Forgiveness & healing

Psalm 103:3 (NKJV): Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.

The word 'forgives' here in Hebrew is 'calach' (pronounced 'saw-lakh'), which means 'to spare (from any judgment), to pardon', and the word 'heals' here in Hebrew is 'rapha', which means 'to mend (by stitching), to cure, to repair, to make whole, to make complete'.

Forgiveness and healing go hand in hand. They are inseparable. Jesus Himself went about preaching the forgiveness of sins and healing all who were oppressed (see Acts 10:38). He also taught His disciples to do likewise and sent them forth (see Luke 9:2, Luke 10:9). Forgiveness leads to healing and wholeness. When Jesus ministered to a paralytic lying on a bed, He said, "Your sins are forgiven you... Arise, take up your bed." (see Matthew 9:2-7).

Let's now look at Exodus 12:7-9. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "And they (Israelites) shall take some of the blood (of the lamb) and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire,... Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire - its head with its legs and its entrails." The lamb here speaks of Jesus Christ Himself, your Passover Lamb, your sin offering & your burnt offering (i.e. roasted in fire) when He died on the cross for you some 2,000 years ago.

Notice the words 'blood' and 'flesh' here.

The blood was meant to protect God's people from judgment on that night (Exodus 12:12-13). As a believer in the New Covenant, Jesus' blood protects and covers you from the judgment of sin. All your sins have been punished when Jesus died for you on the cross. This speaks of forgiveness.

The flesh was meant to be eaten to give strength and sustenance through the Israelites' journey. In fact, Psalm 105:37 says 'there was none feeble among His tribes' after the Lord's Passover! As a believer in the New Covenant, Jesus' body was broken so that yours can be made whole. By His stripes, you were healed. This speaks of healing.

The sacrificial lamb in Exodus 12:7-9 therefore served 2 purposes:
(a) The blood protected God's people from the judgment.
(b) The flesh provided God's people with health, strength, and sustenance for their journey ahead.

Likewise, as a believer in the New Covenant, the communion you partake serves these 2 purposes as well:
(a) The 'juice' you partake (representing Jesus' blood) is to remind you that your sins have been forgiven.
(b) The 'bread' you partake (representing Jesus' body) is to remind you that your body has been made whole.

Believe for both every time you partake the communion, because you are meant to walk in His forgiveness, health and wholeness every day! Amen.

He can turn your 'ashes' into 'beauty'!

Isaiah 61:1a, 3 (NKJV) says, 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me (Jesus), because the Lord has anointed Me... to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning..."

I was fascinated by the words 'beauty for ashes' here. And wow, you know what? The Bible says God can turn your 'ashes' into something of a 'beauty'!

What does the word 'ashes' mean to you? In the Old Covenant, 'ashes' normally speaks of 'mourning'. People put 'ashes' on themselves in times of fasting or mourning. The Oxford Dictionary defines 'ashes' as 'powder that remains after something has been destroyed by burning.' And there's definitely no more beauty in 'ashes'! To me, 'ashes' are the only thing left when one's 'dream' goes up in smoke! 'Ashes' are as good as 'useless'. Hopeless! Gone! Blown away by the wind! That's the impression I have about 'ashes'. And that's why I was fascinated with Isaiah 61:3, when God says He can give 'beauty' for 'ashes'!

Have there been 'dreams' which turned into 'ashes' in your life recently? Maybe you've been wishing for a blissful marriage, but it turned out the opposite. Or maybe it's a dream friendship, a dream health, a dream business, or a dream career. Whatever it may be, I believe God can turn things for you, and He'll do it in His ways (because His ways are always higher than ours). And that's when we can hope. One thing I know for sure is God has turned 'ashes' into 'beauty' many times in my life, and I've learned to hope. And this hope is in God (see Psalm 71:5, Psalm 42:11, Psalm 43:5), not in flesh. When you put your hope in certain human, organization, institution, etc, you are bound to be disappointed. But when you put your hope in God, the Bible says in Romans 5:5, 'hope does not disappoint'.

In Hebrew, the word 'hope' is 'tiqvah', which actually means 'cord, attachment'. Can you imagine a foetus' umbilical cord attached (from the navel) to the mother's placenta? That's the only means of supply from the mother to the baby while in the womb. And that's how God taught me to 'picture' what 'hope' is! In the same way, God always wants to 'supply' you with His kindness and goodness, because He so loves you.

By the way, hoping in God is not a 'self-infused' presumption. When you hope in Him, you are letting Him be Him, doing it His way, not your way. One example is in Joseph's life (see Genesis 37). His 'dream' turned into 'ashes' when he tried to 'achieve' it in his own way, and before God's timing. His situation then went from bad to worse - being thrown into the pit, being sold as slave, and even ended up in prison. But when he came to 'nothing', letting go of his own ways and letting God be God, that's when God took over! And in His way, God eventually led Joseph in realizing the dream given to him.

Another example of how God gave 'beauty' for 'ashes' is in the life of Naomi. Read all the four chapters of the book of Ruth, and you'll know. A 'dream' start for Naomi went up in smoke when her husband died, followed by her two sons, and all these happened in a foreign land (see Ruth 1:1-5). In the culture she lived in, that was a blow! You see, in those days, people honored women with children; but hers were all dead. Also, in those days, women were dependent on their husbands; but she became a widow. And if that's not bad enough, she's an 'outsider' with no inheritance in a foreign land! No wonder when she finally returned to her homeland 'empty-handed', she even told the people not to call her 'Naomi' anymore (see Ruth 1:19-21). By the way, 'Naomi' in Hebrew means 'beauty', and she thought there's no more 'beauty' whatsoever in her life anymore, nothing but hopeless & 'ashes'!

Or so she thought.

But God did turn things around for her, and by His divine appointment, her 'foreigner' daughter-in-law, Ruth happened to meet up with Boaz, a man of great wealth, and a relative of Naomi's husband. The rest, of course, was history. One divine 'chance' happening led to another, and to cut a long story short, Boaz eventually became the kinsman-redeemer, also taking Ruth as his wife, and a son was born (see Ruth 4:13-16). Indeed, God has never forgotten Naomi.

When Jesus died on the cross for you some 2,000 years ago, He has also become your 'kinsman-redeemer', just as Boaz was to Naomi! Know that you have been redeemed from every form of curse and shame as well. 'Boaz' here in the Old Testament is a 'picture' of Jesus Christ Himself. Interestingly, 'Boaz' means 'pillar' in Hebrew. Indeed, Jesus IS your 'pillar of hope' today, and so, no matter what situation you may be facing at the moment, know that He can turn your 'ashes' into 'beauty' again.

Hope in Him.

He teaches you to profit!

Isaiah 48:17 (NKJV): Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go."

Notice the word 'profit' here. It is 'yaal' in Hebrew, which means 'to ascend, to be valuable, to be useful, to be benefited, set forward, have profit, be profitable'. Wow! And because you've been redeemed, God wants you to 'yaal' as well!

You know what it means here? He wants to teach you to 'ascend' in your career, business, ministry, etc. He wants to teach you to 'be valuable' in what you do or who you are in your organization! As the redeemed of the Lord, you are meant to 'yaal'! So, if you are working in an organization, He teaches you to 'go up' (ascend) the 'success ladder'. And if you are a team player in your organization, He teaches you to be the MVP (Most Valuable Player)! And He'll lead you by the way you should go!

And today, this is for you to receive as a believer! And as He teaches and leads you to 'yaal', others will somehow take notice or ask the secret of your success, and that's when the name of the Lord is glorified! Because "Jesus has redeemed me!", and because "Jesus taught me and led me so!" Amen!

The way to 'ascend' is to 'profit' others. In Matthew 10:8, notice the phrase 'freely you have received, freely you give'. Here, Jesus was talking to His disciples in the context of His enabling & spiritual gifts (i.e. "and as you go, preach...", "heal the sick", "cleanse the lepers", "raise the dead", "cast out demons"). The disciples were asked to use freely all that He has imparted and given them! Not withholding, but freely give! When I was a schoolboy, a teacher used to say this: "The secret of happiness is to bring happiness to others". Later on, I learned the acronym of the word 'JOY', 'Jesus, others, yourself', in that sequence. To have real joy is to be Jesus-conscious, fixing your eyes on Him and all that He's done for you on the cross, and as you behold Him more and more (& knowing how much He loves you), this will in turn flow out to others.

One example of 'selflessness' I read was about one of Kathryn Kuhlman's healing meetings. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, she began asking the 'less sick' to start praying for the 'more sick', and when the crowd began 'looking away from their own needs' and start praying for others' needs, healings and miracles began taking place all over! Even those who prayed for others got healed themselves! Praise the Lord!

Paul put it aptly when he wrote about spiritual gifts, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all" (1 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV). 'For the profit of all' here is even clearer in KJV version, i.e. 'to profit all', and this word 'to profit' in Greek is 'sumphero', which means 'to contribute, to bring advantage to others, to bring profit to others'. Notice it's never meant 'to judge or condemn' others! Notice also it is 'to bring advantage to others', not 'taking advantage of others'!

People of God, you 'profit' (yaal) by 'profiting' others. The Lord will definitely know how to promote you in due season, for 'promotion doesn't come from the east, west, or south' (Psalm 75:6), but it comes from the Lord. Leave this part to Him. 

So, whatever spiritual gift, talent, etc you have received freely from the Lord, let it flow out to bless others. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 is a list of spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Certain gifts may be expressed more frequently through you, but it is He who distributes to each one individual as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). You may even have operated some of these without realizing it in the past! Your blessing others can also be in the area of your acquired knowledge, wisdom, skills, talents, finance, or any other resources you have. All in all, the Lord will definitely teach you to 'yaal'! Amen!