4Mar2014 - Food & Wine

How you doin?  I'm back to work today.  Praise Jesus.  I'm very thankful to have a job.  It's been 3 months off from work.  God has provided for us in a miraculous way.  Stacey and I continue to monitor our checking and savings account and they "some how" are in great shape.  There is an incredible testimony in this, because as we figure all that has come in and gone out over the last 3 months, there is just no way "on earth" that we should be in the position we are in.  More on this later.  James 5 today.

This chapter didn't blow me out of the water... this morning.  It's probably that God is offering me wine last night and today.  He offers me food (His Word) most of the time, but last night and today He's offering me wine (the intoxicating Holy Ghost).  Verses 15-16, "and the prayer ^[l]offered in faith will ^[m]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, ^[n]they will be forgiven him. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective ^[o]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."  Prayers offered in faith.  What's the point in praying if I don't have belief or faith in the prayer being answered.  I've been involved in prayers that healed, delivered, and transformed.  I believe God will do those things through me.  I have not experienced raising someone from the dead.  It's because I don't believe God will do that through me.  I believe God does that in my mind, but not in my heart.  Maybe some day.  I'm fascinated by the idea of sin and sickness.  The idea that sin is connected to sickness or handicap.  I think of John 5:14, Mark 2:9-11, Luke 5:23-24, and Matthew 9:5-6.  These Scripture really connect forgiveness of sin and healing.  I can't say I understand it, but I'm praying for revelation about it.  Forgiveness is a subject that I need tons of revelation about.

So back to the miraculous.  Stacey and I received a text message last night about a healing.  A person that we trust and love dearly was dealing with tremendous shoulder pain.  Her text message read, "This morning I woke up and my shoulder pain had returned.  Just got worse as the day went on.  Just now it was so bad I was almost in tears.  I put my hand on my shoulder and prayed for healing.  My shoulder felt warm and then IMMEDIATELY better.  Like 100% better."  PRAISE JESUS!!!!!!!  We were watching Cindy Jacob on Bethel TV when we received this text.  The Holy Ghost is SO COOL!!!!!!!

This morning while praying with Stacey, I prayed for increase of belief, faith, mercy, grace, revelation, wisdom, and love.  Some light praying this morning as usual.  As soon as I finished that sentence, I had a vision of Jesus knelt down on one knee and extending His hand as though to be giving me something.  He was extending it in motion as though something was rolling off of His hand.  He had the hugest smile on His face.  I thrive on the food, that is God's word, that is offered to me in the Bible, but I have learned not to resist the drink, which is the experience of the Presence of the Holy Ghost.  The drink usually comes with visions, signs, wonders, miracles, and other things that I found hokey, staged, and weird.  Now I've learned to enjoy the intoxicating new wine that Jesus offers.  Bill Johnson says it best, "When God offers you food... eat.  When He offers you drink... drink".  Eat your food and drink your drink today.

PS   Please check out our new website, SNJCE.com.  Stacey's in the best shape she's been in for 6 days.  She had amazing insight on today's Scripture.  I've asked her to write some of her journal entree in this email.  Without further ado, here's Stacey: 
     As I was reading James 5 I get the feeling that vs 1-6 are in context of before or after or something.  He warns the rich that have hoarded their wealth.  He talks about harvesters and workers of fields.  I think he is talking about the Pharasees or the Jews who refused to believe in Jesus... they are rich in genealogy, but it has been other people that have done the work, and they have not invested and joined in.  "Your wealth has rotted and moths have eated your clothes" (this happens when things aren't used)... the wealth (rich inheritance as God's chosen people) wasn't used and is now useless.  "their corrosion will testify against you... the wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you"... the wages?  How do wages cry out?  THE WAGES of sin are death- wow... But the gift of God is eternal life... The wealth is the gift of God (salvation).  But yours is rotten and moth eaten (unused) and those mowing the field arent being paid... "the cries of the harvesters" (the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few).  So they have persecuted the harvesters by withholding wealth (God's gift).  "You have condemned and murdered innocent men who were not opposing you."  The prophets, the followers of Jesus, etc.  These verses have nothing to do with money and living in luxury.  vs 7 "Be patient then brothers until the Lord's coming... the Lord's coming is the 70AD destruction of the temple, massacre of the priests, and destruction of the genealogical records... Now James is encouraging the workers/harvesters that "the judge is standing at the door."  Persevere like the prophets and like Job. 

     It is amazing how verses taken out of context are very dangerous.  These verses have nothing to do with money and rich people and how bad money is and how bad living in luxuries is... no nothing about that.  This is talking about those who have rejected the gift of God (Jesus) for their worthless genealogy as "sons of Abraham" (who Jesus calls sons of the devil) and their blindness to the truth and persecution of the church.  WOW.