We are back into our lesson on healing. Our first lesson was some time ago, so we will do a short review. What I wanted to point out in the first lesson is God's heart, and God's will is health and healing for all his children. We showed how God has been a God of health and healing from the beginning. That is his nature. That was the nature of Jesus. What we see throughout scripture is that Jesus healed all who came to him. He never turned anyone away. He never made anyone sick. He never left anyone sick who came to him in faith. The heart of God is for your health, and for your healing. Today I want to continue on. It says in Romans 12^2. That is Romans 12^2.;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. Here it says that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. My goal is to help us go through that process of renewing our minds as to how God thinks about sickness. How does God define sickness. How would God discribe sickness? How many of you believe that you have the mind of Christ. Well the mind of Christ is against sickness. So if you have the mind of Christ, then your mind should be one that is opposed to, contray to, agressively against sickness. That is what we see in Jesus. That is how he ministered. He ministered healing to all who were sick, all who came to him. So if we want our mind transformed, our mind renewed, then we have to have the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is one that is against sickness. Unfortunately, with many churches there is a different perspective, and sickness is sometimes thought of as a tool that God would use to perfect you, or something that God uses to help you along your way. Somehow, God appriciates sickness, or uses sickness, or creates sickness. So in many churches we find this. Let me say this, on the cross, and we will talk the cross in our next lesson, on the cross Jesus carried both our sins and our sicknesses. Jesus is as much against sicknesses as he is against sin. In other words he would no more use sickness to perfect you, then he would use sin to perfect you. God does not need things of the enemy, or distructive things to bring perfection to your life, whatever that means. I am not even sure what that means when people say that they are being perfected. We are perfect in our spirits aren't we? What do we have moving around in our soul, hopefully the fruit of the spirit, and we are being renewed in the spirit of our mind by the word of God. The way that God perfects us is through his word, and we will look at that a little more in a few moments. Nevertheless, we have so many misconceptions about health and healing. One fellow Barry, told me about a time when he went to minister to an individual whom he knew, that was in the hospital. Barry was not the first person to get there to minister to his friend. As Barry began to enter the room he overheard another minister telling his friend, God has you here for a reason. That was a great opportunity to have his nine iron with him, and guess what? Barry doesn't even play golf. Barry had to politely wait until the other minister was gone. Barry had to seize the opportunity to reteach, because just those words, soe doubt into peoples minds. Perhaps God has me here for a reason. Perhaps this is some kind of perfecting tool. We want to get rid of that, in our minds today. We want to renew our minds and have the mind of Christ. Sickness is an enemy that must be defeated. If you said this, don't worry, I'm not on your case, but think about it. So often I hear someone say, "I'm just waiting for my healing to manifest. I would say that's not the right attitude. It's like I'm just waiting for the burglar to leave the house. Call the cops. Do something. Take aggressive action. Sickness is an enemy that must be defeated. We have to take the right attitude against sickness, so that we might see the victory that Christ has for us. Let us go to Exodus 15. We are going to read from 23 to 26. And this is when the children of Isreal had been delivered from Egypt. They are out traversing the wilderness. Exodus 15:23-26.;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. 23. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25. And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 26. And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. Verse 24, "What shall we drink". Now I want you to think in New Covenent terms here. Jesus with the woman at the well, what did he say to her? If you would ask of me, I would give you living water. This is all types and shadows going on here. The people of Egypt are comming out of Egypt. They come to waters that should be life giving, but it is not. It is bitter. There is something in life that is bitter, that needs to made right, and so what shall we drink. Water which should be sweet, or should be pure, but wasn't. That is the sin of this world, and so the tree was cast into the water. The tree representing the cross, which then made this water drinkable. There is a lot of symbolism here. What we are seing is this living water made pure by the cross, by the wood, by the tree. So he said in verse twenty six, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee." Now we will look at this word more later, but he is revealing his nature. There are seven redemptive names of God in the Old Testement. This is the second one that is revealed. The first being I am the Lord that provides for thee, Jehovah-Jireh, with Abraham. Now we have I am the Lord healeth thee. This is part of God's nature. God's nature cannot change. He is revealing himself. What does Egypt refer to? What were they involved with in Egypt? Egypt refers to bondage, slavery. Everything was wrong in Egypt. Comming out of Egypt, in a sense comming out of the world, that which is cursed, that which is opressive. He says if you will walk with me. Now we are thinking in Old Covenent terms, if you will walk with me and obey me, then none of the oppression, the slavery, the sicknesses that were upon the Egyptians because of their disobedience, will I put upon you. I am not the Lord that makes you sick. I am the Lord that heals you. That is his nature. So we see, we are trying to get a feel of how God views sickness. Well it is viewed here as something that is from Egypt, which is symbolic of refering to the world of oppression, slavery, bondage and sin. Sickness belongs to that world. If does not belong to God's world. So let us go on. Let's go to Deuteronomy 28. Now, if you are not familar with Deuteronomy 28, let me give you a quick run down. As the children of Isreal come out of Egypt, they agreed to some promises. They agreed if they they would walk with God, that he would bless them. If they would disobey God then he agrees that he would curse them. That is their covenent. That is not our covenenent, and we are going to gleem something from this. So we want to undestand how God views sickness. Let's go to Deuteronomy 28^15. Deuteronomy 28^15, 58 says.;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. 15. But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: . . Let's go to 58. 58 says. . 58. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; 59. Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. 60. Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. 61. Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. Now, I understand we are in the Old Covenent, but let us get the mind of Go on this. How does he view sickness? It is part of the curses. It other words in the mind of the Lord, sickness is never a blessing. It is never something lifegiving. It is never something that is a reward for God behavior. It is a crse. Now, let us go to Exodus 23. Now this might help you? When you go through the Old Testement and you read about these issues where it seems God is the one doing the cursing, and it is hard to comprehend how all of these evil things would come from God, whom we know to be love. How do we explain this? If we go to Exodus 24^3. Exodus 24^3. Moses with the children of Isreal camped out at the mountain, he goes up on the mountain and he hears form God. Listen to this. Exodus 24^3.;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. 3. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. . Lets go to verse 7. 7. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. There is something very significant taking place. If you grasp this revelation you can understand the Old Testement. The people are signing on to the covenent. A covenent of blessing and cursing is being given. If you obey my voice you will be blessed. If you disobey my voice you will be cursed. Moses comes down and reads the judgements to them. We just read some in Deuteronomy 28. He repeats them later. They said, all the Lord has said we will do. Obligating them to the covenent, and obligating God to the covenent. Thus, every time they disobey, it's not just something on a whim. He must fulfill the covenent. That is why you see so much distruction and damage in Isreal throughout the old testement. You say, how can this be? I thought God was love. He isfullfilling his word. They signed on. They said all the Lord said we will do. Thus, every time they disobeyed, God is obligated by his word to fullfill that covenent. Does that make sense? Now think of it in our terms. If he was obligated to fullfill the covenent of curses, how much more our covenent of blessings? Praise God. Going back, that was a tiny rabbit trail, but going back to how God thinks about sickness. In the mind of God, sickness is a curse. Every sickness is a curse. Let's go to Job 42. Job has been sick. The enemy came and gave sickness to him. He suffered, some calculate as long as nine month He is in this condition of suffering, and look how the Lord referrs to this. It says. Job 42^10.;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. What is the term that is used here, that discribes Job's affiction? The blessing? The benefit? No! The captivity. He turned the captivity of Job. God saw his sickness and his affliction as captivity. The reason is because when you are captive, I do not know how many of you have ever been incarcerated, but when you are captive what have you lost? You have lost your freedom, your liverty, your will to do what you want, your creativity. Everything is gone. You are now a captive. People who are chronically ill, are being held captive captive by something that is a curse, a bondage, an oppression. So now they are no longer able to fullfill their God given purpose. They are captives. God turned the captivity of Job. When you are a captive here is what happens. You begin to readjust. You begin to rethink and reset your mind about your life. You begin to make adjustments and you begin to accomadate the captivity. That is what I want to soe into your hearts today. Don't do that. Don't do that. Do not accomidate your captivity. If you are dealing with something, get angry. Get aggressive. Become fervent in your aggressiveness, in your faith against whatever is holding you captive. This is a story that I want to tell you. This is a true story. I know of a fellow who had a co-worker who had two little girls and they would take the two little girls to their father-in-laws house while he and his wife were working. The house was in a nice area, with nice homes. This fellow would take the daughters to the in-laws house and let them stay there for the day. Sometimes, during the day, the daughters would take a nap on the couch in the living room. One day it came in the mind of the father-in-law, or of the wife or whoever, to rearranging the furniture. So the children are gone and they are not there with them. So they are rearranging furniture, and the man goes to lift the couch. And he hears a rattling sound. So he lifts up a peeks under, and there is a rattle snake under the couch. It turns out to be a four foot rattle snake. It has been living in their house. They don't know how long. They don't know how it got there. It has been living under the couch where the girls take naps. This is a true story. Now, let me say this. How many of you think that he stopped to pray about it. Oh Lord! If it be thy will. Do you think he got theological about the snake? Did God send me this snake? He went out to the garage, and he got the necessary implements, and he killed the snake. He didnot go to his wife and say, honey there is a snake in the house. Let's pray and see what God would have us to do. Because she would have have said, it's been nice knowing you. Call me when the snake is dead. You see theology does not enter into this when we are talking about a snake in the house. But, when we talk about sickness, people start getting all theological. Maybe God sent me this. Maybe he is trying to test me, perfect me, prove me, do this, do the other. They don't ever know, they just think it is maybe, and they get theological. If it be thy will. Let me tell you. It is a snake in your body. You don't shut off the living room and say, we don't go there anymore. You don't adjust to the snake. You don't have guest over, and they say why is your living room blocked off. Oh well we've adjusted. There is a rattlesnake in there. And then your guest will say, it has been nice knowing you, and off they go. You don't adjust for the snake. You kill it. You don't even pray about it. That is what I want to soe in your hearts and deads today. You don't even have to pray about this stuff. If you are in captivity, if you are being held bondage by something, if something is stealing killing and destroying your life, there is nothing to pray about. You have authority. You are seated with him in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. If there is a snake in your body, so to speak, Kill it. Get that attitude. Become aggresive. Take authority over your body and decide who is in charge here. Don't adjust. Now there may be a process involved in comming out of this. I am not saying that this has to be, wright now, but your attitude needs to change wright now. Your attitude needs to change wright now, and learn what is is theat God has for you. It's like if the UPS guy comes to the door, and he has a box, and you say what is this. Then he says, someone sent you a box of snakes. So many christians will say, well I guess God wants me to have snakes. Where do I sign? Don't sign. If something comes, a pain. This happens to us sometimes. A pain comes to our body. The first thing we think is I wonder; did I loose my healing? Am I alone in this? We have to see beyound those things. I have to say I see myself teaching for another thirty years or more. More percisely, till age one hundred and twenty. The word says to me go ye therefore and teach. You have to see beyound and realize, this is an attack of the enemy. This has no legal rite in my body, whatever it may be. Usually, this right thinking and the pain will go in a short time. I refuse to co-oporate with it. I am not going to co-oporate with any snake that is trying to get in my house. I choose to get the mind of Christ on this and cut it off right now. Let us go to Luke 4. Luke^4:18;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. He anointed me to preach deliverance to the what? To the captives. What was Job? A captive. What does sickness do to you? It makes you captive. You do'nt have to pray about sickness. You don't have to get theological. We will talk about why we are sick in a later lesson. There may be reasons. There may be adjustments that you have to make in terms of how you treat your body, but you don't have to pray in terms of what God's will is. Sickness is a curse. Bondage is oppression. It is captivity. Let's go to Luke 13. He came to set the captives free. You are free today. Luke 13^11 through 16. ;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. 11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself . 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him , and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. Now if sickness per-fects you, she should be pretty well there. People say sickness per-fects you, if that were true we would have a life of perfect Christians running around here. What I see is a lot of sick Christians. It's like James says, is any among you sick, let him call for the elders of the church. It gives the antidote so to speak, for let's get healed, but the question reveals. There should not be sick Christians in the church. By the way, is there any sick among you. Today, the question is, is there anyone among you, who is not sick. We have lost the revelation of, we are in Christ, of what our authority is in Christ, and we shall be walking in health. When Jesus saw her, he said woman you are blessed. Did he say that? No! He said woman you are loosed from your infirmity. What does loosed from your infirmity? She was bound. So now she is loosed. So, this starts a great controversy with the religious minds. So the rulers of the synagogue answered with indignation. Every time you bring up healing and religious circles, what you get is indignation. Nevertheless, they became indignant, because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. There is so much here, but I need to move on. Ought not this woman whom Satan has bound these 18 years, be loosed from this bondage on the Sabbath day. Whom Satan has bound. Now let's take this lady, who is curved over, what is that called, okay, take her to any doctor in the world and they are going to give you a scientific name for this. This is osteoporosis. This is curvature of the spine. What did Jesus call it? He called it a spirit of infirmity. No doctor in the world is going to tell you that you have a spirit of infirmity, but that is what it was. It had a physical manifestation. It had a scientific name, but it was a spirit of infirmity that bound her. He said woman you are loosed. In other words, this was not a blessing to perfect you. It has been 18 years, another 18 months. No! None of that. You are loosed from this bondage, from this thing that you have had to adjust. Can you imagine walking around looking at the ground all the time, never being able to straighten your self up. That is bondage. You have to adjust. Everyone else has to adjust for you. See what sickness does. And yet we have learned to feel logically accommodated, rather than aggressively kill it. To recognize what it is in our body and say, this does not belong here, this is illegal, I am healed by the blood of Jesus, I have authority. Do you have authority with things that go on in your body? We will talk about body life and pray one for another later, but in the beginning you have authority over your body and what goes on inside, take it. There is nothing to pray about, just believe God for your body. God does not use the things of the enemy or destructive things to bring perfection in your life, whatever that means. I am not sure what that means, when people say they are being perfected. We are perfect in our spirits, aren't we? And what do we have moving around in our soul's? Hopefully, something of the spirit, and we are being renewed in the spirit of our minds by the word of God. The way that God per-fects us is by his word, and we will look at that a little more in a moment. How does God perfect us? Let us go to second Timothy 3:16. Second Timothy 3^16-17. ;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. What is missing in this list? Sickness is missing! He does not need sickness to perfect you. He does not need tragedy to perfect you. The word per-fects you. He sent his word, the same word that per-fects us. He sent his word, and healed us from our destruction. The word that per-fects you healed you. There is healing in the word. There is healing in this room right now. There is healing in you right now, if Christ lives in you. So to allow something to take place in your body, into accommodate it, make adjustments for it, live with it, make other people live with it, that is just wrong, and if we would rise up in righteous indignation, and begin to take authority over our bodies and speak to them, and commend. Who is in charge? Who is in charge of your bones? Who is in charge of your muscles? Who is in charge of your blood, organs, who is in charge? Have you accommodated. Have you adjusted? Is there a snake in your house? It is time for you to be who God has chosen you to be. Let us go to Mark three. Mark 3^1-5. Trying to get the mind of the Lord, and how he views sickness.;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. 1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. Verse 5, now pay attention, you probably have not heard this, And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. What did Jesus just say? He is comparing sickness to what? If I leave him in this condition, it is as if I were to kill or do evil. That is what he is saying. If I leave him in this condition, it is comparable to doing evil or killing. Killing is compaired to doing good, and saving a life. We are getting the mind of the Lord, and how he thinks about sickness. If you didn't did this in your spirit today, this won't change your whole attitude about a lot of things. We are being robbed, continually about a lot of things, and you are adjusting to what the world says we are going through. We need to adjust to what God says we are going through. You should be going from victory to victory, and from triumph to triumph. You should be going from health to more health, and being a giver of health to others. That is what God has called us to. Health and healing, killing the snakes of our body, and helping other people do the same in their bodies. You have to see beyond the temporal, any time something comes your way, and see your self accomplishing a whole lot more for God. We should already know some things that God has shown us for the future, and look at that, not looking at the things that are seen or felt, but looking at the things that are not seen, and getting a picture of God's purpose for your life and see that. And I am seeing this temporal thing, but realize that this is temporal, and I am still going to be there. Five years from now, I'm still going to be there. I still have a lot to do. Therefore, this condition must be temporal. I will defeat it in the name of Jesus. Too often we think, oh boy. God has no plans for me. This has happened. I have to adjust. Wrong attitude! That is why we see so many Christians have adjusted, and are living adjusted lives. Let's look at Acts 10^38. Acts 10^38..;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. How does God think of sickness? It is oppression. It is bondage. It is slavery. It is captivity. It is loose from the spirit of infirmity, and you his thing of Satan. Nobody wants to be oppressed. This is your inheritance from Christ. This is something that you have a right to. This is something that you must enforce. You must take authority. You must decide. You can have others of green with you, but agreement can only go as far as you are willing to agree. Do you agree that you should be completely and totally free and live a long and productive life. Do you agree, is that your vision, or has your vision been cut short by something you have adjusted to or are willing to put up with. Let's go to 1st John 3^8. Is anybody getting stirred up? 1st John 3^8. .;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. Question! Has he been manifested in you? Does he live in you? For this purpose the son of God is manifested in you, that he might destroy the works of the devil in you. Is there a snake in your house? Are you just waiting for the manifestation of the snake to leave? You have to take authority. You have to get aggressive. You have to decide I am not going to live this way. I am taking authority over my life. No more adjustments. As you get older you start to notice things about your body, Things that you should refuse to adjust to. It is a little harder to get up off the floor. I notice those things. I am not just going to allow that to progress. I take authority over that in the name of Jesus, and I go to the gym with some regularity. You have to have that attitude. Remember, the man at the pool of Bethesda. We won't look that up right now, but Jesus came up to the guy and he said do you want to be made whole? Now think about that. I think that in his case, it was about 38 years that he had been there. Think about that, I think I have my years right, 38 years. He has been in that condition. Don't you think that he has made adjustments? Don't you believe that people have adjusted for him. Someone has to carry him there every day. Their lives now revolve around his life. They have lost some of their freedom, and they are now captive to him. He has his group of friends. He has the same place where they put him every day. They read the paper, they play every day. People bring them food. There is a lifestyle there. Where am I going with this? Some people have adjusted so much that the question is a legitimate question. Do you want to be healed, because your whole world revolves around your condition? Your family revolves around your condition. Every thing revolves around your condition. Now I am going to say something really tough right now, and it's not to make anyone feel bad. I am trying to get you angry. Being sick is being self-centered. Everybody else has to adjust to you. Don't get angry at me, get angry at the devil. He came to destroy the works of the devil. Do you want to be made whole, or have you gotten accustomed to the attention, to the service, to the help, with every body focusing on you. Have you grown accustomed to that, and that is your lifestyle, and it has been so long this way that you don't know any other way or lifestyle. Do you want to be made well. That is a legitimate question for some people. Are you willing to be someone else? Are you willing to be what Christ has called you to be? Are you willing to stand up and take some authority over these issues, and speaking to your body, and commanding healing, and standing on the word of God? Are you willing to do that? Some folk's are just not willing to do that, because they have become comfortable with their adjustments. These are questions that we have to ask. Something inside you has to come alive. You have to believe that you are the answer to your problems, and may be the answer to the problems of others. John 10^10: I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly. Why has sickness come, Satan? This will kill and destroy. We think of Satan in those terms. Think of sickness in those terms. What does it do? It steals, it kills, and it destroys. It steals your finances, it steals your time, it steals your purpose, it kills your vision, it kills everything around you, it destroys your family, everything that comes around you. It is a thief, it comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus said, I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly. He calls it captivity, he calls it a bondage, he calls it a curse. He has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to set ourselves free, and to set the people free. James 1^17. James 1^17.;/;/. -Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word. 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. -Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word. Sickness is not from God. There may be reasons why you are sick. There may be spiritual reasons, there may be natural reasons, we will talk about those later, but it's not from God. Some of us have chosen to cooperate with the snakes. Some of us have chosen to adjust, but the good gifts are from God. To the degree that you want the good gifts they are available to you. Let's think about people who believe that sickness, sometimes is of God, and there are many, do not be fooled. Many Christian, Bible teachers, and pastors will tell you that sickness is sometimes from God to make you perfect. Question for them, if that is true, why are they the first one to run to the doctor when they get sick. If sickness is sometimes from God to per-fect you. You have no business rebelling against the will of God. Seeking medical help is rebellion, if that sickness is from God. Those same people, if their child is sick, they will do anything, pay any amount of money, to bring health and healing to their child. But if a member of their church gets sick, Oh dear brother dear sister, God is doing this for your good. Do you see the disconnect here? We will do anything for our children. Whose children are we? We are the fathers children, God's children. If we, as natural parents, even on born-again parents would do anything to save their children, they will do anything for the children they will pay any price, what ever it is, let us do it, to heal my child. Yet, we go to church, and we say, Oh! I wonder what she did. God is going to deal with her. We have this religious nonsense in our heads. Instead of coming into agreement and praying for sister so and so, we want to leave her to the destructive work of the enemy. What does God think of sickness? He hates it. It is killing his body. Don't be one of those victims. Stand up. If sickness and disease are of God, it makes me wonder what the devil is doing. We need to get the mind of Christ in this. We will talk about ways to get healed. I am not against any doctors. I use doctors. If I don't have faith for my own healing, I will use natural means, or a combination of the two. We will talk about that. I know the end result is for me to get healed. God wants me well. He wants me to be doing what he has called me to do. What ever means I have to use to get their that is what I am going to do. If I can do it strictly by faith, I will do it strictly by faith. If I find my faith is not getting me to the right goal, then I will use doctors. Get this mind in you, that I am going to be the authority of my body. Every cell in my body will come under the authority of my born-again spirit and start speaking to your body to be free of captivity and bondage. I would like everyone to stand for a prayer of agreement with me. If it is okay with the pastor, you may agree from where you are. The word says pray ye one for another. If you are afflicted, now is the time to get aggressive for ourselves and/or for others who are afflicted. Now is the time to decide, enough of this. No more adjustments. We are going to take authority. Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart. God said, I heard you on the day of salvation. I helped you. Indeed, the right time is now. Today, is the day for getting answers to your prayers. The word for salvation is the same word for healing, sozo. Today is the day for sozo. I will pray, but I want you to agree with me..;/;/. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the word that renews our minds, and renews our hearts to give us understanding and clarity that we might see as you see. We will see sickness and disease as a curse, as bondage, as captivity, as the will of the enemy, and not the will of God. Father we agreed together now, as touching any in this room who may be afflicted, and we commend the spirit of infirmity to leave in the name of Jesus. And I speak father, to every body, every cell, the organ, the skin, the blood, the nerves, as there may be affliction in anyone in this room, anything that is illegal, that is there and should not be growing there, I curse it in the name of Jesus and command that it leave. Father, I speak into every person's life now, every heart, every mind, as the administrators of their body and to give them full authority to walk and health and healing, to destroy all the works of the enemy in their lives, to have the mind of Christ, with regard to sickness, and to be ambassadors of healing, not only for their lives, but for others. To be able to pray the prayer of faith, the prayer of agreement with others. To release healing, to curse sickness in every person's body. That is your commission to us, to bring healing to the sick. Father, we love you. We want to walk in the fullness of what you provided us on the cross. Lord, I do not want to lose anything. I do not want to miss any thing that you have accomplished. I want to walk and health. I want each one of us to walk in the fullness of the health that you gave us on the cross, and we lay hold of it now. In the name of Jesus, we give you all the praise and glory. Amen!