Are your memories bigger than your dreams?

In Luke 7:11 we read the account of Jesus meeting the widow of Nain at the funeral of her son. Recently I saw a few things in this story I’d never seen before.

Firstly, as you may know, I have taught a lot about how faith is involved in healing and miracles. Yet this story stands out, as this widow didn’t come to Jesus with faith but was just attending her son’s funeral in grief. She’d already lost her husband and now her son had died.

I know what it is to attend your own son’s funeral – it’s an experience that feels so wrong, a deeper grief.

She didn’t come with faith but Jesus got her attention with an unexpected miracle. I think God does that sometimes. He get’s people’s attention with something they weren’t expecting.

Secondly, the story speaks of two large crowds. The first crowd was with Jesus.

“Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.”
Luke 7:11

Why was this crowd with him? They had seen the miracles, heard the life giving teaching – they were a happy crowd. They may even have been singing though we are not told if they were or not.

The second large crowd was with the widow.

“And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.”
Luke 7:12

This crowd was not happy. This was a crowd in grief and mourning. They were on their way to a funeral to bury the dead.

The story tells us that Jesus was going into Nain and that the funeral was coming out of Nain. The two crowds clashed. Joy met grief.
Then it says something happened in the clash.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
Luke 7:13

There comes a moment in our life when heaven beckons. It’s a defining moment. O the grace and mercy of our God!

As I think about this story, I realise I am surrounded by dead people every day. O they look alive. They walk around they talk, they eat, they watch TV, they laugh and cry and do all the things I do. But inside they are dead. They had a dream for their life, but it didn’t happen yet. They lost hope. They let their dream die.

Let me ask you a question. Are your memories bigger than your dreams? The memories of past hurt and disappointments, of dashed hope and rejections, of abuse? Are those memories bigger than you’re dreams?
I would love to have been in Nain that day. Something different happened.
Normally, when we see a funeral we observe it in quiet respect and stand aside for the procession to pass.

But Jesus did something profoundly different. He stepped into the road and stopped the funeral.

Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
Luke 7:14

Today, Jesus interrupts the burial of your dreams. He steps into the procession of the funeral of your hopes and dreams. And he says to you, “Young man, young woman, I say to you, arise.”

Rise up! It’s not too late! The devil is a liar! It is not over till the barren woman sings! (isa 54:1)

That dream that God put in your heart maybe the reason you were born. Today Jesus is doing the unexpected and giving you a fresh start beyond your imagining. It is time for you to do your part. To rise up!

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”
Luke 7:16

God has visited His people! What a wonderful phrase. Isn’t that what we want? Maybe today God is going to visit you!

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Favour - the key to breakthrough.

Right now I am trying to get breakthrough on several fronts. Not least we are trying to move house. In the current climate that may seem risky, I know.

Some of you may be trying to get a healing or change jobs or some other situation where you need a miracle.

I was getting frustrated with my situation. I'd done everything I possibly could. Everything I knew to do.. But the breakthrough did not come.

As I prayed about the situation this week, I heard a word - 'favour'.

Jesus began his ministry with a word about the year of the Lord's favour.

What right do we have to expect to go to heaven, get our sins forgiven or find mercy from God? We have none� apart from God's favour.

As the events off the first Easter are remembered this weekend, I am thinking about the favour of God.

His ancient people only came into the promised land because of God's favour.

"We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, The deeds You did in their days, In days of old: You drove out the nations with Your hand, But them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out. For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favoured them."
Psalms 44:1-3

But God's favour isn't automatic. We have to receive it.

Luke tells of a day when healing was available but only one man got healed. Many did not accept his favour and therefore didn't get their breakthrough.

"One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick."
Luke 5:17

But one man did and he was healed completely. His breakthrough came.

If Jesus lives in us and we live in a relationship with him, his righteousness lives in us. God is eager to place his favour upon his people.

"For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield."
Psalms 5:12

I have begun to declare that God's favour surrounds me. I'm expecting a breakthrough not by any cleverness on my part but just because God's favour is upon me.

Whatever you need today, begin to see yourself as surrounded by the favour of God. Things that don't normally happen will happen because of his favour.

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ADVANCE NOTICE
RSVP is holding a Healing Conference in Ipswich this summer. More info...


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Would you recognise Jesus?

Whenever I speak about the subject of healing in churches, there are always people who need healing. They don't all come for prayer but even those who don't often confide in me afterwards that they wanted to.

We pray so often, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven". There is no sickness in heaven and therefore Jesus taught us to pray that the same would be true on earth. And yet so many in the church are sick. Why?

Paul touched on one reason when writing to the believers at Corinth.

"For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep."
1 Corinthians 11:30

So the same was true in Paul's day - there were many who were sick among the believers. Paul says there was a reason for this.

"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."
1 Corinthians 11:28, 29

Paul tells them that the reason there are sick people in church is because they are 'not discerning the Lord's body'.

Today, pretty much all who call themselves Christian believe that Jesus sacrifice - his body and blood - paid for their forgiveness. Yet, so many of the same people say that God doesn't heal today or they are not sure if it's God will to heal everyone.

To me that's like saying, 'It's not God's will to forgive everyone'.

The scripture is shot through with statements that the new covenant in Jesus' blood, not only paid for our forgiveness but also abundant life which includes peace, protection provision and healing.

Isaiah tells us, "...by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

That is, by his wounds.

Matthew tells us, "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses." Matthew 8:17

Yet today, so many believe Jesus came like a bus conductor giving out tickets he paid for. What he did on the cross was so much more than purchase a place in heaven for you. His body and blood purchased a place in the New Covenant where all God has he shares with you.

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, ...that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus..."
Galatians 3:13 -14

Be careful today that you are rightly "discerning the Lord's body." That you understand the breadth and depth of his love toward you. That you understand his will is to see you healed and set free from every curse Satan throws at you.

"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

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Don't settle for an Ishmael when God promised you an Isaac!

When we're waiting for a divine breakthrough we can become impatient and be tempted to help God out. While we may think Abraham never wavered the truth is slightly different.

"And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."
Romans 4:19-21

When we think about faith, we have to think about Abraham, the father of faith. This verse from Romans 4 seems to suggest that Abraham never wavered in his faith. If that were so, it would be hard for me to relate to his experience because I have, many times, wavered in my faith.

But we need to read these words in context. It is talking about a certain period in Abraham's life. '...since he was about a hundred years old'.

So he became strong in faith at that age. If you study his life before that time, you will find that Abraham wavered in his faith several times. When God told him he would have a son, he and his wife laughed. Not for joy but with doubt.

After some time had passed and the promise had not appeared, Sarah suggested they should help God out and Abraham should sleep with the servant girl Hagar. Abraham had no more faith than Sarah and gladly agreed.

Ishmael was born and they had a son. Abraham was now 86 years old. They wanted Ishmael to be the son of promise but he was not. Fourteen years later, God appears to Abraham again and speaks of the child of blessing.

At this point, Abraham is still wavering in his faith. Although God tells him that the child of blessing will come from him and Sarah, he laughs again with unbelief and asks that Ishmael, their 'plan B', may be the child of blessing.

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!"
Genesis 17:17, 18

But from that time, something happened to Abraham's faith. He became full of faith. What happened?

The clue is in God's greeting.

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless."
Genesis 17:1

Up until this time God had appeared and declared he was 'Elohiym' - the divine one, the creator. The one who set the natural laws for all things.

But on this day, he announced that Abraham was being visited by 'Almighty God' - 'El Shaddai' - the most powerful God. The one who could overrule the natural law.

Now what seemed impossible before, would be made possible because now El Shaddai was on the case! So Isaac was born. God's blessing required a supernatural act. That's why Ishmael could never be the child of blessing, though he himself was blessed.

And was God foreshadowing the birth of Jesus? - which would require El Shaddai to overrule the natural law.

When we read of the first miracle of Jesus we see the fast forward button pressed by El Shaddai. The water into wine miracle at Cana accelerated the natural law.

If I plant a grape seed today and plant a vineyard, naturally speaking it will be 2 to 3 years before it will produce wine. But it would be 5 to 6 years before it would produce the best wine.

Jesus, acting as El Shaddai - God Almighty - accelerated the natural process of wine making from six years down to a couple of minutes.

I don't know what your need is today, but I know I have a few things that look like a job for El Shaddai!

We need to be careful if we waver in faith because we may produce an Ishmael. We need to stir up our faith, and call on El Shaddai - and his name is Jesus!

Next time things seem impossible, why not say, 'This looks like a job for El Shaddai!'

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Healing words

God has appointed his word and your words as sources of healing. Some people say, ‘I’ve prayed so long but God hasn’t healed me’. When we get sick or we get a disease, it is very easy to focus on ourselves and on the problem. But if we are going to get healed by God we need to shift our attention to his word.

‘He sent His word and healed them…’
Psalms 107:20.

So we need to hear and receive his word for our situation. We need to be reading a meditating on his word for our lives daily. We need to give our attention to his word because his word brings healing and health.

‘My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.’
Proverbs 4:20-22

As we meditate on God’s word it gets into us. As we speak his word aloud and think about it, it gets inside us – into our heart.

‘But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach):’
Romans 10:8

Those are the two places we need to get his word – in our mouth and in our heart. That is when the word begins to take effect.

The word of God comes to us like a seed – we don’t understand it fully at first. It’s like a seed. We can’t see everything contained in it until it grows in us.

‘The sower sows the word.’
Mark 4:14

We have to let the word of God grow in us by watering it with our faith and our meditation. Whatever we give our attention to will grow in our life. When I was a young man, I gave my attention to a young lady. I thought about her often. I dreamed about her. I spoke to others about her. I spent every moment I could with her. The more I gave my attention to her, the more she became part of my life. She is now my wife and we’ve been married for 30 years! I still give her my attention.

So God says, ‘give attention to my words’. (Prov 4:20). He has sent his word to heal us. Now we have to apply our faith to his word.

How do we do that? Well first of all we have to hear his word, let it sink in, because ‘…faith comes by hearing… the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Then faith grows in us that the word is true and for us. Then we can begin to speak out our faith. We can begin to say we are healed because God says we are healed.

‘For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.’
Mark 11:23

Look how many times Jesus used the word ‘say’ in that one sentence. So miracles of faith begin by a declaration. We have to say what we want not what we have. It’s easy to say ‘I’m ill’. But, when we are, it’s better to begin saying ‘I am healed!’ This is what God advises. Say what you want not what you’ve got.

‘Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’’
(Joel 3:10)

Speaking like that begins to change us on the inside. We change from being a victim to an overcomer.

Everything God does in the earth begins with a declaration. In creation he said, ‘Let there be light!’ and it was so. In the same way, we who are made in his image must also declare things before they come to pass.

‘You will also declare a thing,
And it will be established for you…’
Job 22:28

Our words are powerful to change things in the spirit that affect the natural things.

‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.’
Proverbs 18:21

We need to know what the word says and how to release the power of God otherwise we will be thrashing around in error and speculation.

“Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
Matthew 22:29

So where do we begin? Let us focus on Jesus and what he did on the cross. That’s always a good place to start. Let us see and mediate on the fact that he not only dealt with sin on the cross but also with sickness.

‘..who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed.’
1 Peter 2:24

‘..by whose stripes you were healed.’ Notice that is past tense. If I was healed then I am healed. Meditate on that today.


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You will also declare a thing

I used to love watching Catchphrase on TV when Roy Walker would ask contestants to view a picture and guess the catchphrase. When they were struggling to guess correctly, Roy Walker would always say, “Say what you see.”

When we are struggling with sickness that is not good advice. The more we talk and meditate on the problem, the worse it sometimes becomes. It's understandable to want to talk about the sickness attacking our bodies. As Roy Walker would say, “It's good but it's not right.” Actually, it is not good or right!

It seems to me that nothing is released from heaven without a declaration first. During the Christmas story we have just celebrated, the angels declared Messiah's birth. In creation, God spoke and it was. We are made in his image and, when we make a declaration, something moves in the spirit.

The way to rise up and overcome any situation is to begin by making a declaration about the solution.

“You will also declare a thing,
And it will be established for you;
So light will shine on your ways.”
Job 22:28

Jesus declared that Lazarus' situation would not end in death. Even though Lazarus died and was buried four days, Jesus' declaration came to pass.

God encourages us to make a declaration about our difficulties.

“…Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
Joel 3:10

There is no doubt that words are powerful. They are used to promote peace and spread terrorism. They are used to bring down governments and establish new eras.

We need to know what God has said about our healing and begin to declare it wisely over our bodies, our finances and any challenge we face.

“There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.”
Proverbs 12:18

What are you declaring about your situation today?

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Only one thing is needed

So here we are - a new year and a new beginning. How many of us have made New Year's Resolutions? And how many will be broken before January is out? So often we make too many resolutions and then keep none of them.

But actually, to make a real change in our life often requires just one thing. There is one thing you could do this year that could transform your whole life.

Some of us need to let go of the past. St Paul had been involved in the execution and persecution of Christians before he became one of their most prominent leaders. Do you imagine for a moment that the faces of those he'd had killed didn't haunt him? Many of us have things in our past that hold us back. St Paul wrote, “… one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead,” Philippians 3:13

Some people need to put the past behind them You need to realise that there is no future in your past. Maybe that's the one thing you should do this year.

Others have lost the sense of worship towards God. We need to recapture the spirit of worship David had. Maybe that's the one thing you should do this year.

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”
Psalms 27:4

Others lack a concern for the poor that is at the heart of God's love for the world. Jesus said to the rich young ruler, “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21

Maybe the one thing you should do this year is give to the poor. There are many ways to do that. Obviously for me, I connect many people with projects that help the poor directly through RSVP Trust. But there is no shortage of need.

Still others are rushing about, busy with many practical things when what we need to do is listen to Jesus. Some of my most productive moments have come from being still and listening for God's voice. Jesus said to Martha that only one thing was needed, to listen to him.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42

What is the one thing you could do this year that would transform your life and your walk with God?

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