We Don’t Have That Story

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I know most everyone likes to hear the stories and give the grand applause to a God who heals and delivers the way that we think He should have.

We don’t have that story.

I know most everyone likes to hear about how someone prayed the top ten healing Scriptures over their loved ones and circled them in prayer because that’s the book they were reading at the time and it worked.

We don’t have that story.

I know most everyone likes to hear about those that say they used the power of the blood and their spoken words to declare divine healing and cast out sickness and send it to hell and command health to enter the body of their loved one because by His stripes we are healed.

We don’t have that story.

I know most people like to hear the stories about how someone fasted and prayed and stood in the gap for a loved one and God said stop all treatment and trust in Me and you will be healed… and they did and they were.

We don’t have that story.

We prayed. We bought books. We fasted. We even got caught up for a moment in the bondage of speaking healing. We were that desperate. Beloved let me tell you that the weight of condemnation that can be poured out on you by the enemy of our souls when you watch cancer eat away three of your family members at the same time… it’s rough.

So we don’t have the story that is going to make others feel good and want a God that answers prayers. We have another story.

We have the story of a God that is still worthy of all our praise when He doesn’t answer your prayers. We have the story of a God whose grace has been sufficient thus far to carry us day by day and literally moment by moment when the next thought felt like more than you could bear on your own.

We have the story of a God who so loved us and the world that He sent His one and only begotten Son so that whosoever believed in Him would not perish but would have eternal life (John 3:16). We have the story of a God who came in the flesh to dwell among us and to die for us so that we could be justified (Romans 5:9), but then was raised so that we too could be made alive in Him, reborn not by flesh but by God Himself (Colossians 2:13).

We have the story of a God that has gifted us with the hope of this gospel (Colossians 1:23). A hope that is an anchor for our soul and is sure and steadfast and set securely within the veil (Hebrews 6:19).

We have the story of a God who is worthy of our worship and allegiance even when we did not receive the promises we thought we should when we thought we should have received them (Hebrews 11:39). We have the story of a God who is still good when life is not.

We have this story.

Last night as I listened to Wayne Barber teach on the subject of false teachers and those who could be deceived he shared a list of the characteristics of those who are easily enticed by false teachers.

  • those who have not made a determined commitment to obey God at all cost (Luke 9:51)
  • those who are not trusting Jesus  (Romans 16:25)
  • those who are not in the Word of God (2 Peter 1:12, John 17:17)
  • those who rebel in trials instead of endure (1 Peter 5:10)

In the book of Luke when Mary is standing in the temple with the baby Jesus in her arms a man named Simon comes in the the Spirit to the temple and he blesses God and after the blessing he looks to Mary and he says,

Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.

Luke 2:34-35

When the sword pierces your soul you discover the thoughts from many hearts… not just your own. When the sword is driving into your own heart and it’s stabbing pain is slicing deep within the recesses of your soul you will either fall on this sword and die or you will grab hold with both hands and allow God to use this sword to continue to circumcise you with a circumcision without hands (Colossians 2:11). This sword is cutting away the flesh and exposing the soul and revealing the heart and in this pain you will have to choose to either endure or recoil. You will discover in this moment if you really believe the gospel; if you really believe John 14:1-6.  You will discover if you really believe John 11:25 and Romans 8:18.

Is God real?

Is there really hope?

Have I really committed to following Jesus and obeying God’s Word no matter what? Am I really trusting in Jesus for everything and in everything? Do I love Him enough to endure this fiery trial or am I going to rebel against Him, because I really wasn’t following Jesus for Jesus, but for me and what I thought I would benefit from Him?

Is He and He alone enough?

When everything is taken away and all you have is Him will you still praise Him?

 

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