“Saved, Delivered and Healed”
I believe, I receive, I am!
Have you ever seen a child in a store that wanted a certain item or toy?
Maybe some of you can even relate to this situation and have been the victim, or the recipient before of it.
Anyways, we’ve all seen it a hundred times before, and we know that child has decided their going to get there way,
Scream, gouge, chew, kick, whatever it is that they have to do, even if they have to tear the place down,
One thing is for certain, they are going to walk out of that store, head held high with what they want, or their not leaving until they get it!
To them, it really doesn’t matter whether mom or dad have the extra money to buy them something or not.
Even though when I was a child, I knew better than to throw a fit in a store,
I can remember suggesting to my father on at least one occasion to write a check, when he said we didn‘t have that kind of money to throw around.
Now a days kids would say, just put it on your credit card, you know charge it.
Kids can be very, very creative, thinking of all kinds of solutions and doing whatever it takes to get what they want.
How about this one, I’ll work for free all summer, or I’ll give up my allowance for the rest of my life.
Most parents have probably heard those arguments more than once, but my point is,
Those are learned behavioral traits, kids don’t know those things when their born, they pick them up along the way.
We learn at a early age and society teaches everything and anything, can be accomplished and controlled by self effort,
and there are some pretty amazing things that have been achieved by self effort.
Take for example sports, particully track and field, take for example the mile.
Amazing efforts have been made, great races have been run, great times have been achieved, records have been set and broken,
Did you know, that the world record for the mile is 3:43.13?
and it was set by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, in Rome Italy on 7 July 1999.
Ill. Quite an amazing feat, because for decades prior to this record, back in the early 50’s,
track-and-field experts proudly declared that no runner could break the four-minute-mile barrier.
It was said that a human being couldn’t run that distance that fast.
"Experts" conducted all sorts of profound studies to show it was impossible to beat the four-minute barrier.
And for years, they were right. Nobody ever ran a mile in less than four minutes.
But one day a young man came along who didn’t believe the experts’ opinions.
He didn’t dwell on the impossibilities, he refused to let all those negative words form a stronghold in his mind.
He began to train, believing he was going to break that record and sure enough,
he went out one day and broke the four-minute-mile barrier, he did what the experts said couldn’t be done.
His name was Roger Bannister, and he made sports history.
Now, here is what is so interesting about the Roger Bannister story...
Within a month, the Australian runner John Landy had broken Bannister’s record,
but Bannister had the satisfaction of beating Landy at that summer’s British Empire Games in Vancouver.
In a race billed as "The Mile of the Century," both runners beat the four minute time, but Bannister came in first at 3:58.8 to Landy’s 3:59.6
Within ten years after Roger Bannister broke that record, 336 other runners had broken the four-minute-mile record as well!
Think about that. For hundreds of years, as far back as statisticians kept track-and-field records,
nobody ran a mile in less than four minutes;
then, within a decade, more than three hundred people from various geographic locations were able to do it.
What happened? Simple. The barrier to running a four-minute mile was in the athletes’ minds.
For all those years, runners believed what the experts were saying. They were convinced that it was impossible to do things differently.
You know, that’s what the people thought back in Jesus day too.
For thousands of years, they were told and taught, that you had to make an atonement for your sins,
You had to make a sacrificial offering to wipe away your sins, for another year.
If you needed healed, you had to be the first one to jump in the water, when it started to ripple,
Or you needed to find someone like Elisha, and hope that he hadn’t used up,
his double portion of anointing, that he got when his mentor, Elijah was translated to heaven.
Oh ya, there was just one other huge obstacle,
keep all 613 commandments according to Jewish law and don’t break even one of them, lest you‘ll be guilty of all of them.
And some of you are saying right now to yourself, (or at least you should be)
its impossible to keep the 10 Command-ments, let alone 613 of them.
And you would be absolutely right, there was only one, who has ever kept them all and His name is Jesus, the name above all names.
He was perfection in human form.
And when Jesus came, thank goodness He relieved you and I, of the burden of trying to keep the law and doing it all ourselves!
You see, Jesus came on the scene and made it about what He and His Father were capable of, which was and is, limitless perfection.
Instead of what mankind and self effort was capable of, which was limited at best.
Mark 10:27 MSG. says,
27. Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it."
And it didn’t take long for the word to travel as to what and the miraculous that Jesus was capable of doing.
Thousands upon thousands came to Him and received their healing and had their needs met.
It didn’t matter,
*where you were from,
*who you were,
*or who you knew.
*there was no preferential treatment given, He treated everyone the same!
Jesus healed prostitutes, adulators, lepers, blinded eyes, the lame, deft and dumb,
He forgave and healed them all, Praise God!!
He never turned anyone away, in fact the TBS. there were so many healings and miracles that He performed, they were to numerous to even count!
John 21:25 NKJ
25. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
When those people came to Jesus for their need to be met, do you think they had the “I can do it myself mentality?”
You know they did, that’s all they had ever been taught, to keep the law,
that’s all they knew, but they also knew that it wasn‘t working!
Grace had just showed up on the scene and from the beginning,
Grace changed the world and the thinking of the world and has been changing the world ever since.
You see, even though they had been taught the law, they were quick to see in their situation,
It wasn’t about their capabilities, because if it was, they were going to just keep suffering and die,
but they didn't want to die, they wanted to live.
They didn’t have fancy hospitals and specialist to evaluate their condition and tell them what their opinion was,
their only hope was Jesus and what He could do for them!
And what they heard Praise God! was, he had an open door policy,
*you didn’t have to have an appointment,
*you didn’t have to have a bunch of tests,
*there wasn’t a waiting period for results from those tests,
*the results were instantaneous!!
And you think that your doctors are busy!
Can you imagine, how busy Jesus was?
Its no wonder why they couldn’t keep track of everything Jesus did.
Just one touch was all it took, there was no waiting room, there wouldn’t have been any room in it, if there had been one!
There was only a healing line with 100% results, Praise God, thank You Jesus!!!!
All you had to do, was ask of the Master and believe, and the same still holds true today!
Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
Notice that the word "ask" in the original Greek, has the meaning of insistent asking,
with a knowing of what belongs to the one making the request.
By presenting a solid requisition to God, knowing He longs to give what He has, to the one in need.
Look at James 1:5-8 MSG.
5-8. “If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to, when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.
(don’t doubt, no matter what don’t ever doubt, know that He wants to help you)
People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.”
we must ask in faith, and faith always knows, it never wishes!, “faith always knows, it never wishes”! Praise God!!
Your Faith in His ability, not your need, not your tears, is what moves the hand of God!
Matt. 9:20-22 MSG.
20. And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.
21. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”
(She knew, that she knew, that she knew, you see, she had faith…..
faith in His ability, not hers and that’s all she had…..and that’s all she needed, and it was more than enough!!
How much faith did she have? No one knows for sure,
There is one thing that we do know,
she had a measure of faith, given by God just like everyone else has been given,
the difference was, she used what she had been given and Jesus recognized her faith in the Written Word,
as an example for the whole world to see, as to exactly what was possible, when you have faith in Him!
22. But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
TBS. in the book of Matt. 5 chapters later and we read in,
Matt. 14:34-36 MSG.
34. “When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.
35. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,
36. and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.”
As to how much time had passed by between these two different occasions,
no one knows for sure, it could have been 6 mos., or a year, or maybe even just a few days, or weeks.
What we do know is, God knows no time….what He was willing to do for the woman with an issue of blood,
He was also willing to do for all those who came to Him at Gennesaret,
And He is willing to do for all those, who are willing to come and ask of Him, still yet today. Hallelujah!
He loves all of His Children today, just as much as He loved the ones we read about in His Word.
TBS. He is not a respecter of persons and that means that we can take Him at His word on the subject,
James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
Healing is a wonderful gift from God, and here yet again is another promise to us, telling us that He does not change.
“with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
What He did yesterday He will do again today - Praise the Lord, He is still the Healer He always has been!!!
What He did for them, He will still do today….that’s why we can have confidence when we ask Him to meet our needs!
I John 5:14-15 NKJ.
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."
Notice, the Word of God is the will of God. If you can find it in the Word of God then you can be assured that it is the will of God.
John 1:1 NKJ.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Think about it this way, when you are notified that you have received and inheritance from a relative.
What’s the one thing that tells you, what that persons will was, concerning their wishes to and for you to receive?
Its their “will”, the official and legal name is “last will and testament”
And it describes in detail, everything that they wanted and intended for you to have and receive.
They cared enough to prepare and write down and record, so you would have a record and reference to go by,
So you wouldn’t forget what you were entitled too, and exactly what they had
Given to you!
You had done nothing to earn this reward, all you have to do was receive it and believe that it is yours!
God gas done the same for each and everyone of us,
He has given us His word on it, the Bible is His last will and testament to us,
It is our instructions to receiving our blood bought inheritance,
and everything it says we have, We can lay hold of,
and know that it is a promise that God, Himself inspired to be penned,
and we are entitled to it and all it contains!
Praise God, Thank You for Your Faithfulness to us!
He has given His promises, most importantly He gave the Ultimate Promise,
He gave His only begotten son, so that who-so-ever could receive all the life giving benefits (every last one of them)
that Jesus Grace made possible by His finished work on the cross.
Know that whatever your standing up against today, that it is no match for what you have been given,
But you say, I have….
*Doesn’t matter,
The doctor says its rare….
*Doesn’t matter,
He says, there’s no cure….
*Doesn’t matter,
If he can’t help you, then why are you listening to him for?
TBS. Whose report will you believe?
You better start believing the report of the Lord!
Jeremiah 32:27 NKJ.
27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
Let me then ask you, which one do you think is harder for God, to save a soul from hell for eternity, or heal a sick body?
Healing you, is easy to do for God, but saving souls from hell was significantly more difficult,
because it involved sacrificing Jesus, His only Son on the cross, the greatest sacrifice ever known, in the history of the world,
to offer salvation to mankind and forgiveness of all sin!
So if God has already given you the greatest miracle that you can ever receive,
which was to rescue you out of the grasp of hell and give you eternal life,
What is healing your body, or anything else you might have need of?
Everything has been made possible by Jesus selfless act of love for you, when He died for you,
to unlock all the promises, He brought from heaven to give to you!!!
Ill. October 20, 1968, It was Mexico City, Olympic Stadium.
The time, 7.00 P.M. and the closing ceremonies had just been completed.
The spectators and athletes, still warm from the euphoria of the celebration, were gathering their belongings to leave the stadium.
Then the announcer asked them to remain in their seats, for down the boulevard came the whine of police sirens.
From their vantage point, many in the stadium could see motorcycles with their flashing blue lights,
encircling someone making his way toward the stadium.
Whoever it was, he was moving slowly.
Everyone remained seated to see the last chapter of the Olympics take place.
By the time the police escort got to the stadium, the public address announcer,
said that a final marathoner would be making his way into the arena and around the track to the finish line.
Confusion was evident among the crowd, for the last marathoner had come in hours ago, the medals had already been awarded.
What had taken this man so long?
But the first sign of the runner making his way out of the tunnel and onto the track told the whole story.
John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania, covered with blood, hobbled into the light.
He had taken a horrible fall early in the race, whacked his head, damaged his knee,
and endured a trampling before he could get back on his feet.
And still there he was, over 40 kilometers later, stumbling his way to the finish line.
The response of the crowd was so overwhelming, it was almost frightening.
They encouraged Akhwari through the last few meters of his race with a thundering ovation,
that far exceeded the one given the man who, hours earlier, had come in first.
When Akhwari crossed the finish line, he collapsed into the arms of the medical personnel who immediately whisked him off to the hospital.
The next day, Akhwari appeared before sports journalists to field their questions about his extraordinary feat.
The first question was the one any of us would have asked,
"Why, after sustaining the kinds of injuries you did, would you ever get up
and proceed to the finish line, when there was no way you could place in the race?"
John Stephen Akhwari said this:
"My country did not send me over 11,000 kilometers to start a race, they sent me over 11,000 kilometers to finish one."
What a tremendous story of courage and determination,
Jesus, had a similar experience when He was on the cross,
The agony and severe beating he had taken, the bible says, had disfigured Him so much so, that He was unrecognizable.
He could have given up, He could have called 10,000 angels to come to His rescue, but He chose not to,
He knew He was there to complete His Fathers wishes and with all of eternity as the prize, He completed what He had started,
His dying words were, “It is Finished”
If you have a need today, do not minimalize what Jesus did for you on the cross.
He has already saved, delivered and healed your body!!
No matter what your,
*doctor says,
No matter what your,
*family says,
No matter what your,
*your so called friends say,
No matter what your,
*your body is telling you,
And No matter what that lying piece of work accuser keeps telling you,
“don’t believe any of it, not even for one second”,
Listen to me, get this in your mind, body and spirit’ hold on to it and don‘t ever let go of it,
The bible, God’s Holy Word Declares,
If Jesus, is the Lord of your Life, then you already have your healing living inside of you!!
Grab hold of it and receive it, Praise God!
When you read these words, every time you see the word our, I want you to replace it, with your name in faith!
Then I want you to “Boldly Declare” to the accuser, “It Is Written!”
Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJ.
4. Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5. But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
We are what? We are what?
Not maybe someday!, not might be in the future!,
But, praise God! we “ARE,” and have been “Healed” already!!
Receive it today and take home with you, what Jesus has already provided for you.
You already have been, “Saved, Delivered and Healed”
Praise God, Receive it as we sing!
.
