Faith and Wellbeing

‘Your faith has made you whole’

For the whole of the past month, this statement has been resonating within my spirit. Let’s look at the woman with the issue of blood, I am sure that this passage will speak to you for many reasons, maybe you have the same issue, maybe you have been struck by illness, maybe you are struggling with something but I am sure that at some point in your life, you have had some sort of issue that just wouldn’t go away.

Now, the woman who had this issue with her blood, Mark 5 tells us that she was constant bleeding and was stricken for around 12 years, now in these times, that is a very long time. How someone didn’t think of doing drastic is beyond me, having to be stuck with an illness, you would think life wouldn’t get any better. You could just imagine the amount of pain it would have caused her. She had consulted many physicians and doctors about her issue but all they could give her was not enough to heal her. In fact, she wasn’t getting better, she was getting worse.

Now, Jesus was on the scene and was on his way to lay his hands on a little girl who was dying and that resulted in a crowd around him. Imagine going to your local doctors, GP or hospital and seeing a crowd around there, I’m sure you would feel disheartened in your spirit.

The woman with the issue of blood, she was in the crowd, it didn’t faze her because she thought to herself “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed”. So she touched his garment and she was healed instantly and she could feel it in her body. This woman has extraordinary faith, she didn’t need him to touch her, she had to touch him. Whether she got to the front of the altar or not, she had to touch his garment and she did. As soon as it happened, Jesus turned to the woman and said to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, your suffering is over”.

There are some issues or conditions that the natural man can’t solve, there are some issues or conditions that the natural man can’t heal. The only person that can heal you is Jesus but the question is this – Do you have enough faith that he can heal you? Are you willing to touch the hem of his garment?

Your faith is enough to make you whole, I look at being well as being whole. I see perfect wellbeing as someone who is whole. Jesus can heal you if you are willing to put your faith into action.

Let me present a truth to you that God delivered to me – You may be on medication that has been prescribed but the difference between it healing you and not healing you is your faith. This changed my life because now whenever I take anything, I call on God and tell him that I have faith that this can heal me.

Let that truth resonate in your heart also.

I pray that God grants you enough faith so you can boldly approach the throne of grace and claim your healing in Jesus name. 

Always on time

One thing about I love about God is that he always shows up at the right time. If I was to say that God showed up at the wrong time, I would only be fooling myself. For some time now, I’ve been pondering on John 11, the time when Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead and also the events leading up to it.

John 11:3 – So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick”. 4 – But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that Son of God will receive glory from this. 5- So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. 

If you were Mary or Martha, I expect you would have been slightly upset because if you knew that Jesus could heal the sick and loved their brother then you would have expected him to come straight away but staying where he was for two days would have baffled many people. Another thing was their words, what they told him was almost like they wanted to pull on his heartstrings and his emotions.

A few verses down we see that Jesus arrived at Bethany.

John 11:17 – When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 

Mate, four days, eishhhhh, imagine the stench that would be around that place at that time.

20 – When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 – Matha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died, 22- But even now I know that God will give you  whatever you ask” 23 – Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again” 24 – “Yes”, Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day”. 25 – Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

If only, this is one of the most used statements. If only I had been there, if only you came on time etc……. this shows our doubt and lack of faith but Martha did, however, know that he would rise again on the last day but she didn’t realise what Jesus was talking about and what he actually meant.

Further down, we see an interesting statement.

34 – “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see”. 35 – Then Jesus wept. 36 – The people who were standing nearby, said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 – But some said “this man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”. 38 – Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 – “Roll the stone aside”, Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible”. 40 – Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe”? 

Where have you put him? I often ask myself this when I have lost certain things or when I have misplaced items. The fact Jesus asked this, shows how much faith he has. It was at that point that Jesus looked to heaven, thanked the father and then shouted out for Lazarus to come out. Lazarus then came out of the tomb and Jesus told them to unwrap him and for him to be let loose.

All throughout this passage, we see that Jesus didn’t turn up when Mary or Martha wanted him to, he turned up some days later. Jesus isn’t bound by time so he will turn up when it is time. When we think of time and days, we are often under the impression that if someone doesn’t turn up at the time we would like them to turn up or if they are behind schedule we would associate that with them being late, however, one truth I’ve come to realise is that God is ahead of schedule, in fact, he has already planned out my life so God can never be late. He knows what I need and when I need it.

God can never be late, neither will he be early. He will always turn up on time, not by our timing but on his own timing. God can’t be persuaded by our emotions or our feelings as we saw in John 11.

Most of our doubts and fears come from a lack of faith, whenever we don’t have faith that is when we begin to fear the worst or doubt that it will never happen but if you believe in God, if you put all your faith and trust in him, then those dead dreams, the things you have abandoned due to doubt, the visions or plans you have casted away, God is set to revive them. All he is asking for is your faith and belief.

Today, I want to tell you that God will always turn up on time. It may not be today, tomorrow but he will always be on time.

Stay Blessed

Ryan

You Knew………….. #thefathersword

So, last week the Lord dropped this in my spirit – “You knew it about it and did nothing. Don’t say you didn’t know because you did” This left me on a particular passage for days. This is the scripture

Proverbs 24:11-12

Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.

The words ‘I didn’t know’ don’t cut it with God. God knows that you knew but yet you did nothing about it. As I was pondering on this word, I was reminded of what God told Ezekiel about being a watchman. Ezekiel 33 tells us that God had told Ezekiel that he was a watchman over Israel and that he should hear the voice of God and give the warning.

Ezekiel 33:6 – But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.

There is nothing like hearing the word of God and not acting upon it, that in itself is disobedience. It almost as if to say that you knew he was coming but you went to hide and now you have to deal with the consequence of your actions.

Within society, this principle also takes hold as well. It’s important to pass on what we know and tell those that need to know. If you are told certain information which could cause harm to someone or even themselves, it’s vitally important that you tell someone. If you don’t pass it on and something happens, everybody will look at you.

So, going back to the passage in Proverbs, I believe that God is telling us to go out into the world and save the lost, the people who are living in self-condemnation, the sick and everyone within the world. It’s our responsibility to go and save them and set them free.

Once God has told you something, we really can’t say that we didn’t know about because God knows that we knew. The worst thing is knowing about a thing and not doing anything about it.

Let’s be obedient unto the voice of the Lord.

A place of Safety…. – Word of the Day

As most of you know, on Saturday the  4th of June London was subject to yet another terrorist attack. Within the aftermath, people ran for their life whilst some went into fear and confronted fear. As I was pondering on this, a thought came into mind – In the times of danger and terror, do you have a place of safety?

Whenever someone starts a new job or there’s an event, the first thing is to sort an emergency procedure and that will include having a place of safety in case of danger. This reminds me of Psalms 91 –

Psalms 91: 1-8 He who [a]dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].
I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!
For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
[Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.

So, we can conclude that those who dwell in God’s presence will be safe from terror and evil plots from the enemy. Each and every time I look at this passage, I feel rest assured that I will feel safe.

The key to being safe is having a place of safety and the key to safety is being in God’s presence.

In this time of terror, trials, tribulations and danger it’s so important to have a place of safety. Do you have one?

 

The Weekly Word – ‘Acknowledge the way’

‘Those in the light don’t acknowledge it but those who are in darkness will acknowledge the light, – Unified Ministries

This statement is quite a shocking one but yet it is very true. If you’ve ever been without electric or had to walk down a dark alley, the absence of light will cause anyone to be very weary of their surroundings. Whenever there is a hint of light, it is always warmly welcomed. When the light is on all the time, you can sometimes take it for granted but the moment you are plunged into darkness, it’s a different story.

John 14:8-9 is a passage that will no doubt resonate with most of us because at some point we asked the question that Phillip asked  – ‘Lord, show us the father’. Jesus then said to him that for all the time he spent with them but they somehow didn’t know the father. Jesus then said that those that have seen him, have also seen the father.

With most of us, we are always seeking a way out of a situation or we seeking the truth and seeking an answer to a question but what we fail to recognise is that Jesus is the answer. How is it that we can spend so much time with someone but we fail to acknowledge their presence? How is it that we can spend so much time with someone but we fail to recognise that they are the answer to our question?

Jesus then further stated that he is “the way, the truth and the life” and that no one can go to the father except they go through him.

Light brings clarity, Light helps you to see, Light helps you to be free in your surroundings. Let’s take time to acknowledge that light in our lives today. If you find yourself in darkness, seek the light and treasure it. I pray that as you go through this week, you will acknowledge and walk in the path that has shown you.

Have a gracious week

#freedomfriday – It is finished

John 19:30 – Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

As Jesus uttered those words, his assignment here on earth had come to an end. He had offered up his body as a ransom so that his people can be set free. He had defeated the power of the enemy, the rulers had no more control, all of their power was gone.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve both sinned and as a consequence sin entered the world. The enemy had a free reign over the earth, he had an open door to do as he pleased which really grieved God. As a result, in order to banish sin forever and return the people of the earth back to their natural state, a man who was blameless in sight had to be introduced and that man was Jesus.

Colossians 1:22 – But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-

Jesus was questioned, he was interrogated but they couldn’t find any fault in him. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice so that sin could be eradicated once and for all.

Romans 8: 1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:3-4 So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Today, as you celebrate the start of the easter weekend, remember that Sin has no control over you anymore. You are free, you are a new creation. Go forward with the knowledge that you have a new life.

It is Finished!!!!!!!!!!! Sin has no control over you anymore.

Be blessed and highly favoured

 

 

 

Love – What is Love

Growing up in life, it’s been said to us that we must love another as we love ourselves. This reality can be quite foreign to us for many reasons. We have also been told to love each other unconditionally but in reality we always find this hard. We find it hard to love unconditionally because in our lifetimes there have been times where our love has been abused or taken for granted. We then have this concept of love that society throws at us which can often confuse us.

So, what is Unconditional Love?

Ephesians 3:17-19 “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Unconditional Love is a type of love that is not based on conditions so when God decided to send his son down to earth, it’s not because of how much someone prayed, fasted or begged, it is simply that God had so much love for you.

Mark 12:32 – The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these

So looking at this passage, the real question is How do we love our neighbour?

Let’s see what love is first.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

We could also say that Love is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 15:13 – Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

As we ponder on these passages, one thing stands out to us. It is the fact that whenever Jesus wanted to show the disciples how much he loved them, he would show them which takes us back to John 15. Jesus laid down his life so he could set us free, he gave up his life so he can give us life. The reality of it will always move someone to tears which is something John alluded to in 1 John 3.

1 John 3:1-2 See what [[a]an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.

2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is

Let’s revisit what Love in 1 Corinthians and then we can have a glimpse into how we are to love our neighbours. Are we patient? Are we kind? Do we get angry quickly? Can we forget things that others do to us? Is it all about you? Do you seek things for you and you only? Can we trust people? Can we be happy for others and not be envious of them? The list is quite exhaustive in itself.

When the topic of love was floating around, I asked this – Can I love others if I don’t love myself so do I get angry at myself for every little thing, do I protect myself, am I patient with myself and so on. I believe that you can grow in love everyday and that only comes when your foundation is God because of the fact that God is Love.

1 John 4:7-9 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.…

When you love God and know God, only then will you know how to love others.

I pray that this blesses you today. Be safe and secure in the knowledge that God loves you. You can’t earn it and you can lose it. Be free and start loving yourself and others today.

#freedomfriday Guard Your Heart

Proverbs 4:23 – Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life

The above passage is a passage that we have all heard of and it’s one that we are told to remember as well but do we really take hold it. When we hear the guard we instantly think of shutting everyone off and guarding from the front but in essence that is not what it is detailing here.

So, Guard your heart, let’s break it down. As a security officer, one of our main duties is to guard the premises so that means controlling who comes in and out 24/7. If anyone in the building is unaccounted for we would go and secure the building and make sure that nobody is on site. We would also check access points such as doors, windows and exit gates and make sure they also manned too. So when we look at guarding our heart, we can say that we should pay close attention to who or what we allow access to us. Letting in the wrong people can be very toxic and very dangerous.

On a daily basis we go and check various points throughout the day, we patrol and actively do our rounds. It’s a very important aspect of the job so we can secure it. When we look at guarding our heart, we can say that we should pay close attention to who or what we allow access to us. Letting in the wrong people can be very toxic and very dangerous.

Your heart is the main point where everything from and when it’s attacked it is very dangerous. The heart can pick up different diseases and infections and if we don’t check the heart regular it can be very costly. When the heart stops, the body then dies

Ephesians 4:31–32 instructs, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” When we fill our heart with these things, our hearts can be really poisonous and evil.

Guarding your heart also protecting the inner core of your person so this includes your thoughts, feelings, desires and the choices that we make. All these determine who he/she is and who they really are. The mind of a man reflects who he really is, not simply his actions or words. That is why God examines the heart of a man, not simply his outward appearance and what he appears to be.

So, how do you guard your heart?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Dwelling on these things will help to build a guard and fence around our hearts.

Now, notice that Proverbs 4 doesn’t say to lock your heart or to barricade your heart, it says it to guard your heart. Be observant, be alert 24/7. The reason we say this is because the enemy is always prowling on the outside and is looking for a way in. He is looking for a pathway so it’s of high importance that we are observant to what happens on a daily basis.

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [[a]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same ([b]identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.

Guarding your heart is so important, our whole life depends on it.

Be blessed always. We pray that God will give you the wisdom and discernment to guard your heart all times.

Fear v Faith

Get out of the boat or stay in the boat? Walk or stand still?

Within the parameters of life, there is one question that is one every mind. Do I step out in faith or do I stand still? No matter what arena you are in or what you do, the fear v faith argument will no doubt rear its head.

Let’s look at a well-known passage in the bible

Mark 4:35-41

On that same day [when] evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side [of the lake].
36 And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, [just] as He was, in the boat [in which He was sitting]. And other boats were with Him.
37 And a furious storm of wind [[a]of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.
38 But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing?
39 And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased ([b]sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm ([c]a perfect peacefulness).
40 He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no [d]firmly relying trust)?
41 And they were filled with great awe and [e]feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?

There are two standpoints we should look at. First from the disciple’s standpoint. It was a stormy night, the boat was rocking. Now for them to get to the other side, they had to go through and then get to the other side. It sure was an experience which terrified them. There are times in life where we face the storms of life but our response to them is very crucial, do we respond in fear or do we it command them to cease?

Now, let’s see it from God’s viewpoint. Jesus was asleep in the boat, but when the disciples he rose up, commanded the storm to calm and then told the disciples why were they so timid and faith and also what happened to their faith. Jesus was with them in the boat, he was at rest even though the storm was heavy and overwhelming. We need to adopt this attitude. We need to understand that we have to trust God and also stand on his word that will never leave nor forsake us.

What we need to understand, is that when Jesus is with us, we can be strong and courageous. Psalms 23 says – Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. This passage alone lets me know that I shouldn’t be afraid or have any fear because God is with me always.

Fear can do a lot to a man. It can cause a man to sink just like Peter did when he walked on water. It can cause us to doubt and trust God and also doubt others around us. The enemy then starts placing seeds of doubt inside us and causes to stand still however if you move in faith, God will move with you too. Faith moves God. In Hebrews 11, we saw all the famous men and woman of God who moved in faith. Abraham, Noah, Joshua, Hannah, they all moved in faith. God loves a faithful person

Fear comes from a place of worry and when we worry about certain things, Fear takes control. It may stem from unresolved issues in our life or from anxiety or when you go into panic mode. Fear cripples many men from becoming from what God wants them to be. Fear cripples many men from realising who they are. If I have learnt anything, it is this – when I step away from God, that’s when fear steps in. When Peter took his eyes away from God, he started to sink and panic.

In this season, don’t let fear suffocate you and hold you down. Step out in faith.

Daniel 11:32 But the people who do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

This passage has the elements of trust and faith all over it. Walking on water is a supernatural exploit but you can only walk on water when you put all your trust and faith in God. When God calls you, he will ensure that you reach the other side. It also tells us that when we step into our identity as Sons of God, we will do exploits.

Don’t allow fear to cause you to be stagnant in this season. God is calling you forth, step out in faith. Experience the supernatural. Make the impossible become possible.

I pray that as you seek God and step out in faith, God will strengthen you and empower you to be who God has called you to be.

Ryan Osborne