Father’s Blessing Ministry by John Kilpatrick – Pastor, Brownsville Assembly of God Church
Translation: Hand in Hand
A friend of mine once told me that many doctors claim that everyone is born with cancer cells in their body. Furthermore, new cancer cells appear throughout our lives! So why don’t we all get cancer? God has provided us with an immune system that completely destroys cancer cells without side effects. But this only happens when something weakens or disrupts our immune system. (My friend added that he had greatly simplified this very complex process, but most of us would still be unable to understand all of it in detail.)
We don’t actually acquire cancer. The prevailing medical theory is that we experience a breakdown in our natural defenses, thereby giving cancer cells already present in our bodies the opportunity to multiply! This is why the medical research community is devoting so much time to studying the human immune system. They hope to learn how to restore the damaged immune systems of the many people battling this disease and how to stimulate our natural defenses so that cancer cells cannot take over our bodies. The human immune system is simply humanity’s natural and most effective anti-cancer weapon. And nothing compares to it. Preventing this system from failing in the first place is the key to winning the war on cancer.
Cell Types in Our Physical Bodies
As my friend and I delved deeper into the workings of the human body, he explained that the heart of every cell is a tiny strand of DNA. This is our genetic fingerprint. We all have a DNA imprint that is unique to each person. This DNA strand is the heart and mind of every cell in our bodies, including the cells in our nails, hair, skin, organs, and blood. A normal, healthy human cell has a complete and intact strand of DNA, which contains all the information for the cell’s further development and function. Each time the cell divides and produces new cells, it passes on this information.
Healthy Cell
A healthy cell consumes energy, occupies a specific location, and performs a specific function in perfect harmony with its neighboring cells. Several cells, following specific DNA instructions, group with other cells to perform specific tasks. These cell groups form key organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart, brain, lungs, and skin. Although these cells perform specific functions, they all contain the same central DNA code, just like every other cell in the human body.
“Useless” Cells
Cells belonging to the second category appear as if they have lost their proper place in the body. These cells have the same basic DNA code as others, but they have either missed the DNA instructions or simply ignored them. Like healthy cells, they also absorb energy and take up space, but they don’t belong to any organ and perform no functions in the body. (If you’ve started to feel uneasy, then you’re beginning to see that the body of Christ operates according to the same laws.) These cells aggregate into improvised structures, such as moles, cysts, benign tumors, or other unnecessary multicellular formations that serve no specific purpose.
In most cases, these idle cells cause no particular harm—they’re simply an annoying nuisance. But if they grow excessively, they begin to interfere with the functioning of working cells in the organs. Some of these cells are particularly sensitive to changes in temperature or their environment. If these cells are found on the skin, they are subject to frequent bumps, scratches, and cuts, as well as irritation from UV rays and constant friction with clothing and other parts of the body. Some can become so sensitive to these influences that they become classified as a third category of cells.
Malignant Cell
The third category of cells arises when DNA is damaged or altered. These cells arise from DNA mutations caused by external factors. This type of cell consumes energy uncontrollably due to its increased energy requirements. Sometimes, they take up too much space due to their tendency to proliferate wildly and disorderly, which disrupts the normal functioning of neighboring cells and organs.
The most dangerous aspect of these cells is that they are greedy, demanding, unscrupulous, and merciless in their constant quest to satisfy their voracious appetite. These cells are malignant. Perhaps their most frightening characteristic is their ability to metastasize or migrate from one part of the body to another. Furthermore, these insatiable cells constantly mutate to invade other healthy organs, where they begin to resist medications and devour nearby healthy cells. Simply put, they are harmful cells. If left unchecked, they will eventually consume their host. This third type of cell constitutes a vast number of pathogenic organisms, which we call cancerous tumors. It can attack any living cell in the human body, which explains the existence of various types of cancer.
The natural reflects the supernatural
The physical world is a limited reflection of the spiritual world from which it originates. Just as there are three categories of cells in our physical body, there are three types of people in the body of the church. Every person is born into this world with the Ten Commandments indelibly imprinted on their heart. But they also inherit the sinful nature of Adam, their earthly ancestor. If this cancerous nature of sin is left unchecked, it threatens human existence itself. The new birth through the blood of Christ, the second Adam, purifies a person’s spiritual DNA, giving them the heart of His God the Father.
“Healthy” Believers
A healthy believer in the Body of Christ is nourished by the energy of the ministry of those destined to feed the flock. Such Christians fulfill their ministry in perfect harmony with other believers. Driven by specific commands from their spiritual DNA, they unite with other Christians to fulfill a specific task within the Body. For example, feeding the flock with God’s Word, serving on the worship team, teaching children, and so on. However, everyone, from the pastor to the least servant, shares the same spiritual DNA code of our Lord and is directly connected to the Head of the Body of Christ.
“Useless” Believers
Every church has another group of believers who have good intentions but who are ignorant of their place or function in the local Body. They are easily identified by the fact that they do not perform any work in the church. They only want to be fed and undisturbed, sitting in their usual seats somewhere in the front, where the choir members must squeeze in between them, or near the door, where they can see everyone coming and where everyone can see them. They are especially sensitive to any changes and react extremely negatively to them. They are the first to complain about the room being too hot or too cold, the sermon lasting too long, or the preacher “interfering where it doesn’t belong.” On the other hand, such believers are reluctant to participate in any church work or simply minister to the people. They take up more time from the ministers and church leadership than those believers who actively serve the Lord. Out of idleness, this second group of believers talks more than everyone else. All this leads them to fall into the third category of churchgoers.
“Malignant” Believers
People who fall into the third category of believers have allowed chronic unforgiveness to cause a mutation in their spiritual DNA. Once a believer’s heart has undergone tragic changes due to constant grief, they become incapable of interacting normally with other members of the Body of Christ. Such a person ceases to be satisfied with their position in the church and simply accepting favors from others. They begin to crave more: more recognition, more power, and a greater voice in the church. They begin to use their tongue and influence to impose their will on those around them and suppress those who refuse to move with them. The root of bitterness has given the devil a place in their heart. His function becomes destruction. At first glance, he still appears like a sheep, but to the discerning eye of the Spirit, he has already become a devouring wolf. He has become a cancerous tumor and a parasite with the insidious purpose of bringing division and discord into the Body of Christ.
Prayer – God’s Prescription for a Healthy Church Body
God designed the Body of Christ with a perfect system that helps deal with unforgiveness and bitterness long before serious problems arise. Spiritual cancer only occurs when God’s people refuse to follow God’s
Malignant Cell
The third category of cells arises when DNA is damaged or altered. These cells arise from DNA mutations caused by external factors. This type of cell consumes energy uncontrollably due to its increased energy requirements. Sometimes, they take up too much space due to their tendency to proliferate wildly and disorderly, which disrupts the normal functioning of neighboring cells and organs.
The most dangerous aspect of these cells is that they are greedy, demanding, unscrupulous, and merciless in their constant quest to satisfy their voracious appetite. These cells are malignant. Perhaps their most frightening characteristic is their ability to metastasize or migrate from one part of the body to another. Furthermore, these insatiable cells constantly mutate to invade other healthy organs, where they begin to resist medications and devour nearby healthy cells. Simply put, they are harmful cells. If left unchecked, they will eventually consume their host. This third type of cell constitutes a vast number of pathogenic organisms, which we call cancerous tumors. It can attack any living cell in the human body, which explains the existence of various types of cancer.
The natural reflects the supernatural
The physical world is a limited reflection of the spiritual world from which it originates. Just as there are three categories of cells in our physical body, there are three types of people in the body of the church. Every person is born into this world with the Ten Commandments indelibly imprinted on their heart. But they also inherit the sinful nature of Adam, their earthly ancestor. If this cancerous nature of sin is left unchecked, it threatens human existence itself. The new birth through the blood of Christ, the second Adam, purifies a person’s spiritual DNA, giving them the heart of His God the Father.
“Healthy” Believers
A healthy believer in the Body of Christ is nourished by the energy of the ministry of those destined to feed the flock. Such Christians fulfill their ministry in perfect harmony with other believers. Driven by specific commands from their spiritual DNA, they unite with other Christians to fulfill a specific task within the Body. For example, feeding the flock with God’s Word, serving on the worship team, teaching children, and so on. However, everyone, from the pastor to the least servant, shares the same spiritual DNA code of our Lord and is directly connected to the Head of the Body of Christ.
“Useless” Believers
Every church has another group of believers who have good intentions but who are ignorant of their place or function in the local Body. They are easily identified by the fact that they do not perform any work in the church. They only want to be fed and undisturbed, sitting in their usual seats somewhere in the front, where the choir members must squeeze in between them, or near the door, where they can see everyone coming and where everyone can see them. They are especially sensitive to any changes and react extremely negatively to them. They are the first to complain about the room being too hot or too cold, the sermon lasting too long, or the preacher “interfering where it doesn’t belong.” On the other hand, such believers are reluctant to participate in any church work or simply minister to the people. They take up more time from the ministers and church leadership than those believers who actively serve the Lord. Out of idleness, this second group of believers talks more than everyone else. All this leads them to fall into the third category of churchgoers.
“Malignant” Believers
People who fall into the third category of believers have allowed chronic unforgiveness to cause a mutation in their spiritual DNA. Once a believer’s heart has undergone tragic changes due to constant grief, they become incapable of interacting normally with other members of the Body of Christ. Such a person ceases to be satisfied with their position in the church and simply accepting favors from others. They begin to crave more: more recognition, more power, and a greater voice in the church. They begin to use their tongue and influence to impose their will on those around them and suppress those who refuse to move with them. The root of bitterness has given the devil a place in their heart. His function becomes destruction. At first glance, he still appears like a sheep, but to the discerning eye of the Spirit, he has already become a devouring wolf. He has become a cancerous tumor and a parasite with the insidious purpose of bringing division and discord into the Body of Christ.
Prayer – God’s Prescription for a Healthy Church Body
God designed the Body of Christ with a perfect system that helps deal with unforgiveness and bitterness long before serious problems arise. Spiritual cancer only occurs when God’s people refuse to follow God’s
While we were discussing unforgiveness, my friend also shared that experts believe multiple sclerosis somehow turns the patient’s immune system against their own body. The disease begins by attacking the myelin sheath that protects the spinal cord, as if it were a foreign body. Each attack leaves scars on the sensitive spinal cord (“sclerosis” means “scarring”). This continues until this protective barrier is breached. When the damage becomes severe, it shorts out the spinal cord nerves, much like a damaged telephone cable. This disrupts the connection between the head and body, causing weakness, partial paralysis, and other symptoms.
Unforgiveness “shorts out” prayer.
Unforgiveness directly strikes our prayer wire—our lifeline to our Redeemer. It cuts us off from God’s forgiveness and gives Satan power to begin darkening the skies over our heads. Unforgiveness is one of the most dangerous sins because it separates us from our brothers and sisters, instantly cutting off God’s life-giving flow. Any limb or organ in the human body deprived of blood flow atrophies and dies within an hour. If left unforgiven for longer, tissue necrosis begins, leading to the onset of gangrene.
When we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, we understand that Jesus has forgiven us all our unrighteousness. But if we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts, especially toward people who offended us before we became believers, this unforgiveness becomes a burden that hinders our faith and deprives us of the power to pray with confidence and steadfastness. There is no offense so great as to be separated from God!
Forgiving those who have caused you unbearable pain will free you to successfully fulfill God’s plan for your life. Your faith will grow, and you will feel as if every prayer reaches heaven. In short, your discontent can cost you dearly. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive! Unforgiveness is dangerous to your health. It is the substance that thickens the skies above your head. Of the Ten Commandments, six deal with relationships between people (horizontal communication), and only four deal with the relationship between people and God (vertical communication). God knew we would have conflicts with each other. That’s why He gave us more commandments that relate to our horizontal relationships than to our relationship with Him.
Obstacle 2. Lawlessness
Lawlessness destroys the power of prayer that shatters brass
The priest Eli will always be remembered for two reasons. First, God used him to prepare Samuel, from his early years to adulthood. Samuel was destined to become one of God’s greatest prophets. He was destined to anoint Saul, Israel’s first king, and David, Israel’s greatest king.
Secondly, Eli raised two wicked sons, ranked among the most despised men in the entire Bible! Ultimately, God judged Eli’s house for its wickedness, turning a blind eye to his sons desecrating God’s temple and turning the people away from sacrificing to the Lord. Even when it became known that these young men were literally committing adultery with women right in the temple, Eli was unable to correct or punish them. Ultimately, God did what Elijah failed to do. God not only stopped the outright wickedness of Elijah’s sons, but He also cut off their entire line of descent. Both of Elijah’s wicked sons were killed when their sin enabled the hated Philistines to seize God’s ark, and Eli fell and broke his neck upon hearing the news. Thus, the entire line of Eli’s family came to a bitter end (see 1 Samuel 2:12 – 4:22).
Eli’s story should be a sobering warning to parents of every generation. We must not try to cover up or tolerate the sins of our children. God knows what they do. He also sees our failure to correct and discipline them. God cannot be deceived about the true spiritual state of our lives.
David wrote in the Psalms:
