Dealing with Heart Disease.
There are two different types of Heart Disease, the disease of the flesh and the disease of the spirit. For a moment I would like to talk to you about the Heart Disease of the flesh. In 1999 I had a massive heart attack, in fact I had three. On the first one I was pronounced dead by a Doctor from a prestigious Hospital. God in His mercy raised me up to continue my ministry, but He also allowed my body to maintain the Disease. I understand what many go thru when their hearts fail them. I know the pain and sometimes the despair that follows the attack. Fear wasn’t with me but was rebuked. I was ready to leave this world and be with my Saviour. Living with this disease is sometimes difficult because the symptoms don’t show outwardly. Have you ever heard people say, ” I don’t see a thing wrong with you.?” I have. Heart disease is a silent killer that gives little or no warning just as Cancer. There sometimes is no outward sign that a person has the disease.
I have experienced, nights without sleep, pains that come and go and depression that I have to rebuke. Yes, ministers also are attacked by Satan. I know how it affects family and friends. Many friends walk away from you, because they don’t want to deal with it. The best friend I have is my wife Juanita. She is always there with words of incouragment and comfort. This reminds me of the times Jesus sent out the disciples by twos, one would be able to lean on the other and help each other. Thats how I feel about my wife, she is my best friend.
To be able to live with this dibilitateing Disease, I turned to the Bible for my answers, the first question I had for God was, 1. Why Me? The answer I received was, 1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. But the most surprising of His answers was, “Why Not You, My Son also had to suffer.” I accepted these answers and went on. 2. How will I continue on with my ministry? 1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 2Co 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. The key word here was grace. His Grace would be sufficient for me to continue in His path. Unlike the Scientologist, I accepted the help of my doctors, took my medication, blessed each pill by the grace of God and trusted in Him. I don’t think about dieing, for its up to the Lord. I learned one thing real fast, I have no controll over my time to die, so why worry about it. The Joy of the Lord is my strength. The best example that God showed me was the life of Job. Job 1:6-12 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. So I put myself in Jobs shoes.
Satan have you considered my servant Anthony? So put yourself in Jobs shoes. Satan have you considered my servant ………………? To live with Heart disease, 1. Live. Don’t let the disease rule you. 2. Grace. Let Gods grace fill you with understanding of why you. For God Grace is sufficient. 3. Faith. Let your faith in God deliver you thru all the pain and suffering that you go thru. 4. Believe. Believe that God has a reason that you are allowed to be inflicted. 5. Show. Show the world what your God can do. 6. Witness. Be a witness to His majesty and Power. 7. Rebuke. Rebuke the spirit of infirmity. 8. Stand. Stand, and when you’ve done all, stand on Gods word. 9. Don’t Fear. Don’t fear or fret about the body but consider the soul and the one who has power over body and soul. 10. Read. Read Gods word daily, it comforts the Body, Mind and Soul. Remember this one thing, Prayer isnt automatic. Many Christians believe that God will answer all prayers because of the statment by Christ. Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. This statment has a condition that goes along with it, “If it be Gods Will !” Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Praying in the will of God is important,” not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Luke 21:25-26 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Now to the Spirit.Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Mans heart is a complex thing not just in the flesh but especially in the spirit. Man has come from the creation of God in His image to a creature that is being killed in spirit by the cancer that has taken over this world.
I just want to share with you a letter that I received today from a good friend of mine. “Dear Brother Smith, It has been a long time you never heard from me, an incident occurred that completely took me off my feet. My wife was shot by armed robbers on september 10th, over $30,000 collected from her as she was working on her new clinic site, 8 bullets has so far been removed from her head, the rib’s were broken by bullets and the right leg. She will be injected for 28days and no one is permitted to see her during these period. Brother it’s a tormenting period for me, help me in prayers please. Bishop Dr.Joseph Rankin” This world is dieing. Many are calling for peace, but peace is unattainable in this life. Prostitution, Homo-sexuality, Rape, Murder, Theft, Unrighteousness, war, rumors of war, Earthquakes, Floods, Fires, And man still fails to repent or to see the signs of the times. There are many that say that they belong to God, but which god do they belong to. John 8:44-47, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. The cancer of mans spirit is growing each and every day.
Many worldwide are calling for an alliance of Christian, Judaism and Islam, to bring about world peace and prosperity. They want to join all three under one universal name. But there can only be two that can align themselves together, Judaism and Christianity, for the Jews and Christians are brothers. All other, so called religions that denigh the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not of God but of that spiritual cancer. You cannot make an alliance with the Devil. His promises to you are worthless and misleading. Death and destruction are in the paths of man, for he knows not the God of our fathers. Rejection has become the norm around the world. Many are ignoring the signs of the times, many are being cautious stating that the things that have are are going to happen are fulfillment of prophecy. The cancer in man has blinded him from the truth.
He no longer sees the suffering of others, he no longer sees the signs of the times, the signs in the heavens, the signs in the earth and the signs on the earth. Hell enlarges its boarders daily and is never full. Man is on a course that puts him in the number that will have not only one death but will die a second time. Heb 3:10-12, Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 1Jo 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. Apostasy; An abandonment of what one has professed; a total desertion, or departure from one’s faith or religion. Rev 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 2Pe 2:14-22; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Apostasy; An abandonment of God for the lust of the flesh, power, coruption,instability, hipocrits all. Lost and dieing without hope of a resurection in Glory.
Falling as a tree in the woods with no sound to be heard, falling with cancer without any truth within them. False teachers, flase preachers, false prophets, without understanding, without knowledge, without wisdom. As a tree falls, so shall it be raised. My words are nothing compared to the words of God.
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