All the promises of God have already been provided for (they are past tense). “Whatsoever you ask when you pray believe THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED them, and you shall have them” Mk 11:24 . Everything that we can pray for has already been provided for, its past tense.

“He personally BORE (past tense) our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His stripes YOU HAVE BEEN healed” 1Pt 2:24.

God wants us to step out in reckless faith and prove Him.  “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” Mal 3:10. If Gods promises have already been provided for then He would have storehouses full of supplies waiting for our needs. Before we ever have a need, God has provided a supply.

“When we prove God we are obeying Him to the extent that we get so far out beyond our own resources that God has the opportunity to do something for us. The reason that God isn’t doing more than He is doing for most people is simply the fact that they won’t give Him the opportunity. Until you get out and give God an opportunity to do something for you, you’re not proving Him. Most of us are sitting around in unbelief waiting for the miracle to come. When you’re willing to step out and trust God to work miracles in order to keep His Word, you’ll not be able, to contain the blessings that He will pour out upon you. When we are truly persuaded, we are going to act. We will embrace the truth of God’s word and act upon it by a choice of the will. And that choice of the will is based upon our conviction concerning the ability of God. By acting on the revealed truth of God and stepping out on the promises, we render present that which we hope for. When we choose to act, something happens.”  Adventures in Faith/ Manley Beasley 

My daughter Jessica and new son-in-law, Jerry, had a beautiful wedding on the 20th of July. Jessica’s smile was contagious and her outward beauty seemed to capture her spirit’s true expression. I could not help but think of the bride of Christ being adorned for her husband and what a glorious day that will be. A good friend of ours was at the wedding and brought his five year old son with him. Everyone calls him “miracle boy” because when he was almost one year old he drowned in a backyard pond and was brought back to life after being unconscious for 40 minutes. Samuel (miracle boy), said, 5 big angels carried him to heaven where he entered a gate and met Jesus and God. He said heaven was much shinier than any pictures he saw. He said Jesus stroked his head and he sat on Gods lap. He said he was shown tiny babies that were the size of his hand, and he played and talked to them. He said he played sword fight with the boys, and the girls played other games. He said the angels took him on a camping trip in a forest for 10 months (Samuel’s concept of eternal time) where he saw a nice tiger, many other animals including dogs and many birds who talked to him. The birds wanted to bring him back to earth but the angel that was holding him said that he would take him back to his mommy because she was crying. Samuel had a supernatural encounter with God which brought him into His presence. When Miracle boy saw me at the wedding he immediately held my hands which were in my pockets (Glennis usually puts my hands in my pockets because my arms dangle by my side). No one outside of a few family members feel close enough to me to touch my hands, Miracle boy was not timid to touch me!! He thinks with God and has no fear of man. Gods’ Glory was revealed at the wedding when He used a little boy to hold my hands! I almost missed God’s personal touch because I was looking for something else. I was looking for a manifestation of a physical healing. But instead He would reveal Himself a different way that day. Jessica’s betrothed, Jerry, came to the wedding to take his new bride by the hand. And Jesus was saying to me that He is coming to the earth again very soon to take His Bride, the Church, by the hand!! He wants us to be ready for Him when He comes. Will we be ready to go with Him to be part of His heavenly kingdom? Or will we miss Him because we are looking for something else?

“But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.” Mt 25:10

Faith requires our acknowledged weakness or inability to save ourselves, when only God can. We have to be brought to places of weakness to discover that we need a Savior, and to learn that human effort is insufficient. Faith in His promises relies on His faithfulness, where we have to depend on Him to bring us through our wilderness experiences (Ps 34:17,19; Phil 4:19). God still provides today in the wilderness.

In Exodus 13:17,18, God led the children of Israel out of Egypt by way of the wilderness or desert. He did not lead them the shorter way along the Mediterranean coast because they were not ready to see war and they would have returned to Egypt. God wanted to prepare their hearts for the physical and spiritual battles they would be facing ahead, so he took them the way of weakness through the wilderness. God wanted to bring them to places of weakness so they would discover their need for a Savior.

Three days after crossing the Red Sea, the supplies the children of Israel brought with them from Egypt ran out. They became thirsty and were led by God to a place called Marah, where they needed to trust God to provide water for them. God is continually bringing us to places where our supplies will run out. Where human effort runs out. Where we are out of options and our backs are against the wall. Where we will cry out, I need a Deliverer! This is a place of weakness but God sees it as a place of strength. Because when we are weak then He is strong and He will get the Glory (2 Co 12:10). 

With only 3 days left until my daughter, Jessica’s wedding, it seems like the enemy has stepped up his attacks on me. Six days ago I came down with a nasty cold, which drained me of what little energy I had. Then last night an oppressive  presence tried three times to kill me through suffocation while I was trying to sleep. God prevailed in both circumstances, and continues to encourage me to believe Him for a very powerful supernatural breakthrough in the physical realm by the wedding date.

I’ve been reading Erlo Stegens’ missionary account in 1966 to the Zulus in So. Africa. What struck me was that before the amazing revival of 1966 took place, Erlo discovered that he needed to repent and be transparent before the Zulus. The Apostle Paul says, “I die daily” (1Corinthians 15:31). What does he mean by that? How can we die daily? The Lord Jesus experienced death in Gethsemane, so to say, before He physically died on the Cross. There His sweat became like great drops of blood and He was close to despair, until He was finally able to say to His Father, “Not my will, but thine, be done.” He died to Himself. If we can pray in this way, then we no longer seek our own will; we humble ourselves under God’s will and deny ourselves. To die to one’s self-will is extremely difficult, It is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Nehemiah heard a report concerning the condition of Jerusalem and the Jews who still lived there:

“And they said to me, The remnant there in the province who escaped exile are in great trouble and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its [fortified] gates are destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I sat down and wept and mourned for days and fasted and prayed [constantly] before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:3-4

Nehemiah wept because he heard about the suffering of others, he had a heart to provide hope to the hopeless. God gave him a burden and he acted on it. He saw others as Christ saw them, sick, needy, and brokenhearted, without intervention they would die. Jesus came to set the captives free, and to heal all who were sick and oppressed of the devil.

Isaiah 58 says we will find our own healing when we pour out to others what sustains us in our need. Whatever is at our disposal, whether it is physical or spiritual, we are to freely give to others. Then we become repairers of the breach. We become friends of God, having His heart towards the forgotten and the hopeless.

“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among you shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” Isaiah 58:11-12

God is bringing me through a valley, and has provided everything I needed there. Man is not able to supply our insatiable needs in the valley, man’s methods or ways are often inadequate and lead to death. God’s plan is always leading us to the Cross, where we lose our life and gain spiritual life. When Christ is released to work in our lives; we exchange His life for ours. God initiates His plan by leading us to the Cross (Mt 16:24), we then have a choice to cooperate with His plan or not. Carnal death is where God wants to take us to, death to self life,  when we die to our ways, we become weak and rest in God’s Word, then the power of God is released and miracles can take place.

Everything has already been provided, He finished the work on the Cross it was a perfect sacrifice for us. His Word says we believe those things (promises) which are not as though they are (Rm. 4:17). We believe with our mind and confess with our mouth, and act as though it’s already accomplished, by faith. Hope says it will happen, faith says it already has. Healing comes by grace not self effort. I can do nothing to obtain salvation or healing, its unmerited favor. I rest from my works as God did from His.

When I rest from my works I enter into His rest (Heb 4:10). Entering to rest is done by faith in what the promise says. We enter into works that have already been finished from the foundation of the world  (Heb 4:3). These works are past tense, He’s already healed us, delivered us, saved us, provided for us (Ps 91). I’m to continually cease from my works by believing I have received. I am in the kingdom of God, God does the works, He provides the power and I enter in by my faith. And my faith believes that I have received, not that I’m going to receive, because then it would be by my works. God’s work has already been accomplished; He chose the things that be not as though they were. Gods promises are not perceived by sight or reason, you don’t see it by sight and can only obtain it by faith. 

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, had a vision from God in 1865 about the lost and his indifference towards them that changed his life and gave him the passion from God he needed to begin his life’s work.

He said, “After spending years of trying to preserve my life through pursuing a quest of healing, I finally gave up, and gave my life to Christ. Now I was a professing Christian, I was one who was active in religious activities. In fact, I considered myself to be quite a shining light. I always attended church on Sunday and I taught in the Sunday School. Now and then, though not very often, I visited the sick. And in addition to these good deeds I gave a little money to support Christian work. In all this I was quite sincere. I had no idea of playing the hypocrite. It’s true that I didn’t stop to consider what Christianity really was, although I talked freely enough about it at times, and pitied people who didn’t profess to be Christians. I seldom, if ever, considered what Jesus Christ required. Jn 12:25 “Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.”] Disquieting thoughts kept crossing my mind – because I couldn’t keep out questions that kept arising as to whether I had truly followed Jesus Christ and laid down my life for a perishing world with my time and influence, and money and family.”

Many of these same questions came to my mind as I pondered my time on the earth. What am I holding onto that is blinding me to the cries of a lost and dying world? Am I truly following Jesus and forsaking all for Him?  O Lord, help me! O Lord, destroy everything in me that interferes with the prosperity, growth, and fruitfulness of this precious, divine, and everlasting fruit that comes through sickness. God, peel away the cloak of pride, unforgiveness, lust, self preservation and ego. Keep drawing me with cords of love to the altar of self sacrifice.

Thoughts on why God allows adversity in our lives:

1) To expose the wickedness of our hearts that we are not seeking God. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?” Jer 17:9. “No one understands [no one intelligently discerns or comprehends]; no one seeks out God” Ro 3:11.

2) To reduce us to weakness and total dependence on Christ. “So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength)” 2 Cor 12:10.   “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing” Jn 15:5.

3) So we can learn to trust Him and His word above our circumstances. “But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” Mt 4:4 “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance” 2 Co 5:7.

4) To give us peace in knowing that Jesus overcame the world and we also can be overcomers over our circumstances and adversities. “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] Jn 16:33. “I write to you, fathers, because you have come to know (recognize, be conscious of, and understand) Him Who [has existed] from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and vigorous, and the Word of God is [always] abiding in you (in your hearts), and you have been victorious over the wicked one” 1 Jn 2:14.

“For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith”  1Jn 5:4.

 After attending two funerals this week, my soul started to become downcast but God didn’t allow me to stay in that place long. He reminded me to be strong and courageous, to continue to walk by faith and to not lose sight of His victory. What was His victory? Jesus was found worthy, because of His great love and sacrifice for His Bride, to open the book, and loose the seals, so He could receive from His Father the Kingdom of Heaven for us.

"And [now] they sing a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to break the seals that are on it, for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And You have made them a kingdom (royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth! vs12 Saying in a loud voice, Deserving is the Lamb, Who was sacrificed, to receive all the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and majesty (glory, splendor) and blessing!"  
Rev 5:9-10,12.  

He already had the kingdom with His Father but He wanted to share it with His bride!

“And now, Father, glorify Me along with Yourself and restore Me to such majesty and honor in Your presence as I had with You before the world existed” Jn 17:5.

“[Rather, I will say,] Father, glorify (honor and extol) Your [own] name! Then there came a voice out of heaven saying, I have already glorified it, and I will glorify it again” Co 1:13.

“The Father has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” Jn 12:28.  “And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory” Ro 8:17.

When we can personalize the length and extent Jesus went through to have fellowship with mankind, we can begin to comprehend His great love for us, His Bride. The attraction to this world doesn't have the same pull or temptation. It is not until the eyes of our understanding begin to comprehend all that our King was willing to do for us that we surrender our hearts to be won for Christ. We come to believe with all our heart  soul, mind and body that we are truly the objects of all of the Savior’s affection. 

As a new creation in Christ, we begin to discover that through His love and great power, we have been delivered and redeemed, we were healed, forgiven and changed forever, old things are past away, all things become new! Our Savior has come to rescue us from death through His Finished Work on the Cross. He has come to give us the Kingdom that he has won for us. We, as the Bride of Christ, eagerly await for our King to come and deliver us from this world.  

“Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Lights” James 1:17

How can I not thank and praise my Savior for His perfect gift of allowing me to see my need and His sufficiency through this illness. The untold spiritual treasures that I have been freely given far outweigh any temporary light affliction I may have to endure. He even gives me the gift of resting faith, where He has confidently assured me of my healing. I do not have to worry about my body, He always provides (Mt 6:25)! He has paid the perfect price for my spirit, soul and body on the cross.

My salvation was by grace and not by works, it was not because of any goodness in my character that I was saved, but it was by the goodness of the character of the Father and the death of his Son that I was saved. 1Jn 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Jesus died in my stead; When I should have been punished for a life of selfish sins, Jesus bore my sin instead (1Pt 2:24); when I should have been forsaken by God, Jesus cried to his Father, Mk 15:34 “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me;” When God’s justice could not look upon sin, He laid “on Him (on Jesus) the iniquity of us all (Is 53:4-6). Jesus died, a righteous man, for me the unrighteous, “The just for the unjust” (1Pt 3:18). My sins had to be punished, therefore God punished Jesus. Jesus came to save sinners, since I was one, He therefore saved me (1Tm 1:15).    

“Jesus came to save the lost (Lk 19:10) I was lost, therefore He rescued me. Because Jesus was my substitute, my sins passed over on Him. When He died, He died as a sinner, and I was that sinner. When He was buried, I was buried. When He arose from the dead, I arose from the dead. When He ascended above all principalities and powers of evil, I ascended. His resurrected life became my life. My selfish life was taken upon Jesus. His unselfish life was reckoned to me. Once I worked for God to save me, now I work because He has saved me. Once I worked to earn a gift, I now work because I have been given a gift. I once worked for some thing I selfishly wanted, but I now work because of something I have undeservedly received. I once worked to earn eternal life; I now work because I have it. I expected to be saved by works; I was saved by grace. I thought salvation was to be earned by goodness of character; I found it was a free gift, independent of character. and because I identify with Him by dying with Him Rm 6:6, He freely gives me eternal life (Jn 3:15).” Author Unknown 

My life is no longer about me, because I am dead. Nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ that lives in me (Gal 2:20).