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Guarding the Heart While the Body Heals

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  Fighting bitterness, fear, and discouragement Physical healing can be slow. Setbacks come. The enemy of our souls loves to use the waiting to plant bitterness, self-pity, or fear of the future. Scripture is clear: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The recovering believer must actively guard the heart. Philippians 4:6-7 remains the daily prescription: be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. The peace of God will keep (garrison) the heart and mind. Thanksgiving is not optional. It is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Even on the hard days we can thank Him for breath, for progress however small, for the people who stand with us, and for the eternal weight of glory that far exceeds these light afflictions (2 Corinthians 4:17). Refuse the lies that say, “This is taking too long,” or “God has forgotten me.”...
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The Ministry of the Body of Christ in Recovery

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  Allowing others to help us heal Recovery is rarely a solo journey. Galatians 6:2 still applies: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” In the acute phase we may have called for the elders. In the recovery phase we continue to need the body — meals, rides, encouragement, accountability, and simple presence. Pride often rises again once the crisis has passed. We want to “get back to normal” without needing anyone. Scripture will not permit that independence. Romans 12:15 calls us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. The recovering believer still needs the weeping and the rejoicing of the saints. Hebrews 10:24-25 urges us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, even when assembling looks like short visits or phone calls rather than full services. Receive the help. Let the church fulfill its calling. And as strength returns, begin to look for small ways to encourage others who are still in the valley. The comfort we h...
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Rest, Wisdom, and the Stewardship of the Body

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  Cooperating with the design God built into us Scripture never teaches that faith replaces wisdom. Proverbs is full of practical instruction for the body. “My son, attend to my words… for they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22). The body is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). After illness we are stewards of a weakened temple, and stewardship requires rest, patience, and wise choices. The Lord Himself established the pattern of rest. Even the land was to keep a Sabbath (Leviticus 25). Jesus often withdrew to rest and pray. After major illness the recovering believer must resist the urge to “prove” he is fine by overdoing. Wisdom says: sleep when the body needs sleep, eat what strengthens rather than what merely tastes good, walk as strength allows, and refuse the pride that pushes past safe limits. This is not legalism. It is obedience to the God who designed the body and who still gives wisdom liberally to those...
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Location: Dublin, IN, USA
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Prayer, the Word, and the Prayer of Faith

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  The spiritual means God has given for recovery James 5:14-16 is not only for the crisis of acute sickness; it continues into the season of recovery. “The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up… Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Prayer is not a last resort after the doctors have done all they can. It is the ongoing work of the recovering believer. We pray for strength, for wisdom in the daily decisions of recovery, for protection from setbacks, and for a heart that remains soft toward the Lord. We also keep the Word of God before us. Psalm 119:50 says, “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” The same Word that gives life to the soul sustains the body in its healing. Many recoveries are hindered not by lack of medical care but by neglected confession, lingering bitterness, or prayerlessness. The Lord often ti...
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Location: Dublin, IN, USA
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Healing After the Storm

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  A second series on recovery — what Scripture teaches about healing after illness and how we cooperate with the God who restores Brothers and sisters, the previous series looked at living by faith when sickness leaves us unable to help ourselves. Now we turn to the other side of the valley: the slow, often frustrating work of healing and recovery. The Bible does not leave us without light here. God is the Lord who heals (Exodus 15:26). He also calls His people to walk wisely, rest obediently, pray continually, and receive the means of grace He has provided. These six posts are written for the fundamentalist Christian who holds the inerrant Word as final authority. They reject both the despair that says God no longer heals and the error that treats healing as something we can demand by formula. We look to the whole counsel of God for the path of recovery.   The Lord Who Heals Thee Beginning recovery by fixing our eyes on the Healer Himself After illness, the first and greatest...
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Location: Dublin, IN, USA
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