2-21-20
YOU MUST TAKE IT
By Jerry Baysinger
I’ve been asked why some are healed, and some, though they profess to believe God’s Word, are not healed. That’s a fair question. Some say it is not always God’s will to heal in this lifetime, that it will take place “later”. And it’s true, not everyone is healed in this lifetime. But it’s also true that not everyone is saved. Can we therefore say it is not God’s will for all to be saved?


It is written in Luke 13:18-27,
18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

The illustration that Jesus used of a mustard seed is good. A mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, yet it grows into a very large tree that the birds can lodge in. It doesn’t start big, but it steadily grows each day. None of us start off as a giant in faith, we all start small, but as we allow the Word of God to grow in us, our faith grows, and our expectation of the manifestation of God’s promises grows with it. There are some who read the promises of God and will never realize the manifestation of them because “wish” is not the same as “believe”.

What is “believe”? It is the earnest expectation, the conviction that, the KNOWING that what you’re desiring is already achieved and is there for the taking. It’s like walking up to a tree full of apples, reaching out your hand, and ……..either taking one, or being hesitant to believe you can actually have one, or as many as you want. Which will it be? Take it, or not?

There are those who believe the promises of God are real, but they haven’t laid hold on any of them yet. So for them to say, “It’s not God’s will to heal” would be for them to remain in need of healing, wanting it, but never having it. Whose fault would it be for them not to have it? Can we blame God who provided for healing in the “here and now” as demonstrated by Christ Jesus? Or must we blame the one who fails to reach out and take hold of it? Our failure to lay hold of the promise does not negate the promise made by God. It just means WE won’t have it.

I remember a time twenty years ago coming out of a church service, and I walked by a pickup truck with a lady inside crying. The window was down, so I asked her why she was crying, and she said her family was losing their home the next day because they couldn’t pay the rent. I asked her how much she needed, and she said $100. I happened to have $100 on me, so I took it out and handed it to her. But she wouldn’t take it. When I asked why not, she said because she didn’t know me. So what difference did that make? I was offering to meet her need, but she would NOT be convinced to take the money I was offering her. I was a willing “giver”, but she was not a willing “receiver”.

Did God find another way to meet her need? I don’t know. I DO know that it was God’s will to meet her need, because He prompted me to give her the money. So that’s one time I personally know of that God’s will was not done because someone’s will overrode God’s will. And it happens all the time. It is written in 2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. By that we absolutely know beyond any doubt that it is God’s will that ALL be saved, yet many will be lost because of their own choice. And many, BY THEIR OWN CHOICE, refuse or fail to obtain God’s promises, whether it be salvation, healing, provision, or whatever.

And to say it was God’s will for them to do without is calling God a liar, which is iniquity. (referring to Luke 13:27)

And in the end, when they stand before Jesus in the judgment, those who ABIDE in unbelief will be told, I tell you, I know not whence ye are: depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. That’s a very sad thing. Hopefully SOME will repent of unbelief and take God up on His Word.

The devil is very sly, he will try to turn the promises of God, which are all “Yea, and amen”, to “they’re not for everyone, and definitely not for you”. Even if you come back and tell him, “I know it’s God’s will to heal me.”, he will reply, “Not today. Maybe someday.” If he can get you to put off putting your hand forth and seizing the apple on the tree, telling you that you can have one, but not NOW, then he can keep delaying you until the apple rots on the tree. There are MANY ways the devil talks people out of their blessings. You may think you’re too smart to fall for that, but at the time, the smartest people on the face of the earth were Adam and Eve, and the devil sure talked THEM out of their blessings! I rest my case!

You and I need to keep our faces into the Word of God, and continually growing in faith and knowledge, all the while laying hold and seizing everything God is offering in His Word. You may not understand, and therefore not seize everything today, but seize what you DO understand, rather than let it rot on the tree. The blessings are for YOU, don’t worry about what blessings I’m walking in or not walking in. Make sure YOU aren’t letting the devil talk you out of yours. Maybe I’ve been doing this longer than you have, so I’m able to walk in a place that you think is unavailable for ANYONE to walk in. But when you see what I’ve seen, then you’ll step up and say “I’ll have some of that, thank you.” Until then, don’t discourage others who are TRYING to learn what belongs to them by right of being a child of God. There’s plenty there for all of us!

It’s there,alright, but YOU MUST TAKE IT!