God Loves You!
July 2, 2012
Ministering to the people of Cambodia. Bringing awareness the sex trafficking of children and women.
One time – No more
January 28, 2012
If you have been a christian for very long you’ve probably heard the teaching that if you pray more than once about something then you’re in unbelief. Most of the time this is preached in reference to praying for the sick or the sick person receiving their healing. They say that if you ask God for your healing then you are to stand in faith that what you asked for will come to pass. In other words, as Smith Wigglesworth has been quoted as saying, “If you pray for healing six times, then five of them are in unbelief.” We are to “walk by faith”, “not doubt in our heart”, and not be “double minded” because if we are we can not expect to receive anything from God. This sounds really spiritual, even scriptural, but there is a problem with this as it pertains to healing; Healing was accomplished as part of the atonement. Isa 53:4-6 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (NKJV)
In Leviticus 5:1 we read that if a soul sins then he shall bear (nasa) his iniquity. In Isaiah 53:12 we read that Jesus was numbered with the transgressors and bore (nasa) the sins of many. It is unquestionably clear that God is telling us that in the same way Jesus bore (nasa) the payment for our sins, He bore (nasa) our sickness and disease and took it away. The Holy Spirit also declares this to be true when He inspired Matthew (Mat 8:16-17) to quote the passage in Isaiah 53 showing that He was talking about bodily sickness and disease. Matt 8:16-17 16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities
Some may say, “you see, it says that Jesus fulfilled that prophesy through His ministry of healing and not through what He did on the cross. Healing and deliverance are not for today. According to Luke 4:17-21 Jesus took the scripture and opened it up to Isaiah where it spoke about Him having the Spirit of God on Him to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, set at liberty those who are oppressed. He then closed the book and said that today this scripture was fulfilled in their hearing. If you say that healing was fulfilled and not part of the atonement, then you have to say that the preaching of the gospel, healing the broken-hearted, and delivering the captives has also ceased. Obviously, Jesus is still preaching the gospel through those who believe in Him and He is also still healing the sick through those that believe in Him! 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (NIV)
Peter quoted the passage in Isaiah but made it past tense indicated that this is something that has already happened. Just as Jesus has already forgiven you of all your sins, He has also already healed you! You just need to receive it by faith. So you see, we can’t be in unbelief because we don’t pray for healing. You don’t ask God to do something that He has already done. You don’t ask Him to save you again, you receive what He has already accomplished at the whipping post and on the cross one time for all. We don’t ask God to heal us, we command the sickness / disease / problem to leave the body and for the body to be here on earth as it is in Heaven. For it to line up with the truth we have already been healed. So you are not in unbelief because you are NOT asking or believing God to do anything. You believe He has already healed you or the person you are praying for and are persisting until everything bows to the reality of Jesus’ Lordship. You don’t just tell it what to do then walk away, you persist until it does what you commanded it to do. To say that you’re in unbelief if you pray twice is admitting that you don’t believe that healing was part of the atonement and so in reality you are denying the finished work of the cross. You are the one in unbelief, not the one demanding that everything be on earth as it is in heaven. |
||
A More Excellent Way
November 14, 2011
About 13 years ago I set out on a journey to see the power of God flow through me for miracles and to see the sick healed. And I can say that over the past years I have not been disappointed. Whether it is seeing deaf ears open, broken bones healed instantly, or someone getting a new heart; watching God touch His children never gets old. I must admit however, it wasn’t always this way. In the beginning I didn’t really see many instant miracles or healings, I really didn’t understand how this all worked. The only thing that was consistent was every time I stood before someone, and many times just looking at them, I would feel God’s love for them. It would be so intense at times I would just start crying as I felt how their pains and torments were hurting God. He is their Father and hurts immensely when His children are hurting; not because they have some sin in their life, but because It hurts Him to see his children in bondage and pain. At that time I didn’t have the understanding of what God was trying to do in my life. I was even told this was the beginning or elementary aspect of ministry and that I would move beyond to seeing the power. With those “words of wisdom” I pushed beyond the emotions and set my singleness of sight on seeing the power manifest when I prayed for others. I got what I sought after.
Thirteen years later as I write this I again weep. This time not because I feel the Fathers heart for others but because I’ve realized I missed what my Father was trying to teach me. He was trying to show me the more excellent way, He was trying to show me the way of love.
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
He was trying to show me His heart, and how to move and act out of love and compassion. By allowing me to feel his love and compassion for others He wanted me to understand that He would withhold nothing from them. He was showing me that it didn’t matter what we do, we are already accepted because of Jesus (Eph. 1:6), and that He has already given us everything we need. (2Peter 1:3) It is because He is love that He created us, and because of love that He has saved us. He wanted me to see what He saw, He wanted me to see their created value. He wanted me to see that the reason Jesus came was to set us free from the lie and deception we were in bondage to and to redeem us back to our original value; a son of God. He created us in His image. We were made to be like Him, our Daddy; to walk, act, think, and be just like Him. We are the apple of His eye, His focus, and His whole heart longs to be with us. Jesus accomplished that by reconciling the world back to Daddy, and you can be reconciled to Him if you will receive the free gift of Jesus, you can become love just like Him.
Looking at people in this light allows you to understand why we can never be angry at, hate, despise, be offended, or even hold a grudge against someone. When we see their created value and how much Daddy loves them we hurt, not because of what they did or said, but because they don’t realize who they are. We are compelled to go to any length, lay down our own lives, in order for them to see their value, to experience His love. Yes, I still pray for the sick and see miracles; but now not because I want to see the power of God manifest, but because I want them to know how much they are loved.
Healing – Please
August 31, 2011
“Can you help me?” she said. I’ve done everything that they told me to do. I’ve prayed the prayers and I believe God heals. I don’t understand why it’s not happening! I mean, I keep speaking to the mountain just like my pastor say to do, but nothing is happening!
I’ve heard this cry more times than I care to remember; People who are desperate for healing in their body or for a family member that is being ravaged by sickness or disease. These are people who are children of God and who Love their Father dearly. They are confused and desperate because everything they have been told to do, the things that bring about healing from God, are not working. They listen to the testimonies, one after another, of how God has healed this one or that one but fail to see the manifestation in their own lives. They read the healing scriptures, even post them on their walls, promises from God that He has healed them, but day after day it seems to elude them. This is all too common in the church today, but it doesn’t have to be this way!
Healing, or anything concerning the kingdom of God for that matter, does not occur because you say or do the right thing. There is no magic incantation or formula that will bring about a healing. Even the name of Jesus, although all powerful, is not the universal key that once spoken opens every door. It’s not about what you say or do, it’s about what you believe. Yes, speaking and confessing healing scriptures is good, it will remind you of God’s will for your condition, but without the belief in what He did, the words are powerless. It’s more about why you speak them than what you speak.
If you pray a prayer or confess a scripture because that is what you have been taught to do, or because you have seen others do it and get healed, then there is a very good chance you will miss your healing. However, if you, through a personal revelation of who God is and what He has done, confess them as a confession of praise to Him then the power begins to flow. It all stems from a personal revelation of Him that cannot be obtained by the laying on of hands, listening to a sermon or teaching, or even seeing a miracle. It only comes as we view Him for who He is.
“How can we view God?” you might be asking. Hebrews 1 says that Jesus is the express image of the person of God. That means He is an exact copy in nature, power, and authority; there is no difference between the Father and Son. Jesus Himself said that if you see me (Jesus) than you have seen the Father. (John 14) So all we need to do is look to Jesus to get a revelation of who the Father is. Jesus loved us so much that He gave Himself over to be beaten, whipped, and crucified so that we could be reconciled back to the father. When His flesh was being torn from His body on the whipping post, your sickness or disease was on His mind. His love for you is greater than any trouble you may be facing and He has already poured every ounce of His love out for you. It is His love that has set you free, and living in the realization of that love will cause all sickness and disease to fall away. Get to know your father, not because you need a healing, but because you want know Him better. Ask Him to give you a greater understanding of His love so that you will have a more intimate relationship with Him; I guarantee you He’ll answer you. I bet you He’ll show you Jesus!
Fresh outpouring
August 16, 2011
I keep hearing people talk about and cry out to God for a fresh outpouring of His Spirit, or another visitation of His presence. That really sounds wonderful and tantilizes every emotion we have. After all who wouldn’t want God’s presence, who wouldn’t want Him to move and revive our nation? It brings back memories and emotions of the time I heard God’s audible voice, the times of visions, and visitations. Those are wonderful times, who wouldn’t want to feel those things again. Even though I would be first in line to get anything God is dishing out, I’m sorry to say those prayers are not biblical and even inhibiting the progression of the Kingdom of God in our nation. Let me explain.
- God has already poured out His spirit. Peter clearly declares in (Acts 2:16-17) that what the people experienced and others were witnessing over 2,000 years ago was God pouring out His Spirit. If it is already done, why do we think God needs to do it again. Why are we saying that God has been holding out on us all these years so we need to beg Him to finally give us what we need to see things change.
- To get another outpouring implies that we may need more than what we have been given. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says that if we have been united with Him then we are one spirit with Him. We have been given the fullness of Jesus in us. (Colossians 2:9-10) What else do you need? God has already poured out His Spirit and poured Him into us. Now we are to walk in all authority and power as Jesus did. That makes it sound like the problem is with us and not God. Exactly! We need to stop asking God to do what He has already done. Stop begging Him to do what He has commanded us to do. The so-called leaders of the church in America need to stop blaming God and the non – christians for what is wrong with this country and start taking responsibility for their inaction. Yes every believer is to blame but those who have embraced leadership take the bulk of the responsibility for their lack of action and for teaching others the error of their own ways.
- Another implication of asking God to pour out His Spirit again is that you are saying that the Holy Spirit is no longer with us. You can not give something that you have already given. There are not two Holy Spirits. He promised to never leave us or forsake us. If He was poured out way back then, He is still with us.
We need to quit prophesying what should happen then think we actually did something. That is like me declaring that I will feed my kids but never fix anything to eat. I’m not against prophesy, we need it. It is the testimony of Jesus. We should never despise the proclaiming of what our Father is saying to us. However, to prophesy without acting on that prophesy is like faith without works. If God warns us of a tornado, earthquake, catastrophe of any kind we need to understand what He is saying. He is declaring to us the plans of the enemy, with the implication that we are to then act like the sons of God we are and stop it. We have been given dominion over this earth with the authority and power to execute that dominion. We need to stop declaring the enemies plans as if they are the will of God. This nation, and even the world for that matter, will never change until we stand up and act. Stop acting like a spiritual welfare state, always expecting God to bail us out, and do what He has empowered us to do. The kingdom of God is within every believer, we must teach and demonstrate to them what that means and how to act like kings in this Kingdom so that we will see the transformation that everyone is begging God for.
Thoughts for today 8/3/2011
August 3, 2011
I spent much of today thinking about a friend of mine. He hasn’t been a friend but for a handful of months, and I’ve never even met him in person, but I’ve grown to love and respect him as if I had known him most of my life. Anyway, he sent me a message about a young girl who had been miraculously healed of cancer and about another who had died. How you weep for one while bursting with joy for the other. I began asking the Lord can one healing make up for the death of another, does healing another make up the “spiritual payment” so to speak for the one that was lost. Even though my heart desired to hear my Father say yes, the only answer I got was no. You see, Jesus has already paid the price for each and every healing, and when someone isn’t healed that’s just part of His inheritance that we lost. I said we lost, because that is exactly right, we are commanded to heal the sick. I’ve prayed for people and they have died, Jesus didn’t decide not to heal them, He didn’t get some “greater glory” by there enduring pain and then their death. The truth is I failed. No need to sugar coat it, I don’t need someone to tell me, “well at least you tried.” For me, trying doesn’t count, we are guaranteed success through the finished work of the cross if only we will believe. In those cases, I didn’t believe; I failed. Jesus will never regain that part of His inheritance, there are no do-overs. Fortunately, that’s not the end of the story.
Enough about me, back to my friend. One of the things that I’ve grown to love about him is his overcome at any cost attitude. I actually have two “new” friends like that. Although a death may be a lost healing forever, he has learned to make the enemy pay in a whole new way. You see, he uses each and every failure as a stepping stone to bring forth a greater manifestation of God’s glory in him and through him. He uses those experiences to become more like Jesus, and by that, destroying more works of the devil. His life is becoming the reality of what the enemy meant for evil God has turned it for good. I admire both of my brothers for that. We all will be faced with failures along the way. We don’t expect them, but they will occur. But if you begin to understand Whose son you are, and what authority and power He has given you, those failures become fewer and fewer. If you do like my friend and look at a failure as a challenge to seek our Father for greater understanding of who he is and what he has been given, and take a stand that you will not lose like that again, you too will start making the enemy pay like my friend does. My friend knows something that most don’t, it’s not about him, it’s about being Jesus to the world. He will not give up until you no longer see him anymore, but that’s o.k. you’ll be seeing Jesus!
To my two “new” brothers. I love you guys, you are an inspiration to me. I will continue to follow you as you follow Jesus!
Israel, Jews, Christians and the heart of God
May 22, 2011
These past couple weeks with everything that have been going on concerning Israel, I’ve had quite a few people ask me my opinion on Israel and the Jewish people, and MANY others offer up their personal opinions in God’s name concerning the subject. This has led me to seek God and try to discern His heart concerning Israel the land, the Jewish people, and how we as Christians should feel and act. This is His response to me.
CONCERNING THE LAND
The whole earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness. For whatever reason He decided to give that portion of land to the Jewish people and declare that it was their land forever. The only division of the land He allowed is the division between the tribes. Now I realize that the Jewish people have not always controlled or even lived in the land, before or after God gave it to them. That doesn’t matter; the land has always been the Lord’s and His to do with as He pleases. Now people who preach grace, I’m definitely one of them, will tell you that the Old Testament scriptures are valid as long as the go through the cross. That is they must be read in the light of Jesus’ sacrifice. What the Lord has shown me is that the giving of the Land is a promise that was not changed by the cross. This was a promise of a natural place to a natural people and the new covenant has no effect on that promise. The will of God IS for the Jewish people to inhabit ALL the land they have been promised.
CONCERNING THE JEWISH PEOPLE
All men were created by God. He is the potter and we are the clay. He can create us to do or be anything He desires. With that it was his sovereign will to predestine the Jewish people to be His chosen people. They had nothing to do with it, He decided it and that was that. So what were they chosen to do? It wasn’t that they were chosen to be the ones to be saved, but that through them salvation would come to the whole earth. God predestined that through the Jewish people Jesus would come and bring salvation to ALL the earth. Like I said before, they didn’t have a say in it but that calling subjected them to be persecuted more than any other peoples on the earth. They would have to suffer so that we might be saved. This is no different then what the Lord spoke to Paul when He said He would show him all that he must suffer for the name of Jesus. It’s no different than what ALL the apostles discovered, and really any true believer will discover, that there will be persecutions. Does this mean that the sufferings of the Jewish people endured attributed to their righteousness or brought them special salvation? NO! They still must believe with their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord to be saved. No different than anyone else. It just means that they were called to suffer so that we could become sons of God. So as Christians we have NO right to boast that we are saved and they are not. They have paid a price so that you could receive salvation. The natural branch was not spared so that YOU could be grafted in, and if the wild olive branch can be grafted in how much easier will it be for the natural branch to be grafted in when their eyes are opened. We should all be thankful for what the Jewish people have done for us. They may not have done it with those intentions, but still they suffered and endured just the same. How can anyone with the heart of our Father feel anything but gratitude for what they have done?
CONCERNING THE CHRISTIAN
Much of what I wanted to say was said above in the Jewish people section but there are a couple more things. We are not born again into the Jewish nation. We are sons of God, and a new creation. In the kingdom of God there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but one new man. We should pray for the Jewish people just as we are to pray for all people. The Jews need salvation just like any person that has not made Jesus lord and savior. We should pray that all of God’s will and promises be established on earth including the promises concerning the land of Israel. We must stand and pray will ALL peoples who are being persecuted.
CONCERNING JUDGEMENT
This is a subject I have written on before and really didn’t want to deal with it here but the Lord says it is crucial to understanding what is going on, so if you want a greater explanation of judgment read my judgment blog. First of all we must look at all scripture in the light of the cross. Jesus took ALL judgment from God against sin onto Himself so that we will not be judged. If you understand God is no longer judging individuals then it’s easy to understand He is not judging nations. So why do bad things happen when we go against His will. Easy, why do you get sick or bad things happen to you when you sin. You open the door for the devil and he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. So when we come against God’s will for Israel, satan comes in to do what he likes to do and bring pain and suffering. He gets to do it in a timely fashion and God gets the blame. So you may say, “bad things happen, what does it matter if we say it’s the judgment of God or the work of the devil?” It matters a WHOLE lot. First of all you tell the world we serve a God that doesn’t care that much about His children. Let a national official say something wrong and God will kill a bunch of people, many who are His children who love Him. Why would I want to serve a God like that? Is that Love? Is that long suffering, forgetting when someone does you wrong, is that protecting? Love does all those things and God IS love. How can you have any assurance of salvation, healing, providing for our needs, when you never know when God is going to destroy your life? You see the problem with attributing the disasters to God? Another thing is people will start praying for Israel out of selfish desires to prevent God from judging them. We have established God’s will through His promise to the Jewish people so we pray so He won’t strike us down. You may think, “well, at least we are praying for them.” The reality is we should pray for the land because it is God’s will and the people because they are being persecuted. It is God’s love for them that should compel us to pray. If we pray out of fear, we will pray for Israel and the Jewish people only, but if we pray because we have the heart of God then we will pray for ALL peoples that are being persecuted. There are thousands or hundreds of thousands of people, many Christians that are being persecuted all over the world. It is God’s heart that we pray and stand up for them all.
Glen Hartline 
Written
on May 30, 2012