Introduction
My small house gathering of believers is studying the book of Acts, chapter by chapter. What amazes me is how often the colonial leaders (apostles) of Jesus came across sick people and healed them. They had learned how from Jesus, who healed many people brought to Him. This phenomenon illustrates that we speak good until bad is overcome.
Why Bad Things Exist
My friend Chris recently released a video teaching, Why Bad Things Happen To Good People. In it, he explains that bad circumstances exist because people do evil in rebellion against the goodness the Creator built into Creation. Chris said that calamities bring harmful situations because the original rebellion of Humanity against God’s command released evil upon the Earth.
God Created Humans to Rule on Earth
Genesis 1 clearly says and repeats the idea that humans, made to be like the Creator, are meant to reinforce His good declarations for the Earth.
God said, “Let there be…and there was…
God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the Earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
…and it was very good.
It is obvious the Creator wanted people to carry out His reign on Earth. We were to speak good things as He spoke, and “…it [would be] very good.”
Whence Comes Evil into the World
The Enemy appeared to Eve and convinced her to go her own way and disobey the Creator’s command, bringing her husband with her. In this way, bad circumstances entered into the world:
- independence and rebellion
- lack of resources
- theft
- jealous rage
- murder
- abuse of others
- seduction and rape
- forcing one’s will on others
- power-based kingship and empires
- injury, illness, death.
These things hurt all people, good or bad.
God Works with People to Rescue Them from Evil
Starting with Noah and Abraham, the Creator has worked to reclaim His reign over the Earth through loyal people. He told Noah He would be releasing calamity on the Earth to wipe out murderous Humanity. He instructed Noah to build a huge box to shelter himself and his family and pairs of all animals, birds, and creepy crawlies from this calamity. (Genesis 6:11-14)
Noah obeyed. He believed what God said and acted accordingly. In this way, the Creator rescued (saved) Noah, his family, and all living creatures from the Flood.
The Rescue of Abraham
Abraham had a major problem. Sarah was barren, unable to provide him with an heir to his vast fortune. Abraham told the Almighty about the problem. The Almighty promised that his descendents would be like the countless stars in the heavens, like the grains of sand in number.
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)
Did the patriarch do more than agree in his hearts and minds with God’s promise? I believe he said to Sarah, his servants, the Canaanite people around him what God had said. He reported his trust in that promise. After many years, one time that Abraham went in to the elderly Sarah, she became pregnant. God brought about the impossible. He “saved” Abraham from being without an heir.
The Rescue of Humanity
In the same way, God Almighty sent a messenger to a teen girl in Nazareth in Israel. The angel said Holy Spirit would come over and in to her and get her pregnant. The baby would be God’s son and rescuer of the Israelites. Mary was among those waiting for God’s promised Anointed One. She believed the messenger and offered her body to fulfill God’s will.
That baby grew up learning and meditating on the Bible of His day, the Law, Prophets, and Writings. Lacking the rebellion gene that plagued all of humanity, Jesus deeply believed what He read and studied. He became a rabbi (teacher) and went around Israel, living by and demonstrating God’s Word. He spoke what God’s Word said about
- provision of resources
- healing of injury and illness
- reversing the effects of death.
He taught His apprentices to do the same and delegated them as colonial leaders (apostles) to spread His reign through His governing assembly (ecclesia) of Heaven’s citizens. The Acts of the Apostles records them doing just that.
Jesus Regained Human Reign on the Earth
The Perfect Human fully believed God’s word, spoke it, and brought good to people in bad situations. He took the guilt and shame deserved by all of Humanity onto Himself. He endured the agonizing death we deserved but He didn’t. He broke the power of the Enemy’s rule on the Earth through humans and became the Human who reigns and rules over Heaven and Earth.
We Speak Good…
King Jesus delegated His rulership to his apostles and told them to spread his reign over all the Earth. They were to pass on all he had commanded them. (Matthew 28:18-20).
They continued his practice of speaking God’s will and seeing Holy spirit make it happen (Acts 3:1-8). Believers wrote down the Good News (gospel) of His words for future readers to act upon.
Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. I assure you that whoever tells this hill to get up and throw itself in the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. For this reason I tell you: When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for. (Mark 11:22-24)
“And I tell you more: whenever two of you on Earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)
For it is by our faith (trusting obedience) that we are put right with God (as with Abraham); it is by our confession (speaking agreement) that we are saved. (Romans 10:10)
This is more than mere salvation from sins. Being rescued from our rebellion against God is only the start of Kingdom problem- solving. We can speak
- health to overcome injury and disease
- resources to provide where there is lack
- humble service in place of arrogant domination of people
- life to overcome death.
Application
Are you in the middle of a bad situation? Has some expert spoken facts of illness, lack of resources, powerlessness upon you? Acknowledging a doctor’s diagnosis is not a lack of faith in God. It’s facing the facts that exist. (Romans 4:19)
Agreeing with a bad prognosis is lack of faith. God has decreed good results in all situations (Romans 8:28). We simply need to speak His good decrees… over and over until we see them come to pass.
- Assess the situation. What exactly is the problem? What is the root cause of the problem?
- What does God say about the problem? What does His Word say? What do faithful believers say? What solution does He offer?
- Write down and declare what God has said. Believe and repeat what He said.
- Keep repeating it until you see the solution.
- Give thanks for the ability to “reign in life through the one man, Jesus, God’s Anointed One”. (Romans 5:17)