Freedom House Church and Healing Centre

Last Sunday my Pastor was preaching from Col 3:5-14*.  The exhortation in these scriptures is to put to death such things as covetousness which is idolatry (Col 3:5) and to put off such things as anger and malice (Col 3:8).

As I was listening to the sermon and reflecting on the Word afterwards, I thought about how important it is to cut out all covetousness (a strong desire to have that which belongs to another) and to deal with all jealousy, anger and malice we may have in our hearts.

I thought about Saul and David in 1 Samuel 18**.  I encourage you to read this chapter before you continue reading my blog. Let’s take a closer look.  1 Samuel 18:5-9 tells us that David was successful in all Saul asked him to do and the people and Saul’s officers loved him.  The praise of the people that was directed at David planted a seed of jealousy in Saul.  Saul could have rejoiced with David but instead he became angry, jealous and afraid deciding that it would only be a matter of time before David took his kingdom.  This is a reminder to us that if we are building our own kingdom, any covetousness or idols we are hanging onto, provide an open door for a seed of jealousy to come in because anyone or anything that ‘threatens’ to take away our own kingdom we can become jealous of.

In 1 Samuel 18:10-16 we learn that the next day a tormenting spirit (evil spirit) from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman and he tried to kill David.  Jealousy had led to anger which escalated into a spirit of murder.  Motivated by jealously and fear, Saul sent David to fight with the army hoping that he would be killed but David only grew more successful because ‘the Lord was with him’.  With each success Saul hated and feared David even more.  Saul felt many things towards David but the most consistent emotion was jealousy.  Two men paid the price of Saul’s jealousy-Saul and David.  This is a reminder to us of how much jealousy affects relationships.  Not only are we affected by jealousy but the person we are jealous of is also affected.

Later in 1 Samuel 18:17-30, jealousy causes Saul to use his own daughter Michal as a pawn in a personal vendetta to kill David.  Saul thought that the Philistines would go to extra lengths to kill David if he was the King’s son-in-law but David had something much greater than high hopes.  He had a Most High God!

I would like to share with you a personal testimony of the serious effect that jealousy can have on our physical bodies and how conviction and repentance brought freedom and healing. 

Years ago, Jesus cured me of osteoporosis, a disease of the bones.  I inherited osteoporosis because of generational issues and words being spoken over me such as “you will get osteoporosis because it runs in the family”.  After being given the revelation of generational issues and curses and the authority I have been given by Jesus, I broke the generational ties and curses and received healing which was confirmed by a bone scan!  Praise Jesus!

Years after being healed I started to have lower back pain and it felt like a board had been inserted in my lower back.  Of course the enemy was trying to lie to me and tell me that I wasn’t healed of the osteoporosis.  I booked for prayer and during the prayer time Holy Spirit showed me that I had allowed jealousy to take root in my heart.  I repented for the jealousy and we prayed for healing of the pain and release from the stiffness and the pain and stiffness immediately left!  We then looked up the spiritual root of osteoporosis and guess what?-it is jealousy!  Remember that those things that we harbor in our hearts affect us in every way, including physically!

Now let’s look at God.  God is a jealous God.  He is provoked to jealousy when we worship false gods and put anyone or anything above or beside Him.  

you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (Ex 20:5 NKJV)

This is the kind of jealousy God possesses:

Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. (Joel 2:18 NKJV)

So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal. (Zech 1:14 NKJV)

Jealousy (zelos) is the root of the English word “zeal” which means eagerness, enthusiasm, intense desire, passionate commitment, full of emotion and highly possessive of something.  Zealous literally means jealous.  Zeal literally means jealousy.  Now read Zech 1:14 again.

What is God saying about us?

God is jealous for us not of us.  He is jealous for us to know the One true God.  He is jealous for us to be in a posture of blessing (God blesses obedience; Ex 20:6).  He is jealous for us to be kept from the evil one.  He is jealous for us to be ready for our Bridegroom!

We as the church of Jesus Christ must be jealous for, not of, one another.  If we are harboring jealousy, envy, anger and malice in our hearts, how can we pray for one another and encourage one another with the jealousy of God Himself.

I am reminded of a Word for the church from October 2020-“I am zealous for My house!  Are you?”

Jesus was cleansing the temple when His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” (Jn 2:17 NKJV; Ps 69:9)

Do our hearts, words and prayers reflect these words of Paul?  For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Co 11:2 NKJV)

Are we willing to lay down our lives for Jesus and His Church?  Are we willing to lay down excuses, complacency and idols?  Are we willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of the sins of covetousness, jealousy and anger and walk in victory?  Take a look at your condition and the condition of the church and ask the Lord to stir up your spirit so you will do whatever it is God has called you to do.  We must love one another, build up one another and pray for one another. We must be zealous/jealous for God’s house.  We must make disciples and equip the church!  God is with us and will bless obedience!  (Read Haggai chapters 1 and 2)

I want to pray for my brothers and sisters, for the church of Jesus Christ, from a heart of being jealous for them not of them.  To be stirred up to pray that each person/the church would know Jesus more, grow in the Lord, recognize and use the gift they have been given, accomplish everything God has put in their hearts.  I want to have a selfless desire for the church to have and be the best.  Remember that it is love that motivates self-less jealousy.  I am unable to do this with a pure heart if there is any covetousness with resulting jealousy or envy, anger or malice in my heart.

I will finish with this prayer of Paul:

As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.  Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. (2 Thess 2:13-17 NLT)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 2:7 NKJV)

note* You can listen to the sermon (Jan 23, 2022) from the Freedom House Church & Healing Centre website at www.freedomhousechc.ca and click on the link ‘audio sermons’

note** From my sermon September 23, 2012 entitled ‘Jealousy-of God or of the enemy’; if you would like a copy please be free to e-mail me at wtolmie@rogers.com