God Still Heals

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:14-16

In a small church in a little known town, a group of believers had just finished a Wednesday evening prayer service. A woman rushed in, visibly shaken as she shared the news that her sister had been diagnosed with cancer.

Doctors offered little or no hope. A matter of time. Weeks. Maybe months. But the agonizing sister would not accept the prognosis. My God can do anything, she said, as she solicited the prayers of her Christian friends.

Two weeks later, doctors announced a medical miracle - for there was no cancer to be found. When the news reached the body of believers who had prayed faithfully, the room was electric, joy written across each face as all offered praise and gave glory to God for His medical miracle.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness by night....For Thou, O Lord, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done, I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands.” Psalm 92:1-2, 4

Do you believe God can do anything? Do you live with the assurance that nothing is too hard for your Lord? Claim the promises in God’s Word. Remember what Paul says in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

Persistent Prayer

“And He said to them, ‘Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and from inside he shall answer and say, “Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.’” Luke 11:5-10

“There is no power like that of prevailing prayer! Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow, David heartbroken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat of blood. Add to this list from the records of the church your personal observation and experience, and always there is the cost of passion unto blood. Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God.” - Samuel Chadwick

Today as you meet God in prayer - for our nation - consider Moses’ words to Israel.

“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?” Deut. 4:7

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” Deut. 4:29-31

Prevail with God - for a Holy Spirit revival across your nation. Today, tomorrow, day after tomorrow, and on, and on.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

“Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Before God, you, the believer, are perfect. Then there is the growth toward perfection which Paul speaks about in Philippians 3. This is a process of maturing spiritually. In this, we all remain travelers until we reach heaven. It is not as though progress is never made - milestones never passed. Paul keeps right on going so that he might perfectly fulfill God’s purpose for his life.

Continually forgetting those things which are behind, routs out any unbecoming pride in accomplishments - or disheartening defeat. Either will encumber you in the race ahead.

As you press on to perfectly fulfill God’s purpose for you, you need not tire of the process.

Slogan: Keep on Keeping on.
Goal: Triumph in Christ.

Conformed to His Death

“...that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Phil. 3:10-11

Wouldn’t you like to experience the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in your daily living?

Taken alone, these verses could be constructed to support a 'works righteousness.' But this is the same Paul who wrote: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” Eph. 2:8-9

Paul was a firm believer in God’s grace. What he is talking about in Philippians 3:10-11 is the area of Christian growth. In this context he makes it clear that such growth does not come through dedication to a rules system, but through experiencing the reality of Jesus Christ. Knowing Him. Knowing His resurrection power.

Paul does not stop at experiencing the power of Christ, for it is only a part of the whole. There is also the fellowship of His suffering - and being conformed to His death.

To be conformed to Jesus’ death is the total submission of your will to God - as Jesus said to the Father, “Not My will but Thine.”

Is it worth it? Paul knew it was, and he eagerly awaited the return of the Christ he served. This was his hope. Is it worth it?

No Confidence in the Flesh

“...although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith...” Philip. 3:4-9

Have you ever met anyone who insisted that they have ever done anything wrong? Believe it or not, there are a few out there who make that claim. Trying to talk with such a person about Christ seems pointless. Unless he knows he has a problem, why should he want a solution?

Though few people claim to be perfect, many claim to be better than average and it follows that they have nothing to fear from a kindly God. Their morality becomes a barrier to faith in Christ.

As you think about our text, Paul was not simply above average. With his race, religion, record, and personal righteousness, he could have run for almost any office and won. Yet Paul said he, at a point in time, "counted all these things as nothing." Keep in mind his conversion cost him dearly.

As he became influential in the rapidly growing Christian movement, surely there was the temptation to take pride in the new areas of accomplishment. Yet Paul continued to count all things loss in order that he might experience a deeper knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ truly satisfying? If you have submitted yourself to any bondage (rules) other than to the Lord Jesus, Himself, you have yet to experience Him in the way Paul speaks of here.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you today any area in which your personal righteousness makes it impossible for you to know Christ in His fullness.

It’s Faith, Plus Nothing

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”
Eph. 2:8-9

What is it that sets genuine Christianity apart from other religions or cults in the world? Most religions or cults center around a person and his work. Some even bring about positive changes in the individuals who join them.

The exclusivity of a biblical Christianity is that salvation cannot be earned, but is based solely on faith in Jesus Christ. Sadly, even among those who call themselves Christian, there are some who require more, as if Jesus Christ’s payment for sin were deficient in some way.

The believers a Philippi faced the same issue. Paul warned: “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh...” Phil. 3:2-3

Are you of the true circumcision? Ask yourself: Are you empowered by the Holy Spirit? Separated unto God? Is your boasting in Jesus Christ? How impressed are you with your own accomplishments? The different aspects of Christian living are important, but God wants your lifestyle to be the extension of a heart devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul called those who were legalistic, dogs. Dogs eat scraps. You can sit down today to a feast prepared by the grace of your God. He is enough. Worship Him in your lifestyle.

Rejoice in Your Redemption

“And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God.” Job 19:25-26

If not read in faith, the book of Job reads about as enjoyable as the front page of a newspaper...'depressing.'

Job’s wife came to him after all his friends had deserted him to say, “Why don’t you curse God and die?” And she was supposed to be his helpmate? Yet Job, in the face of all his trials, said, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” He had only the promise of the coming Messiah. But you know Jesus Christ. How much easier to trust in One whom you can know intimately.

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.”
2 Cor. 4:6-7

God knows we are weak. It is His plan to shine through us, weak as we might be. The apostles suffered beyond what most of us have ever experienced. Yet their confidence in their Redeemer grew. Here is Paul’s statement of faith: “...we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Cor. 4:8-10

What do you face? Boredom, rejection, physical illness? Rejoice in your Redeemer. Allow the light of His glory to shine through you.