Thought of the week: Contending for Healing.
Friends, I went for this thing this morning in our meeting. I felt as if I needed to lay a foundation that would allow us to fight, contend for, earnestly desire and "pant after" manifestations of God healing power in our midst.
My first thoughts were, that the first step in this thing involves becoming a people of His Presence. We must become accustomed to being in His presence, living there, drawing deeper into a place of intimacy with our Lord. As Bill Johnson teaches, the presence of God is the believer's "due North". This took me to Exodus 33 where Moses was having a chat with His Boss, and he told God "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth." What a statement! Moses had received the Tablets with the word of God on them, yet he considered the Presence to be the thing that he wanted to take on his journey! In fact, the context of this verse shows that when God manifested His presence, it was the precursor event to a renewal of the broken covenant - prophetically speaking to us of the importance of having the presence as the precursor to renewal, and an appreciation of what a re-Newed covenant is all about.
I see the scriptures as our road map - Jesus said "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" Meaning that the scriptures were pointing to Him, in a similar way to a street sign pointing the way, or a road map showing us where to go. I figured that if I am charting a journey through a way that I have never been before I need two things. I would certainly need a map of the country or region - and I would need a compass. The map without the compass does no good at all, as I could have the map oriented the wrong way and would have nothing to show for it. Friends, this happens in the Body all the time. A lot of people arguing over our direction because no one has bother to align the map with the compass, and get our "due North" so that the map actually makes sense. That is where soaking prayer is a key for us. To spend time in God's presence gets us accustomed to being there - and we get to recognise His voice, His smell, His heartbeat. The presence of God is our Due North - it aligns our road map onto the true purposes of the Father for His children. In terms of healing - His presence will get us involved in His works - works of healing and bringing of His Kingdom into ever-increasing realms of dominion on earth.
That was cool - I only lost a few people when I said that :) - the following was a little harder to stomach. In Isaiah 53:5 we get a glimpse of the work of Christ on the Cross. We get part of the picture of what the atonement actually did for us. I clearly see in that scripture that Jesus paid the price on His own body, carrying the penalty for our peace, and by His stripes we receive a healing. Some present the argument that God sends diseases in order to perfect character. I have a problem with that. I would like to propose to you, that if the Father were to do that, he would essentially be going against the work of His own Son on the Cross. If God actually sends diseases, I will immediately refuse to pray for someones healing, or accept that anyone requests prayer for someone who is sick, lest I be found to be striving against God by my prayers!
I would like to propose to you that all disease on earth is a result of the working of the law of sin and death, which, incidentally, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has delivered us from. I would like to propose to you that Jesus was manifested on earth in order to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and that He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38).
The atonement worked far more for us than a cancelling of a debt (Glorious as that is in itself!) The death of Jesus on the Cross delivered us from bankruptcy, and also deposited into our account untold value. When God delivered us from the law of sin and death, he placed all of our enemies (the devil and his cohorts) in a very slippery place. A slippery place is a place where you have nothing to hold onto - nothing to let you get a grip, or take a foothold. If you think for a moment on that, also that Jesus now abides in a place of utmost and complete incomparable authority ( ALL authority has been given to me - Mat. 28:18), and on that fact that He lives in the believer what results is a formula for success in healing, knowing that God is the one who is not accepting the rule of sin, sickness and suffering on earth - indeed, He sent His own Son in order to turn the tables on the devil, and bring-in on earth an extension of His Kingdom here on earth.
Now then, we are ambassadors - commissioned to re-present that King and His Kingdom. On the whole, most are contending with me for this thing. Some are struggling with their theology on this issue, some are having their theology divinely re-engineered on this issue (I think I may slot into this category), others are asking themselves what is their theology and are getting before God and His word. In all things, God will have His way.
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