Hebrews 13:8 New International Version (NIV)
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Forward Thinkers you may be asking why is it important to know Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever? It is important because once we know what Jesus has done for others we can believe He can do it for us. Forward Thinkers I believe one of the reasons faith comes by hearing the word of God is because once you hear it you will gain confidence in the possibility of it (it being the divine miracles of God) becoming your reality. Forward Thinkers faith can change your reality. Today you must have faith that healing is now your new reality.
Forward Thinkers there is a direct connection between our faith and our ability to receive divine healing.
As I was researching several medical sites for this series on healing I ran across several powerful praise reports and testimonies of people who conquered cancer and learned to win with lupus. Forward Thinkers today I’m focusing on cancer and lupus but I’m also standing in agreement with you that you will be victorious over any attack on your body that is trying to cause you not to operate in your full potential.
Forward Thinkers cancer and lupus don’t and can’t define you. You’re a Believer. You’re a Conquer. You’re committed to fighting the good fight of faith over cancer, lupus, and any other attack against your body.
Luke 17:11-19The Message (MSG)
11-13 It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14-16 Taking a good look at them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”
They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.
17-19 Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.”
Forward Thinkers leprosy in the bible has some of the same symptoms as modern day cancer and lupus therefore if Jesus healed them of leprosy and Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever more I’m standing in agreement with you that your level of faith will connect you to divine healing.
Side note are you giving God the praise and thanking Him for healing you or are you in the majority group filled with ungrateful people who have been touched by God’s divine healing hand? I’m praying for a church full of people who don’t mind praising God for all He has done for them.
Forward Thinkers cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer develops when the body’s normal control mechanism stops working. Old cells do not die and cells grow out of control, forming new, abnormal cells. These extra cells may form a mass of tissue, called a tumor. Cancer can occur anywhere in the body. In women, breast cancer is most common. In men, it’s prostate cancer.
Forward Thinkers a man’s prostate releases fluids into his reproductive organ gland which is responsible for bringing new life into the world when it interacts with a woman’s reproductive system. Now, a woman’s breast is designed by God to do more than just stand at attention but its true purpose is to release fluids that have the ability and responsibility to feed the new life produced through the miracle of child birth.
Forward Thinkers now, I understand why older Black people say cancer is of the devil. Black women are much more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, according to the Researchers at Sinai Urban Health Institute working with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. They found African American women were 43% more likely to die than their Caucasian counterparts, as reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology.
And the racial mortality gap is widening in 24 U.S. cities. Atlanta was home to the highest disparity in survivors, with black women 117% more likely to die from breast cancer over white women. Forward Thinkers the odds were also heavily skewed against black women in Austin, Texas; Wichita, Kansas; San Antonio, Texas; and Kansas City, Missouri.
Forward Thinkers this next information should come as no surprise Black men in America have prostate cancer at a higher rater than any other male group in the world. The devil attacks any environment with the potential to produce another Nat Turner, Malcolm X, or Dr. King.
This is not racism this is reality but I have the faith to create a new reality over cancer. The devil may be after you but God is with you. Let’s look at 3 points on cancer before we move to our conclusion on lupus.
Cancer:
Old cells affect new cells (Medical)
We see in cancer that old cells refuse to die and they cause new cells to be damaged causing tumors which can lead to death in some cases.
Old habits affect new habits (Spiritual)
Forward Thinkers when we don’t force old negative habits to die they eventually damage our ability to operate at our full potential and in some cases our old habits cause new opportunities and promotions to die. Donald Trump’s old habits are coming back to bite him but before you look to hard at Donald make sure the man or woman in the mirror has dealt with all your old habits. Thank God we can move on from old habits if we make the right decision to follow Jesus.
Old relationships affect new relationships (Personal)
Forward Thinkers often old messed up relationships are referred to as cancerous because the effect they have on your life has a tendency to kill off healthy new relationships. We will seek chemo-therapy for medical cancer which is smart but how often have we sought spiritual, mental, and emotional therapy from past negative relationships.
Note to Black men who refuse to go to the doctor ignoring the signs won’t prevent you from having cancer. And to all people of faith having faith doesn’t mean we reject reality but we stand in the face of reality believing God is able to take us through our realities.
Forward Thinkers we need faith to deal with the medical form of cancer but we can overcome the spiritual and personal damage of cancer by making better decisions and choices.
Forward Thinkers now let me deal with lupus. Lupus occurs when something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off “foreign invaders” such as viruses, bacteria, and germs. Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues (“auto” means “self”) and creates auto antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These auto antibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.
Forward Thinkers notice when we are operating in self or flesh (leaning on our own understanding or being selfish) we lose our ability to operate pain free.
Let’s look at a few of the symptoms associated with lupus: extreme fatigue, joint pain, joint stiffness, swelling in joints, fever, and muscle pain. All of these symptoms can make life a living hell but Jesus came to set us free from the gripes of hell just ask the men with leprosy, the blind man, or the lame man.
Now in conclusion like cancer let’s walk through the medical, spiritual, and personal levels of lupus.
Lupus:
Outside forces attack the body and the body is not strong enough to prevent them from entering the body therefore causing great pain to the body. (Medical)
Outside forces attack the mind, body, and soul and the level of faith needed to prevent the attacks from prospering are not strong enough due to a lack of time in the word of God. (Spiritual)
Outside forces (temptations) attack the mind and because the mind has been spending too much time in the world it becomes powerless in its effort to protect the body from harm’s way. We must daily pray for God to lead us not into temptations but to deliver us from evil. Forward Thinkers we must also know that the bible says God will give us an escape from every temptation but we must choose to run through the escape door.
Cancer and lupus may attack the body and may even get in but our faith must be released in the midst of the attacks and we must stand strong trusting God for victory and daily declaring no weapon formed against us shall prosper. In conclusion remember the blind men in Matthew 9:31 Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.” They believed they could see and it happened just as they believed.
Today believe you are set free and have the faith to defeat cancer, lupus, and any attack against you and I’ll stand in agreement with you that it’s done in Jesus Name.
Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church located, in both Houston, Texas, and the Woodlands, Texas. Pastor Deckard is also the Co-Founder of the No More Bloodshed Movement. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com, follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Periscope @ Pastor E A Deckard or the church website www.ghic.net.