If we are the body..

If we are the body, why aren't his arms reaching

Why aren't his hands healing

Why aren't his words teaching

If we are the body, why aren't his feet going

Why is His love not showing them there is a way? (Casting Crowns)

Why, I really want to know why?  Why don't we see the people of God manifest His works and glory all over our land? Is it because we see ourselves as "grasshoppers" in the realm of the spirit, looking at the giant of circumstance in the light of unbelief?  The Promised Land is there for the taking, but we're too scared to step over into the realm of the enemy territory and capture what Christ paid for us to have.  To scared to leave the comfort zone where we, in our false status quo, don't want to rock the enemy's boat in case we become his target and so settle for less than God's best.  Is it that we "perish for lack of knowledge",  (Hos 4:6) don't know what God has promised, or worse don't know him well enough for the spiritual confidence and trust in Him to be deeply rooted in our hearts.

Hos 4:1  HEAR THE word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy (a pleading contention) with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, love, pity and mercy, or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land.

 
Is it because we think that the spiritual heavyweights are only those who are in upfront ministry and forget that the Word is clear that we are all messengers of reconciliation?

2Co 5:18  But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favour, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].

 
Not only that, but Jesus commissioned all of us, that is all who believe in Him, to go into the world drive out demons, speak in new languages and heal the sick. (Mark 16:17-18)
 
Can we be like David, the shepherd boy and a worshipper, who shared the wilderness, not only with his sheep and harp but with the presence of His God, defeating the bear and the lion by leaning on God's faithfulness and power?  He knew God in the secret place, that private place of intimate fellowship, and was bold to take God with Him out into the public arena, declaring fearlessly, to Saul, "The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. (1Sa 17:37)  And when the rubber met the road, David proclaimed to the Goliath the giant, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. (1Sa 17:45-46)  To David, God was not an impersonal God somewhere off in the bye and bye, but a very relevant, powerful God who touched Him and worked powerfully through him to deliver Israel from the enemy.

What stops us from having and moving in the spirit?

Unbelief is probably our biggest enemy.  Our unbelief does not negate God's awesome power, but it does negate that power available to us, working through us.  Our limited mind with its reasoning and analysing, limits the unlimited power in its flow.  God is willing to heal.  His character and nature is one of perfect order and although we are in a fallen world, His will is laid out clearly in Jesus last command, "they will lay hands on the sick and they WILL get well." (Mar 16:18b).  Do we really believe this or do we question, "who are the "they", surely that does not mean me?  It is for those who are anointed with a healing ministry.  Not according to the Word, Jesus obvious commission is for "he who believes and is baptised". 

I always say, if we really truly believed this, we would all be visiting those sick in hospital and praying for them.  But perhaps we don't have the compassion for the sick and hate illness as much as Jesus seem to dislike it, for we see "How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him." Act 10:38 
 
A powerful statement is made by God in the wilderness to Moses' unbelief when he debated God on how He was going to feed the people with meat.

The Lord said to Moses, Has the Lord's hand (His ability and power) become short (thwarted and inadequate)? You shall see now whether My word shall come to pass for you or not.  (Num 11:23)

 
Is it our grumbling and complaining that stops the flow of the spirit in us?

Num 11:1  AND THE people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which was evil in the ears of the Lord, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp.

I find it interesting the last few telling words at the end of this sentence.  "Outlying parts"!  Is it that those who grumble and complain are the ones who on the edges of the fellowship.  They are the ones who separate themselves, not sharing the fellowship and union of the saints and becoming involved in service to God and to one another.  They are the ones with the right to be "fed", "watered", "pampered" and to have their "needs" met.  They don't consider service nor do they consider that maybe they should be the first to say "hello", be warm and friendly and solicit relationship.  If they were encouraging others to be the best they can be in the Lord, they wouldn't have the time to complain and grumble about the pastor or the congregation.  If they tried out serving the Lord in some capacity to help church be a place where others are welcomed and comfortable, they would experience the joy of serving the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Eph 4:16  For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.

Maybe we just don't get who we are in Christ? 

·         Alive to God (Rom :1)

·         Free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2)

·         Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:39)

·         One body in Christ, individually members of each other (Rom 12:5)

·         Approved and accepted in Christ  (Rom 16:10)

·         Sanctified in Christ 1 Cor 1:2

·         Triumphant in Christ (1 Cor 2:14)

·         A new creation (1 Cor 5:17)(Gal 6:15)

·         liberty in Christ  (Gal 2:4) (Gal 5:1)

·         Justified by faith in Christ (Gal 2:16)

·         Blessings of Abraham for whose who have received the spirit of promise (Gal 3:14)

·         Sons of God (Gal 3:26)

·         Blessed with spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3) (Eph 2:6)

·         Created for good works (Eph 2:10)

·         Forgiven (Eph 4:32)

·         Righteous (Php 3:9)

That is quite a list of the blessings of grace for the new creations we became when we believed in Him.  This is why it is imperative that we do know who we are, the power of the blood to defeat the enemy and God's Word.  No wonder Paul prayed for the church in a relevant way, for us to know Him.

Eph 1:17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, Eph 1:18  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Eph 1:19  and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power Eph 1:20  which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.

I dearly would love to see the sick healed, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  I would love to see people raised out of wheelchairs and the dead raised.  Jesus is doing this around the world.  We hear testimonies of it all the time, so why not in our neck of the woods?  Oh that I would be a humble vessel that God could use.  That my faith would rise to every occasion and that I would boldly proclaim the greatness of Him who delivered me out of the darkness and into the Kingdom of His Son. (Col 1:13) 

"..His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.."2Pe 1:3

May we, the church, hunger and thirst for Him!  May we know Him, really know Him.  May we desire with all our hearts, to see His glory shine into our dark world, and release those who are taken captive by the enemy.  May we not be worried about being on the front lines of the spiritual battle, suffer the losses if need be, to see our nation walk in freedom of the cross.  May we walk under the banner of His love reaching out to see people delivered and healed and may His Kingdom come and His will be done in our hearts and lives.  Amen, so be it Lord.

Jesus Understands

And He said to them, My soul is exceedingly sad (overwhelmed with grief) so that it almost kills Me! Remain here and keep awake and be watching.  (Mk 14:34) (AMP) 

Please don't ever say Jesus doesn't understand the pain you are going through.  Here amongst the olive trees, in a place where olives were pressed and crushed, Jesus was going through His own crushing.  For the last three years He had laid down His life in service to the twelve and the many others who called out, and now He was about to lay down His life on the cross for the salvation of many. 

For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. (Mk 14:21) (NLT) 

This dark night of Gethsemane, when He most needed the support and prayers of Peter, James and John, He grappled alone with the Father's pending judgement to fall on Him because of our sins.  Imagine how He felt that night.   So intense was His struggle that He sweat drops of blood.

At the last meal Jesus had with His disciples, He warned them of His coming trial and death and the betrayal of one whom He had taught and loved to the end.  Not only the betrayal of a friend, with whom He had shared his bread, but all the disciples would run that night and flee as fast as they could away from the situation.

And Jesus said to them, You will all fall away this night [that is, you will be caused to stumble and will begin to distrust and desert Me], for it stands written, I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. Mar 14:27  [Zech. 13:7.]

Peter, James and John who had witnessed His glory on the mountain and His struggle in the garden, could not watch and pray one hour with Him in His deepest need.  Even though Jesus knew of the events unfolding as fulfilment of scripture written well before His time, even from the foundation of the world, there was no comfort found in the agony of the moment.

Jesus knows what it feels like to be abandoned by His closest friends and yet even as they forsook Him and stumbled in their faith, His promise was to go ahead of them after He rose from the dead and meet them in Galilee.

The writer of Hebrews is quick to allay our inadequacies, hurts and fears with this little gem:-

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathise and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. Heb 4:15 

Isn't that so comforting, that the Creator of the Universe, understands.  He has shared our plight, by putting on flesh, coming and dwelling among us.  He knows what it is like to be tired, hungry, cold, alone, abandoned, hurt, lied about, envied, distrusted, condemned, misunderstood, put on trial and sentenced to death.  He has loved His own, taught, healed, raised the dead and yet been despised for it all.  He has felt the sharp bite of the whip upon His back in order that we could have continued healing.  He heard the condemning and accusatory words, was spat upon and mocked. He felt the weight of the cross as He dragged it to His pending death.  He heard the sharp reverberation of metal upon metal as the iron pegs nailed him to that tree.  Shamed before all, He tasted death, paid for our sins and rose in power and glory. 

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. Heb 4:16