THIS WEEKS MESSAGE Righteousness, Peace & Joy - Part 3 Presented by Pastor
John S. Torell
from his home church Your responses and comments are always welcome. 14 December 1997 Good morning. We are going to continue our study in Righteousness, Peace and Joy. I have never did a work like this before. God has shown me spiritual cancer. Have you ever heard about spiritual cancer before? A lot of people have spiritual cancer. If you look at what surrounds spiritual cancer, it is not a very pleasant thing to have. The spiritual cancer virus is made up of Hopelessness, Death, Unbelief, Depression, Destruction, Fear, Despair, Regrets, Suicide, Living in the past, and Unbearable pain. I want to share with you today how we can overcome this cancer that has overtaken so many people in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to John chapter 14 verse 27. [I have been stating this now for two weeks-God's spiritual law of peace and harmony for the body.] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. I want to emphasize this again. God has created us with an immune system. This immune system is second to none. You must understand that we live on a very hostile planet. This is a hostile environment. If we could look at your skin under an electronic microscope, you would find billions of germs and viruses crawling all over our skin. We are literally covered with germs and viruses. God knew this. So what did God do? He created an immune system that is so strong that we can walk through this environment and not be affected. If the immune system goes down, the disease will come inside of our body. I have shared with you in prior sermons that when our body and soul are well, that the brain is sending out low frequency waves through the nervous system to every cell, so that every cell is strong. When sorrow and grief hits you, the soul begins to sag. When the soul is broken, the brain will not put out the waves and the body will begin to retract into a defenseless situation. If you work in a hospital, you'll know that a patient that has had surgery and is laying in their bed, they will recover if they are given hope and are joyous. If you take a patient that has a broken spirit, that is full of sorrow and despair, they will not heal and get well. This is a well known fact. Jesus said this, "My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." To turn to John chapter 16 verse 33. [You might say, "We have heard this for the third time." Yes! You need to hear it three times, because most of us hear and we do not understand, or we do nothing with what we hear.] These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: [Jesus said that you will have tribulation in this world.]but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Turn to Romans chapter 5 verse 1. Therefore being justified by faith [Our salvation], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Turn to Romans chapter 14 verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of man. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. [The world does not have peace. Jesus said He wants to give us his peace. The devil is constantly trying to destroy this of law peace.] Turn to First Peter chapter 5 verse 7. [In the prophecy that was given today, God said that He will take care of our burdens. We're not to hang onto them.] Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. [This is where we receive our peace.] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same affections are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. [Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.] How do we get to this position? Let's do a check up. How many of you like earthquakes? How many of you can control earthquakes? What would happen if you had an earthquake this morning? We are supposed to have a major earthquake anytime. Before you came into this sanctuary, did you check the structure of this building? Did you look to see, if we do have an earthquake, how you will get out of this building? We only have a front and entrance. You're not nervous about being in here? Praise the Lord! Why are we not nervous about this? There's nothing that we can do about it. It is out of our hands. God is going to take care of us. You are laying in your bed at home, and trying to go to sleep. A thought comes to you. What if a thief comes into my house? What if there's a rapist on his way? What am I going to do? You could set some traps for the intruder, hand grenades, have a machine gun by your side or some other weapons, you could even stay up all night. There are certain things that are out of our control. To have the peace of God is when you say to the devil, "I am not in charge of anything. I'm not in charge of the universe. I'm not in charge of the weather. I'm not in charge of anything. I'm just here for the ride. I only work here. God is in charge." Once that is settled, you can relax. If you try to save your marriage, you are not in charge. If you have a son in prison, you cannot get them out; you are not in charge. God is! God is totally in charge. When the devil comes in and says, "Now, let's have a little bit of worry, you can fret some, you can have all these things." You say, "No! I am not in charge. Talk to the boss. His name is Jesus Christ." Turn to James chapter 3 verse 14. [Last week I talked about demons and that they need spiritual food.] But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. [Or demonic] For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work. [We learned last week, do not feed the demons. Do not feed them. Just like ants they are constantly looking for a place where they can get food.] Satan is the master of all deception, which is built upon lies. Turn to John chapter 8 verse 44. [Satan is the master of all deception, which is built upon lies. This is his only weapons, he is the master liar.] You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Let's learn something here. At the cross, actually it was fulfilled at the resurrection, Jesus stripped Satan of all weapons. If I can use the term, he even stripped him of his teeth. He just has gums now. He is very ugly the Bible says. He has no more offensive weapons. He has nothing that he can hurt us with. The only weapon that he has left is deception and illusions. He is a master at his craft of illusions, because he has gone all over the universe, being able to seduce one-third of God's angels. He seduced them with his mastery in deception. Here's a description of what the devil looks like. Let's say you have a 350 Magnum revolver. It will do a lot of destruction. If the devil comes up to you, your weapon is loaded. The safety is off. You are pointing your weapon at the devil. He knows this and says, "Give me your gun." If you are approached on the street or near your home and you have a gun, or a thief is coming in and is going to do damage to your home. He says, "Give me your gun." What are you going to tell him? No! I'm not going to give you my gun, but I will give you a bullet. I will be glad to put a bullet between your eyes, unless you back off. That thief is not going to be able to talk you out of that gun. You'll say to him, "We are going to count to three. You have the opportunity, sir, to back out the door while I count to three, or you will get a slug free of charge. The gun is mine, but you can have the bullet. If you want to, you can even take it between your teeth and chew on it." If that thief knows you mean business, he will back off. If he sees that you are beginning to shake, and you're not to sure of yourself, he's going to get up, and surprise you, and take the gun out of your hand. That is exactly what the devil does. He comes up to you and says, "God does not love you anymore. You were not healed of that disease. You cannot have the joy of Lord. Look how rotten you are; now give me the gun." What gun are we talking about? We're talking about the gospel gun. The only way that Satan can defeat you is for you to hand over the gospel gun, and say, "Mr. Devil, beat the tar out of me." He will say , "I would be very happy to." The door is opened and in march thousands of demons, and they go to work on you. Before you know it, you have spiritual cancer. Satan is a master deceiver. If the devil can entice a believer in Christ to MAKE SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR DEMONS, and then to entice the Christian to SPEAKING NEGATIVELY CONCERNING GOD AND HIS PROMISES, THE DEVIL WILL NOW BE ABLE TO CREATE SPIRITUAL CANCER! Turn to John Chapter 12 verse 36. While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believe not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias when he saw his glory, and spake of him. [The key is in verse 36, While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light.] We have the light. Let us stay in the light and refuse to move aside. Turn to Matthew Chapter 12 verse 36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they should give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. [Your words shall either justify you and by your words shall you be condemned. I will try to make this a little clearer. Let's say you are at a store someplace. You're coming out of the store to the parking. As you walk over to your car, you see a group of people trying to break into it. Upon seeing them trying to break into your car, are you going to just stand there and say, "I guess someone's going to steal my car. I'm going to be walking today." No! You would quickly go back into the store and find someone to call the police. As the police arrive, they confront the thieves and they say, "This is our car." Here you are, with your keys to your car in your pocket. Now there is a confrontation between the thieves, the police and you. They question you and you say, "I think this is my car. I drove it here. I have the sales receipt at home. You can see my Bible laying in the back seat. I thought this was my car." Would you be confused? No! You would show the policeman your drivers license, your insurance card, and you would expect the policemen to force the thieves to give back your car, wouldn't you? Here you are, someone is trying to steal your body and your joy. You have God's Holy angels standing around you with powerful flaming swords. You also have a few pesky demons like little rats with no teeth at you saying, "I want this body." The angels of God are looking at you saying, "What do you want us to do with them?" "Well, I don't know. I feel sick." They just say, "Give us the word and we will knock these guys out." Another demon jumps on a your back and says, "Hopelessness! Hopelessness, it doesn't work for you. It works for everyone else, but not you. Hopelessness. The bliss of the grave." We have to learn to protect our spiritual integrity. Who do you belong to? I have been purchased by Jesus Christ, washed in the blood; I am His property. Any demon messing with me is trespassing on God's property. I am the manager of this body. I have the authority to call on God's angels. Let's look upon that spiritual cancer and how the virus grows. When cancer starts in the body, it doesn't start out as a tumor. It starts out as one single cell, one cell that says, "I'm not going to obey anymore. I'm going to split, divide myself and do my own thing." Now you have two cells. Then you have four and eight, until a tumor is built. Let's look at hopelessness. There are demons that specialize in hopelessness. They have master's degrees in hopelessness. They are very skilled. Turn to Job Chapter 3 verse 1. [I want you to see the song that they sing.] After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. [Isn't it wonderful we sing here, "This is the day that the Lord has made." The demons say, "No! This is not the day, Hee, Hee."] And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. Let the stars of twilight thereof the dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then I had been at rest. Hopelessness, how do you defeat it? The demons have no future. Isn't that wonderful? The fallen angels have no future. They are going to the Lake of Fire. They know that you have received Christ and you are on your way to heaven. So we have a group of hopelessness spirits. No hope! These spirits come along like black birds over your shoulders. They put their ugly little faces to your ear and they begin to whisper, "There is no use. You are never going to do anything. Your marriage is doomed. Your child is going to die. It is not going to work. We know it is not going to work." If you hear that, you simply say, "I do not like that song. I hate the words. The beat is unbearable. The melody is lousy, and besides you guys can't sing. Now, beat it! Get off my back!" What did Jesus say? I can do all things through He that strengthens me. With God nothing is impossible. NOTHING! Let's look upon death. That is another ugly demon. Turn to John chapter 10 verse 10. [We all know that we're going to die someday. That's not a problem. We're really not going to die, we are just going to take a trip in the old gospel ship to heaven. The Devil is going to take an elevator to downstairs.] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: [I don't know how many times I've had visits by the spirit of death. Have you ever had that uncomfortable feeling where little voices in your head are whispering, stroke, aneurysm. You begin to say, "Oh, my God I feel really weird in my head. Maybe I am going to have a stroke. Will I be paralyzed?" Now other demons are going to try to come in. They say to you, "You are going to lose your ability to walk. You're going to speak with a slur." The devil is a master deceptor. How many of you have had heavy heartbeats? You are sitting and your heart starts to pound. You say, "Oh, I'm going to have a heart attack." The enemy says, "You are over 29. You're ready for a heart attack." Another spirit comes in. The spirit of fear. You say, "Oh, Dear God, who can I call? There's no one here. If I fall on the floor, who will find me?" The devil says, "That is right. You'll be here all by yourself." We have to learn to understand who we are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Unbelief is another rotten demon. The last part of John 10 verse 10. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. [Yes, the thief is coming, but I am not going to let the thief in. I'm going to have abundant life. Abundant life is not a life in a wheelchair. Abundant life is not having all the different diseases. I have been approached on a monthly basis to take out long-term health care. Two Americans out of three are going to end up in a convalescent home. There they will sit from two to three years before they die. When you enter one of these homes, you lose all your assets. The insurance companies want you to put money in their policies to buy one of their plans so when you get to that place in your life, you can sit in your wheelchair knowing that it is all paid for. I do not plan on having any one of these old age diseases. I plan on walking with the Lord until He is finished with me. At that time He will turn the pump off, and when I'm gone, they can put my body someplace. I don't care where, because I'm not there. We are conditioned to think that we have to have health care, all the different types of insurance's. People say, "How can you live?" I say, "Pretty good, by the Holy Spirit." Jesus said that He came to give us life abundant. Turn to Hebrews chapter 3 verse 12. [Usually the enemy comes in through unbelief. He hits us very hard with this.] Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. [Unbelief is a sin.] But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; [You have to knock the spirits of unbelief out.] Turn to Hebrews chapter 4 verse 6. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: [They could not get into the promised land because of unbelief. They said, "The giants are there. We cannot handle them. It is impossible." What did God say? "Fine! Walk in the desert. He shall not come in to the promise land." Unbelief is something that has to be destroyed, by saying, "I'm going to have faith in God." Depression. Turn to Jeremiah chapter 20 verse 7. [What is depression? Depression is when something did not go my way.]O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. [Jeremiah got depressed.] Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. Wherefore come I forth out of the womb to see Labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame? I want you to think about depression. Depression is when things are not going my way. I have a plan. Things change and suddenly I get depressed because now I've lost control over the situation; it is not going my way. Jeremiah was prophesying. He was preaching hell, fire, and brimstone. Nothing happened. He was put in a dungeon and said to God, "I knew this would happen. You had me speak and nothing happened." Depression came in. What is depression? It is when you lose your money, your job, things break and you're devastated. The demons of depression come in to say, "Yes! You are done. You are old. You are out. You are cold. You are finished." They try to give you spiritual cancer. This is when you need to begin to say, "In the name of Jesus, I will not receive this."] Unbearable pain. Turn to Job chapter 2 verse 2. [The devil knows how to load us up.] And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there it is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her , Thou speaketh as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. [Unbearable pain. Job did not known that God was not mad at him. Job did not know that Satan was putting this on him to break his back. All Satan wanted was for Job to say, "All right, God, I give up. Curse you, God!" Satan would have said, "Thank you!" The devil tries to break us. So what if we have unbearable pain. Jesus will take it. Jesus is what heals the pain. It says, "By his stripes we have been healed." We will even have power over unbearable pain. I know the day may come when we may be taken to a prison camp someplace. We might be tortured. I believe that we can go beyond pain by throwing ourselves totally on Christ in a faith that is absolute and unwaving.] Living in the past. Turn to Numbers chapter 14 verse 1. [Every one of these virus attacks I've actually gone through myself over the years, in different stages.] And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hast the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. [Egypt was never great to begin with. You hear people talk about the good old days. There were no good old days. They only exist in our mind. We think they were good days, when they were not good days. We don't remember the pain, we only remember the good stuff. Going back to Egypt. Living in the past. If I was going to live in the past and think about the things that I use to do, I would be so depressed, I would look for a rope and hang myself. The past is over. The past is gone, it will never come back. Today is the day that we have and tomorrow is a new day. Don't live in the past. My wife and I are sentimental. We have slides by the thousands, books and records. We got away from looking at this material because, when looked at it, we would become depressed. We would think about what we use to have. Then Satan would say, "Look at what you don't have." Get out of the past! The past is over. Move on! Let's look at the demon of suicide. Turn to Matthew chapter 27 verse 3. [These are nasty little demons.] Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I've betrayed the innocent blood, And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. [Judas repented, but he was dumb. Instead of going to God and saying, "Father God, forgive me. Forgive me for doing this." He said, "I cannot be forgiven for this." Hopelessness came in. Then he went and hung himself. Over the years when things were tough, I had demons of suicide. One bunch of demons said this, "Why don't you just get your car and take your credit card, go have a good time and then just disappear. Then all your troubles will be gone." Other demons came up and said, "It is not going to work out. Here's an easy way out. Take a car up to 90 mph, find a nice firm tree, crash and you are out of here. Easy!" Before I was delivered, there were times in my life when I had the steering wheel pulled from me. I had to fight to keep the car on the road. These demons are powerful, buy there is the blood of Jesus. Suicide is another deception because it solves nothing. If we think we have problems now, taking the road of suicide, we will be met by Gods holy angels with chains of iron. Satan is a master of deception. If we have hopelessness, depression, despair, and unbearable pain in our life, suicide looks like a pretty good deal. Deception! Let's take a look at the demon of fear. Turn to First Kings chapter 19 verse 1. [The Bible has all the answers for us.] And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. [Fear! This man had just came down from the mountain top, and wiped out all the Baal prophets. He had supernatural strength, and he was at the peak of his career so to speak. A demon of fear came, and he sold everything to that demon of fear. He said to himself, "I'm going to die." Understand one thing, demons have no weapons except what you give them. They cannot give you spiritual cancer, unless you accept the garbage that they give you. We need to take a hold of this; we must stand on Christ, until we have the victory. Cancer in the human body is caused by cells, who are rebelling against the order of creation. They are rejecting instructions from God and are building their own structure (tumors). LUCIFIER IS SPIRITUAL CANCER! He rebelled against God and is building his own structure, called the KINGDOM OF DARKNESS. Turn to Isaiah chapter 14 verse 12. How art you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art you cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For you hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. [Lucifer said, "I don't like this. I do not want to be under God anymore. I want to be No. 1. I'm going to put my throne above God's throne. I'm going to let them worship me." You have to understand that he is a created being. He is not God. He was destroyed. Cancer is rebellion. Rebellion is cancer. Satan's kingdom is nothing but a tumor that is growing on this earth, trying to destroy God's work. Turn to First John chapter 3 verse 8. [The second half of this verse.] For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. [Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. That means every cancer, every disease. Let's begin to proclaim who we serve and we are.] Lucifer invades the KINGDOM OF GOD, and causes SPIRITUAL CANCER IN THE LIVING STONES! Turn to First Peter chapter 2 verse 1. [As I was watching the News last night, I saw one of the most miserable men on the planet earth in an interview. He is a clothing designer. His first name is Thomas. He is about 45 years old. He is a multi-millionaire. He has built an empire. The reporter asked him, "How does it feel to be able to influence people? They dress how you tell them. They wear your underwear. They eat your food. They hear your music. Everything that you have created, they do. How does that feel?" The reply was, "Wonderful! I want to do more. I want to break into television. That way I can give the people everything they want." I looked at this man and I saw beyond his body. I saw a monster. I saw a selfish, ugly, no good human being, with lots of money, with the power to crush people, and play god with a small "g". I thought, "You poor man. You have nothing." We take an actor like Clint Eastwood, who is supposed to be a nice guy. He just had a baby. He does not want to advertise that he had two or three aborted, prior to this one, from other women. He did not want those babies to live- Another selfish, devilish, man, of the world. These are the heros in the world?] Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby: If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. [Here is the picture I want to give to you. You and I are the body of Christ. We are living stones. We're like a living cell. The body of Christ is vibrating on this earth by all the people that are saved. Satan invades our body and infects us with a spiritual cancer, so that the body of Christ, Jesus physical body, has cancer. What does cancer do to Jesus body? The same thing that it does to the physical body. It slows His body down, it puts in destructive hindering things. Jesus came to destroy that.] The Lord just gave me this illustration. God creates all flowers. He creates the last rose in the summer, the last rose before the frost comes. God creates that rose beautiful, marvelous, wonderful, knowing that the rose will only last one night, then it will die. He says, "This is my last rose and I want it to be beautiful." When the devil comes into us and tells us that we are getting older, you're going to die, it is a bum wrap. This is when you need to stand up and say, "If I be last rose in the summer, I do not care. I'm going to give my fragrance. I'm going to give my colors. I'm going to give my love, because when I am finished, I'm going to see my master, Jesus Christ. No regrets! Once we come to this position, Satan has nothing to tempt us with. He has nothing to hook into, because we're totally immersed in Christ. It doesn't matter what happens to us. Then he has to go. As long as you and I are trying to hang onto something, we will lose it. Turn to Romans chapter 5 verse 1. [What is the remedy for spiritual cancer? The blood of Jesus!] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patiences, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. This is your foundation. Stand upon it, the blood of Jesus. If this would be the last sermon that I would ever preach, I would not be depressed. I know this, that I have finished what God has given me to do. God would not remove me until I am finished. I want you to hear and understand that. You will not die until you have finished. If you die, you have finished. Why sweat it? God has a plan for us. When we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Turn to First Peter chapter 2 verse 6. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which being disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. [Hear me with your spiritual ears and eyes! You heard a testimony this morning. This person had an aneurysm. He broke down. He was not saved. He could not do anything. God moved on his friend, who was a believer in Christ, to pray for this person. We prayed for him here by prayer request. God move and that man survived. He not only survived, but he was healed. I believe he also will be saved, because of the prayers of the saints. If God can do that much for an unbeliever who was not been saved, how much can He do for you and I today? What is the matter with our unbelief?" Turn to Mark chapter 5 verse 25. [Faith in God brings PEACE, JOY AND HEALING OF OUR SOULS AND BODIES!] And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood 12 years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, if I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciple said unto him, Thou seest a multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked around about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing in trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. [Faith, peace, be whole of your sickness. Faith in God brings joy, peace and healing of our souls.] RESTORATION BEGINS WITH REPENTANCE. Turn to Psalms chapter 51 verse 1. [You may say, "I have repented." We need to repent of our unbelief.] Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speaketh, and be clear when thou judgest. [David repented.] Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shall make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. RESTORATION BEGINS WITH REPENTANCE and IT IS COMPLETED IN TOTAL FAITH IN GOD. Turn to Luke chapter 8 verse 49. While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. [These words were spoken over 1900 years ago. Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. Fear not, believe and Jesus will walk by you.] And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And the spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done. [ Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. It is completed in the total faith in God.] How do you overcome spiritual cancer? By the blood of Jesus. Faith in God. The restoration begins with repentance. It is completed in total faith, in God. I have two questions. Are you a fool? Are you a wise man? Turn to Proverbs chapter 18 verse 2. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach. The words of a man's month are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as flowing brook. It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgement. A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. [Are you a fool? Have you understood what God is trying to tell you today? Have you finally come to the understanding what it means to have spiritual cancer? Look upon that ugly virus. Can you say, "Father God, in the name of Jesus, I want to have a heavenly injection to kill that virus. I want to be free." A fool will say, "It won't work in my life. You are a respecter of persons." Turn to Proverbs chapter 9 verse 8. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. [Are you a wise man or woman? I will take instructions.] For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. We have for the past three Sundays been looking at Righteousness, Peace & Joy. I think that you are beginning to see where we are at as individuals. The question that comes is are we going to take action? Are we going to take action in our personal lives or we going to go home and go back to the same things again and again? Are you today going to say, "Spiritual cancer is going to go out of my life." You may not have a full-blown virus in you. You may have a portion, two parts, half a part; you do not want any parts. If you find any of this virus that exist in your life, why not today go to God and say, "Father God, I want You to take holy fire from your altar in heaven and burn it. I want it to be evaporated. I want to be made whole and full of the Holy Ghost." If you're listening to us by tape or reading this over the net, you might say, "How can I pray and do things now, when I'm not at your service?" Here's what you do. Go to God and say, "I want to be made whole. I do not want this virus in me. I want it destroyed." Go to God and lay these things out before him: hopelessness, death, unbelief, depression, destruction, unbearable pain, , living in the past, suicide, regrets, despair, fear, and say, "Father God, take them from me and set me free." God will do it. Begin with repentance. Go to prayer right now. May God richly bless you is my prayer.
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