Because He Lives!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Thought for the Day!
“Genius is often only the power of making continuous efforts. The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it—so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success. As the tide goes clear out, so it comes clear in. In business sometimes prospects may seem darkest when really they are on the turn. A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose.”—Elbert Hubbard
Louvar nos PerÃodios DifÃceis!
Uma coletânea de pensamentos
Praticar o louvor (em outras palavras, estar agradecido) em situações difÃceis muda as coisas, porque atrai o EspÃrito e o poder do Senhor. Uma atitude agradecida anima tanto você quanto as pessoas ao seu redor, pois o ajuda a ter uma perspectiva positiva, lhe dá fé, fé no Senhor e fé por mudança. Melhora e traz resultados positivos mesmo em circunstâncias negativas. E fé é a vitória. A oração também pode mudar a situação, é claro, mas quando a coisa está negra, geralmente num primeiro momento é difÃcil ter fé e o poder espiritual necessários, porque a primeira reação é ficar chateado, triste ou desanimado. O louvor, porém, contra-ataca todos esses elementos negativos e imediatamente enche o seu espÃrito e a situação com fé, confiança no Senhor e uma energia espiritual positiva.—Maria Fontaine[1]
*
Tente pegar uma tragédia de verdade, uma situação sem esperança, de dar desespero, e deixe-a animar a sua fé no Meu poder a ponto de explodir em louvor, sabendo que Eu vou conquistar, que sou maior do que os problemas, que estou no controle, e que, de alguma maneira, vou lhe dar a vitória. — Isso sem mencionar os incontáveis benefÃcios atrelados a isso.
Louvar mesmo sem ver sinal de vitória, louvar apesar da aparente derrota, é poderoso.
Quando luta com a arma do louvor, os detalhes da situação se tornam praticamente irrelevantes, exceto pelo fato de que você está agradecido pela situação, por pior que seja, e essa atitude abre caminho para a vitória que posso lhe dar. Você fica tão grato pela Minha bondade, misericórdia, amor, sabedoria e cuidado, pela Minha capacidade de usar tudo para o bem, que transborda em louvores, porque se sente honrado com a oportunidade e bênção de Me ver em ação.
Isso não significa que está ignorando a gravidade da situação, mas que está olhando além, tomando uma atitude e ao mesmo tempo tendo uma visão dos bastidores. Está trabalhando Comigo para superar e integrar o Meu poder à situação, optando por se elevar acima do problema. Usar o louvor para lutar pela vitória ajuda. Mas quando só sente pena, interesse e preocupação, está na realidade se colocando como observador da guerra espiritual.
É da natureza humana fechar os olhos e se afastar de coisas ruins. O ser humano não quer se sentir incomodado. E com certeza é da natureza humana achar que a solidariedade é a única reação adequada à dor e ao sofrimento. Aprender a reagir diferente do natural e usar o louvor nessas situações exige unção e poder sobrenaturais que provem de Mim. Mas posso e vou lhe dar essa unção e poder.—Jesus, falando em profecia[2]
*
A vida real nem sempre vai ser perfeita ou como desejamos. Por isso, reconhecer constantemente o que funciona em nossas vidas nos ajuda não só a sobreviver, mas a superar nossas dificudlades. Sarah Ban Breathnach
*
Se procurar os pontos positivos em cada situação, verá a sua vida subitamente ser inundada por um sentimento de gratidão, um sentimento que vai alimentar a sua alma.—Rabi Harold Kushner
*
Fartura e falta existem concomitantemente na vida. São realidades paralelas. Fica sempre por nossa conta decidir de qual jardim secreto cuidaremos… Quando decidimos não focar o que nos falta na vida, mas agradecer pela abundância real de amor, saúde, famÃlia, amigos, trabalho, as alegrias proporcionadas pelo contato com a natureza e buscas pessoais, ficamos felizes, e o deserto da ilusão se vai. Vivenciamos então o Céu na terra. —Sarah Ban Breathnach
*
Quando criança, sentada entre meus pais na igreja nas manhãs de domingo, muitas vezes ouvi a leitura destas palavras encontradas na BÃblia: "Em tudo dai graças!”[3] E minha mente jovem respondia com: "Sim, é preciso ser grato por cada coisa boa que acontece na sua vida”. De tempos em tempos, ao longo da minha juventude, aquelas palavras ecoaram na minha consciência e aprendi a ser grato por muitas coisas óbvias. Eu expresso gratidão por presentes recebidos, pela forma bondosa como sou tratado, e por todos os bons momentos e amigos que tive até hoje.
Expressar gratidão, mesmo quando as coisas deram errado era muito mais difÃcil, mas, por outro lado, ficava espantada com o resultado disso. Descobri que o versÃculo: "Deus habita o louvor do Seu povo”[4] serve para nos lembrar que a gratidão libera uma energia que poderia começar a movimentar as coisas. E quando fiz isso, senti-me preencher com a força e a capacidade de superar o que estava acontecendo no mundo exterior. Eventualmente percebi que o que muitas vezes pareceu uma circunstância negativa, na realidade foi o ponto crucial para uma nova direção. Muitas vezes, em retrospecto, vi claramente que fora uma bênção disfarçada que me resultou em uma atitude muito mais profunda e significativa.
“Em tudo dai graças!” Agora, eu posso ficar admirada e agradeccida por um por do sol na praia, ou pelo processo de aprendizagem inerente a uma doença ou um momento de confusão. Eu posso ser grata por minha fé inabalável na harmonia divina quando meu filho doente corre risco de vida e isso foge ao meu controle e ainda não descobri todas as lições e os significados que a situação encerra. Fico agradecida quando posso me conectar com aqueles que amo, e também pelos momentos de divergência e de estranhamento que mostram-me novas lições a serem aprendidas e insights a serem assimilados. Sou realmente GRATA por ter descoberto o poder da gratidão em minha vida, e continuarei sempre dando graças em TUDO! – Gratidão: Um Estilo de Vida[5]
*
A gratidão não deveria ser uma reação que temos apenas ao receber o que desejamos, mas um sentimento constante que resulta da observação de pequenas coisas e de procurarmos sempre ver o bem, mesmo em situações desagradáveis. Comece a incorporar uma atitude de gratidão à s suas experiências, em vez de esperar por uma experiência positiva para ficar agradecido.—Marelisa Fábrega
*
Esteja grato pelo que possui, e no final conquistará mais. Se focar o que não tem, você nunca, jamais, terá o suficiente.—Oprah Winfrey
*
O louvor nos ajuda quando passamos por dificuldades, mas também é possÃvel louvar para ajudar outros quando estão passando por momentos difÃceis. Talvez seja automático para você pensar que louvar a Mim em uma situação difÃcil é o oposto de entender e ter compaixão. Mas pense em Mim e no Meu amor por você. Existe algo mais perfeito? Existe alguém que o conhece e entende melhor, ou se solidariza mais com você?
Quando falo com você nos momentos atribulados, por acaso enfatizo a tristeza e tudo de ruim, por acaso digo que foi injustiçado e quão lamentável é a situação? Não. Eu lhe ofereço a Minha mão para puxá-lo para o alto e tirá-lo desse sentimento de tristeza para ter a Minha perspectiva, onde tudo está bem e tem um propósito maior; onde o Meu amor pode envolvê-lo e curá-lo.
Assuma a Minha natureza e o ajudarei a saber como usar o louvor até mesmo nas circunstâncias mais tristes e atribuladas para servir de corda de resgate, como um manto de consolo, aconchego e encorajamento para os que estão em dificuldades. Se estiver assumindo a Minha natureza, os seus louvores refletirão o Meu coração amoroso, a Minha compreensão e ainda a Minha perspectiva, ou seja, que Eu tenho um plano, estou no controle, então pode Me louvar na certeza de que vou cuidar de você e que no final tudo vai dar certo.
Em certas situações vai louvar por entre lágrimas, com o coração partido pelas pessoas, com empatia. Não tem problema, ainda assim é louvor. Às vezes vai interceder fervorosamente pedindo pelo Meu amor e perspectiva, de modo que seus louvores terão a combinação certa de compreensão pela situação e uma fé firme que vê além das dificuldades e louva não importa o que aconteça.
Peça-Me por um espÃrito sincero de louvor. Louvar-Me de coração é uma atitude linda que libera e reconforta no espÃrito. E contagia os outros. É feito sem segundas intenções ou querer vender uma imagem. Se estiver disposto a fazer o que for preciso para ajudar alguém a ganhar a vitória, o louvor é uma maneira, mas não a única de se preparar para ajudar, que transmite uma quantidade imensa de amor e certeza.
Eu posso ajudá-lo a aprender a usar o louvor com habilidade e poder para ajudar outros e alterar circunstâncias e situações. Lembre-se que o Meu amor por você inclui compreensão e, ao mesmo tempo, muito da perspectiva celestial. Você também pode ter as duas coisas conforme usar o louvor para consolar e encorajar outras pessoas para que possam receber a cura e as soluções que ofereço.—Jesus, falando em profecia
*
Agradeça por não ter tudo o que deseja,
Se tivesse não haveria expectativa.
Agradeça quando lhe falta conhecimento,
Pois cria oportunidade de aprender.
Agradeça pelas dificuldades,
Porque então você cresce.
Agradeça por suas limitações,
Porque são oportunidades de melhorar.
Agradeça por cada novo desafio,
Porque fortalecem e moldam o seu caráter.
Agradeça pelos seus erros,
Pois lhe ensinam valiosas lições.
Agradeça quando se sente cansado e desgastado,
Porque significa que fez a diferença.
É fácil agradecer pelas coisas boas. Uma vida cheia de realizações é também cheia de reveses.
A GRATIDÃO pode transformar algo negativo em positivo. Procure uma maneira de agradecer por seus problemas… e eles se tornarão bênçãos.—Autor desconhecido
Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli. Revisão Denise Oliveira.TFI
[1] Publicado originalmente em fevereiro de 2007. Atualizado.
[2] Publicado originalmente em fevereiro de 2007. Atualizado.
[3] 1 Tessalonicenses 5:18.
[4] Salmo 22:3.
[5] De Louise Hay e amigos.
Praticar o louvor (em outras palavras, estar agradecido) em situações difÃceis muda as coisas, porque atrai o EspÃrito e o poder do Senhor. Uma atitude agradecida anima tanto você quanto as pessoas ao seu redor, pois o ajuda a ter uma perspectiva positiva, lhe dá fé, fé no Senhor e fé por mudança. Melhora e traz resultados positivos mesmo em circunstâncias negativas. E fé é a vitória. A oração também pode mudar a situação, é claro, mas quando a coisa está negra, geralmente num primeiro momento é difÃcil ter fé e o poder espiritual necessários, porque a primeira reação é ficar chateado, triste ou desanimado. O louvor, porém, contra-ataca todos esses elementos negativos e imediatamente enche o seu espÃrito e a situação com fé, confiança no Senhor e uma energia espiritual positiva.—Maria Fontaine[1]
*
Tente pegar uma tragédia de verdade, uma situação sem esperança, de dar desespero, e deixe-a animar a sua fé no Meu poder a ponto de explodir em louvor, sabendo que Eu vou conquistar, que sou maior do que os problemas, que estou no controle, e que, de alguma maneira, vou lhe dar a vitória. — Isso sem mencionar os incontáveis benefÃcios atrelados a isso.
Louvar mesmo sem ver sinal de vitória, louvar apesar da aparente derrota, é poderoso.
Quando luta com a arma do louvor, os detalhes da situação se tornam praticamente irrelevantes, exceto pelo fato de que você está agradecido pela situação, por pior que seja, e essa atitude abre caminho para a vitória que posso lhe dar. Você fica tão grato pela Minha bondade, misericórdia, amor, sabedoria e cuidado, pela Minha capacidade de usar tudo para o bem, que transborda em louvores, porque se sente honrado com a oportunidade e bênção de Me ver em ação.
Isso não significa que está ignorando a gravidade da situação, mas que está olhando além, tomando uma atitude e ao mesmo tempo tendo uma visão dos bastidores. Está trabalhando Comigo para superar e integrar o Meu poder à situação, optando por se elevar acima do problema. Usar o louvor para lutar pela vitória ajuda. Mas quando só sente pena, interesse e preocupação, está na realidade se colocando como observador da guerra espiritual.
É da natureza humana fechar os olhos e se afastar de coisas ruins. O ser humano não quer se sentir incomodado. E com certeza é da natureza humana achar que a solidariedade é a única reação adequada à dor e ao sofrimento. Aprender a reagir diferente do natural e usar o louvor nessas situações exige unção e poder sobrenaturais que provem de Mim. Mas posso e vou lhe dar essa unção e poder.—Jesus, falando em profecia[2]
*
A vida real nem sempre vai ser perfeita ou como desejamos. Por isso, reconhecer constantemente o que funciona em nossas vidas nos ajuda não só a sobreviver, mas a superar nossas dificudlades. Sarah Ban Breathnach
*
Se procurar os pontos positivos em cada situação, verá a sua vida subitamente ser inundada por um sentimento de gratidão, um sentimento que vai alimentar a sua alma.—Rabi Harold Kushner
*
Fartura e falta existem concomitantemente na vida. São realidades paralelas. Fica sempre por nossa conta decidir de qual jardim secreto cuidaremos… Quando decidimos não focar o que nos falta na vida, mas agradecer pela abundância real de amor, saúde, famÃlia, amigos, trabalho, as alegrias proporcionadas pelo contato com a natureza e buscas pessoais, ficamos felizes, e o deserto da ilusão se vai. Vivenciamos então o Céu na terra. —Sarah Ban Breathnach
*
Quando criança, sentada entre meus pais na igreja nas manhãs de domingo, muitas vezes ouvi a leitura destas palavras encontradas na BÃblia: "Em tudo dai graças!”[3] E minha mente jovem respondia com: "Sim, é preciso ser grato por cada coisa boa que acontece na sua vida”. De tempos em tempos, ao longo da minha juventude, aquelas palavras ecoaram na minha consciência e aprendi a ser grato por muitas coisas óbvias. Eu expresso gratidão por presentes recebidos, pela forma bondosa como sou tratado, e por todos os bons momentos e amigos que tive até hoje.
Expressar gratidão, mesmo quando as coisas deram errado era muito mais difÃcil, mas, por outro lado, ficava espantada com o resultado disso. Descobri que o versÃculo: "Deus habita o louvor do Seu povo”[4] serve para nos lembrar que a gratidão libera uma energia que poderia começar a movimentar as coisas. E quando fiz isso, senti-me preencher com a força e a capacidade de superar o que estava acontecendo no mundo exterior. Eventualmente percebi que o que muitas vezes pareceu uma circunstância negativa, na realidade foi o ponto crucial para uma nova direção. Muitas vezes, em retrospecto, vi claramente que fora uma bênção disfarçada que me resultou em uma atitude muito mais profunda e significativa.
“Em tudo dai graças!” Agora, eu posso ficar admirada e agradeccida por um por do sol na praia, ou pelo processo de aprendizagem inerente a uma doença ou um momento de confusão. Eu posso ser grata por minha fé inabalável na harmonia divina quando meu filho doente corre risco de vida e isso foge ao meu controle e ainda não descobri todas as lições e os significados que a situação encerra. Fico agradecida quando posso me conectar com aqueles que amo, e também pelos momentos de divergência e de estranhamento que mostram-me novas lições a serem aprendidas e insights a serem assimilados. Sou realmente GRATA por ter descoberto o poder da gratidão em minha vida, e continuarei sempre dando graças em TUDO! – Gratidão: Um Estilo de Vida[5]
*
A gratidão não deveria ser uma reação que temos apenas ao receber o que desejamos, mas um sentimento constante que resulta da observação de pequenas coisas e de procurarmos sempre ver o bem, mesmo em situações desagradáveis. Comece a incorporar uma atitude de gratidão à s suas experiências, em vez de esperar por uma experiência positiva para ficar agradecido.—Marelisa Fábrega
*
Esteja grato pelo que possui, e no final conquistará mais. Se focar o que não tem, você nunca, jamais, terá o suficiente.—Oprah Winfrey
*
O louvor nos ajuda quando passamos por dificuldades, mas também é possÃvel louvar para ajudar outros quando estão passando por momentos difÃceis. Talvez seja automático para você pensar que louvar a Mim em uma situação difÃcil é o oposto de entender e ter compaixão. Mas pense em Mim e no Meu amor por você. Existe algo mais perfeito? Existe alguém que o conhece e entende melhor, ou se solidariza mais com você?
Quando falo com você nos momentos atribulados, por acaso enfatizo a tristeza e tudo de ruim, por acaso digo que foi injustiçado e quão lamentável é a situação? Não. Eu lhe ofereço a Minha mão para puxá-lo para o alto e tirá-lo desse sentimento de tristeza para ter a Minha perspectiva, onde tudo está bem e tem um propósito maior; onde o Meu amor pode envolvê-lo e curá-lo.
Assuma a Minha natureza e o ajudarei a saber como usar o louvor até mesmo nas circunstâncias mais tristes e atribuladas para servir de corda de resgate, como um manto de consolo, aconchego e encorajamento para os que estão em dificuldades. Se estiver assumindo a Minha natureza, os seus louvores refletirão o Meu coração amoroso, a Minha compreensão e ainda a Minha perspectiva, ou seja, que Eu tenho um plano, estou no controle, então pode Me louvar na certeza de que vou cuidar de você e que no final tudo vai dar certo.
Em certas situações vai louvar por entre lágrimas, com o coração partido pelas pessoas, com empatia. Não tem problema, ainda assim é louvor. Às vezes vai interceder fervorosamente pedindo pelo Meu amor e perspectiva, de modo que seus louvores terão a combinação certa de compreensão pela situação e uma fé firme que vê além das dificuldades e louva não importa o que aconteça.
Peça-Me por um espÃrito sincero de louvor. Louvar-Me de coração é uma atitude linda que libera e reconforta no espÃrito. E contagia os outros. É feito sem segundas intenções ou querer vender uma imagem. Se estiver disposto a fazer o que for preciso para ajudar alguém a ganhar a vitória, o louvor é uma maneira, mas não a única de se preparar para ajudar, que transmite uma quantidade imensa de amor e certeza.
Eu posso ajudá-lo a aprender a usar o louvor com habilidade e poder para ajudar outros e alterar circunstâncias e situações. Lembre-se que o Meu amor por você inclui compreensão e, ao mesmo tempo, muito da perspectiva celestial. Você também pode ter as duas coisas conforme usar o louvor para consolar e encorajar outras pessoas para que possam receber a cura e as soluções que ofereço.—Jesus, falando em profecia
*
Agradeça por não ter tudo o que deseja,
Se tivesse não haveria expectativa.
Agradeça quando lhe falta conhecimento,
Pois cria oportunidade de aprender.
Agradeça pelas dificuldades,
Porque então você cresce.
Agradeça por suas limitações,
Porque são oportunidades de melhorar.
Agradeça por cada novo desafio,
Porque fortalecem e moldam o seu caráter.
Agradeça pelos seus erros,
Pois lhe ensinam valiosas lições.
Agradeça quando se sente cansado e desgastado,
Porque significa que fez a diferença.
É fácil agradecer pelas coisas boas. Uma vida cheia de realizações é também cheia de reveses.
A GRATIDÃO pode transformar algo negativo em positivo. Procure uma maneira de agradecer por seus problemas… e eles se tornarão bênçãos.—Autor desconhecido
Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli. Revisão Denise Oliveira.TFI
[1] Publicado originalmente em fevereiro de 2007. Atualizado.
[2] Publicado originalmente em fevereiro de 2007. Atualizado.
[3] 1 Tessalonicenses 5:18.
[4] Salmo 22:3.
[5] De Louise Hay e amigos.
Divine Healing: Healing Is in the Atonement!
by Peter Amsterdam
Divine Healing: Healing Is in the Atonement
Chapter 4
A significant principle that those whose material I studied agree on, and that has been in our Statement of Faith for decades, is that divine healing is in the atonement—that Jesus not only died for our sins so that we could be saved, but He also suffered so that we could receive physical healing.
The concept of healing fitting within the atonement is based on Isaiah 53:4–5 and Matthew 8:16–17:
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.[1]
The word translated as infirmities (griefs in the KJV) is the Hebrew word choliy, meaning sickness.
Donald Dunkerley comments:
So what can we conclude about healing and the atonement?
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases” (Matthew 8:16–17).
Matthew was telling us that when Jesus healed the sick, He was setting them free from illness in direct fulfillment of Isaiah 53. That beloved Old Testament prophecy cannot be spiritualized to mean that Jesus would take on Himself only our spiritual problems. Matthew saw it fulfilled in the healing of physical illness. And when Isaiah said, “By His wounds we are healed,” physical healing was very much a part of what he had in mind.
Christ died to deliver us from sin and all its consequences, including disease and death. He died to provide holiness for us in this life and resurrection and glory in the life to come. He did not, in His earthly ministry, tell people to wait for heaven before they could be healed. He healed many of them right then.[2]
Our founder David also taught that healing was part of the atonement.
He didn’t have to suffer for our sins, He only had to shed His blood and die for our sins. But His body suffered stripes, wounds, beatings, pain and agony so that through this He could also atone for our sicknesses: “By His stripes we are healed!” (Isaiah 53:5)[3]
Lord, You suffered in Your body for our sicknesses and our illnesses as well as for our sins. You took our infirmities in Your own body, by Your stripes we are healed. You didn’t have to do all that, Lord, but You did that for our health, to show by Your vicarious suffering that You atone for our physical bodies as well as our spiritual souls.[4]
It’s Jesus’ body that heals them, which is what we teach. Why else was He beaten? Why else did He suffer stripes? Why else did He suffer physically without dying? If it was only His blood that was necessary to save us, why didn’t He just die and why did the Lord let Him go through all that suffering? “By His stripes we are healed.” “This is My body which is broken for you!”—Not to save us, but to heal us! (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Corinthians 11:24) It’s in the atonement, praise God! Hallelujah![5]
So as you partake of this [bread in communion], it’s a symbol of our faith that His body was broken for us and it is for our healing and we can claim it through the sacrifice of Christ. It’s a part of His atonement, the whole salvation for the whole man—body, soul and spirit.[6]
While the fact that healing is part of the atonement is generally believed by those who teach healing evangelism, there is a variance in the way it is interpreted. Some believe that while physical healing is contained within the atonement and “by His stripes we are healed,” this doesn’t mean all sickness will be healed immediately or even in this lifetime. Others believe that because healing is in the atonement, this means God will heal all diseases now.
David expressed that while we can and do get healed in this life, it’s only a touch of the full healing we will experience eternally.
This little ceremony [communion] today, Lord, symbolizes our message, that You’re the whole Christ for the whole man! You meet every need, physical and spiritual. You not only save souls, but You heal bodies too. And You’re going to redeem our body completely one of these days, and give us a whole brand new one. We have experienced a little touch of it in healing. Thy healing is a little touch of resurrection life, a little bit of Heaven, it’s a little bit of redemption, a little bit of redemption of the body.
We already have the salvation of our souls by faith, but Lord, even our spirits are not yet made perfect. If we receive Thee by faith, Thy Spirit by faith and Thy healing by faith, we already have the Kingdom of God within us. We have this all by faith. We have everything, a little bit of Heaven in our bodies and in our hearts as a result of taking this by faith here and now. And yet, Lord, it’s not going to be really completely fulfilled until we receive our new Heavenly bodies and “the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23)[7]
In his book Healing Evangelism, Don Dunkerley writes about his wife, Eileen, who was told she would not have any more children, yet had a miracle pregnancy and delivered a baby girl, Joy Anne. After her birth, the doctors found a congenital defect from which only one in ten survive. His church and others were praying for and expecting healing. Don says:
But the Lord took Joy Anne to heaven when she was just a half-hour short of one week old. This was a great blow to many who had prayed in faith. One member of our congregation told me recently that her prayer life was disturbed for years because she was so angry at God that Joy Anne had died when virtually the whole city of Pensacola was praying for her healing. Eileen and I were established enough in our understanding of God’s sovereignty that her death did not shake our faith or disturb our prayer lives.
On my first Sunday back in the pulpit, I preached a sermon to reassure the congregation (and Eileen and me) that God had not failed to keep His promises. My text was Ephesians 1:5, and the sermon title, “His Kind Intention.” Healing is in the atonement, I told them, but heaven is in the atonement, too. When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are instantly forgiven but we do not instantly go to heaven. Some of the blessings of the atonement we have in a partial sense now, and some we will have in a complete sense in the future, when we get to heaven. One day we shall all be perfectly healed of our diseases when we stand before the throne of the Lamb and sing His praises. It is God’s will ultimately that all His people be healed. Sometimes it is His will that we be healed instantly, but sometimes He has something better for us, because our illnesses and infirmities can be part of His wonderful work for our sanctification.
God did not heal Joy Anne in the way we were praying for, I said. He healed her by taking her to heaven.[8]
In his book When God Doesn’t Heal Now, Larry Keefauver tells a story of two situations, one in which a woman is hospitalized with an unknown condition which put her into a coma. The doctors had no idea what the problem was. Over the months, specialists were brought in from the top U.S. hospitals to attempt various procedures, but to no avail. The doctors told the husband his wife was brain dead. The husband believed God for his wife’s healing and continued to pray for her. He took her home and cared for her for months on end. In time, she began to regain consciousness, and after many more months she was completely healed.
He relates another account of a Christian couple who were serving the Lord for twenty years when the wife was diagnosed with cancer. After much prayer, over a period of time she improved, but not for long, and eventually she died of the cancer.
After sharing these two accounts, the author says:
Both couples walked by faith. In one instance, God healed physically in a miraculous way in time and space. In the other instance, God healed eternally.[9]
Keefauver makes the case that God always heals. Some He heals “in time”—that is, in this life, and others He heals “in eternity”—meaning that He heals them through delivering them from this life and taking them into eternity, where they are healed forever.
Healing evangelist Curry Blake teaches that healing is in the atonement, yet he takes a different stance regarding what results should be expected because of it. He makes the case that since healing is in the atonement, when someone is prayed for, their healing in this life is just as sure as salvation. He teaches that healing in this life is always God’s will. That if someone is prayed for and they aren’t healed, or at least the process of healing doesn’t start, then there is some failure on the part of the person praying. His premise is that because healing is in the atonement, it is always God’s will to heal, so healing in this lifetime is guaranteed. While the other healing evangelists believe that healing is in the atonement and is God’s will, they also believe that while many people will be healed in this lifetime, others will be healed in eternity.
I’m including Curry Blake’s point of view, though I must add that David’s teachings, as well as those of the other healing evangelists I’ve read, and the theologians I’ve studied, don’t agree with his point of view. Maria and I also differ from Curry Blake on this point. We don’t feel you can insist that everyone prayed for should be healed in this lifetime and that if they aren’t, there is something wrong.
Curry says:
All you need to know is that healing is in the atonement. It’s always God’s will.[10]
If God will never turn away a person who comes to Him for salvation and healing … and healing was paid for at the same time and to the same degree that sins were paid for, then the same rules apply to healing as apply to salvation.[11]
There’s only two things you need to know about healing: it is God’s will and it is in the atonement. If it is in the atonement, then it’s God’s will. Once you figure out it’s in the atonement and therefore is God’s will and therefore it’s always God’s will, then that means it can never not be God’s will. [12]
And let me tell you, if you think now that you know this, it’s not gonna hurt any more if somebody dies, let me tell you, it hurts more because now you know absolutely without a shadow of a doubt and with no excuses, they shouldn’t have died. I take away all your excuses, so now you know it was usually a failure somewhere in something that you didn’t do.[13]
You say that they had faith and the person who’s praying has faith, but if they didn’t get healed, then no. The Bible says if you pray the prayer of faith they will get healed. You’re saying that these people prayed the prayer of faith and they didn’t get healed. I can’t go with what you said. I have to go with what the Bible says.[14]
No spiritual-minded Christian ever died of sickness or disease. If a person dies of sickness or disease it is because they are carnally minded. Why? Because to be carnally minded is death. To be spiritually minded is life and peace.[15]
When discussing God’s will regarding healing, John and Sonja Decker quote Mark 1:40–42 to build their argument that it is God’s will to heal. They make reference to the two other times this story is told in the Gospels: in Matthew 8:2–3, and Luke 5:12–13.
A leper came to Him, imploring Him, and kneeling said to Him, “If You will, You can make me clean.” Moved with pity, He stretched out His hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.[16]
Their explanation is as follows:
The above Scriptures reveal God’s will concerning healing. His will is plainly revealed in these three passages. They all say the same thing: He is willing to heal us! He is willing not only to heal leprosy, He is willing to heal all manner of sickness and disease. Jesus has revealed His eternal compassion and mercy to heal the sick.
Most believe that God is able to do anything He wants. These passages proclaim that God is not only able, He is also willing to heal those who come to Him in faith. Therefore, we can preach with confidence that divine healing is now available through the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Sick people (like this leper) who are serious and determined to get healed, demonstrate the kind of faith that will set the stage for healing.
The timing of when the healing will actually manifest is always left in the hands of the Lord. Even though He is willing to heal now, the full, physical manifestation may be instant or may take hours, days, or weeks.
Our confession remains: “God is willing to heal you now. Your healing starts today. We will continue to thank Him until the physical manifestation comes to pass.”
Only God knows those sicknesses that will end in death (see John 11:4).[17] This is why we need revelation knowledge from the Lord about how to pray in these kinds of situations. We contend for healing until the Lord reveals otherwise.[18]
Since John and Sonja Decker emphasize the use of revelation in healing, they seek for the guidance of the Holy Spirit regarding whom they minister to and for how long they should pray for physical healing for someone who is ill. This is why they say they fight for people’s healing until the Lord reveals otherwise. While they believe it’s God’s will to heal, they also understand that sometimes God chooses not to heal someone in time, but rather to take the person to Him and heal them in eternity.
When writing about God’s will in regard to healing, Don Dunkerley expresses it this way:
Sickness is no more God’s will than sin and unbelief are His will. God is always on the side of healing, just as He is always on the side of righteousness and faith. And ultimate healing for His people is always God's will. But there are mysteries about God’s plan. We know He allows and uses things of which He does not approve, and His plan for human history includes sin, unbelief, sickness, even death. God used Joseph’s slavery in Egypt to deliver many people, though He did not approve of Joseph’s being sold as a slave (Genesis 45:7–8; 50:20). God used the murder of Christ as the center of His plan of redemption, although that murder was wickedness (Acts 2:23).
The mystery here is that God does not approve of sickness any more than He approves of slavery and murder. But that does not mean He always heals. In fact, sometimes He actually uses sickness for our sanctification. So instead of praying, “If it be Thy will,” we should pray for healing “according to Your will.” Healing is His will; it’s just that His timing is not always immediate.[19]
Healing is part of the atonement. When Jesus was resurrected and then ascended into heaven, it wasn’t only His spirit that rose from the dead and ascended into heaven—His physical body did as well. When Jesus returns at the Rapture, we will meet Him in the air, and not just our spirits but our bodies too. We will have supernatural bodies like Jesus does, and those bodies will be fully healed for eternity. That’s the ultimate fulfillment of the atonement.
While there may be differences of opinion on whether healing in the atonement means everyone who is prayed for must be healed now, or that some will be healed now and others only in eternity, one thing we can count on is that because of Jesus’ suffering and death we will live forever, with resurrected bodies which will suffer no pain and will never be sick.
We can also know that healing is available to us and others while we live on earth, through Jesus’ atonement. We can bring that healing to many, if we have the faith to believe what Jesus said, and to step out and pray for those in need, thus bringing them the opportunity to receive healing at God’s hand.
(Next in this series: Process of Healing)
[1] Isaiah 53:4–5 NIV.
[2] HE 63.
[3] David Brandt Berg, "The Real Meaning of the Lord’s Supper," October 1978, 781:48.
[4] David Brandt Berg, "The Message of the Crucifixion," April 1984, 1768:90.
[5] David Brandt Berg, "What If? Part 3," June 1986, 2211-3:104.
[6] David Brandt Berg, "Sunday Communion and Prayer for Joseph," January 1982, 1315:4.
[7] David Brandt Berg, "I Am a Stranger Here," March 1982, 1533:4–5.
[8] HE 61.
[9] Larry Keefauver, When God Doesn’t Heal Now, chapter 2 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000).
[10] DHT Video 9.
[11] DHT Video 7.
[12] CB Video 8.
[13] DHT Video 7.
[14] DHT Video 7.
[15] DHT Video 7.
[16] Mark 1:40–42 ESV.
[17] When Jesus heard it He said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4 ESV).
[18] DWJD 3.
[19] HE 69–70.
Divine Healing: Healing Is in the Atonement
Chapter 4
A significant principle that those whose material I studied agree on, and that has been in our Statement of Faith for decades, is that divine healing is in the atonement—that Jesus not only died for our sins so that we could be saved, but He also suffered so that we could receive physical healing.
The concept of healing fitting within the atonement is based on Isaiah 53:4–5 and Matthew 8:16–17:
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.[1]
The word translated as infirmities (griefs in the KJV) is the Hebrew word choliy, meaning sickness.
Donald Dunkerley comments:
So what can we conclude about healing and the atonement?
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases” (Matthew 8:16–17).
Matthew was telling us that when Jesus healed the sick, He was setting them free from illness in direct fulfillment of Isaiah 53. That beloved Old Testament prophecy cannot be spiritualized to mean that Jesus would take on Himself only our spiritual problems. Matthew saw it fulfilled in the healing of physical illness. And when Isaiah said, “By His wounds we are healed,” physical healing was very much a part of what he had in mind.
Christ died to deliver us from sin and all its consequences, including disease and death. He died to provide holiness for us in this life and resurrection and glory in the life to come. He did not, in His earthly ministry, tell people to wait for heaven before they could be healed. He healed many of them right then.[2]
Our founder David also taught that healing was part of the atonement.
He didn’t have to suffer for our sins, He only had to shed His blood and die for our sins. But His body suffered stripes, wounds, beatings, pain and agony so that through this He could also atone for our sicknesses: “By His stripes we are healed!” (Isaiah 53:5)[3]
Lord, You suffered in Your body for our sicknesses and our illnesses as well as for our sins. You took our infirmities in Your own body, by Your stripes we are healed. You didn’t have to do all that, Lord, but You did that for our health, to show by Your vicarious suffering that You atone for our physical bodies as well as our spiritual souls.[4]
It’s Jesus’ body that heals them, which is what we teach. Why else was He beaten? Why else did He suffer stripes? Why else did He suffer physically without dying? If it was only His blood that was necessary to save us, why didn’t He just die and why did the Lord let Him go through all that suffering? “By His stripes we are healed.” “This is My body which is broken for you!”—Not to save us, but to heal us! (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Corinthians 11:24) It’s in the atonement, praise God! Hallelujah![5]
So as you partake of this [bread in communion], it’s a symbol of our faith that His body was broken for us and it is for our healing and we can claim it through the sacrifice of Christ. It’s a part of His atonement, the whole salvation for the whole man—body, soul and spirit.[6]
While the fact that healing is part of the atonement is generally believed by those who teach healing evangelism, there is a variance in the way it is interpreted. Some believe that while physical healing is contained within the atonement and “by His stripes we are healed,” this doesn’t mean all sickness will be healed immediately or even in this lifetime. Others believe that because healing is in the atonement, this means God will heal all diseases now.
David expressed that while we can and do get healed in this life, it’s only a touch of the full healing we will experience eternally.
This little ceremony [communion] today, Lord, symbolizes our message, that You’re the whole Christ for the whole man! You meet every need, physical and spiritual. You not only save souls, but You heal bodies too. And You’re going to redeem our body completely one of these days, and give us a whole brand new one. We have experienced a little touch of it in healing. Thy healing is a little touch of resurrection life, a little bit of Heaven, it’s a little bit of redemption, a little bit of redemption of the body.
We already have the salvation of our souls by faith, but Lord, even our spirits are not yet made perfect. If we receive Thee by faith, Thy Spirit by faith and Thy healing by faith, we already have the Kingdom of God within us. We have this all by faith. We have everything, a little bit of Heaven in our bodies and in our hearts as a result of taking this by faith here and now. And yet, Lord, it’s not going to be really completely fulfilled until we receive our new Heavenly bodies and “the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23)[7]
In his book Healing Evangelism, Don Dunkerley writes about his wife, Eileen, who was told she would not have any more children, yet had a miracle pregnancy and delivered a baby girl, Joy Anne. After her birth, the doctors found a congenital defect from which only one in ten survive. His church and others were praying for and expecting healing. Don says:
But the Lord took Joy Anne to heaven when she was just a half-hour short of one week old. This was a great blow to many who had prayed in faith. One member of our congregation told me recently that her prayer life was disturbed for years because she was so angry at God that Joy Anne had died when virtually the whole city of Pensacola was praying for her healing. Eileen and I were established enough in our understanding of God’s sovereignty that her death did not shake our faith or disturb our prayer lives.
On my first Sunday back in the pulpit, I preached a sermon to reassure the congregation (and Eileen and me) that God had not failed to keep His promises. My text was Ephesians 1:5, and the sermon title, “His Kind Intention.” Healing is in the atonement, I told them, but heaven is in the atonement, too. When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are instantly forgiven but we do not instantly go to heaven. Some of the blessings of the atonement we have in a partial sense now, and some we will have in a complete sense in the future, when we get to heaven. One day we shall all be perfectly healed of our diseases when we stand before the throne of the Lamb and sing His praises. It is God’s will ultimately that all His people be healed. Sometimes it is His will that we be healed instantly, but sometimes He has something better for us, because our illnesses and infirmities can be part of His wonderful work for our sanctification.
God did not heal Joy Anne in the way we were praying for, I said. He healed her by taking her to heaven.[8]
In his book When God Doesn’t Heal Now, Larry Keefauver tells a story of two situations, one in which a woman is hospitalized with an unknown condition which put her into a coma. The doctors had no idea what the problem was. Over the months, specialists were brought in from the top U.S. hospitals to attempt various procedures, but to no avail. The doctors told the husband his wife was brain dead. The husband believed God for his wife’s healing and continued to pray for her. He took her home and cared for her for months on end. In time, she began to regain consciousness, and after many more months she was completely healed.
He relates another account of a Christian couple who were serving the Lord for twenty years when the wife was diagnosed with cancer. After much prayer, over a period of time she improved, but not for long, and eventually she died of the cancer.
After sharing these two accounts, the author says:
Both couples walked by faith. In one instance, God healed physically in a miraculous way in time and space. In the other instance, God healed eternally.[9]
Keefauver makes the case that God always heals. Some He heals “in time”—that is, in this life, and others He heals “in eternity”—meaning that He heals them through delivering them from this life and taking them into eternity, where they are healed forever.
Healing evangelist Curry Blake teaches that healing is in the atonement, yet he takes a different stance regarding what results should be expected because of it. He makes the case that since healing is in the atonement, when someone is prayed for, their healing in this life is just as sure as salvation. He teaches that healing in this life is always God’s will. That if someone is prayed for and they aren’t healed, or at least the process of healing doesn’t start, then there is some failure on the part of the person praying. His premise is that because healing is in the atonement, it is always God’s will to heal, so healing in this lifetime is guaranteed. While the other healing evangelists believe that healing is in the atonement and is God’s will, they also believe that while many people will be healed in this lifetime, others will be healed in eternity.
I’m including Curry Blake’s point of view, though I must add that David’s teachings, as well as those of the other healing evangelists I’ve read, and the theologians I’ve studied, don’t agree with his point of view. Maria and I also differ from Curry Blake on this point. We don’t feel you can insist that everyone prayed for should be healed in this lifetime and that if they aren’t, there is something wrong.
Curry says:
All you need to know is that healing is in the atonement. It’s always God’s will.[10]
If God will never turn away a person who comes to Him for salvation and healing … and healing was paid for at the same time and to the same degree that sins were paid for, then the same rules apply to healing as apply to salvation.[11]
There’s only two things you need to know about healing: it is God’s will and it is in the atonement. If it is in the atonement, then it’s God’s will. Once you figure out it’s in the atonement and therefore is God’s will and therefore it’s always God’s will, then that means it can never not be God’s will. [12]
And let me tell you, if you think now that you know this, it’s not gonna hurt any more if somebody dies, let me tell you, it hurts more because now you know absolutely without a shadow of a doubt and with no excuses, they shouldn’t have died. I take away all your excuses, so now you know it was usually a failure somewhere in something that you didn’t do.[13]
You say that they had faith and the person who’s praying has faith, but if they didn’t get healed, then no. The Bible says if you pray the prayer of faith they will get healed. You’re saying that these people prayed the prayer of faith and they didn’t get healed. I can’t go with what you said. I have to go with what the Bible says.[14]
No spiritual-minded Christian ever died of sickness or disease. If a person dies of sickness or disease it is because they are carnally minded. Why? Because to be carnally minded is death. To be spiritually minded is life and peace.[15]
When discussing God’s will regarding healing, John and Sonja Decker quote Mark 1:40–42 to build their argument that it is God’s will to heal. They make reference to the two other times this story is told in the Gospels: in Matthew 8:2–3, and Luke 5:12–13.
A leper came to Him, imploring Him, and kneeling said to Him, “If You will, You can make me clean.” Moved with pity, He stretched out His hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.[16]
Their explanation is as follows:
The above Scriptures reveal God’s will concerning healing. His will is plainly revealed in these three passages. They all say the same thing: He is willing to heal us! He is willing not only to heal leprosy, He is willing to heal all manner of sickness and disease. Jesus has revealed His eternal compassion and mercy to heal the sick.
Most believe that God is able to do anything He wants. These passages proclaim that God is not only able, He is also willing to heal those who come to Him in faith. Therefore, we can preach with confidence that divine healing is now available through the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Sick people (like this leper) who are serious and determined to get healed, demonstrate the kind of faith that will set the stage for healing.
The timing of when the healing will actually manifest is always left in the hands of the Lord. Even though He is willing to heal now, the full, physical manifestation may be instant or may take hours, days, or weeks.
Our confession remains: “God is willing to heal you now. Your healing starts today. We will continue to thank Him until the physical manifestation comes to pass.”
Only God knows those sicknesses that will end in death (see John 11:4).[17] This is why we need revelation knowledge from the Lord about how to pray in these kinds of situations. We contend for healing until the Lord reveals otherwise.[18]
Since John and Sonja Decker emphasize the use of revelation in healing, they seek for the guidance of the Holy Spirit regarding whom they minister to and for how long they should pray for physical healing for someone who is ill. This is why they say they fight for people’s healing until the Lord reveals otherwise. While they believe it’s God’s will to heal, they also understand that sometimes God chooses not to heal someone in time, but rather to take the person to Him and heal them in eternity.
When writing about God’s will in regard to healing, Don Dunkerley expresses it this way:
Sickness is no more God’s will than sin and unbelief are His will. God is always on the side of healing, just as He is always on the side of righteousness and faith. And ultimate healing for His people is always God's will. But there are mysteries about God’s plan. We know He allows and uses things of which He does not approve, and His plan for human history includes sin, unbelief, sickness, even death. God used Joseph’s slavery in Egypt to deliver many people, though He did not approve of Joseph’s being sold as a slave (Genesis 45:7–8; 50:20). God used the murder of Christ as the center of His plan of redemption, although that murder was wickedness (Acts 2:23).
The mystery here is that God does not approve of sickness any more than He approves of slavery and murder. But that does not mean He always heals. In fact, sometimes He actually uses sickness for our sanctification. So instead of praying, “If it be Thy will,” we should pray for healing “according to Your will.” Healing is His will; it’s just that His timing is not always immediate.[19]
Healing is part of the atonement. When Jesus was resurrected and then ascended into heaven, it wasn’t only His spirit that rose from the dead and ascended into heaven—His physical body did as well. When Jesus returns at the Rapture, we will meet Him in the air, and not just our spirits but our bodies too. We will have supernatural bodies like Jesus does, and those bodies will be fully healed for eternity. That’s the ultimate fulfillment of the atonement.
While there may be differences of opinion on whether healing in the atonement means everyone who is prayed for must be healed now, or that some will be healed now and others only in eternity, one thing we can count on is that because of Jesus’ suffering and death we will live forever, with resurrected bodies which will suffer no pain and will never be sick.
We can also know that healing is available to us and others while we live on earth, through Jesus’ atonement. We can bring that healing to many, if we have the faith to believe what Jesus said, and to step out and pray for those in need, thus bringing them the opportunity to receive healing at God’s hand.
(Next in this series: Process of Healing)
[1] Isaiah 53:4–5 NIV.
[2] HE 63.
[3] David Brandt Berg, "The Real Meaning of the Lord’s Supper," October 1978, 781:48.
[4] David Brandt Berg, "The Message of the Crucifixion," April 1984, 1768:90.
[5] David Brandt Berg, "What If? Part 3," June 1986, 2211-3:104.
[6] David Brandt Berg, "Sunday Communion and Prayer for Joseph," January 1982, 1315:4.
[7] David Brandt Berg, "I Am a Stranger Here," March 1982, 1533:4–5.
[8] HE 61.
[9] Larry Keefauver, When God Doesn’t Heal Now, chapter 2 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000).
[10] DHT Video 9.
[11] DHT Video 7.
[12] CB Video 8.
[13] DHT Video 7.
[14] DHT Video 7.
[15] DHT Video 7.
[16] Mark 1:40–42 ESV.
[17] When Jesus heard it He said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4 ESV).
[18] DWJD 3.
[19] HE 69–70.
A Cabana da Montanha
Adaptado de uma mensagem de Jesus
Imagine um homem em uma trilha na montanha varrida pelo vento. Os ramos da figueira curvando-se sob o peso da neve. Não é senda para amadores. É Ãngreme, rochosa e há penhascos e barrancos traiçoeiros no caminho. Quando a neve amaina um pouco, descortina-se o céu cinza e nublado. O caminho não está demarcado e ele viaja sem um guia, por isso tem que confiar na sua vista e na intuição.
Ele avança, ciente que o mais difÃcil ainda está por vir. Ainda haverá aclives mais acentuados e momentos de visibilidade ainda mais reduzida, assim como trechos em que terá que usar o equipamento de alpinismo para se agarrar à montanha. Neste momento já é necessário toda a coragem que possui para perseverar. Seus músculos doem e o vento queima o seu rosto. O vento provoca lágrimas e as força pelo canto dos olhos para, nas bochechas, se converterem em contas de gelo. Perdeu o tato nas mãos, mas não lhe faltam coragem e tenacidade. Uma tremenda compulsão de atingir o cume o instiga. São obstáculos que não o podem deter, e ele persiste.
Mas chega um momento em que a força lhe foge e ele começa a vacilar. Chegou ao limite de corpo e espÃrito e, no seu Ãntimo, pergunta-se se conseguirá chegar ao fim.
Mas é então que, por entre as árvores, vê uma luz bruxuleante. Aproxima-se um pouco mais e, no meio de uma clareira, vê uma cabana que parece um alojamento para viajantes. É feita de troncos, com um telhado bastante inclinado e uma extensão bem larga, muito acolhedora.
É provável que lá encontre algo quente para beber — café, chá, chocolate ou, quem sabe, conhaque — pensa.
A fumaça saindo da chaminé revela que a lareira está acesa. O viajante se aproxima e vê o brilho do fogo por um espaço entre as cortinas da janela. Ouve o som do riso das pessoas que comem e bebem. Logo as vê. Está tão quentinho lá dentro que elas nem usam jaquetas. A cabana é como uma ilha de calor, de alegria e de encorajamento no meio da neve.
Faz uma pausa para observar os viajantes lá dentro, sendo aquecidos, revigorados, fortalecidos e descansando para prosseguirem a sua jornada. Os pensamentos tomam sua mente: Talvez troquem entre si informações sobre o que lhes aguarda, indicações de como chegar ao fim do caminho. Quem sabe, como eu, alguns estejam aqui pela primeira vez, mas talvez haja outros tarimbados, que conheçam os perigos e riscos da trilha, que aconselham os novatos sobre a rota mais segura e rápida.
E há comida lá dentro: boa, farta e nutritiva. Há tanto que sente fome, que mal tem na memória a sensação de prazer de uma refeição quente. Vem mordiscando lanches no caminho porque não queria parar e preparar algo mais substancial.
Deve haver acomodações para hóspedes onde possa cochilar ou, talvez, pernoitar. O lugar parece ser exatamente o que um viajante exausto precisa. As vozes felizes o atraem para dentro. Um pouco de convÃvio e a chance de trocar experiências, reanimar-se e aprender dos demais viajantes em nada atrapalhariam.
Mesmo assim, analisa a cabana e pesa os benefÃcios oferecidos. Pensa e pondera: “É preciso manter o ritmo. É verdade que meus músculos doem, a fome é grande, não sinto mais os pés e as mãos, e o frio é cortante. Mas parar? Isso cabe aos fracos e desistentes. Hei de conseguir. Melhor é encontrar o caminho por conta própria. Com certeza muito maior será a glória”.
Baixinho, uma voz vinda de dentro sugere: “E se não encontrar? E se virar na direção errada? E se sofrer um acidente por desconhecer os pontos perigosos? E se lhe fugirem por completo as forças?” Mas ele ignora a sugestão Ãntima de parar e de se recuperar na cabana.
Força-se adiante, embrenhando-se na floresta escura, indo contra a tempestade, galgando a montanha ameaçadora. “Melhor é estar só” — pensa consigo, firme na sua decisão de chegar ao fim da jornada.
E nunca mais se tem notÃcia desse viajante.
Ainda que seja difÃcil imaginar alguém agindo assim, é precisamente o que muitos de nós fazemos, no espÃrito, diante de grandes desafios, quando repousar nos braços de Jesus faria toda a diferença. Ainda que, à s vezes, a gratificante estrada da vida se apresente difÃcil e perigosa, Ele nos deu tudo que precisamos para trilhá-la: Sua Palavra, oração, comunhão com Ele e a camaradagem entre outros cristãos. Mesmo assim, muitos tentam seguir viagem por conta própria. Se parássemos para um descanso espiritual, encontrarÃamos alimento para nossas almas, terÃamos comunhão com Jesus e, através da Sua Palavra e de oração, soluções para os nossos problemas. E poderÃamos receber orientação daqueles que já conhecem o caminho.
Por que então ignorar tal ajuda e seguir só? Será o orgulho o nosso maior adversário? Será que, em parte, não queremos admitir nossa incapacidade e que precisamos de Jesus, da orientação da Sua Palavra e da ajuda de nossos companheiros cristãos?
E assim seguimos penosamente, e como as dificuldades são grandes!
Jesus não pode abrandar o aclive nem a trilha, mas pode facilitar a sua jornada. Esses abrigos para repouso com Ele ao longo do caminho alegram a jornada, pois você sabe que obterá a força para encarar os desafios que venha a enfrentar.
Escute Sua voz falando-lhe ao coração: “Não gostaria de parar na Minha cabana e saborear Comigo uma xÃcara de reconforto? Aqueça-se junto à lareira da Minha Palavra. Aprenda com a experiência daqueles que já trilharam o caminho. Descanse nas minhas camas confortáveis antes de seguir caminho. Quando chegar ao cume, se regozijará com a vista de tirar o fôlego, e beberá dos lagos cristalinos da montanha. Depois, poderá voltar e contar a outros como também chegar lá.”
Originalmente publicado em abril de 2001. Republicado em janeiro de 2012.
Tradução Tiago Sant’Ana. Revisão Denise Oliveira.TFI
Imagine um homem em uma trilha na montanha varrida pelo vento. Os ramos da figueira curvando-se sob o peso da neve. Não é senda para amadores. É Ãngreme, rochosa e há penhascos e barrancos traiçoeiros no caminho. Quando a neve amaina um pouco, descortina-se o céu cinza e nublado. O caminho não está demarcado e ele viaja sem um guia, por isso tem que confiar na sua vista e na intuição.
Ele avança, ciente que o mais difÃcil ainda está por vir. Ainda haverá aclives mais acentuados e momentos de visibilidade ainda mais reduzida, assim como trechos em que terá que usar o equipamento de alpinismo para se agarrar à montanha. Neste momento já é necessário toda a coragem que possui para perseverar. Seus músculos doem e o vento queima o seu rosto. O vento provoca lágrimas e as força pelo canto dos olhos para, nas bochechas, se converterem em contas de gelo. Perdeu o tato nas mãos, mas não lhe faltam coragem e tenacidade. Uma tremenda compulsão de atingir o cume o instiga. São obstáculos que não o podem deter, e ele persiste.
Mas chega um momento em que a força lhe foge e ele começa a vacilar. Chegou ao limite de corpo e espÃrito e, no seu Ãntimo, pergunta-se se conseguirá chegar ao fim.
Mas é então que, por entre as árvores, vê uma luz bruxuleante. Aproxima-se um pouco mais e, no meio de uma clareira, vê uma cabana que parece um alojamento para viajantes. É feita de troncos, com um telhado bastante inclinado e uma extensão bem larga, muito acolhedora.
É provável que lá encontre algo quente para beber — café, chá, chocolate ou, quem sabe, conhaque — pensa.
A fumaça saindo da chaminé revela que a lareira está acesa. O viajante se aproxima e vê o brilho do fogo por um espaço entre as cortinas da janela. Ouve o som do riso das pessoas que comem e bebem. Logo as vê. Está tão quentinho lá dentro que elas nem usam jaquetas. A cabana é como uma ilha de calor, de alegria e de encorajamento no meio da neve.
Faz uma pausa para observar os viajantes lá dentro, sendo aquecidos, revigorados, fortalecidos e descansando para prosseguirem a sua jornada. Os pensamentos tomam sua mente: Talvez troquem entre si informações sobre o que lhes aguarda, indicações de como chegar ao fim do caminho. Quem sabe, como eu, alguns estejam aqui pela primeira vez, mas talvez haja outros tarimbados, que conheçam os perigos e riscos da trilha, que aconselham os novatos sobre a rota mais segura e rápida.
E há comida lá dentro: boa, farta e nutritiva. Há tanto que sente fome, que mal tem na memória a sensação de prazer de uma refeição quente. Vem mordiscando lanches no caminho porque não queria parar e preparar algo mais substancial.
Deve haver acomodações para hóspedes onde possa cochilar ou, talvez, pernoitar. O lugar parece ser exatamente o que um viajante exausto precisa. As vozes felizes o atraem para dentro. Um pouco de convÃvio e a chance de trocar experiências, reanimar-se e aprender dos demais viajantes em nada atrapalhariam.
Mesmo assim, analisa a cabana e pesa os benefÃcios oferecidos. Pensa e pondera: “É preciso manter o ritmo. É verdade que meus músculos doem, a fome é grande, não sinto mais os pés e as mãos, e o frio é cortante. Mas parar? Isso cabe aos fracos e desistentes. Hei de conseguir. Melhor é encontrar o caminho por conta própria. Com certeza muito maior será a glória”.
Baixinho, uma voz vinda de dentro sugere: “E se não encontrar? E se virar na direção errada? E se sofrer um acidente por desconhecer os pontos perigosos? E se lhe fugirem por completo as forças?” Mas ele ignora a sugestão Ãntima de parar e de se recuperar na cabana.
Força-se adiante, embrenhando-se na floresta escura, indo contra a tempestade, galgando a montanha ameaçadora. “Melhor é estar só” — pensa consigo, firme na sua decisão de chegar ao fim da jornada.
E nunca mais se tem notÃcia desse viajante.
Ainda que seja difÃcil imaginar alguém agindo assim, é precisamente o que muitos de nós fazemos, no espÃrito, diante de grandes desafios, quando repousar nos braços de Jesus faria toda a diferença. Ainda que, à s vezes, a gratificante estrada da vida se apresente difÃcil e perigosa, Ele nos deu tudo que precisamos para trilhá-la: Sua Palavra, oração, comunhão com Ele e a camaradagem entre outros cristãos. Mesmo assim, muitos tentam seguir viagem por conta própria. Se parássemos para um descanso espiritual, encontrarÃamos alimento para nossas almas, terÃamos comunhão com Jesus e, através da Sua Palavra e de oração, soluções para os nossos problemas. E poderÃamos receber orientação daqueles que já conhecem o caminho.
Por que então ignorar tal ajuda e seguir só? Será o orgulho o nosso maior adversário? Será que, em parte, não queremos admitir nossa incapacidade e que precisamos de Jesus, da orientação da Sua Palavra e da ajuda de nossos companheiros cristãos?
E assim seguimos penosamente, e como as dificuldades são grandes!
Jesus não pode abrandar o aclive nem a trilha, mas pode facilitar a sua jornada. Esses abrigos para repouso com Ele ao longo do caminho alegram a jornada, pois você sabe que obterá a força para encarar os desafios que venha a enfrentar.
Escute Sua voz falando-lhe ao coração: “Não gostaria de parar na Minha cabana e saborear Comigo uma xÃcara de reconforto? Aqueça-se junto à lareira da Minha Palavra. Aprenda com a experiência daqueles que já trilharam o caminho. Descanse nas minhas camas confortáveis antes de seguir caminho. Quando chegar ao cume, se regozijará com a vista de tirar o fôlego, e beberá dos lagos cristalinos da montanha. Depois, poderá voltar e contar a outros como também chegar lá.”
Originalmente publicado em abril de 2001. Republicado em janeiro de 2012.
Tradução Tiago Sant’Ana. Revisão Denise Oliveira.TFI
Reflecting on the Past
By Maria Fontaine
When we look back over our past and we see the highlights and victories, the joy and happiness, we also see the missed opportunities and the losses, the heartbreaks and the tears. We often feel some regrets and wish we had done this, that, and the other, or at least done certain things better.
The Lord knows exactly how each of us feels, better than anyone on earth can, because He knows our heart and thoughts. Every single one of our thoughts, including every deed, is written in His book. Also written therein are the results of our thoughts and prayers and actions—the minds that were changed, the hearts that were touched, the lives that were transformed, and the effect that we had on the people around us, and on the world itself.
Your times of giving and sharing the Lord’s love with others are like a string of pearls in the Lord’s sight, or a set of jewels that He’s fashioning into your crown of life—one that will shine as the stars, forever and ever.1
As we reflect on our past, we should remember that we only see a small part of our past, and even that imperfectly. We see the places on our path where we got stuck, the places where the path ran out or got washed away, the steep hills that we barely made it up, and we can be tempted to wonder if we took the right path in the first place. But the Lord sees the making of a man or a woman—the depth of compassion we’ve gained, the wisdom we’ve attained, and the maturity we’ve developed through all our experiences.
Our path may have seemed like the wrong way or the long way—a dark and muddy path at times. But the Bible says that the path of the just is as a shining light, that shines more and more until that perfect day.2 He’s promised to light the path of our future before us, as He guides us to that day when He will reconcile all things to Him.3
Dear Lord, as we reflect on life and on our past, help us to reflect not only on the things we wish we would have done differently, but also on the good that came about, even if some of it came through difficult times. Encourage our hearts to know that although we can only see through a glass darkly, You see the big picture in perfect clarity, and You see the choices we have made throughout the years to give, to live for You, to serve You.
You have taken our gifts of love, service, and sacrifice, and despite our human frailties, mistakes, and shortcomings, You have used them to make many other people’s lives better. Even if we can’t see those effects right now, we know we will see them some day.
Originally published January 2011. Republished on Anchor March 2012.
1 Daniel 12:3.
2 Proverbs 4:18.
3 Colossians 1:20.
When we look back over our past and we see the highlights and victories, the joy and happiness, we also see the missed opportunities and the losses, the heartbreaks and the tears. We often feel some regrets and wish we had done this, that, and the other, or at least done certain things better.
The Lord knows exactly how each of us feels, better than anyone on earth can, because He knows our heart and thoughts. Every single one of our thoughts, including every deed, is written in His book. Also written therein are the results of our thoughts and prayers and actions—the minds that were changed, the hearts that were touched, the lives that were transformed, and the effect that we had on the people around us, and on the world itself.
Your times of giving and sharing the Lord’s love with others are like a string of pearls in the Lord’s sight, or a set of jewels that He’s fashioning into your crown of life—one that will shine as the stars, forever and ever.1
As we reflect on our past, we should remember that we only see a small part of our past, and even that imperfectly. We see the places on our path where we got stuck, the places where the path ran out or got washed away, the steep hills that we barely made it up, and we can be tempted to wonder if we took the right path in the first place. But the Lord sees the making of a man or a woman—the depth of compassion we’ve gained, the wisdom we’ve attained, and the maturity we’ve developed through all our experiences.
Our path may have seemed like the wrong way or the long way—a dark and muddy path at times. But the Bible says that the path of the just is as a shining light, that shines more and more until that perfect day.2 He’s promised to light the path of our future before us, as He guides us to that day when He will reconcile all things to Him.3
Dear Lord, as we reflect on life and on our past, help us to reflect not only on the things we wish we would have done differently, but also on the good that came about, even if some of it came through difficult times. Encourage our hearts to know that although we can only see through a glass darkly, You see the big picture in perfect clarity, and You see the choices we have made throughout the years to give, to live for You, to serve You.
You have taken our gifts of love, service, and sacrifice, and despite our human frailties, mistakes, and shortcomings, You have used them to make many other people’s lives better. Even if we can’t see those effects right now, we know we will see them some day.
Originally published January 2011. Republished on Anchor March 2012.
1 Daniel 12:3.
2 Proverbs 4:18.
3 Colossians 1:20.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Believe It Before You See It!
By Dan Delzell
I had a fresh reminder about prayer as I worked on my message for this weekend. The message is based on Matthew 8:5–13 where the centurion believed Jesus would grant his request even before he saw any evidence of the answered prayer.
You might think pastors have mastered the art of prayer and are always filled with faith. The reality is that all Christians, including pastors, often find themselves praying with less than total confidence rather than believing that God WILL answer each prayer according to His plan. We are all guilty of it. It's tough stuff to always pray in faith. Our flesh fights against it. Our circumstances scream loudly at us and invite pessimism. Meanwhile, our loving God continually speaks to His children in a still small voice. If only we would get to a quiet place with Him and find some rest. Then a faith-filled prayer life would burst forth in our soul in boldness and strength.
D. L. Moody said that we as believers are "leaky vessels." Rather than living every day filled with faith in God's promises, we sometimes offer mechanical prayers that have little heart and even less faith. Who will rescue us from such halfhearted prayers? We desperately need God to fill us daily with the Holy Spirit and power. He alone can give us a faith-filled prayer life. Jesus said, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."1 Just as we need the cross of Christ for our salvation, we need the power of the Holy Spirit for an effective prayer life.
I realized something this week about my own prayer life. The faith which is expressed in my prayers is often not nearly as strong as my faith for heaven. I know for sure that heaven is my eternal home because of God’s promises in His Word. There is no doubt in my mind. It is a done deal. Christ finished it on the cross and rose again. I live daily with the tremendous confidence that it is well with my soul for eternity. I have not yet seen heaven, but I believe it before I see it because God said it! Just imagine if you and I had that kind of certainty every time we prayed about the issues of today.
When it comes to believing God for things in this world, I sometimes find myself settling for prayers that are not brimming over with complete confidence. I have often been content to merely bring a petition to God without first asking myself if I am sure that God will grant it. One way to gain that assurance is by adding the biblical qualifier “if it be Thy will.” Jesus prayed that way to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, and it honors the Lord for His people to pray that way today.
A man who was "covered with leprosy" came to Jesus one day. "When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.' Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left him."2 That was a situation where the man believed with absolute certainty that Jesus would heal him if He was willing. That man's prayer was one of pure faith, and yet he humbly affirmed that Jesus only does things that are in accord with His will. What a beautiful way to approach God in prayer!
When praying for the salvation of an unsaved friend or loved one, we don't need to add "if it be Thy will" to our request. We already know His will on that matter. "God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."3 There are other things we pray about where we are not sure what God may want to do in a given situation. Either way, it is very important that we pray in faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."4
When you and I make a request of the Lord, we can be 100% sure that He WILL answer it according to His plan. It is very important to God that we pray with strong faith rather than make weak requests with a heart of uncertainty. This requires spiritual and mental focus and fortitude that goes far beyond merely saying words to God. Faith has to do with what I truly believe concerning the matter for which I am praying. In order to have strong faith, I need to stand on God's Word and His promises. John Hull said, "If all the answers to prayer came overnight, we would not be called a people of faith."
Do I believe God WILL answer my prayer, or do I only HOPE He will answer it? If I truly believe He will, then I need to spend time thanking Him that He HAS answered it according to His will. I need to believe that God's answer will appear in His perfect time. These prayers of thanks during those weeks and months after my prayers of petition are a bold and powerful way to "stand in faith" and not shrink back in doubt. This confident spirit of thanksgiving should go on as I wait to see God's answer according to His plan. The only way to have such confidence is to take God at His Word in every situation, temporal and eternal. Oswald Sanders said, "Faith does not require external confirmation, but believes God in spite of appearances."
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”5 God's Word doesn't say we "hope" that we have it. It says we "know" that we have it and the answer will be seen in God's perfect time. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”6
One of the manifestations of faith in the life of a believer is that he doesn’t keep asking to be saved. He already knows he has been saved. He has placed all of his trust in what Christ did on the cross and in the blood that was shed for his sins. This confidence is due to the objective nature of the cross and the objective nature of the promises of God. This blessed assurance is not based on feelings. Far from it. It comes directly from something concrete and established. A similar kind of confidence can fill our hearts when we pray.
Are you thanking God for having already answered your request even though you don’t yet see the visible results? Or do you continue to ask God to grant it as you worry about when the answer might be seen? I have been guilty of that type of worry when I should have been standing in faith and thanksgiving and certainty. It doesn't make any sense to worry about it. Isn't God faithful to answer it according to His will? Of course. It's much easier to walk by sight rather than by faith, but that is not the way to please or honor our Lord. Doubting God is one way of "dissing" Him. He deserves much better from us.
How can someone be strong in faith? There is only one way. Stand on God's promises. Stand on Christ’s finished work at Calvary. Stand on what you know as you trust God to work in the future. It has been said, “Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.” Always remember that “nothing is impossible with God.”7 As we stand in faith, we must not trust our feelings. They will deceive us every time. As Jennifer Rothschild said, "Don't bow to your feelings. Make them bow to your God."
Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”8 In other words, believe it before you see it and before you receive it. If I don’t have faith today to move a mountain, perhaps I do have faith to at least “move a pebble.” If I won't believe it without seeing it, then I shouldn't be praying it. I should wait to pray it when I truly have faith in God to grant my request according to His will. Everything else is just empty words and babbling.
God’s answers to prayer are not based on the QUANTITY of the words, but on the QUALITY of the faith. Weak faith is surrounded by doubt. Strong faith stands on God’s Word and is bold enough to believe that God will do what He said He will do. I cannot produce strong faith in myself, but God will provide it if I place absolute confidence in His Word. Then, and only then, will I experience the faith to move mountains. In the end, God is the only mountain-mover. He can be trusted every time.
You and I as human beings have been given a free will to walk by faith or to live by sight. God inspires all of His children to believe it before we see it. His answers to our faith-filled prayers bring Him much glory, honor, and pleasure. He loves to grant the requests of His children according to His will. What a mighty God we serve! And what a privilege it is to carry everything to Him in prayer! Charles Spurgeon summed it up well: "I believe the happiest and truest of Christians are those who never dare to doubt God."
From http://www.christianpost.com/news/believe-it-before-you-see-it-63923/
Published on Anchor March 2012. Dan Delzell is the pastor of Wellspring Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
1 Luke 11:13.
2 Luke 5:12,13.
3 1 Timothy 2:4.
4 Hebrews 11:6.
5 1 John 5:14,15.
6 Hebrews 11:1.
7 Luke 1:37.
8 Mark 11:24.
I had a fresh reminder about prayer as I worked on my message for this weekend. The message is based on Matthew 8:5–13 where the centurion believed Jesus would grant his request even before he saw any evidence of the answered prayer.
You might think pastors have mastered the art of prayer and are always filled with faith. The reality is that all Christians, including pastors, often find themselves praying with less than total confidence rather than believing that God WILL answer each prayer according to His plan. We are all guilty of it. It's tough stuff to always pray in faith. Our flesh fights against it. Our circumstances scream loudly at us and invite pessimism. Meanwhile, our loving God continually speaks to His children in a still small voice. If only we would get to a quiet place with Him and find some rest. Then a faith-filled prayer life would burst forth in our soul in boldness and strength.
D. L. Moody said that we as believers are "leaky vessels." Rather than living every day filled with faith in God's promises, we sometimes offer mechanical prayers that have little heart and even less faith. Who will rescue us from such halfhearted prayers? We desperately need God to fill us daily with the Holy Spirit and power. He alone can give us a faith-filled prayer life. Jesus said, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."1 Just as we need the cross of Christ for our salvation, we need the power of the Holy Spirit for an effective prayer life.
I realized something this week about my own prayer life. The faith which is expressed in my prayers is often not nearly as strong as my faith for heaven. I know for sure that heaven is my eternal home because of God’s promises in His Word. There is no doubt in my mind. It is a done deal. Christ finished it on the cross and rose again. I live daily with the tremendous confidence that it is well with my soul for eternity. I have not yet seen heaven, but I believe it before I see it because God said it! Just imagine if you and I had that kind of certainty every time we prayed about the issues of today.
When it comes to believing God for things in this world, I sometimes find myself settling for prayers that are not brimming over with complete confidence. I have often been content to merely bring a petition to God without first asking myself if I am sure that God will grant it. One way to gain that assurance is by adding the biblical qualifier “if it be Thy will.” Jesus prayed that way to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, and it honors the Lord for His people to pray that way today.
A man who was "covered with leprosy" came to Jesus one day. "When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.' Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left him."2 That was a situation where the man believed with absolute certainty that Jesus would heal him if He was willing. That man's prayer was one of pure faith, and yet he humbly affirmed that Jesus only does things that are in accord with His will. What a beautiful way to approach God in prayer!
When praying for the salvation of an unsaved friend or loved one, we don't need to add "if it be Thy will" to our request. We already know His will on that matter. "God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."3 There are other things we pray about where we are not sure what God may want to do in a given situation. Either way, it is very important that we pray in faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."4
When you and I make a request of the Lord, we can be 100% sure that He WILL answer it according to His plan. It is very important to God that we pray with strong faith rather than make weak requests with a heart of uncertainty. This requires spiritual and mental focus and fortitude that goes far beyond merely saying words to God. Faith has to do with what I truly believe concerning the matter for which I am praying. In order to have strong faith, I need to stand on God's Word and His promises. John Hull said, "If all the answers to prayer came overnight, we would not be called a people of faith."
Do I believe God WILL answer my prayer, or do I only HOPE He will answer it? If I truly believe He will, then I need to spend time thanking Him that He HAS answered it according to His will. I need to believe that God's answer will appear in His perfect time. These prayers of thanks during those weeks and months after my prayers of petition are a bold and powerful way to "stand in faith" and not shrink back in doubt. This confident spirit of thanksgiving should go on as I wait to see God's answer according to His plan. The only way to have such confidence is to take God at His Word in every situation, temporal and eternal. Oswald Sanders said, "Faith does not require external confirmation, but believes God in spite of appearances."
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”5 God's Word doesn't say we "hope" that we have it. It says we "know" that we have it and the answer will be seen in God's perfect time. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”6
One of the manifestations of faith in the life of a believer is that he doesn’t keep asking to be saved. He already knows he has been saved. He has placed all of his trust in what Christ did on the cross and in the blood that was shed for his sins. This confidence is due to the objective nature of the cross and the objective nature of the promises of God. This blessed assurance is not based on feelings. Far from it. It comes directly from something concrete and established. A similar kind of confidence can fill our hearts when we pray.
Are you thanking God for having already answered your request even though you don’t yet see the visible results? Or do you continue to ask God to grant it as you worry about when the answer might be seen? I have been guilty of that type of worry when I should have been standing in faith and thanksgiving and certainty. It doesn't make any sense to worry about it. Isn't God faithful to answer it according to His will? Of course. It's much easier to walk by sight rather than by faith, but that is not the way to please or honor our Lord. Doubting God is one way of "dissing" Him. He deserves much better from us.
How can someone be strong in faith? There is only one way. Stand on God's promises. Stand on Christ’s finished work at Calvary. Stand on what you know as you trust God to work in the future. It has been said, “Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.” Always remember that “nothing is impossible with God.”7 As we stand in faith, we must not trust our feelings. They will deceive us every time. As Jennifer Rothschild said, "Don't bow to your feelings. Make them bow to your God."
Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”8 In other words, believe it before you see it and before you receive it. If I don’t have faith today to move a mountain, perhaps I do have faith to at least “move a pebble.” If I won't believe it without seeing it, then I shouldn't be praying it. I should wait to pray it when I truly have faith in God to grant my request according to His will. Everything else is just empty words and babbling.
God’s answers to prayer are not based on the QUANTITY of the words, but on the QUALITY of the faith. Weak faith is surrounded by doubt. Strong faith stands on God’s Word and is bold enough to believe that God will do what He said He will do. I cannot produce strong faith in myself, but God will provide it if I place absolute confidence in His Word. Then, and only then, will I experience the faith to move mountains. In the end, God is the only mountain-mover. He can be trusted every time.
You and I as human beings have been given a free will to walk by faith or to live by sight. God inspires all of His children to believe it before we see it. His answers to our faith-filled prayers bring Him much glory, honor, and pleasure. He loves to grant the requests of His children according to His will. What a mighty God we serve! And what a privilege it is to carry everything to Him in prayer! Charles Spurgeon summed it up well: "I believe the happiest and truest of Christians are those who never dare to doubt God."
From http://www.christianpost.com/news/believe-it-before-you-see-it-63923/
Published on Anchor March 2012. Dan Delzell is the pastor of Wellspring Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
1 Luke 11:13.
2 Luke 5:12,13.
3 1 Timothy 2:4.
4 Hebrews 11:6.
5 1 John 5:14,15.
6 Hebrews 11:1.
7 Luke 1:37.
8 Mark 11:24.
