My start in life was a slow one, from every aspect, but I soon grew into being a relatively healthy person. My early youth was plagued by severe tonsillitis but other than that I hardly knew sickness or disease. Since becoming a Christian I could count my visits to doctors on one hand, in fact I have never been as a result of sickness. I always take my pains and sickness to Jesus for healing, not that I have much of it either, praise God for His blessings. I make mention of this to show the reader that I am a normal healthy person and I have trained my mind to refuse to accept sickness and pain.
In May 1999 I had the pleasure of hearing the testimonies of an African evangelist by the name of Luke Tamu who was visiting from Kenya and holding meetings in Levin at the time. Luke told amazing testimonies of miraculous healings with such enthusiasm and the sparkle in his African eyes would light up as he recounted the wonderful miracles performed in his ministry by the Lord Jesus. These included accounts of the dead being raised and limbs growing amongst many others of healing. I was provoked by these miraculous reports and immediately developed a strong desire to see these events being repeated in New Zealand. In my opinion this country has been robbed of all of God’s blessings, the evidence of poverty and sickness in a small nation like this one is living proof of the outcome of the blessings and curses promised in the word of God.
If we are to live a life of abundance then we must surely listen to the voice of God and to every word spoken by Jesus. Some of Jesus’ statements were so radical that even the high priests were involved in physically removing Him from the temple. Are we as believers to be complacent and satisfied with the present status quo in the church? Where do you see the dead being raised and the modern church living in prosperity? Would you send your son to die on the cross today? To have life going on as usual, with all the filth that’s become apparent in society. Come on let’s get real, the world is in a mess and Jesus said that he came so that we could have life and life more abundantly. So what is missing? Is God a Liar? Is all that Jesus said just a load of hot air to fill the pages of scripture? As Paul said, God forbid, no. Jesus got it right in John 8:32 he said 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
The problem today is that religion has twisted every word to conform to some or other philosophy and theory of man and placed it above the true word of God. You do not need a concordance or a dictionary to interpret or understand what Jesus said. My bible teaches me that the Holy Spirit will teach me and praise God that’s enough for me. Unless the word of God is a Rhema and revealed by the Spirit it will always be doctrine and have no life.
Only a fool would be content to go about life as usual and believe that all is well in the kingdom of God and that God is well pleased when in effect only the opposite is true. I cannot equate the present state of life in the world with what Jesus said, this is why I believe the Spirit of God has taken me on this journey to search out the purpose and God’s plan of life for man kind. There just has to be so much more, so come along with me and let us take the path that God has shown me along His way in the word.
The Truth
The journey to eternal life is set out in the bible from Genesis to Revelation but more specifically in the gospel of John through the words of Jesus our Lord and saviour. The works and words of Jesus demonstrate the power and truth of God’s words and reveal His plans for man’s salvation, which also includes everlasting life. The day you gave your life to Jesus is the day in which you stepped into eternity. Jesus said, “my words are life”. In the book of John chapter 10:27-30Jesus said 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and my Father are one. In John 8:29 Jesus said that He does nothing by himself and everything He does is to please the Father in heaven. Christians have the confidence that if they believe and trust Jesus He will do all that He has promised, that is certain and final, guaranteed and settled in heaven. It is never a question of “if”, but rather “when”, because it does not depend on whether or not God is willing, God is always willing and besides His word is His will.
His word is very specific and clear for every situation in our lives, “better you choose life”. John 11:4 4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.. No sickness is unto death and God does not serve us up with sickness. He promised to heal all even to the point that if any die we the church have been commanded to raise the dead, that’s faith. There are no conditions to these promises other than to believe. In the book of Ezekiel God says . For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: That’s God’s will. If God is the healer you have to wonder why it is that so many Christians are daily running to their doctors for healing. Is this why Jesus asked the question “Will I find faith?”
In John 10:29-30 Jesus asserts His authority and deity and guarantees our trust in himself. Later in verse 32 He questions our doubt by asking, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The story of Lazarus is told in John 11:11-26 11These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. 16Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and this passage of scripture raises the question in my mind, and I have to ask, why would Jesus raise someone from the dead if He knew that they were going to die again at some or other later date? This surely demonstrates unequivocally the will of God, “that none should perish but that all should have everlasting life”, that is no physical death. The same reasoning must apply to all sicknesses and we could ask a similar question why would God, who has such infinite love for us, allow us to suffer in sickness and ultimately lie down and die in pain and misery? Not the God I believe in, how about you? It seems crazy to me that people would want to believe in a God so cruel. It is rubbish to believe such doctrines of man let alone to ever imagine such things of our creator. Jesus said that He came that we might have life and life more abundantly; He has given us the Christians, all power and authority over all things, glory to God.
I believe that and that’s why I can rejoice in the truth when His word witnesses with my spirit, it brings life and I refuse to allow the dull and negative thoughts of man to poison my mind against the true word of God. The bible teaches that the carnal mind of man is enmity to God and we are to renew our mind with the washing of the water of the word. The word of truth, not man’s interpretation or eschatology but the pure word of God. We cannot be deceived by the father of lies who comes but to rob, steal, kill and destroy. Psalm 41 verses 1-4 is