Tag: faith

The Incarnate Promise

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn InspirationLeave a comment

The promises of God are a revelation of His nature. He spoke the promises in His Word (In Hebrew “word” and “promise” is the same: דָּבָר/debar.) not for us to hold over His head; but rather, because He wants to do the thing promised.

In Exodus 15:26 we find a promise:

כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה, רֹפְאֶךָ

“For I am the Lord who heals you.”

Another way, “For I am the Lord who mends your wounds.” The picture of closing a gaping wound, or pulling a thorn.

Wherever the Lord is, there He is the healing Lord. Yet, at times, our physical weakness in illness or exhaustion distracts us from the object of our faith. To this Paul writes, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Ro. 10:17).

Paul was prompted to write these words, specifically with the unfaithfulness of Israel in mind, after quoting Isaiah 53:1 in Romans 10:16, “LORD, who has believed our report?”

He is bringing to mind the watch word of biblical faith, in Hebrew שְׁמַע/shema, hear. In essence, he is saying: start hearing, and faith will come when the hearing is of God’s Word. His promise.

In Matthew 17:5 on the mount of transfiguration, the Lord tells Peter to “hear Him” (Deut. 18:15), meaning, hear the incarnate promise, Yeshua/Jesus (II Cor. 1:20).

The revelation of the Lord’s nature to heal came to its fullness in Messiah. Yeshua did not heal to prove anything. He healed as a revelation and outflow of His nature.

In Matthew 8:16-17, we read the promise:

“When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

Matthew, as Paul does, relies on Isaiah (53:4), the great expositor of the messianic hope, to explain the literal and spiritual healing of the sick and afflicted by the hand and word of Yeshua. In the exchange of word and/or touch, Messiah, “took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (cf. II Cor. 5:21).

Are His promises still for today? Yes. The author of Hebrews writes, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8); therefore, He will not leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). He writes this after explaining that God the Father now speaks to us by His Son (Heb. 1:2) – at the time ascended and seated.

By speaking through His Son, the Lord fulfills every promise contained in the written Word in the person of the incarnate Word/Promise. The One who is ever with us. Remember, wherever the Lord is, there He is the healing Lord. And when we confess, “Yeshua/Jesus is Lord” (Ro. 10:9), we are acknowledging His sovereign authority to do the thing promised.

When doubt comes: hear the Word. When fear comes: speak the Word. When sickness comes: lay claim to the promises of the Word. Because when the Word is spoken, and is heard in expectation, faith will come with it.

“For I am the Lord who heals all your wounds.” There are many wounds in this life, and He heals every one of them.

Be well. Shalom.

Miracles

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn InspirationLeave a comment

The Jewish people in the first-century were not shocked by miracles, they were shocked that Yeshua/Jesus forgave sin. Today, this is reversed. We are not shocked that Jesus will forgive sin, we are shocked that He still does miracles (Heb. 13:8).

Moldy Bread, Tepid Water

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn InspirationLeave a comment

We are disciplined by the Father because He loves us (Heb. 12:6). No one, that I know of, enjoyed or enjoys parental correction. Yet, we know that the correction, in the wisdom of hindsight, is for our good.

There have been many, many times over the years that I’ve gone to sulk in the inner chambers of my heart when things were not going as hoped, expected, or even fairly, whatever that means. I’d take my Bible and search for a promissory verse to point to, and say, “This is what You promised, not this out there.” Hey, at least I’m honest.

At some point, body and soul got tired of adversity, tired of affliction, and I wondered if I was even walking in the way of the Lord. Hey, yes, transparent.

Then words of a verse began to come to mind, bits and pieces; but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Slowly I put it together, to the best of my recollection. Then opening the Word, I found it, and read it.

“And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isa. 30:20-21).

Ouch, “the Lord gives.”

What is it that He gives? לֶחֶם צָר/lechem tzar/ bread of adversity, or, the bread of the narrowing way. And, וּמַיִם לָחַץ/u’mayim lakhats, and the water of affliction/pressure.

“The Lord gives.” These three words changed my mind. The trial was the bread/food of narrowing, along the narrow way. While the water, the pressure that narrows.

When we come to faithful terms with that realization, our teachers will not be hidden from us, as we will see how the Lord is using circumstance to change us, and draw us, again, to Himself.

Rather than the voice of the enemy saying, “You are not favored by God,” the voice of the ministering angels say, “No, this is the way through the valley, keep walking.” Right. Left. He will work it all together for our good, because He loves us, and has called us; and He is conforming us to the image of Yeshua/Jesus (Ro. 8:28-29).

The bread of adversity does not taste good; and the waters of affliction do not satisfy. Yet, they are given by the Lord, and are therefore good, in order to lead us deeper into Himself, out of reliance upon the world, to a position of faithing where the impossible happens (Matt. 19:26).

At His feet, the bread is the hidden manna given by Yeshua (Rev. 2:17), and the water, well, that flows from beneath His throne (Rev. 22:1). Amen.

Meditation:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:13-14).

Be well. Shalom.