Jesus heals. Christ Jesus healed me. I have told people, but have I told enough? People that know me know that I believe in Christ Jesus. People that don’t know me can assume that I believe in Christ Jesus when they see the cross that I wear. But the question is, will people know that I believe in Christ Jesus by who I am?
Let’s started with how Christ Jesus has healed me. In 2004, the first thing I did each day after work each day was open a beer. I usually drank one or two a day. The Lord God began to speak to my heart about drinking alcohol. I prayed that if Lord God wanted me to stop drinking that he would send me sign. The next day I came home, went to fridge, picked up a beer and opened it. I took a sip and it tasted terrible. Yuck! So gross! My thought was that it must have been spoiled. I threw it out and opened another one. I took a sip and found that it tasted terrible too! It was horrible! I threw it out. I paused and remembered my prayer. Lord God did not want me to drink alcohol. From that day forward, I never had another beer.Talk about a life changing experience! At that time in my life, I used to meet friends every Friday and our primary past time was drinking alcohol. Not only that, approximately every other Friday, they were at my home. Suddenly, my social life changed, my friends changed, and my entire life focus changed. I was grateful.
In 2005, I went to a prophetic conference. Great things happen when many are gathered together, praying for the same thing. At a prophetic conference, much of the time is spent in worship. We were all standing, singing, swaying to the music. The Holy Spirit came and people were healed. I was one of those people. I felt heat rising from my feet, going up through my body until it reached my shoulders. I knew I was healed and I felt better. I was grateful.
In 2006, I stumped my toe and my foot became swollen. A couple of days later I had an appointment and my foot was still too swollen to put on my shoe. I prayed over my toe, asking Christ Jesus for healing of my toe. After about 30 minutes, I was able to put on my shoe even though it was still sore. After about an hour, I was walking without pain. It was an awesome miracle! I was grateful.
Some people might ask why would Christ Jesus heal me, not just once, but twice? Most likely the answer to that question is God’s grace. But it is important to also consider that Christ Jesus is more likely to respond where there is relationship. In 2005, I was seeking God and spending a lot of time with Lord God and Christ Jesus. I stopped listening to secular music and listened to Christian worship music. I was spending an hour a day with God and Christ Jesus, reading my Holy Bible and praying. After a while I found that I was spending two hours a day reading my Holy Bible and praying. I spent time in worship with the purpose of trying to build relationship with God.
In 2006, I fasted from television for one year. During that time, Lord God told me to turn on the tv two times. Both times he wanted to me see a message given by Charles Stanley. Both times, it was the same message. This meant that Lord God wanted me to pay attention to this particular message. I remember it being about Life Principles for Daily Life.
In 2008, I was I a car accident. My car was totaled. I have no memory of how I got home. I laid on the sofa and fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in such pain that I could not move. I prayed for Christ Jesus to heal me again and again and again. Finally, Christ Jesus came to where I laid and touched my shoulder. He was only there briefly. It was as if he entered my home through one wall, touched me, and then continued on his way by walking out of my home through the other wall. That healing was gradual. I was not instantly well, but I was instantly better. I was grateful.
Over the years, my life has been a constant progression. My life now looks nothing like my life did years ago. Sometimes, my life is not always pretty. In 2012, I was out of work. I went once a week and stood in line for food, always grateful for whatever I received. One time I went to the grocery store. I do not remember what I bought, but I know I did not have enough money for what I wanted. I stood in line at the checkout and saw on my right side a bin of bananas. Bananas were so cheap! I had always disliked bananas, but at that moment they appeared as a possible nutritous meal. I prayed that Lord God help me to like bananas. Believe it or not, I now occasionally purchase bananas and enjoy them. I was grateful.
During this same year, I spent a lot of time in prayer. Talked to Christ Jesus all the time, which is something I still do. I still read my Holy Bible daily. I concentrated on my relationship with Lord God and Christ Jesus. During this time, I had no money but I felt blessed. I learned from it that God was blessing me, but that God’s blessings were not always money.
I am not sure it is a part of the same message, but looking back I see that even this desparate time was a part of God’s plan. I feel that someone needs to hear this, so I will tell you that in 2011 the funding for my position ended, so therefore I was without work. I looked for a job and did not find one. I had let a opportunity slip through my fingers and then there was none. I applied for whatever posititions I felt qualified for, but I received no offers. I remembered a time in my past when I had a conversation with someone about looking for work. They had told me that they did not want to apply for a position making hamburgers because they thought they were worth more than that. I thought about that conversation and thought to myself that maybe I was in this situation because I needed to be humble of heart. So I applied at McDonalds. I am not making fun of McDonalds; they have excellent employee benefits. I am just telling the truth. McDonalds told me that I was over qualified, but told me to keep looking and if I did not find work to come back. So I kept looking and ended up working in a nursing home. I was grateful.
In this nursing home, a eldery lady was admitted on life support. Her family never visited her, but requested that we keep her alive as long as possible. One day not even the ventilator could keep her alive. This poor lady died. Instantly the devil appeared ready to take her soul. I fought the devil and cast him out. I prevented him from taking her. As I look back on 2012, I believe that Lord God wanted me there at that moment. I believe that Lord God made me take a lesser position so I could prevent the devil from taking her to hell. I learned a lot during 2012. I learned that God’s blessings have many forms, and they are not usually not money. I also learned to be grateful for the presence of Lord God and Christ Jesus. I learned to be grateful for relationship with Lord God and Christ Jesus. I learned to focus on what Lord God created and not on my circumstances. I was grateful.
I eventually found a position, doing what I loved doing. This moved me to a different state, but I could finally buy whatever I wanted at the grocery store. I worked very hard, putting in long hours. I focused on my career, added creditials to my name, and obtained a masters degree. Over the last ten years, I still maintained my relationship with Christ Jesus and Lord God, but sometimes my long hours prevented me from spending as much time with Lord God. I learned a lot over the last ten years, spiritually. Remember I said relationship with Lord God is important.
Christ Jesus asked me to retire and I was finally at the age where I could. I discovered that all the places that I have been and a lot of the people that I meet were by Lord God’s design. I have learned so much, and I still have so much to do, spiritually. I have been getting back to basics. I never stopped reading my Holy Bible daily and I never stopped praying, but now Lord God gets more time. I am absolutely certain that Lord God wants it that way. I am sure that part of this is in preparation of the rapture. I do not know when the rapture will happen, but I am trying to make sure that my lamp has oil. I am referring to the story of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25.
Matthew 25:1-13
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.2 "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 "For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; 4 but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. 5 "Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. 6 "But at midnight there finally was a shout: 'Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.' 7 "Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 "But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 9 "However, the prudent ones answered, 'No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 "Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' 12 "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 "Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.
As you can see there were 10 virgins, 5 of which were wise and 5 of which were foolish. The 5 wise virgins prepared their lamps. The 5 foolish virgins did not prepare their lamps. When the bridegroom, who is Christ Jesus, came to retrieve his bride, the 5 foolish virgins asks the 5 wise virgins to share their oil. The 5 wise virgins refused because they would not have enough oil if they shared. The 5 foolish virgins went to the market to get more oil. While they were gone to market, the bridegroom came and took the 5 wise virgins to the wedding feast and closed the door. The 5 foolish virgins returned from the market and said “Lord, Lord, open the door for us.” The bridegroom told them, “I never knew you.” The message of the story is that we must be prepared for the rapture prior to the arrival of Christ Jesus. The Holy Bible says “you know not when” the time that Christ Jesus will return to rapture his church.
For those who do not know, the rapture refers to the time when Christ Jesus will descend from the sky to retrieve his church and take them to heaven. Christ Jesus is trying to wait as long as possible to allow his church to fully prepare and to allow for more people to believe on him and repent of their sin. Those who have not believed and repented will be left on the earth to suffer the tribulation. I have previously written about the tribulation as seen in The Seven Seals of the Wrath of God.
1Thessalonians 4:13-17
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
So I am working on my lamps, trying to make sure I have enough oil. At the same time, I spend a lot of time remember my past and praying and repenting. I have already repented again and again, but I want to be ready for the rapture so I am trying to repent of every sin I ever committed including sins I might have committed in a previous lifetime. When Christ Jesus returns to rapture his church, it will be too late to repent. No sin will be allowed in heaven. So I pray and repent and read my Holy Bible daily, working on my relationship with Lord God and Christ Jesus and trying to make sure I have enough oil. I am grateful.
We started with a story of healing. Christ Jesus still heals. A couple of weeks ago, I was water bath canning. I burned my forearm and part of my hand. It was a severe burn. Put it on ice and prayed for healing. After a while I went to sleep with a frozen bag of spinach on my arm. Early morning I awoke and saw Christ Jesus looking down at me. I prayed that Christ Jesus heal my arm. I saw in the spirit that heat left my arm. I thanked Christ Jesus and went back to sleep. When I got up for the day, my arm was completely healed with no redness on my arm. Two days later more burn came to the surface, so I know this had started as a severe burn. I was so grateful that Christ Jesus had healed me, otherwise it would have taken much longer to heal and I would have had scarring. I am so grateful.
Life is not always pretty. Sometimes it gets pretty hard. Relationship with Lord God and Christ Jesus has made all the difference. Hindsight is 20/20 but I know that Lord God has led me and guided me. He has used my difficult times for good, and used my good times to prepare for times ahead. Sometimes Lord God and Christ Jesus are all you have to smile about. I am grateful.
In the name of Christ Jesus, I pray to Christ Jesus of Nazareth and Lord God Yahweh, requesting that you know I am grateful for relationship with you. I am grateful for your help. I am grateful for the times that you lead me and guide me. I am grateful for provision. I am most grateful for God’s grace and forgiveness of sin. I pray and request that Lord God Yahweh and Christ Jesus help me develop a closer relationship with Lord God Yahweh and Christ Jesus and help me fill my lamps with oil. Help me to be fully ready for the rapture when it comes. I accept Christ Jesus as my Lord and Savior again. I repent of my sin and request that Christ Jesus wash my sin away and make me a pure heart. In Matthew 5:8, it say “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see the face of God.” Lord God Yahweh and Christ Jesus the Risen One, make me pure of heart so I can see God in heaven. Please count me as worthy to be raptured. I pray Lord God Yahweh and Christ Jesus feel loved, feel praised, feel blessed and be lifted up. Thank you for all you do for me. I pray this request in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
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