Healing: pt 2 Yahweh Your Healer

Andrew Wilson's book Incomparable is a brilliant book. For anyone who doesn't have a copy... go buy it now... essentially it's lots of different chapters that explore God, his character, his nature and his attributes.


As I'm investigating what it means to call God - Healer, I reread the chapter he's written on it. I'm quoting a fair chunk of the chapter (selected bits) so all copyrights are Andrew Wilson!
The anchoring verse he uses at the start is in Exodus


Exodus 15:26
He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."

"In the verse above, we read that one of God's names is 'Yahweh-your-healer- (Yahweh-rophe). When God reveals His name, as we have seen, we need to take notice, because it is a revelation of His character. Healing is not something God did once and may or may not do now. It is part of who He is."

Wilson later goes on to look at the story of the Israelites and how despite all the miracles they've seen they are once again grumbling and doubting Him. God uses the event to reveal a new name to them, as they did not see God as a healer. 

He ends with this bit

"Of course, we know that God doesn't always heal like this (previous shared a testimony of someone being healed by God), for various reasons. Just one of those reasons, as the opening quotation makes clear, is a lack of obedience in faith. But this is not always the case, and whether or not He chooses to heal at a given moment, He is always Yahweh-your-healer, because it's His name, it's who He is . It was His name when the Israelites came out of Egypt, it still is today, and it always will be."

It's always challenging to read about healing. I've heard of various people being told they aren't being healed by God because they lack faith. Now as Wilson says one reason may be that people lack faith and therefore they aren't healed (Mark 6:1-6) but it is not the only reason and therefore telling people that they aren't being healed because of a lack of faith is the wrong thing to say I feel. I guess in all things if He heals, or if He doesn't, it is His will as Almighty God, we just should never doubt that He is Yahweh-your-healer and this will not change as He never changes.

Relating song: Healer (Hillsong) - a great song, shame about the whole controversy of its writer. The biblical truths of the song remain and it's brilliant to be reminded that "nothing is impossible for You... You hold my world in Your hands" 

Healing: pt 1?

So at Reading Family Church we will soon be having our Front Edge healing meeting (23 May). It's going to be a brilliant Sunday and though I know some people's views on healing differ, I'm a firm believer that Jesus healed, that He heals today and will continue to heal in the future. During our band practice last week, one of the guys shared this passage

Mark 1:40-45

A man with leprosy came to him (Jesus) and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

It's challenging to read passages like this and then think to myself what am I believing or expecting to see on the 23rd May... colds being removed? pain being healed... (this still brings glory to God) or that blind people will see, that crippled people will walk, people being cured of illnesses they have suffered for years from. Jesus clearly healed these sicknesses as recorded in the Bible and none was too big or small for Him, He healed all who came to Him and put their trust in Him. 

I'm trying to read up on various bits to do with healing (e.g. http://www.worshipcentral.org/blog/guest/lex-buckley/healing-in-worship) and thinking of songs that will help stir up faith (on the same website there's an interesting song called "Spirit Break Out" though I'm not too hot on the rap in the middle http://www.worshipcentral.org/song/spirit-break-out). I'm also attempting atm to write a song that I hope might try to get to grips with the topic with the working title of "Jesus You're My Healer" as there are few songs that talk about healing...

Anyways I may share my continued thoughts about it as I try to keep pressing on with it, we'll see how it goes...

How He Loves

[the clip in the background is from the film "The Passion of The Christ" please do not watch if you are faint hearted, please watch if you need to be stirred again about just how much we are loved by God]


Love is one of those words that are banded around fairly liberally. From the throw away "oh I love [add random name]" about someone you barely know but maybe makes you laugh or does something amusing, to people's passionate 'love' for their football team (I'm speaking about myself here too), it seems our society has managed to devalue what is one the greatest things we can do as human beings... 


But we are reminded that we have a God that loves us, unconditionally, jealously, passionately, eternally and the list can go on and on. In Romans Paul shows us that the Father loved us so much that He gave his only son Jesus, so that nothing could separate us from Him, not even death itself.


Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 



A song that has been stuck in my head for some time is the song by John Mark McMillan called "How He Loves". I prefer David Crowder's version (though that's of little real significance). The story of how the song was written is below.
"He [John Mark] had a youth minister he was close to and he’d been praying and praying for there to be a movement among the youth that he was leading. One morning, when they were meeting to pray he said, “I’d give my life for this if that’s what it takes to see a movement among these youth. Do whatever you need to do God.” That evening John Mark’s friend, Steven the youth pastor, died in a car wreck, and John Mark wrote the song in memory of his friend."

I love the song because it does not conform to standard lyrics or imagery but yet the simple chorus that seems pierce my heart right to it's core. It reminds me of the scene in Good Will Hunting when Matt Damon's character is repeatedly told that it was not his fault he was abused.
It's what we need to hear again and again, He loves us, Jesus loves us and that will never change.

The lyrics of the song are below and I hope your heart melts in your chest just as mine did and all those things of the earth seem to become so insignificant when you think, meditate, about just How much He loves you, me, us all...

How He loves by John Mark McMillan


Verse 1:
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

Pre Chorus:
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Chorus:
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves.

Verse 2:
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way

Some Easter highlights

1. Spending time with my parents

2. Going to Cambridge to spend some brother time with Dan

3. Meeting up with people from home

4. Going to Denmark street (always fun)

5. Eating lots of lovely food and not having to pay for it

6. Fun times in Reading when i came back for a weekend, dinner parties are always fun :)

7. Finally getting to make apple sauce/mango chutney glazed pork chops twice!

8. Finishing (hopefully) a song I've been working on

9. A nice whole family gather for Sunday Roast

10. Most importantly, remembering what it cost my Saviour to pay for my sin and how Jesus showed that love has no bounds. I'm rescued and saved because of simply Jesus and what he's done for me.

My Defender

One of my favourite ways to describe Jesus at the moment is "My Defender" i love an ad lib bit in Tim Hughes song when silence falls where he sings

In the lone hour of my sorrow
Through the darkest night of my soul
You surround me and sustain me
My Defender for evermore

Now some of you may now picture Jesus as a kind of Tony Adams/John Terry-esque footballer diving into tackles and maybe breaking some bones in the process. But at the moment i see him more as a protector, someone who will defend our corner when we can't. I think something always stirs in us whenever we hear about stories of people giving up their lives to protect others. I think its such a comfort to know that we don't face the trials of life on our own but have a God who protects and defends us through every bad time. He died to ensure that those who come to him will not perish but are covered by His love and grace.

Psalm 32:7
You are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 37:28
For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever...

Following on from that I love the phrase "Defender of this heart" found in Ben Cantelon's song Remain. It's just brilliant to think that God defends our hearts. I guess it's easy to think that God kind of protects us from trouble, though maybe from afar, but he protects our hearts too and i think that's just amazing. Just the thought of God guarding my heart from all the stuff that would seek to break it brings such a smile to my face. For everyone one who has been broken hearted or had hardships and trials that have brought you to tears, i hope it's a comfort to know that God sees it all and that he is there defending our hearts, making sure we are strong enough to rise each day. He doesn't simply surround us, he protects, sustains, and defends our fragile hearts.

I know that Rob Bell isn't everyone's cup of tea but i found this Nooma video very helpful when times are tough. It was such a fresh revelation for me that God is holding me during the storm, he's so much closer than i think and the one who's carrying me out of it, while whispering the words i need to hear.

Rescued

Though i imagine there are few actually interested, here is a song which hopefully will be complete sooooooon (well it's complete in my mind though we'll see what others say!) been working on it for a bit and it seems to have come together nicely... lets see what people think!

Working title: RESCUED

Verse 1:
When I needed a saviour
In the depth of my sin You came for me,
Lead me out of the darkness
Your arm was not too short to save
When I needed redemption
Jesus You showed that love it knows no bounds
Lavish grace now my refuge
Your arm is not too short to save

Chorus:
I’m rescued
I’m found
You paid the price that I might live
I thank You Jesus my rescuer
It’s finished
You won
Death’s conquered through Your precious blood
I thank You Jesus my rescuer

Verse 2:
On the cross You were broken
Yet Your victory was there for all to see
The Father’s plan were accomplished
You were more than enough for me
Even death could not hold You
From the grave You were raised to heaven’s throne
My triumphant redeemer
You are more than enough for me

Bridge:
All I once held dear
I count it all as loss
For the sake of knowing You my King,
All the world holds dear
It never could compare
To the joy of being Yours my God,

copyright Josh John

"The Prophecy fulfiller, Army of Demons Killer!"

Our God He Reigns - Simon Brading & 29th Chapter at Newday 2008



Brilliant! just love it!

"Wasn't Jesus just a good moral teacher?"

Upon my arrival home i realised i had never rummaged properly through my parents vast book collection, so i decided to look! I found various books which have now been added to my "to read" list, but i managed to read one of them already (it's only like a small booklet) It's called For Your Joy by John Piper and it was a good little read. It was the intro that struck me the most as it addresses that common phrase people say when they're asked who they thought Jesus was i.e. "oh wasn't he just a good moral teacher." Piper quotes a C.S Lewis who deals with the issue rather bluntly.

I am trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

I guess all that you can ask after reading that is, who do i say Jesus was if he can't simply be a 'good moral teacher'

Welcomed home

Have you ever been been gone from home for a really long time? Maybe one of your parents has been gone for awhile and you've had to have that wait at the airport where the clock goes by really slowly. Can you remember the feeling as they come round the corner and the excitement just bubbles over and you run into their arms?

I was thinking about what it will be like when we're reunited with Jesus and running into his arms. It was all sparked off by listening to the song "How long" by Al Gordon. The lines "Jesus you will wipe these tears away when the morning comes" and "Jesus we will hear the victory roar when this race is run" just made me stand back and think how amazing it'll be. All pain and suffering just wiped away as he welcomes us home and into his arms. There's still the race to run but to hear the words "Well done good and faithful servant" and know that "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7) will make everything worthwhile. The victory roar when all the saved join in the celebration that death is finally finished and we're finally with our saviour, man how amazing will that be.

In a not completely unrelated diversion, as i was looking for photos i came across the Team Hoyt. Now this is one of those rare moments where i'm moved to man tears. If you have a few minutes just watch these 2 videos (you'll be glad you did!) and think of how we have such a loving Father whos love knows no boundaries to give us life.

Who would win between...

4 words i loved to hear as a child. It all probably began from buying top trumps but comparing is most definitely fun. One of my favourite ones was being asked at school, "Josh how do you think would win in a fight between Scooby Doo and Bagpuss" Now i think there are a large amount of factors involved e.g. has Scooby Doo had a scooby snack as that affects his performance, or do they both have their entourages?... anyways i guess thats up for debate at a later date...

What sparked off this thought pattern was reading a description of Richard I (i.e. the Lionheart) during my reading for my essay

Tall in stature, graceful in figure, King Richard has long straight limbs, his father's red-gold hair and startling blue-grey eyes. He is a fine horseman and swordsman, holding a commanding appearance. Bold, daring and dashing, he shines in war, loves pageantry and dressing-up in fine magnificent clothes.

This reminded me of a description of another King...

Rev 1 12-18
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades

hmm.. if we factor in achievements i guess reconquering Acre seems rather small in comparison to defeating death itself... yikes old Lionheart never had a chance... i know who wins in my mind...

here's a video of some talking dogs just cause it amuses me so much (esp the last one)