In some churches, illness is so prevalent that you think something must be wrong with the drinking water. Everyone seems to have some type of malady. In other churches, health is prevailing in almost the entire congregation. There are towns in which cancer is present in large numbers; in other cities you rarely hear about cancer.

 

When you look at the miracles of Jesus Christ our Lord, we find 34 miracles recorded. Within those miracles, five different reasons for illness are given by the Lord. Some illnesses come so that God is glorified. The strongest case for this is found in John 11:4, where Jesus clearly states that the purpose of this illness was to glorify God.

 

In another passage, Luke 13:11, illness is related to demonic activity. In this account, you find a strong and very defined example of a “spirit of infirmity” which had bound a woman for 18 years. Jesus called it “a spirit of infirmity.” Jesus also referred to the source of the illness as being Satan himself. This offends some, but in this scripture the case is not only strong but very clear. Much illness is related to the presence of evil. There are many such examples in the ministry of our Lord. You might disagree with me, yet the biblical evidence of this truth is very relevant.

 

In other cases, such as in Mark 9:14, you find an illness which is directly connected to hereditary conditions. The father of this young boy was filled with unbelief and total disregard of faith. Illness can come into our lives through our genes, a fact sustantiated by medical evidence. We believe in original sin, and yet some doubt that our genes could bring much illness to our descendants. Jesus addressed this case, reprimanding the unclean spirit which was brought into the child through the father’s neglect of faith.

 

I don’t know what caused Peter’s mother-in-law to have a fever, but our environment can cause us to be ill. A case of the flu can be shared with many if we are not careful. I would consider it a sin against my brother and sister not to warn them of my physical condition if I had a contagious virus, especially in close quarters. This is only one way in which some illnesses can be caused by the sin of others against me or mine.

 

Many examples in the New Testament to point to sin as the primary cause of illness. No wonder Jesus referred to sin connected to illness in various miracles which He performed. When you are out of contact with God, sin can in fact cause much more than illness. It can cause your premature death.

 

If you ask me which of the five categories above prevails in America, I would have to say it is the demonic. This type of illness is found where disagreement reigns and where abuse and mistreatment of pastors is a common daily occurrence. This type of illness is found in churches where worship is not practiced. It is found in churches where even the mention of the Holy Spirit is an offense to some.

 

I strongly believe that illnesses are directly associated with our inability to welcome the presence of God. Do you have a spiritual illness?

 

Rick Bonfim

Edited by Betty Mckinney

When you are struggling with discipline in your life, you are constantly on the verge of breaking through. Jonah struggled with the decision of going to Nineveh since his mind was already made up as to what God would do there. Second guessing the Lord is not really a good move. Going to Nineveh was a matter of discipline. Jonah wavered in responding to God and went to Tarshish instead. Tarshish is a place where you have no peace and constantly struggle within yourself. You see, being out of the will of God takes away all the good things like rest, peace, and joy.

You may be debating in your mind what to do about something. Your mind is struggling to make a decision. So, stay with it. Make no move. Discipline is simply staying within reach of the will of God. Discipline is not running away to Tarshish in your mind. Yes, it is a hot seat. It bothers you and pain sets in; however, it is better than running and hiding.

Remember that God established you. You were called. Do not doubt and question His move in your life. Now, when the weather is on the blink and questions arise as to direction, never doubt that God still has a plan and He will fulfill it with power.

How does discipline work? It begins with your body. If you eat whatever you want, your mind will be listening to your body, and that wrecks everything. Remember Hebrews 4:12, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The change God is going to make begins from the inside out. It begins first in your thoughts. What makes you stop eating the wrong food is your mind. You might say that it is the subconscious in you which decides to eat either ribs or vegetables. But it is the Word of God which penetrates all the way down to your very inner thoughts and begins to change you. Then you have your attitudes. Well you know, some attitudes should never be expressed. Yes, that part of you that hates and will not forgive needs to be put away from you. “ATTITUDES” REFERS TO OTHERS. It does not matter if you want to say it, NEVER, NEVER SHOULD YOU EXPRESS IT. God begins to deal with the automatic will within you.

Discipline begins in your thoughts. Jonah should have made up his mind to go to Nineveh. To be in the belly of a big fish is not comfortable. Be obedient to God and do what He tells you to do.

Are you on the verge of breaking through? Perhaps today is the day. Listen to what God is telling you deep in your heart. Rest on that thought. One day later, put that thought into practice and do exactly what you heard from God. Try not to decide how it will turn out. Simply, turn it over. Let the Holy Spirit bring things together. It may feel like you totally lost control of your life. An empty feeling will come over you and anxiety may set in. Hold on for dear life and wait a little more. Then when you least expect it, God will move. I guess when Jonah saw Nineveh fasting and praying, he could not believe it, since his mind had already been made up! You rest and move only when God tells you to move. BE OBEDIENT!! Your breakthrough will come.

Rick Bonfim

Edited by Betty McKinney