“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NKJV

Your life may seem so bad right now like nothing good is happening around you. Truth is you may not always be able to control the things happening around you, however you can determine your reaction to them and choose not to let unfavourable circumstances weigh you down.

In John 16:33, just before His crucifixion, Jesus exhorts His disciples to not lose heart. Jesus was undaunted in the face of death.

I think that if only the disciples had a fore knowledge of the intensity of troubles coming their way; from Jesus’s crucifixion, to their times of trials and persecutions, maybe they would have asked Jesus to speak some more.

The world constantly pushes troubles, distress, temptations, trals, sorrow and frustration towards its inhabitants including believers. Jesus says; Be of Good Cheer.

‘Be of Good Cheer; I have overcome the world, therefore nothing it brings can successfully harm or hurt you, unless you allow it‘.

Be of Good Cheer…

You can enjoy my peace in the face of tribulations (John 16:33).

Be of Good Cheer…

There is no need to be afraid, for I am with you (Mark 6:50).

Be of Good Cheer…

My body was broken for your healing, by My Stripes you were healed you. So take up your bed and walk (Matthew 9: 1-8, Luke 8:43-48, Mark 10:49-52).

Be of Good Cheer…

I have overcome the world, I won the victory for you and I AM IN You, so you are more than a Conqueror (1 John 4:4)

Be of Good Cheer

Be confident and certain that you win always in Me. Be fearless and courageous because I am with you, I will never leave nor forsake you.

Be of Good Cheer

You say you believe in God, Believe My Word also. Speak My Word. Confess My Word always. Walk in My Spirit and let the love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness rule in your life.

Be of Good Cheer for I have overcome the world and I did it All for you. You are more than a Conqueror!

The Heavens tell of His glory, creation showcases the works of His hands. The dawn of a new day and its embrace of night reveals His power. The sun, the moon, the stars tell of His glory. All these though silent yet communicate louder than words, transmitting their message throughout the world to all mankind (Psalm 19:1-5), to all who care to think, listen, and see.

Be Sensitive; Walk With The Holy Spirit

By His Stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5).

God walks with us at the level of our faith. Whether our faith is little, great or exceedingly great, Jesus is available to walk with us. Yes God abhors ‘No faith’, however, a faith as little as a mustard seed can set things in motion for us (Luke 17:6).

So put your faith to work and be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Make Room for the Holy Spirit to HELP You

Sometimes we are struggling with health conditions that just an inspiration from the Holy Spirit can fix. I am personally becoming increasingly reliant on the Holy Spirit than anything else in deciphering what’s going in my body. And every time I follow His leading to operate in wisdom and make necessary changes or adjustments, my health improves. Sometimes He takes away the anxiety by whispering to me exactly what is going on; no need to panic because sometimes it’s just a physiological process going on in my body that will fade with time.

The Holy Spirit is our Helper and He is available to help us in all every area of life (John 14:16, 16:7).

Discern Demonic Oppressions with the Help of the Spirit

Some sicknesses are results of demonic oppression but we will never know which sickness to cast out the oppressing demon and which to command healing on, if we are not sensitive.

I remember one health challenge I had; I kept saying my healing confessions, breaking bread, etc, there was not much progress. One day as I prayed in the Spirit, I heard clearly in my spirit that “spirits don’t die“. Indeed, this was a new revelation to me. From then I remembered the day it felt as though another individual walked straight into my body, it was almost so real to me. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t fully understand it. So in trying to overcome this particular health challenge, in addition to saying my healing confessions, I would also pray that any foreign spirit in my body would die.

From the day I got that revelation, the Holy Spirit started guiding me to scriptures where Jesus casted out demons from sick people and they got well. I commanded the oppressing spirit to leave my body. That was the end of that challenge. Just like that.

Follow the Spirit’s leading in your Word Study

The Holy Spirit is not just our teacher but also our guide (John 14:26, John 16:13, Psalm 143:10). We should let Him guide us into all truth of God’s Word as relevant for every season of our life.

I’ve found that many times before a health attack comes to me, God always sends a Word ahead. That Word comes to comfort and charge me up through it all. I believe that this is one way God stays with us through challenging periods, He sends a Word.

But I’ve also realized that I cannot hear or discern what God is saying when I am anxious or in panic mode. So I’ve learnt to relax and trust God. You will not easily hear God in a panic mode, you will struggle with understanding God’s leading in the flesh mode.

So walk in the Spirit as a lifestyle and know at times that by His stripes we are healed.

Allow the Spirit to Comfort and Charge you up

Health challenges or attacks can come to anyone, so don’t get weary or lose faith if they come. Resist them when they come. Do not think the Word is not working because yet another health challenge came. Neither lose faith nor make room to feel depressed.

Your adversary the enemy, roams around every day! (1 Peter 5:8). The good news is that Jesus already came and healed us by His stripes. Halleluyah!

You are a Believer, you are the Righteous. The Righteous lives (daily) by faith (Hebrews 10:38). Every day is a Faith Day! Every day is the day to walk in faith. Stand on the Word of God. Keep saying what the Word says and keep believing it.

Stay Conscious of the Ever-Abiding Presence of the Holy Spirit

Never give up, never give in. Jesus already won the victory.

The Holy Spirit was sent to Abide with us FOREVER. As you stay conscious of being healed by His stripes, never forget this too.

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever“— John 14:16 NKJV

You are not alone, God is Always with you. He is with you through the waters; therefore the rivers will not overflow you, the fire will not burn you, the flame will not scorch you (Isaiah 43:2). Just stay alive and alert in the spirit. Hang in there and keep the Word on your lips.

Halleluyah!!!

God Wants You Well and He Ensured it

God is interested in our spiritual and physical wellbeing (Isaiah 53;4-5, 3 John 1:2) and that is why Jesus carried our sicknesses, pains and sorrows on Himself; in His own body (Isaiah 53:4-5). He did it so that we do not have to bear, carry or suffer any of these things. We are delivered from sin and its consequences. Ignorance about the Word of God on healing or laziness will not stop us from practicing the Word by faith. We will make wise and healthy lifestyle choices and ensure to partake of the Lord’s Body in love.

If our bodies ever become challenged we know just what to do; we will resist sickness and disease by faith in the Word, take authority over them in the name of Jesus, we will remember and profess the sacrifice of Jesus for us and we will intentionally make healthy life decisions. And we will remain confident of the ever-abiding presence of the Holy Spirit- God is with us! We are not alone. By the Stripes of Jesus we are healed.

Glory be to Jesus, for By His Stripes we are healed!!!

Become more sensitive to the leading of the Spirit by becoming strengthened in the innerman.

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Thank you for joining me on this short study series.

Blessings & Love Always ❤

Therefore it is not just the mere addition of “in Jesus name” that delivers the goods to us. We should also ensure our ‘whatsoever‘ truly represents who and what Jesus is.

Therefore, if we are ever challenged in health, we know it is not from God, we must resist it.
Question is how do we resist sickness?

Why Christians Still Suffer Sickness and Disease

So far, we’ve said that God is interested in our spiritual and physical wellbeing (Isaiah 53;4-5, 3 John 1:2). We have also seen that Jesus carried our sicknesses, pains and sorrows on Himself (Isaiah 53:4-5). The reason Jesus did it all is so that we do not have to bear, carry or suffer any of these things. We are delivered from sin and its consequences.

Now, if Jesus did all this so that we can enjoy good health then why do Christians still fall ill?

Below, I share 4 possible reasons from scripture why this can be the case……

1. Ignorance about the Word of God on healing

In Hosea 4:6, God states that His people perish because of lack of knowledge.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. Hosea 4:6 NKJV

The devil will always cash-in on anyone’s ignorance of their identity, rights and privileges in Christ to keep such a one in bondage (John 10:10, Luke 13:16). If we believe that Jesus already took away our sicknesses and diseases, then He intends for us to be free of them. So God derives no joy in having is ill. But guess who wants us bound and in chains by sickness and diseases? The enemy of our faith! As we see in Luke 13:16, sickness can be a form of bondage by Satan…..

“So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” Luke 13:16 NKJV

The devil seeks to steal, kill and destroy, we should not let him succeed. However, we cannot appropriate and enjoy our benefits in Christ if we are unaware of what the Word says they are. In John 8;32, Jesus said it is the person who knows the truth that can be made free….

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 NKJV

Give time to the Word of God. Lack of knowledge about the Word of God in any area of life will keep you in bondage.

2. Laziness in Practicing the Word

James 1:22 is a short but very strong verse of scripture…..

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 NKJV

If all we do as believers is; listen to the Word, listen to the Word and listen to the Word again but never act in accordance with what we hear from the Word, James 1:22 says we are DECEIVING ourselves. If we never bring ourselves to practicing what we hear from the Word of God, chances are that we may be lazy or we have not fully accepted the Word as true. So in a sense, not acting on the Word can sometimes be like dancing with unbelief.

God wants us living a life of faith and perpetual victory. And that is only possible when we learn to release our faith through our actions, starting with our words. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God in our mouths.

Today, align your words with God’s Word on healing in order to enjoy your healing benefits in Christ. Remain steadfast with your healing confessions and overtime, you will realize that the Word of God is health to all your flesh, the Word is living, powerful and sharp even as pertains to your health.

3. Making unwise and unhealthy lifestyle choices

Even though we are spirit beings, and dominate our world first in the spiritual realm, our bodies are the means through which we relate directly with our physical world. Our skin, eyes, ears, nose, tongue transmit signals from the world around us to our brains, thus helping us make sense of our world. However, our physical bodies are prone to wear and tear with each day. Therefore not making wise and healthy lifestyle choices can further cause more wear and tear on our bodies.

To fully enjoy our healing benefit in Christ, we must make healthy lifestyle decisions. Eat right (Daniel 1:12-16, Genesis 1:29, 2:16), Exercise right (1 Timothy 4:8), Get enough Sleep/Rest, Maintain good Godly relationships.

4. Not discerning the Lord’s Body

Speaking about the communion, First Corinthians 11:29-30 tells us to recognize that when we partake of the communion, we are actually partaking of the Lord’s Body. And we are that Body! So eating/drinking in a discriminating manner, with hatred and unforgiveness against one another, can make us weak, sick or to die.

“For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” I Corinthians 11:29-30 NKJV.

We all sometimes feel angry, offended, betrayed etc, but we must learn to let go of them, we must learn to quickly forgive. We must commit to ourselves to Be More– more in faith, patience, longsuffering, kindness, peace, love (2 Peter 1:5).
And the more we yield to the leading and workings of the Spirit the easier it is to resist the impulses of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Be led by the Spirit, walk in walk.

Love fulfills all of God’s law (Galatians 5:14‭-‬15). We are born of God, God is love and so we are love. Let us learn to exercise our love nature by making demands on it every time we are tempted to hate or not forgive (Matthew 22:37-39, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Matthew 5:24).

Friends, don’t let the enemy keep you oppressed and depressed. Christ has delivered us from sin, the curse of the law and from the devil’s dominion. He took our pains and sicknesses on Himself and By His Stripes we are healed. So, be knowledgeable about your identity, rights and benefits in Christ, make wise and healthy lifestyle choices and put on the garment of love at all times.

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Blessings & Love Always!

If believers are to lay hands on the sick to recover, then there is healing power in a believers hand (when used with the authority in the name of Jesus). But how best to prove this except by acting on it.

As I lay on my bed extremely weak, the Word of God was bubbling in my heart, bubbling, bubbling, however, I wasn’t speaking it out. I didn’t think I had enough strength to speak, and yet I was feeling weaker. Oh! But the moment I summoned courage and simply whispered; ‘I have the life of God in me’ in that very instant,  a light shone over my eyes, and I felt my chest rise (physically). I was both shocked and thrilled. For a moment it seemed like it didn’t happen. So much later, I spoke same words again; and I tell you I had the same experience again. And I started feeling better and better, gradually my strength returned the more I kept confessing the Word. I love God and I love the Word of God- my rock and anchor!

“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.” I Peter 2:24 NKJV

In Part 1, we answered the following question:

Is 1 Peter 2:24 ‘healing’ just a spiritual healing, a physical healing or both a spiritual/physical one?

Please refer to Monday’s post see the response from scripture.

Today we try to understand the word ‘stripes’ in 1 Peter 2:24.

As used in 1 Peter 2:24, ‘stripes‘ mean; a bruise, a wound from a stripe, to beat to pieces, crush, smite, humble, oppress.

‘Wound’ is an injury to a living tissue caused by a cut, blow, or impart, which typically cuts or breaks the skin.

‘Bruise‘ is an injury that appears as a discolored area of skin on the body.

These descriptions point to a physical, bodily experience. Yes, Jesus definitely felt the spiritual and emotional weight of crucifixion, but also in reality, He was physically tortured. His body was bruised.

The Amplified version reading helps paint a clearer picture of 1 Peter 2:24….

"He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 AMP

His body was cut. He was lashed so much that His skin broke. The nails pierced His skin as they passed through His hands, and the spear certainly pierced his skin. He even bore our sins in His own body.

The Stripes were not imaginary, they were real…

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4‭-‬5 NIV

He carried them all (sin and sickness) so that you will not carry them. You have no business with sin, you have no business with sickness.

Agree with God; Believe His Word, Continually confess His Word on healing and it will be health to all your flesh.

By His Stripes I was healed. The Bible says it and I choose to believe the Word of God. I agree with God!

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Reviewed from first published in 10/08/2019.

Not too long ago, I came across a Christian blogsite where a heated argument was going on about the meaning of ‘healed‘ in ‘By His stripes you were  healed‘ of 1 Peter 2:24.  While some persons supported the idea that ‘healed’ as used in this verse referred only to a spiritual healing with no physical manifestation, others thought it was totally a physical experience. Those who felt strongly that it should be purely spiritual, came from the standpoint that healing and salvation came as one package. And so if salvation is spiritual then healing must be too.