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.
Do you know that YOU can initiate a miracle? ?First, what is a miracle?
A miracle is a supernatural intervention in the natural course of an event(s).
we can initiate the miracle of provision and abundant supply if we follow and act on scripture.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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……
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
If you have been with me on this study, remember that we took a side journey from the sub-topic “Victory Through Faith” in order to find out how Abraham became the ‘Father of Faith’. You can read a bit more about that here.
Today we conclude our brief study on Abraham by looking at ‘The Blessing of Abraham’.
God pronounced the blessing on man immediately after creating him (Genesis 1:28). However Adam’s sin and fall introduced the curse which brought in spiritual death, sickness and poverty. Through His death, burial and resurrection, the Lord Jesus settled the curse forever, did away with it and re-established the blessing (Galatians 3:13-14).
When we look at the first mention of the blessing, we gain an understanding of what the blessing means….
“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28 NKJV
……be fruitful, multiply, increase, expand, dominate…
I find that the blessing is often mentioned alongside fruitfulness, expansion, increase, abundance, or influence in the scripture. Sometimes we find a combination of these mentioned.
From Proverbs 10:22, we see the value of the blessing….
The Blessing Makes Rich! The Blessing Makes Rich!! The Blessing Makes Rich!!!
So the blessing is an empowerment to prosper.
We find the answer to this in Genesis 12:1-3….
“Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family and from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV
If we want to line-list the Blessing of Abraham, we will have;
So, what do we see here? We see;
This is ‘The Blessing of Abraham’ and it pretty much covers everything anyone would want in life to feel successful, doesn’t it?
So did Abraham become all that God promised? Sure!
Genesis 24:1-2, summarizes for us that God blessed Abraham in all things….
“Now Abraham was old, [well] advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.” Genesis 24:1 AMP.
What exactly can fall under ‘all things‘?
Genesis 24:35 mentions some of them;
“The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great (wealthy, powerful); He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys.
Genesis 24:35 AMP
So Abraham put his hands to work and the blessing manifested.
Genesis 24:35 is actually a testimony from Abraham’s servant (as he went seeking a wife for Isaac from the house of Bethuel). According to his testimony, Abraham had become; greatly blessed, wealthy, powerful, an owner of flocks and herds, silver and gold, camels and donkeys and master servants and maids. I love the way Abraham’s possessions are mentioned in multiples- flocks, herds, camels, donkeys, etc. And talking about Abraham’s servants, I found it almost ‘mind-blowing’ that Abraham went to war (to rescue his nephew Lot) with 318 trained men born in his household! So how big was Abraham’s household? If he went with 318 men, how many were left behind? How many wives, children, mothers were not counted? So how exactly big was Abraham’s household? Talk about being blessed! In modern day, Abraham would have been described as a very powerful and influential person.
Abraham experienced the blessing through faith, obedience and patience.
I love the blessing of Abraham and I am so glad that I am an heir of Abraham. I am a partaker of this blessing.
Yes, I am an heir of Abraham and the Blessing of Abraham is mine.
Someone says ‘Grace, how did you come about that?’
First, Abraham became the father of faith because he believed God’s promises and he was counted righteous through faith. Therefore because I believe God’s Word by faith also, I am an heir of Abraham. Abraham is my father.
“In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God,” Galatians 3:6-7 NLT
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Galatians 3:26-29 NKJV
Who is an heir? Someone legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person’s death. A person who inherits and continues the work of a predecessor. A beneficiary, grantee, inheritor, successor.
Yes, I share in the same Blessing of Abraham..
“What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.” Galatians 3:8-9 NLT
I am an heir of Abraham and I have the blessing of Abraham. I have the Blessing! God has empowered me to prosper. And just as God blessed the handworks of Abraham causing increase and expansion leading up to wealth, influence and dominion, even so the blessing causes the works of my hands to prosper, leading up to wealth, influence and dominion. I walk by faith, I walk in-step with the Spirit, I live by the Word and I inherit the blessing. I am blessed, my name is blessed, and I am a blessing to nations…..and so are you!
When God entered into a covenant with Abraham, it was to assure him that the promise will be fulfilled, that the blessing will not fail. As Christians we stay confident that the blessing will prevail because of the covenant made by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The blessing will not fail.
Thank You Jesus!
Remember that you can access previous parts of this study as follows; Part 1: Study Background. Part 2: The Scope of the Christian Victory. Part 3: How Christians Gained Victory. Part 4: How Faith, Love and Hope Mix Together for Victorious Christian Living. Part 5: The Nature of God’s Love. Part 6: Characteristics of God Kind of Love. Parts 7 and 8: Winning Through Love. Part 9: How to develop our love nature. Part 10: Giving Is Not (always) Love. Part 11:Victory Through Faith: Understanding Faith. Part 12: Victory Through Faith: The Righteousness of God. Part 13: The Stimulus for Faith. Part 14: The Faith of Abraham (A). Part 15: The Faith of Abraham (B).
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Blessings & Love Always!
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us
