Altar Call

Greetings,

 

Again, it has been quite a while since I have sent anything out to the group but I want to share a praise report and it ties into an article (attached) I sent to you in January of this year.  But first I want to set it  up with a story in a class I was attending on the Tabernacle about a month ago.  The instructor was talking about the Brazen Altar as being an altar of sacrifice.

 

My thoughts and question was “If the Tabernacle is an altar of sacrifice, why are we not doing the same in the church?”  There are times when I go to the altar during praise and worship to confess my sins, repent, surrender, ask forgiveness, to humble myself, to confess my love for Him, to thank Him, to praise Him, to worship him and to ask the Holy Spirit to be present.  I could not understand why others were not doing the same.  Going to the altar at the end of service was a regular part of the service at a church I attended in the past.  Sometimes, up to twenty percent of the congregation was at the altar.  When the people come to the altar of sacrifice, the Holy Spirit will come and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty).

 

The brazen altar, bronze altar, or altar of sacrifice in the Tabernacle and was situated inside the courtyard upon entering the gate to the tabernacle. The altar was the first piece of furniture the sinner encountered as he passed through the gate on his way to fellowship with, and the worship of, God. The altar was the meeting place for the holy God and the sinner. God came down to meet the sinner where He accepted a substitute for his sin.

 

The brazen altar finds a perfect fulfillment in the work of Christ upon the cross; a further analogy is found in the materials of construction and in the purpose of the brazen altar as compared with the accomplishment of Christ on the cross.

 

The altar was the place of sacrifice, and it foreshadowed the cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood for the sins of the world.

 

So the altar was actually a type of Christ, who became the substitute for man’s sin and thus allowed the holy God and sinful man to meet. Even the word ‘altar’ refers to that which is elevated or lifted up. Perhaps this is what Jesus had in mind when He said, ‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me’ (John 12:32). As an offering had to be lifted up and placed on the altar, so Christ was lifted up and placed on the cross to die for the world.

 

The altar was the place of substitutionary sacrifices—the place of death. There the blood was poured out, and the body was consumed by fire, which speaks of judgment. The altar in the tabernacle stood between the gate of entrance and the door to fellowship with God. It barred the way so that no approach to God was possible except by the altar.

 

So too, the cross of Christ bars the way to God for every sinner. Those who bypass the cross will never have eternal life and fellowship with God; rather, they will remain in their condemnation.

 

That all must come to God by only one means is clearly evident from what Christ said to Nicodemus: ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’ (John 3:3). Because Nicodemus did not understand what He was saying to him, Jesus explained the necessity of spiritual birth. He said, ‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3: 6).

 

The cross is the only way of salvation because it was there that Jesus shed His blood for the sin of the world. Hebrews 9:22 clearly states, ‘Without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness)”.  Receiving Jesus Christ as Savior produces the only true foundation in a person’s life.

 

The praise report is an answer to my prayers and I am sure others have prayed for the same.  The church I am attending has set aside a time at the end of service that allows for praise, worship, and an invitation to the altar where there are pastors and prayer teams available to minister to the flock.  This was implemented two weeks ago and I was so excited that I made a beeline to the altar and thanked  God for His grace and mercy.

 

I encourage you all to go to the altar at every opportunity and put aside what people think and focus on what God thinks.  You will honor Him when you present yourself at the altar of sacrifice.

 

Blessings to you all,

 

Tony Sanchez

 

Unbelief

Unbelief – Death and Dumb Spirit By Tony Sanchez

I want to discuss the incredible authority that God wants to release to us as believers in Jesus Christ. This authority not only concerns deliverance from deafness, but it’s also connected to a certain demonic spirit that’s called “the deaf and dumb spirit.” God wants to expose this demon’s characteristics, how it operates and how it influences people, so that we’re equipped to take authority over it and see people set free.  I know this spirit very well because I have seen it manifesting almost every day in a family member for years. Also, I have firsthand experience of this spirit in two different individuals in the Healing Room as well.

OUTWARD SIGNS OF AN INTERNAL PROBLEM

Thinking about the word dumb might bring to mind some embarrassing moments at school when the teacher put us on the spot by asking a question that we couldn’t answer. We might be inclined to describe how we felt by saying, “I felt so stupid!” Or, “I felt so dumb.” But did you know that dumb means lacking the power of speech, mute, silent—Webster’s New World Dictionary. Dumb actually doesn’t mean or have anything to do with stupidity. As well, I want to define the word mute. This means: not speaking; silent; unable to speak; a deaf-mute—Webster’s New World Dictionary. When people are totally deaf they usually don’t speak because they can’t hear themselves or hear others. So they are silent, or mute.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at a story recorded in Mark 9 about a demon- possessed boy. His father brought him to Jesus and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not” Mark 9:17-18. Jesus listened to the father and then He had a few words to say to everyone present, including His disciples; Mark 9:19 He answered him and said, “O faithless (unbelief) generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

Before we talk about how Jesus took charge of the situation, I want to say that this poor boy grossly manifested outward signs of an inward problem. He was manifesting a whole lot more than being mute, or silent! The Bible says that he was visibly tormented—being thrown to the ground, foaming at the mouth, gnashing his teeth and becoming rigid (Mark 9:18). We’ll see shortly that Jesus called this tormenter a “deaf and dumb spirit.” God wants us to have victory over this demonic spirit!

HOW THE DEAF AND DUMB SPIRIT IS STRENGTHENED

So let’s go back and take a look at the story in Mark 9 in greater detail because we’re going to discover one key sin that empowers the deaf and dumb spirit.

In Mark 9:18 we recall that the father told Jesus that His disciples could not cast the mute spirit out of his son. Now don’t miss this. Jesus responded by rebuking everyone, including the father, because of their unbelief!   He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” (Mark 9:19).

We’re talking about the unbelief of a generation; the spiritual climate of a generation—“O faithless generation.” Even the disciples could not “cure” him. Why? The answer is that even though the disciples had an impartation for healing, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, and casting out devils (Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give Matt. 10:8), they could not cure him because the spirit of unbelief was greatly influencing them as well as everyone else in the vicinity.

This unbelief spiritual climate over all the people (in Mark 9) was the same kind that was present when He revisited Nazareth and began teaching in the synagogue. In Nazareth the people took offense at Jesus and so He said, “So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” (Matt. 13:57). The Bible records: “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

Remember, when the father brought his son to Jesus the demon began manifesting through the boy, big time. Now Jesus knew, of course, that the spirit of unbelief was also manifesting over the people in a big way, too. But instead of scolding all of them once again for their unbelief, He simply asked the father a question. “How long has this been happening to him?” (Mark 9:21) The father’s answer actually revealed one of the roots to the problem. Here’s the father’s reply: “From childhood (V.21). . . . But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us (v. 22).” Can you see where the battle was being waged? Out of the father’s mouth came the overflow of his heart: “But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Although at this point Jesus had the father’s attention. He wanted to accomplish more for the family than just setting this boy free. He wanted the father to believe that it was possible for Him to set his son free, and He wanted to expose something that was hindering the boy’s deliverance. So Jesus, in all kindness, tossed this back to the father: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23)”

Look at what happens next. Jesus’ words touched the father’s heart so deeply that he immediately burst into tears and cried out: “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). The father was in a battle! “I believe. Help my unbelief!” The hindrance of unbelief was exposed! The father’s cry for help was like a confession, and although his unbelief was unintentional, nevertheless it was keeping his son bound to sickness. Now Jesus could rebuke that demon and get the boy set free! With the crowd watching closely, Jesus rebuked that unclean spirit: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” (Mark 9:25).

The Bible tells us that when the demon was cast out, the boy went into terrible convulsions and so the crowd was pretty freaked out. They thought the boy’s body looked like a corpse. Now, that tells us that this deaf and dumb spirit was quite strong. But of course the boy wasn’t dead and Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up. A brand new kid stood to his feet! (Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. Mark 9:26-27). Unbelief gave strength to the spirit that made the boy deaf, dumb, and mute. We need to realize that the deaf and dumb spirit is strongly connected to unbelief! And the fact of the matter is that unbelief is a major hindrance to all healings! (Later we’ll discover a key that Jesus gave to His disciples to help them overcome the spirit of unbelief so that in the future they could cast it out).

MANIFESTATIONS OF THE DEAF AND DUMB SPIRIT

It’s notable that not only is the spirit of unbelief connected to the deaf and dumb spirit, the spirit of unbelief is also a stronghold over North America and it affects believers on a corporate scale! This corporate unbelief in the body of Christ hinders a demonstration of God’s miracle healing power.  In this country we just don’t see masses of people being healed like we do in Third World countries. In those countries the people are desperate and they want to believe that God will touch them.  We as believers in America are not desperate. It’s obvious that we need the spiritual climate to change.

Remember, the spiritual climate over Nazareth (as in America) was soaked in unbelief. God didn’t want more faith, fasting, power, better preaching, praying for the sick longer, more healing teams, or extended meetings in Nazareth. Rather, the key was this: overcoming the stronghold of unbelief that ruled over the city. Strongholds can rule over a life, a church, a city, a region, and a nation. For instance, there can be a church where heaven is open resulting in miracles, signs and wonders and down the road at another church, the heavens are closed with hardly anyone getting healed except maybe a few. I can tell you that the first church had the Holy Spirit operating in  a mighty way.

The reason that one church had miracles and the other one didn’t was because of two things—the corporate faith and corporate unbelief—that were operating in each church. The heavens can be opened or closed according to corporate faith or according to corporate unbelief. We need to keep this in mind because ultimately, we want to see an open heaven over North America.

Now let’s move on and look at some of the ways that unbelief connects with the deaf and dumb spirit in our culture in North America and how it manifests. First of all, this spirit’s goal and function is to make us (believers) spiritually and physically deaf and dumb so that we cannot hear the voice of God and receive revelation. The way this spirit accomplishes its work is by becoming a stronghold of the mind, better known as a “mindset.”

Strongholds in the mind can manifest in many different ways. (Think about that in the context of our own lives and communities here in North America).  Have you ever wondered why there are so many people, especially children, who have learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder (ADD), dyslexia, memory conditions, and concentration difficulties? Also what about the people afflicted by spiritual deafness, physical deafness, insanity, and all kinds of conditions of the mind? Some people have a weight, a mental block, when they read the Bible and pray. They can’t get a breakthrough or remember what they’ve read. Or they can’t even focus to read the Bible. There is a spiritual oppression connected to that and it’s a deaf and dumb spirit.

Also, the deaf and dumb spirit affects our ability to understand the Bible.  Also this spirit affects our ability to understand mysteries and to understand, hear and receive spiritual revelation and truth. Believers that are deaf and dumb in the spirit have nothing to say. There is a form of godliness denying the power of God (2 Tim. 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ). This kind of mindset loves organized religion, denominationalism, tradition, and programs. “We do what we do now because we’ve done it for the last ten years.” What happens is they are hearers, not doers, even though they want to be doers. They know that they’re not getting the revelation in their heart that God wants them to have even though they’re truly hungry for revelation. But there is an assignment to make them deaf. You can see this in the North American church and it’s connected to unbelief.

There is evidence that unbelief and the deaf and dumb spirit are the roots of the conditions previously mentioned. There are many testimonies of people with a spirit of insanity, madness, manic-depression, and bipolar disorder (just to name a few) set free and delivered. People’s memory can be restored instantly when the ability to remember had been lost for years. There are testimonies of restoration to concentration, healing from ADD, and improved grades in school.  There is victory because a few have figured it out.

Now let’s look at two keys that Jesus gave to His disciples so that they could gain the victory over unbelief and the deaf and dumb spirit.

PRAYER AND FASTING

Let’s pick up the story once again about the boy afflicted by the deaf and dumb spirit, but this time in Matthew 17:14-21 (instead of Mark 9).

After the boy was set free from the deaf and dumb spirit, Jesus’ disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” (Matthew 17:19). Jesus relied, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20). However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17: 21). The two keys in Scripture are (1) prayer (2) fasting.

Last month at the end of March as I was reading the Bible and meditating, I received a word from the Lord that I believe that could  be added to prayer and fasting.  The word I got was “Without Spot.”  It means to look at ourselves and make every effort to cleanse ourselves from sin.  Understand that we are not perfect.  David was not perfect either but He was a man after God, own heart (Acts 13:22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will).  David was willing to do God’s will at a level that God recognized.  God searches to strengthen those who are committed to him (2 Chronicles 16:9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him).  We can’t be under the bondage to sin and expect to be able to do God’s will.  Sin will encumber (weigh down) us to the point that sin becomes central in our life and will not allow us to have the authority to do God’s work whether it is overcoming things in our life or helping others overcome.  Example: If someone is so depressed they can’t get out bed, do you think they can do the will of God?  Understand that depression is not the only thing weighing them down.

Remember, the disciples were affected by unbelief just like the father and the whole crowd of people. Prayer and fasting are what it will take to overcome the spirit of unbelief! Then when unbelief is conquered, not only is faith released, but the strength that the deaf and dumb spirit receives from the spirit of unbelief is cut off. It’s prime time for the deaf and dumb spirit to be cast out!

You know, there is something that begins to happen when we fast and pray and when we choose to say that we will not digest anything except the truth of what the Bible says about healing and deliverance. “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions (Ps. 107:20). That means healing and deliverance are in the Word. When we fast, pray, digest the Word, and speak the Word, it gives us faith and power to overcome personal unbelief and doubt. By fasting for an extended time and studying nothing but what the Bible says about healing, we will see the results.

I feed on what the Bible says about healing. Then I began to be full of faith and power as I overcame the personal spirit of unbelief in my own life so that I can help other in the name of Jesus.

Now let’s look at another key that will equip us to overcome the deaf and dumb spirit.

COMMAND THE DEAF AND DUMB SPIRIT TO GO!

Back to the story of the boy! When I was reading the story about him, God brought to my attention that Jesus commanded the deaf and dumb spirit to come out of the boy and showed the father and the disciples that it’s only by faith that we can command stubborn spirits of all kinds to come out.

When we take our position of authority after praying and fasting, then we’re in the right position to command a deaf and dumb spirit or any spirit to come out of someone. I believe that God wants to challenge us to seek His face so that we can work together pressing in for a change in the spiritual climate over North America.  These last days are getting progressively darker.  The enemy is getting stronger and stronger and I am concerned that we as Believers are not equipped for the battle.  

God's blessings on you all

Curses - Where Do They Come From?

Disobedience to God. God isn’t out to “get us” or to curse us. Those are not His plans for us. However, God gave each one of us free will and He plainly gives us the choice to receive blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-2  “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God ”) or curses. Curses are a  consequence from breaking God’s laws. Judgment is brought forth as His laws are broken or violated as outlined in Genesis 3 after Adam/Eve ate the fruit and in Deuteronomy 28:

Genesis 3:16-19 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children…”Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”

Deuteronomy 28:15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”

Generational Curses. Many times other people bring curses into our lives because of their sin which is passed down the generational line.  It starts when we open our lives up to curses by giving place to them through our own sin, choices, and beliefs. Curses get passed down the generational line directly through our DNA (Exodus 34:7  keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation,” - Deuteronomy 23:2 “One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord ).

Word Curses. Word curses are also a way that others can affect us (James 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so). Examples of word curses are statements such as, “You’ll never amount to anything”, and “You are a failure.” The Bible tells us that there is the power of life and death in our tongue and our words. If a person receives these word curses as truth, then the curses become real in their life. Proverbs 18:2 (NLT) The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

Self-Curses. Even sadder than having our parents or others curse us is cursing ourselves through our own words. Familiar examples are: “I will probably ‘blow’ this job.” (expected failure), “I can’t speak in front of people,”  “Our family will always be poor,”  “I cannot do anything right,” “nobody loves me” or even worse, “God doesn’t love me.”  This is an open door for enemy to come in and make your life miserable because we don’t believe what the Word of God says.

Summary - This is the essence of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. The Bible clearly warns each of us that our actions have consequences.  Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. Eventually, you will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” Galatians 6:7-8  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness -  Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

What does it mean to be Holy?" By Tony Sanchez

In 1 Peter 1:13-16, Peter writes to believers, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Peter is quoting from Leviticus 11:44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy,  and Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

What does it mean that God is holy?  Passages like 1 Samuel 2:2 “No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God and Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” are just two of many passages about God’s holiness.  God is high above any other and no one can compare to Him (Psalm 40:5 NLT O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.  Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal). God’s holiness pervades His entire being and shapes all His attributes.

What does it mean for us to be holy? When God told Israel to be holy in Leviticus 11 and Leviticus 19, He was instructing them to be distinct from the other nations by giving them specific regulations to govern their lives. Israel is God's chosen nation and God has set them apart from all other people groups. They are His special people, and consequently they were given standards that God wanted them to live by so the world would know they belonged to Him. When Peter repeats the Lord's words in 1 Peter 1:16, he is talking specifically to believers. As believers, we need to be "set apart" from the world unto the Lord. We need to be living by God's standards, not the world's. God isn't calling us to be perfect, but to be distinct from the world. 1 Peter 2:9 (see below) describes believers as "a holy nation."  We are separated from the world; we need to live out that reality in our day-to-day lives, which Peter tells us how to do in 1 Peter 1:13-16.

So, how can we become holy?  Holiness only results from a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior.  If we have not placed our faith in God's Son alone to save us from our sins, then our pursuit of holiness is in vain. So, we must first make sure we are born-again believers (John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”).  If we truly are believers, then we recognize that our position in Christ automatically sets us apart from the world 1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.  We have a relationship with the living God!  Then we must daily live a set-apart our lives. We cannot "blend in" with the world dividing our loyalty with God (Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do James 1:8 NLT).  But instead living according to God's Word as we study the Bible, grow in it, and apply it to our lives.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.

Memory Verse: Leviticus 11:44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.

Healing in the Church Today

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Although sickness is a reality that every human being will probably face and experience at some time in their life, it is a property of the sinful fallen nature of this world. Sickness is not a feature of the world as originally designed by our Creator. In His plan of salvation, God is reversing all of the effects of sin. It should be no surprise, therefore, to find that God has declared war on sickness as well as on sin.

Sickness in never a part of the perfect will and plan of God for any person’s life. Healing is an essential part of God’s plan of salvation and the Scriptures are very clear on this. 

The passage quoted from Isaiah, here, shows that when Jesus died on the cross He paid in full for every transgression and iniquity. These are our sins. This same passage of scripture, however, shows us that He also died for our griefs and sorrows. That is, He included every physical, emotional and spiritual hurt and pain in His provision for us on the cross.  Any doubt that this is what He intended is removed by Matthew 8:17 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses."  This commitment of the Lord to heal is often called the healing covenant.

The Bible is a book about covenant relationship. Covenant is an important concept to understand in the Old and New Testament of the Bible. One of the definitions of the word "testament" is covenant, and is defined as a covenant between God and Humans. So you could call the Old and New Testament the Old and New Covenant, as many people do. 

Old Covenant

The concept of covenant is important in receiving your physical healing through the Word of God. God states in the Old Covenant in the book of Exodus, For I am the LORD who heals you" (Exodus 15:26). King David instructs the believers to bless the LORD and not to forget all of the benefits or spiritual blessings of the LORD. David recognized the benefits provided in his covenant with God. One of the benefits identified is, "who heals all your diseases" (Psalms 103:2-3). 

New Covenant

Jesus established the New Covenant the night before his crucifixion. Jesus said to his disciples at the Last Supper, "this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).

Jesus at the same time gave thanks, broke the bread and said, "Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you" 1 Corinthians 11:24. "So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged (whipped) Him" [John 19:1]. "By whose stripes you were healed" 1 Peter 2:24. Jesus' body was broken so that your body may be whole. At the cross, Jesus' bones were not broken For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken” John 19:36.

IF forgiveness of sins, physical healing, deliverance, favor, provisional care, fruitfulness, and long life were spiritual blessings of the Old covenant; how much more are they in the New Covenant which has Jesus Christ the guarantor or surety of this better covenant? (Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant), (Psalms 103:1-3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases), (Exodus 23:26-27 No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land), (Deuteronomy 7:15 And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases), (Psalms 91:6.…Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness). 

God’s Promise

God promises the Children of Israel in the Old Covenant that He would be their God, "if you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and laws, then I will not make you suffer the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you, Exodus 15:22, NLT. The same promise applies to the New Covenant.

Some religious folks say that God only wants to be the God who heals us spiritually. If God is only talking about spiritual healing why does he mention the words "disease or sickness" in these passages Psalms 103:1-3, Exodus 23:25, Deuteronomy 7:15, Matthew 8:17?

Now that we laid the ground work of healing in the Old and New Testament, what is the point of all this?  The point is:  Where is the healing in the church?  The masses are coming into church services with sickness and disease and going out of the church services with sickness and disease.

I traveled for many years and tried to find midweek service in the cites that I was in.  I viewed many services on television.  I visited many churches in the Denver area to get an idea of what they were teaching.  Too few were taking time to heal the sick before service, during service, or after service. 

Why have we left out such an important part of the Old and New Testament?  Why are we sick?  Is it because of our sin?  If the answer is yes and it should be, why are we ignoring what was such a huge part of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus came to “To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed” Luke 4:18.  Jesus came to heal!  Why are we not imitating Jesus?  Jesus in His instructions to the disciples in the Great Commission said “they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” Mark 16:18.  The church elders are called to do what? Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, James 5:14.  Are the elders making themselves available to pray for the sick?  Or is “Elders” just a title?

In a time of declining church attendance, is it hard to understand that deliverance, healing, and operating in the Holy Spirit may be a key to increasing church attendance?  The word spread when they heard of the healing Jesus was performing. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased, John 6:2. Matter of fact, 5,000 came to hear Jesus and hoping for healing, “Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand” John 6:10.  5,000 came to hear the Apostles preach the same message Jesus preached, “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand” Acts 4:4.  People want to be healed and they will go to a church who wants to heal them in the name of Jesus.

Let’s forget all the programs that have little effect on the flock.  Let’s “confess our trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed”, James 5:16 at the women’s tea parties, the men’s breakfast gatherings, and the youth groups.  It’s OK to have a speaker, but there should be time set aside to pray for healing.  The church service should set aside time for healing.  Put the altar team to work.  Have all the Pastors present to lead the prayer for healing.  When people humbly come to the altar with a repentant heart, the Holy Spirit will be present with all of God’s glory.

It is time for the church to come back and imitate the Apostles in first century church and carry out what Jesus instructed them to do in The Great Commission:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.   He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.   And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:15-18

Luke 9:57  Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”  It is one thing to say you will follow Jesus; it is another to see it through, even when the road is narrow, steep, and nearly impossible.  But, if we come to God, believe in God, diligently seek God, he will reward (heal) us.

In Jesus name,

Tony Sanchez, 1-21-15

Fasting - Week 3 of 3

This is the final recap of my experience during my 21 day fast. My biggest obstacle was praying all day long consistently which was difficult at times due to having a full time job.  I will be better prepared for a 21 day fast next January. 

This fast has led me through many different emotions and levels of God’s presence.  I have experience the reward of the humbling of my flesh that can only take place during a fast.  I have been dying to my own will and desires, and experiencing what desires  God wants for my life.

Keep in mind that my primary objective during the fast was to pray for my granddaughter who suffers so much, my wife, family, friends, and people who come to the Healing Room.  I really was the last person on the priority list.  What I found out was that God had to work a breakthrough in me first before breakthrough could occur in the people that I was praying for.  I hope to share in the future about breakthrough with others that I was praying for as they are revealed. Below are a few things that I want to share with you.

• I have been able to truly receive God’s love at a level that I had never been able to experience.  Because of this, I have been able to express this love to my wife and children.  Understand, all my life I have guarded my emotions, but now I want to show myself and others the love that God has given me.
• I received a word a couple of months ago.  The word is encumbrance which means weighed down.  When we are weighed down with the things of this world and the sin that we have, we don’t see clearly.  The Bible describes this as a veil (2 Corinthians 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing).  Fasting has helped me remove a huge part of the veil that was a hindrance to where God wanted me to be. (Ezekiel 13:21 I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the Lord).  I need a unveiled mind and spirit to be able to stand in the gap for others.
• During the fast, I took Communion each day on a suggestion from Linda who is a sister in Christ.  During this time, my wife brought to me the importance of Communion and how I must be aware of what Communion really means each and every day (Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins).  Communion has taken on a very special meaning in my life.  I have decided to continue to take Communion each and every day.
• I will continue to fast each Sunday and Monday leading into the Healing Room on Monday night.  I pray that you will come to the Healing Room and experience healing and deliverance in Jesus name from the things that are troubling you.  You won’t leave in the same condition as you came in.

I fully understand that God’s priorities are seldom my priorities.  That is the difference in the nature of man and the nature of God.  The Bible says in Isaiah 55:9  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. So how do we better positon ourselves to hear from God?  How do we free ourselves from our own desires to know His will?  For me, it has been fasting and it causes me to take the sword of God’s Word and separate what I want from what I need.

When you fast and sanctify yourself unto God, it moves you off the same old beaten track to a realm of unbelievable breakthroughs, including miracles.  There are far too many people on the edge of what God is doing, and not enough of us standing firmly in the middle of His will.  Do you want to change your life, your family, friends, and others?  You are the one that can make these changes – fast, sanctify yourself, and take a firm stand in the middle of God’s will.  When family, friends, and ministry people see you stepping off the edge of mere “Sunday morning religion” and getting right in the middle of what God is doing, they will follow and find God’s direction for their lives as well.

We all desire to be in the will of God and to walk according to His plans.  Sanctification is the key to being in God’s will (Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”).  Fasting is an essential means of sanctifying yourself, pulling yourself away from the world, and getting closer to God.  Fasting allows you to filter your life and to set yourself apart from your fleshly life to see God in all His glory.  Fasting is what prepares you for a new anointing (Mark 2:20  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days). 

It is my prayer that you make fasting a part of your life, as we are instructed by God.

Joel 1:14 Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the Lord your God, And cry out to the Lord.

Joel 2:12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;

In Jesus name,

Tony Sanchez

Fasting - Week 2 of 3

I want to say thank you for all of the responses during this time of fasting.  It is encouraging to hear that people are being convicted.  I want to share two such responses below:

Thank you Tony.

1. Fasting has been on my mind for about the past year and I am looking forward to reading more. I have been weak regarding food and believe He is nudging me to fast. I do not know anything about how to go about it and look forward to hearing more from you on this.
2. Glad you're doing this fasting Brother, it has been on my heart to set aside a day to fast for the Lord. I believe that fasting is just us humans being desperate for Him. I tried to fast I think almost the same day you started but failed. Instead I gave up something I really, really like. Now that I read your email about fasting for our own desires and not God's, I may need to reevaluate what I gave up and the reasons behind it.

I just completed week two of the 21 day fast.  Before I get started, I want to share with you all one of the reasons for my fast that I put in my fasting journal dated January 4^th.  In my words I prayed for a “Double portion of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9) for power and authority in Jesus name for healing and deliverance for me and my family and those I pray for in the Healing Room and others.”  Last Sunday I sent out a recap of my first week of fasting and proceeded to attend service soon after and was surprised to hear Pastor George’s  message included a “Double portion of Elijah.”  What a blessing to have confirmation in what I was asking.

The Holy Spirit is using this fast to reveal my true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life.  God looks for those faithful few upon whom He can pour out His blessings in extraordinary ways.  When we fast, you attracts God’s attention as one willing to venture beyond the norms of religion and go to a higher, more meaningful relationship with him.  When we fast, we have no other choice than to deny self and depend on Him.  When we do this, we are telling God our desire to be in His will and to walk according to His plans which He will gladly reveal to us.

Fasting is an essential means of sanctifying ourselves, pulling ourselves away from the world, and getting closer to God.  Fasting allows us to filter your life and to set yourself apart to seek the Lord.  Jesus prayed this for us:

John 17:16-19 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Fasting will help us identify areas of hidden sin and things that are displeasing to God in our lives.  Fasting helps us discern between serving the flesh and serving the spirit.  Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,  how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Fasting helps us to distinguish between what you want and what you really need.  When you choose not to worry (Matthew 6:34) about these things and seek Him first, you are demonstrating the kind of faith that is pleasing to Him, because you are trusting Him to also give you all the things that you need.

Lastly, I want to share a highlight of this past week.  My Dad was not a loving  dad and as a consequence, I grew up with rejection and an unloving spirit.  I protected myself through the years and was not able to feel or express the level of love that God wanted me to have.  At the Healing Room we pray for each other as we wait for people to come in for prayer.  A few weeks ago, I asked one of the team members to pray that I would be able to receive the love of God.  It was only when I could receive that love in its fullness, could I convey God’s love to myself and others.  In addition, I realized that compassion is a  factor and goes hand in hand with love. During the past week His love and compassion has been so magnified in me that I have been able to receive and convey His great love  and compassion to my wife and children.  I now understand that without compassion, there is not true love. Thank you Father for Your love and compassion!!!!

I pray that you are able to get something out of my experience.  Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement.

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Joel 2:12

Tony Sanchez

Resources: NKJV, Jentezen Franklin Fasting Jounal

Fasting - Week 1 of 3

I started a fast a week ago and I had people ask me to share my thoughts along the way.

Sometimes we need renewal in our spiritual lives.  Fasting has been a way to cleanse my body and aid the process of communicating with Father God.  God is raising up people in this hour who do not want a diet of just “church as normal” any longer.  These people are hungry and desperate for a closer relationship with God

If we are not careful, we can allow life to get us into the same old ruts and routines without even realizing it.  Our relationship with the Lord can suffer the same fate.  When we don’t do what it takes to stay sharp and sensitive to the Holy Spirit, our praise, worship, offerings, and even preaching can become heartless routines to God.  As a believer, we can pray, read our Bible, and go to church week after week and still be losing sight of our first love.  It is not that we don’t love the Lord, but the business of life can bring us to a point of losing our desire, our freshness, our hunger, our enthusiasm, and our sensitivity to His Spirit and what pleases Him.

I remember as a kid eating potatoes in one form or another every night.  I had potatoes this and potatoes that, over and over.  Same old stuff every night.  What if God was hungry and all we have to feed Him is our same dull religious routines (potatoes) day after day?  Where is our overwhelming hunger for Him?  Is all we have to offer Him is potatoes?

God does not want or need our routines.  He does not savor heartless activity.  He does not want our “leftovers” when He can get “fed” elsewhere.   God is a jealous God and He wants us to put Him first (Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God).     True worship that comes from our hearts feeds Him and satisfies Him.  It is something He desires and deserves.  Our religiosity of going through the motions once a week does not please Him as much as our obedience to Him and His Word.

Fasting is a constant means of renewing yourself spiritually.  The discipline of fasting breaks us out of the world’s routines.  It is a form of worship offering your body to God as a living sacrifice that is pleasing to Him (Romans 12:1 NASB Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship).  The discipline of fasting will humble us, remind us of our dependency on God, and bring us back to our first love.  It causes the roots of our relationship with Jesus to go deeper.

There are dimensions of our God that will never be revealed to the casual, disinterested worshiper.  There are walls of intercession that will never be scaled by dispassionate religious service.  But when we take steps to break out of the ordinary and worship Him as He deserves, we will begin to see facets of His being you never knew existed.  He will begin to share secrets, visions, discernment, wisdom, knowledge, revelation, and peace that we never knew existed.  He will share His plans and desires for you.

When we are truly hungry for God, we will push past the routines, we will set aside the rituals, rules, regulations, and traditional thinking to more of His presence, more of His power to turn situations around, more of His healing power, and more of His miracle-working power!  When we worship God as He deserves, He is magnified and we are blessed.

Through the fasting God has reminded me how important it is to be humble.  He has reminded me the importance of having compassion.  For without compassion, we cannot love those around us and those who offend us.  He brought to my attention that I must pray God’s perfect love over individuals in my family and in the Healing Room so that they may overcome fear (1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love).

Lasting, I am praying for many out there for breakthrough in your lives.  I thank you for your prayers during my time of fasting and prayer.                                                                                                                                 Tony Sanchez   1-11-15

Fasting

There is a series of events leading up to the subject of Fasting that I need to share before we get started.  As you may remember, I started in the Healing Room ministry last year and a short time later I started taking Faith Bible Institute classes at Faith Bible Chapel.  The packet we received included a book by Jentezen Franklin on Fasting.  Cheryl Morrison was the teacher for the eight week class and she said that this Fasting book was the only book she has read twice.

I proceeded to read this book in a very short time and it allowed me to truly understand the meaning and benefits of fasting in the Bible.  A short time later I was on the patio listening to Hymns minding my own business when I was instructed to start fasting Sunday and Monday leading into the Healing Room.  My response was “Lord, you know how much I like food.”  The following weeks I learned how important it is to pray continuously these two days and to understand my relationship with God as it pertains to fasting and breakthrough in what I was praying for.

I came to understand that prayer alone was not enough for me as we ministered to people in the Healing Room or outside the Healing Room.  There are strongholds that require both prayer and fasting as it says in Matthew 17:21  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.  Fasting, prayer, and the Holy Spirit give us the wisdom, knowledge, discernment, power, authority, etc. to overcome the dark kingdom.

Does fasting work?  Yes it does!  It is no coincidence that my relationship with my son has been restored during this time of fasting.  It is no coincidence that when I fasted for almost seven days early in December to prepare for a 21 day fast in January, that my daughter who had been extremely estranged from us went to the Healing Room and the team led her to the Lord.  This relationship has also been restored.  Thank you God!  Fasting has benefited me so much in my family the ministries that I have been involved in.

I would like to share with you and edited version in what Jenezen Franklin says in his Fasting Journal book.

There are different kinds of fasts.  There are private fasts that you do privately, and the Bible also describes “called fasts”-when unusual times and situations call for unusual measurements and supernatural responses from God.   At Jenezen Franklin’s church, he says that they have found that the greatest time to fast is at the beginning of the year.  If you give God time at the beginning of the year, He will do amazing things in your life.

There are three things you must ask yourself before you fast.  One, what are the motives behind the fast?  Losing weight cannot be your motive.  Second, what are the specific needs I am fasting for?  People fasted in the Bible for a specific need.  Sometimes they were in trouble, sometimes it was for finances, and other times they were fasting for their children or for help or for direction.  It is important to know the specific reasons for which you are fasting.  These reasons must be the focal point of you prayer and fasting.  Understand that the Holy Spirit may bring forth other things to pray for.  Third, are you determined to minister unto the Lord during your fast.  Acts 13:2 tells us that the prophets and teachers at the church in Antioch “ministered to the Lord and fasted.”  Fasting is a time we set aside for ministering to the Lord; it’s not about us getting what we can get from God all the time.  God will move when we fast, but it should be a time when our heart is crying out, “I want to minister to You; I want to love You; I want to know you; I want to draw closer to You; my heart cries out to you.”

The way you approach your fast is extremely important.  If you are not serious about it, then you won’t get real serious results.  The more serious you are about the fast, the more serious God will respond.  If you are frivolous or lighthearted about it-“Well I’ll fast, but I don’t really feel lie it”- that’s not going to work.  Your heart has to be in the fast, and when your heart is in it, there will come a fellowship with God Like you have never known before!

There is an amazing Scripture verse in Zechariah 7:5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for me?”  After fasting for this way for seventy years, God asked the question, “Are you fasting for me?”

Did you know that it’s possible to go on a fast and have so many personal motives and agendas that you’re not even fasting unto God-you are fasting for your own wants and desires?  God told the people of Zechariah’s day, “You have been doing this every year at the same time for seventy years, but I want to know if anybody is hungering for Me and My kingdom, for My agenda and purpose and plan in the earth.”

Every time I fast, I get closer to God.  Every time you fast, you will get closer to God.  There is no greater reward than Him.

Perhaps, as a church, we failed to emphasize the importance of prayer and fasting in the body.  The Bible is very clear on this matter.  Is it prudent to follow what the Bible says?  I encourage you to do a word search on fasting in www.biblegateway.com to understand what it says in the Bible and how important fasting is and can be in your life.

Moses fasted:  Exodus 34:28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments

Daniel fasted:  Daniel 10:2-3 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.   I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled

Jesus fasted:  Luke 4:2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

Anna fasted:  Luke 2:37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Jesus addressed the question on fasting in:

Mark 2:18-20 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”  And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 

 Folks, we are in the last days and we are to “fast in those days.”  I encourage you to make fasting a consistent part of your life and experience the breakthroughs and blessings God has for your life and the lives around you.

In Jesus Name,

Tony Sanchez

January 3, 2015

Fear Not

FBC is doing a series of messages titled “Fear Not.”  One of the key notes that Pastor Jeff had for us was “Fear is not an opportunity to trust God.”  He goes on to say that Fear and Trust demand to be fulfilled.  In other words, if we are fulfilling Fear, the opportunity to trust God is hindered. 

Today, it is my goal to add to this topic because of the fear that I see out in the world and especially the Fear I see in the Healing Room each Monday as we pray healing and deliverance to those that are in need.

Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) And it is impossible to please God without faith (trust). Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.  Because faith represents your future, Fear represents the destruction of your future.  As Pastor Jeff said, Trust (Faith) and Fear are equal in this dimension: both demand fulfillment.  Faith will always defeat Fear, because Faith is a work of the Holy Spirit.  Fear is the work of Satan and he uses Fear to bring destruction to our lives. 

Fear will try to create your future.  It projects into the future based on your past.  It is important that you learn to put aside everything you have been exposed to that controls you and tries to create your future for you.

What you are meditating on or thinking about every day occupies your mind.  You may be meditating on the good things or you may be thinking about all the things that will go wrong in your life today and tomorrow.  The object of your fear is not only being projected into tomorrow, but also yesterday’s projected fear is here today.  Fear becomes perpetual in our lives because we failed to obey what God says in Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow……. 

Today we ministered to young gentlemen who I had prayed for at intercessory prayer meeting months ago.  He asked me if I remembered praying for his stomach problems.  He said that I told him that fear may be the root cause.  His physical issues were more intense today.  The lower body was in spasm and he had issues with numbness. By questioning him, we determined that there was an open door of Fear that may have caused his physical symptoms.  Fear had become a part of his biological. He confirmed that his issues started four years ago.  We proceeded to cast out this fear and prayed healing in the name of Jesus.

We come across many possible manifestations of Fear in the Healing Room including: migraines, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, spasms, seizures, panic ridden, phobias, and PTSD to name a few.  Another is the most recognizable Fear manifestation in men and that is high blood pressure which man has renamed worry, stress, and anxiety.  Let’s call it what it is, FEAR!

How about the mere presence of a person who you fear causes you to have diarrhea or cause you to panic?    How many times have you avoided a person because they cause you fear manifestations?

We have been taught to be intellectually and spiritually superior, but we have not been taught how to defeat our enemy.  We can go on for hours teaching about Fear, but we must know how to defeat Fear.  Fear is a spirit and The Great Commission in Mark 16:17, Jesus instructs us to cast out these spirts in His name.  Yet, we fail to do this.  We allow Fear to come in numerous times on a given and day and we do nothing because we fail to exercise our power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ.

A few weeks ago as I was reading and meditating in the Bible, I received the word “Encumber” as it relates to sin.  It means to weigh down, or to be a burden.  It also means to impede or hamper a function or activity.   Fear or any sin hampers our relationship with God.  If we are deep in bondage to sin, we can’t expect to have the opportunity to trust or have faith in God.

The antidote to Fear is very simple.  Trust God.  Fear is an antichrist sprit because it says you cannot trust God.  It says evil is more powerful than God.

The Word is Jesus Christ, a living being, but the defeat of your enemy with the Word can only be fruitful if you believe (trust) and make it a part of your life.  You have to become one with God:  His nature and your nature have to become one in that area of your life.  To become one with the Word is to know what the living being, Jesus Christ, has said as revealed in the Scriptures and believe it.

Hebrews 4:12 (Amplified Bible) For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

It is my prayer that you trust God as you overcome the Fears in your life. Psalm 56:4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

Tony Sanchez

12-28-14