Happy Sunday!

Last night, we went to the amazing memorial service for little Tyson Woody. It was moving! The theme for the entire night was: sometimes bad things happen to good people… and when we all face situations beyond our understanding, we have to trust God and worship him no matter what!

To the Woody and McClure families and especially to Tyson’s parents, Jeremy & Summer Woody: Thank you for demonstrating GRACE! Thank you for inspiring this entire community with your words and actions, your trust and love, and with your beautiful obvious FAITH in Jesus Christ. God was honored, oh how He was honored! You praised Him in this storm… and none of us that watched you will ever be the same!

Maybe one of our readers is facing a terrible situation right now… maybe real tears are beginning to gather at the rim of your bloodshot eyes… maybe life at this moment is far more than you can bear alone.

I don’t believe God sends the storm… I do believe He can calm the storm! This earth is filled with pain… the result of our fall in Genesis 3. Sometimes, bad things do happen to the very best people.

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12 plus thoughts about moving mountains

That being said. I do believe healing is a biblical promise obtained at the cross just like salvation. I think it is a great thing to teach people the following:

1. We can live longer and healthier with FAITH than without faith.
2. As believers, we should learn all there is to learn about all the benefits of our salvation: including the promise of physical and emotional healing.
3. Jesus said that nothing is impossible for them that believe… therefore, we should never limit God in his ability.
4. John 10:10 explains how the devil came to steal, kill, and destroy… and Jesus came to give life-abundant life. This verse and many other verses well contrast the difference between the devil’s mission and the mission of Jesus.
5. Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about DOING GOOD and healing all who were oppressed with the devil.” This doesn’t mean that every person who is sick has some kind of demon… but that it’s the devil who brings bad and Jesus does GOOD.
6. 1 John 3:8 says, “For this purpose was the son of God manifested, that he might DESTROY the WORKS of the devil.” Therefore, Jesus came to save us and heal us from all the devils works: spirit, soul, and body.
7. So we have to believe that God loves us and WANTS US WELL… that he wants us healthy… that he is the force of GOOD in this earth working through faith and doctors and medicine to make the sick BETTER.
8. FAITH is very different from HOPE. When it comes to obtaining any biblical promise by faith, we have to do more than wish for things to get better. Hebrews 11:1 says this, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for… the evidence of things not yet seen.” In other words… FAITH gives SUBSTANCE to our HOPES. The hope is the DREAM… we need HOPE to get better-it’s the dream that keeps us holding on. But HOPE alone cannot change a circumstance.
9. There is a difference between Thomas faith and Abraham faith. Thomas only believed AFTER he got to see and touch the nail scarred hands of Jesus. Abraham, the guy who is eternally labeled as the FATHER OF FAITH… Romans 4:17 says that Abraham, “Believed God who makes the dead alive and calls things that are NOT as IF THEY ARE.” In other words… Abraham had hope of Gods promises and with FAITH he stood on Gods promise until his circumstance matched his faith… and his FAITH created the substance of his hopes.
10. Faith then, is the vehicle that drives us to a biblical promise.
11. None of this negates the blessing of doctors and medicine. And until a person is confirmed healthy by a doctor, he or she should continue to take prescribed medicines and suggested treatments.
12. Do I believe a person can get cured from illness by putting their faith in Jesus? Yes! Most definitely! As I mentioned in point number 1… there is no down side to BELIEVING.

There is so much more to this subject. In summary: Sickness came into the earth when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Sickness is in the earth today as a result of original sin NOT individual sin. Sickness is no respecter of persons. It attacks bad people, good people, and even the greatest people of all.

Why do bad things happen to good people? Because there is a devil-and he is always looking for another victim. And in this fallen civilization… Jesus came to give us LIFE. He came to make us better! He came to restore us spiritually, and heal us emotionally and physically. Faith can and faith does make a difference. Even secular statistics have shown that people of FAITH live longer and healthier than people without faith.

Faith can move mountains! Faith can heal the sick! Faith can bring a broken marriage back together! Faith can prolong life and enhance the quality of life! Faith CAN cure anything… even diabetes, heart conditions, cancer, arthritis, and the such!

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when the mountain does not move

And in those times, when we have done everything we know to do… and still end up with what seems to be an unanswered prayer… there is GRACE to carry us. This is when we trust God even when we cannot trace him. This is when we open our Bibles to Romans 8:28 and we read: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

This is when we look back and see only ONE SET OF FOOTPRINTS in the sand… and we know that God is holding us tightly in his loving arms. When the hugs don’t help, and the cards don’t help, and the flowers and meals and encouraging words from other humans are still not enough to lift us from the floor… GOD bends down to LIFT US UP! His GRACE is always enough!

This is when we know that even in our seeming defeat, we are ALWAYS victorious! That God’s ways are much higher than our ways… that HE IS ABLE to make good result from the painful things we endure.

In the story of Tyson Woody… I cannot fathom the pain of losing my two year old son. Yet, I am CONVINCED of life after death for those who believe in Jesus Christ… that even 90 years on this earth is but a vapor of time. We are all here today and gone tomorrow… and then the glories of heaven!

God has taken a very painful situation… and he has turned it around! Because of the UNSWERVING FAITH of these families, many are putting their trust in Jesus! I thank God for his AMAZING GRACE as seen so clearly in the Tyson Woody story! God bless them and God bless you all today!