Ready, willing and able.

To listen to some people talk you'd think that God may heal the odd headache but he's not able to heal things like cancer or blindness. Yet listen in to a different group of Christians and you would think that God is able to heal those things but he's sometimes not willing. Still others may say God is willing and able but he's not ready. If people would only look at the Bible, they would see these ideas are simply not true.

Firstly, let's consider if God is ready. According to Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven". So are we in the season when God is ready to heal?

Jesus declared to his followers, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will ... lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17, 18,

God said to Jeremiah, "..I am ready to perform My word." Jeremiah 1:12. God has repeatedly declared his intention to heal in his word. It is clear then that God is ready to perform his word.

Secondly, is God willing to heal? If you read through the gospels you will not find any account of Jesus refusing to heal anyone. One particular man asked Jesus the very question we are looking at - is God willing to heal? The man was covered with leprosy.

"..a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him."
Luke 5:12-13

The God who revealed himself as 'Jehovah rapha' is obviously willing to heal. He is ready. He is willing. But is he able?

Simply by virtue of being God surely he must be able. Isaiah declared, "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." Isaiah 59:1, (NIV). In other words, if there is a problem, it is not at God's end. Sometimes, particularly if we are very sick or have suffered a long illness, it is difficult to imagine being free. It can be difficult to imagine God overcoming the mountain of illness that seems so big and overwhelming. When Paul wrote to his friends in what is now Turkey he had a revelation - that God was far bigger than our problems and we could never comprehend what God could do or how he could do it.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,"
Ephesians 3:20

God is able! Able not only to do what we are asking for but, 'exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think'. That is more than we can imagine. So imagine the most amazing thing that could ever happen to you. Well God can do far more than that! He is able!

He is ready. He is willing. He is able. Sickness is going. Healing is coming. Now!

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Dare to pray

When I mention healing in Christian circles I often feel like I'm swimming against the current. So many Christians and many leaders are fearful of praying for healing.

"So what if it doesn't work?" This is the vexing question that paralyzes well-intentioned Christians the world over. What if I pray and nothing happens?

"He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap."
Ecclesiastes 11:4

'What if it doesn't work?' is a question rooted in fear. You may as well ask, 'What if I walked past a tall building and someone pushed a piano out of the window and it fell on me?' It is very unlikely. One thing I can virtually guarantee is that something will happen when you pray for healing. The Bible says that 'nothing' is impossible with God. If 'nothing' is impossible, then 'something' has to happen!

We could ask, 'What if I preach the gospel and no one gets saved?' Or 'What if we share communion and nothing happens?' If God has commanded us to do certain things don't you think we should do them and leave the outcome to him?

Jesus gives his followers power to heal the sick.

"And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease."
Matthew 10:1

He didn't even say we should pray but that we should heal the sick.

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
Matthew 10:8

Just as you don't criticise a child's faltering steps when he is learning to walk, neither does God chastise us when we try to walk in faith. He is there to teach us and encourage us. So let's step out in faith this week and see what God will do.

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God wants you whole

God wants you to be whole. If you are reading this word today and you have a physical sickness, I believe God wants to you to be completely healed of that sickness. However, I think God wants to do even more. He is concerned with your whole being - body, soul and spirit.

An example of this is in Acts chapter 3 when Peter and John go up to the temple to pray. On the way they meet a lame beggar who asks for money. Peter replies that they don't have money but they have the anointing. The man is healed, and Luke's description of what happens is interesting.

"So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them - walking, leaping, and praising God."
Acts 3:8

First, it says he walked - so he was healed physically. Then he leaped, which means he got emotional - his soul was healed. Finally, he praised God - his spirit was healed. So we see that God was interested in far more than just healing his legs. He wanted to restore his relationship with his heavenly Father.

God's wants you completely whole - body, mind and spirit.

Another example of this is seen in Luke 17 when Jesus heals the 10 lepers. It says in verse 10 that all 10 of them were cleansed (the Greek word used is 'katharizo' meaning cleansed). But, in verse 19, to the one who returned to thank him, Jesus said to him, 'Your faith as made you well'. This time the Greek word used is 'sozo' meaning 'whole'.

Whatever you are praying for today, you don't need to prize it out of God's hand. He really wants you to have more than you're asking for.

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What are you wearing?

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
Ephesians 6:10

As the toll of soldiers deaths in Afghanistan rose beyond 200 recently, there was a cry that their armour is insufficient. One man apparently died as he'd lent his body armour to another soldier.

In times of war, soldiers have to be watchful and prepared at all times because the enemy will come to kill at any time of day or night.

Paul was imprisoned when he wrote to the Christians at Ephesus. From his cell he probably saw Roman soldiers and reflects on how believers can be protected from our Enemy.

He warns them to put on the full armour of God. And look at how many times he uses the word 'stand' in these verses. The message is clear, when faced with our enemy, we are to stand, stand, stand our ground!

The he lists the armour we should have on.

1. The belt of truth
Truth is what holds things together. Just like a belt that holds the breastplate, so truth will hold things together. That means walking in truth and light, and walking in the One who is called The Truth - doing things his way, according to the word of truth.

2. The breastplate of righteousness.
Righteousness will protect our heart therefore it is the breastplate. But please note, it is not our righteousness! It's the righteousness Jesus gave us as a gift we receive by faith.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
2 Corinthians 5:21

Our Enemy comes to accuse us (Rev 12:10). And if we only have our own righteousness we'll be in trouble! No. We must put on the righteousness Jesus gave us - His righteousness. Satan can never accuse Jesus.

3. The shoes of the gospel of peace
Imagine a soldier who gets the command to advance and has to start looking for his boots before he can move. He'd be killed very quickly. At the end of the gospels, Jesus commanded his followers to 'go into all the world'.

Some followers are called to go to other nations. Others are called to cross the street. But we are all called to 'go' somewhere with the gospel. A missionary is not someone who crosses the sea but someone who sees the cross.

4. The shield of faith
Roman shields were large and rectangular. They were also covered in leather. Before battle, soldiers would soak the shield in water so that when arrows of fire were fired at them, the wet shield would extinguish them. So our faith acts as a shield. We know we can increase our faith by hearing the word of God (Rom 10:17). So that is how we drench our shield of faith by being in the word often. Then it is much easier to extinguish the devil's lies. But if we are spiritually dry, it's easier for him to attack us.

5. The helmet of salvation.
The helmet protects our head - where we know things. If we know we are saved by Christ, it protects our thoughts from the lies of the enemy. So our salvation - being saved by Jesus - is our helmet. Whatever happens to us, if we know we are ultimately saved by Christ, we can keep our peace.

6. The sword of the Spirit
This is the word of God. Notice this is the only offensive part of the armour. All the rest are defensive. When Jesus was attacked by Satan in the temptation he replied every time, "It is written�" The most important thing about your situation is, what has God said about it? When we have God's word the devil cannot stand before us and has to flee.

All these things, Paul concludes, are held together with prayer.

So today, let me ask you, 'What are you wearing?'

---

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FREE from hard labour!

Yesterday I watched with increasing emotion as the two American journalists returned home with Bill Clinton. Already imprisoned in North Korea for 140 days and facing 12 years in a hard labour camp, they must have thought their life was over.

As Laura Ling spoke about the recent events, I was deeply moved as it reminded me of something else.

“Thirty hours ago, Euna Lee and I were prisoners in North Korea. We feared that at any moment we could be sent to a hard labour camp. And then suddenly we were told that we were going to a meeting. We were taken to a location and when we walked through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton.

We were shocked, but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end. And now we stand here home and free.”

Watch video of Laura Ling speech

At first I was reminded of Joseph of Egypt who was imprisoned on a false charge. But one day, he was called and taken to another location. He was surprised to be in the presence of the Pharoah who set him free and made him ruler over all. From prisoner to Prime minister in a single day!

But more than that. When we were imprisoned by sin - trapped and condemned by Satan - were we also not shocked that we were called to a different location and saw Jesus the King of Kings had come to set us free? He had done the deal - in his own blood. And, as Laura Ling said, “now we stand here home and free.”

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1

And Jesus came, not when we were free citizens with rights, but when we were lost sinners without hope. He condescended to stoop down into our darkness to set us free.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

I am glad that Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been reunited with their families. But I am eternally grateful to Jesus Christ that, when I was a prisoner, he came and set me free.

How great is our God!
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The LORD is my Sat Nav

The LORD is my Sat Nav;
I shall not get lost.
He makes me to drive by green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He recalculates by route;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I drive into the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your “recalculating” and “turn around when possible” comfort me.
You guide me to the service area and prepare me a table in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with sunscreen;
My cup of starbucks runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
“Arriving at destination”
(c) Don Egan 2009

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Resist and Recover all

Have you ever felt like giving up? Well, if you have, this message is for you. And even if things are going well right now, here is the advice on how to prepare for when things go wrong. Trouble comes to us. It's in the nature of life on this fallen world. Peter wrote a letter to his friends centuries ago, yet it's still great advice for our day.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
1 Peter 5:8-9

Firstly, he tells us to be alert or sober and vigilant. The devil is like a lion. Lions just attack and devour wherever they can. But they always look for the easy prey - the unsuspecting and unprepared. Don't be foolish around lions.

On my first ever safari in Africa, I was in Uganda's National Park. We were in a minibus and the guide shouted, "There are lions! Let's get out and have a look!"

"No", I thought, "There are lions. Let's keep moving!" You can't mess about when lions are about.

The good news is that the devil doesn't get to devour everyone he seeks. The Bible tells us to resist him.

On a second trip to Uganda's National Park, we didn't see any lions. We wondered where they were. When we got back to Kampala we found out why. There was a newspaper story about the lions. They had wandered into the nearest town - Kasase. People has woken up in the morning and discovered that where they had tied up a goat, there was just a blood stained rope. It told the story of a night watchman cycling home in the early hours. He turned a corner and was clawed off his bicycle by a lion. Thinking he could die, he quickly picked up his bicycle and hit the lion on the head with it as hard as he could. The lion was stunned and ran off. Peter tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us.

There was a time when David was under a severe attack where even his own friends and followers turned on him. What did David do? We read in the story -

"But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."
1 Samuel 30:6

Sometimes we have to strengthen ourselves in the Lord. Sometimes encourages are few or unavailable. David then sought the Lord and following his instructions, the Bible tells us that

"David recovered all."
1 Samuel 30:19

I believe that God want to show you how to recover everything the devil has stolen from you - be it health, finance or peace. It's time to recover all.

To listen to the full message from Don Egan checkout 'Resist and Recover all' on the podcast. Click here...

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