Tree of Life Blog

Count the cost.

But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? (Luke 14.28, NLT)

Before you go to a conference, what sort of questions are going to help you get the most out of it:

• Do I have a way of recording what I have heard? For example, an expensive notebook. The more expensive the notebook the better care you will take of it, and the better care you will take of your notes.
• Have I got a way of minimising distractions while I am there? Are there things I can put off, or things I have to get done so that when the conference is on my attention is 100% there?
• Have I prayed? Have I spent time asking the Lord what He wants me to get from the conference? Have I spent time building myself up so I can get the most out of it?
• Have I got a plan to make this conference part of the process of my life? I don’t want to career from conference to conference and never have it change the process of my life! Life is built by process not events, so what is my plan?
• Have I got enough sleep and am I eating right so I am 100% in the session?

We are just throwing out questions that you should be asking every day before you go to bed. I think these five are the most important… what question do you think should be asked of yourself daily?

• Have I dreamed today?
• Have I read God’s Word today?
• Have I encouraged or inspired someone today?
• Have I thanked someone today?
• Have I made a difference today?

Before you co-sign a loan for that friend or family member, it’s a really good idea to think twice. There is a reason the bank needs your signature. The people who work with money every day and earn money from loaning it out think that this person is risky for a reason. No matter how much you love them, that is the case! So ask yourself:

• Will I still be able to love this person if they walk off with all the money and I get all the debt?
• Are you ok if your ability to take out loans in the future is impacted?
• Are you able to forgive that person if you have to bail them out of the whole amount?

Ask the other person:

• Do you have any other debts at all?
• Why have the bank said they will not give you this loan?
• What will happen if you cannot pay and I have to? Will you then pay me? How?

I never recommend that someone co-signs for another, and the Bible says it is a foolish idea (Proverbs 22.26), but at the very least do not do it unless you ask some questions.

I am going to start a series of a short posts of simple questions you should be asking before you do something. Today I am going to give you some questions you should ask before starting to date someone. It amazes me that people date and do not ask questions! Our pre-marital counselling course is essentially lists of questions to ask each other to make sure you are going to be able to enjoy marriage and that your marriage will extend the kingdom of Heaven.

So, before you even start to date someone, here are the three key questions you should ask (obviously you don’t have to ask them as an interrogation, but you should be able to have a conversation where these questions are brought up and discussed):

• Are you born again?
• Are you baptized in the Holy Spirit?
• Do you tithe?

You do not want to date an unbeliever – you will have real problems with the spiritual in-laws! And if you are flowing in the power of God you want to be with someone who has the same dedication to the things of God that you do, and has received the Holy Spirit. Otherwise you will definitely be unequally yoked.

That third question is a bit sneaky, as the answer will let you know if that person goes to church, how serious they are about church, how they handle money, are they good with money, whether their faith impacts their life. It’s an amazing question that will tell you so much about someone.

These three questions could save you from a planetload of hurt and pain. You are welcome!

One of the things that messes with you doing what God has called you to do is spending your time and energy doing things that God has not called you to do. We are not Superman, we are not super-human, we are not able to do everything! Even the calling of God does not turn you into superman, it just empowers you to do what God has called you to do.

We have not been given the grace to do everything and anything, we have been given the grace according to the measure of the gift (Ephesians 4.7). What you are gifted and graced to do by Jesus is what you can do! Your calling gives you the power to do what you are called to do, but you do not have the power to do what you are not called to do.

Many great ministers are exceptionally deficient in certain areas, but they do well because they stick to their lane. I know miracle workers with no gift of administration, I know teachers who cannot preach and preachers who cannot teach, but they know to do what they do well and they do it well. We only have a measure of the Spirit. We have to be humble enough to admit we cannot do it all. The grace of God is for the call, not for what we just decide to do.

The best pastor in the world is Jesus, the second best pastor in the world will not be the best teacher, the best prophet will not be the best evangelist. We need all of us to be together and learn from each other.

Now something the church is doing very badly is we oscilliate between despising ministers for not being everything we want and idolizing some ministers for what they do and not recognizing that they have any limitations. Both come from immaturity. A mature response is to realize every minister has limits, but we still love them and learn from them. Too many people see the limits of a minister and hate them, others see no limits and idolize! It is strange to realize that in one area we are absolutely remarkable, but in others we are totally rubbish, but it is true of all of us!

Each one of us must recognize our limitations and recognize what we are called to do and are graced to do! Too many prophets want to prophesy over everyone. Too many pastors fail to distinguish their opinion from what the Lord has led them to do and where the Lord is leading them to lead their people. We are all limited and if you don’t realize this yourself – you will find out soon enough!

When we realize our limitations the only solution is to then work with others who have gifts we do not have – and we have gifts they do not have. We all need others to be complete. We need people different from ourselves, we need people who in the natural we might not like that must. This is part of God’s plan to keep us humble, sweet and gracious.

This is so important for all of us. Find out what you are called to do, and do it, and what you are not called to do do it. Also, remember you can learn from all five of the five-fold ministry, in our conferences, you can learn from all the speakers not just the ones that you prefer. And whatever God tells you to do, you can always overcome your limitations – not personally, but by finding the people who can do what you cannot do.

God is fitting the body together. And every part would supply something that you need for your life and ministry!

Every Christian has been called to do something by the Lord. That’s a simple truth but so many people do not realize this. Now if you were Jesus Christ and there were billions of people on the planet who do not know you would you just call the pastors to reach them, or would you call every single Christian to be part of a local church, call them all to grow, call them all to world mission? I know the answer, the Bible knows the answer, but do you know the answer? You are called.

Now the Bible says that many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22.14). Many means lots of people. That includes you. But sadly, most Christians do not believe they are called. They think their pastor has to do it all for them, they think they are called to just sit down and listen to a TV ministry, they think they are called to just be unfruitful. No you are called! You are called to be fruitful, you are called to be part of a church, you are called to contribute, you are called to do something for God.

It’s true to say you are called to be healthy, you are called to be wealthy, you are called to live a great life on earth. When we teach on that, lots of people are interested. Many people like to hear teaching on God’s unconditional love… for them. They listen to sermon after sermon about how much God loves them, and sadly just that diet, that imbalanced diet, leaves those people starving for other nutrients, and leads to selfish and very unfruitful Christians. My job as a pastor is not just to feed you what you want, but to feed you what you need to be equipped to do the works of the ministry!

Keith Green used to a sing a song called Asleep in the Light that says “You don’t need to hear a call, you are already called”. That thought did not come from him, it comes from John’s gospel, where Jesus tells his disciples “you did not choose me, I have chosen you”. If you are a disciple of Jesus, He has already chosen you and called you to be fruitful. You should be fruitful. You should be making sacrifices in your life that involve doing something for the kingdom of God. It still amazes me to meet Christians who do nothing for Christ. They can’t even go to church if the pastor disagrees with them over one point, because their entire Christian life is not about the kingdom it is still all about them – their comfort, their ministry, their spotlight, their feelings, their this and that. You were only saved because Jesus did not care about His own comfort or prosperity or career or future or reputation, and got involved in the greatest act of grace in the universe. Then we call ourselves grace people, but never give up anything to help rescue anyone else ever! That’s not grace. That’s laziness and deception!

Not every call is like Paul the apostles involving Jesus knocking you off your horse. That can still happen and still does happen today, but some people will not get off their sofa unless that happens to them today. But God prefers to call with an inner witness, with the small, still voice, what I call the spiritual voice. You just see a need and something deep inside you is touched and compassion rises up inside you and you need to then step out and stop waiting for an angel to visit you! Your desires to help and love and show kindness does not come from satan or your flesh – that’s God!

In our eldership training, we start at 1 Timothy 3.1 which says if you desire to be an elder, you desire an excellent task. How do you become an elder in the church? It all starts with you wanting to become an elder in the church! It’s that simple. I have never been knocked off a horse, I have never been slammed to the ground, I have never looked Jesus in the flesh in the face. But I am 100% called to be a pastor. I know exactly what I am and what I am called to do.

What are you called to do? You might feel like a failure right now. Moses was, and God still called him. Moses said “who am I”, and God said “Called by me”. Of course you are unworthy for the call, and only the least self-aware people do not realize they are not worthy to be called. I know you are unworthy to change the world. You know you are unworthy to change the world. God knows you are unworthy to change the world. But God still called you. If you fail to accept the call of God because you are unworthy when God called me and a host of others equally if not more unworthy, you are missing out!

Another thing Moses said (in Exodus 4.1) was that when I speak people will not believe me. That’s how I felt when I started preaching, I felt that I was not credible, that people would never believe God spoke to me. I didn’t look like in my mind someone who God speaks to, someone who could help others, someone who could change the world. I don’t have anything special about me. But God still called me and God still uses me. God loves using people that are nothing special! If God can cause a donkey to give a prophetic word, He can use you.

Jeremiah did not think he could express himself well, he told God “I can’t preach, I’m just a child”. Some of us are called to share our faith and don’t think we can do it well. If you listen to some good preachers, who have been preaching for decades, you do start to think how can I ever speak like them! But God calls people who have never spoken to speak! God calls us to action!

Gideon was called and he was from the least family in the least clan. You can believe God has called you! God has called you to a specific purpose. Do what it takes to find it out. The first step is to stand up. Stop sitting around waiting for a talking donkey and start being the talking donkey! Stop waiting for an angel and be the angel. Stop waiting for a man of God and be a man of God! You are called.

Get up, go to church this weekend, go to a small group, serve your church in some way, and start expecting your calling to manifest. I challenge you, it will change 2021 forever.

This post was posted on this blog in error. It can be found on our leadership blog, now, www.benjaminconway.net.

What works when it comes to healing is preaching healing. Preaching that everyone who believes can be healed. Faith cannot fail. If you preach the truth that anyone can be healed who believes, that healing is for all, that by His stripes we are healed, that Jesus wants you well people get healed. If you do not preach it, then you will never have it! If you do not go where it is preached, or preach it to yourself, you will never have it.

If you do go where it is preached, but then go somewhere else and hear the opposite, or go and preach the opposite to yourself, you will never have it. If you think “God heals some”, there will always be a little voice in your head telling you that you are not one of the ones that God wants to heal, and all faith evaporates.

So, settle this in your heart today: Jesus wants you well. You have a right to healing as much as you have a right to be saved! God is the Lord who heals you (Exodus 15.26) and God never lies, He said it, He said what He meant and He meant what He said. What God said is true.

I do not preach “Jesus wants you well” because it works. I preach it because it is true. But because it is true, it does work. It is the only message that works. To preach foolish lies about gifts passing away, healing passing away, healing only being for some – will never produce healings, will never work!

Let me say again something I never get tired of saying. Healing is part of the gospel, and we must preach it to all the nations! And because it is part of the gospel, healing is for all, and because it is for all, it is for you!

One of the most foolish lies that the church tells to negate the truth of healing is that somehow healing in the Bible is a spiritual thing rather than meaning physical healing. People read Scriptures like 1 Peter 2.24 which says “By His stripes you were healed” and then they say “Well, healing here means a spiritual thing, it’s allegorical and metaphorical, it means you are better in your emotions, a better person, it means you are going to heaven”. That is simply not true. It just does not bear witness with Scripture.

Sin and sickness are both tied together. They both entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned, and the good news is that the redemption of Jesus Christ set us free from both sin and sickness! Salvation from sin, and healing from sickness are both parts of the redemption of Jesus Christ. Both are included! We do not have to choose. Someone once yelled at me after preaching “The new birth is more important than getting your body healed!” I said “If I had to choose, I agree, but I don’t, we get it all”.

Complete salvation is a born again spirit, a renewed mind and a healed body. It would be incomplete for your spirit to be totally transformed and your body to be sick still, just like getting your body healed but staying spiritually dead is incomplete. I know which is better long-term, but you can have both. The work of Jesus provided both salvation for the spirit and healing for the body.

God wants your spirit to be regenerated and He wants your body to be healed. That is a complete redemption. Every Christian should be healthy in their body, that is God’s will for them. It’s a double provision, so have both parts of it.

The problem is the church has realized Jesus is their substitute for sin, becoming sin so they can be righteous, but they have not realized that in an identical manner, He is our substitute for sickness, becoming sick so we can be healed.

When you preach the gospel to the lost, you should preach both bits. You should tell the lost to receive Jesus as Saviour and as Healer. He is both. He can heal you from all the sicknesses and deliver you from all sin at the some moment, and you can get both benefits of salvation. I like meetings where people get saved and healed in the same moment! But let’s not call the salvation a healing, it’s not. They are different.

Jesus told a man sick with palsy – this meant he could not walk or move his legs or arms – He said “Cheer up, son, you are forgiven”. That’s good news, Jesus revealed Himself as Saviour. But the man did not then say “Praise God, I am forgiven, that is the true healing” and was then carried out. Because Jesus also said “Pick up your mat and walk” – that was the healing. That man was saved and healed on the same day! He got both, and you can have both.

Jesus actually said “Which is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, your sins are forgiven or to say arise, take up your bed and walk”. This man was told the truth – your sins are forgiven, he believed it and he received it. He was then told the truth – you can get up and walk – you are healed, he believed that and he received that too. If we only preach half a gospel, we only get half the results. If we preach that healing is salvation, we get one benefit – forgiveness. But we can preach salvation for the spirit and healing for the body and get both! That’s wiser. That’s the way Jesus did it and that is the way to do it.

Always tell people – you can be saved and healed by Jesus! As many as touched Him were made whole (Mark 6.56). That means healing in the body, not some sort of spooky restoration and having a slighty better day while still sick! Jesus wants you well.

Christians do not need to be sick. Stop tolerating sickness in your body and start being healed. Jesus bore your sicknesses as much as He bore your sin. He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses (Matthew 8.17). That is the truth, and that is the reality of it, and sicknesses means sicknesses, not some spiritual spooky voodoo! Jesus healed physically back then and He still heals physically today.

If Jesus carried your sicknesses, then we do not need to carry them. We do not need to be sick. He bore them so we do not need to bear them. If you are bearing them then it was useless for Jesus to bear them. Do not make the work of the cross useless, believe and receive that healing means healing.

The Scripture is so clear. Jesus bore your sicknesses. He carried them away and set you free from them. So you do not need to bear them.

I have heard it taught that Christians were redeemed from their sins but have to keep suffering their sicknesses, that God may want them healed or may want them sick. I have been taught God has definitely healed others, but maybe they were blessed, holy, had a higher purpose. It was a special mercy God rarely bestowed. None of that is Biblical. None of that makes sense. The problem is if you accept that you can never have simple faith in the Biblical truth that Jesus bore your sicknesses. Not just some people, everyone’s sicknesses – including yours – have been borne by Jesus at the cross.

Disease is evil. It destroys bodies, and Jesus bought that body with a price. It is not reasonable after Jesus bore all the sicknesses across the world to expect God to still want people to bear them. To quote F F Bosworth, to believe that is “utterly unlike God’s Word”. F F Bosworth also said:

When I ask people if they think it is God’s will to heal them, and they reply that they do not know whether it is or not, I then ask them if it is God’s will to keep His promise.

This is what we all must understand. Sickness is part of what Jesus redeems us from. Healing is not a synonym for having your sins forgiven, healing is Jesus Christ eradicating all sickness from your body. He has done it all at the cross, and all you need to do is believe it and receive it.

The real reason more people are not healed is a lack of teaching on this. It’s that simple. If no one ever preached Jesus bore our sins, then no one would ever be saved. And because so many people have never healed the truth of healing, that Jesus bore our sicknesses, there’s not that many people being healed. But that’s not us – we preach the truth of healing. Healing is simple, all you have to do is realize Jesus bore your sicknesses and carried your diseases.

If I got up in church one Sunday, aware there were lost people in the room and I preached “I am not sure if God wants to save you or not, He might do, but probably not. It is possible you are sinning for God’s glory to advance His kingdom, and maybe God is using your sin to discipline you and train you, stay in your sin until you realize God’s plan to save you maybe one day. The day of people getting saved is over now, as the Bible has been complete”. If I said such nonsense no one in the room would get saved. But that is the nonsense about healing preached from so many pulpits! No wonder some places never see a healing. It is easy to grasp why some are not healed today.

And salvation is not healing, healing is not salvation. But you can be saved and healed. Today! Right now. Because Jesus bore your sins and He bore your sicknesses.