THE FATHER'S LOVE WILL NEVER ALLOW SICKNESS AND DEMONS TO REMAIN

Luke 4:33–36 (NKJV)33 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!"35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. 36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." When we use the Name of Jesus to rebuke and command demons to come out or leave, we do so with His authority and power given to us in Jesus' Name. This man was not a Christian.How could the Father's love allow any demons to remain in your body or soul, especially when He said we are His temple? The Father's Unfailing and Unconditional Love will never allow the demons to remain in our bodies or oppress our souls. His love for us has given us the authority in Jesus' Name to drive away any demons from following us. They cannot influence us when the grace or the favour of the Father's love is influencing us.Luke 4:38–39 (NKJV)38 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. 39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them. Sickness and demons are synonymous; sickness is of the devil. Both are characters which Jesus rebuked and commanded to leave. But Jesus did not go into the house, simply rebuking any sickness or demons. When they asked Jesus, they gave Him permission to do so; they gave Him the authority.Luke 4:40–41 (NKJV)40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. These were all not Christians at that time. Jesus laid hands on all of them, healed them, and cast out demons from many.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

DOES A CHRISTIAN NEED INNER HEALING (PART 2)

NO NEED TO DIG UP THE PASTPsychology is defined as the scientific study of the mind and personal behaviour. Psychologists tend to dig up the past to help a person release past hurts. However, the heart of the matter is not mental but spiritual.Both the spirit and the soul are spiritual aspects of man. They are not physical. When someone is emotionally hurt, they usually have been hurt by words. Words are spirit; they are spiritual. Jesus said His Word is Spirit.John 6:63 (NKJV) ... The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.There is no need to dig up the past to remember the past to release our emotions from old hurts. The past mistakes will only bring condemnation. The devil will use the thoughts of the past to oppress our emotions through our thinking (mind). The Word of God is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. It will cut the past emotional hurts away and set you free, and you will be free indeed.John 8:36 (NKJV) Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.Jesus is the Word, and the Word is God. When the Son, Jesus, or the Word sets you free, you will be forever free. Jesus does not need to bring up your past to set you free. The Word alone, who is Jesus Himself, sets you free.John 1:1 (NKJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:14 (NKJV) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.The Word was God, and the Word is God. The Word became flesh was Jesus on earth. The Word, or Jesus, is full of grace and truth. If God is Almighty, Jesus is Almighty; therefore, His Word is Almighty. It is mighty enough to set you free from any emotional hurts.God is Spirit, and Jesus is God. Jesus is Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is Spirit. The Word is Spirit, and the Word that Jesus speaks is Spirit. The Word the Holy Spirit speaks into the spirit man is Spirit. They are Spirit and life. The Word your spirit man receives is Spirit, and it is mighty enough to set your mind and emotions free from any bondage to past hurts or fear. I encourage you to release the Word of Truth that your spirit man receives from the Holy Spirit through your mouth. Then, you will be releasing the power of life to set your soul free. When the Word sets you free, you are free indeed because it is Jesus who sets you free - Jesus is the Word.The Word of God in our mouth is like God’s Word in His mouth. It has to be released through our spirit and soul.Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV) By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.When we release the Word of God through our mouths, we frame our souls and bodies with it. The Word of Truth will frame our souls in perfect peace and keep our bodies in perfect health. If His Word framed the worlds and they still remain where the Word frames them, will His Word not be able to frame us in perfect peace and perfect health? Indeed, His Word is able, and the Heavenly Father is willing! His unfailing love is able and willing to do exceedingly and abundantly what we dare ask or imagine.When God forgives us, He remembers our past no more. Therefore, you do not need to dig up the past to be released into the future. God can do far more than what psychologists can do. The Father’s unfailing love has wiped away our past, and we are free to be released into our future. He remembers the past no more.Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV) who [ Jesus] being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, …See the power of His Word in this verse. The worlds were created and framed by His Word. His Word will uphold what His Word has created.His Word will set us free, His Word will frame us, and His Word will uphold us in our perfect state. His Word will continue to uphold our emotions in perfect peace, our minds to keep them sound, and our bodies in perfect health.He created the worlds with His Word. His Word can recreate and renew, repair and restore, refresh and rejuvenate our spirits, minds and emotions, and physical bodies, which are the temples of God.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

DOES A CHRISTIAN NEED INNER HEALING? (PART 1)

If you are a Christian, your spirit is born again and recreated a new creation in Christ Jesus. You are righteous and holy and have all the fruit of the Spirit. Since your spirit man is born again, and the Holy Spirit dwells with you, the spirit man does not need any inner healing. The Holy Spirit of life continues to renew your spirit man daily (2 Corinthians 4:16).THE SOUL NEEDS TO BE RELEASED FROM HURTS However, the devil could bring back thoughts of bad experiences and encounters and will try to oppress your emotions with fear, bitterness, hatred, anger and unforgiveness. Fear can also paralyse your will, causing it to come against the mind. These emotions, therefore, need to be released from those oppressive feelings. It is your soul that needs help. Getting your mind renewed and releasing your emotions from all hurts will close the door to the devil. Bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness and anger will culminate in sickness and disease. The mind needs to be renewed and transformed by the Word of Truth daily, so that we may discern God's good and perfect will for our lives. The seat of all decisions is the will, and the mind influences the will. In other words, the mind processes all the thoughts and then influences the will to make a decision. The mind can be influenced by other people's thoughts and ideas or by the devil's. If this happens, the decision is made based on thoughts and ideas that may not be God's. On the other hand, when the mind is being renewed with the Word of Truth, the will can yield to God's thinking and line itself up with His thoughts. BE FREE FROM PAST HURTS AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS If someone has done you wrong and causes you to have feelings of unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, hatred and fear, then begin to pray in unknown tongues for that person. It is easier to pray in unknown tongues for a person who has done you wrong than praying with your understanding because often you do not feel like praying for that person. It is hard to think of the right words to pray for that person. But praying in unknown tongues bypasses the mind and emotions. Praying in unknown tongues is praying out of your spirit with utterances from the Holy Spirit and the Father in Heaven.When you pray in unknown tongues, you release tremendous power from the Holy Ghost, which removes any hurt feelings from your emotions and restores them. It will also free your mind from fearful thoughts. Let's take a look at what the Scripture says.Matthew 5:44 (NKJV) But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you … The Word of God is sharp and more powerful than any two-edged sword. Meditating on the Scriptures and speaking them forth will release your emotions from pain. Furthermore, the Word is Spirit. When you speak the Word of God, it will release your emotions from any hurt. This is how you get healed in your emotions. Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. We use our tongues to speak words. This Scripture can also be read like this: "Death and life are in the power of the word that comes out of our mouth," especially when we speak out of our spirit. When the Word of God is given to our spirit by the Holy Spirit, it comes to our mind. We then yield our will to speak those words. By doing so, we release the power of life or the Spirit of life. The Word of God from the Holy Spirit, released through our mind, will and mouth, is Spirit, and it is life. It produces the fruit of life, not death. In the same way, if the devil puts thoughts and ideas into your mind, and you release them through your will and mouth by verbalising those thoughts, it will release the power of death or the spirit of death. It produces the fruit of death. However, the power of life or the Spirit of life released through your mind, will and mouth, is powerful enough to release and heal your emotional hurts. It sets you free from the oppression of your emotions. Jesus said, know the truth and the truth will set you free or make you free. The truth is His Word. When His Word is released through your mind, will and mouth, it will release tremendous power to set your soul free. Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

THE FIVE PILLARS OF GRACE (5)

The fourth pillar in the Tabernacle of Moses typifies “The Gifts of the Holy Spirit”. These are the nine manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The door to these supernatural manifestations of the gifts is the baptism with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in unknown tongues.#4 Pillar: The Gifts of the Holy Spirit1 Corinthians 12:7–11 (NKJV)7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.The gift of speaking with unknown tongues when baptised with the Holy Ghost is a gift that we always possess.However, the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit listed above are only available to us if they are in manifestation. It is the Holy Spirit’s sovereign will to manifest upon whoever He chooses. When the Holy Spirit manifests, the gifts of His grace are released. Once the manifestation ceases, we no longer have any of these nine gifts; we do not possess them.Another point to note is that the gift of speaking with unknown tongues is as we will. Since we have the gift in our possession, we decide when and where we want to use it. On the contrary, the manifestation of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit is given only when they are in manifestation and according to the Holy Spirit’s will. They are the gifts of grace.Paul told us to covet the best gifts.1 Corinthians 12:31 (NKJV) But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.The word “gift” is the Greek word “charisma”, which means the gift of grace. Teaching these gifts will create desire in the hearts of the believers. When we teach and operate in these gifts in the local church, we will find this pillar of grace in that church.These gifts are essential to both the local church and individuals in the church. For example, when the word of wisdom is in manifestation, it reveals the future. Your pastor will be able to pray and guide you, to prepare you for what is ahead. On the other hand, the word of knowledge reveals the past and the present, which your pastor may use to counsel you on the current situation. These gifts release tremendous power to intervene in the course of nature for your life, to receive healing or deliverance from demonic spirits. These gifts strengthen, encourage and bring comfort to the believer in need.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

THE FIVE PILLARS OF GRACE (4)

The third pillar in the Tabernacle of Moses typifies "The Leading of the Holy Spirit". Without this pillar, the believers in the local church will not be able to grow beyond a certain spiritual level. When believers are enabled to follow the Holy Spirit's leading constantly, they can reach a higher level of spiritual maturity. Of course, the Word of Truth is the most important ingredient for spiritual growth. However, developing the believer's spirit to follow the Holy Spirit's leading consistently will help develop their spiritual maturity further than those who do not know how to.A real deeper walk with God is not for someone who only knows the Word but for one who follows the Holy Spirit deeper into the depths of the Spirit. When our spirit can hear from the Holy Ghost and draw from the depths of the Spirit, it will take us further into the realm of the spirit that many have not reached before. Knowing how to follow the Holy Spirit is knowing how to flow with Him in the many prayer streams and with the gifts of the Holy Ghost when He manifests.#3 Pillar: The Leading of the Holy SpiritGalatians 5:4 (NET) You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!Fallen from grace means:90.72 ἐκπίπτωf: to no longer experience a state or condition—'to be outside of, to experience no longer.' τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε 'you no longer experienced (God's) grace' Ga 5:4. For another interpretation of ἐκπίπτω in Ga 5:4, see 34.26.[Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek- English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 807). New York: United Bible Societies.]The Jews tried to justify their righteousness by the law. Hence, they no longer experienced the grace of God that comes by righteousness, justified by faith in Christ Jesus. Consequently, they fell from a higher level of grace to a lower level.Galatians 5:18 (NET) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of grace and dwells in our spirit. He recreated our spirits and made them righteous the day we were born again. Therefore we should not go back to the life made righteous by the law. Instead, we are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. As we follow the Holy Spirit's leading daily, we walk in His grace. As a result, we will not come under the law and will not fall from grace. Furthermore, when we are led by the Holy Spirit, we will continue to experience the richness of God's grace.Every born-again child of God should learn and develop the sensitivity of their spirit man to recognise and follow the Holy Spirit's leading. The Holy Spirit inside us is meant to lead and guide us. He will lead us in the plan of God for our lives. The Heavenly Father has a plan which is still unfolding for every individual. The Holy Spirit will lead us to pray with unknown tongues, and as He unfolds the mystery of His plan in our spirit, each step of the way will be made clearer. The Holy Spirit will lead us to execute the Father's plan. He will guide us along this journey of His grace on earth. If we can constantly follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, then we will have lived our lives in His grace.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

THE FIVE PILLARS OF GRACE (3)

Paul also wrote to the Philippian churches concerning the gift of grace released through prayer for his deliverance. So, there was more than one church in more than one city praying for him. And these were churches Paul pioneered, got the members filled with the Holy Spirit and taught them to pray.#2 Pillar: The Spirit of Prayer (Part 2)In Troas, Paul received a vision of a Macedonian man (Acts 16:-10), urging him to go to Macedonia. So Paul made his way there and started the church of Philippi. However, it was here that Paul was arrested for preaching the gospel. In prison, Paul wrote the letter to the Christians in Philippi as he was in danger of death (Philippians 1:20-23). But Paul had hope that God would deliver them just as He said in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11; He would deliver him again.Paul was confident about two things concerning the Philippian churches he pioneered and trained:1. Paul knew they would pray2. Paul knew when they prayed, he would be deliveredPhilippians 1:19 (NKJV) For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus ChristPaul was confident because he had taught and trained them to pray. He knew when the Philippi church prayed, the gift of grace for deliverance would unconditionally be dispensed to them.Paul’s revelational knowledge of the gospel came directly from the Lord (Galatians 1:12). He taught us that it is of faith that it might be according to grace (Romans 4:16); he taught us faith and grace. Paul also taught as we continue to believe, we will enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:1-8). Paul was in a state of rest in prison because he believed God would deliver him again (2 Corinthians 1:8-11). First, however, he needed the churches in Achaia, Philippi, and elsewhere to come together as a local church to pray for him that he may receive the gift of grace for his deliverance every single time.The church in Jerusalem understood they needed to come together (Acts 12:12) in corporate prayer as a church for Peter’s deliverance, and hence many came. They prayed into the wee hours of the night.Acts 12:5 (NKJV) Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.The church constantly prayed earnestly and fervently for Peter’s deliverance. And in Peter’s case, the manifestation of the gift of grace brought him out of prison safely:1. An angel was sent by God into the prison cell to instruct Peter on what to do, and Peter followed him. After Peter had walked out of the iron gate and into the street, the angel left him. It signified that the angel was not Peter’s personal angel but one sent by God for a specific task. (Acts 12:7-10)2. The chains fell off Peter’s hands, and the iron gate opened itself. It was the result of the gift of the working of miracles of the Holy Spirit in manifestation and the power of the Holy Ghost released. It was not the angel who removed the chains and opened the iron gate.3. This working of miracles by the gift of the Holy Spirit kept the guards in the prison cell and at the two guard posts from being awakened, allowing Peter to walk past them without their knowledge.All these were the gifts of grace released to deliver Peter. Many had come together to pray as a church because of the severity of the situation. It had become intense because James, the apostle of the Lamb, was executed by Herod to please the Jews not long ago. And if Peter was executed, Herod would continue to do the same thing to the next apostle of the Lamb.There are many things we could pray ourselves and get answers for them. Small prayer groups of believers in the same church could get many answers too. Nevertheless, there are situations in a nation or church regarding the lives of people and those in the five-fold ministry that could only be changed by corporate prayer. An aspect of the gift of grace can only be released by coming together to pray as a church and not done in any other way.The gift of grace is released when an individual or a small group prays, and the church comes together in corporate prayer. The difference is in the degree of the power released. For greater is the grace, the greater is the power of the Holy Ghost released.Acts 4:33 (NKJV) And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.There is great grace when the local body comes together to pray in united, corporate prayer, and great power is made available by the Holy Ghost to effect a change in the realm of the spirit first and then in the natural realm.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less