Chapter Two
Are You Persuaded?
The question for most of us is if we are really
persuaded that God will heal. There are many in the Bible who
have asked this question. Mankind has wondered if God is so
personal that He would touch a life as to heal it. Could it
be that God has made provision for His people; not only enjoy
health, but to be healed? It is on these thoughts that we will
explore the scriptures; not only understand, but to know that
God can and will heal. Also, I want to share how we can have
faith to expect Him to touch our life and the lives of those
we minister to.
Romans 4
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace;
to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to
that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of
the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father
of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who
quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as
though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he
might become the father of many nations, according to that which
was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered
not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years
old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what
he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Abraham's belief in his God brought health and
salvation to him. We can see that Abraham did not consider his
circumstances or his physical limitations regarding the fulfillment
of God's Will upon his life. He was fully persuaded that God
was able to perform what He had promised. How wonderful to see
in these scriptures that his belief in God and His promises
brought him to a place of righteousness before God.
So many of us want to have such faith as to cause
us to be fully persuaded and have the heart to follow the voice
of our Heavenly Father. While we could measure our lives against
Abraham, we can rest assured as we understand in Romans 4:16
that the work of grace was an active force in his life. Therefore,
you too may enjoy the same opportunities for faith, healing,
and righteousness as we not only consider but expect the promises
of God in our life. There is a place in our relationship with
God where we can see through His eyes and feel with His heart.
During special times in the streets of inner cities I could
sense this expression upon my life. One night as a man in Los
Angeles, California pointed a gun at me, I felt myself trying
to cross the street to walk towards him. I raised my hand and
waved to greet him. I was able for that moment to look past
the gun and the anger and see the heart of this man. I continued
to walk in his direction and he put the gun back into his pocket
and walked away into the night. I was concerned for him and
saddened that he walked away before I could share Christ with
Him. This was not a natural expression of my faith or love but
a response from within my heart. It was the very nature of Christ
walking the streets. For that moment, I could sense the nature
of Christ fully direct my life. On many other occasions in the
streets as we witness, we feel the same compassion that the
Lord has for His people.
One night in Dallas, Texas we had a little difficulty
locating our hotel and turned on the wrong block. I saw a convenience
store on one side of the street and an apartment complex on
the other. A young man was standing on a brick flower bed by
the apartments. He was just standing there wearing gang colors
and looking at the people. We turned the van around and found
the hotel. We went into the hotel, and when I was about to get
ready for bed, the Lord seemed to remind me about the man standing
on the brick flower bed.
It was midnight and I was tired. I felt the Lord
speak to my heart again and I told my family to pray, since
I was going out alone that night to witnesses. I left the hotel
and drove to the convenience store. I prayed as I walked and
went straight to the man at the flower bed. Yes, he was still
there! I walked as if I was going to walk by and then turned
to speak to him. Sometimes late at night if you walk straight
toward someone and look at them, they will run away. Many people
in the streets are worried about violence. I later asked him
if he was afraid of me, and he said something told him that
I was a friend. Isn't it interesting that God can speak to a
sinner? Praise God, He spoke to all of us when we were lost
in our sin.
I told him why I was there. I said, "I was
lost a little while ago trying to find my hotel, and I saw you
as I drove by." I was about to go to bed and I just could
not get you out of my mind. I knew that it was God who wanted
me to talk to you." I asked him about his relationship
with Christ. I told him why I go to the streets and that I cared.
He stepped down from the flower bed. I read him the scriptures
on salvation and shared my heart with him. When I issued an
invitation he took my hand, and we prayed there in public at
that busy street corner. He seemed so happy to know he was saved.
He shared with me about his brother who died when he was young.
I asked him why he was wearing the gang colors and he said it
was the first night for him to wear them. He lived at home and
was looking for a job. He was wondering if he should go to college
or not.
I took time and we sat down and talked about God,
life, and his future. He had so many questions and was wondering
what to do with his life. He wanted to do what was right. We
talked about so many things. I simply took time that night to
disciple my new friend. I pray to God that he will always follow
Christ. It was so peaceful and yet it was nearly 1:00 AM. Later
I was told that this was one of the worst areas in Dallas, Texas.
Once again, the expression upon my life to go into the streets
of the night by myself was not a natural expression, but the
Lord placing His desire to speak to this young man upon my heart.
I pray his new found faith and my words will keep him from the
gang.
It is my hope and my prayer to continually walk
in Him. We can walk in His faith and walk in the righteousness
that His Son provided. We should know that His provision contains
the promise and the ability to experience His expression upon
our life. He wants to walk in this earth through the hearts
of those whom He has touched.
2 Corinthians 4
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord;
and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out
of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but
not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying
of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are alway delivered unto
death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be
made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according
as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we
also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus
shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the
abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound
to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our
outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for
a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are
seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
To understand the Lord's Will concerning His healing
we must understand His Word. His Will has been spoken in His
Word and the lives of those that He touched was recorded permanently
in the Bible; therefore, it was recorded into history for all
time. Those that walked with Him demonstrated His Will upon
this earth as lives were healed and touched by more than the
hands of the apostles, but through Christ's Words. Their words
spoken through the Holy Spirit and the words of Christ continue
to affect lives upon this earth. Although healing is available
for anyone today there still seems to be the reality that multitudes
are hurting and in need of healing. It would appear from a natural
sense that the need is greater than the outward manifestation
of healing upon those of this world. We can clearly see in the
scriptures that the Lord healed all that were touched by Him.
However, there were others that were never touched and never
heard His Words.
Matthew 4
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and
they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers
diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils,
and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy;
and he healed them.
There seems to be the act of the Lord's Will and
His Word upon lives. But what about those that know His Word
and yet remain sick and hurting? Our exploration must go further
into the very heart of God while we examine our own heart. The
Lord has shown so much care for His creation that He sent His
very Son to share His Will upon this earth. What Christ shared
with mankind was principles of the Kingdom of God and the way
we should live and what provisions are available from God.
Psalms 103
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth
all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who
crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Throughout the Bible the Lord has made provision
for His people. The Word of God is filled with promises of healing.
When I study the scriptures and see that Christ was the Word
and to know that He has asked us to speak the very words that
He spoke in His Name, we should be assured that those we minister
to will be touched by Him. Since we know it is the Lord that
touches lives, why do we limit Him with our own unbelief? Allow
Him to work in your life in an atmosphere of belief and trust.
Mark 9
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou
canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Matthew 8
5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came
unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick
of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I
will come and heal him.
8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am
not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak
the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers
under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another,
Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth
it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said
to them that followed, Verily I say unto
you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
At the request of the Roman soldier, Christ was
so willing to come to heal his servant. To understand the request,
we should look into the heart of the Roman soldier. First, he
approached Christ and called Him Lord. When Christ responded
that He would come and heal the servant, the Roman soldier responded
with humility as he said that he was not worthy for Him to come
under his roof. Looking further, we see that the Roman soldier
did not ask anything for himself but for his servant. Lastly,
we see the soldier understood the power of Christ's spoken Word.
Christ acknowledged that He had not seen faith that great in
Israel.
Could it be that the soldier's faith was simply
a response from a heart filled with humility and concern for
others? If the journey in your life has led you to be in full
time employment, a working mother, or even retired, you too
can be a person of great faith in the eyes of the Lord. Our
occupations do not determine our ministry—our heart does.
Prepare your heart to respond with the same faith the Roman
soldier had. He simply spoke what he believed in his own heart.
Reach into your heart and find your faith founded upon Christ.
2 Corinthians 4
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it
is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also
believe, and therefore speak;
In 2 Corinthians 4, we can see the assurance of
Paul's heart as he affirmed his confidence in Christ to give
him the courage and ability to press forward when situations
or circumstances would suggest to give up. The strength and
the determination for us to believe past circumstances is an
attribute of an established Christian. There never was a question
in the heart of the Roman Solider concerning the Lord's ability
to touch his servant. With full assurance he spoke what he believed.
It is with this faith that we must live our lives. To let your
life to be guided by troubles or adversities is to let the world
direct your life. What is the reaction in your life when you
are faced with sickness, situations, or troubles? Do you begin
to imagine the circumstance worse or it's effect upon your life?
Place your trust in your relationship with Christ and allow
the Lord to give you the faith to overcome the circumstance.
Most try to respond with faith for the circumstance alone rather
than faith established in relationship. Seek to trust in Christ
regardless of circumstances and see how your life will develop
in faith. Faith speaks through the hope that Christ imparts
to you. Faith without trust often finds itself lacking the ability
to press towards the One that will make your life whole. The
Lord finds much pleasure in a heart that is established and
trusts in Him.
Mark 11
24 Therefore I say unto you, What
things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive
them, and ye shall have them.
The Lord spoke so clearly in this scripture concerning
our need to believe. While the Lord is sovereign and can touch
a life as He wills, He desires for His people to believe that
He will answer a prayer that is spoken from a heart which trusts
in Him. In eternity we will know the limitations we have placed
upon our lives by failing to follow His teachings. The principle
of faith which He speaks of in this scripture is how He wants
us to live. The dependency upon Him that He desires for us to
have should be greater than any doubts that would arise in our
minds. Lay aside your experiences and thoughts and begin to
believe with the heart and see through the eyes of faith. Many
have placed limitations on the scriptures. While people doubt
and live their lives based on circumstances and experiences,
they see so many who are hurting and struggling to believe for
even the simple things of life. We must believe to see His Will
fulfilled upon this earth or will we remain the same? This is
the choice that has been placed before us. Will you believe
the Words that He has so clearly spoken?
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Street Ministries
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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