“I am healing My body.”
You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. (1 Corinthians 12:27, MSG)
Thursday, November 2
The Lord begins to speak the word ‘tourniquet’ to me amidst other revelation that He has been sharing about His constant love. I began asking about ‘tourniquets’ that I have placed on the body of Jesus.
Monday, November 6
A member of our house fellowship, senses the Lord’s invitation that we focus our time this Wednesday evening on the discipline of remembrance. He exhorted us to remember the mighty acts of salvation in the past sharing a testimony of encountering the manifest presence of the Lord in a powerful, tangible way.
Tuesday, November 7
An hour before an evening time of praise and lament at Asbury Theological Seminary, I am asked to share a lament. Initially, I am reminded of how the Lord used Psalm 34 in my first year or so of walking with him. And then I am reminded of a moment in that first year when the Great Physician confronted me with truth that I didn’t want to hear. I experienced so many emotions as the Lord was calling me to lay down an idol, my identity, and all of the closest friends I had who were associated with this false religion, and I felt so alone as the Church did not understand nor did it seem equipped to support me in those months of grief and darkness as doubts consumed me.
But the Lord was, is, and ever will be faithful. He heard my cries for help and answered them.
In the months ahead, Jesus brought me into relationship with a spiritual father and elder brother in Christ, who began to disciple me in the Spirit-filled Way of Jesus. Joel is a pastor from the Methodist Church in Cuba who happened to be displaced to the city in Texas where we lived. The Lord divinely brought us together. Joel taught me much about the church that Jesus is building, and Jesus began to build his Church in our midst as we gathered and prayed each week. We lamented the state of the church here in the USA, prayed for revival and awakening, and spoke words of encouragement and exhortation into each other’s lives. Most everyone in our respective Methodist congregations discounted the perspective of Joel and his wife Lily, but I knew that what their eyes had seen in Cuba is the reality that the Lord is calling forth for us. Praise God, this is the same reality that we experience as part of our fellowship with Inspire, and yet my heart is burdened for the institutional church. Sometimes however I can take on more than my share of that burden.
At the night of praise and lament, various prayer stations were available as we met with the Lord. I wrote on the white board a simple prayer: “Lord, heal and deliver your church.” Little did I know that he would answer that prayer the following day.
Wednesday, November 8
During chapel that morning, the message was focused on anamnesis (remembering and writing down or a remembrance, reenactment, or participation in the history of events). With 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 as the sermon text, special emphasis was given to link the modern medical or psychiatric use of this term with the body of Christ, the church that Jesus is building through the ages. The sermon can be viewed or listened to HERE.
Following the sermon, as we entered into a time at the Lord’s table, as I was gazing on the Lord in my pew, I heard Him speak this word: “I am healing My body.” I began to weep and I began to give thanks to the Holy One of Israel. I know in my head that He and the Father are always working, but the Lord knew that I needed to hear that word. He knew that the manna from heaven, the words of His mouth needed to be breathed directly on my heart.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18, KJV)
Later that day, I began a blessed 2.5-day intensive course, “The Theology and Practice of Healing.” As we prayed for each other that afternoon, a prayer partner spoke the word “hats” to me, and the Lord said “You are wearing too many hats.” The next day, he spoke the word “hats” to me again through another classmate. By Friday, I knew that I must spend some time with the Lord regarding this word. I was reminded of the words of the hymn: “Crown Him with many crowns…” And then Friday evening, another reminder of how He is healing His body with rest and with his very presence and power.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. (Exodus 20:8, NIV)
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7)
Thank you, Lord Jesus, that You are the head of the church, thank You that all the hats belong on Your beautiful head. Lord, forgive me for picking up and trying to wear Your hats instead of trusting You. Thank You Lord, that You are healing Your body. Thank you that you invite us to be still before You and wait patiently for You, as we rest, before YOU! As we wait with YOU! Hallelujah! Forgive us for placing tourniquets on Your body Lord Jesus. Help us Jesus to remove all of the tourniquets that your powerful blood will flow freely in us and through us with much more than a trickle, for the healing of Your church and for the healing of the nations. Thank You for Your powerful and effective blood! We pray for many to be captured by the power of your great affection. Yes Lord, there is a fountain filled with blood flowing from your veins, thank you that your blood bursts old wineskins and reveals our need to remove tourniquets as You make all things new! Praying in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Chance is an Inspire Missioner in Wilmore, KY, USA
