Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 19 records the day when the Creator of all Heaven and Earth, made an announcement to His creation for all to consider and decide. You see, indecision is a decision in itself. In other words, if you decided not to decide then the decision is already made. You choose to keep things they way they are, abandoning all choice and control over your life and it's future. This is the choice of fools, and the end results is never good. But let's look at what GOD says to His creation.
In Deuteronomy, chapter 30 we begin with verse 19 ...
I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose
life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your GOD, by obedying HIS voice, and by holding fast to HIM; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord sword to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30:19-20 [NASB]
All I can say is .... "WOW!"
GOD Himself, the Creator of all Heaven and Earth, says to His creation that they must choose. Did you notice that this was not just a nice idea thing? GOD called all of Heaven and Earth to be witnesses so that we cannot say, "Well, uh, I didn't know." This was decreed by GOD Himself, and not only was He clear that we had a choice, but HE even told us "which" one to choose! "Life!"
What Are You Going To Do?All throughout life, we have been brought up to accept the things around us at face value. People get sick and they die. Some are born blind, some have heart disease, some cancer, and some just stay sick most of the time. And when asked about it, you will almost always hear, "Well, the Doctor says ..." and in that hearing it becomes very clear that we have become a people that listens to the voice of authority. The problem is, we are listening to the wrong authority.
In 1 Peter 2:24, Peter quotes Isaiah 53:4-5 where the scripture tells us about the sacrifice of the "Lamb of GOD". That Lamb is Jesus! For it is HE Who died upon the cross for us, to be the sacrifice in our place, for the sin in our lives. And in the New Testament, Peter is telling us of the scripture in Isaiah that tells us that Jesus was beaten and took the stripes upon his back in a horrible beating that the Romans were famous for.
You see, we often say that Jesus was beat with a "cat-of-nine-tails", a weapon fashion by the British in the Royal Navy on or about 1695. But actually Jesus was beat with what is called a flagellum. The difference is "the cat" had 9 thongs of pleated rope to beat one with. At the end of each of these was a knot, followed by thin strands of smaller strands that were then braided again. A beating with one of these could be very painful indeed! The flagellum, however, was the worst of the two.
The flagellum had several strands (or tails) as well, but these each had tied within them metal ball bearings, and broken pieces of bone! These would not only inflict severe wounds, but would catch in the flesh and tear open deeper areas of flesh as the flagellum was remove from the back for the next blow! Where the cat-of-nine-tails was a terrible way to be beaten, the flagellum was brutal and bloody, and the beatings had to be shortened, lest the victim die from the wounds!
Traditional writings and scripture have it that Jesus was so beaten with this that HE could barely walk, and yet the Roman guard forced Jesus to pick up and try to carry HIS Own cross to the hill where HE was to be crucified! Jesus strength was so tapped by the beating that HE was unable physically to carry the cross very far, and the Roman guard forced a man by the name of Simon who was from Cyrene, to carry the cross for Jesus.
I tell you this so that you realize that the "healing" that 1 Peter 2:24 provides for us came at a very, very great price! Jesus endured no small thing to see to it that "we" had the provision of healing that the Covenant of Abraham promised! And because of that beating ... that "scourging" with the flagellum, the Bible tells us that "we are healed!"
I cannot condemn my brothers and sisters for their actions, as much of this comes by habit. But when the Dr. comes to you and tells you that you have a particular sickness, I pray that in the same manner that a sudden severe headache comes, you would suddenly remember what THE WORD of GOD says about you and your condition! The WORD says that you are "healed" - not sick! And before you even speak, you must take a moment to remember that GOD has already warned you what you should do! YOU - MUST - CHOOSE - LIFE!
Fight For Your Right To Be Healed!Corey Ross, a very dear friend of mine, and my spiritual covering as a minister, (my pastor) was once presented with a diagnosis by the Dr. and Corey told the Dr. that he did not have it. The Dr. reminded him again and again, and finally the Dr. said, "Look son, I don't know what you think you may have, but you - have - chromes disease!"
Corey, not being moved by his situation or what he might have been feeling at the time, stood his ground in faith! He remember that GOD told him to "choose Life", and he looked that Dr. right in the eye and said to him, "Look Doc, I don't know where your coming from, but my GOD died on the cross so that I don't have to take this thing you're talking about. Doc, I - DO NOT - HAVE - CHROMES - DISEASE!!"
You see, Corey chose "Life"! The things we deal with from day to day are not always seen in the physical realm. They are fought in the spirit and the results appear in the natural, or the physical. When the devil shows up and gives the Dr. all of the symptoms that he needs to see to pronounce something upon you, "THINK" before you open your mouth! It's "YOUR" choice - LIFE ... or DEATH!
When sickness comes your day, be it a cold or flu, a stomach ache, motion sickness while on a cruise, or something more serious maybe ... YOU - HAVE - A - CHOICE! Choose "LIFE"!
Folks, when the Dr. comes in and tells you that you just may have ALS, or heart disease, or maybe even cancer, you need to get serious about this! The wolf is standing before you in the woods! One of you is going to die! Which will it be? You, or the wolf? It's time to get your hands bloody, gouge out his eyes, his throat, or whatever it takes! YOU MUST CHOOSE LIFE!
Believe what the WORD of GOD says, no matter what the Dr. says - no matter what the people around you are saying - and no matter what your body is telling you ... YOU CHOOSE LIFE, and you "fight for it"... in Jesus name!
You cannot leave this Earth until you've completed what GOD sent you to do here! Do you hear me? YOU - ARE - NOT - DONE! I know this from experience! You have to fight - fight - fight!!! Don't ever lie down and accept a diagnosis that does not line up with what your Bible says. You will never please GOD that way. The Bible says that GOD is pleased ... by faith. It is impossible to please GOD without faith, so you'd better get busy!
Remember this:
In the Bible, Romans 12:1 tells us to make our bodies a living and holy sacrifice unto GOD. It's time to get busy! Don't take the easy way out ... choose the "GOD path" ... choose LIFE!
Make me proud!
-pastor rich-
WORD CHURCH is a church, a ministry, and a fellowship, even an outreach, where like in the days of the Apostles and Acts, the people joined together! 
