Matthew 13:1-24

Isaiah 55:10-11  “⁰ For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: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.”

 

 

Jeremiah 1:12

• NLT “And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching,and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”

• KJV” Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.”

 

 

1 Thessalonians 2:13

• NLT“Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.”
• KJV “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

 

 

2 Timothy 2:9 “And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained.”

 

1 Peter 1:23 (KJV)

“23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

(Borrowed from a facebook comment I posted last year) May I share a word of encouragement for families who have been praying for healing and not seeing breakthrough or freedom in this area? I feel like so many have been crushed and judged by the harsh words of others in this area..

This passage from Matthew 17 is what has stirred my heart “5 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Do stop and read this first before I share any of what I have seen, I am such a big believer in the Holy Spirit having at you first and people always second. I put stars next to the brand new thing He showed me. (4th increment down) My apologies, I am not know for brevity but I did try:)

Brothers and Sisters, even if the cream of the crop, the best ofthe best, the most faithful of the faithful human ministers fail to accomplish what Jesus has promised, When every human prayer and effort and intervention has failed…. Don’t lose hope. We can learn so much from this man. He took his son to the best of the best, the apostles themselves and they failed. Why, because of their (the apostles) own unbelief, their sin, their shortfall. Not that of the father, not that of the sick son. But he didn’t give up when man failed, he chose to press in and persist and get into the presence of Jesus. So many have stopped pressing in to Jesus because the failure of man, not the failure of God’s promise or Word. Understandably so, Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” So many have faced disappointment so many times and it can literally break our hearts and hopes.

I digress for just a moment to address something that commonly happens to those who are sick. I feel like a great injustice, weight has been placed on so many that was never part of God’s heart in the equation. It happened to me too when I had Crohn’s disease and was a baby christian and had only days before I was scheduled for life saving surgery. This well intentioned action of the well-meaning saints burdened me and sent a flood of condemnation my way at a time when my heart needed encouragement. So often some well meaning person says to us, if you only had enough faith you/ your child would be healed. This is not how healing was modelled in scripture. This was God’s best plan and revealed through Jesus Christ, His will. There isn’t a single verse in the New Testament modelling this. What did happen over and over again is that the sick came and were brought to the apostles, those with gifts of healing, to the elders [James 5:14] (like Stephen) and to Jesus, they were ministered to and healed. The Biblical model for healing is for the family or friends of the sick to bring the sick or themselves to the appointed people. {Yes, biblically we can seek God for our own healing and He will heal in response, but it is a much longer and harder and demanding road than almost anyone can pursue on their own.} Luke 11:46 “And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.” But what do we do when the workers aren’t there and the miracle workers are absent or not operating in faith, authority and/or power?

To place the burden of seeking healing for oneself for one’s child is to place a crushing and condemning burden on those least able to carry it. It is cruel. For those who are called to the healing and miracles ministry, we are called to come alongside and minister to them until they are healed. Jesus did not say pray for the sick, He commanded us to “heal the sick” [Matthew 10:8] HUGE difference. I am getting there, but I don’t see everyone that I pray for healed, yet. I know this post can come across as doing just that. It is not that, it is that the workers are just not there right now, and it was never God’s heart to put this on the sick. I am praying all the time as do all the ladies that I pray with that God will raise us up and raise up the workers. We come along side the sick we pray for and we commit to seeing it through with them until they are healed or otherwise released.

Friends, think about the father’s head space in all these things. He has just watched the apostles themselves fail to deliver his son. And here he is in front of Jesus and what comes next. Jesus told him, all you have to do is believe, anything is possible for one who believes.. His answer was “Help me with my unbelief” I think any of us can handle having this kind of faith. It is the faith, and humility that presents our deepest shortfall to our Savior in anticipation that He Himself will fill the void. And He did and still does:) This papa DID have faith. He didn’t get discouraged when people failed but pressed into Jesus. Oh Dear Ones, we are called to Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness FIRST above all things and then everything else we need will be provided for [Matthew 6:33]. Isn’t it the most wonderful thing that our central goal in life is to live in and abide in His presence, once we are there we have only to reach out and touch the hem of His robe and He has promised that the healing and miracle will flow. [Mark 6:56]

This is the part that was a brand new revelation for me. What we don’t read about often in the Bible are the ones who died on the road travelling to get to where He was ministering. I imagine it would have been really hard on the sick to walk or find someone to carry them the long distances to get to where He was.. Biblically, almost everyone who was healed received in HIs immediate presence and they received it instantly. What we don’t read about is the journey they took to get into His presence. They had to travel on foot for miles in the hopes of catching Him in the last place He was reported to have been seen. I think many still die on the road to getting into His presence, but the risk is far greater to never even try…. for many who set out on this journey do make it and are healed even today. So do what you need to do in the natural etc for where you are at in yuor walk, faith and understanding. But do oh do, hit the road spiritually too to get into and abide in His presence.. Jairus’ daughter died, and if he hadn’t have gone to Jesus, she would have stayed dead. Lazarus would have stayed in the tomb. The ones who sought Jesus or were brought were healed. But the whole time Jesus was ministering here on earth, those that weren’t brought and didn’t seek Him continued to be sick and die, the same as if He wasn’t there at all. The most encouraging part in all this is that Jesus is no longer a moving target. Getting into His presence is no longer a physical journey but a spiritual one, and really is the core and central thing that every Christian is called to do. Come and Follow me, Abide in Me, Live in my Presence, strive to enter into My place of rest.

Two other more scriptures to consider.. It is possible to be in Jesus’ presence and not receive.
John 5:1-15 (the man healed by the pool where all the invalids congregated) is another example when Jesus was present but only one healed.
Mark 5:25-35 ““30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?”

Even though there was a “multitude thronging” Jesus, it was the intent desire and seeking of this one woman out of them all that drew the “virtue out of him”. So we have to not only get into His presence but also press into Him with intent.
So once there, do oh do press in. He has promised I will never fail you, I will never forsake you [Deut 31:6, Romans 4:20-22]. He who has promised is faithful [1 Thessalonians 5:23-24]

You know, we are all called to abide in the Secret place of the Most High, to abide with Him, to KNOW Him. There can be no higher goal, no greater attainment in life than this. He never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. This is what I am just learning how to do and how to live. People will always fail at some point, no person is God, and fall short but we can still always follow the father’s example in the story. As I have been meditating on these verses, it is so clear that Jesus healed them all many, many, many times. My family is on the road seeking Jesus and we won’t stop until we have arrived and set up camp in His presence. Life in Fellowship with Jesus is the pearl of greatest price.[Matthew 13:45-46”

One last little note… Do pray for the elders, apostles and miracles workers, healers to be raised up. Scripture tells us to pray for the workers that are missing from the body [Luke 10;2]. As long as these roles are vacant the church will remain sick [Ephesians 4:11-12] and the workers will not be equipped to do the work we are called to do. Don’t be discouraged if you go to one who God uses to heal and you don’t receive. You showed the same level of faith as the all who received in the Bible did. Be so encourage dear Ones. All of Creation is groaning for things to be made right once again.

 

I am always amazed at how offensive it is to tell someone

“God wants you well”  them’s fightin words let me tell you.

I have pondered this often..   it is not that God wants to heal people well that is offensive, it is the subtext that is automatically attached to this statement that has caused so much harm and hurt.

What they are often hearing “If you had enough faith or didn’t have some horrible sin issue, you would be healed, but since you clearly aren’t.  You are sick due to your own shortfall or sin issues”   And we all know how this went down when this attitude was first written down and described in the book of Job.

So, for the record..  Biblically, it wasn’t the sick person’s faith or faithfulness that produced healing in the sick.   God put the burden of healing the sick on the elders, on the shepherds and on those who were spiritually mature and in a position of strength.  It is cruel to add this burden to the sick and there is NO biblical precedent for doing so.   There is actually NO biblical account of sister such and such sitting and home and having enough faith to get healed.   It is not cuz God’s Word hasn’t made provision for that.   But this was never what Jesus himself or His disciples modeled.

The Bible does give us reasons why the disciples failed to heal the sick.

1. Lack of knowledge and/or understanding (see Proverbs 4:20-22)
2. unbelief of those ministering (see Matthew 17:20)
3. Sin issues in those ministering to the sick (a careful reading of James 5 reveals that it is the confession of those praying, not the confession of the sick person that is essential)
4. General unbelief surrounding the sick person (Matthew 13:58)

Thank God in His infinite wisdom that He knew exactly what we would be up against and provided more than one pathway to healing.  Here is a summary of some of the ways in which God healed people in the Bible.

God’s plan for healing

1st.  level of provision.   Mark 16:16. All believers can lay hands on the sick and the sick will recover (Awesome, but requires that the one laying hands on believes and receives this ability the same way they need to believe and receive the gift of tongues).   Imagine if all believers were able to operate in this gift.   You would just turn to your hubby, neighbour, sister or friend and be healed.   I think this is cool.. really, would mean none of us have very far to go to get fixed:)

when this isn’t possible

2nd level of provision.  James 5:13-15.Go to the elders and be annointed with oil.  Again it is the prayer of faith that heals in this case.   (also says sins are forgiven in this case… very powerful promise)

When this doesn’t work ( for example if the faith of the elders is lacking or an environment where there is extreme lack of faith like Nazareth).

3^rd  level of provision. Luke 9:1

The gift of disciples or those with a gift of miracles.   those annointed to cast out all demons and heal all diseases as part of their gifting.

If none are available or if their faith, etc is not sufficient as in the case with the little boy with epilepsy there is yet another path.

4^th  level of provision.  Proverbs 4:20-22. The Word of God which is quick and powerful and holds the keys to every person’s healing.    The Word is so readily available, and yes this one requires a process, a time of meditating and growing in knowledge, wisdom, discipline etc.  But it is available to all who can get their hands on a copy of the Bible and promises radiant health to all who can understand.

Here is what’s awesome about this one, is it provides the missing link for all three of the first levels of provision.   So this one can heal the person and raise up believers who can operate and heal others now with the first 3 levels of provision.  The main reasons why the first three don’t work, lack of knowledge or teaching, lack of faith, lack of righteousness etc and or a pervasive culture of unbelief, are all fixed by the 4th.   This deals with things like lack of sanctification, sin issues etc…  Anyone can choose to enter into this pathway to healing at any time…  Keep studying His Word on healing and His love etc and He has promised/guaranteed that the end harvest will be health to your body.    This one takes time and rhema revelation requires us to commit to studying and seeking until we find.

 

5th level… John 5:1-10  when someone is isolated and has no way of hearing the Good News or being taught or touched by one of the above. There is always God’s grace, compassion and mercy,.   This reminds of the man crippled for 38 years waiting on the waters to bubble up.   He wasn’t seeking, wasn’t looking, had no reason to hope and yet Jesus met him where he was.

Someone asked last night why Jesus didn’t heal all who were waiting there and chose just to heal the one.   Two things were jumping out to me by this morning.   1st..  None of them were seeking Jesus for lack of knowledge or hope or understanding…  He healed all who sought him, so to not seek him was a block to healing..   I think that first part is important, seeking God for healing, crying out to him.   In showing up and healing this one man, Jesus revealed to all who were there that God now had a new plan for healing.   So each one there was able to witness or hear of the miracle that had happened and now, in spite of their circumstances and being cloistered away from the world, they had now witnessed first or second hand the healing power of Jesus Christ.   In healing the one, he revealed himself to them all.   At that point, each person had a choice to make, to believe and seek the one who healed, or to keep fixated on the bubbling water for their healing.

 

6th level- by great personal faith…Matthew 8:5-11.  Now depending on your present level of faith, this one is either one of the most encouraging or can feel like one of the most discouraging.   Keep in mind that it is your guarantee that even if all you ever have is a copy of the Bible yourself, you have what you need to receive from God…   The faith that God will develop in you and His Word are in themselves sufficient to heal you and restore you to wholeness.   We have the example of the centurion.  We have the examples of the disciples themselves who at times lacked this kind of faith, so maybe, just maybe it’s a little cruel and unkind to put this kind of burden on your average everyday Joe.  We also know the scripture about faith the size of mustard seed being able to move mountains…  Jesus clearly didn’t expect this kind of faith as it amazed even him and yet this is such a commonly repeated refrain to those who are sick.

 

God is sovereign, and these are just some of the ways expressed in the Bible.   Praise God, He is infinite in His loving kindness, His faithfulness, His compassion, His Mercy and His Grace.    His ways are higher than ours and words will never be sufficient to express the limitless ways in which He meets us each one in our place and times of need.

 

Proverbs 4:20-22King James Version (KJV)

” My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”

A simple prayer to start with

Psalm 119:18  “Uncover my eyes so that I may see the miraculous things in your teaching” [God’s Word Translation GWT]

_Study 1 ________________________________________________________________________

Deuteronomy 8:3 “Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

 

 

Deuteronomy 32:47  “These instructions are not empty words—they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordan River.”

 

John 6:63  “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

 

 

Psalm 81:10 “For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.”

 

 

 

Psalm 119:93”I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.”

 

 

 

First a quick word of encouragement.   I used to think that I had to be some sort of superstar to hear God voice..   and was often discouraged at how little I heard.   Until one day, while praying and seeking the Lord, I had the most marvelous revelation.   I realized that every single time I picked up the Bible, I was hearing the Lord…  That He was talking to me directly through His Word and that every time I chose to read I was choosing to listen to Him talk…

Here are a few really easy things that anyone can do.. the hard part is choosing to do it consistently.

• Get into a quiet spot, where you won’t be interrupted (even for 10 minutes)
• Pray a simple prayer such as “Lord, I pray that you would reveal the wisdom and knowledge you have for me in these scriptures, please bless me with eyes to see and ears to hear and the ability to understand.”
• Read through the scriptures (out loud is ideal), underline, circle, highlight, write down the things that pop out to you, your questions etc. And if you are really motivated, we also encourage you to look up the context, and possibly other versions of the same scripture (Bible Gateway.com is a great site for this) to receive a better understanding.
• As you read through them, you will perhaps notice an ongoing theme in that particular group of scriptures, a truth or gem of wisdom worth noting down.   I encourage you to come up with your own heading for each group of verses.

As a mama of 4, I am going to try my best to be consistent with posting, but am going to ask in advance for your forbearance if there are delays between postings.

 

 

So here I am…. Again…  and here’s is what I have been hearing so strongly in my seeking times…

Seek Me and you will find me.   Sow the incorruptible seed (the Word of God) abundantly into your own self and those around you and it will bring an abundant harvest.

Proverbs 4:20-22 “Listen, Pay attention!  Keep my words before your eyes, let them penetrate deep inside your heart. For anyone who discovers their meaning will be filled with radiant health”

The endless echo in my mind is the answer is JESUS!!!

His Word will accomplish what it is sent out to do, His Word has the power to renew my mind, His Word is LIFE and spirit to my soul and body, His Word will redeem my thoughts, and wash me clean.     He will do everything He has promised and has given me one simple thing to do.

Keep His Word before my eyes, in my mind with perseverance until the harvest comes.

It is a choice, and one that is ever been presented anew to us.  Choose this moment LIFE..  Choose this moment blessing….

If you had a bad last moment, a bad last 10 moments or a bad last 10 years, repent sincerely and start right now with this moment.

I pray as we go through these verses again that we  will have eyes to see and ears to hear and the ability to understand.. that our mind will be renewed, our energy restored, our hearts healed, our bodies and thinking redeemed, that self will die and Christ will reign, that fear, doubt and unbelief will be crowded out and permanently evicted from every part of our beings and that a revelation of the heart of the Father, of the fullness of Christ will flood us spirit, soul and body.

I am coming before the Father expectantly, with my mouth wide open, knowing that He will be filling me with GOOD things..