MaryFreeman

Lets take another look at 2 Corinthians 12:7.... An Amplified look:

WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY? (AMP):
(2Co 12:7 AMP) And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. [Job. 2:6.]

SHOOT'N FROM THE HIP:

Now I am certain satan sent this messenger to Paul to slap him down.... To break him and destroy him.... Because satan knew that Paul was about to revolutionize the whole known world.... It is not because Paul was Paul.... It is because of what Paul found.... What Paul was determined to tell others about....

Paul was preaching the word....

So telling oneself that "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...." is the same mistake Job made.... Which is where that phrase comes from by the way.... And it started when he launched a preemptive strike....

WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
(Job 1:5 AMP) And when the days of their feasting were over, Job sent for them to purify and hallow them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed or disowned God in their hearts. Thus did Job at all [such] times.

SHOOT'N FROM THE HIP:

Job's sons had a thing about birthdays.... They loved to celebrate them amongst themselves and their sisters.... They feasted on fine food and drank fine wine on each of 10 birthdays.... And Job was an anxious man.... He worried that his children might just be making God angry....

So then there came a day when the eldest was having a birthday party.... And suddenly all Job's servants were swooped down on and murdered.... And all his cattle taken.... And only one servant escaped to tell Job.... Just as he was telling his tale another servant said Job's sheep and the servants tending them had been struck by lightning.... And as that one was telling his story another rushed up and informed Job that the Chaldeans had slaughtered all his camels and the servants tending them.... And as if that wasn't enough.... A great tornado had torn his eldest son's house apart and killed everyone inside....

Job's reaction was to tear his garments and shave his head.... And he fell down and worshiped....
Saying ".... The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away....".... Now Job 1:22 said in all this Job didn't sin or charge God foolishly....

It didn't say he wasn't wrong....

Ignorance is sometimes fatal.... It can be hindering.... It might just be bliss.... But it is not a sin....
Job's words were due to ignorance.... Not because he was stating something true.... But that he was stating something he thought was true.... However the reason Job lost all he had was because his lack of knowledge caused a crack in the door.... And satan exploited it....

God's word says "My people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge (Isa. 5:13)...." And that is what happened to Job.... He lost everything because he was laboring under a lack of knowledge.... And he admits it....

WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
(Job 42:3-6 KJV)Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor

myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

SHOOT'N FROM THE HIP:

Notice when he says "I have heard of thee...." The Hebrew word for heard is shema.... Of course meaning something heard.... "That is, a sound, rumor, announcement....".... In other words instead of checking things out for himself.... Job relied on what other folks said to him about God....

And it caused him to fear God in the wrong way.... It caused him to be afraid for his things and for his children to the point he thought up all sorts of dastardly things they may just be doing that might offend God to the point He took them away from Job.... And he showed that lack of knowledge through his offerings....

Kind of like people calling such things as a miscarriage or a death by illness or disease an "act of God".... Or say things like "It was just God's will"..... No wonder one man who lost his daughter said "Well if it was God I hate Him!"....

But the reality of Job's situation before satan rained on his parade is that God protected Job because.... In God's eyes.... Job was blameless and upright.... A man who fears God and eschews evil.... And Job opened the door through lack of knowledge....

One pastor who was eventually healed completely of a fatal blood disease said the Lord told him "You believe as far as you know...."....

You believe as far as you know.....

And knowledge is power.... Right?

So go find all the scriptures on healing.... Go look up God's attributes.... Acquaint yourself with the willingness of the Lord Jesus to heal.... Go read about all the times He walked everywhere just to find people who were willing....

And then preach the word....

Now don't go around saying "MaryFreeman of bibleforums.org told me I didn't need medicines! All I need is to preach the word!"

TAKE YOUR MEDICINE....

When your doctor looks at you astounded.... When he says "I can't explain it and I can't understand it...." .... When your doctor says "You don't need this medicine".... THEN stop taking it....

I have a friend who just keeps going.... Does what the doctor tells her to.... But she also has begun to preach the word to her body.... And she went to her doctor (she had something wrong with her blood) for a check up one day this last week.... And he came back with the results.... The poor man was in shock.... Because her results came back as better than normal.... Not normal for her.... Normal for someone without a blood problem....

When your doctor says "I have no idea what you have been doing but if you keep doing it, I can take you off these pills!"....

That's when you're done preaching.... That's when your body finally understands what it is supposed to do.... That is when you realize you fully believe the battle has already been won.... And there is more to it than just preaching.... Preaching is a statement of faith.... But so is praising.... So is worshiping.... So is singing and dancing and thanking the Lord.... Remember when you ask that if you fully believe.... Then your answer is "granted!".... And when you enter His gate.... Enter with thanksgiving.... Enter His courts with praise....

I am inclined to agree with Pastor Christopher Allam.... He says James Brown was a prophet.... And when you feel "symptoms" coming on.... When you find your body reluctant to cooperate....

GET UP OFFA THAT THANG! AND DANCE TIL YOU FEEL BEDDA!

Glorify the Lord for what He has done for you! Worship the God of yes and amen! Praise the God that healeth thee! Give glory and honor and praise to the Lamb by Who's stripes you WERE healed! And stand still and watch as the Lord puts ambushments in the way of your enemy....

And don't forget....

"All the powers of darkness tremble at what they've just heard..... Cuz all the powers of darkness can't drown out a single word.... WHEN ALL GOD'S CHILDREN SING OUT GLORY GLORY! ALLELUJA! HE REIGNS!"
(Jas 4:7 AMP) So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.

Resisting the devil is easy.... Just preach the word....

Didn't Jesus say "It is also written...."?