We are blessed with a prayer by Apostle Paul who travailed fervently as he brought sinners to the saving knowledge of the Cross often met with the same fire of persecution he once applied to believers before his own conversion. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 he prays: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The spiritual, emotional-mental (the soul part of you), and physical components that make up the human being are each dependent on the other to live fruitfully on earth; each component directly affects the other’s strength, and the our body’s inner balance. This balance is called Health. Health is wellness; and wellness brings that state which all mankind is seeking: spiritual strength, peace of mind and abundance. The sum total of these three equals wholeness. Healing, or Well(ness) in Greek is huglĕs meaning a) sound, whole, in health (Mt. 12:13; 15:31; Mk 5:34; John 5:9; Acts 4:10); b) of sound speech or doctrine; c) wholesome, right (Titus 2:8).
So how do we get well—get balanced, get healthy—so that we can achieve wholeness?
Jesus hung on that Cross and gave all the world healing: The chastisement for our peace was up on Him. And by His stripes we are healed (Read Isaiah 53:4-6). When you experience the peace that only Christ can give; even though the body may be afflicted with sickness, or the pockets have no money, we overcome that pain by drinking in the joy for what was done on the Cross; and by worshiping Him, he releases unto believers what we need for that moment.
Ebenezer had a lot of difficulty learning. He could draw in detail what he saw on the blackboard; but to write was a challenge. His teacher tried his best to help improve Ebenezer’s academic ability, but to no avail. He called on the Lord: “Dear Jesus, help me to help my pupil. I just don’t know what to do!” That night, the teacher had a dream. In that dream, he saw himself at the board. He was given the key to help struggling Ebenezer overcome and even progress faster at schoolwork. The teacher was so excited, hurried to school and met his disgruntled pupil in the classroom. “Today is the beginning of better days ahead of you, my son.” He met his teacher’s smile with his own.
Not all children learn the same way. And, as different as we all are, not all people look at Jesus the same way. Based on how life has taught us and how well we’ve learned and are still learning life’s lessons, these experiences may paint our picture of who Jesus is. A young teen who has lost his parents and is stranded on the streets may look at adults as if no one cares about his plight. But he has a choice to make. Will he “see” Jesus as just another adult who will eventually leave him? Or will he put his trust in Jesus as his Savior who can deliver him off the streets and into a place of safety?
A woman who has travailed through many disappointments may look at all men skeptically. But she has a choice to make. Will she “see” Jesus as just another man whom she’ll place partial trust in? Or will she embrace Jesus as her Lord and Savior who can deliver her from a pattern of trusting in the wrong men?
Words are spirit. We cannot see them. But we know they exist because we hear them. Words—both spoken and unspoken—have the power to create and to destroy. Our thoughts and what we write or read are words which make a spiritual impact on the soul part of us because the soul contains the mind and emotions (the heart). Which words do you ingest every day? Do you tell yourself: “Jesus Christ came to destroy all the works of Satan; and if I believe in Him, He will work all things out for my good, to give me a bright future” (1 John 3:8; Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11). These are words spoken by God and written in the Holy Bible. Or do you speak wrought or created by your own fears outside the Bible? THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL . . . AND IS A DISCERNER OF THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HEART [EMOTIONS] (Hebrews 4:12). God’s Word will always be alive and powerful because it does not change. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God’s Word is Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5, 14).
THE FIRST STEP TO WELLNESS IS SALVATION. As words are spirit and Jesus is spirit, so must you be re-born spiritually in order to wield God’s Word and gain a life of healing power which brings spiritual strength, peace of mind and abundance (John 1:12-13; 10:10b). You must guard your heart; or satanic strongholds will tear it apart. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise (Jeremiah17:14).
After salvation comes baptism (in water and in the Holy Spirit) to show the world that you belong to the family of Christ. THEN, YOU MUST TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW JESUS. That CROSS IS YOUR KEY to help you overcome your pain and live in joy unspeakable. Taking your mind off the power of the cross and following earthly things, makes you an enemy of the cross. The consequence is the unbearable pain (from unspeakable evil) we see in the world today; and individually carry in our hearts. Don’t you want to replace that pain in your life with joy, those ashes for beauty?
That’s the truth of the matter called life. It’s so simple that with all the words of “logic” and “philosophy” and “scientific advancement” that go against the knowledge of who Jesus is, it all comes right back to square one: Take up the Cross or put it down (reject the Cross). Here’s the Word: And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:38). The choice is yours.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [earthly] but mighty in God for pulling down [satanic] strongholds (Read 2 Corinthians 3-6). If we are to uproot the source of our troubles, the first weapon we must pick up is the Cross. That’s the only way to receive wellness and wholeness. The Lord wants to do a new thing in you this year (Rev. 21:5). “Today is the beginning of better days ahead of you, My son, My daughter.”
© 2020, 2024 by Patience Osei-Anyamesem. All rights reserved. Published by The Light In Me Enterprise. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews or other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are from The New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
THE VIDEOS ABOVE SHOW HOW CHILDREN AND TEENS EXPRESS THEIR JOY IN THE LORD ONCE THEY CATCH AND ACCEPT THE REVELATION OF THE CROSS. THEY REPRESENT CHILDREN'S AND TEENS' CHURCHES IN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD, GHANA IN THE CENTRAL REGION, ASHANTI REGION, AND THE EASTERN REGION RESPECTIVELY.
The artwork depicted in the blog article is carefully selected to draw out the points made for healing of the soul, and by no means promote any ideologies from the various artists unless they are found in the center of God's perfect will.
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