In order for God to bless our bread and water (physical provisions or financial breakthrough) and take sickness away from our midst, there are a few prerequisites required. Not only are we to stop bowing down to our idols but we are to utterly overthrow and break them down. Today, in most cases, Christians do not literally bow down to idols but they do spend a great deal of time with their idols. Sadly, modern Christians continue to view an idol as a wooden god or statue when in today's term it can pretty much anything the world can offer, especially entertainment. God demands us to destroy and break down the pillars and images of our idols that takes up much of our time, resources, and our hearts. God will not compete for our time.
Many Christians today believe modest participation with secular entertainment and some cravings of the world are acceptable to God. But who is going to measure one's modesty to another? If we are going to define what is modest and acceptable participation with Babylon (the world), well, all we will end up doing is to continue in partaking the fruit of death which is from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Paul said that he became a Jew to a Jew and to those outside the law, he became one who is outside the law for the sake of the gospel. Paul did not become one outside the law to enjoy what the world had to offer using the gospel as an excuse!
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 For although I am free in every way from anyone's control, I have made myself a bond servant to everyone, so that I might gain the more [for Christ].20To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not myself being under the Law, that I might win those under the Law.21To those without (outside) law I became as one without law, not that I am without the law of God and lawless toward Him, but that I am [especially keeping] within and committed to the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law.22To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ].23And I do this for the sake of the good news (the Gospel), in order that I may become a participator in it and share in its [blessings along with you].
If I smoke and my fruit is lung cancer or any other sickness associated with smoking then how am I to receive God's healing when I have not decided to stop smoking? How is God going to show mercy if I do not repent having made His temple into an astray? Unless I repent of my unrighteous deeds, what is the purpose of my healing if nothing is going to change in my heart? I, myself, personally had smoked for 20 years and I had to pray persistently for a year for deliverance. The Lord delivered me in November 2009. God had shown me if I had continued in my state using His temple as an astray, I would be smoking myself to HELL! We have a choice if we are addicted to such idols and bondage. We can pray for mercy and be willing to destroy such pillars of our idols and pray ourselves out of smoking and other such similar things by His Grace or we can continue to smoke ourselves right to Hell. He said be HOLY for HE is HOLY!
1 Peter 1:14-16 [Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel].15But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.16For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.
If I drink alcohol and my fruit is a failed liver or any other sickness associated with drinking then how am I to receive God's healing unless I repent for making His temple into a bladder for my worldly pleasure? There were many seasons during my religious backslidden Christian life in which I drank heavily to my sleep for the purposes of partying or when I was depressed. Thank you Jesus for delivering and showing me the Truth! There is always a way out if we are willing to pay the price to follow HIM in full surrender.
If I hold spiritual issues such as anger, resentment, or bitterness in my heart and my physical fruit is some terminal disease like cancer because I experienced years of sleepless nights and torment holding onto a grudge(s), how am I to receive healing until I decide to tear down the pillars of my idols such as anger, resentment, and bitterness through repentance? Scripture says unless we forgive, He cannot forgive us! Will Grace SUPERSEDE God's own Word? You must forgive not only with your head but with all of your heart!
1 Corinthians 3:17 (AMP) "If anyone [a]does hurt to God's temple or corrupts it [[b]with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will [c]do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that [temple] you [[d]the believing church and its individual believers] are."
It is too hard you say? How many of us have fought sin to the point of sweating blood as our Lord sweated blood to do the Father's Will? How many of us have even sweated at all agonizing against sin as it attempts to overcome us? The word "anyone" in 1 Corinthians 3:17 means ourselves included. If we defile the temple of God, there will be severe consequences!
Hebrews 12:3-4 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.4You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood.
James 5:16 Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
You can get all the oil poured on to you by the elders but unless we repent and confess our sins, healing and restoration may not be possible.
I am not saying all physical issues are due from sin. In scripture John chapter 9:1-3, the disciples asked Jesus if the blindness from birth was due to sin from the parents? The Lord replied and said "he was born blind in order that the workings of God should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in him." But in John chapter 5, when Jesus healed the invalid at the pool of Bethesda, the Lord told him to sin no more or something worse will happen. It was sin that had lead to the lingering disorder for the invalid.
John 5:13-14 Now the invalid who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had quietly gone away [had passed on unnoticed], since there was a crowd in the place.14Afterward, when Jesus found him in the temple, He said to him, See, you are well! Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.13Now the invalid who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had quietly gone away [had passed on unnoticed], since there was a crowd in the place.
What about when Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven?" Friends of a paralyzed man lowered him from a roof and Jesus healed him.
Luke 5:19-20 But finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him with his stretcher through the tiles into the midst, in front of Jesus.20And when He saw [their confidence in Him, springing from] their faith, He said, Man, your sins are forgiven you!
Beloved brethren, do you not see the revelation in those words, "Your sins are forgiven you!" When we repent and are forgiven, we receive healing. Let us search our hearts! Just like any breakthrough, we may have been forgiven when we repented but we may have to still wait for an appointed day for our healing. Our job then is to keep our eyes on HIM and continue in our faith until our physical breakthrough. When I was addicted to smoking, I was repenting and still praying in faith as I waited for my deliverance. Until our deliverance or healing, let us continue to ask God to search our hearts.
In Judges chapter 6, the Lord had given the Israelites into the hands of the Midans for seven years when they did evil in His sight. When the God's people cried out, an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon so that God would use him to deliver the Israelites from the Midans.
Judges 6:11-14 Now the [a]Angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak (terebinth) at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.13And Gideon said to him, O sir, if the Lord is with us, why is all this befallen us? And where are all His wondrous works of which our fathers told us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.14The Lord turned to him and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?
Just like Gideon, many Christians today have NO IDEA why such judgement (discipline/chastisement) has befallen on them. In verse 13, Gideon like many today are wondering where His wondrous works of which is told in the bible? Where are the healing the people ask? They had not realized their bondage was due to doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
In many cases in the Old Testament, when God's people encountered God and returned to HIM, they would make an altar and give an offering. If we are sick and perhaps dying, why are many of our people still so tight with their wallets and unwilling to make a offering to the Lord even when their lives are at stake. In many cases, most want everything for free. There is always a price of death for life. There must be a death of your sins for healing. Beak and tear down your pillars and images of idols. Stop playing spiritual adultery with the Lord.
Judges 6:18 Do not leave here, I pray You, until I return to You and bring my offering and set it before You. And He said, I will wait until you return.
In order for God to use Gideon and deliver Israel, the altars of idol worship had to be tore down and removed from the people. We must tear down and remove the idols in our current lives that either attempt to share His temple and Glory. What may they be? They may be disobedience to the Lord because we may be serving fear. They may be secular worldly things or people in which we symbolically bow down too such as self worship, movie stars, secular music, professional sports, money, cars, career, education, TV, even our children, our pets, etc etc! When will we realize it is a COMMAND to fulfill the the greatest commandment..to Love your God with ALL your heart, soul, and mind.
Judges 6:25-26 That night the Lord said to Gideon, Take your father's bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has and cut down the Asherah [symbol of the goddess Asherah] that is beside it;26And build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold with stones laid in proper order. Then take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down. 27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him, but because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.28And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the Asherah was cut down that was beside it, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built.29And they said to one another, Who has done this thing? And when they searched and asked, they were told, Gideon son of Joash has done this thing.30Then the men of the city commanded Joash, Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.
In the old days, they would come to kill you for tearing down their idols. Today, they would attempt to spiritually kill you by calling you legalistic or a cult.
In order for Israel to be delivered, the altars of Baal had to be tore down. Are we willing to humble ourselves and tear down the pillars and images of your idols? Yes, even the images we may have in our homes of other men and people whom you do not know and revere hanging on our walls? Are we ready to tear down the pillars of our pride that lifts ourselves up? Are we ready to tear down the pillars of our sin? Are we ready to step down from our lofty prideful positions and humble ourselves before the Lord and TRULY serve HIM?
2 Chronicles 7:14 (AMP) If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Did Jesus take the horrific whipping to only heal a select few? No, He came to die for all. He came to bringing healing for all! Did He only come to set a few captives free? He came to bring freedom for all His people!
Isaiah 61:1 THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,
Matthew 3:8 Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];
Set the path straight through repentance for the KING OF KINGS is Returning!!!
Glory to HIM!!
Fire of God
Steve Yong Kim
January 12, 2012
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