DIG for Tuesday the 24th of February…..well that was difficult to listen to……1 Timothy 5 v 23

I’ve just finished listening to a message on healing and it has been one of the most challenging messages I’ve ever listened to.

But you know what, I think it is a message that will change my life!

The main teaching point was that a lot of what goes on in our lives is our fault (or rather our doing) and I know that, but this message really forced that truth home.

Many of us are looking for healing to be manifest in our lives but then care not about what we eat and drink.

Many of us want healing but don’t do anything about keeping ourselves fit.

Many of us want healing but do not adopt a healthy lifestyle.

There are many reasons why we are sick but a lot of the time it is to do with our choices and our lifestyles.

Paul wrote to Timothy and told him to drink some wine instead of water to improve his stomach and reduce his infirmities (1 Timothy 5 v 23).

Now this is not a directive to drink more alcohol, but it is a warning not to drink polluted or contaminated water.

In our context it is telling us to watch what we eat and drink; to watch what we put into our bodies.

Of course there are many causes of illness and I am not saying it is always lifestyle and I am not trying to condemn anyone (in fact I’m speaking more to myself here).

But many of us could look after the bodies that the Lord created for us in a better way than we are at the moment.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you created my body, and thank you for your Word encouraging us to look after that body”.

1 Timothy 5 v 23…..Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities

DIG for Sunday the 22nd of February…..not just life, but abundant life…..John 10 v 10

My daily reading took me to John 10 v 10 this morning, a verse that has always excited me.

Today however I’ve been meditating on the first part, the steal, kill and destroy part.

For something to be killed it must first be alive.

For something to be stolen from a person they must first own that thing.

For something to be destroyed it must first be in existence.

The enemy wants you to live a life of sickness and poverty; he wants to steal, kill and destroy these aspects of your life.

So you must already be in possession of these things, you must already have health and prosperity, they must already be in existence and alive in your life.

They must be my friends or the enemy would not be able to try and steal, kill and destroy them.

Yes, in your life ALREADY you have all the health and prosperity that you will ever need; you ALREADY have all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1 v 3) and you ALREADY have all that you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1 v 3).

You have life and life in abundance already; that is what Jesus came to do for you (John 10 v 10).

The enemy can only steal what you already own!

If a burglar came to your house to steal your goods (that you already own) you would resist and put up a fight would you not?

Well then, if the devil comes along and tries to steal your health and prosperity put up a fight, or in other words resist him (James 4 v 7).

Submit to the truths of God that Jesus came to bring you life in abundance (John 10 v 10) and that God wants, above all things, that you live in health and prosperity (3 John 2).

Submit to God and resist the devil, and you can see that health and abundance that Jesus died for flowing in your life.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for the finished work of Jesus Christ, and thank you that He came for me to have life and life more abundantly”.

John 10 v 10…..The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

DIG for Saturday the 21st of February…..physical healing, not spiritual healing…..Matthew 8 v 17

Isaiah 53 v 4 and 5 is a wonderful prophecy regarding the future work of the Messiah.

It tells us that Jesus will exchange our sickness and disease on the cross for healing and wholeness.

I have however, on many occasions, heard people say that it was spiritual healing that was provided for at the cross and not physical healing, that this verse is talking about spiritual and physical matters.

The Hebrew in this verse however clearly indicates that Isaiah was talking about the physical realm.

“Griefs” can be translated as sickness and disease; “sorrow” can be translated as pain; and “healed” means to be cured as in by a physician (or doctor).

But Vic, you told us in yesterday’s DIG that Old Covenant verses were not for us today.

Now that is true, but they are for us if New Covenant scriptures confirm them.

In the New Covenant we read that by His stripes we were healed (cured, healed or made whole) (1 Peter 2 v 24).

I also know that Isaiah was talking about physical illness as we see Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law.

She had a fever and was sick in her bed, clearly a physical ailment (Matthew 8 v 14)

She was physically healed, the fever left her (Matthew 8 v 15) and we read further on that this confirmed what Isaiah wrote about infirmities and sickness (Matthew 8 v 17).

The healing spoken about in Isaiah, Matthew and 1 Peter is clearly physical healing and it is available for every single person today (yes, even the lost).

Sickness was dealt with at the same time as sin; sickness was dealt with as part of our reconciliation and forgiveness (as part of the atonement), and is available to everyone just in the same way as salvation is.

Don’t have your healing stolen by wrong thinking and misinterpretation of the Word; you have been healed through the finished work of Jesus Christ and you can see your healing today!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for the finished work of Jesus Christ and thank you that my healing was part of that finished work”.

Matthew 8 v 17…..That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases

DIG for Monday the 16th of February…..the model for freedom right before our very eyes…..John 8 v 31 and 32

Sorry…..must have forgotten to add this in for Monday……..

Many of us in the church are looking to be set free from some kind of slavery or bondage; it may be sickness, depression or poverty for example.

These things can keep us in bondage as they mean we are not free to do all that we want for the Kingdom.

Jesus provides a model on how to escape from slavery and bondage in John 8.

He is speaking to believers, those that follow him, and says that they are to continue in his word.

In our lives today this is talking about Scripture.

If we continue in Scripture we really are true disciples of Jesus (John 8 v 31).

This will bring truth to us in the terms of knowledge and understanding of His Word, and this in return will make us free.

Knowledge and understanding of the Word of God is knowledge and understanding about Jesus and His finished work.

Peter said that we have all that we need for life and godliness (or a life free from the slavery and bondage of illness, poverty, depression etc.) and this is released (or made manifest) through knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 1 v 4).

The Scriptures will make us free, but not by sitting on a coffee table or a bookshelf.

The Bible is there to be read, studied, meditated upon; it is there to be rightly divided (

Once understood the truths in the Word will make us free; free form illness, free from poverty, free from depression; in fact free from any kind of slavery or bondage that the enemy tries to snare you with.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the enemy and bring us life in abundance; if we do not understand this truth from Scripture we will not see it manifest in our lives.

Invest in your freedom this morning; invest some time and effort into exploring and discovering the truths about Jesus through His Word.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Scriptures, your Holy Word, and thank you for the truths held within that are ready and able to change my life”.

John 8 v 31 and 32…..The said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free

DIG for Friday the 20th of February…..this old covenant “prophecy” is not for you, you are under grace and under the New Covenant…..Ephesians 1 v 7

The “prophecy” that I wrote about in DIG yesterday as a rather extreme example; there is another subtle yet more dangerous type of “prophecy” prevalent in the body of Christ.

This type of “prophecy” is associated with 2 Chronicles 7 v 14.

This verse says that God’s people (called by His name) should humble themselves, pray and stop sinning then God will forgive them and heal their land.

Many interpret this literally saying we have to perform in some way before God will forgive us, before God will bless Scotland for example.

We are told to pray (and fast, even though there is no mention of fasting) for a certain length of time (for 1 year for example by one organisation here in Scotland) and then we will be forgiven and our nation will be “healed”.

Yes, this is what the Word seems to say but that is not what it means.

This verse was written for an Old Covenant nation, we now live under the New Covenant.

In other words this verse is pre-cross, but we live post-cross.

Forgiveness (and reconciliation with God) was achieved through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and it has nothing to do with our religious performance.

Forgiveness is not earned; forgiveness was bestowed as a gift through the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v 14).

Forgiveness and reconciliation was given so that all men could have the opportunity to be saved; you see, reconciliation and forgiveness was a pre-requisite for salvation (see a picture for this in Mark 2 v 1 to 12, where forgiveness comes before salvation, in this case healing).

We were all forgiven at the cross as Jesus was made the payment (or propitiation) for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2 v 2).

Do not listen to the doom and gloom merchants talking about asteroids and God’s judgement, but also please do not listen to the more subtle and dangerous “prophecies” based upon 2 Chronicles 7 v 14.

This can lead you down the path of guilt and condemnation, begging and pleading for forgiveness and thinking that there is some kind of religious performance required.

You live under grace and benefit from the finished work of Jesus Christ; you have already been forgiven.

Yes, pray and fast and turn away from sin; that will be good for your life and for those around you.

But it is not required for your forgiveness.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for the finished work of Jesus Christ, and thank you that because of that I have been forgiven”.

Ephesians 1 v 7…..In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace

DIG for Thursday the 19th of February…..has He paid for all sin or has He not…..1 John 2 v 2

So the doom and gloom merchants are at it again!

I read a “prophecy” this morning that God is sending an asteroid this year to crash into the Atlantic and cause a Tsunami and earthquake to punish the USA, killing over 40 million people.

The USA is to be punished by God because of the sins of the church.

Now for a start I thought that prophecy was meant to be encouraging, edifying and exhorting!

And Biblical truths can tell us that this type of “prophecy” is actually nonsense.

My Bible says that Jesus has already paid for all the sin of every person in the world (1 John 2 v 2).

My Bible says that forgiveness has flowed upon all mankind as the blood of Jesus flowed on the cross at Calvary (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v 14).

My Bible says that a day would come when God would remove the sin from His people and remember those sins no longer (Psalm 103 v 12 and Isaiah 43 v 25).

This was accomplished at the cross of Christ so we now live in those days, we live under grace and not under law (Romans 6 v 14 and 15 and Hebrews 10 v 17).

We live in a time when sin has already been dealt with (Hebrews 10 v 12 to 14).

If God were to now punish the USA because of sin He would be saying that the finished work of Jesus Christ was not actually enough, it would be the “not quite” finished work.

This type of “prophecy” does nothing but spread fear and anxiety and is not Biblical.

What are you going to believe; Biblical truth or a so-called prophet?

I’ll leave the choice up to you.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that my sin and the sin of the whole world was dealt with through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross”.

1 John 2 v 2…..And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world

DIG for Wednesday the 18th of February…..made blind by God so that Jesus could heal him, I think not…..John 9 v 3

This is a strange verse, and one that has been misinterpreted and misquoted often.

Jesus had just been asked if it was the sin of the man himself or the sin of his parents that had caused him to be blind from birth.

It was a common view at the time, and still is in some quarters now, that an individual’s sin can cause sickness, disease and misfortune.

Now this can be the case sometimes, when sin opens a door for the enemy to allow him to bring sickness upon someone, but it is not always the case.

Jesus reply was quite strange; he said neither him nor his parents had sinned.

Now, the Word says that everyone that has ever lived (apart from Jesus) has sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3 v 23).

So the words of Jesus cannot be taken to mean that, He must mean that it was not their individual sin that caused the blindness.

He then goes on to seemly say that he was made blind in order for him to be healed, or the works of God to be made manifest.

Now I do not think this is what Jesus is saying due to many other passages of Scripture that tell us God is a good God and does not put illness or disease on people (see many previous DIGs).

It is not a correct interpretation to say he was made blind in order to be healed, that is just not logical (as well as not being Biblical).

So what is Jesus saying here?

Well, my understanding of this verse (being rightly divided along with other verses) is that Jesus is saying, “It was not their individual sin that was to blame, and whatever the cause I am going to show God’s glory by healing him”.

Jesus could only do the will of the Father and if we see Jesus we see God; Jesus only healed and never put illness on people.

To say God made the man blind so that Jesus could heal him is perverse, and goes against the true mature of God.

Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil, not destroy the work of God (1 John 3 v 8).

Because sin is in the world and because of the enemy we have see such conditions as blindness, but Jesus came to destroy the effects of sin and the works of the devil.

Making blind eyes open was one of the signs that Jesus was who He claimed to be; He came to destroy the works of the devil, He was the Messiah.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you are our Healer, and thank you for the healing power that flows because of the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

John 9 v 3…..Jesus answered , Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him

DIG for Tuesday the 17th of February…..we have nothing to fear about the day of judgement…..1 John 4 v 17

One thing that surprises me in the church is the amount of nervousness and even fear that many feel about what we call the day of judgement.

We all know that one day we will have to stand in front of the Living God, and the Word seems to indicate that there will in some way be judgement.

Now, I’ve not really studied this out enough and I’m not exactly sure what will happen on that day, although I have some views on the topic.

What I am sure about is that there should be no fear or anxiety for the believer about this event.

The Word says that on that day we can have boldness (1 John 4 v 17).

We can have boldness as in the important part of us, (our born again spirit) we are in fact the same as Jesus (1 John 4 v 17).

In the Greek boldness means to have assurance and confidence.

It does not mean to have fear and anxiety; in fact it is the opposite of this.

OK, we may not know exactly what is going to happen, but we can have confidence and boldness when it comes.

That should mean no fear or anxiety now while we look forward to that day.

I have heard some pretty dodgy doctrines about this event that really could put fear and anxiety on people.

Don’t let that happen to you; believe 1 John 4 v 17 when it says you can have boldness on that day.

Listen to the Word instead of dodgy doctrine!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I can have boldness on the day of judgement”.

1 John 4 v 17…..Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world

DIG for Sunday the 15th of February…..be careful with your speech…….Proverbs 18 v 21

I’ve just started listening to a Third Day cd with the song that goes, “if you can’t say nothing good don’t say nothing at all”.

OK, it is probably not very good in a grammatical sense however it does make sense in terms of how we should live our lives.

What we say has great importance in our everyday lives, what we say directs the lives that we live.

A verse I use again and again in church, and in what I call “grace coaching”, is Proverbs 18 v 21.

This states that death and life are in the power of the tongue.

In other words a life of abundance or a life of lack is in the power of the tongue.

This is very important in your life, however it is important for those around you as you can speak out life or death (in terms of abundance of blessings or lack) into their lives.

In the words of Third Day in another part of this song, “we’ve got to tame our tongue”.

When I was a young boy my Mum used to tell me that if I couldn’t say anything good about someone I shouldn’t say anything at all, little did I know at the time that this was good Biblical teaching!

James also writes about the power of the tongue, saying it can direct our lives and direct it into directions that we really do not want to go in (James 3 v 3 to 6).

The Bible tells us the kind of things we should speak in order to see blessings and abundance in our lives, we should be speaking (and thinking) about spiritual matters and not carnal matters (Romans 8 v 6).

If we think and then speak spiritually we will see abundance i.e. life and peace, however if we think and then speak carnally (or about things of this physical world) we will see lack (or death).

This is not exactly rocket science; it should be pretty easy to understand.

We have the choice and option to speak one way or the other, and whichever way we choose will impact our lives for good or for evil.

This is a spiritual law that we can use for our benefit, but we have to co-operate and choose to live this way.

It is up to you to choose today.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you have set in place spiritual laws that if we follow will see abundance flow in our lives”.

Proverbs 18 v 21…..Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat of the fruit thereof

DIG for Saturday the 14th of February…..this time I do agree with the theologians…..John 1 v 1

If you read my DIG s regularly you’ll not be surprised that I quite often disagree with theologians or with traditional teaching.

For once however I am in complete agreement with the theologians; the Logos (or Word) that John talks about at the start of his gospel is indeed Jesus.

The start of this book is clearly talking about Jesus, the light, the One who made all things, the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1 v 3 and 4, 10 and 14).

This word “Logos” is one that would have been understood by both the Jews and the Gentiles, the two cultural groups of the time when this gospel was written.

The Greek word logos had been used for centuries and described among other things “the principle that gave the universe order” and “the bond of everything that held all created things together”.

The Jews also were aware of this concept of logos, for example in Psalm 33 v 6 where the earth and heavens were made by His Word (or Logos).

So both cultures of the day would have been well aware of what John was saying with regards to Jesus as the Logos.

He was the Creator and Sustainer; the Divine Being by which all things were made and held together.

We of course have confirmation of these truths when we read verses like Hebrews 1 v 3 and Colossians 1 v 16 and 17.

In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God, and He was the agent of creation.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for Jesus, the Creator and Sustainer, and He who became flesh and dwelt among us”.

John 1 v 1…..And in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God