Laying Down Some Flesh
Jeremiah 17:5-8 were some verses God ministered to me back in the spring of 1987. In these verses it is talking about being cursed for trusting in man (in the flesh) and being blessed for trusting in the Lord.
When God ministered these verses to me, it was really an astounding thing, and the reason being is because all of my life I had trusted in man (in the arm of the flesh). And Jesus said I was 'cursed'. Not a pretty sight. But thank God that when He shows you something, He is getting ready to begin dealing with it in your life. And if you will let the gospel shine on that darkness, He will deliver you from that bondage. Just because you read something in the Bible does not mean you can take it and go apply it to your life. You have to let the Spirit of God guide you into all truth (John 16:13). So I started seeing all the ways I was (and had been) trusting in the flesh. And as God would bring things up, I would let Him deal with them in my life and start leading me out of these bondage's.
Two years later, in August 1989, I received a phone call from the receptionist at my dentist office. She was calling to schedule my next checkup. When she called and asked me when would I like to come in, I said (without any thought), "It is just not right for me to come in." She said, "Oh---okay," and we hung up. When I got off the phone, I thought to myself -- now what would you have said to her if she had asked, "Well, why not?" I absolutely had no idea why I had answered her that way and no idea what I would have said if she had questioned me. I guess God would have given her an answer, because He sure spoke out of my mouth when she called. But God started dealing with me that day about not trusting in a dentist for my teeth any longer, but in the power of God. I knew it was God. He was leading me to lay down some 'trusting in the flesh.'
Growing up, Mother never took us to the doctor for yearly physical's, but we always went to have our yearly dental checkup. Then when I started working and had insurance, I went every six months. So there was much confidence in the flesh in this area of my life.
A few months after this incident, God put it in my spirit that I needed to start believing the power of God to straighten Amy's teeth. And it has now been nearly nine years that I have been trusting in, relying on and adhering to the power that raised Jesus from the dead to manifest in her mouth. You may say, "You sure are slow and one stupid person to believe that," and you can say what you want, but one thing I have said before, is that if God speaks to me or puts something in my spirit to believe, I will 'stick with it' until my faith is perfected to the place where I can see the manifestation of what I am believing for. Hard? -- you better believe so. Temptations? -- on every side. Victory? -- always and imminent!!
One thing I will say here, is if God has not led you to lay something down, then you had better keep right on doing what you are doing until He does. But if He speaks to you and leads you to stop trusting in some area of the flesh -- then obey Him and do not let anyone move you in your believing. And always be willing to be wrong. On more than one occasion I have humbled myself and said, "Jesus, if this is not you who put this in my spirit, or spoke this to me, then you had better tell me because I have ears to hear you." And it has been no different in this situation. I have humbled myself and told the Lord more than once, "If this is not you that put this is in my spirit, then you had better tell me and I will take her to the orthodontist now." Not once has He said to.
It was a year ago, November 1997, God finally brought Amy's heart to the place where she came to me and said, "Mom, I don't want braces anymore, I want the power of God to fix my teeth." That in itself was a victory, because she has struggled with this and trusting that this was God in me. And I will tell you, I have struggled myself many times thinking I must be crazy for believing this, and at times I have had fear hit me and I would feel in a state of total panic, not only for believing for Amy's teeth but also for laying down the dentist for myself. I would pray until I overcame the spirit that was hitting me making me feel that way. There have been many times when family members would get on my case for believing this about Amy's teeth and they would tell me I did not have any love for Amy and I was cruel. But love obeys the Father and keeps His Word's (John 14:23 and I John 5:2.) And I have always overcome their unbelief and kept right on believing. Thank God His grace is sufficient in every situation - and He has shown me much grace. One thing I know is that God is greater than our hearts and all of our unbelief. And Jesus is coming back after a church that is without spot, wrinkle or blemish--one that is trusting in the power of God and not the arm of the flesh.
Ever since God started revealing Isaiah 52 and 53 to me, (as I shared in my testimony "Determined"), this has helped me in my believing in this situation. I have ministered this to Amy on numerous occasions about Jesus having every bone out of joint, and that included the ones in His mouth. So His mouth was in far worse condition than her's, but He trusted the Father for the power of God to make His mouth completely sound, as well as the rest of His body. God has been perfecting my faith, as well as hers, so that we can see this manifestation of God's power take place. One thing I am after and that I am going to see is perfect soundness in our spirit, body and soul.
There is nothing that we will ever experience that compares to what this man (Jesus) went through on His body. And He did it so that we can walk in divine health. He had all of the sin, sickness and disease of the entire world upon Himself. And when the power of God made Jesus' body completely sound, our bodies were made sound too. It has already been done - all we have to do is stand fast in our believing and see it manifest.
Let me tell you, you will have to stand tough in this walk. It is not for weaklings, although God can take a weakling (and that is how I have felt many times) and make you strong. Jesus said in weakness His strength is made perfect. So all of our weaknesses will be made perfect through His strength. What a comfort that is!
In November 1996 through February 1997 (and really even longer than that), there was a real attack of the devil that hit me and Amy. There were many spirits pursuing me at this time and much pressure, which was nothing new, and there was an attack on every corner. The devil hit Amy's teeth, and there were some problems that I did not have my faith perfected to the point I could overcome in prayer, and the devil knew this and wanted to discourage me in what I was believing for. So we took her to the dentist and took care of what needed to be done. Then the devil hit her with strep throat. I took her in my car and drove around for about an hour praying and binding the authority of darkness over her. I could tell her heart was resisting every bit of it, and in my spirit I knew she wanted to go to the doctor. I had called Doyle and he said to bring her to the church and he would pray for her. I knew her throat was in pain, and I was at the end of my faith. We went there, and while he was praying for her the power of God was there, but he stopped and asked her if she wanted the power of God to heal her, or if she wanted to go to the doctor. She said she wanted to go to the doctor. Doyle looked at me and said, "Take her." So I did. On the way there, I could tell I was disappointed that she could not believe for the power of God to heal her, but I overcame that and went on. Sure enough, she had strep throat and they gave her a prescription for some medicine.
During this time, the devil had attacked her legs and they were all broken out from top to bottom. She did not tell me about it for a while, but when she finally did, I saw them and they looked terrible. I looked at her, and I knew what she and the devil were wanting - me to take her to the doctor. And up out of my belly came, "Amy, I am not taking you to the doctor -- you are going to take those Psalms and read them out loud until you overcome this attack of the devil with your faith and by believing the gospel. We are not going to resort to the arm of the flesh this time." I knew this was God standing up in my spirit, whereas before my faith was not to this place on the other two situations. Many Psalms and a few months later, she overcame and her legs were completely healed. This was a real victory, because she used the faith God had given her and mixed it with the gospel. Amy has told me since then, that it is much easier to do things the way of the flesh. I know what she is saying, because it does not take near the effort to resort to the flesh as it does to use your faith and believe God by relying on that power that raised Jesus from the dead. But what I have told her, is the day will come where the ways of the flesh won't work, and then what are you going to do? It is better to start believing this power that raised Jesus from the dead now, than when it is too late and your faith has not been tested or tried in anything and there is no hope. I know with Jesus the results were immediate, and when our faith gets perfected to that point, then that is what we will see - immediate results. Until then, I am going to let God continue to perfect my faith and love in whatever situation I am in at present. And during this situation with Amy, God perfected some of her faith and she overcame. Praise God. You know what that produced? Experience (proof), and then hope and hope maketh not ashamed - Romans 5:3-5. It is always good when you get in a situation where you have to rely on the power of God, and that should be always, because when you overcome you have some proof, or experience, of what you were believing for and your faith and love has been perfected to a greater degree than before. The next time the devil attacks you, you can say, "Okay, Satan, you will bow this time too."
Do not ever let the devil condemn you if you have to go to the doctor for anything, though. We sure did not when we had to take Amy, and I overcame some disappointment. Just know that one of these hours your faith will have overcome to the place where you will get the victory without having to go. You will know in your spirit, too, when your faith reaches that place. We are continually being conformed to the image of Jesus and it does not take place over night. We have trusted in the flesh all of our lives, and to trust in the Spirit of God is not as easy as one may make it sound, simply because of our hard hearts and our weak souls. But Jesus overcame our hard hearts and weak souls when He was raised from the dead, and we can too, because with God all things are possible if we believe. So stand fast in believing this gospel and let God lead you out of these bondage's, because He is faithful who has promised! You know, the Lord just spoke to me a scripture in Isaiah 49 that says, "Those that wait (or expect) upon the Lord shall not be ashamed." He knows that I am always 'expecting' this power to manifest any minute, and I appreciate Him for reminding me of that. Thank God!
God bless you and I will see you next time!
