Fighting Covid 19

Spiritual Warfare

We are in a huge battle with this pandemic.  It brings fear, hopelessness, despair, depression, oppression, and anger to name a few.  How are we going to combat this? Prayer!  All spiritual warfare is tied to prayer.  We can’t defeat the dark kingdom without prayer in the name of Jesus.  This pandemic can be overcome faster if every believer would just pray throughout the day. God’s promise in His Word says: Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you, Luke 10:19.  If you have trouble knowing how to pray, just ask the Holy Spirit, Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Romans 8:26 or speak Scripture out loud in the name of Jesus.

The subject of spiritual warfare that we are about to discuss is the most neglected and unknown subject in the Christian world. The church does not educate the flock to the degree that is necessary to overcome the enemy. This subject is virtually ignored. At least one quarter of the ministry of Jesus Christ was casting out unclean spirits. Not only was Jesus busy casting out demons but he had to deal with everyone from Satan to the Pharisees to doubters coming against him.

Satan and his dark kingdom are always at work trying to destroy us. John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. He comes at us in so many ways and we don’t know how to stop it because of our lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Yet, if we read God’s Word we would find our authority to be able to battle the enemy and if we called on the Holy Spirit, we are promised answers, He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him Psalm 91:15.

Our Authority: Mark 16:17 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons. John 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

My wife and I began studying spiritual warfare and deliverance in 2003 out of necessity. We wanted to understand why things were happening to us that had no rhyme or reason. Through research, studying and meditating in the Bible, and getting revelation and answers from the Holy Spirit, we began to understand how the enemy works. There is so much we don’t know. With that knowledge, attacks from the dark kingdom began and the battle has been intense for my wife and I. Understand, Satan does not want you to know about him. He does not want you to learn the authority in Jesus name that you have over him and the dark kingdom.

A special note to consider. When God chooses you or others to do work for God’s Kingdom such as church ministries or standing in the gap as an intercessor, you can expect Satan to do everything in his power to stop it. The attacks could come from temptation, doubts, fear, incurable diseases, and pride to name a few. Finally, some of the biggest attacks come from people in your private life (especially families), church, and your professional life.

Elijah the prophet was a great man chosen by God who came against Jezebel’s hundreds (1 Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men) of false prophets in a showdown of their gods and the God of Israel. Long story short, Elijah won out and destroyed the false prophets (1 Kings 18:40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So, they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there). Jezebel did not like this and 1 Kings 19 shows how Satan can work through people like Jezebel to come against God’s people.

1 Kings 19:1-4

Elijah Flees from Jezebel – Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

Satan used Jezebel to come against Elijah who was so distraught (spirit of depression/hopelessness/despair) that he wanted to kill himself (spirit of death). As you can determine by this story, Satan is very powerful and we are at risk. He never rests and he is relentless.

Things to remember about Satan:

New believers in Christ have a special place in the kingdom. Understand that we have to nurture them, protect them, and prepare them for the battle because Satan will work to get them to go back to their old ways. He will go after your family to get to you.  He will use other people to come against you.

He will always use your areas of weakness (bondages) to attack you. He will always go after your soul.  He will attack your physical body as he did in Job. Most people attribute cancer and other diseases to lack of exercise, diets, or being exposed to different things, but refuse to believe that Satan or spiritual forces may be at work. This is exactly what the enemy wants us to believe. This is why Jesus gives us the authority to heal (Mark 16:18 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).  because he knew we would need this authority to heal. We all have weaknesses and we have to know them.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Do not allow yourself to be destroyed due to a lack of knowledge. Don’t depend on anyone to educate or teach you. The Bible, The Holy Spirit, warfare books and knowledgeable people are available to show you how to overcome the enemy.

Believe and use The Whole Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10:18 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

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PTSD

TRAUMAS – Physical Injuries and Emotional Hurts

Traumas as defined in the dictionary is an emotional and/or physical stressor.  A stressor in its simplest form is fear and is a burden to one’s well-being. A trauma is the occurrence and the stressors are the fears attached to the occurrence (trauma). 

Fear definition: an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger; an instance of this emotion; a state marked by this emotion; to be afraid of; expect with alarm. Synonyms for fear: alarm, anxiety, dread, fearfulness, fright, horror, panic, scare, terror, trepidation, stress, nervousness, uneasy, alarm, dread, distress, wary, anxiety, phobia, and worry.

Fear is a spirit and it does not come from God (“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” 2 Timothy 1:7).  Fear comes from Satan who seeks to destroy you with fear.

Traumas come in all sizes from the littlest trauma to the biggest.  Each of us has had a constant lifetime exposure to traumas of all sizes that affect our physical and emotional well-being leading to what the medical field calls PTSD.  A lifetime of fears from traumas pile up leading to emotional sickness and physical disease.  Traumas and the fears will stay with us until we receive ministry to eradicate them.

PTSD   Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event or a series of lessor traumatic events — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, and severe anxiety (fear), as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event that play over and over in your mind consuming one’s thoughts.

Physical traumas and the resulting fear can affect every part of our body starting in one area and spreading to other areas including muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs (especially the brain), blood and air flow, skin disorders, itching, joint, neck, and back pain, immune system, and nerve damage, to name a few.

Spirits of: self-sabotage, anger, self-retaliation, bitterness, self-bitterness, hatred, self-hatred, guilt, shame, self-condemnation, rejection, unloving, and depression. Victim spirits: fear (as in stress, worry, panic, pressure, dread, fright, horror, scare, terror, nervousness, tenseness, afraid, anxiety, un-forgiveness of others, and self.

Major Physical Traumas:

1. Accidents and injuries are a major source of traumas no matter how small. 
2. Physical abuse from another person are another major source of trauma.
3. Rejection by parents, spouses, siblings, friends, church, employers, organizations, teams, etc.
4. Medical procedures and operations.
5. Sexual abuse

Major Emotional Traumas:

1. Victimization by parents’ spouses, siblings, relatives, partners, friends, jobs, bosses, government, churches, social workers, teachers, surgeons/doctors, ER workers, organizations, and even victimization of self where one has self-hatred, self-bitterness, and un-forgiveness towards self.
2. Rejection by parents, spouses, siblings, friends, church, employers, organizations, teams, etc.
3. Loss of job, house, spouse, partner, friendship, or self-worth.
4. Death of someone close to us.
5. Exposure to ongoing traumas as a soldier, EMT, Fire fighter, policeman, etc. 
6. Emotional abuse
7. Spoken curses.
8. Sexual abuse
9. Social Media

Number one cause of traumas: SIN!

Curses on Disobedience – “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: Deuteronomy 28:15.

Disobedience as it relates to sin.  Verses 15-68 lists sickness and disease as a result of sin and other sicknesses and diseases not listed in the bible, Verse 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed.  Every sin can traumatize your body and soul which is the temple of God, Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Example: Cancer is a trauma to the soul and body.  So, all sickness and diseases are traumas to your being.

Not to be overlooked are traumas (physical and emotional abuse) perpetrated by the previous generations and passed on to us in the form of fear, unloving, rejection, addictions, etc. (‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation’ Numbers 14:18).

In addition, curses coming out of the mouth of any generation (especially current generations) has a profound effect on those who have been cursed (Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so, James 3:10). Murder by the tongue does great damage. Take authority over the generational curses.  Curses are traumas.  It is important to tear down the assignment of words spoken that would give the enemy a legal right to orchestrate circumstances causing accidents/injuries/traumas. Also, take authority over programming in the mind (memories) created by the traumas.

Trauma Examples:

Babies in womb who are not expected or wanted.

Any trauma the mother experiences while pregnant.  Fear is passed on to the child and can result in colic.

Failure of the father or mother to show love resulting in rejection that can stay with them through a lifetime.

Bullying

Boyfriend or girlfriend break up.

Lost job.  Many lose their identity

Medical emergency and medical issues

Sport or accident concussions.

Disrespectful children, family, friends, employers, churches, and organizations.

Cheating spouse

Addictions

Continuous anger and rage

Constant criticism and accusations.  Any hurtful spoken word can be perceived and received as trauma.

Continuous rejection

Exposure to chemicals, cigarettes, and drugs.

Divorce

The stressor (fear) attached to a trauma is a spirit and it is imperative that the physical or emotional stressors (fear) attached to the trauma be removed (cast out in the name of Jesus). 

There is a mind/body connection within our being.  Traumas to your soul can cause physical and emotional issues.  Traumas to your physical can cause emotional and physical issues.

PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder: (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that result in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. As an effect of psychological trauma, PTSD is less frequent and more enduring than the more commonly seen post-traumatic stress (also known as acute stress response). Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli (sounds or smell or voice) associated with the trauma, and increased arousal—such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hyper vigilance (experience of being constantly tense and "on guard).

The symptoms of PTSD are a result of people focusing too much on the circumstance, occurrence, and the situation.  We ponder, contemplate, and play the trauma over and over in our mind giving Satan great power to crush us.  Instead of just glancing at the trauma and focusing on the solution that God has already promised us to come out of it, we open up the door of the trauma and resulting PTSD to take us in to captivity.

What are the symptoms of PTSD? – PTSD symptoms can be grouped into three categories:

1. Re-experiencing symptoms:

• Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, or panic attacks.
• Bad dreams.
• Frightening thoughts.
• Re-experiencing symptoms may cause problems in a person’s everyday routine. They can start from the person’s own thoughts and feelings. Satan can sneak in a thought to remind you as well.  Words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing.

2. Avoidance symptoms:

• Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience
• Feeling emotionally numb which is oppression.
• Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry
• Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past
• Having trouble remembering the dangerous event.

Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.  Can include avoiding a person in public.

3. Hyper-arousal symptoms: a state of increased psychological and physiological tension

• Being easily startled
• Feeling tense or “on edge”
• Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts.

Hyper-arousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic events. They can make the person feel stressed and angry. These symptoms may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.

It’s natural to have some of these symptoms after a dangerous event. Sometimes people have very serious symptoms that go away after a few weeks. This is called acute stress disorder, or ASD. When the symptoms last more than a few weeks and become an ongoing problem, they might be PTSD. Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or months until a trigger sets PTSD in motion.  It is important to consider all levels of traumas, small, medium, and large throughout our lives, as they all greatly contribute to PTSD as we increase in age. 

Note:  The fear from past emotional and physical traumas can trigger other fear related issues such as panic attacks, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, upset stomach, IBS, diarrhea, constipation, migraines, shortness of breath, blurred vision, fatigue, confusion, dizziness, shock, anger, irritability, mood swings, guilt, shame, condemnation, sorrow, self-pity, oppression, numbness, self-neglect, self-hatred, rejection, self-rejection, being disconnected or withdrawn, confusion memory issues, brain freeze, feeling lost, hopelessness and despair, dizziness, flash backs, and unable to process the simplest of things. Chronic sickness (such as coughing) or pain (injuries such as back pain) is a red flag that there is  trauma/PTSD at work. These are a few and there are many more. This is classic PTSD that comes as a result of traumas.  My position is that everyone suffers PTSD symptoms at one level or another.

Unfortunately, there are many other physical and emotional side effects that Satan swill use to destroy you. (The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy John 10:10). God comes to give us life.

Sadly, the medical field does not have the answers to bring healing to those who have experienced traumas and the resulting PTSD.  Doctors have treated PTSD with drugs that won’t bring healing. The medical field attempts to treat symptoms with therapy and counselling, with questionable results.  We are not seeing the success we need to bring PTSD victims out of captivity (“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound Isaiah 61:1).

Only God can heal, but through ministry, in the name of Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can and must treat the root cause of traumas and the resulting PTSD. 

Healing of trauma in ministry:

1.  Personally, I had a construction injury to my thumb knuckle 30 years ago.  For the past thirty years my knuckle ached and had pain constantly.  As I was learning about traumas six months ago, I decided to apply what I learned.  So, in the name of Jesus, I commanded the trauma of the injury and the stressor attached to the traumas to depart and go to the dry places.  Next day, I noticed the pain was gone and it has not returned.  Any chronic issues such as coughing, pain, etc. can have traumas and fears as a root cause.

2. Recently, we had a new member in our bible study that severe back pain for 20 years due to an accident. We commanded the trauma and the stressor to depart in Jesus name. Two weeks later I asked him how is back was doing since we prayed for him.  He gave us a quizzical look, smiled, and said “I don’t have any pain.” He did not realize that his back had been healed in the name of Jesus.

3. When person complains of lower back pain it is a sign that fear may be the root of the pain.  Fear (worry, stress, anxiety) is a trauma and many times it causes the length of the arms and legs to be uneven.  Especially legs, where we have seen one leg shorter by up to three inches.  Most often, this is accompanied by lower back pain or neck pain.  The fear builds up and builds up causing the tendons, muscles, and ligaments to contract and most often the fear nests in these and other areas.  We have ministered to hundreds of people with these issues.  We simple command the shorter leg or arm to grow out the same length as the other leg or arm in the name of Jesus.  Right before their eyes, they see the leg grow out to same length as the other leg.  Then, we command the fear nesting in the back, neck or any other area to depart and go to the dry places in the name of Jesus.  They are either healed immediately or the pain in most cases gone within 24 hours.  Only a few times did it take longer.

4. We had a lady who was victimized (traumatized) by her husband for many years.  She had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and struggled with this disease for years.  We proceeded to identify the roots of this disease that included, unloving, rejection, not feeling worthy, self-rejection, unloving of self, to name a few and cast these out in the name of Jesus.  It was a long process but she is now free from this immune disease that the medical field could not cure.

5.  We had a sister in Christ who rear ended another car and the accident caused her great fear and anxiety driving or riding in a car. She came to our bible study and we ministered to the fear attached to the trauma. We commanded the fear to depart from her. She could feel the fear departing from her.  We were able to minister to her early so that it did not become a more serious problem later.  She was able to overcome the accident (trauma) that caused her great fear.

What is the root of a trauma? FEAR! Fear is a spirit and “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” 2 Timothy 1:7.  Cast out the fear associated with the trauma (occurrence) and there is healing in the name of Jesus.

It is very frustrating when believers and un-believers ignore solutions that God gives us. God’s healing is available in His Word (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit.  Yet the vast majority have little faith in this or other articles. They will fail to apply His promises of healing and they will continue to suffer.                                                                               

Mankind has made things very complicated because they rely on their own understanding instead of relying on what God has shown us in His Word.  Unlike mankind, God gives us uncomplicated solutions that work. I pray that this will help you understand how traumas can affect your life.                                                                                   

Tony Sanchez 2-10-20

Conviction of Sin

A sister in Christ sent this out to our group and it prompted me to write the below piece: “I didn't want to say this But the Lord is telling me The Old Testament convicts of sin continually to show us How much we need a savior and the hope of His coming Where is the crucifixion and the suffering he bore for our sins. Don't discount it as though it wasn't good enough.  Yes, repenting daily is what we must do but remember He cleanses us of all unrighteousness If we live under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and repent and praise Him for what He did to free us.”

I love the Old Testament as much as the New Testament.  Much of the Old Testament warns us about  our sin that is not hidden, (But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out Numbers 32:23, ), (You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance Psalm 90:8). and the coming of Jesus Christ who will die on the cross for our salvation, (From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people of that day realized it was their sins that he was dying for—that he was suffering their punishment, Isaiah 53:8),  (that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved Romans 9:10.  “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins Luke 1:76-77),  and the redemption of sin Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,  Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. 

The prophets where there to warn us of our evil ways and yet, His people did not heed these warnings.  Nor, are we heeding he warnings of the Bible in this age.  We are not living in the conviction of the Holy Spirit on a consistent basis.

The word convict is a translation of the Greek word elencho, which means “to convince someone of the truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute, or cross-examine a witness.” The Holy Spirit acts as a prosecuting attorney who exposes evil, reproves evildoers, and convinces people that they need a Savior.  To be convicted is to feel the sheer loathsomeness of sin. This happens when we’ve seen God’s beauty, His purity and holiness, and when we recognize that sin cannot dwell with Him (Psalm 5:4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You). When Isaiah stood in the presence of God, he was immediately overwhelmed by his own sinfulness: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).  To be convicted is to experience an utter dreadfulness of sin. Our attitude toward sin becomes that of Joseph who fled temptation, crying out, “How could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).

We are convicted when we become mindful of how much our sin dishonors God. When David was convicted by the Holy Spirit, he cried out, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). David saw his sin primarily as an offense to a holy God. We are convicted when we become intensely aware of the wrath it exposes to our souls (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), (Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God). When the Philippian jailer fell at the apostles’ feet and cried, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30. He was under conviction and he was certain that, without a Savior, he would die.

When the Holy Spirit convicts’ people of their sin, He represents the righteous judgment of God (Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart).  There is no appeal of this verdict. The Holy Spirit not only convicts’ people of sin, but He also brings them to repentance (Acts 17:30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent); (Luke 13:5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish”). The Holy Spirit brings to light our relationship to God. The convicting power of the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to our sin and opens our hearts to receive His grace (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God).

We praise the Lord for the conviction of sin. Without it, there could be no salvation. No one is saved apart from the Spirit’s convicting and regenerating work in the heart. The Bible teaches that all people are by nature rebels against God and hostile to Jesus Christ. They are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins). Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” and I will raise him up at the last. Part of that “draw” to Jesus is the conviction of sin.

Unfortunately, the world is so full of sin that we are not making God our Lord. He is not first in our lives.  Sin causes Satan to have legal right in our lives.  We have learned that when we are saved the curse was broken.  Satan’s kingdom was defeated and we got to go free.  Yes, that has happened at the cross, but God’s people are trying to live in disobedience over something that was paid for in obedience.  That’s when God is not our Lord.  Jesus was obedient to the Father even to death.  Most of God’s people are not.

If the devil has a legal right to God’s people’s lives in spite of what Jesus did on the cross we need to know where in the bible it says that:  2 Timothy 2:24-26  And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

What was Paul saying here?  His words reveal that there can be something in a Christiane’s life that gives the devil a legal right to steal their blessings and put a curse of disease on them more than once in the New Testament.  Jesus linked he law of sin to disease in the Gospel of John.  He meets the paralyzed man lying beside the pool of Bethesda.  Jesus heals the man by telling him to take up his bed and walk.  Hours later, Jesus is telling that same man that now that he is healed, he should go and sin no mor, or something much worse would happen to him:  Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked John 5:8-9, Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you,” John 5:14.

Other times when Jesus healed someone, He used the phrases “you are healed,” and “you are forgiven.” Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you,” Matthew 9:2.  After the Pharisees protested, Jesus answered them, “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house,” Matthew 9:5-6.

Mark 2:3-12 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

The simple fact is this: there are physical and emotional sicknesses that are the result of our accepting the law of sin in our lives. Yes, we as Christians are very clear on our salvation.  We are way less clear about sin.  We are aware of some sin, but fail to call on the Holy Spirit to expose and convict us of all sins including hidden sins.  We have not been taught how to address our sin even though the bible provides answers.  The body of Christ fails to teach confession of sin, tell God how sorry we are, asking God to forgive us, and finally, to repent.  The church is not teaching this as a whole.  We are in a stupor and cannot hear or see, Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day,” Romans 11:8.

Do not get discouraged about the battle we face between law of sin and the law of God.  God is showing us truth for freedom’s sake.  When Paul looked at the truth of the battle in his own life, he cried out, “Who will save me?”  Then he answers his own question Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin Romans 7:24-25.

One of our responsibility as servants of God is summed up in Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the  opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

All that have sinned need help overcoming sin so that they can have a pure relationship with the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.                                                                                                                                              Tony Sanchez 12-20-19

Sickness and Disease

Separation – Is this the root cause of sickness and disease?

So, what is the root cause of many of our diseases?  The root cause of 80 percent of sickness and disease is spiritual and is the result of separation on three levels according Henry Wright:

1. Seperation from God – from His person, His love, and His Word.

2. Seperation from yourself.

3. Seperation from others

You need to follow this closely because these separations are the spiritual root of so many sicknesses and diseases that plague us.  If 80 percent of all sicknesses and diseases involves these separations, then 80 percent of all healing begins with reconciliation with God (Son, and Holy Spirit), reconciliation with yourself, and reconciliation with others. 

***If we have separation with any of these three levels, we have to look at sin in our lives that is causing separation.

Separation from God

Mankind, including Christians, are diseased first of all because we are separated from God, His Word, and His love.  We must realign ourselves with God, and we must embrace the truth of the Father’s love for us.  Do you think the Father would have sent His Son to die for us if He didn’t love us? For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life, John 3:16.  Jesus showed us the deep love of the Father by dying on the cross for our eternal redemption, And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit Matthew 27:50.  The Bible assures us of God’s love: 1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love and 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.  To be free and healed, you must believe God’s Word that He truly loves you and that you are special in His eyes.  Sin does not allow us to hear or see (discernment) things that are coming from God.

***Separation from God is the result of un-belief and sin.

Separation from Ourselves

There are millions of people who have battled intensely with self-hatred, self-loathing, self-bitterness, self-pity, guilt, shame, regrets, self-condemnation, sorrow, and not feeling loved or appreciated, which leads to depression (hopelessness and despair).  Satan will try to convince you of these lies.  These feelings are deep-rooted lies from Satan that carry with them many disorders, especially autoimmune diseases.  If this is your struggle, you must learn to accept yourself in your relationship with God and love yourself as God sees you (“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love John 15:9).  Not embracing the deception of self-hatred (extreme dislike of self) and guilt of not measuring up.  God loves you!  He declares it in His Word.  Do not deny the truth of His love for you by believing the lies of the enemy, others, and yourself.

***If you have separation from self, you are also separated from God.

Separation from Others

Separation from others opens the door wide to spiritually rooted diseases.  The Word cautions us in Hebrews 12:15: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.  Most often, we push people away or distance ourselves because people have hurt us even though we have trusted them to do good.  We have trusted and tried to please mankind instead of God and mankind has failed us, I t is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man Psalm 118:8. So, who do we trust? God of course! In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Isaiah 56:11.

In most cases, you will find un-forgiveness, bitterness, envy, jealousy, rejection, anger, feeling unloved and a level of animosity when there is separation from others.  This is present with spouses who put up walls and withdraw (separating) from one another resulting in a marriage devoid of compassion, kindness, and love that leads to a divorce rate of more than 40%. Separation can be with family members, friends, co-workers, government, church, minority groups, and sisters & brothers in Jesus Christ.  Separation can cause one to withdraw totally with little to no interaction with anyone leaving them in a lonely world of darkness.

Separation from others becomes a root deep inside us that defiles those around you, causes your soul to be in captivity, and makes your body very susceptible to disease.  Make peace with your brothers and sisters, and anyone else who have injured you.  Then Jesus said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” Luke 23:34.  We must repair these breeches before the process of reconciliation can begin, Those from among you shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In Isaiah 58:12.

The difference between separation from God and yourselve is there can be two parties involved when you yourself have separation from others.  You being separate from others due to offenses and hurts by them.  The other party being separate from you for offenses or hurts you caused them even though you may not have known there were issues.  So we have unresolved issues that will not allow reconciliation.

Since the beginning, when God created Adam, He never intended mankind to be alone, And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him,” Genesis 2:18, And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place, Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man Genesis 2:21-22. When you separate yourself from others, you are contrary to what God had in mind when He created Adam and Eve.

We need each other.  The church needs good sons and daughters of the Father.  We need each other’s love.  We need each other’s prayers.  We need each other’s faith.  We each other’s support. We are not the same without each other.  We are part of Christ’s body, and we need others to be a part of one another.

***If you are separated from others, you are separated from God and His design for people to be in fellowship with one another.

In all three of these spiritual separations, the enemy of our soul finds a place to bring destruction, because the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly John 10:10. When we embrace the enemy’s lies, we end up suffering at his hands. The Bible warns us not to be “ignorant of his devices” 2 Corinthians 2:11. The word “devices” means methods or practices Satan uses to try and destroy us.  We need to know how the enemy is doing it.  We need to understand his devices so that we can cut him off at the pass in your life.

How does separation from God, yourself and others, affect your autoimmune system?  All of the above affects your bones and the marrow in your bones that produces the white blood cells called T lymphocytes (also called T cell and thymocyte).  They are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. They help protect the body from infection and helps fight cancer and other autoimmune diseases.

So, bitterness, self-bitterness, un-forgiveness, accusations, criticism, slander, pride-fulness, arrogance, envy, jealousy, hatred, self-hatred, fear, anxiety and stress, anger, (hostility, wrath, animosity), rejection, guilt, shame, condemnation, self-condemnation, unloving spirits, hate, self-hatred, occultism, addictions, and many more, causes the immune system to be compromised.  These sins and others dry the bones, meaning the marrow cannot produce white T cells to fight off sickness and disease. Don’t take my word.  Let the Word of God speak to us.

What does the Bible have to say about sin affecting our bones with regard to sickness and disease?

Psalm 6:2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

Psalm 38:3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.

Psalm 102:3 For my days are consumed like smoke, And my bones are burned like a hearth.

Proverbs 12:4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Habakkuk 3:16 When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble.

What does the Bible say about healthy bones?

Proverbs 3:7-8 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.

Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 66:14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies.

Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

The roots of disease are the elements of Satan’s kingdom of darkness.  Satan will do everything he can to bring in bitterness, self-bitterness, un-forgiveness, depression (hopelessness, despair), accusations, criticism, slander, pride-fulness, arrogance, envy, jealousy, fear (anxiety, stress,), anger (hostility, wrath, animosity), rejection, guilt, shame, condemnation, self-condemnation, unloving spirits, hate, self-hatred, self-pity, murmuring and complaining, rebellion, occultism and addictions.  These are many of the sins that cause separation from God, yourself, and others.  But God has given us divine power and precious promises to escape the corruption of this world that prevents lapses (sin) that lead to sickness and disease.

 2 Peter 1:3-11  as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,  by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  But also, for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,  to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.  Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

A basic conclusion is this: A person who desires to separates themselves from who God is and what God has created (self and others) leads to sickness, disease, and even death.  A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment Proverbs 18:1 NKJV.  People who do not get along with others are interested only in themselves; they will disagree with what everyone else knows is right. Proverbs 18:1 GNT

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior, Ephesians 4:31.

What next?  You must rid yourself of your false doctrine because it isn’t working and take the following steps to repair your relationship with God, self, and others.

1. Confess your sins to God. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9

2. Ask God for forgiveness.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors Mathew 6:12.

3. REPENT! Ask God to help you repent because you cannot do this on your own.  Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, Hebrews 6:1.

4. Ask God His forgiveness for being separated from Him.

5. Forgive yourself for separating yourself from self.  

6. Forgive those who have offended you to the point that you have separated yourself from them.  Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends, Proverbs 17:9 NLT. Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

7. Start declaring your love to God and all those people who you have separated yourself from.  Declare you love for yourself, For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 8:38-39.

8. Reach out to God to repair the damage caused by your choice to separate from God.

9. Reach out to others to repair the damages by both you and them because of your choice to separate from them.

10. Sing praises to the Lord. O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth Isaiah 25:1.                    

Sin is THE block to healing from sickness and disease.

Tony Sanchez 10-27-19