belongs to us. Jesus paid the price so that we could be free of all the works of the devil. Now it's up to us to claim our inheritance and never give any place for the devil.

Get to know who you are in Christ and live like the Bible tells us to live. Not by the letter of the Word, but by a witness in your spirit from the Holy Spirit. Those who live by the letter fail. But those who live by a witness of the Holy Spirit in their spirit will always live in victory. In 1 John 2:27 it tells us, "the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." The "Him" in this verse is the Holy Spirit. When you abide in the Holy Spirit, Who gives you wisdom, knowledge, and understanding "by a witness in your spirit," you will have victory over the works of the devil. The victory is yours in Christ Jesus.

Don't be like the Galatians in Chapter Three, and go back to the Law. You are free in Christ Jesus. Stay free by being led by the Spirit and walking by faith and not by sight. For "the just shall live by faith!"