Paul's affliction
2 Corinthians 12:7 - “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” It is commonly believed that Pauls thorn in the flesh was a sickness. Yet when we dig into the word a little we find that it is not a sickness but a devil trying to wear Paul down. The term “thorn” is also refered to in the old testiment as enemies of Israel.
Numbers 33:55 says, “But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”
Joshua 23 13 says, “ Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.”
Judges 2:3 says, “Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.”
Paul refers the thorn in the flesh as a messenger of satan, not a sickness. The Greek word is here is “Angelos” which means a messenger, it has a personality. The messenger is not from God is clear when the scripture says, “a messenger of satan”.
Also if being buffeted with a sickness, Paul would be sick, then not sick, sick then not sick. To buffet means to hit or beat, repeatedly. To hit with repeated blows. So what where the buffetings that Paul faced? “… I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” 2 Cor. 11:23-27
So we see here that it was being beaten, whipped, without sleep, hungry and thirsty, that was his buffetings (persecution) and not sickness. Sickness is not even mentioned here. When Paul asked God to remove his thorn. 2 Cor. 12:8 God told Paul that His strength was made perfect in weakness, not sickness. Some say Paul’s sickness was his eyes. This cannot be because God healed Paul’s eyes in Acts 9:17,18 “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” In this verse it very clearly says that God healed Paul, and we know that all of God’s gifts and callings are without repentance. “for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29
Many that have been in healing services, seeing other people healed begin to build expectancy (faith) to be healed themselves. Now what kind of faith do you think would be generated by Paul if he was walking around with ugly puss using out of his eyes telling people that God wanted them well?
Job’s afflictions
I have heard many people say that they are like Job. That God is making them sick to teach or show them something. This is wrong, because when we read the book of Job we realize that it is not God at all that is attacking Job but satan. Job lived in a constant state of fear for his family. We know this because he says,
” “For the thing which I feared greatly is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come upon me.” Job. 3:25 He was in constant fear that his children would sin against God. Job did not have the promises that we have in this covenant, nor did he have the revelation of the Word as we do today. Fear is the opposite of faith. Faith moves God, fear moves the devil. Demons feed of from fear. When God said to satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Job 1:8 It was not that God was letting satan have Job. Job already had an opening through fear. The word for “considered” can also be taken to mean “have you fixed your eyes on”, so in essence God could be saying “have you spotted my servant Job? Remember satan had just come before God after going to and fro in the earth and walking up and down in it. Job. 1:7 When God mentioned Job, satan answered as though he had already knew everything about him. So it was not like satan had not seen him and then God points him out. It would make more sense that satan was pointing out to God that he saw Job and was going to go after him. God is a loving God, he would never give his children over to the devil just to see how they act. It was satan not God who smote Job with sore boils. We know that because of Jesus we have power over satan now. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19 So we have to remember some facts about Job. Number one he did not have a mediator as we do. Two, he did not have revelation of the word. Three he was under an old covenant, and he was very ignorant about his rights in that. Not to mention we live under a new covenant. We have also been given power through the Holy Ghost, Job did not have that. Also before we move on, remember that Job even admitted that he spoke foolishly of the things he did not understand. “Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6
There are usually four reasones someone becomes sick or gets symptoms of sickness.
1. Satan is trying to slow a man or woman of God down who is doing a great work for the Lord.
2. A person is ignorant of God’s word so satan is just trying to take that person out while he has the opertunity.
3. There is a doorway open through sum kind of sin in the persons life.
4. The person is not taking care of his body. He is eating junk that has no nutritional value and so the body begins to break down because it lacks proper nutrition to survive.
If you are the first person listed, and satan has attacked you know that if you abide in the word and hold to your confession you will come out on the other side healed. Satan is just trying to intimidate you. Hold on to your confession “by His stripes you are healed.” God will not let you down.
If you are the seconed person on the list, just keep pressing in and learning and applying God’s word to your situation. Never doubt God, he will always come through if you trust him.
There are still those that fail to receive healing sometimes, but that could be because of a lack knowledge (Hosea 4:6) or unbelief, or through disobedience to God in some way. It is never God’s fault. “…let God be true, but every man a liar;” Romans 3:4
If you are the third person listed then your only hope is to repent and turn from those things you know are wrong and begin to obey God and grab onto His word and God will heal you. James 5:15 You can be forgiven and healed at the same time. In fact John G. Lake would say that “the moment a man was born again he was healed”. Why would he say that? Because he knew that sin and sickness are related to each other. They both come from the same tree, Death. One branches into sickness the other branches out into sin. We defeat them both the same way. By faith! Jesus bore our sins and our sicknesses. You don’t ever hear a preacher saying God forgives some sin, but others he might not.
If you are the fourth person listed, you are probably eating fast food all the time and making microwave food. Some people just need to sit back and look at the junk they are putting into there bodies. Remember you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, take care of that temple. Just a few quick facts to think about. If you can plant the food your eating and in a few weeks it sprouts up a vegetible or fruit plant you are eating real living food. If you plant a pizza or a box of noodles in the ground what will you get? Mold! That’s right your body is creating new cells every second, and what ever you put into that body is what it uses to rebuild damaged and old cells. Did you know that scurvy is a disease caused by deficiency of vitamin C. In the same way cancer, many believe is a vitamin B17 deficiency. B17 is found in many kinds seeds, like apple and apricot seeds. (World without cancer video). Pharmaceutical companies try to scare the public away from natural cures because it makes them no money and they can’t patent it. If doctors and Pharmaceutical companies got paid only when people were well, we would have more healthy people. But they don’t, they make a living of from people being sick. The love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) Don’t get me wrong there are many, many godly doctors that love people and even love God. But unfortunately the system they are working for is broken. The word warns us about the pharmaceutical companies “…for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” Revelation 18:23 More people are dying from prescription drugs than from the diseases they are supposed to be curing. So God expects us to take care of our selves the best that we can. We can not all afford to eat really good, yet if we try to treat our bodies as the temple of God we will be all right.
The Bible says that God forgives all sin! He also heals all diseases. Psalms 103:3 If I take all your food, how much do you have left? None! If Jesus took all of our penalty for sin, how much is left for you? None! If Jesus took all of our sicknesses how much is left for you? None!
So how do we partake of this blessing from God? By faith. To get faith you must be fully persuaded of the word of God concerning healing. That way you don’t waver in your fight. The way to do this is to know God’s in this matter. You can’t believe it just because I said it, you must know it for your self from the word of God. You need to know your authority in Christ. You will never get anywhere begging God for something he has already given you. Satan is the one you will have to deal with. You will have to command him to leave your body in the name of Jesus Christ. Satan is not intimidated by little “if it be your will” prayers. Satan knows when you pray like that you don’t know what God’s will is in the matter and he will try to stay his ground. You must be sure of who you are in Christ and what he has done for you on calvary. You must also make sure that you are right with God before you ask for prayer for healing. Why? Because if you leave the door open, when the spirits are cast out they may bring more back with them.
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” Matt. 12:43-45
The Lord warned one of the men that he healed to make sure he did not go back to sin, for he told him something worse may come upon him. This is why it is so dangerous to pray for people to be healed that are still living in sin. “Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." John 5:14 Once we have asked God’s forgiveness and turned our back on known sin, and follow Christ, satan will not be able to touch you. 1 John 5:18 Sure you may be tempted to believe a sickness is coming on you through symptoms. But, if you refuse them, pay no mind to them and claim the promises of God and stand stead fast in faith. Those symptoms will eventually go.
Now we also know through scripture that God will still heal someone even if there is sin in their life. How do we know that? Simple James 5:15 tells us that “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” According to this verse what came first? Healing or forgiveness? It was after Jesus healed the man by the pool that he told him to go and sin no more. John 5:14
Just a side note, how is it Jesus had no problem telling people to stop sinning, and most Christians think that would be imposable to do? (John 8:11, John 5:14) Jesus would never tell us to do something we could not do. If you love God you will obey him. John 14:15, 21,23
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