Morning Moments

Between the installation of IE 8 and rain as we have not had since 1994, yesterday made it impossible for me to continue our consideration of Providence or Accident. I will delay that for one more day, but want to continue to clarify sin unto death and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which IS NOT merely rejecting Christ as has been taught by so many for so long because they do not rightly divide the Word of Truth. All this we shall proceed with tomorrow.

Today I simply want to say that the goodness of God overwhelms me. There is an expression, "It's too wonderful to be real." But the amazing thing about our God is His reality. He has exposed Himself to us who often refuse to expose ourselves to one another. We hide our hurts, our doubts, our sins and suffer the loss of great encouragement.

James says, "confess your faults" to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed." I understand that the context of that statement is calling for the elders of the church, having them anoint you with oil and pray a prayer of faith over you because you have realized that your sickness is due to your sin and you want to acknowledge that sin before the elders (not the congregation).

That is something most protestant churches don't teach because we don't understand it. Because we don't do it God's way, we miss great blessing. The text in James relates to 1 Cor 11 which says, "For this cause some among you are weak and sick and some have died." They had failed to discern the Lord's body and had thus taken the Lord's table unworthily or with unconfessed sin in their lives.

Now honest to God, doesn't that make sense? How many times have two or three men or women of the church anointed someone with oil and seen nothing happen? How many time have people come forward in a church service and been anointed with oil and nothing happen?

Why do we insist on rejecting God's way of doing things? This includes the tongue speakers, faith healers, as well as the super saints that anoint everything from their houses to their babies.

The text asks a question AFTER having clearly stating that we are to confess our sins to one another, "IS ANY SICK AMONG YOU?" "Let HIM (generic) call for the elders (pastors, shepherds) of the church (local assembly, not Susie Q from Timbuktu), and let them anoint Him/her with oil, praying over him, and the prayer of faith shall heal the sick." Now why is that so hard to understand and do?

One more thing. God gives the manifestation gifts as HE wills by the Holy Spirit and it is high time we recognized that giftS of healingS are not just for the first century. Any Spirit Filled believe may be given the gift at a particular time for a particular purpose but that is not the same as the context of anointing with oil one who has recognized his sin and has called for the elderS of the church (not young men nor women) to frivolously anoint them.

Forsaking the assembly (not attending public worship) is SIN according to the writer of Hebrews and leads to a certain fearful judgment. There are so many people who have stopped going to assembly because they were offended or hurt in some way or another. GET your heart right with God and with one another and get back where you belong - not to sick and sulk, but to SERVE as a humble servant showing respect for those who are in AUTHORITY over you.

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, that grace and peace follow repentance.