IS HEALING GUARANTEED

Here is a repost from this blog: WHERES GOD IN ALL OF THIS. that I thought was an exceptional answer to if healing is for all of us if we have enough faith.  

http://wheresgodinallofthis.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/0429sva-is-healing-guaranteed/

One of the Faith movement’s favorite proof texts is the wonderfully true Isaish 53:5, which says, “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.” Contrary to Faith teachings, the Hebrew word raphah more often than not refers to spiritual as oposed to physical healing. As such, when the prophet Jeremiah says, “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal [raphah] your faithlessness, “ he is obviously not referring to physical healing (Jeremiah 3:22 NASB).
Isaiah could hardly make it clearer that he has spiriutal healing in mind when he communicates that Messiah (Christ) was to be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5).
Peter builds on this understanding by writing , “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. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:24-25, emphasis added)
Peter’s theme here could not be stated more clearly. He says that Christ “bore our sins,” not “our sicknesses.” As such, Peter makes it plain that the healing referred to in Isaiah 53:5 is spiritual, not physical.
But let us suppose, for the sake of argument, that Isaiah 53:5 did refer to physical healing. Even so, it wouldn’t teach the panacea the Faith teachers claim it does, for such an interpretation carries an unwelcome corollary.

If healing is in the atonement and is accessed by faith, then those who die due to lack of faith must likewise die in their sins. Why? Because if both healing and salvation are included in this passage, they must be accessed in the same way. And if one does not have enough faith to make oneself well, it follows that he cannot have enough faith to be saved. Therefore those who die physically due to lack of faith must also wind up in hell for the same reason. But, I doubt you will hear Faith teachers proclaim this point any time soon. Relatives and friends of the deceased are not likely to applaud teachers of such a melancholy doctrine.

No, it is clear that Isaiah 53:5 does not have physical healing in view. Interestingly, however, the verse immediately preceding it does speak of healing for the body. Here Isaiah writes, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” Not only is physical healing crystal clear here in this context, but it is also affirmed by the Gospels, where it is given an important qualification. Matthew writes, “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’” (8:16-17, emphasis added).
Thus the healing mentioned in Isaiah 53:4 was fulfilled during the healing ministry of Christ and consequently does not guarantee our healing today.

—Hank Hanegraaff

Christianity in Crisis 21st Century

DISCOVERING GOD'S GRACES

                                               
Cardinal in the winter  storm                                                                                               

Devotional from 'Streams in the desert' the emphasis are mine.

"Show me wherefore thou contendest with me" (Job 10:2).

Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces which would never have been discovered if it were not for the trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too oft like a glowworm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star--not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Afflictions are often the black folds in which God doth set the jewels of His children's graces, to make them shine the better.

It was but a little while ago that, on thy knees, thou wast saying, "Lord, I fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith."

Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials?--for how canst thou know that thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised? Depend upon it. God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides, it is not merely discovery; real growth in grace is the result of sanctified trials.

God trains His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers and climb mountains, and walk many a weary mile with heavy knapsacks on their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which you are passing? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you? --C. H. Spurgeon

To be left unmolested by Satan is no evidence of blessing.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What a blessing this is for me this morning! For a Believer, there are never any accidents in our lives, NEVER! We are not in this world for comfort or riches, we are here to grow into what God would have us be, and that is it. I had wondered if I had any faith anymore? I feared that maybe I had lost what little I thought I had of God's gift of faith. There have been many an article that could have destroyed all of my small faith in God, the bible and my Lord. But you know there is as much evidence in God, the bible and my Lord as there is not. I have chosen to see God in it all! It is the only explanation of this existance to me, it is the only one that truly made sense to me! I have had continuing disability haunt me, continuing pain and distress haunting me, but I praise God because of them, for they forced me to examine what it is I believed, these trials forced me to see the silver lining in it all, and I truly thank God that I still believe, and that His faith a gift to me is still intact and growing, PTL!
In His Hands!
Shalom

Not in the tumult of the rending storm,

Not in the earthquake or devouring flame;

But in the hush that could all fear transform,

The still, small whisper to the prophet came.

0 Soul, keep silence on the mount of God,

Though cares and needs throb around thee like a sea;

From supplications and desires unshod,

Be still, and hear what God shall say to thee.

All fellowship hath interludes of rest,

New strength maturing in each poise of power;

The sweetest Alleluias of the blest

Are silent, for the space of half an hour.

0 rest, in utter quietude of soul,

Abandon words, leave prayer and praise awhile;

Let thy whole being, hushed in His control,

Learn the full meaning of His voice and smile.

Not as an athlete wrestling for a crown,

Not taking Heaven by violence of will;

But with thy Father as a child sit down,

And know the bliss that follows His "Be Still!"

--Mary Rowles Jarvis

FAITH AND UNBELIEF

A COUNTRY ROAD IN SOUTH CENTRAL MO.

I had written about faith in healing and salvation, I am convinced that the Scriptures teach that it is for today, but yet I know deep down I still have my doubts , and so still walk in unbelief on many key issues. So what am I to do?

What exactly is Biblical Faith? Is  faith something that is  limited in both knowledge and power, and does faith lie  in the region of non-absolute certainty and control? Is faith something we blindly accept as true without evidence?
Lets see what the Bible says Faith is:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Heb 11:1 NIV)

I like the way the Amplified Bible puts it:
"Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality--faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."(Heb 11:1 Amplified)

The proof of what we don't see? The conviction of that reality? Perceiving as real fact? This doesn't sound like something in the region of non-absolute certainty! In fact, a better definition of faith would be ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY.
What sight is to the blind, faith is to the unbeliever. Before they receive it, its foolishness and nonsense, no matter how well its explained. But after they receive, it needs no explanation!
Does your ability to see depend on your understanding of sight? Once true faith in God comes, naturalistic or philosophical explanations, although interesting, are certainly not necessary. We've been trying to get people to "see" God or the Bible through explanations and archaeological or historical evidences,it simply won't work, you can not argue people into God's Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can heal people of their spiritual blindness, and it is only through Him that true faith comes.
Biblical faith, is not philosophy or guesswork or wishful thinking, it is a continual, increasing revelation of and relationship with the Creator and King of the universe!Faith from God is literally seeing into the eternal things of God, and it is precisely this "sight " that is the solid rock foundation upon which we build our lives.Only those who have true  Biblical faith, will be doers of the word and not just hearers only, because they are absolutely certain that the words are true and trustworthy.

I have to say that I am not at the level of Biblical Faith that I desire, I have many doubts and unbelief in many areas. But you know I really did not understand that my unbelief was a sin, did you know that it was? I did not.But unbelief is listed with all the other terrible sins that will keep one out of the Kingdom of God.
The sin of unbelief will appear to be extremely heinous when we remember that it is the parent of every other iniquity,unbelief is the root cause of other sins.Unbelief not only begets, but fosters sin. Unbelief is the sin which keeps the power of the gospel from working in the saint and the sinner: Unbelief disables a person for the performance of any good work. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin," is a great truth in more sense than one. "Without faith it is impossible to please God."Virtues without faith are whitewashed sins. Obedience without faith, if it is possible, is a gilded disobedience. Not to believe, nullifies everything.Faith fosters every virtue; unbelief murders every one. Thousands of prayers have been strangled in their infancy by unbelief. You do  know that unbelief kept of all people,  Moses  out of Canaan the Promise land? He could only view it from the other side, how sad, with all that they had done , in the end he missed what he had worked so hard to achieve and all because of unbelief. You know ,that to this day the Jew and all unbelievers are cut off from the promises of God, as a branch is cut from a vine; and why? Because of unbelief.


But hear this, it is not until the Holy Spirit strikes that unbelief out—it is not until the Holy Spirit rends away that unbelief and takes it altogether down, that we can find the saint and the sinner coming to put his trust in Jesus.I am reminded in the Word that all the promises of God are obtained by faith. No faith, no promise! So once the will of the Lord is understood in a matter, you must then pray in faith to receive what was promised. This is where I run into a snag! The Word of the Lord says:

I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him...(Mark 11:23 NIV)
So in order to receive what you pray for, you must believe AND you must not doubt in your heart! So the question is, how can you avoid having doubt in your heart? Once I understood that God wanted me to have something, it seemed impossible to not doubt. I am by nature a skeptical person and doubts come very easily to me and it seemed to me, the harder I 'tried' to have faith, the more doubts seemed to rise up in my mind. Then came the revelation; repent of unbelief. Of course, that's the answer! If we're supposed to repent when we have doubts, then unbelief is a sin:

"See to it, brothers (and sisters), that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. "(Heb 3:12 NIV)
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8,9 NIV)
Notice that the verse says to confess our sins, and not to stop sinning, which because we are not perfect we will still have the problem of sin in our lives. But Praise God we have the forgiveness we seek,when we continue to confess our sins to God.Which is admitting that we can't handle it on our own, that we're completely powerless against sin, and we are in desperate need to have His blood and His power free us from its bondage and purify our hearts. To confess our sins before God is itself an act of faith. You're not telling God something He doesn't already know. Rather, you're getting rid of your sin by trusting in the power of God and the righteousness of Jesus!
If you find doubt in your heart, instead of trying to have faith like I have been doing most of my life and then being condemned over it when I fail,which I have done time and time again, confess it before the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to get rid of it for you! If the same doubt keeps coming up, keep confessing it! Don't give up until its gone. The Lord rewards patience and persistence, so put your faith in His Word and keep trusting Him to strengthen you.

So decide for yourselves, what have you become convinced of? Are you doubting any truth that you know is clearly taught in the Word? If so, repent of unbelief and free yourself from the spirit of doubt! Are there certain truths that you're not sure whether or not to believe? Then ask the Lord to reveal this to you in His Word. Keep seeking Him on this issue until you are fully persuaded, one way or the other. You can always trust what is revealed to you, as long as you're basing your truth on the Word of God and NOT on your own (or someone else's) experiences.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for my unbelief!! Lord send your Spirit and teach me what I need to know, and give me the faith to believe it! amen

Shalom


Mark 9:24 NIV • Read this chapter
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

John 7:45 NIV • Read this chapter
[ Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders ] Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"

John 10:22 NIV • Read this chapter
[ The Unbelief of the Jews ] Then came the Feast of Dedication [ That is, Hanukkah] at Jerusalem. It was winter,

John 12:37 NIV • Read this chapter
[ The Jews Continue in Their Unbelief ] Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.

Romans 4:20 NIV • Read this chapter
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

Romans 9:30 NIV • Read this chapter
[ Israel's Unbelief ] What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

Romans 11:20 NIV • Read this chapter
Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.

Romans 11:23 NIV • Read this chapter
And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

1 Timothy 1:13 NIV • Read this chapter
Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

Hebrews 3:7 NIV • Read this chapter
[ Warning Against Unbelief ] So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice,

Hebrews 3:19 NIV • Read this chapter
So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

TRUE FAITH

Cutzu in Alabama picture taken,while in truck.

Jesus went to the cross, spirit,soul and body, to redeem us, spirit,soul and body. Therefore the CROSS is the center of the plan of salvation for man,spirit, soul and body.
Before we can have a steadfast faith for the salvation of our spirit,soul and body we must be rid of all uncertainty concerning God's will in the matter. Appropriating faith cannot go beyond one's knowledge of the revealed WILL OF GOD. Before attempting to exercise faith for salvation, or healing one needs to know what the Scriptures plainly teach, that it is just as much God's will to heal the body as it is to heal the soul.Until we know God's will there is nothing on which we can base our faith on.Faith for the  appropriation of God's promised blessings is the result of knowing and acting on Gods WORD. Rom.10:17 . The word of God is SEED, the seed of Divine Life. So in order to know that we can be saved and healed it is necessary for the SEED to be planted in our minds and heart. It is not planted until it is known and received and trusted. The SEED of God's Word must be planted  and kept watered  before it can produce its harvest.Instead of asking someone to pray for you , one should first ask that they be taught Gods WORD, so that they can intelligently cooperate for their own recovery. We must know what the benefits of Calvary are before we can appropriate them by faith. A living Church is the body of Christ, it is the LIVING CHRIST which lives and walks, doing through its members what He did in the days of HIS FLESH , therefore it must be a healing church as well as a soul saving church.

The first step of healing and/or salvation of our Souls is knowing the will of God in this matter.
God's WORD is the ONLY BASIS FOR OUR FAITH.We miss healing if we allow our symptoms to hinder us from expecting what the HIS WORD promises.
God heals and saves us by sending forth His WORD.

The second step towards healing is that we must be sure that we are right with God. Our redemptive blessings are CONDITIONAL. After we hear the Gospel the Good News, and know what it offers, Jesus says, "REPENT YE AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL". Only those who are right with God can follow these instructions. Until we squarely face  and settles the question of OBEDIENCE to God, we are not  on believing ground.In the letter of James it says that we are to Confess our faults to one another .....that we may be healed. It is God's WILL that we may prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers.If we regard iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear us. It is when our hearts do not condemn us that we have confidence toward God. There is something really wrong when we desire the blessing but not the BLESSER. It is never proper to seek HIS MERCY while rejecting His WILL.
The HOLY SPIRIT tells us to submit ourselves to GOD before HE says 'resist the devil' because none of us on our own can successfully resist the devil until we have submitted to GOD.
The promises of GOD are only to the OBEDIENT. It is to those who DELIGHT themselves in the LORD that HE gives the DISIRES OF THEIR HEARTS. Ps. 37:4.
GOD has not lowered HIS standard for the DAY OF GRACE.
In this day of ours we believe that we can follow God and receive all His promises without conditions and without obedience.
FAITH is a union of  our hearts and wills with GOD'S will and purposes, NOT  the other way around. This is a primary Spiritual Law , and sadly in this day and age we have been woefully blind to. GOD says , upon fearing the LORD and departing from evil, It shall be health /medicine to thy navel and marrow /moistening to thy bones."Pro.3:7,8
We must remember that FAITH always implies OBEDIENCE.
So when we come to God before seeking anything from Him we should yield ourselves to the first and great commandment which is that we are to Love the Lord our God with all our heart. God says, " Because He hath set His love upon me therefore will I deliver then.: Ps. 91:14. He keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and KEEP HIS commandments ..Deut. 7:9
Our bodies were bought  with a price; therefore glorify God in our bodies and in our spirit which are Gods in the first place.1 Cor.6:20.
We are to present our bodies to God as a Living sacrifice which is our reasonable service. Rom 12:1
Our union to God is as real as the branch and the vine. All that is in the Vine including both spiritual and physical life, belongs to us the branches. The blessing of being right with God is a thousand times more desirable and enjoyable than the healing itself. We must desire God,for who He is,  the healing is secondary.
The third step on how to appropriate healing is like playing checkers. So when God has provided healing, or any other blessing, and sent His WORD , it is our move before He will move again. Our move is to expect what He promises when we pray. This will cause us to act our Faith BEFORE  we see the healing. The healing comes in the next move which is God's move.God never moves out of turn, but He always moves when it is His turn. Our fallen nature is governed by what it sees, by it's senses. FAITH  is governed by the pure WORD OF GOD , and nothing less than expecting God to do what He promises. We are to EXPECT, not merely to hope.We hope for what may be possible, but we expect what must be possible, with that expectancy that shuts out doubt or fear of failure, and shows unshakable confidence.
Faith never waits to see before it believes .Faith comes by hearing about things yet unseen, faith is the evidence of things not seen.All faith needs is to know that God has spoken, so it is so. Faith always acts first, it's our move, then the next move is Gods. We must not miss the healing waiting on and confining God to a Miracle.Christ's promise is that "they will recover" but that does not necessarily mean instantly. The 'symptoms of life' remain in a tree long after the tree has been cut down.We believe because God's word is already settled.
2000 years ago God put away sin,God laid the iniquity of us all on Christ, Christ took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses, this is all a done deal, God made his move, now we must make ours.But again we must remember, that Christ obeyed God, and we can do no less.
Jesus declared ,'The WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU 'THEY' ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE." John says, 'THE WORD WAS GOD." To receive the written WORDS OF CHRIST as the direct message to us is FAITH.

So while you are still sick, praise Him because you are going to recover according to His promise, with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Remember that every sick Christian has more to be thankful for than a cheerful and well sinner!
IT IS WRITTEN , IT IS WRITTEN , IT IS WRITTEN,  that is how Jesus Christ  won his battle over Satan, and it is the only way we will too.This was how Jesus did it, this was his only way, it is the most successful way of resisting the lies of the devil.
We have no more reason to doubt than we did when we were sinners and repented and asked for forgiveness of our sins.

Looking unto the promise of God we must wax strong in faith being full persuaded, absolutely certain that God has fulfilled His promises.We do not base our faith on our improvement or lack of improvement, we must not be affected by  our symptoms, or by what we see or don't see, feel or don't feel, our faith must rest on God alone and his WORD.
We must continue to look unto God, we must be occupied not on our symptoms but on God and His WORD.
We must consider that after we come to God for our healing that God finds us more encouraged by our improvement than by His WORD, God may find it necessary to try and test our faith, to teach us the glorious lesson of believing His WORD, when every sense tells us  differently, FAITH HAS TO DO WITH THE WORD OF GOD and nothing else.The test of God is perfecting our faith not destroying it.
One might ask how long will it take? As long as it will take for us to be fully persuaded and learn the lesson of Faith.
To learn how to believe that God hears us when we pray is by far the greater  blessing than our healing itself. Then the prayer of faith can be repeated many times for ourselves and others. In this way our whole life can be spent by obtaining the fulfillment of divine promises.
We must learn that faith is saying and believing what God says, and then acting accordingly. God says through Peter in 2Peter 1:3  that He has ALREADY given us the things that pertain to life and to godliness, this includes all we need for spirit, soul and body for this life and the one to come. He has already given that to us, may we now believe that it is so and thank Him for his rich mercy, love and blessings to us. Remember that we must learn to cease to be anxious about the condition of our body. After you have committed your body and it's healing to the Lord we must know that He has already taken the responsiblity for that healing, we are then to be happy and restful in that matter, we know from His word that  God takes responsiblity for every thing committed to Him. A steadfast faith for what God has revealed to be His will for us is our whole duty.The law of the Spirit of Life which heals our very souls and body is much stronger that the law of sin and death! Remember that sickness, from which we have been redeemed, does not belong to you as a Christian, but Healing does.

Being governed by our natural sight is unscientific because it does not take into account all the facts!!
In closing, we must remember that God wants us all to appropriate the past tenses of His Word regarding His redemption of our souls and our bodies from sin ,sickness and disease. He wants us to go forth in obedience acting as if we believed Him. When God puts a promise  in the past tense, He thus authorizes and expects us to do the same. Nothing short of this is appropriating faith.

So have I obtained all that I have asked for, no, does that make the word of God untrue, no, because as I am learning, faith also requires obedience and so in my own walk, I know that I am not quite there. I am a WORK IN PROGRESS, and I will not come across in this blog as someone who has done all these things and it worked, I know that I have not been obedient in all that I should be, and I am working on this, I am learning by the Spirit what in my life is not in line with God's will, it is a process and I am doing my best to cooperate with God in this area. But if I am to be a Christian I must believe what the word says, and I know that God is still in the healing and salvation business even if many churches tell you differently. I know Jesus heals, then and continues to heal all, just because I have not obtain that healing in no ways makes the Word of God false, I know the blame lies with me and my stubborn nature to hold on to self. May God help me to give all my life to Him, so that I might know Him and love Him and serve Him all the days of my life, amen.

Shalom in Christ.

A WORK IN PROGRESS

                    A thunderhead in Woodward , Ok
I have started many blogs about my walk in Christ only to delete them after a month or so. Why? because I felt like such a hypocrite, I would write about my true desires and guidance from God only to later feel that  since I was not walking in it successfully that I was painting a false picture. So my last blog entitled ' A WORK IN PROGRESS'  I deleted , but felt lost because I had no place to write what I truly desired in me even if I was not successful at living it. I picked up a 3 month devotional booklet that a local Church had laid at a truck stop, I had seen them there but left them many times,not caring to read what they have to say, but this day there was just one left and I picked it up and took it with me to the bathroom just to read while in there...........you all have done this I know, read in the bathroom!I also read it in private because my husband really does not want me to be a Christian, and honestly most of the time I don't care to be either, because of all my attempts at it were not pretty and all the disappointments,I have difficulty with much of the O.T. and many aspects that I read in the N.T. I have never felt comfortable in the lifestyle that is called 'Christianity', so I wanted to read this booklet without his knowledge (it's not that he is a meany about it, its just that he has been greatly discouraged with Christianity/Churchianity, as well as I, and  he really does not want me  to go through that drama again). Any way as I was reading these words popped up in that particular page I was reading .....'a work in progress' so I thought how strange for that to be in that particular paragraph , it really didn't fit the topic. So I took the little booklet with me. Then about a weeks worth of reading, of which most I didn't care for, I came upon that term again...' a work in progress' and I knew that God was truly speaking to me about my blog status, I was wondering at the time, if whether or not I should try to do it again. You see I travel full time with my husband who is a trucker, I don't drive but I fix all the meals and do the book work and keep him company while he drives. My health has gone down hill over the years with severe arthritis and mobility issues, I can't really stay home by myself anymore. I do not have a church home, and really never had one, I never felt comfortable in one, and being on the road makes having one impossible anyway. My husband is an Agnostic and I have teetered back and forth as one as well over the last many years. The official church and many TV ministries have left us cold in regards to Orthodox Christianity and so we left it . But God will not leave me alone and so I go back and forth in my faith....I never fit well into any 'religious mindset' be it Pagan or Christian.....I am not the strong committed  Christian person that many portray that they are, I am not strong in my faith, and I wish I was. So what I believe God wants out of this blog for me is that it will keep me focused on Him and His life in me as we do this work in progress within me , it will help me stay on track and own up to my actions. This blog will act as the means to keep me focused and centered on Christ. Since I am alone in this faith, a 'misfit as it were' I have no out side contact with others most of the time just me and hubby, I talk to a few truckers now and again and see family not all that often so I am really isolated and so it is just me and God.
 So this blog is that journey that I am on, my ups and downs as I struggle to keep Christ as my focus instead of 'self'. This blog will help keep me honest with my self and with God..........at least that is why I think   I need this space for at the moment.
The struggle to believe in this day of unbelief is so overwhelming, that it is not funny at all. I do not pretend to know the answers to life's difficult questions but I do know God is the source to go to for those answers. I have bounced back and forth from belief to unbelief and I am not happy about that, from Neo Paganism to Liberal, Moderate and fundie Christianity, what I have discovered is that God is real, loving and cares for me, and religions  will stick it to ya. That Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah is real and he did not come to start a new religion, we have enough of them, He came to show us the One true God and How we can know Him as He did and does.............This blog is about that journey of Christ working in me, changing me from within , it is continual and ongoing. It is not about what I do or try to do but what God within me does, in and through me.
It is truly a Work in Progress,
blessings,
patc.

POSITIVE THINKING OR POSITIVE BELIEVING?

There are many self help books and Professional speakers that go around promoting "Positive Thinking and Speaking" to get what we want in the world. As believers is this a good route to take?

Thinking we all know is a function of the mind which cannot exceed what we put in there or how we are hard wired, our attributes. So in Positive thinking we are attempting to push our minds beyond our own limitations, which in my experience results in moving from a world of reality to fantasy.

As a Christian, however, we have far more greater potential for success in our life if we stick to the Biblical way of living in this world through the power of POSITIVE BELIEVING . Our beliefs incorporates our minds but thankfully is not limited by our minds. FAITH actually, thank God, transcends the limitations of our minds and incorporates the real , but unseen realm of the Spirit. The believer's faith is as valid as it's object, which is the Living God, the Living Lord Jesus/Yah'shua, and the Scriptures which are God breathed. With access to the Unlimited, and Infinite God/Yahweh the Creator of the Universe as the object of Christian Faith, there is virtually NO LIMITS to the spiritual heights that Positive Believing can and will take us.

"Lord, You have said in your word that I can accomplish great things with the faith the size of a mustard seed. May my life today be marked by the power of your Holy Spirit that enables me to do all things according to your power, and in the power of Positive believing in your infinite power that is working Your will in my life."

WHAT IS LIMITING MY FAITH?

Do you struggle in your faith in YHWH/GOD? It may be ,that we

have unreal expectations of YHWH. We expect Him to operate in a certain way or manner and He never seems to comply , so after a while we say:"Forget it, there is no God!". But you know we can be sure of this, YHWH/GOD, DOES NOT CHANGE! Our faith in YHWH/GOD only fails when we hold a faulty understanding of HIM.

If we want our faith to increase in HIM we must increase our knowledge of HIM. Little knowledge of HIM produces little faith. Great knowledge in HIM produces great faith in HIM.

If I want a steadfast faith for healing of my body, mind and spirit, I must be rid of all the uncertainty concerning YHWH/GOD will in the matter.

Appropriating faith in YHWH/GOD can not go beyond one's knowledge of the revealed will and knowing of YHWH/GOD, which can be found within the pages of the Bible.Before we can exercise any faith we need to know what the Scriptures plainly teach about YHWH/GOD.

We tell ourselves " If only I can believe, if only I can believe!" Any attempts to push ourselves beyond what we know about YHWH/GOD and His ways is to move from faith to presumption, and I fear many of us do that. We choose to believe YHWH/GOD according to what we already know of Him and what we already know to be true from His Word. And the only time tested way to increase our faith in our CREATOR is to increase our knowledge of Him. As the object of our Faith He is infinite, the only limit to our faith is the time spent reading His word , studying His word, prayer and meditating in His word. The practical and tangible potential for our faith to grow as we endeavor to know YHWH/GOD through His word is boundless and with out limits.

It is important to understand that there is no way that we can cleverly word a prayer so that YHWH/GOD must act on our behalf, but if YHWH/GOD declares something to be true, we simply must believe Him and live according to what is true, If YHWH/GOD did not say it , there is no amount of faith that will make it so. Believing does not make YHWH/GOD'S word true, His word is true, there fore we believe it.His promises are each a revelation of what YHWH/GOD is eager to do for us, but until we know what YHWH/GOD's will is in the matter, there is nothing on which we can base our faith. It is important that our minds be renewed so as to be brought into harmony with the mind of YHWH/GOD.

Faith for the appropriation of YHWH/GOD'S promised blessings is the result of knowing and acting on HIS word (Rom.10:17). The renewed mind(Rom 12:2) is what makes steadfast faith possible to all.

"Heavenly PARENT YHWH/GOD, increase the boundaries of our faith today as we increase our understanding of YOU through the prayerful study and meditation of YOUR WORD, HOLY SPIRIT of the MOST HIGH fill us ,teach us, enable us to know You better."