Am I NORMAL?

What is normal to you?  Is God’s definition of normal the same as the world’s definition?  Do things seem upside down to you today?

In today’s culture it seems as if normal is abnormal and abnormal is normal.  Marriage, which is normal defined by God, is today being defined by our culture as abnormal.  Today, more than 40% of children are being born by unwed mothers.  Is that normal? Good health which is normal and God’s desire for us (3 John 1:2) is now being replaced by the normality of sickness and disease.  Over one third of our population has diabetes and is suffering from cancer and other life threatening diseases. Is that normal? Shouldn’t normal be defined as living a long and healthy life free of disease? To get the truth on NORMAL we must seek the word of God.  Let’s start from the beginning and look in Genesis.  After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they sewed fig leaves (Genesis 3:7) together and covered themselves.  The fig leaves are a symbol of human self righteousness.  They were attempting to cover themselves with their own self effort.  In Genesis 3:21 we see that the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them.  God was the first one to kill an animal and used the skin to cover their naked bodies with blood. This clearly signifies the importance of blood for our salvation and holiness. 

Through this example, God is defining what is NORMAL.  He is showing us that our  salvation and holiness cannot be attained through our own works and self effort.  They are given to us as a free gift by God through the shedding of innocent blood. Without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins. Jesus demonstrated what is normal in Mark 11:14…Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.”  Here Jesus is speaking TO the tree.  Today, in our culture, we can say that it is not “normal” to talk TO trees but our culture has it upside down.  Today normal is abnormal and abnormal is normal.  Good is bad and bad is good.   Satan has programmed “death” into our culture.  Everywhere you go today you see skulls and crossbones. You see demonic images all throughout our retail stores.  Our movies and TV programs are obsessed with witchcraft, zombies and aliens.  Satan has also programmed “death” into our human language.  How many times a day do you hear someone say…”I am dying for ______!”  I am dying for a piece of chocolate, I am dying to go see that movie, I am dying, I am dying, I am dying!!!   Why wouldn’t we use the word “living instead?  If you are dead you can’t eat that piece of chocolate.  If you are dead you can’t go see that movie.  Satan has subtly and consistently programmed death into every facet of our lives.  Remember my friend Satan hates YOU!  His #1 goal is to kill, steal and destroy YOU!  He wants to keep you ignorant of the truth and the truth is that the resurrection blood of Jesus paid the price for your sins and gave you back the dominion Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden.  Through the blood of Jesus YOU have victory over him!  You don’t have to earn the victory…Jesus’ death and resurrection GAVE IT TO YOU! You are not fighting FOR victory, you are fighting FROM victory! You just have to learn how to use your power!  How do you exercise your authority? Proverbs 18:21 tells us that life and death are in the power of the TONGUE and those who love it will eat its fruit.  Therefore, you must use your tongue to SPEAK LIFE!

When you speak like the Bible instructs you to speak the world calls you crazy. But wouldn’t you rather be called crazy than live sick, depressed and oppressed like much of the world today?  Most people are unknowingly cursing their own lives with the words they carelessly spew out of their mouths.  They are unwittingly and unknowingly speaking death into their lives and then blaming God for it.  “Why would God allow this to happen?” they ask.  God gave us each free will to speak words of our own choosing. Those words contain POWER.  God tells us clearly in Proverbs 18:21 that if you love life you will love its fruit.  The more you speak and believe the more you are acting like your Father in Heaven.  Today, we have moved away from faith.  There is so much teaching today on health and the foods we eat.  While it is important to eat a healthy and balanced diet and to exercise it is also important to enjoy what you eat and enjoy your exercise. There’s a better way to live and it’s called FAITH.  Faith is a currency of Heaven.  Speak and believe you are healed.  This is how Jesus did it.  He spoke to the LEPER first and then he was healed. Jesus demonstrated that you can speak to demons and they will leave, that you can speak to storms and winds and they will depart and that you can speak to sickness and and be healed.  Say…”Thank you Jesus that by your stripes I am healed.  I curse the roots of this disease and cast it into the sea.”  In Mark 11:20 we see that as Jesus and his disciples passed by the fig tree the next morning the fig tree had dried up by the root.  Remember, Jesus had spoken to it the day before and the next morning we are seeing the fruit of His words.  Sometimes when you speak to your condition it will still look the same.  When you start cursing that sickness in your body you will still feel bad and feel all of the symptoms but death to the disease begins at the roots. Jesus goes on to explain in Mark 11:21 how to do it…”And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him Master, behold, the fig tree, which thou cursed is withered away.”  Mark 11:22 and Jesus answered and said to them…”Have faith in God.”  In Greek, it means have the God kind of faith. Jesus never saw it until he SPOKE it.  Man’s way is opposite…we must see it BEFORE we speak it.  Therein, lies our problem…we are doing the opposite way of God.  Jesus looked around and said to the leper be cleansed and he was healed.  He said to the waves be calm, be still and there was a perfect calm.  He spoke to demons “leave” and they left!  God made us in HIS image and we are supposed to speak before we can see!  God made man a speaking spirit.  Dogs bark, cats meow, cows moo...man speaks!  God made man the highest of all creation. He was made in His image and gave us dominion over all creatures!  Earnest prayer is DECLARING God’s word over your life. God called you and I to be Priests and Kings.  Kings DECLARE!  Kings SPEAK!  Satan doesn’t care about how many charity works you do, he is scared you will use your tongue to SPEAK, he is scared you will act like a King! 

Mark 11:23 says… “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou 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.” Notice here that the word SAY occurs three times and the word believe occurs once.  God is telling us that saying is more important than believing because the more you say the more you believe! What is your mountain…a disease, financial lack, marital issues?  Whatever your problem is SPEAK to it!  A lot of people are speaking to God about their mountain and God is telling us to SPEAK TO THE MOUNTAIN!  God is not your problem!  God gave YOU the authority to speak to you mountain…”Be thou removed and it shall be cast onto the sea.”   Satan will tell you speaking and believing are not enough.  He will tell you that you are not “holy” enough and that faith alone will not work.  Satan’s biggest fear is that you will start walking in faith and start exercising the power God gave to you through the shed blood of His Son.  The good news is that God doesn’t wait for you to arrive…He gives you the gift of holiness through the blood of His son.  Faith is the highest form of Holiness.  It demonstrates to God that you BELIEVE what you say.  I truly believe the thing that grieves God the most is not sin but UNBELIEF.  He simply wants us to BELIEVE what He has promised us.  When we believe what He says we then SPEAK it out of our mouths.  The Bible says…out the heart the mouth speaks. Therefore, there is great life changing power in RIGHT BELIEVING!

How did God exercise His faith?  He SPOKE to the darkness and He saw light.  He SPOKE to the oceans and He saw whales and creatures of the sea.  Doing and speaking are antithesis.  God believed and then SPOKE!  However, Satan tells us subtly that speaking and believing are not enough.  He wants to deceive you to think that you are not holy enough.  How do you become holy?  Holiness is not about your obedience!  You can’t earn your way to holiness!  You can’t do enough to deserve it!  You receive it the same way you received salvation…through FAITH!  Holiness cannot come through your performance but by FAITH alone!  Acts 15:8-9 says…”So God who knows the heart acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and made not distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by FAITH.”  1 Corinthians 1:30 says…”But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification (holiness) & redemption.”   Christ is YOUR holiness!  He is your redemption from the curse!  Say it…”Christ is my holiness. Christ is my sanctification.” 

Are you ready for the speaking life? Jesus came to bring us to His level…when He speaks things happen!  We are heirs of salvation and angels are sent to minister to us.  Curse that disease in your body to its root and cast it to the sea!  Then rest and say it again the next day!  Say it and then believe! Your faith is the victory that overcomes the world!  This is God’s definition of NORMAL!  Normal, in God’s eyes, is to be healthy and strong in your spirit, soul and physical body!  Normal is for children to be born into wedlock by a loving mother and father.  The definition of normal has not changed. It is our culture that has changed.  But the good news is that this world with all of its shortcomings is NOT our source! It’s not YOUR source my friend!  God is your source and in His kingdom health, prosperity and wholeness are normal!  When you exercise your faith you overcome the lust of the flesh, the devil and the world!  Start today my friend!  SPEAK to that mountain and BELIEVE what God has promised you! 

Jesus loves YOU!  May the blessings of God flow through you and to you… today and always!

God Bless,

Sherry