Category Archives: Health and Healing

El Punto De Cambio – The Point of Change

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“Bring to me what You have spoken of me.”         “Bring me to what You have spoken of me.”

Genesis 18:19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

“Bring to me, God, what you have spoken of me.” That is my prayer. I want what Abraham had. For first few weeks of 2013 and the last few of 2012, this has been my prayer.  It is designed to bring healing to some scars in my soul.  Over life and time and relationships we all encounter betrayal and disloyalty and lack of gratefulness.  It hurts.  As a father of a family and a community initiative and  a business invention, I thrive on “thank you” many times more than others do.  A real father gets up every day looking to build those for whom he cares.  When they take advantage of that, he is happy.  At least if they are grateful and express it, he is happy.  No healthy person likes to be “taken advantage of”.  That is imbalance.  Imbalance is painful and unhealthy.

The other side of that prayer is important also.  “Bring me, Father, to what you have spoken of me.”  Yes, bring it to me and bring me to it.  I need to change to be more like the Father every day.  As a father I need to be brought to the point of change, el punto de cambio.

Over these last few weeks, we’ve launched a definitive and irretrievable thrust into the community of Oklahoma City and the world.  Sometimes you take steps in full assurance of faith that God will meet you on the path.  Along that path are many points of change.  You will encounter el punto de cambio, the point of change.

Creating Chaos

Change creates chaos.  Make no mistakes on that measure.  Introduce change to settled situation and watch the chaos.  The more impact the change is designed to create, the more chaos you can expect in the beginning.  “Why did we do this?”  “Are you crazy?”  “This won’t work.”  All comes crackling back like a hot fire touching dry weeks and thistle.  Those flames will singe and scar.  Do it.  Embrace “el punto de cambio”.

Shifting Alliances

Note who stays and who goes and who supports and who decries.  Yes, change means changing partners. Those that have walked with you just might disappear like a scissor-tail flycatcher slipping away from a fast diving hawk.  In a flash and a flurry the hawk finds himself quite lonely and so does his prey.

The plus side of the equation is the new partners.  Yes, when you commit to uncharted territory, there will be new partners. They can be loving and kind and supportive.  Remember, they might leave you at the next “el punto de cambio”.  This season they are with you .  This season they are on the path.  Many may stay for many weeks and even years.  A friend of mine has worked with insurance brokers for decades.  He advised me once, “Phil if you have 3000 brokers it means 1000 are staying, 1000 are going, and 1000 are coming.  Out of the 1000 staying, 200 are producing.  You just have to find out which is which.”  His wisdom applies to most ventures.  Not without pain.

Finding 200

Gideon took thousands and reduced the count to 300. Each “el punto de cambio” reduced the numbers until he found the committed.  Of course he started with himself and an angel. Then he gathered a few friends and family. Then thousands jumped on board at the first signs of success and retreated at the first signs of scars.

About nine months ago, I was working with a group on a business invention.  At the most critical “el punto de cambio” some of the backers jumped ship in a surprise move.  Wow!  We had walked together for years, and then for some undisclosed reason they lost heart and vision.  Maybe another “el punto de cambio” came at them from another direction and swayed loyalties.  Some shifts come and you will never know.  You just carry the scars.  Now I am working with a completely new team on the concepts and beginning to have fun again.  Now I am working with another completely new team on a related concept and beginning to have fun again.  Not without pain.

FootHolds

Each “point of change” has footholds.  There are lessons to learn and take to the next “el punto de cambio”.   At a recent gathering of a small group, more support was committed in a morning than all the folks to whom I have been giving for ten years.  You read that right.  Those that have been receiving for free have less commitment than the new.  Maybe I should drop the old and embrace the new?  Hmmmm…. A new foothold.  Maybe I should begin a sorting process and whittle down to the 200?  Is that a new foothold I see?  Would my energy revitalize?  My base is bigger now.  Ten years ago it was 500.  Now it is 7500.  Let’s see, do the math. 2500 are going.  2500 are coming.  2500 are staying.  Let the going go with blessing.  Welcome the coming.  Find the 500 in the staying and run shoulder to shoulder with them.

Healing in All

All of this has a point.   You can live in the scars or you can live in the stars.  There is a balance.  Let the stars heal the scars.  Let pains slip away.  You flitted off the fence post and the hawk missed.  Land among healthy friends.  Don’t run alone.

Prayer: Well, Father, You are amazing. Again, you have touched my soul in a most amazing moment.  You bring healing with every light and lesson.  Thanks.  I am grateful for You.

Get Outside The Reach @Christmas

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Get Out Side The Reach

Usual travels this week include a trip from OKC to Matamoros and back again.  Sort of a Bilbo Baggins adventure.   Though, I’m not sure which end is the Shire.   Raul and I certainly don’t look like Hobbits even though we might have hairyness.

This year, I am staying home. Raul and Abdiel are in Matamoros.   Fiero will take another load of   toys today.   I will watch the star from afar and trust the wise men to do the job.

Why do we do this?  Why have we connected with this congregation in Matamoros called CAREVI?  Why don’t we just stay home instead of drive for 12 hours one way?  What is the purpose?

Get Outside Your Self…

A big reason is to stay outside of ourselves.  It is easy to go downtown and deliver gifts to kids who have more on a poor day than some kids in Matamoros on a rich day.   Ever watched a kid who has never opened a new box open a new toy?  Used stuff really is not the focus.  But getting a new toy in the box is an amazing experience for some of these kids.   Sure, I’ve helped a little and my wife has helped a lot right here in OKC with families needing Christmas.  Yet, they have so much even when they have little.

Get Outside Your Comfort

There is a need to be uncomfortable.  Our lives have little real sacrifice.  Try driving toys across an armed border knowing you will drive past military and cartel operations just to bless someone.  A little unnerving.   We need to be unnerved.  We need to remember.  We need to think about the chaos our comfortable, drugged, entertainment, make me happy culture in the US creates to sustain.  All of those guns and threats exist to supply US entertainment and leisure.  Hmmmm

Get Outside The Reach

Sometimes we need to see the miraculous.   How in this world doe multiple churches and business professionals in OKC come together to support folks in Matamoros?   Black and Latino and White churches here; Baptist and Nazarene and Full Gospel churches here;   join and bless with gifts and gospel folks they will never meet.

Return

Then we come home.  Then we live with memories and facebook connections in between.  Sure I  get to stay connected unlike missions works in the old days.  But it doesn’t smell the same.  It does not taste the same.  It does not love the same.  Sorry, I can’t hug a facebook post.   I can hug a friend, a child, a cohort, a fellow human on the journey.

That is Christmas

There you go.  That is Christmas.

Jesus went outside Himself and became an extension in humanity.

Jesus went outside His comfort zone in the throne room and stepped into an earth zone.

Jesus went outside the heavens and touched the earth, where we live in sin and destruction disturbing His intended peaceful creation.

Jesus returned to heaven; yet, He stays connected with us.   He is more powerful than facebook.  He takes up residence in hearts and stays even though He returned.

Guess That’s Why

I guess reliving that journey of Christ every year is what drives me and the team.   Thanks for sending us.  Thanks for allowing us.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Enjoy the Light of Christmas

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navimg8Isaiah 9: In Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

During the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my family has always enjoyed watching Christmas themed movies and celebrating with friends.  For us, an opportunity to have a world focused on giving and receiving and thanking the God of Comfort is special.

I am thankful for each of my friends and family. The honor to exchange prayer with you is a blessing.

Yet, one friend belied the missing element of Christmas movies.  Where is the Christmas movie that celebrates an individual connecting with Christ and His love?

  • There is connecting with the Bishop, Santa Claus.  http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/bishop-of-myra/   Surely he loved Christ and spread His love.
  • There is connecting with others.  Surely some of them are full of the love of Christ.
  • There is connecting with ghosts.  Surely some of them lived for Christ.
  • There is connecting with the spirit of Christmas.  Surely it is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ that spawned the spirit of Christmas.
  • There are movies about the life of Christ that end with a story but not a changed life.

What about connecting directly to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Light of Life, and the salvation of our souls?  Where is that movie?

The entertainment dollar is king.  People don’t want their souls pricked and a challenge made for real life change.  We like entertainment in our movies, churches, community events, and homes.  Real life changing impact is not supported financially for the most part in our communities.  Yet, ignoring truth is a dangerous seasonal habit to form.

There is a mournfulness underlying our Christmas season.  Aversion to life changing truth brings depression.  It brings pain.  And pain brings destruction.  Evil is real and waiting for opportunity to express itself in dark acts.  Yes, especially at Christmas, evil erupts.  Suicides prevail greater than other times of year.  Depression is in high season.  Conflicts shatter otherwise smooth relationships.

Understand that the truth of Christmas does show itself.  It cannot be denied.  As a society, we love to deny the truth and replace it with a smoother reality.  Repressed truth erupts in pain and anger and depression and destruction.  Embraced truth erupts in joy and liberty and happiness and thankfulness and strength and life.

It would be better if we embraced the truth of Christmas and placed some life changing messy messages into our media.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  He is no longer a babe in the manger.  He is a Lion of Righteousness.  He demands we face truth and change our direction.  Yes, He demands it.  He knows that repressed truth ends in destruction for eternity and embraced truth lives in liberty for eternity.  He loves us enough to change us.

Embrace truth for a healthy life.  Embrace Christ.  Face realities and connect with a power to change and develop full health in body, mind, desires, emotion, spirit, and relationships.

Prayer:  Father, give a little light.  Better yet, let the Great Light You have already given explode into our darkness. We need You.   We need Your light.

Raise Your Eyes

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raisedeyesWatching a group approach God with heads bowed, a thought struck me.  It is good to humble ourselves before a mighty God. It is also good to approach the throne of grace with boldness and confidence as a received and favored child of God.

So, raise your face for a moment.  Look into the kind and loving Father face of God.

We are not prideful, but we are purposeful.
We are not egotistic, but we are energized.
We are not overconfident, yet we are courageous.
We are the head and not the tail. We are the lender and not the borrower.
We are the leaders set in place of God.
What we do prospers.
What we think is established.
What we speak is encouragement.
God lives in us, with us, before us, and behind us.
Of one thing we are sure.  He is our good and gracious and encouraging Father Forever.

Love That Motivates

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There is a love that motivates any of us to serve others.  That love is powerful in many ways.

Ephesians 3:  7 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—

Here we find a prayer to be rooted and grounded in love.  Here we find a desire to know the total scope and immensity of the love of God.  Why?  For motivation.

When we understand the love of the Father for us as individuals, we can access that love and apply that love to others.  Love becomes our motivation.

When Jesus looked out over Jerusalem, he was “moved with bowels of compassion”.  What  a  strange phrase this is.  You will not find it in all translations, but it is extremely accurate.  The core thought is that He is so touched with love that his stomach hurts.  This type of love commands you to action.  You must do something.

There are other instances where Jesus looks out and sees the people are confused, is moved with compassion, and sends out workers to teach and help.  It is a constant with Him.  Love motivates.

Jesus came to show us the Father.  He shows us the Father’s love.  The Father so loved the world that He gave His Son.  He was motivated to action by compassion.

Any father/leader does the same.  Our actions are driven by the deep motivations of our heart.  When greed is motivation, we act greedily.  When self sufficiency is motivation, we act accordingly.  When love is our motivation, we act with compassion and protection and provision.

Love brings health.   A friend of mine has struggled for some months over a decision.  In that  time frame, he has made many decisions that don’t seem to add up.  But there is a constant that has directed his path.  He has a great love to do a certain work and lead a certain demographic.  His decisions keep coming back to making that happen.  Wandering off course for a few weeks, he will always come back to supporting that group and that motivation.  It compels him.  The more questions he answers with that motivation, the more clear his path and direction becomes.

Think of a father and his family.  When he is motivated by love every decision leads in the same direction.  It leads to the health of his family.  When making  a priority decision over spending household budget, he will ensure everyone has their basic needs met and something that brings joy to them.  Love motivates and guides his decisions.  When making a decision during a hardship of whether to speak words that build or words that tear down, he will choose the former.  When finding himself in the wrong, he will seek forgiveness and health of his family over self serving his ego.  Love motivates to the good.

Love is healthy.  It leads us to life building decisions.

Finding Energy For Living

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In Ephesians 3 Paul breaks into prayer for those to whom he is writing.  I get like that sometimes.  When thinking about others and laying out plans for a next step, my mind and heart break into prayer.  It is habit.  It is a developed habit.  Hopefully, it is a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being

In the middle of the chapter and a long thought sequence on the unity of believers in Christ,     we find an enormously useful prayer encouragement.   It is a pure power prayer meant to impact lives.  This is not a wimpy prayer.  This is power.  I would love someone to pray this prayer for me on a regular basis.

The first part is all about health.

out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being

Every one of us needs energy to get our lives in motion.  Every one of us needs energy to overcome lethargy of disappointments and discouragements and diseases.  Every one of us needs energy.

Energy can come from the synergy of the Holy Spirit filling and activating us.  In a service in Matamoros, a pastor asked for prayer.  As I prayed for him and his wife, the energy of the Holy Spirit lifted me.  Praying for him, I was energized.  After three intensive days on my feet in the church and in the street, I was tired.   That moment lifted me into a new realm of energy and the rest of the service went by rapidly.

Going to bed can be a laborious ritual for some of us.  Not much energy in getting ready to sleep.  But going to bed on a tough day saps expectation of joy for the new morning.  I don’t like to sleep until I know I will wake with energy and expectation.  Right before I go to sleep I am motivated to stir up the Holy Spirit within me with scripture and expectant prayer and some times defiant declarations.  Somehow, I believe that is the Holy Spirit within me disturbing His power for protection and preservation and potential.   Then I can rest for the evening.  Confidence in His love is reassured and rest ensues.

Energy is needed.  The Holy Spirit inside of you is a source of powerful energy.  His action inside of you brings synergistic impact on reality. Reality changes to conform to God’s will and creativity.  You take out of the abundance of His storehouse of all that is needed for life    and Godliness and apply it to you action and day.ASK

In Malachai there is a promise.  The Son of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.   You will leap forward out of a dormant position like a well fed calf jumping from the stall.  That is energy.  Anyone who has been to a rodeo knows that roping a calf is tough business.  They are full of moving energy. Darting and dashing, they elude the rope and delay timing of the best.  That can be you.  You can be darting and dashing and eluding the drag of life.  You can be full of energy.

Spend some time in the scripture. Spend some time listening in prayer.  Spend some time developing a forecast of the future that fits the design of God.  Be energized.

Energy can overcome every discouragement and disease.  It has a way of making them of no effect.

Acts

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In Acts 2 we are encouraged to enjoy the power of the Holy Spirit.  This person of power brings life and health.  This person of God brings righteousness, joy, and peace that passes all understanding.  This person of love brings restoration and vibrancy.
He is a promised gift.
The promise is for all.
The promise is strength.
The promise is for power.

Powerful Healing: A testimony

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vickyPsalm 16: 7-8

 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

 I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. NKJ

I praise the Lord, because he guides me,
    and in the night my conscience warns me.

 I am always aware of the Lord‘s presence;
    he is near, and nothing can shake me. GNT

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand,
    I will not be shaken. NIV

 

Healing comes in waves and at times instantly.  Yet, the work of healing takes time deep in our souls  before manifested to our face and physical experience.

Some years ago, God worked a tremendous miracle in my body that He continues to work every moment from that time to now and into tomorrow.  Through the night seasons and in the mornings, I would pray an wrestle with my inner desires and  intercede on behalf of others.  These two activities brought me to the place of total healing and keep me there.

In the beginning I suffered from immense depression and unstable emotional upheaval.  The root of this was a surgery to remove my thyroid glands.  They were swollen, wrapped around my vocal nerves, and had growths.  The thyroids had to be removed.

The day before surgery, I ran 3.5 miles at 7.5 minutes a mile in 102 degree Oklahoma summer.  The day after surgery, I could not walk across the room.  Two weeks after surgery, I could not walk a block.  A year after surgery, I could not run a mile.  Five years after surgery I had lost all my physical stamina and gained 60lbs.  My system simply would not stabilize.  My emotions were strained and tested.

Growth

During these years of stretch and strain was one of the greatest growths in a congregation  I have witnessed.  Our congregation went from 1500 white members to 5500 multi-cultural where no culture represented 51%.  It was strenuous.  My role was to oversee outreach, growth, assimilation, and operations.  In that time frame, we launched over 50 new ministries, built a new campus, and developed a downtown mission serving over 20,000 meals a month.  All the time, I was suffering from major hormonal imbalance and along with my wife raising my four children through their elementary and teenage years.

In 1997, one year after the surgery, I committed myself to daily prayer for the first hour of my day.  I would rise, shower, put on my best clothes and sit with God and a bible and some motivational book and a notepad.  This has been my habit since.  It is now 15 years of living this way.

Through that time, I developed a method of praying through the book of Ephesians for the saints.  I would pray the entire book every day for two years.  At different points a developed outline included stops to pray for missions and couples and leaders and fathers and children and salvations and miracles and some 20 other subjects for the saints. 

These morning times became my solace and healing.  Of course, my body was deteriorating, my emotions were wrent, and my strength was waning.  The congregation was growing and exploding and my personal health and welfare was struggling horribly.

The Three Women

In this time, there were three praying women who would call me at exactly the most strenuous moments.  In my office at the church, I would be exhausted and received a call.  “Pastor Phil I have been praying for you for two days.  How are you?”  These women did not know each other.  They did not know the others were calling.  They did not know their exact timings delivered of God.  I would weep and be strengthened by the prayers of three sensitive saints and maybe countless others that just prayed and never called.  I would continue to grow weaker and more strained.  It was not the other pastors or leaders who reached out to me, but daily saints.

The Second Three Women and One Man

At the same time, I had three assistants in the front office. These three gave daily with excellence and compassion and coordination.  Their service was outstanding and kept me encouraged and alive and working in the kingdom.  They were always ready to do what was needed.  Then there was the maintenance miracle man.  Yes, all four of these were also people of faith and prayer and action.

Another Call

After years of this situation, God reminded me of my call to serve ministers.  Through understanding as He counseled, I went back into business endeavors.  Weak, overweight, and committed, I entered a masterful time of change.  For the next year as I worked in a large company, I would develop a team of 100 men to pray during each service.  9 teams of men prayed for 3 hours each Sunday and Wednesday from before service until the last person left the altar call.  My life intensified in prayer for others.

Then It Happened

Something painful and wonderful transpired.  After all these years of doctor visits and hours in the gym fighting for a body that worked and prayer for others, my condition reached the worst point ever.  What a great result to such dedication and commitment.  I finally reached total chaos and breakdown.

The doctor was stumped when he tested me.  Every hormone in my body was out of balance.  The thyroxin in my system was double the doses I was taking.  He could not explain anything and took me off the synthetic hormones totally.

It is hard to explain to anyone how frightening that moment could have been.  To miss my pill even for a half a day meant exhaustion to the point of someone having to drive me.  To stop taking the pill just was beyond my comprehension.  I made him give me his personal cell phone in case I collapsed.

Four Day Waves

Every fourth day for a month, I found myself exhausted.  Then after a month, something happened.  All the hormones and chemicals balanced.  That was more than 10 years past.  Every time I am tested today, all hormones and chemicals are perfect.

There is no thyroid.  There is no synthetic hormone.  Every test for ten years shows perfect balance.  Last week, I ran over 30 miles.  All I have to battle for weight now is middle age spread and a love for grease and pastries.

These Verses

This small section of Psalm 16 outlines what God used in my ignorance to heal.  It is also what He uses to sustain.  You see, I still do not have a thyroid.  My balance is dependent on being healed miraculously every minute of my existence.  If you can live without a heart, you can live without a thyroid.  There is no physiological explanation for my health.  My doctor still looks for thyroid related issues every time I go for anything from a wart to a regular checkup.  My last doctor calls me, “the man with no thyroid” and shakes his head.  My new doctor just goes with the flow and keeps checking me.

So What Is It?

I was not praying for healing.

I was not looking for a miracle.

I was doing the right thing to receive just in simple obedience to daily meditation of the word.

Along with some other regimens of Christian discipleship, here are a few from these scriptures that lead to health and keep us there.

I will praise the Lord, 

There it is.  I will look for the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  I will expect Him to do good when all is going bad.  I will call out and remind others of His goodness no matter the circumstance.  I will not linger in pity and pain, but find a brightness in each day.  I will praise the Lord in my home, my business, the congregation, my family, my friendships, and my personal meditations.  I will not whine.

 

who counsels me;

I will listen for His voice and obey.  I will dig into His written words and listen to wise and mature teachers of the word and put into action the counsel I receive.  I will repent of my sins and find new paths of living to replace old patterns built by the expectation of the world and time weary ways.

    even at night my heart instructs me.

I will respond to His call when I feel like it and when I don’t.  If He asks me to go to help another when I am tired, I will go.  When the journey is bleak, I will look to my conscience and commitment and not doubt in the dark what I knew in the light.  Even the valley of the shadow of death, I will dig deep into what I have learned in meditation and study and apply the stirrings of my heart embedded over time by the voice of His Holy Spirit through scripture.

 I have set the Lord always before me.

There is no other solution.  I will take my medications and trust God for my solution.  I will go to Him in the morning and through the day and before I sleep.  His voice will be most familiar to me in all circumstances.  When there is a hard decision to make, I will restudy the word and apply scriptural principles to resolve the decisions and actions needed.  No matter my education and understanding in the ways of the world, the voice of my Father and principles of scripture will always have the final say.

    Because he is at my right hand,

He is my strength.  He is my joy.  In the presence of the Lord is joy forevermore.  Though the waters rise against me, He will be with me and I will not be overwhelmed.  Though the flames kindle high and rob the oxygen from around me, I will walk through unscathed and unscorched. He is at my right hand.  If God be for me, who can be against me.

 
    I will not be shaken.

There is no giving up.  There is no giving in.  There is no giving ground.  I may crawl, but I will not stop.  I may cry deep tears of pain, but I will not stay down.  I may lay unable to move, but I will look to Him and get up again.

 

Scripture, Meditation, Exercise, Intercession, Presence, Expression.

These keep me in motion.

Scripture:  There is no higher wisdom. There is no greater counsel for living and decisions.  Scripture gives life and counsel.  God breathed words can put wind under the weakest wings.  Live it.  Breath it.  Study it.  Pray for understanding.

Meditation:  Taking time to examine the scripture and listen and read the understanding of others and mull over it.  Don’t be so prideful that you can grow on your own.  Others are voices of reason and sometimes voices of God for your life.  Consider what they say and write.

Exercise:  Well did you think your body will just get up and run?  Oh, your muscles and organs and tissues will just start working?  Get real.  You need to apply right wisdoms of eating, vitamins, exercise, rehab, whatever is prescribed for your condition.  Do it.  Obey wise counsel.  Give God something to work with.  He will multiply results, but you need to take actions in the right directions.  Don’t just sit there… Move.  Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Treat it right.  If you are overweight and your joints ache, quit waiting on God and push away from the table.  Get a trainer to work with you.  Use Godly wisdom for the human body He created and gave to you.

Intercession:  Spend more time praying for others than praying for your own needs.  Get other focused.  If you want to be healed, forget your problems and focus on praying for the problems of others.

Presence:  God is waiting on you.  Put down your book, your 30 day bible reading plan, your motivational podcast, your television, your radio and your traditions.  Get alone and quiet with God.  Sit, listen, learn. 

Expression:  Live what God speaks to you.  When you feel an urgent desire to go do something with Him, go do it.  Give up all excuses and take fearsome steps of obedience.  He will meet you in the path of obedience with provision.  It is easier to steer a moving object than to get one that is sitting still started in motion.

 

Don’t look for super spiritual answers.  Obey the word.

 

 

 

Powerful Healing: Unshakeable

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Psalm 16:8 I am always aware of the Lord’s presence;   He is near, and nothing can shake me GNT

Near To Me In Healing:

How powerful is healing?  A friend described his last three weeks of healing journey.  He had a violent condition that resulted in waking several times a night choking and gasping for air.  The doctors had prescribed major medicines, inhalers, etc… As he said, “I have quarts of medicine.”

Then we prayed in his home one evening.

That night he slept.  Every night since then he has slept.  All the symptoms are gone.  The doctor is puzzled.  His friends are puzzled.  They are so puzzled they are opening up and talking to him about issues in their life that need prayer.

That is God being close to us.  He is so near, others want to touch Him through us.

Near to Me in Healing:

How powerful is healing?  M came to CAREVI in Matamoros years ago.  It was before Raul and I began working with Dr. Carillo and the team.  M is on the leadership team.  There are many stories to tell.  He and his family are a blessing to watch.  They are busy expanding the kingdom.  M ministers the gospel from the point and testimony of his new life, healed and whole.  Once he was addicted and trapped.  Through scripture and prayer and counsel and love, that is past and he is healed.  When visiting this summer, he showed me an outline he made of Los Siete Secretos de Los Padres (the Seven Secrets of Effective Fathers).  He is teaching 17 men. 10 are in the congregation and 7 in the community.  I gave him the book three years ago.  He has devoured and put the truths to work for his family and others.  That is healing.

When Are You Unshakeable?

Another friend and I talked over lunch.  The press of painful events in my life is enormous these days.  Six family deaths, job change, deep betrayals by trusted friends, near death accidents, and more than I want to mention all occurred in an eight week period.  Wow.  My wife and I should be rattled and locked up under drugs somewhere.  Yet, we pursue peace and continue to live and reach others.  How so?  Why are we not shaken beyond the calm?

Easy.  Prior to the onslaught and while it was happening, I was in a period of reading from Genesis to the Revelation.  In the same eight weeks, in prayer, I felt strongly impressed to make that prayer and reading journey.  That was before the onslaught. That was during the onslaught.  The effect is still flowing.  The words of God can create unshakeable health in us.

These friends to whom I point are living in strong circumstances.  One lives in a war zone city in Mexico.  The other works in law enforcement.  They are bright lights of Jesus in dark circumstances.  They have chosen to allow God’s healing in them to reach others.  They chose to be near to God when others run away.

When Are You Unshakeable?

When you are near to God, you build the unshakeable force of health and healing.

In the scripture

In prayer

In healing

In comfort.

In peace

In living

In pain

In problems

When you allow Him room to show through you to others in all your experiences, you build the unshakeable force of health and healing.

For Tomorrow, Be Healed

Another friend called to cancel an appointment.  It happens often.  He plans to be sick tomorrow morning.  Yes, he plans to be sick.  He is sick now and plans for it to continue for a while.  Hmmm

Yesterday, I worked helping some friends move. They are new friends and coworkers.  We started at 8:30am and I finished at 7pm.  Many finished along the way and the friends were still going when I left.  It was a long day of carting and carrying boxes and chairs and desks.  Sleep was sweet.  This is being written in the early morning hours.  I am up and ready for a new day.  No time to plan for sickness.  I went to bed early and planned for a good healthy day.

He is near for healing.

He is near for peace.

He is near for strength.

He is near, now and here.

 

Pray:

Father, I’d like my time to be with you now and here.

Fill me with Your presence.

Heal me.

Peace me.

Joy me.

Estoy aqui.  I am here.

Powerful Healing: Estoy Aqui. I am here.

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Psalm 16:8 I am always aware of the Lord’s presence;   he is near, and nothing can shake me GNT

Near To Me:

Visiting with a friend over the scripture, they noted how they seek to always be aware of God’s involvement.  Scripture asks us to rejoice always and always be in prayer.  Yet, this mindfulness of God’s action is not as easy as we would like.  It is good to visit with others pursuing the same nearness and share our concerns and successes.

When Are You Here?

Now, it is one thought to say God is always near.  It is much more my experience that life does not resemble His presence as much as I would like.  In His presence there is fullness of joy.  Many times I am not full of joy.  In His presence is healing forevermore.  Some days the pricks and pains of muscle and sinew and malfunctioning body do not feel healed.  In His presence is a peace beyond understanding.  Some moments, frantic pressures rob peace of even a stair step on which to stand to get to me.

So, when is He here and affecting me and when is He here and not affecting my condition?  Yes, He is always present. That is part of our understanding of God.  He never leaves or forsakes His children.  Once residence is established in us, it is continual in us.  And we do not always functionally and experientially realize the power of that presence of the Father.

When Are You There?

At the fast food restaurant, the question comes with every order, “Here or to go?”.  Para aqui is my standard answer.  For here.  I like to sit and eat and not run in the car.  In fact, why would I go in the restaurant to the order counter if I wanted to go?  Why not just ask me with a presumptive, “You would like that for here?”  If I want it to go, I then have the option to say, “No, I’d like it to go.”

When we approach God are we doing the same? God, can I have this in my life and get with You this moment or should I expect a “to go” plate and enjoy the results at some later time.   Why not go to Him with the presumptive option?  God, of course I’d love to enjoy You and Your presence and all the results of peace and healing and stability and strength that go with that during our time together right now. 

 

When Are You Ready?

Of course the question is about readiness.  Are we ready for God to be here? 

Whew, that is a question that makes you stop and wonder.  Have I reduced distraction to allow Him to speak?  Have I ordered my life in a manner in which He would be pleased?  Is the word of life guiding my thoughts? 

Think about this one question instead of all of those.  Does He want to sit down with me or does He want to take my request to go and get back with me on the road or later?  Somehow, I think He always likes the sit down and converse option.  “For here, for now”, is the answer I believe He speaks.  We are the ones in a rush to run on the go.

For Here and For Now

He is always near for healing and hope and sanity.  He is always near for peace of mind and restoration of body.  Take Him at His word.  Hold on to His hand for a moment and tell yourself to stop and recognize His presence. 

He is near for healing.

He is near for peace.

He is near for strength.

He is near, now and here.

 

Pray:

Father, I’d like my time to be with you now and here.

Fill me with Your presence.

Heal me.

Peace me.

Joy me.

Estoy aqui.  I am here.