GOD'S THREE-FOLD ATTACK AGAINST DISEASE

Introduction:
--We need to understand that God is good, and He wants good things for His people. "The Lord...hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant" (Ps. 35.27). "The Lord is good to all...and raiseth up all those that be bowed down" (Ps. 145. 9,14). This is the basis of His works on our behalf. It is His very nature of love for us, that is the basis for His 3-fold attack against disease.
--We need to understand God's plan for man's longevity.Gen. 6.3 tells us that man is allowed 120 years: "yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years". Many have taught that man has been allotted seventy or eighty years, based on Ps. 90. 10. This Psalm is a prayer of Moses, who was an intercessor, a go-between for God's people. In this Psalm he is putting himself with God's people as he laments that they are being "cut off" in His wrath by premature death because of their straying from the right ways of God! Moses himself lived to be 120 and "his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated" (Deut. 34.7). (Long life is promised in the Word: Gen. 6.3; Gen. 25.7; 47.28; 50.26; Deut. 34.7; Josh. 14.10,11; Ps. 91.16; 92. 12-15: Lk. 2.36,37; Jn. 21.18.)
--We need to understand that we reap what we sow. This is good. In cooperation with God, we can sow the Word of faith into our spirits, and we can sow good things into our bodies, and so be strengthened to overcome disease. "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy" (Sow things that are right--the way of the Word is right--and reap in deliverance)" (Hos. 10.12).
--We need to understand that there is healing and restoration promised to those who believe, submit to, and obey the Word of God. "If my people...shall humble themselves...pray...seek my face...turn from their wicked ways...I... will forgive...and will heal" (2 Chron. 7. 14).
"I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten...ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God" (Joel 2. 25, 26). "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings...learn to do well...come now, let us reason together...if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured" (Isa. 1. 16-20).
--By understanding God's purposes and His nature, that He desires good for us, and by understanding our position to cooperate with God to reap His benefits, we can be motivated to obey Him and reap those benefits."Understanding is a well-spring of life unto him that hath it" (Prov. 16. 22). Overcoming sickness and disease is a benefit of understanding and cooperating with God's ways. The Word promises deliverance to every person who will fully cooperate.
--So, the following areas are the three realms in which we can cooperate with God for our healing and overcoming disease so we can enjoy a good, long, healthy, and fruitful life according to the promises of the Word.

THE SPIRIT REALM -- BE "AT-EASE" INSTEAD OF IN "DIS-EASE"
--The first "attack" God made on disease was that He gave Jesus, and Jesus gave His life so that we might have abundant life. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53. 5). Jesus
gave Himself for us to make us whole and peaceful in spirit, soul, and body.
--Unforgiveness, anger, hatred, bitterness, criticism, and strife all are in the realm of "dis-ease" instead of being "at-ease". To continue in this state of mind as a life-style will give rise to negative effects in your physical body. The Word has taught this all along. Now science has discovered the validity of this truth.
--By taking the blood of Jesus for our own sin and faults, and by taking His blood for other's sins and faults, we can be washed clean of all the strife and negative basis for disease. Lay the ax to the root of the tree and the fruit will fall off. The basis of sickness and disease is taken away when we are washed in the blood and when we forgive others. Walking in love in this way is the foundation and continuation of good health.
--Jas. 5. 14-20 speaks of anointing with oil in the name of the Lord, praying the prayer of faith, and confession of faults, for sure results in healing. It never said maybe. By fully meeting all the conditions, the Bible says, "the prayer of faith shall save the sick" and "the Lord shall raise him up". And, it says "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much".
--Once the prayer of faith is prayed and all the conditions of God's Word in James 5. 14-20 are met, and you are praising God for the victory, there are two other realms which needs to be addressed.

THE SOUL REALM -- CONFESS WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS ABOUT
YOU
--The next "attack" that God made on disease is that He gave us His written Word.
--Confess the Word of God. There is unlimited power in confessing God's Word.
"Let the weak say, ‘I am strong'" (Joel 3. 10).
"Life and death are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18. 21).
"Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you. That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith" (Mk. 11. 22, 23).
--Refuse to entertain any negative thoughts. Refuse to make any negative implications or confessions of any kind. Read the account of the widow whose son died in Elijah's day She absolutely refused to make a negative confession, even in the face of death itself! 2 Kings 4. 18-37, esp. v.26.

THE BODY REALM -- COOPERATE WITH THE WAY GOD SET THINGS UP BY INWARDLY CLEANSING YOUR BODY AND FEEDING IT GOOD THINGS
--The third "attack" God made on disease is that He gives wisdom to us so that we might cooperate with the ways of life that He has set into motion.
--Your body is designed to heal itself. It does this by the principle of cleansing and renewal. When a body's immune system is weakened by prolonged negative influences, then the body cannot withstand the attacks upon it, and it falls prey to those attacks. This is how diseases take over. It is not happen-stance. It is cause and effect.
-- "He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3.5). This is the basic principle of life. It applies spiritually and physically. By carefully regulated diet, exercise, herbs, juice fasting, and even mechanical means such as colonic irrigations--whatever it takes to really get cleaned out inside and stay clean, cleansing is first and foremost, then, renewal by taking in truly good things. Or, if you are turned off by all this stuff, then use your faith and believe God to cleanse your body. However you do it and whatever it takes, there needs to be cleansing.
    A lot of people will scoff at these things and turn right around and pay doctors and pharmacies all their life, being hindered in their ministry, and still go to an early grave! If a few natural principles and means are incorporated into our lifestyle, we can get by a whole lot cheaper, be healthier, and have more money and energy for the mission field. If half the money Christians spend on doctors and pharmacies was put into missions, we could have world-wide revival! You know what I mean.
    The point is this: Do your personal janitorial work and just clean your house up and feed your body good things for health and energy and rebuilding, but don't make this your platform and gospel.
-- "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Ps. 103. 2-5). David had a revelation of how God ministers to the whole man, and how He leads you to eat those good things so your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
-- "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth" (Ps. 104. 14). God gave plant life to serve as food, which means plant life serves our bodies for optimum health. (Meat is given, too, although it came in after the fall. In the beginning, in the garden of Eden, meat was not given as a food. But our foods are not to become an issue.References: Gen. 1.29; 9.3; Lev. 11).
-- "When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat" (Prov. 23. 1-3). King Solomon, David's son, knew that it was wisdom to really study what you are eating. It is not wise to just eat anything that looks and tastes good. It might look good and taste good, but if it is not truly wholesome, it is "deceitful meat", that does you harm. Consuming nutritionally depleted and unwholesome food for years will take it's toll on our bodies.
--Depleted bodies need special feeding and care. We must "consider diligently" what we eat if we are going to be wise to overcome weakness, sickness, and disease, and live a satisfied life to a good old age. "With long life will I satisfy him" (Ps. 91. 16).
--When we are diseased, we are especially depleted, and so we need to pay special attention to our diet, exercise, complete inward cleansing, proper water and juice fasting, and renewal with excellent, wholesome feeding of our body that goes beyond the norm.
--There are many a preacher and Christians who scoffed at this type thing, and they are in their graves. The rule is this: Whatever it takes to keep going and keep preaching the gospel to make disciples of all nations--do it! And remember this, just as we apply the principle of reaping what we sow in every other realm of our life, it applys in the realm of health, too. So, let us be diligent to sow good things into our bodies so we can reap good things in our lives for long-term ministries.

Conclusion:
--God desires for us to enjoy life to the fullest. He has made full provision in every realm through Jesus Christ to save and preserve us , to enjoy life "more abundantly". He said it is the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but He said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (Jn. 10. 10).
--By understanding what God has provided in all three realms of our lives in His 3-FOLD ATTACK AGAINST DISEASE, we can cooperate with Him and overcome the weakness, sickness, and disease that might have beset us.
--All praise goes to the name of Jesus.