Causes for Sickness - III
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Being in a continuous state of double mindedness is dangerous. James 1:8 says that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways and will not receive anything of the Lord. Indecision you would have noticed, causes fatigue. A person with a weary mind will eventually be weak in body, increasing chances of sickness. In Matt. 6:22, Jesus made a remarkable statement. He said, “If thine eye be single, (or single minded) thy whole body shall be full of light.” What a simple and powerful statement! A double mind is a sure curse that leaves a person open to illness. An inordinate desire to possess things is called covetousness. The Bible calls this a sin. In Proverbs 28:16, we read, “He that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.” The opposite of this is – he that loves covetousness will shorten his days. The Bible teaches us to be content with such things as we have (Hebrews 13:5). Covetousness is a sin that will keep us out of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:10). It is an evil that attracts sickness. Faithfulness is a rare virtue in these last days. Proverbs 13:17 states that a faithful ambassador is health. The opposite of this is – an unfaithful person will not have health. He will have sickness. Carnality is to be worldly-minded. The Bible warns us about friendship with this world (James 4:4) and falling in love with the things of this world. (1 John 2:15) Romans 8:6 warns us of a mind that thinks like the world does. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” I have heard it said that there is a time to be spiritual and a time to be...., whatever you want, I suppose! That means, there is a time to have death and a time to have war also! A Christian is exhorted to walk in the spirit (Gal 5:16). We cannot be partakers of the forbidden things of the world without being partakers of its consequences too. A Christian is given the mind of Christ.(1 Cor 2:16). What a sacred trust! If we persist in being carnal, it will be to our destruction – bodily and spiritually. Hope is a partner to faith that pleases God and brings His blessings. But when hope diminishes or is lost, faith is affected. Many do not realize that sometimes what they need to kindle is their hope and not their faith. There may be nothing wrong with their faith, but the hope they have may not be sound Bible Hope. (See “Why are people with strong faith and godly lives sick?") Proverbs 13:12 says that when hope is deferred, it makes the heart sick. When hopes never materialize it makes the heart sick. Just as faith is necessary to receive healing or ward off sickness, so also is hope vital. Often when people die of sickness, it is not for lack of faith but because they lose their hope or desire to live. A life that never receives an answer to prayer is a life of deferred hope. Jesus said that we are to ask and receive so that our joy may be full (John 16:24). Christians have much to learn in the area of receiving or taking (amazingly, both the words come from the root word ‘lambano’) what is rightfully theirs in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Proverbs 14: 30 teaches us that a sound heart is the life of the flesh. The condition of the flesh depends on the condition of the spirit. Joy is vital to the well being of the spirit. Crushed joy can wither the body. What does money have to do with sickness and disease. The Lord has been teaching us very recently about the direct connection between money and sickness. Let me explain using the incidence with which the Lord taught us this lesson. A very close and dear pastor friend suddenly died. He had been healed of kidney problems and his healing had even marvelously changed the color of his skin. He looked healthy and truly fair. He went about doing his work with great zeal. Suddenly he took ill and in a few days was gone. It was an agonizing time of waiting on the Lord, seeking understanding. We cannot let people go and buckle up saying religiously, “It was the mysterious will of God” The unbeliever has another term for it – destiny or fate. The Lord then said that it was the love of money that caused that pastor's death. I asked the Lord to teach me more, as I knew that pastor to be a man of very high spiritual and ethical standards and accountability. It was impossible for that man to be a lover of money. The Lord then went on to explain what the love of money is. No Christian worth his salt is a lover of money. But we become lovers of money without our knowledge, when we spend a great deal of our time, thoughts and energies on matters that relate to money. When all that we do, or the decisions we take are money based, then we are lovers of money. Now this may be hard to digest. We need money to live one may say and so we have to give it a lot of thought. Remember that money is only a medium of exchange! On being healed, my pastor friend had been spending a lot of his time running round trying to raise money for his works. He had to have the money to finish his work. Instead of trusting God to provide the money in His way, he sought to raise the funds. Of course, all prayer was also only for the needed money. Of course, all prayer, directly or indirectly hinted for the needed money. Gradually, spiritual things took a back seat and the drive to get the money for the work of God became his prime concern. This, child of God, is an example of love of money. With all love, but with all boldness and certainty let me tell you that you have the love of money if:
You are living by money alone and not by faith, the leading of the Holy Spirit, the Word and promises of God, if:
But I think, you can get the idea now. Jesus used money in his life, but from the way he used it, we
see that he had scant respect for it and relegated it to its rightful place.
We have seen that the love of money is a cause of sickness, which is an evil. The Bible does not say that money is evil but the love of it as explained earlier, is evil. While the Bible teaches us contentment, it also shows us how God wants us to be blessed materially. God is not against possessions but He is jealous about anything that possesses us! He wants us for Himself one hundred percent but it is wrong to think that piety and poverty go together. Deuteronomy Chapter 28 shows us that the blessings of obedience include great material blessings and poverty is a curse for breaking the commandments of God. Just as it is wrong to think that sickness is a blessing, it is wrong to think that poverty is a blessing. Proverbs 10:15 says, “…the destruction of the poor is their poverty.” A pastor who worked for many years in the poorest slums of India, once told me that most of the sins of the poor were connected to their lack of money. Lack of money can rob us of clothing, shelter and food, which can in turn cause sickness and disease. We know of many children and workers of God in India who are sick in their body, simply because they do not have the money to buy food. In the early church, believers shared so that none lacked (Acts 2: 44, 45). Let us remember that our Saviour, Jesus became poor that we might be made rich (2 Cor. 8:9). Good works are powerful in extending the kingdom of God. Jesus went about doing good and healing. We are a peculiar people zealous of good works! (Titus 2:14). Bad works or wrong works are contrary to the kingdom of God. Ps. 106: 29 says, “They provoked Him to anger with their inventions (works) and the plague brake in upon them” Here, plagues or epidemics are directly linked to wrong works. Right works are like a wall around us.! Satan’s intent is to harm the temple of God, both corporate and individual. 1Corinthians 6:19 says that our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, it is no surprise if satan wants to attack the stronghold of his enemy, the source from where the river of God that can foil his plan flows. Just as the Lord is for the body (1 Cor. 6:13), know that satan is against the body. Understand that the enemy of God and the adversary of our souls, is an evil personality called satan, who has many messengers he uses to attack temples of God. Witchcraft in Church is not uncommon, but it is not recognized for what it is and is a major cause for sickness in the body of Christ. In 1 Samuel, 15:23 we are warned that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is like idolatry. When there is rebellion in a church it is plain old witchcraft! Disagreeing as a Christian and working constructively for the betterment of the Church is a different thing. But, I think you know what I mean – a trouble, sly , cunning and mischief causing attitude. This can grossly affect an entire body of believers. How often we have seen pastors become sick because of people close to them rebelling and thus releasing the power of witchcraft. (See, “Why are people with strong faith and godly lives sick?") White witchcraft is a subtle variation of plain witchcraft mentioned above and is not easily identifiable. (We are not referring to the known form of White Witchcraft, which is outside Christianity and is based on the “Book of Shadows”) I am calling this white witchcraft simply to differentiate it from plain, simple witchcraft or black witchcraft. White witchcraft starts off by claiming and intending to do good. Prayer and some spiritual trappings will accompany it. This is how many cults with a dose of the Bible start. God works through prayer. But many problems are also caused during times of prayer. When people with unclean hearts and ulterior motives pray, their words will be suggestive prayers, manipulative prayers, pointed prayers and such, aimed at controlling the individual and his or her family. When such attitudes and spirits are present, the church body is open to evil – including, sickness and diseases. The Bible names some of these major attitudes and spirit which was prevalent in the early church The Bible warns us that many deceivers have gone out into the world that many would come in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Hebrews 6: 1,2 talk about the fundamental doctrines of Christ. 2 John 9-11 warns us about those who do not have the doctrines of Christ. If we partake of their deeds we will be partaking of evil, thus leaving us wide open to sickness and disease. James 3:16 says, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” Now, this is very clear and needs no explanation. The Bible warns us to avoid contention and strife. (Proverbs 17:4, Galatians 5:20, James 3:16). Hebrews 9:14 teaches that we are cleansed to serve the living God. Every believer has to be sure that he or she is serving the living God in the calling they are placed in: and whatever they do in that place, they are to do it as unto the Lord and not as to men (Col. 3:23) Deuteronomy 28:45-47 warns us of serving with a murmuring and complaining spirit. “Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever. Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things.” Not serving the Lord with gladness opens the door to curses that lead to destruction. Laziness is an attitude that causes moral, spiritual and physical destruction. Just eat, sleep and be lazy. Make it your general lifestyle: and watch what happens in your body! Proverbs 21: 25 says, “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.” (See also Prov. 24: 30 –34). Remember the saying - An idle mind is the devils workshop! The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Holiness. The Holy Spirit has come into our life to produce godliness. Those who resist this working of the Holy Spirit can expect sickness and disease. 1 Timothy 4:8 says, “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” How much importance we give to exercising and how little to godliness! Exercising (specially as the world teaches) has little benefits. But attending to godliness has all the benefits of exercising, has great promises for the present life and the next. A godly person will be an active person going about serving His God and reaps all the benefits of godliness which exercising cannot give. In our present culture, exercising is a promised magic cure for all kinds of ailments and to what lengths one goes to in this pursuit! Put that effort into godliness and watch how sickness and disease stay away from you. Depending on exercising and not on godliness cannot keep sickness and disease away from you. God has His method of starting or stopping the life cycle. Sickness and diseases among infants and children can be a direct result of parents having meddled, in a worldly way, with the life cycle ordained by God. How many God given children have been aborted or received deadly medication while in the womb? Only God knows that number of attempted murders! The devil will try to hurt the child even in the womb. Traumatic experiences during pregnancy can cause deformities in children later. Malachi 2:15 tells us that God wants godly children. The devil does not want this to happen. Proverbs 16:18 teaches us, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Sickness and diseases that cause us to fall terribly in life or destroy our life can be caused directly by a proud heart. Pride is Lucifer’s chief characteristic and his main weapon that he uses on every one. May God remove all hidden pride in any form. The first commandment has always been and always will be Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (See also Matthew 22: 37, 38). God promises life to those who love Him. Deuteronomy 30:16 “In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” 2 Timothy 3:4 warns us about being lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Not loving God as He desires, can cause lack of life. Death producing conditions can set in. May the eyes of God’s people be opened to see that our God wants us to glorify Him and His salvation in our spirit, soul and bodies, which belong to God. 
Antioch House Email : wecare@antiochhouse.org |
