God Does Not Abuse His Children!

God Does Not Abuse His Children!

“My (sickness) is one of the greatest gifts that God has given me.” — A Theologian

Recently, I read an article by a prominent theologian that made the point that his sickness was a “gift from God.” I edited his statement above and do not list his name. The point of this is not to judge or condemn this man.

But I am fascinated by Christians who make statements like the above – accusing my Heavenly Father of child abuse. Has he ever read John 10:10? Satan is the one that kills, steals and destroys. Jesus came to give you abundant life! Jesus healed everyone who believed and he is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. You will never find anywhere in the Gospels an instance where Jesus made somebody sick. And remember, if you have seen Jesus, you have seen God!

He glorified God by healing, resurrecting folks and destroying ALL the works of the devil. Think of how much more glory God would get by this man’s testimony proving that God still heals! Instead, his testimony is that God made him sick. Why would any nonbeliever embrace a God who would make them sick? God is love. And just like any parent, He wants the very best for all His children.

And prosperity – why were Abraham, Job (even more after his restoration of what Satan stole from him), David, Solomon, Joseph, Isaac, Daniel so prosperous? God blessed them all which empowered them to prosper in everything they did. Jesus came to give that Blessing to those that believe in him. Why do Christian ministers continue to preach that poverty is a blessing? The funny thing is, they usually end their message by begging for money to pay the light bill.

Jesus was not poor. He had a money bag with enough wealth that Judas was stealing from him. Jesus had to feed and provide for many followers when he walked on the earth. He provided the very best wine in abundance at a wedding. He gave Peter two of the greatest hauls of fish he had ever seen in his lifetime, as well as a coin from a fish to pay their taxes. He fed 5,000 and 4,000 people with only a few fish and some bread and had baskets of leftovers both times. There was no lack in the ministry of Jesus!

The Gospel will not get spread by a bunch of broke and sick Christians. It takes money to travel, print books, translate, teach and share the Word. It takes health to minister and serve others. Jesus’ ministry flourished because people experienced miracles in every area of their lives. The best way to prove to unbelievers that Jesus lives is by them seeing their lives, spirit and body transformed.

I grew up in a dead church that taught that God was impotent – maybe He will, maybe not, who knows what He might do. I finally said enough. Either God’s Word is true or its not. Since I changed course and began to prove God as He tells us to in Malachi, I am seeing the Blessing work in my life in ways you can’t even imagine. I led the nation in sales and maxed out my budget last month in THIS economy. Remember Isaac’s hundredfold harvest during a drought? Praise God, He never changes!

I am healthy, happy and get up every morning thanking God for what He is doing in my life. I live to give because I’ve found that it truly is more of a blessing to give than receive because God keeps giving it back in abundance as He said He would. And on Sunday, I will leave on a 7 day cruise that was gift from my Heavenly Father who loves me and wants me to enjoy life as any father would want for his children. And I’m looking forward to some quality time with Him while I’m relaxing at sea.

Its your choice: God’s Blessing, or the curse. My house has chosen the former. One thing for sure, if you preach against divine health and prosperity, you certainly will never enjoy it, because you can’t have what you speak against.

But don’t just take my word for it. Get a good Bible translation and read it like you have never read it before. Leave your preconceived notions, religious dogma, traditions, opinions and sacred cows behind and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you God’s will for your life. That’s what I did and it is changing my life. It will change yours too. God loves you and gave His Word to build your faith to overcome any and every obstacle you face in life.

Here are some good verses to get you started:

God Is a God of Abundance

Old Testament: Genesis 26:12-14; Leviticus 26:1-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Deuteronomy 30:8-16; Psalm 23; Psalm 36:5-10; Psalm 115:12-15; Proverbs 8:17-21; Joel 2:21-26; Malachi 3:10-12

New Testament: Luke 6:38; Luke 8:1-15; John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Ephesians 3:19-21; Philippians 4:19; 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Healing – God’s Will and God’s Gift

Exodus 15:26; Exodus 23:25-26; Deuteronomy 7:9-15; Deuteronomy 28; Deuteronomy 30 – A choice between God’s Blessing, or the curse

Numbers 21:5-9; John 3:11-21 – Moses placed a bronze snake on a poll to heal the people, foreshadowing Christ’s work on the cross.

Psalm 107:13-22; Proverbs 4:20-27; John 1:1-17 – God sent His Word to heal.

Psalm 103; Isaiah 53; Matthew 8:14-17; Romans 8:1-17; Galatians 3:13-14; Ephesians 1:2-14; 1 Peter 2:21-25 – Jesus bore the entire curse on the cross – sin, sickness, death, poverty – to set you free!

Matthew 4:23-24; Matthew 9:35; Luke 4:33-36; Luke 13:11-17; John 10:10 – The thief (Satan) comes to steal and kill. Jesus came to heal.

This has gone long, but I want to share one more verse. These are not my words or opinion. These are the words of Jesus.

 

He (Jesus) replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matthew 17:20 <NIV>

Meditate on that last line for a few weeks and stop thinking about what you think God will not do, or can’t do. Instead, think of the possibilities of a loving God who gave Himself to save, heal and prosper you so that you can be a blessing to the world and demonstrate God’s love to the lost.

May God richly bless you!

Originally published October 2010.

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