As a Respiratory Therapist, I have seen many people come into and leave this earth, live, and die. I have cared for people through every stage of life - from extremely premature babies who fit into the palm of a hand to the elderly. Recently, I cared for a man diagnosed with the 21st Century's "most-feared" disease, who had a very poor prognosis, confirm to me from a sedation-induced, hazy, stupor that "The Lord is my God who heals me" and "I know my Redeemer lives." I also cared for a woman with the same disease who had no reason not to live. She declared from a sober mind that "she was going to die" because she feared the disease. I knew exactly what the outcome for both of the patients was going to be. He lived, despite the extremely poor, death's door prognosis, and she died - leaving the doctors and other healthcare staff scratching their heads.
Medical providers had forsaken the man and every conversation concerning his chances of survival, gave him up to die. But, the man declared, "My God is greater." On the other hand, medicine had given the woman every chance to live, and she refused life because she was afraid of a name. Literally, there was not a clinical reason this woman should have died, and yet she did. As a matter of fact, she refused to live. She refused to believe the truth. Instead, she revered the name of a disease over anything else and insisted upon dying. I spoke with the woman and almost begged her to change her mind and the words she believed about herself. I encouraged her to change what she was watching on TV and surrounding herself with; to believe she would live - because she could, but she told me she couldn't. In other words, she wouldn't. She debated with me the reasons why she would not make it. Every reason she proposed to explain and support why she would die I countered with the truth, both medically and spiritually. She would not listen. I felt such pity for the woman. I was able to pray for the man and join my faith with his, but I could not do the same for her.
The Lord Jesus will never force us (Believers or Non-Believers) to trust or believe in Him against our will. He will not force us to accept healing, deliverance, salvation, or any other blessing even though He has already so generously provided all things and given us free, unrestricted, and unlimited access. He won't force us to exalt His name over any circumstance that we face in life or to use the authority given to us in His matchless name. He gave us the ability and the right to move in the liberty He gave to us. He doesn't make decisions for us. The Holy Spirit will speak to us and knock on the door of our hearts to prompt us to take advantage of all that God has for us, but He never forces us to do so.
God's Word Still Has Power.
There are many names in this world that people choose to run in fear of them when they hear. There are people who tell tales to one another in an effort to convince others to succumb to terror and believe in these names also. I'm here to remind you there is only ONE name that is given above every name. It's the name of JESUS the MESSIAH that every knee shall bow to, and every tongue shall confess "He is LORD!" I hope you are fired up right now as I am!
The Lord Jesus didn't minister in anyone's life who didn't want Him there. He didn't force healing or restoration upon anyone. He didn't even force salvation, the most imperative, life-giving decision any human will ever make, upon anyone. I had to know what the will of both parties was for their own life so my faith could go into action on their behalf and be joined with (or cooperate with) their faith. I had to know whose report they believed (Matthew 13:58; Matthew 18:19-20). There are times when God uses our prayers especially when we have a God-given spiritual authority concerning the person, to help bring a sinner to salvation (Eg. Close relatives). Make no mistake, this is never an overpowering of their free will to impose a relationship with Christ on the person being prayed for; on the contrary, God uses the intercession of others as an opportunity to soften and speak to that person's heart by removing the blinders the god of this world's systems has placed on them and allowing them the opportunity to come to Him and change. The Godhead gave mankind the ability and the right to make their own choices. God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, never violate His word or His character. The name of Jesus belongs to the Body of Christ. It belongs to each Believer who has come into fellowship with Him by grace through faith and remains, regardless of how long they have been Believers. You have the responsibility to choose if you will believe more in the name of Jesus and the power contained therein, and in the power of the word of God; or you will believe another. You have the responsibility to choose if and when you will use the name of Jesus and the word of God to overcome the forces of darkness coming against you, or you will choose to lay them aside.
Are You Believing Lies About God?
The enemy (satan, his minions, and all spiritual darkness) has gone to great lengths to get you not to believe God and doubt His word. This isn't a new occurrence. The devil has been using this same tactic since the beginning, in the Garden of Eden. Goliath also spoke great swelling words against God's people, being inspired by sheol he tried to intimidate the people of God and drive or pressure them to give up their blessing of promised, supernatural help and deliverance in any time of trouble. Daily, the enemy working through Goliath barraged them with insults and lying words in a concentrated effort for one purpose: to convince anyone who had ears that God was no help and they shouldn't even bother calling upon His name because it wasn't going to do them any good. And, that the name of Goliath was the name to be feared and exalted in the eyes of God's set apart and beloved people. Think about what you have seen and heard in recent times...why is the enemy going to such great lengths to preach fear to the people of the world? It's not for no reason. It's certainly not because satan has suddenly developed the ability to tell the truth, and is now concerned for your well-being after centuries of seeking the downfall and demise of mankind.
During my prayer time with the LORD on February 20, 2022, He said to me, "Believers shouldn't look at the things the enemy says and conclude, "Well, the enemy was right about my situation, and God was wrong."" The LORD Jesus said about the devil, "...he was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44 NKJV). The word of God is true and it is, in fact, impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17 NKJV). Likewise, fear comes from hearing and believing the words of the devil. The adversary is working overtime through various sources and voices to cause you to fear, and through fear, cause you to submit to the plans of hell. The devil wants nothing more than to cause you to doubt God's power, purpose, and abilities, so you'll give him (the adversary) access to your life to steal, kill, and destroy you.
Has Another Name or the Credibility of Someone Else Risen Above that of the Name and Credibility of the LORD Jesus in Your Mind?
Has the voice of any popular opinion become greater than or equal to the voice and direction of the Holy Spirit, who is the True and Living God, in your mind? Has the spirit of fear extinguished your willingness to have confidence in Him above all else? Has compromise caused you to forsake your stance on the Solid Rock and draw back from your claim of all the salvation benefits that Christ Jesus has set aside for you? Has passivity caused you to remove the armor of God from yourself and give up your desire to fight the good fight of faith? We already know that it is Christ's will that His body, the Church, is well in all facets of life because He has given us "all things that pertain to life and godliness," and wishes that "we be in health and prosper even as our souls prosper" (2 Peter 1:3; 3 John 1:2). I'm not talking about operating in pseudo-faith which is nothing more than the spirit of fear with a pretty hat on it. I mean the God kind of faith, that believes God is more than able to fulfill His promises to you, every time. The kind of trust that believes with your heart and then confidently confesses with your mouth what God has already stated in His word over your family, circumstances, and yourself, in harmonious concert with God.
Store Up Life-Giving Words, with Your Confession, for the Time to Come (Matthew 12:37).
When the thief comes to do what he does - steal, kill, and destroy - you will have a voice to help you overcome. YOURS! We overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our own testimony (Revelation 20:12, Revelation 12:10-11). God will be able to speak for you because you've already given Him something to work with on your behalf - your words of life. We know the worlds were framed by the word of God (Hebrews 11:3). Likewise, our personal world - the life we experience every day - is framed by our own words, because by our own words we are justified or we are condemned. We'll either give God and the ministering angels sent to minister for us as heirs of salvation something to work with, or we will tie their hands. What we say about our own life matters (Hebrews 1:14; Psalm 103:20-21). Surround yourself with the word of God both spoken and written. Surround yourself with voices that confirm the truth of God.
Here is a test to determine if the information being presented to you is true or not. First, ask the Holy Spirit to tell you the truth about the information. There are topics and points of view that seem right to our eyes and ears and limited understanding, but the Holy Spirit always tells us the truth - it's one of His many jobs for the reborn spirit. He guides us "into all truth and will tell us things to come" (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit takes what belongs to the LORD Jesus through His oneness with the Father, and makes it clearly known to us. Holy Spirit always knows the truth and is able to distinguish the truth and motives of every situation. Then, measure the information against the love of God test found in 1 John 4. If the presentation (no matter whose voice is behind it) doesn't bear witness with the Holy Spirit on the inside of you, and it causes a sense of terror within you, it's not the truth. Plain and simple. Even when God speaks a challenging word to us, there is still peace from the Holy Spirit in our inward being. Human reasoning is not sufficient to stand against the wiles of the devil. Human reasoning is subject to deception and will fall prey to it every time. Christ Jesus is the living Word of God. The adversary quoted, or should I say misquoted the word to the Word Himself (Jesus) in an effort to deceive, and Jesus didn't rely on His own reasoning to win (John 8:15-16; Luke 3:22). He replied on the Holy Spirit to guide Him to victory as we must also do (John 12:49-50; John 16:13-14; Luke 21:14-15; Matthew 10:24). As people of God, we must wake up and arise - spirit, soul, and body to our Jesus, blood-bought, covenant position in the kingdom of God. As Brother Kenneth Copeland says, "We are not the sick trying to get healed, we are the healed and the enemy is trying to talk us out of our healing!"
This is one of the most accurate and succinct ways I have ever heard to articulate what has been happening to the people of God since the Garden of Eden. We ARE the ones who are healed, set free, and delivered. We ARE those who have been enriched by God, and no sorrow has been added to us. We HAVE BEEN given the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. We are not trying to get it. We have it NOW! All of these things are a part of our salvation package; paid in full by the work our Lord and Savior did through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father on high. The enemy is trying to talk us out of the truth of God's word - spoken, written, established in the heavens before the foundation of the world, and is ratified into everlasting spiritual law by the blood of the Lord Jesus. The adversary is seeking to deceive us so we forfeit our place, and turn ourselves over to him for destruction (1 Peter 5:8). Don't buy the lies. Believe Jesus!
Do You Believe Jesus is Your Healer? Do You Believe that His stripes Have Made You Well and Whole? Do You Believe that Jesus' Name is Greater Than Every Other Name? Do You Believe the Report of the Lord About Your Life?
If we abandon the pursuit of modern comfort (living for the will of human flesh, and the illusion of temporal stability or acceptance that bowing down to what the world's perspective deceptively boasts to provide), and instead spend the remainder of our life on this earth in pursuit of the vitality which Christ's stripes, death, burial, and resurrection freely provide to us; His way of life will be ours in abundance. We will take our place as sojourners, confessing that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth looking for the "city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10 NKJV). We will enforce the blessing of God in our lives and take full, unwavering hold of the assured victory we have in Jesus. If you have let any of your faith and vigor for the things of God or your bold, confident trust in His matchless name slide, stir yourself up today. Get back in the good fight of faith, take up the whole armor of God, and boldly declare "I believe the report of my Lord!"