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Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category

When Healing Does Not Come The Way We Want

Posted in Healing, Love, Salvation, The Father, The Righteous on December 21, 2010| 2 Comments »


15“For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

16“They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;

17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”  Revelation 7:15-17

This past weekend I received news that a boy we prayed for during our mission trip in Uganda died.  We met this 16 year old boy and his mother during our mission trip in Kumi, Uganda.  This boy was malnourished, mentally disabled, and had spent a lot of the time tied by the neck with a rope so he wouldn’t run away.  The Lord led us to pray for this boy, baptize him and rename him Peter.  We prophesied to Peter and His mother that God had great plans for him.  Peter gave His life to the Lord.  As we walked away God said the greater miracle of salvation took place.  I knew that even the angels in heaven rejoiced.  We looked forward to see what God was going to do in Peter’s life.  Unfortunately, sometime later Peter died.

There are times that physical healing does not come like we want.  We pray for family members to become well but there are those who do not make it.  I do not know why everyone does not get healed but I know God is a healer.

This past year, I know several people who lost their loved ones (parents, spouse, children) to sickness even after prayer and having faith that God would heal them completely.  As I reflect on Peter I am reminded about where Peter is and that is heaven.  The above scripture gives me such comfort in knowing that Peter is home.  I have no doubt that our meeting Peter was a divine moment orchestrated by God because on that day, Peter gave his life to Jesus, was baptized, and was renamed by God.  Today he sits in the very presence of God without pain, no longer hungry or thirsty, his suffering has ended.

I don’t know why Peter died.  I don’t know why others died even after the prayer of the saints.  I have learned to rejoice even in the death of the believer because their life has not ended but they simply have passed from this life to the next.

We must remember that God is always concerned most about the condition of a man’s soul.  Salvation is greater than any physical healing that can take place.  What if Peter was physically healed and hadn’t given his life to Jesus would he really be better off?  No.  That is why I rejoice because God chose to save Peter’s soul.  The day Peter gave his life to Jesus was the day death lost its hold on Peter’s soul.

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God is Looking For You!

Posted in Grace, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Salvation, The Father on November 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

20“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  Luke 15:20

Often times our view of God is that He is just sitting on His throne watching the world go by, not really involved unless we engage Him.  Jesus showed us the Father when He was here on earth.  Jesus did not show us an aloof God but a Father that loves His children.  In Luke 15 Jesus tells of three parables dealing with the lost sheep, lost coin and the prodigal son.  In all three parables the person is looking for what has been lost and rejoices when they have found the thing they are looking for.

God is like the Father in the parable of the prodigal son.  When the son left with all his money, his father did not disown him but waited for him to return.  He probably looked out the door and window many times hoping his son would return.    When the son began to make his way back, the father saw him off in the distance and began to run toward his son.  God is the same way.  He is always looking for us and seeking after us to return to Him.

Unfortunately, we think God doesn’t care and many times washes his hands of us when we have sinned again and again or when we have wondered far from Him.  God loves us because He created us.  He created us in His image and breathed life into each one of us.  When we became separated from God, He sent Jesus to bridge the gap and to atone for our sins.  Through Jesus we have redemption and our relationship with God the Father has been restored.

See God is looking for you and wanting you to come home.  He doesn’t care where you have been or what you have done, just come home.  Even if you lost your way, He will find you – just call and He will come running.  As you approach God’s throne of grace, He will come embracing and kissing you just like Jesus tells us in the parable.

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Pray for Them!

Posted in God's Glory, government, Salvation on November 4, 2010| Leave a Comment »

“But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever;
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
But He does according to His will in the host of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And no one can ward off His hand
Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’

“At that time my reason returned to me And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me.

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”  Daniel 4:34-37

Now that the election is over what do we do?  We pray for our leaders.  Even if we do not agree or like our leaders we are responsible for praying for them.  We should not just pray for those we like but pray for all of our leaders from our local leaders to our national leaders.  We can have influence over our leaders through prayer because God has authority over all of them.

Daniel was known as a praying man.  Even King Nebuchadnezzar knew about Daniel’s God and sought Daniel’s wisdom and influence.  Daniel went on to influence other kings.  Daniel did not just sit back and complain about the kings but he committed everything to prayer and God’s hands.  When we commit ourselves to praying for other God will actually knit our hearts together and give us wisdom and insight.

Our government needs our wisdom and prayers.  God is the one with all the answers and when we seek God’s face and stand in the gap for our nations God will intervene and bring about change for the better.

Look at what happened to King Nebuchadnezzar, he was the wicked king in the world but when he lost his kingdom and everything he finally called on Daniel’s God – the Most High.  When King Nebuchadnezzar called out to God all that he lost was restored to him and he gave all glory and honor to God.  One of the reasons that King Nebuchadnezzar came to know God was through Daniel; Daniel stood in the gap and we must do the same for our leaders whether we like them or not.  We must pray because prayer changes everything – including the salvation of a wicked king.

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The Prodigal’s Brother

Posted in Salvation, The Father on September 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.  And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’  But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.”

“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’  And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'”  Luke 15: 25-32

In the story of the Prodigal Son Jesus tells us how the younger son had taken the money his father had for him and spent it all.  Then when he had nothing left, he then went back to his father to ask for forgiveness.  The father was so happy to have his son return home he embraced his son and rejoiced he was home.  The father also had a party to welcome the prodigal son home.  Unfortunately, the older brother, who remained with his father, was not as happy.  He was hurt and offended that after all the trouble his brother caused he gets a party.  The older brother wanted justice; he wanted to see his younger brother pay for everything he did wrong to the family.  However, the father was just so happy to see his son home and the past no longer mattered.  Once he was lost and now he was found.  The father did not discount the loyalty of the older son and said everything the father had belonged to him, but his young son was now home and he wanted to rejoice.

Many times as Christians we feel like the older brother in regards to unbelievers.  Many of us have been faithful in our walk with God, and sometimes hate to see those who have done God wrong suddenly say they are sorry and get saved and seem to get away with some pretty serious sins.  We must remember God is no respecter of persons and want all to come to salvation.  We must take the position of the Father and also look forward to the lost ones coming home.  We should rejoice the way heaven does when someone gives their life to the Lord no matter what they have done.

The older son would have been so much happier if he joined the celebration of his brother’s homecoming, and so should we.  We were all once lost and dead in our sin, but now we are made alive in Jesus Christ and we should beckon the lost ones home because this will make our Father in Heaven very happy.  Remember what it was like when you were found by the Father and He welcomed you home?  We should want every person to experience the same love and forgiveness.

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God’s Desire

Posted in Jesus, Knowing God, Salvation on September 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.  1 Timothy 2:3-6

We love justice.  We want people to get what they deserve.  When we see bad things happen to good people we want vengeance.  Mercy trumps judgment.  Mercy is what we do not deserve and God is merciful.  His mercies are new every morning.  God shows mercy to all, He is no respecter of persons.

It is God’s desire that all men to be saved.  That is why He shows mercy over judgment.  Too often we are quick to label God as a judge and punisher of the wicked, but He does desire that all come to salvation and that is why we have Jesus.

Jesus did not commission us to be judge and jury over the lost, but to be a catalyst of God’s love and mercy toward mankind.  Jesus died for all and not just some.  His death made it possible for anyone to come to God and be reconciled to Him.  We have a responsibility to show the love and mercy of God to everyone not just some.  We must remember that when we were still sinners Jesus died for the ungodly – all of us.  Witnessing is the believers’ mandate.  We are all called to preach the good news of the gospel.

Our prayer should be that our heart is in tune with God’s heart.  We should also desire that all men come to know the truth of Jesus and be saved.

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Do You Weep?

Posted in Jesus, Salvation on September 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 41When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it,

 42saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.

 43″For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side,

 44and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” Luke 19: 41-44

Do you weep over your city?  Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they did not recognize their visitation by God.  They rejected Jesus as the Son of God and denied His power.  Today we know the truth about Jesus but many still reject the gospel.  We are Jesus’ witnesses strategically placed in our cities and towns to spread the gospel and see the Kingdom of God expanded.  But do we weep for the lost the way Jesus does?

Imagine how different our cities would be if every person that lived there were saved.  Do you believe you can change your city, what about the nation?  We should make it known in our cities that the day of visitation has come.  Jesus is here now and salvation is at hand.  Our cities and nations can be saved.  Every believer represents a visitation by Jesus.

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The Greater Miracle

Posted in Jesus, Salvation on September 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

19“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

 20″Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”  Luke 10:19-20

 10″In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

On our mission trip to Uganda we witnessed God do amazing things through us.  We prayed for people, laid hands on the sick and saw people get healed, we prophesied and even witnessed demons manifesting themselves and leaving a person’s body.  We also witnessed people give their life to the Lord.  We even ministered that we have the ability to raise the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said we would even do greater works than He did.

With all of this happening I heard the Lord say that the greater miracle is salvation.  Yes demons are subject to us but Jesus tells us that we should rejoice that our names are written in Heaven.  Even Heaven rejoices when a sinner repents and gives their life to the Lord.

Too often we downplay people giving their life to the Lord.  We will jump up and holler if we see someone get out of their wheelchair and walk, but we don’t give the same praise when people give their lives to the Lord.   The greater miracle is always a sinner repenting and giving their life to Jesus.  Think about it that person was dead in their sin and now made alive in Christ.  They are a new creation and Heaven breaks out in joy because someone else has come home.

Signs and wonders point us to Jesus and lead lost ones home.  We should always be concerned about the condition of the soul above the physical body.  We should diligently seek after more souls being added to the Kingdom of God.  Wherever miracles take place salvation should also take place.  Jesus commissioned each one of us to go and preach the good news of the gospel to go out and be witnesses. 

The next time someone gives their life to Jesus, let us jump for joy and give a shout of praise because they have come home.  Finally, if you are a believer then praise God and rejoice that your name is written in heaven.

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