E-pistles
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Tuesday, 23 January 2007 00:00 |
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Being free and staying free are two different things. I have known many people who have experienced true freedom who later forfeited that freedom and returned to their previous sin. Let us not forget that the devil’s objective is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10a). He doesn’t give up on you when you become a Christian, or when, as a believer, you experience a new dimension of freedom in your life. In fact, he intensifies his efforts and makes Christians his special target. He doesn’t need to work hard on non believers, because they are already in his grasp (2 Corinthians 4:4). In spite of this reality, God promises continued freedom. This freedom is not automatic. It is much like the inheritance that God promised the Israelites. Even though He gave them the inheritance of the Land of Canaan, they were expected to go in and take possession of it. |
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Monday, 13 November 2006 00:00 |
How frustrating it is to hear the teaching that I have shared with you the last several weeks and find yourself sincerely wanting to receive a healing, but healing doesn’t come. How much easier it would be to believe that we could accurately conclude that God must not want us to have healing, since, after asking, it hasn’t materialized. How painful a situation this is, how painful when someone suggests that we haven’t received because we may not be truly believing.
We have said in this series, that the Bible shows us examples of people for whom faith was not required in order to receive healing, it was, in fact, the result of receiving a healing—people who were not followers of Jesus before receiving a miracle of healing, sometimes became His followers after. |
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Sunday, 12 November 2006 00:00 |
What do you do if you are addressing issues of diet & exercise and you’ve also gone to your elders and maybe even to someone with a notable healing ministry and yet sickness persists? Are you out of options?
No. There is yet a way for you to receive healing. In order for me to be able to clarify how you may receive healing, please allow me to ask you to consider what you know about receiving forgiveness. If you truly understand how to receive forgiveness, and I suspect you do, you will understand how you can receive healing. The principle is the same.
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Friday, 10 November 2006 00:00 |
Last week we talked about what the Word of God instructs us to do when we are sick. We are to call the spiritual leaders of our church to pray for our healing. This week, I want to focus on the responsibility of these leaders to be able to pray a prayer that brings healing. Before I develop that thought, let’s consider the text from James that we’ve been discussing. - James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
- James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
- James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (ESV)
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Thursday, 09 November 2006 00:00 |
James, the writer of the book that bears his name, provides guidance for people in various situations of life. He asks, “Is anyone among you suffering?” Then he answers with direction for the sufferer. Next, he asks, “Is anyone cheerful?” James has something helpful to say to the person in this state also. Finally, he asks, “Is anyone among you sick?” Then, in keeping with the rhythm of his method of writing, he gives a prescription. What is it? Before we take note of what he instructs, allow me to ask, “If you are sick, do you think you’re willing to follow through and do what he says?” That’s the real question, because it’s one thing to give intellectual assent to a statement of Scripture, it’s another thing altogether to be committed to obeying Scripture. It is obedience to God’s Word that brings blessing to our lives.
Here’s what he says to those who are sick: “…he must call for the elders of the church…” |
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Tuesday, 07 November 2006 00:00 |
I’m not going to play doctor here. However, I want you to think about some things that may help you make good choices about your health. I think we are all agreed that when it comes to emergency care, we have the best right here in America. Also, I don’t know anyone who is not appreciative of breakthrough resources like penicillin, insulin, and the polio vaccine.
Unfortunately, the medical community seems to have developed some default responses to our health care that are very frightening. There are two very predictable responses you can expect: prescription drugs and surgery. Powerful, often harmful drugs are routinely prescribed without consideration of the fact that a more natural remedy (without harmful side effects) may be available. Nearly every day you will read in the newspaper that another drug is being taken off the market because of dangerous side effects. This, after the drug apparently went through all kinds of testing to “prove” that it is safe before being released to the market in the first place. |
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Monday, 06 November 2006 00:00 |
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We’ve been talking about things that sabotage our health, and conversely, things that assist us in experiencing good health, knowing that it is God’s desire for us to be well. Making a commitment to forgive others is a necessary step to the tranquil mind that brings healing to the body. It is not cynical to say that people will continue to do hurtful things, just as you will do hurtful things to others, and you will need to learn to practice what you’ve learned about forgiving. This is one important way of accessing God’s healing power, Other things that must not be ignored and will assist us in maximizing the likelihood that we will be well are diet & exercise. |
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Tuesday, 31 October 2006 00:00 |
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When we think of this question, we usually react with “I'm a father” or “I'm a dentist” or “Homemaker” or “Teacher” or “Coach.” We identify who we are by what we do. There's more to be said, however, than these responses. Who are you, really? What is your identity in the truest sense? It is important to know the answer, because a clear sense of who you actually are has a direct impact on how you live your life. |
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Monday, 31 July 2006 00:00 |
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I have never been one to advocate divorce. Yes, we know that God hates divorce, but He doesn’t hate divorced people. God hates divorce because He loves people. Divorce was a part of my family history. My mother was married and divorced twice. Each of my three sisters has experienced divorce. I’m not one to throw stones at divorced people. I know there are no winners in divorce. |
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