Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.James 1: 11-12 (NIV)


 The Lord Jesus relayed the fact that we will have trouble (John 16:33). What about this trouble – trials and tribulation, and the originator thereof? One widely accepted lie from the father of lies (John 8:44) is that trouble – trials and tribulation are sent to make an individual stronger. As one person stated, all of us would be spiritual giants if that were true; the fact is a significant number are weakened. The intent of the fiery darts of the thief are aimed at destroying faith. Another lie from the thief is that trials and tribulation are from GOD to teach people a lesson. GOD who is LOVE (1 John 4:8,16) neither puts disease nor disorder on any. Jesus was sent that we might have abundant life (John 10:10b). Therefore, the idea that the origins of maladies and malfeasance are from GOD is antithetical to the mission (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2) and ministry of Jesus the Anointed One and His Anointing; He is The Healer. “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the peopleMatthew 4:23 (NIV). Mark 6:5-6 relays that the only time Jesus couldn’t do any miracles was due to lack of faith. One of the Names of GOD is JEHOVAH RAPHA – Healer of our spirits, souls, and bodies; He sent YESHUA/JESUS through whose stripes we are or were healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Another Name is JEHOVAH SHALOM – Peace which is necessarily anti dis-ease. Abba Father desires His children to be at peace on every level of our spiritual development. For the good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) we are called to produce helps in establishing God’s Covenant on earth. The thief doesn’t want us to learn all that the New Testament ratified by the Blood bestowed through the all-redeeming, re-creating, reconciling, pacifying, all-restoring blood of Jesus. Therefore, the reason why we: read and study and meditate and mutter the Word of God, welcome the Teaching of the Holy Spirit, attend a Bible-based church, pray, etcetera is that we may get to know and better communicate with God the Father. For it is growth in the knowledge of LOVE who is GOD, that the lies of the thief become increasingly clear. To reiterate, neither strength nor power is developed through persecution. Christ Jesus is The Overcomer (John 16:33), and “in Him” we too are Overcomers. To be clear, faith doesn’t exempt those rendered sons and daughters of GOD by the redemptive work of Christ Jesus; it is “hearing and doing” the WORD (James 1:22) by which we “contend for the faith” (Jude 3). Through comprehension and application of the WORD we are enabled and empowered in all that “work together for goodRomans 8:28. More specifically, the Weapons of God: the Word of God – the Sword, the Name of Jesus, the Ministry-of-Authority, the gifts of the Spirit, and the power weapons of God (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Ephesians 6:11-18).

 Speak the promise . . . Harriet