As many of you already know, Psalm 103:2-3 is one of my favorite passages, which says: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. From that passage alone, I was forgiven and healed of cancer in 1993, and I’m still forgiven and healed today.  Are YOU taking full advantage of “all His benefits”?

Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

There isn’t much I can add to that passage, having often preached to you about healing being part of salvation, available to “whosoever will”.  But often, due to the teaching we have received from others, healing has at best been a “hit and miss” proposition for many.  Some receive, some don’t.  So the natural assumption some make is, “Sometimes it’s God’s will to heal, sometimes not.” Let me show you how lame of an excuse that is if you haven’t received your healing yet.

First off, God is not a respecter of persons.  That which applies to one, applies to “Whosoever will”, up to ALL.  Salvation is available to all who will truly receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.  I’m not talking about just saying under your breath carefully so nobody will hear, “Jesus, I ask You to be my Lord and Savior.”, but rather the one who fully realizes what their commitment to God really is, how He is now the LORD of your life, no longer you yourself.  That change of ownership of your life brings forth a radical change in your very person, and is evident by the way you think, speak, and live forever after.  That one who now lives by the grace of God, FOR God, and by His direction has a BENEFITS package.  But just because that person (Hopefully YOU) owns that benefit package, doesn’t necessarily mean they know what it IS!

If I may, let me relate to you something that happened years ago.  The LORD prompted me to give away a Lincoln, which I was very fond of at the time, and like many of you, drove the car but paid little attention to the owner’s manual.  The day I gave it away, having emptied my contents from the car, I took a look through the owner’s manual.  Much to my surprise, I saw  options the car had which I didn’t realize was even there,  And they were there all the time and the car was fully paid for, yet I never had the chance to use or enjoy them, BECAUSE I DIDN’T PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE OWNER’S MANUAL!   Too bad, so sad, but it was my own fault.  Had I paid better attention to the owner’s manual, much more benefit and pleasure could have been derived from owning that car. But it’s too late now, it’s gone.

Well, the same thing happens to far too many of God’s children.  They receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, and that’s where it ends.  They read their Bible whenever it suits them, pray when they feel like it, and seldom REALLY get into the Bible so much that it becomes an object of fervent love to them.  They are satisfied “to be saved” and that’s about as involved as they want to be.  Too bad they’re going to miss out on all their “benefits”.  That isn’t God’s will for them, but God will not make you do anything, for the Holy Spirit is there to help you, not “possess you” and make you do stuff against your will.

Have you read your Bible from cover to cover?  Do you study it carefully in order to harvest every little nugget that God has placed in there for you?  Do you ask God to open His Word to your understanding, so you may actually LIVE the Word, and not just read about it?  God’s Word is His gift to you, like an owner’s manual that He uses to explain to you all of your benefits.  Suppose you went to the car dealer to buy a new car.  What if the salesman said “We want to sell you a new car, but we really only want your money so would you mind if we don’t include a warranty? Just buy the car and be gone, we don’t want to hear from you again.  And in case you have any problems, you’re on your own.” If you’re smart, and I think you are, you would promptly look for a sign from God.  That would be the EXIT sign above the door.  Run, don’t walk through that door, and don’t go back.

Of course you’re after a warranty!  That’s a good reason for buying a new car, so if you have problems, you can get them fixed at no charge, right?  But consider this: most dealers won’t call you every day to see if you have a problem with your new car, especially if you’ve had it a while.  BUT, if you have a problem during the warranty period, you can call the dealer and they will fix it.  Now, let’s talk about that new life that you just got from God, called Salvation.  Do you not think it comes with a warranty?  Sure it does!  One of those “benefits” when you received Christ Jesus (Y’shua Messiah) includes HEALING!  Remember Psalm 103:2-3?  That’s just ONE of the benefits, and there are many more.  Read Psalm 91 in the Owner’s Manual for a few more “benefits”.  There are many, many benefits that come along with salvation, but for today, I’m going to harp on healing, because that’s a big benefit that many seem to skip over when reading their Owner’s Manual, if they even read it at all.

As members of the “Family of God”, we have rights as well as responsibilities.  We all know, when we’re sick, we don’t feel like going to work.  And God immediately wants to put His children to work building His Kingdom here on earth, to get it to where it agrees with the LORD’S Prayer, “Thy will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven.”  But if the family members are out sick, there isn’t much Kingdom of God work getting done, is there?  Perhaps YOU’RE one of the sick ones.  God has already provided healing for you, did you know that?  And if you know that, have you received your healing?  No?  Why not??

Insert your excuse HERE ( _ ).  Notice the space is small, for there is no excuse for you not reading your Owner’s Manual and finding out what belongs to you, and what doesn’t.  What doesn’t belong in your “benefits” package?  Sickness, for one thing.  If you’re sick, it isn’t God’s will for you, period.  People can try to reason their way right out of their benefits, but that doesn’t change God’s will, or His view toward you.  HIS will is for YOU to be WHOLE, lacking nothing in every area of your life.  I don’t care what some preacher has told you, sickness is NOT God’s will for you.  Don’t just take MY word for it, get your Owner’s Manual out and READ the thing!!!

If you don’t have peace in your life, you haven’t read and believed the Book, period.  If you are in lack, you’re letting the devil steal your benefits.  Now, would you let someone jack up your car and steal the wheels and tires?  I hope not.

Let me share a bad dream I had last night. Just as I was writing this last paragraph, the LORD revealed the meaning of the dream to me suddenly, and I know it was not only for me, but for YOU!  Here it is:  I was on a journey in my car, pulling my motorcycle on a trailer.  The pavement ended and I was on a dirt road out in the boonies. There were a few run-down buildings and the road was bad so I took the motorcycle from the trailer in order to continue.  Suddenly there were a few thug type people surrounding me, who started harassing me, and threatening me.  I had a gun in my pocket, but didn’t get it out.  They started taking my motorcycle apart and scattering the pieces around.  One person told me I should go call the sheriff, so I asked where there was a phone, and he directed me where it was, so I left.  When I got back, they also had my car disassembled, motor parts scattered all over the place, and all my belongings were gone and I STILL kept the gun in my pocket, thinking, maybe they are also armed, and this stuff isn’t worth dying over, and just then I woke up, wondering what the purpose of the dream was.  Now I know!

The thugs were the devil’s crew.  They had me in their territory and had come to “steal, kill, and destroy”.  At the onset of the problem, I could have pulled my gun (the HOLY SPIRIT)  and ended the confrontation.  But I didn’t, because I was afraid of reprisal from them. We often fear to stand up to the devil’s threats because we’re afraid of another attack.  Big mistake!  By not using my BENEFITS (the protection of God, which belongs to me virtue of Psalm 91)  and being bold and standing up against them,  I  suffered the loss,  not only of my vehicles, but of all my belongings. which absolutely could have been prevented.  FEAR is NOT one of our BENEFITS!  One of our benefits is POWER, LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND.

Listen!  When the devil shows up at your place and utters his threats, you don’t have to fear him, for ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  (1 John 4:4)

Before you face your next battle with the devil (or even your own fears and doubts), remember, in Christ Jesus you are ALREADY the victor if you forget not all His benefits!