Chapter Four
His Provision
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;
The Father provides healing and redeems us from spiritual death
through the forgiveness of sin. Every area of our life is dependent
upon Him daily. Just as there are no limits on His forgiveness
we see there are no limits on His healing. We must live our life
with His daily forgiveness and seek to further our relationship
with Him. For He chose to save us in His tender mercies from eternal
destruction. How great is a God who provides the access and the
provision to all that we need?
Isaiah 53
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.
What was the cost to the Father for this provision for forgiveness
and healing? It was the death of His Son. The cost to redeem mankind
for transgressions reached all the way to heaven itself. Although
Jesus died for our sin as a sacrifice, He has been raised from
the dead by the Father. The Father has opened a portal into heaven
itself for those who would accept Jesus as Lord and follow Him
into eternity. The pain and persecution He faced on this earth
was the price for our healing. How could we not expect healing
in our life with a cost so great? We have a responsibility to
believe for what He has provided.
Psalms 107
20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them
from their destructions.
Jesus is the Word and was sent by God to this earth to demonstrate
the Will of the Father. From the beginning of time the Father
chose His Son to come to a small planet in the vastness of space
to visit His creation and heal them. He not only healed His creation
but placed the promise of healing into His Word that others may
enjoy the same health that was felt by those that He touched.
This touch is just as powerful and personal in the Word of God
recorded in the Bible. Many would ask, "If His touch in the
Word is that personal then how do I apply it to my life?"
This is the question that we will continue to explore as we search
the scriptures. While we know that belief, faith, and a relationship
are elements that invite His healing into our life, there is one
thing that I know and that is He lives and desires to touch me
with His healing. I must open my life to Him and let Him touch
me and make me whole in body, soul, and spirit. To know this is
to continue the pursuit for His Will to be fulfilled in our lives.
In our pursuit we find the Lord will lead us along the way in
the midst of our struggles to become what He desires. Chose to
obey and enjoy all that He has for your life.
1 Peter 2
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes ye were healed.
In 1 Peter 2:24, we see the Lord's request for us to live unto
righteousness though the redemption that He has provided with
His substitutionary work on the Cross. There is access to all
that God has for our lives including healing through the work
of forgiveness of sin. We should demonstrate the righteousness
He has provided by living for Him.
Only by following Him will I ever find healing for my soul and
body. Along this journey in life there are so many pains and hurts
that would seek to not only affect our lives but try to influence
our heart. Many try to see though the eyes of faith and expect
God to touch their lives but fail to receive the outward manifestation
of their healing when they cannot see the results immediately
in their life. Remain in expectation for what was written and
spoken by Christ.
Psalms 147
3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their
wounds.
So many lives that I meet in the streets are carrying pain in
their hearts. Some of the homeless individuals that I have met
became homeless with the loss of a child or divorced by a spouse.
The pain had caused their life to be shattered and there was nothing
in their life that they could hold on to. In this chaos of pain
and suffering they lost all that they had and found themselves
with nothing. I have watched many touched by Jesus as they opened
their hearts to their pain and allowed Him to touch them and save
their soul. I have chosen to remember those that were destitute
and those who had nothing. Someone must care and someone must
share. Will you be that one to tell them that there is hope to
heal a broken heart?
I was in San Jose, California walking the streets along the trolley
car tracks, and walked up to a lady sitting on a bench, and sat
down beside her. I shared with her that I was an evangelist and
shared with her there is so much in life that we face and the
only way that we can live is in Christ. I told her that anyone
can find themselves homeless or even face death. I noticed that
she began to cry and she said, "I am homeless. Only a few
weeks ago I was in a wonderful job and was fired. I have lost
everything including my home." I was so sad to hear this.
I am not sure I will ever forget this and the expression of fear
upon her face. She was dressed as a professional business woman
and she did not look homeless. As she cried she said, "How
do I live in a shelter? I do not want to be hurt or raped. I am
a Christian and love God. I need His help in my life. I want to
live and come out of the streets."
As we talked I could hear the pain in her heart from those who
had hurt her at work and she held much unforgiveness. I took the
next thirty minutes to teach her on spiritual warfare. She was
now able to understand the attack against her life and knew how
to walk out of this situation through faith and to use the authority
given to her as a believer in Christ. Suddenly I saw hope rise
up within her. I did not want to leave but I knew I must. I cannot
meet every need that I find. The church must step forward and
assume its position to care for a world in pain. I choose not
to criticize the church but to challenge it to do the works of
Christ in the very city in which they live. I thank God for the
opportunity to met someone in need and to share Christ's Word
with them. I pray that she will find her way back into society
without harm or any further pain. What must we do to help those
who are hurting? Challenge your church to care for those who are
hurting in your community. Where are those who care and have the
ability to help?
I saw other homeless people who were hurting and others who had
so many needs that same day. I saw one man who was so distressed
that it was hard to look upon him and see the suffering and the
pain. As I looked I saw his hair was so matted, his beard so unkept,
his clothes were the same color of dirt. It was as if the earth
was swallowing up this man and he was becoming part of what surrounded
him. I passed him by and walked on down the sidewalk as I was
attempting to approach a leader of the Latin King Gang to witness.
Was it my own heart's desire to lead a bad gang member to Christ
and pass someone with so much need in their life as this homeless
man? Had I missed what the Lord wanted me to do and what He wanted
me to see? Later I felt so sad that I had not offered the homeless
man any food or extend my hand to lead him to Christ. He looked
so bad that I felt what I saw was a man slipping away into eternity
with no one to care. Later the Lord reminded me that when we minister
unto the least of them, we minister unto Him.
Matthew 25
35 For I was an hungered, and ye
gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger,
and ye took me in:
36
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was
in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then
shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee
an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When
saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed
thee?
39 Or
when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And
the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.
The concern that we are to have for others is so close to the
Heart of Christ that He did not separate the needs of others who
were hurting from His own feelings. He feels the pain and the
suffering. Let your heart see others' needs and sufferings and
show your love by demonstrating your concern. Do it for Him and
do it for them. Christ's heart yearns for those in pain. Why must
we struggle with our own needs that often seem so meaningless
and not see the needs of others? Look past your life and look
into the eyes of Christ as you look unto someone in need and touch
them as if you were ministering unto Christ.
The suffering of this homeless man would not even compare to
the sufferings of Christ last days on this earth. Imagine how
it would have been to look upon Christ with the sufferings that
were laid upon Him.
Isaiah 53
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows,
and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from
him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried
our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Christ was beaten, scourged, and tortured. Many could not look
upon His face that portrayed the image of suffering for mankind.
In spite His sufferings he was despised and rejected. Imagine
the grief and pain He felt. The cost of our healing was through
His sufferings. Provision for healing was not only promised but
the cost was paid in full through the stripes that were laid upon
His body.
Psalms 107
19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he
saveth them out of their distresses.
20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered
them from their destructions.
His Word contains the essence of life along with the freedom
and health we desire. The Word of God will transform a life and
a soul. Those who know Christ can carry His Word in their hearts
and share what He has given them with another and see it produce
its purpose on this earth. The Word will deliver and heal but
it must be revealed. If all would know what the Word truly contains
then we would see more of His Will fulfilled on this earth. He
has always chosen to reveal His Will to His people in advance
of His touch. We will see a great demonstration of His love for
His creation as the revelation of His Word reaches into the very
heart of those expecting His touch. Share His Word and expect
His touch upon your life and the lives of others.
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.
His Words and His Name alone can heal and save a soul. Often,
I wonder how I can share this Name with more hearts. I speak to
the Lord about this often and seem to feel that this is not my
own heart's desire, but I feel it is the desire of the Father.
As I seek to understand this emotion I seem to hear yet another
way to share this gospel with this world. While my ministry uses
so many forms of technology to share Christ and to train evangelists,
the most powerful way to share this Name with others is from your
heart to others. Open up your life for His call and to receive
His purpose in your life. The Lord seeks to equip you to share
His Will with this world.
Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Mercy
Street Ministries
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Disclaimer
|
Previous
Page 
Next
Page