Tag Archives: sickness

Our Identification With Christ

We live in a time when too many Christians treat Jesus like a historical figure trapped in the pages of an old book—as if His ministry was a one-and-done spectacle for the crowds in Galilee. But Scripture paints a far different picture: one where our connection to Him is so profound, so ontologically woven into the fabric of reality, that when God looks at us, He sees the exalted Christ. “God did all this to give us unshakable confidence to ask and receive, by showing us how intellectually, relationally, and ontologically we are identified with Jesus” (S.T., page 654). This isn’t some feel-good theology; it’s the bedrock of how we operate in ministry today. Because we’re united with Him—not the earthly Jesus under the law, but the resurrected King pouring out His Spirit—we do the works He did, and even greater, in the same power. Let’s unpack this, drawing straight from God’s Word, and expose the faith-bumblers who’d rather limit God than let Him loose. Limiting God is like trying to cage a cosmic supernova—spoiler: it doesn’t end well for the cage.

Consider the closeness Scripture describes between Jesus and His body, the church. It’s not a loose association, like distant relatives at a family reunion. No, it’s as intimate as a head to its limbs—where the head goes, the arms follow; what empowers one, surges through the other. Paul captures this in Ephesians 2:6, declaring that God “raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Think about that: right now, in God’s sovereign mind, you’re not scraping by down here; you’re enthroned above every principality, every sickness, every obstacle. This identification means that when God sees you, He sees Jesus. God thinks that right now, I am seated with Jesus in the heavenly places. As Jesus is, so am I in this world. The only reality is the reality that God’s Word creates and sustains. There is no other truth or reality. God thinks I am identified with Jesus, as part of Him. Would God deny Jesus a request? Of course not. Thus, God would not deny me a request, because in God’s mind He considers me as part of Jesus. If we miss this, we mock the gospel, trampling the finished work of Christ as if it left us half-redeemed—not identified with Jesus as part of His body—and limping along until heaven. Frankly, that’s not just bad theology; it’s a cosmic insult, like handing back a gift from the King because you prefer your old rags. Ouch—talk about a divine facepalm.

This union isn’t abstract metaphysics for theologians to debate in ivory towers. It is reality because reality is based on God’s thoughts and words. He considered the old Oshea to have died with Jesus, and a new created Oshea is defined as part of Jesus. By God merely thinking this about me is what creates, shapes, and upholds reality. You cannot get more reality than “God thinks so.” Thus, this has direct implications for ministry. Look at how Jesus Himself operated. In Luke 4:14-19, after His baptism, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee… He stood up to read… ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.’” Here’s the key: Jesus, as a man born under the law (Galatians 4:4), didn’t rely on His divine nature for miracles. He ministered through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, just as Acts 10:38 confirms: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power… healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” Even the Son of God modelled dependence on the Spirit’s power for healing, deliverance, and proclamation. Why? Because He was born under the law and operated miracles as a man would; by this, He was the forerunner showing the church how to operate as humans empowered by the Spirit. “Jesus came as a man, born under the law, and even ministered God’s power as a saint does—by the power of the Spirit” (p. 654). He wasn’t flexing inherent deity in isolation; He was demonstrating how Spirit-empowered humanity crushes Satan’s works. Picture Jesus as the ultimate tutorial video: “How to Wreck the Devil’s Plans in Three Easy Steps.”

Now, fast-forward to the ascension. Jesus doesn’t leave us orphaned or downgraded. Instead, He commands the disciples in Acts 1:4-8: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father… for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit… But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me.” This isn’t optional equipment for apostles only—it’s the same Spirit, the same power, poured out on all believers for ministry. Peter echoes this in Acts 2:33, noting that the exalted Jesus “received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit” and poured it out. The result? The early church exploded with miracles, healings, and bold proclamation, far beyond what one man in one place could do. “After His resurrection, Jesus commanded the disciples not to minister or spread the news until they were clothed with the same power of the Spirit.” If Jesus needed the Spirit’s anointing to start His ministry, how much more do we? Yet some theologians act like this power fizzled out after the apostles, as if God got bored with miracles. That’s not cessationism; that’s Satanism, limiting the Holy One of Israel like the Israelites did in the wilderness (Psalm 78:41). God bored? As if the Creator of quantum physics and kittens runs out of ideas.

Jesus promised we’d do “greater works” than He did (John 14:12). Not because we’re superior, but because He’s now on the throne, multiplying His power through a global body. In His earthly ministry, He was localized; now, through us, His reach is exponential. “As great as it would be to be identified with Jesus under the law in His earthly miracle ministry, it is still a limitation, because what we have is greater. This is why Jesus promised we would do greater works!” Imagine: the same Spirit that rested on Jesus now rests on you, empowering you to command mountains (Mark 11:23), heal the sick (James 5:15), and cast out demons (Mark 16:17). It’s not arrogance; it’s obedience. Faith isn’t wishing; it’s assenting to God’s definition of reality. When you speak in Jesus’ name, reality bends because you’re so identified with Him that your decree carries His authority. This is true and it is reality because God’s sovereign mind thinks so.

Satan trembles at this, which is why he peddles doctrines that sideline the Spirit—calling miracles “for then, not now,” or faith “presumptuous.” But as Vincent Cheung might say, such views are just human pride masquerading as piety. Critics will cry, “But we’re not Jesus!” Exactly the point—we’re better off now, identified with the glorified One. Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 5:16, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.” If you evaluate Jesus—or yourself—from a human viewpoint, you’ll cap God’s power at what your carnal senses perceive. You’ll pray timidly, heal sporadically, and witness anemically. But embrace your union: you’re a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17), partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). This means ministry isn’t imitation; it’s reality based on how God’s sovereign mind thinks about His own creation. Heal like Jesus did—lay hands, command sickness to flee—because the Spirit’s power flows through you as it did Him. Preach with authority, knowing demons flee at His name through your lips. And yes, expect greater: more salvations, more miracles, across more territory. “The power of the Spirit is so contested by many… When Jesus on His throne becomes central, the baptism of the Spirit for power becomes central” (S.T., page 399).

The same Spirit who empowers also convicts of sin (John 16:8). But what was the sin the Spirit comes to convict the world of? All? No. The Spirit’s ministry is to convict the world of the sin of unbelief—because they do not believe in Jesus. They do not believe He is God’s Son. And because they do not believe He is God’s Son, they do not believe the things He preached and did. What are some things Jesus said? “Jesus answered, ‘Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours’” (Mark 11:23-24). The Spirit comes to convict us of the greatest sin, which started with Satan’s temptation to Eve: “Did God really say?” It is the sin that leads and opens the door to all other sins. It is the defining sin of the faithless; they refuse to believe God and they refuse to believe Jesus Christ.

Unbelief stopped Jesus in Nazareth (Mark 6:5-6), not besetting sins and not Satan. If sickness lingers or prayers seem unanswered, it’s not God’s will changing—it’s our faith needing sharpening, or perhaps a fresh infilling of the Spirit’s power. Pray in the Spirit (Jude 1:20), building yourself up in God’s love. “Sickness is Satan’s victory lap. Jesus did not just patch up boo-boos; He threw haymakers at the devil’s disease factory” (Systematic Theology, page 648). Join the fight; wield the power. Because who doesn’t love a good spiritual smackdown?

Look at how Jesus kicked off His Galilean ministry in Luke 4:14-15—He returned “in the power of the Spirit,” and suddenly news spread like wildfire, with Him teaching in synagogues and getting glorified by everyone. This isn’t some vague spiritual high; it’s raw, divine dynamite exploding into action. Jesus, as a man born under the law, didn’t launch His world-shaking work until after His baptism, when the Spirit descended like a dove and empowered Him to heal, cast out demons, and preach with authority that left jaws on the floor. The Holy Spirit wasn’t just tagging along; He was the engine, turning Jesus’ steps into a kingdom invasion that demolished Satan’s strongholds. And here’s the kicker—Jesus didn’t hog this power. In Acts 1:8, He promises His followers the same deal: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,” turning ordinary folks into unstoppable witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. This isn’t optional fluff; it’s the blueprint for Christian life. If we’re co-heirs with Christ, why settle for powerless piety when the Spirit’s ready to supercharge us for miracles and bold proclamation? God’s not stingy—He’s lavishing this power on anyone hungry enough to receive it. Without the Spirit’s baptism, we’re just playing church while the devil throws a party.

The faithless treat this power like an ancient relic gathering dust in some theological museum, when Scripture screams it’s for now. Jesus returned in the Spirit’s power after fasting and facing down Satan, emerging not weakened but weaponized for ministry—teaching that silenced critics and healings that restored the broken. That same Spirit, poured out at Pentecost, isn’t a one-time fireworks show; it’s the ongoing promise for Abraham’s kids through faith (Galatians 3:14). When Acts 1:8 hits, it’s Jesus saying, “Wait for the download—then go conquer.” This power isn’t about flashy showmanship; it’s God’s sovereignty flexing through us, making the impossible routine. Think about it: if Jesus needed the Spirit’s anointing to crush the devil’s works (Acts 10:38), how much more do we? Yet, some peddle a gutless gospel, ignoring this dynamite because it messes with their unbelief. Nah, the Spirit’s power is our birthright—grab it, and watch reality bend as we advance the kingdom, just like our Lord did. Anything less is selling short the God who turns water-walkers into world-changers. Pro tip: Don’t be the guy who brings a squirt gun to a divine water fight.

In closing, our identification with Christ isn’t a doctrine to shelve; it’s dynamite for daily living. Because we’re one with Him, we minister in the same way—Spirit-anointed, faith-fueled—and with the same power, only amplified. Don’t know Him from a human viewpoint anymore; know Him as the enthroned Lord, and yourself as seated there too. Speak to storms, sickness, and souls; watch heaven invade earth. If that sounds radical, then it exposes that your heart is hard. As Scripture says regarding the disciples’ surprise at Jesus’ miracles: they were surprised “because they did not consider the loaves.” Jesus expected them to extrapolate the miracle of multiplication of material substance to be a regular activity. Their inability to see miracles as common and regular indicated their hearts were as hard as stone. Let us cast off any stony parts of our hearts and put on a heart of faith and the Spirit. Miracles, the Spirit, and healing are the gospel. And if critics scoff, well, they’re just cheering for the wrong team in this cosmic showdown. Don’t wash your hands with them, unless you wish to partake of their judgment.

It Is By Jesus’ Name & I Have That Name

“Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God…

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see…

…how he was healed? Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ,” (Acts 3:3-8,16; 4:9-10. NIV).

Peter’s statement would get him kicked out of most American churches. He totally bypassed affirming God’s will and said, “what I have, I give.” Peter affirmed his will and what he already had. What Peter had, is the authority to wield Jesus’ name to heal. Peter did not need to ask for God’s power, because Peter said he already had it. Peter did not need to ask God for authority, because Peter already had it. Peter did not need to know if it was God’s will to heal this person, because it was Peter’s will and the cripple’s will to heal. They had the will to be healed, and that was all the will they needed. Peter did not need to know God’s will about healing, because Peter already had Jesus’ name to throw it around however He wanted. If he wanted someone healed, it was his will, because, “what I have, I give.”

God gave Peter His name to use, just like God created Peter with two arms. Peter does not need to ask if it is God’s will, every time he moves his arms.

Jesus did not say, “ask God to heal them.” He said, “you heal the sick and cast out demons.” Peter obeyed Jesus. He did not ask God to heal the cripple. He did not even pray, in the normal sense. Peter commanded the healing, just like he was told to do it. Jesus did not tell us to ask God to move our mountains, but for us to use faith and move it ourselves. If you sit there and wait for God to “sovereignly” do something, you will sit there as a cripple your whole life and die that way.

Jesus gave Peter His name to wield like Grayskull giving He-man the sword of power to wield. When He-man was fighting bad guys, he didn’t stop and phone in a friend, or call Grayskull’s hotline and ask if it was Grayskulls’ will if he should take out the enemy. The reason he-man was given the power sword, was to take out bad guys. He doesn’t need to ask. At one point the sword did not belong to He-man. However, it was given to him to wield as his own power. The power is ultimately not He-man’s but Grayskull’s, but was granted to him to wield as his own power.

 In the same way the Name of Jesus has been given to all His disciples to wield as their own power (John 14-16). Jesus told us to heal the sick and cast out demons. Peter said, when Jesus healed sickness He was freeing people from Satanic bondage(Acts 10:38). Thus, by healing the sick we are also casting out the demon powers and tearing down the gates of hell.

Like He-man, we don’t need to phone heaven’s hot line and ask if it is “God’s will,” to take out the enemy and expand God’s kingdom. God gave us the power and authority so that we don’t have to keep asking. Does a soldier need to ask the general every time he fires his weapon at the front lines? Yet, according to Peter, healing is front line warfare against the kingdom of darkness. And still many Christians relate to God with this so-called “will of God” nonsense, as if they are oblivious that bullets are flying over their heads. God armed you and commanded you to fire back. You don’t need to ask. Command the sickness to leave, or that is, withdraw the sword God gave you and attack Satanic bondage. Tear down the gates of hell.

Some complain, “but it’s God’s power, not yours; you are stealing God’s glory.” Yea? And you are the only one who doesn’t see it. When an Olympian shooter, wins a medal, do they give the glory to the gun or the person? I have never seen an award ceremony at the Olympics, where a person in the crowd stands up an shouts, “but the power was the gun and bullet, not the person; you are stealing the gun’s glory!” The reason I have never seen this, is because everyone there has an IQ over 35. The gun did not shoot itself. By giving the glory and medal to the person, does not conclude they are denying the power belongs to the bullet and gun. Well, everyone understands this except pastors and theologians.

Jesus said, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” And yet, we know by healing, the probability is very high, we are casting out demons. Thus, by healing you are casting out the kingdom of demons and have caused the kingdom of God to march in.

“In a world where everyone’s asking for divine permission like they’re waiting for a bus, Peter strides in with the authority of Jesus’ name, saying, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.” He’s like the He-Man of healing, wielding the “Power Sword” of Jesus’ name without needing to dial up heaven’s customer service to check if it’s okay.

Peter doesn’t wait for a sign from above or a special prayer meeting; he just commands healing like he’s ordering a pizza. “Walk,” he says, and the cripple does, jumping and praising God like he’s at a divine dance party.”[1]

It is true that if your sick then you want to be healed to feel better, be more productive and produce more fruit in expanding God’s kingdom, but healing is not merely a private issue.

It is true that some sickness is a result of the fall of Adam. God decided to speak a curse into the earth. This spoken curse causes sickness. Yet, Jesus has become a curse for us, so that as a substitute He experience our curse for us, so that in exchange we do not experience the curse; rather, we experience the blessing of Abraham, which includes healing, miracles and the power of the Spirit. 

However, with what Peter said in Acts 10:38, shows us that all the people Jesus healed in the gospels (hundreds, and thousands of them), that the sickness was caused by demons harassing them. Think about that carefully. At the very least, we can say sickness caused by demons is not a small or minority cause. We can say at the very least, that sickness is in large part caused by demons, even in context of knowing some sickness is by God’s curse.

Thus, because sickness is by a large part caused by demons and not God’s curse, it means healing is in large part a soldier’s business, rather than personal business. That is, even if you were a masochist, and wanted to moan for God’s so-called glory, because sickness is largely a soldiers business, under the command of God to cast out demons and tear down the gates of hell, you don’t have a choice in the matter. You must confront sickness with the name of Jesus, and destroy it. You must cast out the kingdom of demons and bring in the kingdom of God, by the powerful name of Jesus.

Rather than merely focusing on the faith aspect I want to keep the focus on, “the Name of Jesus.”

  “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:12-14.

 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16.

 “Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:23-24.

This passage in John is the same where Jesus keeps saying, “love one another.” Thus, both direct interpretation and the context shows Jesus is saying this applies to all His followers. Jesus has commissioned us with His name. His name has been engraved and tattooed on our tongues. Such gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. Every believer has the name of Jesus stamped on their tongue, whether they choose to use His name or not. Its always there.

How dumb can a person be, if they have Jesus’ name stamped on their tongues, but they never use it? They have His name, but they refuse to use His name to be full of joy, by healing and miracles? Surely, they cannot blame the “will of God,” when the “will of God,” in the form of Jesus’ name, is engraved on their tongues, and God commanded them to use that name to ask for anything and get it? In this sense the “will of God” is stamped on the tongue, with God’s command for them to ask what they “want” and get it. “God’s will,” is not holding their healing back, it is their unmoving tongues and lack of faith in the name of Jesus, that is holding their healing back.

You don’t need to ask if it’s “God’s will” every time you want to use your arms, and the same is with healing, or asking forgiveness or any good thing given you to by the finished atonement of Jesus Christ.

[1] Grok AI personal, 2024 summary of my essay.

Sickness by Words, Healing By Words

Sickness, cancers, diabetes arthritis and the like, did not come into the world because people were not eating the right foods or not getting their 10,000 daily steps. They came into the world because God opened His mouth and spoke a curse against all reality, because Adam and Eve refused to believe what God said.  Sickness and health problems is a result of sin and God speaking a curse against mankind.

The main point is that sickness is a result of words spoken, not a result of eating or exercising. Sickness and health problems is not a natural aspect of reality. Sickness came by words spoken by God with power.

Now, take a guess how sickness is removed? It is removed by the same way it came into existence. It is removed by words, spoken with power. The bible never condemns medicine or doctors, but it never endorses it either. The bible exclusively says health comes by righteousness and faith. The only exception is a command not to be a glutton. Thus, if you eat 10,000 calories of donuts and sugary drinks, you are being unrighteous. Proverbs and the Psalms says over and over, that health comes by righteousness and faith. It never attributes health to how you eat.  

The bible does not condemn doctors or supplements. And so, there is nothing wrong in taking a vitamin, or changing your diet because it seems to make you feel better; however, the bible always endorses supernatural healing and never endorses doctors or medicine. Some need to meditate on this truth for many days to let it sink in. On this foundation think about how much time you spend on thinking about doctors, medicine and health reports and how much money a year you spend on human help that the scripture never endorses? Now think about how much time you spend on thinking about all passages in the bible that talk about healing by miracle power and how much time and money you spend on developing your faith to perform supernatural healing? You probably give more money to humans to save your health than you give to God in all your tithes and offerings. It is no wonder why you are still suffering.

Because many so-called Christians use their observations as a greater starting point for knowledge over the scripture, they end up being man-focused. They focus on what other men tell them about what they observe, or what they see and feel about health and sickness. For every one time they read a verse about health being related to righteousness, and faith in God’s promise, they think about food, doctors and their observations relating to health 1000 times more. They are the pinnacle of man focused. It’s all they think about, when it comes to health and sickness. And then they wonder why they still hurt. As in all things, God is our foundation, not man. He is our healer. He is our savior. He will deliver and heal.

Jesus Christ became a curse for us by substitutionary exchange, and by this we are also given the blessing of Abraham. This blessing includes health and supernatural healing, among other things.  The curses of the law included all sickness not recorded (Duet 28). Thus, every sickness, every arthritis and every pain is a curse from God Almighty.  But Jesus became our curse for us. We receive the removing of God’s curses by faith in Jesus Christ, just as we receive forgiveness and righteousness by faith in Jesus.

How did we receive forgiveness, by faith in the heart and confession with the mouth. The same is for healing. We believe Christ was already our curse for us, we believe by His stripes we are already healed, and then we confess it in faith. Jesus in John 14-16 says many times and in different ways, we have been given His authority, given His spiritual power, and given the right to use His name to ask for anything, which includes healing. This is why Peter said, “What I have, I give, in Jesus Name, Walk.” We have the same.

Jesus went so far as to teach us that we do not tell God about our mountain, but to use our authority in Him to open our mouths and command the mountain to move.

And now we are full circle. We started with God opening His mouth to speak a curse on reality, which brought sickness into our bodies. But now in Jesus Christ, God has put His words and authority in our mouths. Thus, we remove sickness by opening our mouths and commanding the sickness to get out. If you act sinfully, by not speaking in faith and asking God, or commanding the sickness to leave, then it will not, because you are acting in unrighteousness. Sickness came into our bodies by words spoken with power, and they also leave our bodies by words spoken in power.  

The Devil Is Making You Sick, Not God

I have heard the example that Jesus is the type of shepherd who breaks the legs of a straying sheep, to keep it from straying. This might sound compassionate in teachings found in eastern paganism, but it is nowhere found in the bible.

Some have this idea that God’s out there playing orthopedic surgeon with sheep, breaking legs to teach ’em a lesson, right? Well, not in my Bible. Rather, the bible flips the script, telling us it’s not God playing the cosmic chiropractor; it’s Satan who’s out there handing out sickness like it’s candy on Halloween.

Let me ask a simple question. When Paul handed the man who was sleeping with his mother-in-law, who did he hand him to? Paul said he handed this man over, to have his flesh destroyed so that his spirit might be preserved. Paul was handing him over to have his legs broken. But who did Paul hand him over to? Who was the one breaking this man’s legs? Who was ministering sickness? Was it God or Satan? Paul handed him over to Satan. The devil was the one breaking his legs and making him sick, not God.  The sickness on the human level was therefore, the will of Satan, not the will of God.

And so, Paul handed a guy over to Satan for some serious family drama, letting Satan do the dirty work. The point? God’s not your sickness Santa; that’s Satan’s gig.

This is an interesting example, because it involves an extreme type of sin a believer could do. It is not normal; it is an exception. Another example was the same Corinthians dishonoring the blood of Jesus by dishonoring the Lord’s supper. Paul was “disciplining” the man, and you could say God was disciplining him through Paul, for a severe sin, and yet, God was not the one giving the sickness. It was the devil.

God is sovereign over all things, so much so that He is the metaphysical author of sin and evil. God controls our thoughts and He predestines all things in the same absolute and direct way, whether it is faith or unbelief, reprobation or election. God controls all things, even Satan, more than a programmer controls how and what his program does. However, the bible denies pantheism and the bible mostly deals with us on the human or relative level.  Thus, Jesus would say, “it was God’s will, that healed this boy or blind man.” No, that is not what Jesus said. He said, “Your faith saved you from your sins, and your faith healed you.” We will do the same.

Even in the story of Job, who did not have the New Contract or Abraham’s blessing, God was not the one who ministered sickness and destruction. It was Satan. God is sovereign, in that He was the one who mentioned Job to Satan, in essence enticing Satan to go after Job. God orchestrated the whole thing. But it was Satan who ministered the sickness, not God. Thus, the sickness was the will of Satan, not the will of God. A similar situation with king David. The scripture says it was both God and Satan who caused David to sin by taking a census. These are addressing two different categories. God is the only real cause, but on the human level, it was Satan who ministered the sin, not God.

Therefore, even in Job’s case, where God’s like the director of a reality show called “Temptation Island,” it’s still Satan swinging the wrecking ball. And Jesus? He’s not going around saying, “Here’s a cold for your sins,” nope, he’s all about, “Your faith got you covered, now walk it off!”

The woman who was bent over for 18 years, who did it? Jesus Christ says it was the will of God, right? No. Jesus said it was, the will of Satan. Satan ministered the sickness, and God being faithful to the promise He made to Abraham, was ministering the healing. In fact, in Acts 10:38, Peter says it was the devil who was ministering the sickness to all the sick people, in the gospels, and Jesus was the one ministering the healing. The devil is a priest to the darkness; and so his ministry is one of sin and sickness. Jesus is a high priest to God, and so His ministry is righteousness, wealth and healing. He does not minister sin or minister sickness. He ministers healing and miracles. If you are an insider to Jesus, He ministers good things, not evil things.

Some might bark up and say, “But God does sometimes give sickness.” This is true, as far as it goes, but there is an important context. What category of people does God give sickness to? The answer is God’s enemies. God did not send Satan to kill the first born of Egypt, no, He sent His angel.  Why the sudden change? The category is different. Egypt is not a Contract insider to God. Egypt is God’s enemy and He is there for condemnation and judgment. It is personal for Him. He wants to destroy them Himself, and not use something like the devil.  God cursed the Philistines with cancerous tumors when they took the Ark of the Contract. They were not insiders; they were outsiders and enemies. Thus, God cursed them Himself.  Their sickness was not the will of the devil, it was the will of God.

This is significant because if you claim God, and not Satan, gave you a sickness, then you are identifying yourself as a reprobate Egyptian or Philistine. If you say your sickness, is the will of God, then you are claiming you are God’s enemy. You are identifying yourself as under the curse of God. You are identifying yourself as God’s enemy. If God is giving you sickness, then indeed, God is your enemy not savior. He is attacking you, not saving you. Your immediate concern is to be saved from hell, not healed.  

There is one other category for sickness. Sicknesses come as a curse from the Fall of Adam and as a curse from the law of Moses. However, in Jesus Christ, Paul says in Galatians chapter 3 that Jesus became a curse for us, so that in substitutionary exchange we get miracles and the baptism of the Spirit. We do not bear curses; rather, we bear the blessing of Abraham. Just as with forgiveness of sins, you receive blessings in exchange for sin, by faith. If you doubt it, then do not expect to receive this exchange, as both Jesus Christ and James teach us.  If you claim to have cancers and arthritis as curses from God, you are identifying yourself as still under God’s curses and not under Jesus’ atonement. If you are under the atonement, then you have been removed from being under curses.

If you’re on team Jesus, you’re in the healing line, not the disease queue. Claiming God gave you the flu is like saying you’re on God’s naughty list, which, let’s be honest, is not where you want to be unless you’re auditioning for a role in a divine drama.

This brings us back to the beginning. As a Contract insider, God does not minister sickness, He ministers healing and miracles. Sickness only comes to me in two ways: one is by Satan and the other is by curses. I have been redeemed and rescued from both.

This is important because if you realize sickness is Satan’s will, not God’s, and is from Satan, not God, you are not only freed to fight it, but are commanded to fight it. When Jesus says cast out demons, it is not a suggestion from a spiritual guru. It is a command. When the bible says to resist Satan and make him flee, it is not a suggestion, but a command.  Even if the sickness is from Satan, as a discipline from God, as James says in chapter 5, with faith I will be healed, and I will be forgiven. Because it is Satan’s will, not God, even if it was in the context of discipline, the command to cast out Satan and to resist him and make him flee is a standing command from God. You are to always do this.

Therefore, you do not have the freedom to allow Satan to bulldoze over you with sickness, no matter the context. You always have the standing command to make Satan and the sickness to go away. You are commanded to be victorious over the kingdom of darkness. You do not have the right, as a soldier of God’s kingdom, to allow the kingdom of Satan to beat you. You are commanded to expand God’s kingdom with truth and power. They are the ones who back up from attacks, not you. The only way to do this is with faith and power. You must take the authority and power of God and expand His kingdom by healing the sick, casting out demons and commanding mountains to get out of your way.

In conclusion, if you’re sick, blame Satan, for he is your unwanted health advisor. As a card-carrying member of the Jesus Club, you’re commanded to kick Satan to the curb, to resist like you’re in a cosmic tug-of-war, and to heal like you’ve got divine health insurance. Remember, in this divine comedy, you’re strengthened to be the victor, not the victim![1]

[1] Grok AI (fun mode) personal communication 2024, helped with summaries.

Sickness Is Satan’s Glory, Not God’s

The Arminians are wrong about God’s sovereignty. God does directly and absolutely control and predestine all things. However, this is about ultimate metaphysics, which the Bible only mentions a little, while it mostly talks about the human level. That is the level where God commands us, relates to us, and where we deal with things day-to-day; it is how the Bible mainly speaks to us. We will follow that pattern here. Not talking this way most of the time means not talking like the Bible.

God says in Isaiah 54:15, “They will surely gather against you, but not by Me.” He quietly assumes His own sovereignty but speaks straight to us on our level. God is more God-centered than anyone, and He has no problem saying, “I didn’t cause them to gather.” Jesus, the most God-centered man ever, said about both healing and forgiveness, “Your faith saved you.” In Acts 10:38, Peter says all the sick people Jesus healed were “victimized” or oppressed “by the devil.” So, the Bible has no issue saying sickness isn’t from God; it is from Satan or the curse.

This matters because if we think sickness comes from God, we won’t fight it. That is one reason Jesus battled sickness so hard while tradition doesn’t. Jesus saw sickness as Satan’s direct attack on Him, His Father, and His people. So, He smashed it wherever He found it. The only time He didn’t stomp out sickness—which Satan was causing—was when unbelief blocked Him. Think about that: unbelief stopped Jesus, but Satan couldn’t. Jesus was a one-man wrecking crew against all the sickness the devil threw around.

So, sickness is Satan flipping the bird at Jesus’ atonement. Healing is Jesus slamming His fist into Satan’s face, again and again. There’s a real war here. As Jesus said, if you’re not with Him, you’re against Him (Isaiah 53:4-5, Luke 13:16, Acts 10:38).

In the substitutionary atonement, Jesus took 39 stripes in exchange for our healing. It is already done. In the Father’s mind, He decided our sicknesses were taken off us and put on Jesus as those 39 stripes. Jesus carried our sickness in our place. The verse before, as the Spirit explains through Matthew, says He “bore” (nasa) or took our sicknesses and diseases away. It is the same word used in verse 12 for Jesus bearing our sins, and in Leviticus 16 for the scapegoat, when the high priest transferred the people’s sins to it, and it carried them off into the desert. It is a word for substitutionary atonement, and Isaiah 53 applies it to our sickness and healing.

Yet, many pin sickness on God—not just in the ultimate metaphysical or decree sense, but on the human, relational level. That is wrong. In our New Covenant with God, sealed by oath and blood, God promises to always deal with us in certain ways. We are promised forgiveness, imputed righteousness, but also healing, the blessing of Abraham, and constant good—like a fish for a fish, healing for healing. If Jesus is my High Priest and mediator forever, He doesn’t switch in and out of that role. If He gave me sickness, He would be a minister of sickness in His ministry to me. If Jesus gives sickness, then His gospel ministry is one of pain and torment. But Jesus is only a minister of healing—He takes sickness away; He doesn’t hand it out.

This last point stands out in one example. Jesus sometimes told certain Jews or crowds they weren’t Abraham’s children because they refused to believe—proof they did not belong. So, it’s a big deal when He calls someone a child of Abraham. Take the woman bent over for 18 years. Jesus said she was a child of Abraham—not an outsider, but part of the blessings in God’s covenant with Abraham. In that context, He said Satan made her sick, not God. God’s covenant with Abraham included supernatural healing, not sickness—it was the opposite. So, in God’s relationship with her, Satan delivered the sickness, not God. Jesus used the Abraham covenant as the reason she had to be healed, saying it was necessary—not just a nice idea, but a must. God keeps covenants; He doesn’t break them. The covenant with Abraham must include healing, or it wouldn’t be necessary for Jesus to heal her.

Because she had a standing covenant with God for healing, and because Satan gave her sickness as a curse and middle finger against God’s kingdom, Jesus wiped it out. Unless we see things like Jesus did, we won’t hit sickness hard with God’s healing power. If someone doesn’t get their insider status with God—or that sickness is Satan’s attack to ruin them and, by extension, a middle finger to God’s kingdom—they will let Satan roll right over them. They will accept his attack, slap a “for God’s glory” label on it, and call it a day. That’s demonic.

When Satan attacks someone with sickness, it sidelines a Christian and stalls God’s kingdom. As with warfare, an injured soldier also takes other soldiers away from the front lines to help carry and tend to the injured one. This is why in war it’s often better to injure more than to kill. Satan plays the same war game tactics with Christians by attacking them with sickness. Just as injuries in our army are the glory of the enemy, sickness in Christians is Satan’s glory, not God’s.

A person’s mind is seriously broken when they can’t tell good from evil, God’s glory from Satan’s. When a so-called Christian doesn’t attack sickness with God’s healing power, they’re letting Satan hammer God’s kingdom—and they’re okay with it.

Sickness is not God’s autograph—it’s Satan’s victory lap. Jesus did not just patch up boo-boos; He threw haymakers at the devil’s disease factory. If you are calling it “God’s will” while Satan’s racking up points, you are not just off-script—you’re cheering for the wrong team in this cosmic cage match.

Jesus Was the Real Victim in this Story

 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40 NIV)

Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36 NIV)

The saying is true, you are either in faith or fear. Jesus puts these as opposites. He says, “only believe,” with no mixture of fear. He says in Mark 4 that the disciples had fear and zero faith. They don’t mix well. If you have fear in your heart about a sickness, then you realize you don’t have faith. This is how it works.

Jesus was the real victim in this story. He was asleep with His head on a cushion and was woken up for something He expected the disciples to deal with, without disturbing Him. I am not trying to be funny here. It is no joke being woken up from a good nap from something so minor as a deadly storm, which only a little faith could destroy and remove.

The prayers of many people are like the disciples in this story. They pray as if Jesus is teaching that He likes it, if we cry out in fear for His help over something like deadly weather or sickness. People repeat the disciples fearful cry as a model for prayer, when Jesus rebukes it as how not to pray. Jesus was upset with their fearful cries for help. Think about that. Because God is merciful He might answer some fearfully cries of unbelief, but don’t expect it.

The point that made it a bad prayer was no faith. It is ok to ask for Jesus help if you have faith, but here is Jesus’ point. If they had faith, then they did not need to ask for Jesus’ help. That’s how you know you have faith.

 We do not have every lesson Jesus told the disciples at this point, but Jesus’ reaction gives us enough details that He expected them to use their faith, and deal with the situation, without waking Him up.

This also brings up the issue of where the storm came from. Of course in the ultimate level God causes all things, but the bible mostly deals with the human level. Peter in Acts 10:38 said it was not God, but Satan who was victimizing all the people in Israel with sickness and diseases. When Jesus was casting out diseases He was fighting demons, not God, because the sicknesses came from demons not God. When you have an insider relationship with God He relates to you in blessings. The contract in Jesus’ blood stipulates that God only relates to us in blessings (it could include discipline, but not curses). Thus, whether it is a sickness, or a deadly storm, in human level, it was not from God. When you rebuke it, you are not rebuking God but demons and the curse. Jesus teaches us to not tell God about our mountains, or sickness or deadly storm, but to use our faith and we command it to move and die. Jesus has given us the power and authority to do it, and expects us to do something. Don’t wake Him up and tell Him about a storm, when you have the Staff of God in your mouth. Open your mouth. You divide it. You heal it. You cast it out. You calm it.

Carnally Minded and Sickness

If you believe a doctor’s report over the promise that Jesus has already healed you, then you are the definition of fleshly or carnally minded.  Stop condemning adulterers for being carnal, until you can remove the oak tree of carnality from your own eye.

But you say, the doctor says its stage 4 cancer.  If you are carnally minded then I understand why that seems so serious. The bible says to be carnally minded is death. But we are to be spiritually minded. Spiritual and intellectual are really the same thing. We are intellectual by using the bible as our only starting point for knowledge. The Spirit enables us to believe His promises. This is spiritual minded.  Does the bible say a stage 4 tumor is not included in the stripes of Jesus that healed us? Where?

To be carnal or fleshly has two meanings. One is about sinning according to bodily desires such as adultery or giving into anger. This carnal sinning is a consequent of the other meaning. The other is to center your choices on your sensations rather than the Spirit and the Word. This does not always mean an automatic sin. Just because you slept an extra hour more, because you were tired is not a sin. However, if the bible addresses the same topic and gives a command and gives a promise that contradicts, then it becomes a sin at this point to choose the fleshly desire over the scripture. To be carnal means your source of knowledge is empiricism. Atheism is to be carnally minded. The Christian is defined by their starting point being the Word and being led by the Spirit. This is a contradiction to being carnal.

A doctor is only telling you what they see and hear and feel. This is carnal. They give you knowledge based on carnality. Because the bible addresses sickness and healing, then to choose the so-called knowledge based off the flesh over the scripture is to be carnally minded. Your mind is focused on sensations and feelings and not focused on scripture and the Spirit. This is the definition of a carnal mind. When a person worries, they are replaying knowledge produced by the flesh. They are carnally minded. This carnal focus on empiricism will lead to fleshly sins such as worry, fear, unbelief, anger and then to other behavioral sins such as outburst of anger and drowning out worries with entertainment and lust.

To be carnal is more than just adultery. The foundation of a carnal mind is about knowledge. Where do you get knowledge? If you use your feelings and five senses, then you are the pinnacle of carnality.  To hide behind a doctor, who is carnally minded does not remove your guilt. There is a line drawn in the sand. On one side is the Word and the Spirit, the other is what you can see, feel and touch. The scripture has drawn that line and so you must choose. As Jesus said, if you are not with Him, you are against Him.