01/24/2024
Question: My friend has cancer. She has been doing ministry for 20 or 30 years. She does not want to leave her family, but she is at peace… Trusting the Lord with every bit of her heart.
So, how do you define where the Bible makes promises to “deliver us out of all our troubles"?
Answer: This is a very important question. So many people wonder why God doesn't answer their prayer, or at least, in the way they were expecting the answer would come. It leads many to despair and unbelief. There are several things to consider here. Sorry, this is kind of simple but also kind of complicated.
1. Let's first say as a general rule, from the biblical narrative, the curse of physical death has fallen on all of us. Our body of flesh will die sometime, unless we are among the few like Enoch or Elijah to be raptured. Death has a 100% success rate. The devil and his demons want our death to come sooner than later. So, it is just a matter of when and how that concerns us. Physical death is just a transition to the next dimension where we will find ourselves very much alive. If you want to go to heaven, then you will have to meet the conditions and requirements.
2. The Bible tells us that "My people (God's people) perish for the lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6). So, that means "if" we learn more about God and His Kingdom, we will live longer here and now, and into eternity. Areas where we lack knowledge, can cause us to perish. We can die prematurely because of the lack of knowledge of how the devil gets access to us. The fact is, there are things operating in the spirit realm that we may not be able to see or know. A fresh read of Deuteronomy 28 can give us some clues.
3. The promises in the Bible are for those who wholly trust, claim, believe and are walk in obedience. Still, there are conditions. Hezekiah pleaded with God and received 15 additional years of life, but still eventually died. Considering Job, he was a righteous man, yet God allowed him to be thrashed by the devil because he was a tiny bit overly confident in his knowledge of God. Poor Lazarus had to die twice! Poor guy, but what an amazing testimony of being called out of the tomb!
4. There is the whole subject of generational curses. This creates great arguments in the body of Christ. That tells me there is an issue at hand. I believe we can have time-bomb curses in us that came from our forefathers sin. I also believe we can overcome them and cancel them by appropriating the blood of Yeshua with a verbal declaration. Such as, "In the name of Yeshua, I confess according to Deuteronomy 5:9, there are generational sin curses from my forefathers operating in my life and my children's life. I confess all as sin and ask for complete forgiveness for my generational line going all the way back to Adam. According to Galatians 3:13 Yeshua took every curse to the cross and according to 1 John 1:9, He forgives me and my family bloodline and cleanses me from all unrighteousness (iniquity)." There may be some specific curse breaking prayers that can be spoken to break specific curses such as Freemasonry or the occult.
5. Then, there is the reality that our own sin and disobedience can open the door for the devil's affliction. Many times cancer can be closely related to deep rooted unforgiveness and bitterness towards someone. Cancer is definitely a curse. Then, there are hundreds of creative ways we can shorten our lives by exposing ourselves to disease, indulgence and careless living. Confession and repentance and forgiveness can start the person on the path of healing and recovery.
6. Then, we have the environmental battle and a biological battle to contend with. We have lots of unhealthy things going on in our modern culture and environment. Poor diets, Unhealthy food, addictive food additives, pharmaceuticals, toxic chemical exposure, radiation and pollution. If we have been exposed to harmful things, lack knowledge of how to stay healthy or we are poor stewards of our bodies we will die prematurely.
7. Don't believe a lie. We can also have wrong beliefs about God's authority and His promises. We can take the diagnosis from a doctor and internalize it as if the doctor is the authority instead of the Word of God. Just because the doctor says a curse over us like "You have 6 months to live" we don't have to receive it. We must learn to listen to Holy Spirit and follow Him instead of any other authority. We need more, "Your great faith has made you well."
8. There is a huge battle of faith and belief going on in our world. It is easily confused with "It must be God's will for me." Be assured, it is never God's will for someone to die of a disease unless they are being punished for flagrant contempt. Shaking an angry fist at God, may indeed shorten your life. The devil would love for people to believe supernatural healing is not for today or that Jesus is weak and powerless and the Bible is a big lie. Don't believe a shred of that toxic nonsense.
9. Claim the promises of God. Bombard your life and surroundings with every promise in the Bible. Claim it with such force and assurance that it will cause the devil to tremble and leave.
Psalm 103: 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
10. Ultimately, for those who believe and trust Yeshua will be delivered from the pain and suffering of this life. There is an eternal promise of deliverance from every affliction when we are resurrected to eternal life. HalleluYah!
John 14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Let's encourage one another to believe bigger than our present afflictions and stretch our faith to believe that all things are STILL possible for those who believe.
Love and blessings
