Established My Heart for Healing

Psalms 27:13&14
What, what would have become of me had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living!¹⁴Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

Yes, we need to cultivate hope and faith to stand firm until we see the completed manifestation of the Lord's healing or deliverance.

I haven't shared lately about my particular experience for healing. I wanted to believe for healing for many, many years but each and every time I wanted to discontinue medication for depression and severe anxiety, I would feel my mind short circuit and I was back on the medication in a matter of days.

In the Spring of 08 a man named Cecil Paxton came to our church and taught on healing and I'm so glad I went. You see, I didn't know how to stand on the Word of God to have my heart established for healing.

God's children are perishing for a lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)

I may have been taught previously how to hold on to healing but it didn't penetrate my heart. I needed to personalize the Word of God for me. See, I was still at a point where I believed that if and when God wanted me healed, He would just zap his power my direction and healing would be obvious. I'm not saying that God can't heal this way but for me he wanted me to discover the principles in His Word so I could appropriate healing as my own at any time --any where.

This is how I looked at faith:

I thought faith was like money in a bank. I had to wait until God put the funds into my account. I felt I had to be holy enough to acquire these funds and then with His permission use these funds. It was a works-based faith and I felt I was barely above a negative balance in my account. If I did good then some favor from God was deposited. If I messed up then my account was debited. It was an exhausting way to perceive the ways of God.

Now I know that Jesus did everything we need for life and godliness (2Peter 1:3) and he has qualified me to be a partaker of all the benefits of heaven. (Colossians 1:12) I have a joint checking account with Jesus. Everything he has belongs to me. That's what a covenant means. What's mine is his and what's his is mine. Cool, since I don't really have anything except my whole heart to give him and that's all he desires anyway.

When the devil came along and tried to steal my healing, I just told him that Jesus acquired that healing for me and he had no right to take it from me. I knew by then that Jesus had given me authority in His Name and the powers and principalities had to bow to God's Word. I felt the attack. It was real but I also knew that I WOULD SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD. Jesus became the curse so I would not have to experience any of the curse. Really good trade off for me.

Here is a list of some of the benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven. (just a few)

Eternal life--starting the day you are His child John 3:16
No condemnation Romans 8:1
New Creation in Christ--old things have passed away 2Corinthians 5:17
Salvation--meaning saved from evil here. This definition also includes healing and peace Romans 10:9
Heavenly perspective--seated with Christ in heavenly places Ephesians 2:6
Overcome evil--died with Christ arose to new life-- 2Tim 2:11
Intimacy with God--veil torn to invite us to come boldly before the Throne of Grace Matt 27:51 & Hebrews 4:6
A purpose with a hope and good future Jer 29:11

All the promises of God are in HIM yes and amen. (2Corinthians 1:20) Read and digest your Bible so you can know the benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Psalms 16:5 God has Rigged the Game in our Favor.

I have been chewing on Psalms 16:5 for a season now, and quite frankly I've been puzzled by this verse. I went to the Blue Letter Bible online to find out what each word really means in the original Hebrew. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=16&v=1&t=KJV#top

Here is the verse 5 with the Strong's numbers attached to each of the words with definitions.

The LORD ³⁰⁶⁸ [is] the portion ⁴⁴⁹⁰ of mine inheritance ²⁵⁰⁶ and of my cup ³⁵⁶³: thou maintainest ⁸⁵⁵¹ my lot ¹⁴⁸⁶.

So after many days of looking at this verse and all the verses surrounding it for contextual meaning, I was still a bit puzzled about why it says that the Lord is like my parcel of land and linked to a cup. I originally thought the word lot at the end of this verse meant like a parcel of land but rather it means the winnings in casting of lots.

So this verse says:

The LORD is my assigned parcel of land or reward AND my cup: The LORD maintains or holds in place my winnings from playing a game of chance.

It was common in bible times to cast lots to make a difficult decision (Matthew 27:35; John 19:24; Acts 26:10) It was the fair way assign a ministry position when choosing a person from a group when everyone is an equally qualified. They did this to choose someone to replace Judas after he hanged himself. There were many good candidates and they cast lots to pick from the group.

I really wanted to understand the full meaning of this passage of Scripture so I went to prayer about it. While praying in the Spirit, I kept hearing the Lord say, "You can't lose!" and I also heard in my spirit. "You hit the jackpot 100% of the time when you are in Me."

So the Lord convinced me it is safe and proper conclusion that verse 5 is saying that the Lord is the one who holds in place how the coin toss or lots fall. Does this really say, we can't lose with God as our reward as we are guaranteed success? That is some pretty incredible FAVOR from God.

When we KNOW or he has SHOWN us who He is (or yada-- a very intimate form of knowing Psalms 16:11) then it is like hitting the jackpot! I'm a winner! The game is rigged so I end up with all the loot or spoils in this life. The spoils do not have to be monetary. The spoils can be the salvation of our loved ones or a loss of relationship that we so dearly want restored. The spoils can be a lost opportunity in ministry.

I know the devil has ravaged so many of God's people but maybe we let the devil get away with our good stuff because we didn't know that we are guaranteed to win. God has maintained or held in place the outcome of our life.

Read verse 11 in Psalms 16.

You reveal the path of life to me;
in Your presence is abundant joy;
in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.

So if you have been dealt a bad hand in this game of life you can just trade those cards in and get some better ones. If it is true that the LORD is your assigned portion and cup and he rigs the game in your favor then why wouldn't we just trade in the cards that we were first dealt?

Is this too good to be true? Is the writer of this Psalms laying it on a bit thick about how amazing our relationship with the LORD truly is to us as believers? This Psalm is written by someone who experienced God from the Old Covenant. David experienced God from the standpoint of being under the Law.

We are told in Hebrews 7:22 that we have a better covenant with God.

"Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant."

Jesus paid the whole price for our eternal security in Christ. WE CANNOT LOSE!!!!

~ I was an emotional hostage ~

Time to get back to the nitty-gritty of all of it!

I fell for it again...I was not being careful to watch those precious boundaries in my life. Jesus came to set the captive free, didn't he? But I walked right into that prison disguised as love or mercy or emotional junk.

My stomach was in a knot, my heart was pounding in my chest, my emotional center felt like a ship wrecked on the rocks. How did I get here once again? I heard the Spirit of the Lord say to ask for his perspective so I took a deep breath and sat down. I mean in the spiritual sense since I was still literally standing in the middle of my kitchen.

I sat down in the spiritual realm where I belonged--seated with Christ in heavenly places.

I heard the Holy Spirit ask me a question: "When are you going to stop allowing them to hold you an emotional hostage?"

Ohhhhh!!! I get it now! I answered: Right now! I'm breaking out of this prison. I am emancipating myself from that stronghold in my mind. I had tears on my face but joy came to my heart. That's when you KNOW it is the Holy Spirit and not just some straw to grasp at in an emotionally draining war. You KNOW when peace and joy flood your soul simultaneously that it was a supernatural act of God.

But immediately the "what ifs" advanced their troops. What if they do that? My mind was drowning in a sea of fear in a matter of one second. The most tormenting thoughts entered my mind in less time than it took to inhale.

Again I heard the Holy Spirit say. "Those voices are from the prison you just left. Their voices will fade as you step away from the place of bondage."

Isaiah 61
THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because
the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to PROCLAIM LIBERTY to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the OPENING OF THE PRISON and of the eyes to those who are bound.

And you want to know the really, really good news? Jesus set us free by his sacrifice for all humankind. He has already accomplished everything we need for life and godliness! Those who the Son made free are free indeed!

We can choose to stay captive. We can choose to stay inside the prison walls but the chains on the doors have been destroyed. The door is open but we have to choose to walk outside. The enemy has been defeated. He can snarl and act vicious but he's been de-fanged. He can only use deception to convince us we are trapped inside a prison with no actual door.

The gates of hell shall not prevail. There is no door!

Open Heaven part 3

This is the final part posted here in understanding that we can walk under an open heaven. This is for all believers and not just those who are considered really "super spiritual". This should be normal stuff for every believer. I hope you will begin to embrace this as a lifestyle and pursue walking under an open heaven with peace and joy.

Remember, I put an emphasis in part 2 that heaven is always open. God does not discontinue sending the benefits of heaven in our direction. The blessing flows continually from the throne of grace. BUT we are like a gate (Lift up your heads o you gates) and we determine if the flow of blessings gets plugged up or flows freely.

So what type of stuff can stop the flow?

Our words: Yes, James chapter one makes it pretty clear that our tongues have the power to steer our life into peril or blessing. Life and death is in the power of the tongue.(Proverbs 18:10) and in the book of Proverbs it also states that whatever a man speaks so shall he become. It starts with what we believe about ourselves and about God and it flows out of our mouths. Know what the Word says and then you can speak good stuff. This takes some discipline but before you know it, you will be speaking blessings over yourself and your family.

Pride: I'm not really going explain the pride that we see in the movies with the characters that won't ask for help and end up falling flat on their faces. I would rather put up mirror for us to recognize that false humility is a far more likely form of pride in the believer's life. If we think we are to grovel and beg the Father for stuff in the Kingdom then maybe we are shackled under a false sense of pride. True humility is agreeing with what God's Word says about us. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am more than a conqueror. I am fashioned to do good works that the Father planned in advance. I am blessed to be a blessing.

Lack of forgiveness: Holding on to unforgiveness is a sure way to block the flow of blessings coming from heaven. I love that old saying: Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison expecting it to kill the one who did us wrong. If you writhe in emotional pain at the thought of what someone did to you then asking the Holy Spirit to show you how to release that pain and set YOURSELF free from bondage is the way to release the floodgates of heaven.

Fear: Fear blocks the flow of heaven. As a person healed and delivered from a task-masters named fear and depression, I know firsthand how damaging fear can be in the believer's life. Fear makes plans for you to stay put. Fear makes plans to paralyze you. Fear causes you to abandon the plans God has for your life. Fear kills dreams. Fear not little flock. It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. God's people perish for a lack of knowledge and if fear is your enemy right now then the knowledge of how big your God is and how he equips us through Christ to defeat any roar of the enemy.

Trying to keep the Law: Galatians 5:4 "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." Paul makes it pretty clear that if we try to live under the law then we are NOT LIVING BY GRACE. Mixing the law and grace is a sure fire way to block the flow of heaven in your life. Remember grace if flowing your way---we just can't receive if we insist on trying to be condemned by the law. It's called the Ministry of Death (2Cor 3:7)for a good reason. Christ brings life and life abundantly.

Open Heaven part 2

I really want us to get excited about this. We can relate to God in this intimate way by walking under an open heaven. I really want to emphasis that this concept is not for the "super spiritual" or the giants in the faith. This is something that even a child can relate to and learn to do.

First of all heaven is always open. It's not closed due to sin or weakness on behalf of the believer. God wanted me to even tell you that heaven is open to the unbeliever. Romans 10:13

Whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved

Saved= sozo is to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. To save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health To preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue. And you thought it meant just to save you from eternal damnation. I used to think that too but when I realized that the word "saved" means so much more, I got pretty excited about being a saved one.

How does one cultivate this type of intimacy and encourage this type of supernatural expectation that comes with walking in an open heaven? Are you interested in knowing what it means to walk with God and know that all things are possible?

Heaven is always open. It's not locked. When Jesus said on the cross that "It is finished" he was proclaiming that he had done everything necessary for us to live as children of God no longer separated from the Father and from heaven's benefits.

Heaven is always open but realize that there are keys to the Kingdom. Keys are not for opening heaven but unlocking the benefits inside the Kingdom of Heaven.

Keys: (not an exclusive list--just a few to get you started on the right track)

Faith: We are told in Hebrews 11:6 that we need faith to please God. Hebrews 11:1 first defines faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things yet to be seen. Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed (very tiny seed) that you have enough faith to move mountains. Jesus made it clear in Luke 17 that our faith is like our servant and we need to put it to work on our behalf. Exercise your faith and see the muscles start to grow. I like the saying "starve your doubts and feed your faith". Faith comes or is encouraged by hearing the Word of God. Our fear or doubt is encouraged by feeding it negative things like "I hear this year is going to be the worst year for the flu...and the economy is sure going downhill, I'm never going to get that dream job so I might as well give up..."

Operating in love: We are commanded to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor just as we would love our self. (Mark 12:30) We are going to mess up from time to time but just keep a heart geared toward love and motivated to encourage others and your heart will stay free from stuff that stops on open heaven. (stuff that stops the flow of an open heaven is in part 3)

Thanksgiving: This key takes practice. It seems silly to thank God for stuff that has not yet happened but we are walking by faith not by sight and we need to act like the benefits of heaven are headed in our direction. Thanksgiving is paramount to receiving what you have prayed into this realm. I thank you Father that you have provided everything we need in Christ for life and godliness. This can actually be a lot of fun once you get used to having words of thanksgiving pouring out of your mouth.

Authority: This key is emphasised by Jesus when he taught us to pray to the Father, "Your Kingdom come, your will be done on EARTH just as it IS IN HEAVEN." He also took his disciples aside and taught them that whatever they bind on the earth is bound in the heavenly realm and what ever they speak is loosed is made loose in the earth too. We have the power of life and death in our tongues. Wow! That is good news!

You CAN EXPECT to dwell in the secret place of the most high. You CAN EXPERIENCE like Paul said and hear things in the third heaven or paradise of God. We CAN WALK UNDER AN OPEN HEAVEN and touch the earthly realm and simultaneously touch the heavenly reality.

Open Heaven part 1

I believe the concept of an open heaven is the single most intriguing notion as a New Testament believer. The believers preceding Christ's sacrifice got little tastes of this open heaven but it is made most clear when John is baptizing Jesus. Those who witnessed his baptism knew that heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and an audible voice of God said,

"This is my beloved Son in him I am well pleased."

Is what Paul meant in 2Corinthians 12:2 when he talks about the third heaven also what is meant by an open heaven?

²I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.³And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) ⁴How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

But walking under an open heaven sounds unrealistic to many of us--

Maybe the reason we have not attempted to embrace this type of intimacy is because we need to weed out some wrong thinking. As a man or woman thinks so shall they become.

I used to think I became holy by praying more, reading the Word more, fasting, or other good works. But then I discovered I am holy. I am the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus. Reading God's Word and spending time doing these good activities only unveils to me by revelation or renewing my mind that I am just as holy now as I will ever be since the moment the Holy Spirit came to dwell on the inside of me.

Another misconception is I must do something special to draw or attract heaven to myself. When Jesus said, "It is finished." the earth shook and the temple veil was torn from top to bottom signifying that there was no longer a separation between heaven and those on earth. We know God's Word says we can enter boldly to the throne of grace. Jesus paid 100% of the price so we could have access to the Father and to the benefits of heaven.

Other than just believing God and taking Him at his Word there is nothing I need to do to draw heaven to myself. We know the Word says that without faith it is impossible to please God.

But faith is just believing what God says in His Word.

Take a minute and ask God for a fresh understanding of the parable Jesus told in Luke 15. After the son had been starving and living with the pigs it says that he came to his senses and realized that in his Father's house he could at least beg to be a servant and get something to eat. So dirty and smelling really badly he went back to beg for mercy.

But ask yourself, did this man do anything special to draw the love of the Father to himself? No, the Father simply lavished his love and favor and authority on him just because he was a son. Was it the son's repentant heart that made the Father heap his love toward his son? No, the son thought he could repent and grovel at the Father's feet to allow him to get back in his good graces but the Father never gave him a chance to speak of those things. The son was thinking he would talk his Father into allowing him to be his servant just so he could be in his Father's house once again. But the Father just hugged him and kissed him and poured out all his goodness just because he was a son.

The other son who came in from the fields just didn't get it. He had been striving to please the Father and didn't understand why this wasteful son would be given favor when he had been out voluntarily laboring in his Father's fields. Maybe we should think about the whereabouts of that second son for a moment. Maybe he was not meant to be out laboring like the other servants. His place should have been at his Father's side in the house as a son. The second son was just as messed up in his thinking. He was acting like a servant. He is a son!!!!

A son is to be one of authority carrying out his Father's business. Not outside like one of the servants doing the work of a servant. Jesus said he no longer calls us servants but friends. Jesus was trying to show us by this parable that we belong in our rightful place as sons of God.

In Mark 4, Jesus gives another example to his friends that THOSE WHO HAVE-- MORE SHALL BE GIVEN but those who do not have, even that which he has shall be taken away. This seems a bit disturbing. If we don't have something, how can it be taken away? But if it is a PERCEPTION OF LACK --we think we don't have it--then it is taken away. (more examples of this principle are in 1Kings 17 Elisha asked the widow what she had and in Matthew 15 when Jesus asked the disciples what they had.)

If I think I don't have an open heaven then it is taken from me. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND if I believe the Father has lavished me with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus and I start taking advantage of this open heaven lifestyle then MORE SHALL BE ADDED TO ME. I do believe God has given this to me and I'm getting ready for more to be poured out to me. WOW!!!! That is good news! Kingdom living is so much richer than we can imagine!

Sleep is Faith

Some seasons are more pleasant than others, I think we all would admit. The really neat thing is that God shows his strength in each season and encourages us to step out of our comfort zone and learn better how to trust him.

I think for the first time in my life I'm seeing what it means to know He is strong though I am weak. I used to think this weakness was my being humble and accepting lack, sickness and other things that were paid for at the cross.

I used to believe this type of weakness was a sign of how holy or humble I could be. When in fact, our weakness is just admitting that HE IS OUR STRENGTH!!!! It's like I can't be wet and dry at the same time. I'm weak so He can be strong and HE can show himself strong through me even though I'm going through a rough season. Christ in me the hope of glory!


My dear friend was encouraging me today and she knows how much I desire to press on in faith. She said such a profound yet simple statement.

"Sleep is faith!"

This season of difficulty I have seen God move in ways I never would have planned and all of it is to my good and the good of those I love. We have so much to praise about and so much to thank Him for.

I'm blessed going in and blessed going out. I'm the head and not the tail. I am blessed and though some may try to curse me--I shall not be cursed for the Shout of a King surrounds me. I'm blessed and highly favored of the Most High God and dwell in the secret place of the Almighty. It is His good pleasure to give me the Kingdom. Hallelujah!

Since God is for me nothing can be against me! And I'm going to sleep really well tonight knowing that my awesome God is going to work everything out for our good.

I am so convinced that I'm blessed and I'm expecting more blessings to flow my way.