tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45403943615376357212024-03-19T07:57:05.193-04:00Dana's Healing JourneyIn July 2012 God called me out of the natural health communities and he told me to seek Him for healing. I stopped all the research that I was doing to follow Him. My only hope for healing in my life is through faith in Jesus Christ.
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.comBlogger362125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-75126341614465449732020-11-08T23:13:00.000-05:002020-11-08T23:13:10.169-05:00Jeremiah Johnson is lying to you<p>Below is a post that Jeremiah wrote at the midterms during 2018. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOiXZjjTBe4mSMtqbwczw1JN1K-C_ThoyfXgtMh1BujbGzAQ1p1qsjo117NorIRZOMtS8-TEUJgy-z1ToP2BrL2DQ4I0tw7QCXELOCqukcE0_Lnq5gFdhZjCK9HIQRcGqIyzDiSvXVPo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="696" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOiXZjjTBe4mSMtqbwczw1JN1K-C_ThoyfXgtMh1BujbGzAQ1p1qsjo117NorIRZOMtS8-TEUJgy-z1ToP2BrL2DQ4I0tw7QCXELOCqukcE0_Lnq5gFdhZjCK9HIQRcGqIyzDiSvXVPo/w640-h483/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>In this post he goes on to gloat that he didn't predict a Red Wave, but he was so grieved and saddened that these prophets missed it and how we need accountability in the Charismatic movement! Wow that sounds fantastic. <div><p></p><p>Surely given that post above, Jeremiah is apologizing and owning up to his false prophetic words stating Trump would be reelected. After all he and his friend R. Loren Sandford have been writing books about accountability and accuracy in the prophetic movement for years. Surely since Jeremiah claims to be part of the "Micaiah company" that stands up to the truth and the new prophetic reformation that desires accountability, he will apologize and take responsibility right?! Wrong!</p><p>Fast forward to November 2020 and his tune has changed significantly. </p><p>Within 24 hours of the election, he sent out an email to his followers that said the <b>exact opposite</b>. He says there is no way every prophet was deceived by a lying spirit and instead he declares Trump did win! Therefore he claims the prophets should not apologize. He made excuses for the false words and created a sense of urgency, fear and hopelessness that our elections were stolen and that he would be censored for his thoughts! He goes on to say, if anyone comes against the prophets, it is a Satanic attack! What a convenient method of manipulation. If you don't believe me, you can read all of this for yourself here.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UgGRclaG-leyMMVFdyaVzsw8DqiyOiQv4a01vDXyBajsoZtZ9BSRSJOQ-zbxuZ23j_qo0_xNCr0PWZ69aj9Z1F9kojpHFExtIeTCoTfJuuvamGtTbIgI3Ax1Q-ardwYMydVNzZPK1AA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="673" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UgGRclaG-leyMMVFdyaVzsw8DqiyOiQv4a01vDXyBajsoZtZ9BSRSJOQ-zbxuZ23j_qo0_xNCr0PWZ69aj9Z1F9kojpHFExtIeTCoTfJuuvamGtTbIgI3Ax1Q-ardwYMydVNzZPK1AA/s16000/image.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP4WaRQuUyB59HxX_lkrh-NhrhqGQIkHPxfriOR1-_WXBytkfc9SEI2N8B3mA-GAHTkOdkVkaRjL7gD66RM9XNeB539gMZw3Z5vU7gEdJt9x508wiWZJmuzvBNkBA3qO8-Y60j5SYmFg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="695" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP4WaRQuUyB59HxX_lkrh-NhrhqGQIkHPxfriOR1-_WXBytkfc9SEI2N8B3mA-GAHTkOdkVkaRjL7gD66RM9XNeB539gMZw3Z5vU7gEdJt9x508wiWZJmuzvBNkBA3qO8-Y60j5SYmFg/s16000/image.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvFxlUIzeH8c1cAJF3Al57C9B59gJV1uAd8ByFa-a1PiD7VysEWuAq_3A32oCfPqm-DAzPJZ02OMB5o0q6BTzsYL4I3cNTejEKWfPJVtptc1LK1Flp4bVRpj5wNH3VVz2bmldjNqDTMg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvFxlUIzeH8c1cAJF3Al57C9B59gJV1uAd8ByFa-a1PiD7VysEWuAq_3A32oCfPqm-DAzPJZ02OMB5o0q6BTzsYL4I3cNTejEKWfPJVtptc1LK1Flp4bVRpj5wNH3VVz2bmldjNqDTMg/s16000/image.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jeremiah is deluded, hears lying spirits and on one hand pretends to be a reformer of the prophetic movement, but on the other hand, makes excuses when the entire movement was wrong. He is stating that to hold these prophets accountable for their inaccurate words about the election, it is slander and a Satanic attack. He is a deceiver who should be avoided.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He has different set of rules for himself which he can violate and ignore as he desires. He pretends to be a watchman and reformer of the prophetic movement in order to lure people in. Don't fall for it. He is just a deceiver.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-73351760482519380902017-01-19T22:31:00.000-05:002017-01-19T22:36:02.911-05:00The Destructive Nature of Wrong Healing Theologies<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The way the Charismatic church preaches healing is spiritually devastating and falsely puts the sick person's
trust in revelation and in the men giving the revelation, instead of putting their trust and focus on our Lord Jesus Christ. As a Charismatic believer, I am deeply grieved by what I have seen in the church towards our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are sick. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Beneath all of the window dressing,
healing ministries teach that healing is received by obtaining
knowledge or revelation. If you are lucky, you might get one prayer out
of a minister before they start to pile on the "how to be
healed" homework. This is when the healing minister sends you a
video, a book or invites you to come to one of their "training
and equipping" classes. In these classes they will tell you all
the reasons why you should be healed, yet they are unable to
demonstrate it.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Charismatic healing ministers teach
people these 4 basic “truths”:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>It is always God's will to heal.</li>
<li>We have all power and all authority to
heal the sick.</li>
<li>Healing is always today. There is no
delay nor waiting.</li>
<li>It is part of the atonement. God said,
"yes" to your healing 2000 years ago.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These are the basics of healing you
will find in every Charismatic church or every healing book you read.
It's all the same, but repackaged, renamed or "rediscovered"
year after year after year.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now there are generally two different
camps or viewpoints when it comes to receiving healing in the
Charismatic.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first camp are those who preach a
hyper-grace/Finished Work healing methodology. They say that you were healed 2000 years ago, but now you need to believe it in
order to receive it. They will say things like, "Healing is
already done in the spirit, but now we need to bring it into your
reality". There will always be some variety on that theme
because they have to explain why Christians are still sick despite it being "finished" at the Cross. They will
have you focus on your identity in Christ and other related teachings
where knowing “who you are” is the most important thing. Those
who get healed by the grace of God are then seen as more spiritual
sons of God than those who remain sick.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The other camp are those who believe
there is a root cause for why you got sick in the first place. This
camp says you need to discover that root cause in order to "close
the door" that the enemy has used to gain entry. These people
believe in breaking curses, believe that your words have intrinsic
power to create or destroy and will usually make you repent for sins
you may have never done or have
already repented of and no longer partake in. This particular camp
loves to get you to open up to them in order to dig into your life to
find the root. These things then can be used against you to
manipulate and control you.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Both schools of thought about receiving healing
are destructive to the spiritual well being of the sick in the church.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Healing ministers teach a very impersonal God who desires His children to partake in a works
based healing theology that requires one to rehearse phrases, repent
of sins already repented of and other strange superstitious and
ritualistic behavior. For instance, I heard with my own ears a
popular "Identity" and "street healing" minister tell a stroke victim to
“stop saying my stroke, but instead just say, the stroke”. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The main reason why all of these
ministers teach that healing is received by special revelation is
because they are the ones who claim to have all power and authority,
that it is always God's will to heal and that healing is part of the
atonement. They need EXCUSES as to why people who come to
them are not healed.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some ministers like Todd White and Dan
Mohler will say something like, “We are growing in this guys. There is
something we're not seeing. If we had the revelation, all would be healed”.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is total garbage and offers the sick person absolutely no solid foundation to stand upon! Now instead of having people continue to look to Jesus Christ and trust in Him, we send the sick and those wanting to pray for the sick on a revelation fishing expedition. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Teachings like
this make God impersonal. They paint God as someone who is waiting around until man figures out some secret revelation in order to begin healing His children. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ministers like Todd White and Dan Mohler betray their own basic healing truths. If God's
will is always healing and we have all authority and power to heal
and there is no timing on His part and it is part of the
atonement, then healing should have happened. Period! Yet this is why hidden behind the "basic truths" these ministers preach, is a never ending journey of discovering more revelation or looking for answers. This is why sick people go from person to person, book to book and conference to conference because they have been sold the lie that in order to be healed they need to find the revelation. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These
ministers REFUSE to go back to the Word of God and re-evaluate what
they believe. They continue to make up new revelations and come up with answers
that are unbiblical and foolish. They set sick people up to become disillusioned and often times many leave the faith.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When a person is not healed, the
healing ministries are suggesting (directly or indirectly) that
something is wrong that needs discovered and fixed. One minister I
used to follow even says, "The deficiency is never with God",
which is suggesting not only that a deficiency exists, but that it is
the sick person's fault.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When you look at both schools of
thought, do you notice a common trend? It is man-based and it is
self-based. It is all about preaching new revelation as a means to
see healing or to see more people healed. It is a Gnostic view of
healing that can be found in the New Age movement.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These teachings put sick people at odds
with God and suggest that God is withholding healing because they
aren't quite figuring out the atonement or the root cause. These
healing theologies cause the sick to learn not to trust God in their
sicknesses, but instead is telling them to trust in themselves, their
doctrine or the minister who is teaching them healing. Sick people
are constantly looking for answers or for other people to give them
answers and this is how deception and error enters in to their
lives. These errors can then extend to other areas of their faith.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once a sick person tries everything
that these ministers throw at them, then what? What do we have for
the sick? Can we encourage someone to continue to follow the Lord
even in their weakness and sickness? Sadly the answer is NO. I was
that person who went to these ministers and they had nothing but
taglines and catchphrases. They have absolutely nothing to offer the
sick. It was this struggle and battle that allowed the Lord to open
my eyes to other deceptions that I write about on here. It was in
this battle that I finally found the Lord and stopped going from
minister to minister to find Him.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A complete tearing down of healing
theology needs to happen in the Charismatic church. We need to put
our focus on Jesus Christ and teach the sick to trust Him no matter
what happens. We need to stop telling people to look for secret revelations on
healing. This is leading many astray. The sick children of God are being ravaged by thieves and
wolves that have found their way into the church. God have mercy!</div>
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-51214626085401272722017-01-05T18:06:00.000-05:002017-01-05T18:06:05.713-05:00Don't Hop on the Charismatic Church Revelation Train!For ministers in the Charismatic church to remain relevant in your life they have to convince you they have some new revelation and knowledge that you really need to know NOW! And they will convince you they are the only ONE who has discovered it. In the end, your focus will not be on Jesus Christ or the gospel, but instead the ministers feeding you the revelation. Yet people will defend it because they say these minister are helping them to know "Jesus", yet little to no Jesus is ever preached. Any time Jesus is preached it is only to say He was an example to show us how we too can walk in power on earth. Even when talking about Jesus, they are actually diminishing Him and instead boasting about what man can do.<br />
<br />
We have to be careful we don't get lured into the many different facets of the Charismatic Industrial Complex with their revelations, books, movies, videos and music. This stuff does not please the Lord at all because the focus is always on MEN and not on God.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Buy my latest book on how to see the sick healed and come to the new Dominion, Authority, Sonship, Revelation School of Power and Identity! We will teach you how to walk in the power and authority that Jesus walked in. Bringing heaven to earth is our God given birth right and mandate. Are you ready to change the landscape of the nations?" (Yes I made this up, but it is real buzzwords that are often used).</blockquote>
^Don't fall for the spiritual hype!Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-79004021182099081732017-01-05T17:59:00.000-05:002017-01-05T17:59:13.840-05:00Tired of Generalized Prophetic WarningsHey everyone I have decided to start sharing some of the short posts I make on my Facebook page here on my blog. Hopefully this is the first of many to come this year. God bless you all!<br />
<br />
I've heard a lot of ministers talk about "an entertainment culture in the Church that the Lord wants to remove", but then these ministers who give the warning somehow exclude Hillsong, Bethel, IHOP and other popular churches from being included in that. If it isn't them, who could God possibly be talking about?<br />
<br />
I've grown so tired of the generalized prophetic words and the generalized warnings. It's time to start using names of movements, churches and ministers in our warnings because otherwise it is pointless and no one thinks they are talking about anyone they may be following or have "liked".<br />
<br />
It seems due to our sinful nature, we will exclude our favorite ministers and churches from examination as if they are outside of any sort of correction or error. When names are given in connection with the teachings that are in error, only then we will force people to have to start analyzing and facing head on the deceptions that have come into the Charismatic church.Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-4556644418440469472016-05-26T14:26:00.000-04:002016-10-24T15:08:57.785-04:00Healing from Incest Sexual Abuse<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's been nearly 4 years since I
told my mom I was sexually abused by one of my cousins.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord has done a lot in those 4
years and I wanted to write again in more detail. I am more than
happy to write about this, so please email me or comment below if you
want to see more articles about this part of my life.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first part of the healing process
involved me becoming born again and believing in Jesus Christ as my
Lord and Savior. I had been raised in the Catholic church, but it was
never personal in my own heart.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jesus says in John 3:3 “Truly, truly,
I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of
God.” Paul writes in Romans 10:9-10 “...that if you confess with
your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person
believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he
confesses, resulting in salvation.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On June 16, 2012 I made the decision on
my own faith to believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Prior
to this, I was completely lost, insecure, broken and always looked to
myself for my strength and for answers in life. I was always wanting
to be in control of everything. Even my aversion to having faith in
God and in His Son Jesus Christ, was largely influenced by the
psychological issues that arose from the abuse. I always looked at
those who believed in God as weak minded people who needed to believe
in something to feel better about themselves. I didn't want to be
seen as weak, so I didn't see any reason why I needed God in my life.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well life began to show me many reasons
why I needed God. Life began to show me that I wasn't quite as tough
as I had thought. Life began to show me that I was not in control as
much as I had thought. There were a lot of other things
going on in my life that finally lead me to the Lord.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Often times, due to our own
stubbornness, it may take hardship and trials in order for a person
to realize just how much they really need God! When we can make all
the loose ends in our life work out (even if it's quite messy), we
tend to think we have no need for God. It is this mindset that keeps
a person away from God their entire life. If you do not know and love
God in this life, then you cannot expect to know Him or be with Him
in heaven when you die. That's the reality of it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are All Sinners in Need of a Savior</h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For me the first major step towards
healing was recognizing that I was a sinner and was in need of a
Savior to forgive me of the many sins that I committed in my life.
Many of those sins were actually in response to the abuse that was
done to me. The sexual abuse left me as a confused teenage woman. I
continued to put myself in terrible situations where I could be taken
advantage of by people and had little confidence or love for myself.
I burned my arms. I starved myself. I hated everything about me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Those who have been abused have to
recognize that they too have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God (Romans 3:23). Although your sins may be different or “lesser”
in your eyes, those sins still separate you from the Lord. The good
news is there is no need to carry them around like baggage because
forgiveness of sins and salvation is a free gift from God to all who
believe in Jesus Christ.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I Wasn't Looking to be Healed of the
Abuse</h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once I was born again and baptized,
I'll admit I wasn't looking to be healed of the abuse. I was pursuing
God to be healed of long term chronic illness and for a sense of
meaning in my life.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But in my pursuing of God, the Lord
knew what was to come and He also knew the things that needed to be
done in my heart. Even though I denied it, God knew how much the
abused had effected every single aspect of my life. God cares about
our whole being! It was only 6 weeks after I was born again that my
cousin's mom died and I knew there was no way I could go to her
funeral. I knew this was going to bring up some awkward questions,
uncertainty from family members and even contact from my cousin
himself.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My cousin did in fact contact me a few weeks after the funeral. It pushed everything that had happened a decade prior to
the forefront. I was in absolute panic and terror.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Abusers will use anything in order to
try to get back into your life. They thrive on you “needing them”
or they will look for situations where they want you to give them
sympathy. Many even create situations where you need them in order
to continue to abuse you. With my cousin there was always
manipulation and control. Nothing was ever as it seemed and there was
always something in it for him.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When my aunt died, I had to face a lot
of parts of my life that I never wanted to face. Previously I had
determined that I would probably take all of this to my grave. I
figured no one needed to know about it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
God disagreed with my plan! Haha! Part
of the healing process was God taking the veil away from my eyes and
heart and letting me see what my cousin did to me. For a good part of
12 years, I thought what had happened was actually my fault or
something that I wanted to happen. There were so many lies. There was
so much shame. There was so much pain. All of that was keeping me
silent and locked in a prison. God also let me see that my voice was
important. He had things He wanted me to say and He still has need of
me to be used by Him in ministry. This blog and everything the Lord
has shown me in His church is just one example of that.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It may be hard for people who have not
gone through incest sexual abuse to understand these conflicting emotions. However
when sexual abuse is done by a person you thought you could trust and
love, it really messes up your mind. Looking back I was trying to
protect myself and I went along with a lot of things mainly because I
was so scared! I remember during that time I was mostly just
terrified and in shock. It was too much for me to bear.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After my aunt died and my cousin
contacted me on Facebook, I cried out to the Lord in complete
desperation. God spoke to me very clearly that morning and told me to
call my mom and tell her what happened. I don't know how my mom dealt
with it all since it was her sister who had died just a few weeks prior, but she
listened and believed me! She said that my behaviors in the past were
now finally making sense to her! I truly believe today that it was
God who set that phone call up.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Groomed to be Abused</h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the hardest parts for me to face
was the fact that my cousin and his father (my uncle) hand selected
me to be abused later on in my life. I'll be honest, I often wonder
if others in my family have also been abused. There was a lot of
flattery from them in my youth. There was a lot of attention given to
me. Despite being warned by my parents to stay away from my uncle, it
was his son that deceived me. I remember the whole family came
together and celebrated when my cousins would come in to visit. It
was always such a great family event. There was such joy and
excitement associated with my cousin(s) that I didn't normally have
in my life. There was a lot of lying and story telling where my
cousin always made himself the hero. Most of these stories involved
violence of some sort and him defeating a 'bad guy'. My uncle was
also known for being violent and abusive, so there was also a sense of danger
too. Whenever you are a small child these things affect you more
deeply than you realize at the time.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I had many cousins growing up and we
were all very close like best friends! It was not
uncommon to have sleepovers and hang out all the time. My cousin used
these situations to his advantage to push the boundaries of what a
cousin would normally do together.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Grooming tactics can often times look
like innocent child's play or can sometimes be brushed off as “just
a misunderstanding”. I specifically remember as I got older (13),
there was more physical touching like grabbing my hand or brushing
against my abdomen or wrapping his arm around my waist or tickling me in a very flirty way. I
specifically remember asking my other cousins if they saw him acting
strangely around me.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's important to recognize that the
kind of abuse that I suffered was not a single traumatic event that
happened by a stranger or acquaintance.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was groomed. I was manipulated.
Boundaries were pushed each time him and his family came in for a visit. He pushed
his limits to see what I would take or if I was going to stop him. At
first I did stop and say no, but over time I became too scared to say anything at
all. Most of my journal entries in that phase of my life said something like, “Does
my cousin actually love me and want a relationship with me?”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In my mind the concept of sexual abuse
wasn't even on my radar and the only logical explanation I could come
up with was that he must actually love me. It was at this point in
time that I began to experience what is known as <a href="http://counsellingresource.com/therapy/self-help/stockholm/" target="_blank">Stockholm Syndrome</a>.
I began to experience a bond and sympathize with my abuser.
Merriam-Webster defines it as “the psychological tendency of a
hostage to bond with, identify with, or sympathize with his or her
captor.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All of this only added to my confusion.
The shame, guilt and dirty feelings kept me trapped in a cycle of
abuse. When he was not visiting the area, the emotional and psychological abuse continued online via instant messenger and emails. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He said, She said
</h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it comes to sexual abuse, it is
unlikely there will be witnesses to the crimes. The shame, guilt and
confusion one feels normally keeps a person from getting help from
family, friends or the police. As I said previously, I was groomed
over a long period of time before the abuse began. They get you
comfortable being alone with them, so they can do it all in private
and secret. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many who have been abused, fear that
they won't be believed when they do finally speak up. Unfortunately
most of the time they aren't believed and the more status, fame or
cherished the abuser is by friends, family and the community he or
she is involved with, the less likely the victim will be believed.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since I didn't even believe myself, I
didn't expect anyone to believe me. I am blessed that some people
have believed me. Many don't understand and haven't given me any further emotional support, but they do in the very least believe me. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Looking back over my own story, I thank
GOD that my mom believed me! I think my healing process would have
gone quite differently if she had not. However at this stage of
healing, I honestly don't care if people believe me. Most of my
family is still Facebook friends with my abuser and they still talk
to him as far as I know.
</div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />Denial of Evil in Our Midst</h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I understand that for most families,
friends and communities, it is hard to accept that a person you love,
lived with, laughed with and shared memories with could be an evil
abuser. Imagine how much harder it is for the person who was actually
abused?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Most people think that kind of stuff
happens to other families and could not possibly happen in their own
families or communities. I think it is because we project our own
kindness and perceived goodness on to others, so we can't think that
someone so evil could hide in our midst. Sadly evil can look good,
sound good, be quite convincing and charming. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Evil people do not run around with
horns and a pitchfork.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians
11:14-15. “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel
of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also
disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be
according to their deeds.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unlike what is shown in pop culture,
the devil can be disguised as someone who is good and
righteous; not evil and wicked. The devil also doesn't live in hell as it is popularly portrayed either. He prowls around on the earth "...like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span>He is the father of lies who schemes and deceives people. This is why
abuse can happen in churches, charities, good families and other
places that one would not expect it to happen. Abusers take advantage
of people's compassion, trust, love and forgiveness to carry out
their own dark desires.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
God will one day judge these people
accordingly just as Scripture tells us. They may not be held
accountable in this life by our own justice system, but they will not
escape the judgment of God at the end of time. Knowing this brings me
great rest that ultimately the Lord will set everything right. I
still pray for the repentance and salvation of my abuser, but if he
never comes to that place, then I know God will bring righteous
judgment upon him.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lord God Can Bring Healing</h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord God can heal you from sexual
abuse. I'll take it a step further and say ONLY the Lord God can heal
a person from sexual abuse. I looked at other secular paths, but none
of them did me any good. I tried to heal myself with self-help techniques and an EFT counselor, but it just left me feeling worse.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The veil was always there.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The lies were always there.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The pain and shame never went away.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The dirty and unclean feelings simply
remained.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the outside maybe I looked OK, but inside my heart was still dying.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are many who are quite open about
their abuse yet still suffer in their personal lives in various ways.
It's important to be honest with ourselves and look to see how
exactly the abuse may still be affecting us today. Even if it's 10,
20, 30+ years in the past we may see areas in our life where the effects are
still present. It can manifest in so many different ways and it will
likely be different for you than it was for me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some may not be able to hold a job or may be unable to remain in any long term relationship. Some may be using alcohol and
drugs to cope. Some may still be trapped in a prison of shame,
anxiety, insecurity and anger.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You can read more about the effects of
child sexual abuse on the adult survivor here.
<a href="http://www.siawso.org/page-5143" target="_blank">http://www.siawso.org/page-5143</a>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You also read more about the effects
here.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault" target="_blank">https://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault</a>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sexual abuse can even cause people to
question their sexual identity too. I know in my own walk, I had
questions and confusion in that area for a short time. I found myself
in a gay club from age 18-19 in an attempt to hide from men who might
hurt me. There was a brief time in my life that I thought maybe I was
bisexual too.</div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />The Limitations of Counselors</h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are many limitations when using a
counselor especially a secular counselor who does not believe in
Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A counselor cannot take away your
shame.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A counselor cannot take away the guilt.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A counselor cannot take away the
painful memories.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A counselor cannot give you the ability
to forgive your abuser.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A counselor cannot give you redemption,
love and life.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's important to recognize that a
counselor is an imperfect human being (like you and me) who has their
own set of problems and insecurities. They can make mistakes due to
their limited knowledge and may even have a bias towards your
situation. Even the kindest therapist with the best intentions can do
harm to you unintentionally. Sexual abuse counseling is a very
delicate process.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many counselors and psychologists are
unhealed from their own mental health issues and the job itself
brings about serious mental and emotional problems too.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199707/why-shrinks-have-problems" target="_blank">https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199707/why-shrinks-have-problems</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The EFT counselor I saw for a period of
time was very liberal in her morals and values and tried to get me to
accept things that went against my conscience. Some of her suggested
treatments were for me to partake in sexual behaviors that I
considered immoral. It was absolutely devastating to me! The Lord had
to undo damage that this woman did to me psychologically.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you need to see a counselor, then I
would only recommend seeing a Christian counselors and even still, I
think you must be selective in who you see. Some
Christian counselors bring New Age ideals into their practices or use "inner healing" techniques that I completely disagree with. Many use practices that ask the individual to go back to each traumatic memory and to “look for Jesus”. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
disagree with this kind of therapy because the victim can easily fabricate images in their mind that might soothe them temporarily, but may be detrimental to their long term healing and trust in God. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In contrast to the limitations of a
counselor, with the Lord all things are possible!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord can take away your shame.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord can take away the guilt.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord can take away the painful
memories (or at least make them less emotionally painful).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord can give you the ability to
forgive your abuser.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord can bring redemption, love and
a new life.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I think it's important to recognize
that the healing process will likely be slow and quite painful
at times. The Lord gave me instant freedom in certain areas of my
abuse, but He has also had me in a very difficult wilderness season
the last 4 years. It was during that time that He built a connection
in me to Him. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I truly believe the journey to healing
will be different for everyone, but the most important thing is to be
connected to the Lord and to listen to Him. Learning to know God as your Heavenly Father is so important to healing. Pray to Him and tell Him all of your struggles and get into the Word of God so that the Lord can impart His truth to you and begin to erase the lies you believe about yourself. The Lord can be trusted
to take you through the process.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
God Can Be Trusted to Guide You Through
the Journey</h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord is holy, righteous and
good. He is perfect. He does not make mistakes. He is patient,
loving, kind, longsuffering and most importantly loves us and knows
us more intimately than we even know ourselves. He is all knowing and
has unlimited understanding, compassion and knowledge.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Creator can heal you in ways that a
man or woman is unable to do so.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The secular counselors say you have to take charge of your healing by learning to change your thoughts, emotions and your reactions. They give you activities to distract you from the pain, but they cannot heal a wound in your heart. Many of them also bring in spiritual elements that are not compatible with Christianity.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In contrast when you come to the Lord,
we simply surrender ourselves to Him. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="en-NASB-23488"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="en-NASB-23489"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="en-NASB-23490"></a>
Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I
will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Only the Lord Jesus Christ who
willingly hung on the cross for you, who bore your sins, shame,
guilt, condemnation and pains, can free you from those chains. Only
the Lord Jesus Christ can give you the grace (or the ability) to
forgive those whom most would deem unforgivable. Only the Lord Jesus
Christ can give you the peace and rest you are looking for in your
heart.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it comes to healing with the Lord,
some of it will include a renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2) and an
understanding of our identity in Christ. However, there is also a
supernatural element to it that you won't be able to fully understand
or even grasp. When a person is born again, the Holy Spirit comes and
lives inside of the person and they are washed clean and made
righteous in Christ. For me that was so important because when my
cousin stole my innocence and virginity from me, it made me feel like
a whore, dirty, unclean and stained.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But the Lord Jesus Christ washed me
clean of all those sins and impurities and He imputed to me, His
righteousness. I traded my dirtied rags for a clean white robe! All
of that dirt and grime and sins I had committed in my life, God
forgave in the blink of an eye.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is why I believe only the Lord can
completely and fully heal a person from the trauma of the abuse and
every other effect that goes along with it. Only He can wash us clean
and make us whole and righteous. If you have gone down other paths
for healing and have sought counseling, I am not here to condemn you
for your choice. I am appealing to you as a fellow sexual abuse
survivor to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you need to go see a counselor or
therapist, then please do so! If you find though they are not helping
you or it is just masking your emotions, then all is not lost. There
is hope and healing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only our Heavenly
Father can get down to the very depths of our being and reach in and
heal those pains, hurts and fulfill our hearts, minds and souls with
His truth.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Come to Him in your brokenness, in your
shame, in your pain, in your anger, in your confusion, in your
contempt, in your depression, in your anxiety, in your sexual
confusion and everything in between. Despite all of that, He loves you and died for you on the cross and wants you to know Him in a personal way. He already knows what you are
thinking, feeling and He knows everything that happened to you. He is
the only one who can make you a brand new creation.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things
have come.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save
your soul, forgive you of your sins and give you eternal life. I
believe the words of Jesus when He said in John 14:6 “I am the way,
and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through
Me.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Call out to Him today and begin the
same healing process that the Lord has done in me. I'm very thankful
for everything the Lord has done and I continue to seek Him for
physical healing in addition to more emotional healing as well.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you would like to read more about my
walk with the Lord, then please read some more of my blog posts
below:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Healing the Wounds From the Past
(Original post about the abuse from 2012)
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2012/09/healing-wounds-of-past.html" target="_blank">http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2012/09/healing-wounds-of-past.html</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rejection Leads to Confidence-There is hope!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2015/10/rejection-leads-to-confidence.html" target="_blank">http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2015/10/rejection-leads-to-confidence.html</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Knowing God's Love in the Storms</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2015/03/knowing-gods-love-during-storms.html" target="_blank">http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2015/03/knowing-gods-love-during-storms.html</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
God bless!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Disclaimer: I am not a trained
professional counselor or therapist and am only sharing my testimony
and experience with healing from incest sexual abuse. </div>
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-57526597492917817022016-02-22T12:09:00.000-05:002017-01-02T21:00:49.161-05:00Sonship and Identity in Christ Error (Manifest Sons of God and Joel's Army)<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">During
this long wilderness season the Lord has shown me exaggerations in various aspects
of teachings. When God first opened my eyes to these things, I went into
panic mode because I was so overwhelmed with "how big" the
deceptions were. I did not even know what to do. I felt so grieved in
my spirit. Over time, the Lord calmed me a bit and now I am
finally able to write (and publicly share) about these deceptions in a more clear,
edifying way.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">At
the end of 2013 God really started to challenge me with what I
believed. I've written briefly about this before, but God showed me
that I didn't even know the basic tenets of the faith. Sure I could repeat catchphrases and taglines from specific ministries, but beyond that I did not have any foundations on the Word of God. God showed me
that I had accepted deceptions in my walk with Him. He gave me an
unforgettable warning dream that was a catalyst for me in the spirit.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Two
of the things God showed me were:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1)
exaggerations found in identity teachings ("Who we are in Christ")</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">2)
exaggerations found in what it means to be "sons of God" on earth.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">There
are truths in these two teachings that people need to know
about. However it seems in people's enthusiasm they have added
exaggerations and deceptions. When we get revelation about a
scripture and find we have been missing out on an aspect of God's love or
grace for us, then we must be very careful with our next steps. We
must not overcorrect and then find ourselves in a ditch on the other
side of the road. Some examples of this are when a person gets
hurt in the Charismatic church and then they become Cessationists. Or when someone gets hurt in a legalistic church where they did not have an accurately understanding of grace and then they go on to adopt "hyper-grace", "once saved always saved" or Universalism.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">If
you are in a similar season right now with God, you must be very
careful with your next steps. We must not exaggerate real biblical
principles found in the Word and we must remain balanced in ALL things. Yes
even the good things of God can be over-exaggerated to the point
where they become error and <b>in some cases even heresy</b>. I have had people vehemently tell me it is impossible to exaggerate the good things of God. I beg to differ! It is becoming
increasingly popular for people to say that since God is love, He
would not send people to hell, so there is no hell and everyone is
already saved and forgiven in Christ. This is just one example of an
exaggeration and/or misunderstanding of God's love, which actually
becomes heresy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">For those of us who have confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, there are promises that God has made that we can be fully assured of.</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> However some of these promises are things that <u><b>we will
only inherit when Jesus returns</b></u> and we are made like
Him (1 John 3:2-3). Many today are teaching that all of the promises from God are available today. These exaggerations have created many paper tigers in the Church
who are seemingly "on fire", but their identity as a son of
God is based upon exaggerations and not on the Person of Jesus
Christ. They are more interested in what it means to be "a son of God" and knowing their "rights" instead of knowing THE Son of God and surrendering their lives to Him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Many
have taken bits and pieces of scripture here and there to make it say
things that are not truthful. Some groups believe that not only will they see all these promises in this life, but that it is a requirement in order for Jesus to return. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Yet the truth is the exact opposite. Upon Jesus' 2nd coming is </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">when we will see many of these promises fulfilled. They put the cart before the horse.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>First
the Errors</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Many
ministries have gone through the bible and picked out all of the
promises that we have in Christ. Ephesians is a particularly popular
book where this is done inappropriately.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Many
will read through Ephesians and pull out these following promises.</span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We
are in the heavenly realms and have all spiritual blessings.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We
are always holy and blameless in His sight.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We
were predestined for adoption as sons in Christ Jesus.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We
have redemption through Jesus blood, the forgiveness of sins.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We
have all wisdom and understanding.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We
are citizens of heaven.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We
are seated in heaven.</span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Are
all of these true? Yes, but not necessarily today or in this life as
we know it. There are many promises in this list that we will <u>only
fully inherit</u> on the Last day when Jesus returns to earth. Paul even states that the Holy Spirit is given to us as "a pledge of our inheritance, <i>with a view</i> to the redemption of God’s own possession"(Ephesians 1:13-14). This is
why biblical scholars use the word, “positionally” because while we can be certain of these promises from God, we aren't actually experiencing them now and will not until the end. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">For
some people being told this is painful because they truly think
they are in heaven right now on the throne with God. They really think they are in charge of bringing heaven to earth. They have been
lied to that every promise is now and today and some think they can be immortal on earth. They have been
told that God can't see sins and can "only see Jesus".
Some have used many of these teachings to justify sin and mysticism in their
walks with God. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">This is what they have been taught and they don't know any better. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The promises themselves are not in question, but it is the time in
which we receive all of these promises that is the point of
contention.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I'm
going to list 2 of the errors and briefly explain it to make this as
simple to understand as possible. <b>These are really complex teachings
so please understand an entire book could be dedicated to these topics.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>1).</b>
Some ministries exaggerate the Finished Work on the cross and say
that once Jesus died that all of the promises made to us are for now
on this earth, in these bodies <i>without any delay</i> to those who "know
who they are in Christ".</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>2).
</b>Some ministries teach that as believers we have all
authority in Christ and that we are in charge of bringing heaven to earth. They say we must pray for "God's will to be
done on earth as it is in Heaven". Many use this portion of the
Lord's prayer to say whatever is found in heaven, that we should have today, <i>but only to those who know their full potential
as sons. </i>They make knowing your identity as a "son of God"
out to be a spiritual journey very similar to what is seen in the New
Age with Christ Consciousness and their understanding of "<a href="http://www.libertytothecaptives.net/atonement_vs_at-one-ment.html" target="_blank">At one ment</a>". Their understanding of being "in Christ" is more similar to the New Age idea of Oneness than a Christian viewpoint of salvation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The
main problem with these exaggerations is that they boast in
man's abilities and create elitism. They deify man and make Jesus "just a man". They make the cross not a place of surrender to our will, but as a means to obtain power. Proponents of these teachings believe all of heaven is for the taking and we should not settle for anything less "as sons of the most high God". Many point to the miracles
that Jesus performed and say that He did all of these things "just as
a man in right relationship with God who knew His identity". When you piece all of this together, they are basically saying that those who "know who they are in Christ" should not only be walking in everything that Jesus walked in, but we will do greater. If you ask them who is doing this currently, they will say, "we are still growing in this" meaning that there is no one who is doing it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Many in these groups completely downplay or throw away the idea that Jesus while on earth was fully
God as well as fully man. Here is a comment on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZtTSY889rA" target="_blank">YouTube video from Bethel church</a> that presented the Manifested sons of God doctrine. </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Funny. Don't you realize
that Jesus although THE Son of God emptied Himself of His deity while on earth?
And in so doing, did nothing of His own power, just like Peter? Even Jesus had
to <b>use the power</b> of the Holy Spirit just like we as sons of God do." [<b>Emphasis mine</b>]</span></span></blockquote>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">This is absolutely not biblical and yet it is a common line of thought in many ministries who preach divine healing, Sonship, dominionism and Manifested sons of God. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">When we stop teaching the basic tenets of the faith in our churches this is how people become deceived. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">When we stop reading the bibles for ourselves and allow others to read and interpret it for us, this is how people become deceived</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">. I was once there myself.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Those in the Manifested sons of God movement all agree that the risen Jesus Christ is God with all authority and power. None of them will refute that or even attempt to deny that. However they do not all agree that while Jesus was on earth that He was still fully God capable of using His divine attributes. They will say things like, "Jesus was God, but He did everything he did as a man in right relationship." They use this opportunity to introduce a known heresy called Kenosis theology. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The Person of Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully Man. You cannot remove 1 aspect of His nature without actually misrepresenting the Son of God and denying the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ. This is not just deception, but this is in fact heresy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Unfortunately many in these movements misrepresent Philippians 2:5-8. The reason for this is because they believe Jesus is the man model that shows true sons of God what they are capable of walking in on earth. However when these ministries talk about "walking like Jesus", you will notice it is rarely about surrender, humility, righteousness or obedience to the Lord's will. It is ALWAYS about authority, obtaining power and performing signs, miracles and wonders. If they happen to teach on surrender, obedience and humility, it is only as a means to show people how to obtain greater authority, power and revival. This is toxic!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is sad to say, but many who are following these ministries just want God-like powers. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">The thought of having access to infinite power is quite pleasing to our childhood dreams and visions of being a superhero. (You will see many in these groups actually love Superman and other superheros). I can tell you first hand, that the devil knows our desire for power and man's desire to want to feel special. We actually see that was one of the things Jesus was tempted with by Satan while in the wilderness (Luke 4:5-8). We are to resist the devil and all of his schemes, not rewrite scriptures to make room for them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Since Jesus was in fact fully God and fully man on earth, we have to recognize that He was special. He is different than you and I. He was not born of man but of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). He had no sin nature (1 John 3:5). God the Father equipped Him <b>specially for His ministry on earth.</b> He was not "just a man" walking in right relationship with God. He did not give up His divinity nor any of His divine attributes. Even before His incarnation, Jesus was and has always been God (John 1:1-2)! Jesus has always existed even before Abraham (John 8:56-58). Jesus was capable of turning the stones into bread in the wilderness (Luke 4:3-4). Jesus was capable of calling down a legion of angels (Matthew 26:53). Jesus was capable of getting Himself down off the cross (Mark 15:30).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Yet it was in <b>His obedience to the Father and the Father's will</b>, that He refrained from doing certain actions. It was not that He was incapable of doing it or that He ceased having those attributes. I do not believe we can look at the Scriptures and to Jesus' earthly ministry and make the argument that He did everything as a man with the Holy Spirit. <u>They diminish the divinity of Jesus Christ in order to exalt man! </u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The example and model we should take away from Jesus' ministry on earth is not that we can have power and walk like Him, but that we have the pleasure of walking in humility and obedience to the Father's will regardless of what that might look like. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">For me and my husband being obedient to the Lord meant walking through a long wilderness of chronic sickness. It meant being repeatedly broken mentally and emotionally. It meant extreme pressure put on our families and finances. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">For Jesus being obedient to God's will meant He had to suffer a horribly painful death on a cross. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">For some people the allure of having power and being seen as someone who "does miracles" is exciting. Not everyone in these movements have good intentions. It's not that they want to do evil with this power, but it is not from a place of surrender to the Lord's will. Many think they can "use the power of the Holy Spirit" as they please, but this is not true. The Holy Spirit is not just a power, but a Person in the Trinity who is God and also has a will that will not contradict the will of God the Father. </span><br />
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The Truth Can Be Unappealing</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately
when someone is told the
truth, it can be quite unappealing. Perhaps even reading this today, some feel like Eve in the garden when the serpent tempted her to eat from the tree. The sin looked appealing to her and the truth spoken by God seemed less appealing than the lie spoken by the serpent. The lie was more fun and more thrilling than what God said to her and she sinned. I truly believe this whole movement is simply a sweet tasting lie from the devil that questions God's authority. His old tricks in the garden still work today.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In addition it is extremely untruthful and damaging for these ministries to teach that every single promise from God is what we should be seeing in this lifetime. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Of course they all have disclaimers and excuses as to why we aren't seeing it. In my eyes it just further shows their insincerity. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Even pointing out to them that the earth is still cursed by God and there is still sin, sickness, death and pains on this earth, does not work. They actually see the suffering on this earth to say it proves more people need to be activated and become manifested sons of God in order to bring revival and the Kingdom on earth. They have reasons for everything, which keeps their followers from asking questions and digging into the Word of God on their own. </span><br />
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I'm Not Cessationist</span></h4>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The
difficulty in writing a post like this is that many people will
immediately label me as a Cessastionist or someone who does not
believe in the supernatural. Yet I most definitely believe that the gifts are
in operation today. I most definitely believe in healing, prophecy, words of
knowledge, words of wisdom and discerning of spirits etc (1 Corinthians 12). I believe in the roles stated in Ephesians 4:11-12. One does not have to believe that Jesus was "just a man" or other manifested sons of God errors in order to believe in healing or in the gifts of the Spirit. One does not have to diminish the deity of Jesus Christ to believe in the rest of scripture.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I believe we
can always pray and ask God for our needs (Philippians 4:6). The bible tells us the Holy Spirit equips us with gifts that He gives as <u>He wills</u> (1 Corinthians 12:11). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">However we must always know that in the same way Jesus "emptied Himself", we too must come before God in humility and surrender to His will on earth. I believe Scripture proves that God's will for earth is in fact different than His will for heaven (Daniel 4:35). </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We see in Revelation this earth will ultimately be destroyed and replaced with a new heaven and new earth. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The Lord's prayer was meant to be a prayer of surrender to God's will, but in these groups they actually make it about their authority and power. They will twist even the Lord's prayer to create unbiblical teachings. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The truth is God has the final say in all matters and His ways are not always going to line up with our ways and our will. We are to confirm to Him and renew our mind to His ways, not the other way around. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Repackaged Heresies of the 80's and 90's</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The phrase "manifested sons of God" comes from Romans 8:19. "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium; orphans: 1;">(KJV). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium; orphans: 1;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium; orphans: 1;">When read in context, Paul is clearly talking about when the Lord returns and not some time prior to that date. We see that clearly in Romans 8:<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A23-25&version=NASB" target="_blank">23-25.</a> When the Lord returns, that is when we are officially adopted as sons of God and we obtain the redemption of our bodies. Right now being adopted as a son of God is one of those positional promises that we can count on, but we do not know the full extent of what that means or looks like. That is what Paul was talking about when he says we are eagerly waiting and groaning in Romans 8. He was not talking about eagerly waiting and groaning for a super class of Sons of God or end times army who will subdue the earth and restore the Kingdom on earth. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">When read in context, the Manifest sons of God teachings are an obvious misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Paul's writings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However it's important to understand that most who
believe in these errors today <b style="text-decoration: underline;">do not use the labels I have used in this post!</b><b style="text-decoration: underline;"> </b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">T</span><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150603013555/http://www.jglm.org/event/a-new-breed-the-manifested-sons-of-god" target="_blank">here are some who do</a>, </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">but it has mostly blended in with the teachings of “Bringing Heaven to
Earth”, Dominionism, Spiritual warfare teachings, 7 Mountain Mandate, Sonship, "Knowing your identity", the Finished Work of the Cross and Hyper-grace. Many of the
names used for these teachings in the 80's and 90's have been
abandoned such as Kingdom Now, Manifest Sons of God and Joel's Army, but have been replaced
with new names and new ministries like Spiritual Air Force Academy (SAFA), Sonship, Lifestyle Christianity, Azusa Now, Appeal to Heaven and New Breed. Any ministry that has a view that an elite end times army or movement is rising up should be looked at with discernment. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Many of the same leaders from the 80's and 90's are still a part of these newly named movements in some capacity or another. They are becoming older in age and have begun to pass the torch to their younger spiritual children. Because of this, there are many new names that are not well known, but are becoming more popular as the years go on. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Understand though, despite the
change of names or the leader speaking the message, the foundational errors are still there and need to be resisted. They still preach a message that an army is rising, which creates elitism. They still believe in exaggerations about Sonship and our authority. They exaggerate what the work on the Cross accomplished. They still teach dominionist ideals. We must recognize the actual teachings instead of relying on specific labels or names of leaders, so that we can identify them for <b>years and generations to come.</b> The banners of old have been picked up by aging spiritual fathers which are now being passed on to their young spiritual children to carry to the next generations. This is how deception is carried from one generation to the next. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">There is much more that could be said on this topic because it is so complex and so in depth. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I hope to be able to write more about this in the future. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I hope it is a blessing to those who have read it and makes people begin to question and look into some of the well known names and teachings in these movements. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Revised Oct 2016</span></div>
</div>
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-72711702965044929412016-02-17T04:53:00.000-05:002016-03-15T00:04:45.916-04:00Bring Heaven to Earth? Sonship and Manifested Sons of God <div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One
of the foundational teachings of the Manifested Sons of God and Sonship
Movement is this idea that we as believers are charged with bringing heaven to
earth. This is taken from a misunderstanding of the Lord's prayer, which was meant to be a prayer of surrender to the Lord's will.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This idea of taking charge sounds appealing to our flesh. It sounds appealing to those who are in generally good
times. It is also quite appealing to those who are looking for a way
to obtain power and purpose in life. Yet it causes believers to chase after men (either
for prayer or for their teachings) instead of looking to and trusting in God Himself.
The thought that a believer is in charge of making God's will
come to pass is unsettling when you are the one sick, out of work,
having marital problems, facing an abusive situation or simply got
into a car accident. It is in those
difficult times where we realize that we don't want to be the ones in
charge of making things better. We learn we really want God to be
working all things together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28) and that He also works all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). </span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823; line-height: 0.19in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 0.19in;">I don't believe that every single thing that happens to us was God's </span><i style="color: #141823; line-height: 0.19in;">doing</i><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 0.19in;">, but I do recognize that in life things don't always turn out the way we wanted, had hoped, had prayed and had asked of God. We must trust Him regardless of what is going on at the current time. In the Sonship Movement I do not see this submitting and instead see a lot of finger pointing going around to those hurting or I see a lot of excuses from their leaders like "we are </span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 18.24px;">growing</span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 0.19in;"> in this". </span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823; line-height: 0.19in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823; line-height: 0.19in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
Manifested Sons of God and Sonship Movement insist what they believe is the truth. However their beliefs wrongly put our will, our desires
and our limited view and understandings of things as the main focus
instead of submitting and surrendering those very things to the Lord.
When you surrender to the Lord, you are telling Him you no longer
want to be the one who always has the answer. You are telling him
that you trust Him no matter where life takes you. Sometimes life may take you to places you don't like. </span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maturity in Christ
isn't about having all of the answers or having secret revelations. It is about knowing that Jesus
is Lord of all and willingly submitting to that. It's really about
learning that you <u>don't have the answers</u>. There is freedom and maturity in letting go.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-19758690881952638172016-01-15T03:36:00.001-05:002016-03-01T11:54:40.823-05:00Rest in Peace: Mandy Dobson 1981-2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2YkqPTHZWYjoQUDsMbx10iOBm0vMlwzd0peo76V3fqaP9SRD0xI6MhEOyKFixE0lWwVoI3DDlbhQaOhE24uHR6SgwgO1p1DreCWTDQSC8mj3AEqz13e9KfOs7FbSmf5lEy6qvKevUsI/s1600/Mandy+cropped+picture+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2YkqPTHZWYjoQUDsMbx10iOBm0vMlwzd0peo76V3fqaP9SRD0xI6MhEOyKFixE0lWwVoI3DDlbhQaOhE24uHR6SgwgO1p1DreCWTDQSC8mj3AEqz13e9KfOs7FbSmf5lEy6qvKevUsI/s320/Mandy+cropped+picture+2.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RIP my dear sister Mandy Dobson 1981-2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm sad to tell everyone that my sister Mandy went home to be with the Lord on January 9, 2016 at the age of 34.<br />
<br />
My sister and I were very close while growing up. We shared a room and bunk bed from the ages of 6-19 when I moved out of the house and got married. I'll never know how we got along so well during our teenage years, but we truly did! haha After she became ill, Mandy and I would talk to each other about our struggles with illness. Even though her sickness was very different than mine, she could relate to the frustrations I've experienced when suffering with an illness that wasn't visible on the outside. Mandy understood completely because she often looked great, but felt sick inside too. I will certainly miss our chats and texts.<br />
<br />
Over the last two months, my sister's health deteriorated very rapidly. On December 23, 2015 the doctor gave her 24-48 hours to live and said she would never wake up from the coma. Well miraculously on the morning of December 27th my sister did in fact wake up. The doctor was shocked and had no idea how it was even possible.<br />
<br />
I was asking and praying to God for another miracle, but unfortunately that was not how this story ended. I praise God though for those 2 extra weeks to say our goodbyes! She died very peacefully with my mom, dad and her 10 year old son by her side at UPMC Cranberry Place.<br />
<br />
4 days prior to her death, I had a dream where my sister told me it was time for her to say goodbye. She jumped down off of her bunk and onto my bed, gave me a hug and then I woke up. It was one of those dreams I did not want to be from God, but now I will cherish it forever.<br />
<br />
I never wanted my sister's life to be part of the cost of this season, but I choose to trust the Lord in all of this. Today was her burial and I felt peace, joy and assurance that she was with the Lord. God let me know back in August that she would be safe with Him. It's hard to say goodbye, but know I will see her for all of eternity some day soon!<br />
<br />
Here is a <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/butlereagle/obituary.aspx?pid=177243501" target="_blank">link to her obituary.</a><br />
Pittsburgh Tribune Review <a href="http://triblive.com/obituaries/newsstories/9785470-74/dobson-mandrea-cranberry?showmobile=false#axzz3xIZoejnZ" target="_blank">also wrote an article about her.</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iN8tvZiX0Ph9vsSlkHz5tnmtyBgideqWX6ilqKzGnaTVb16OfAFU3DrRxhpHEB8kHF6crdgLYTLPdpA-MHuBjEK1huKDXb5-8TGzbScEwa28_TyKr1Fr3e7rADseKEAHAA58fVd1MWU/s1600/Mandy+cropped+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iN8tvZiX0Ph9vsSlkHz5tnmtyBgideqWX6ilqKzGnaTVb16OfAFU3DrRxhpHEB8kHF6crdgLYTLPdpA-MHuBjEK1huKDXb5-8TGzbScEwa28_TyKr1Fr3e7rADseKEAHAA58fVd1MWU/s320/Mandy+cropped+picture.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0ruWCsT3hDydY8ghvrqYI0adsW1tFaMv7-9dv1rQ5LCGH3vGXmz0cYz_xtOFR9puqVOPDW96MWVVYKTlrEGQ4DDAT6HZfZFAFU8QcTKmS79H6H0gIw-Wdgp0OzPxPyX5J4BoC0pTwyE/s1600/Mandy+and+Dana+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0ruWCsT3hDydY8ghvrqYI0adsW1tFaMv7-9dv1rQ5LCGH3vGXmz0cYz_xtOFR9puqVOPDW96MWVVYKTlrEGQ4DDAT6HZfZFAFU8QcTKmS79H6H0gIw-Wdgp0OzPxPyX5J4BoC0pTwyE/s400/Mandy+and+Dana+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandy's birthday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjIn0veza_R_D43-gaQfnPCh8ylhmbr7AN1h_x-lNzh9vf41_emgQ4AebGXOXZDXt1Szms1uw_-WYQQsg4h9MWYmwah4ID5eWLtSh3LdMWs_SbAHYkMBiw0zY79HselT6Iv1Xx6DOAS8/s1600/Mandy+and+Noah+at+Moraine+State+Park+Sept+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjIn0veza_R_D43-gaQfnPCh8ylhmbr7AN1h_x-lNzh9vf41_emgQ4AebGXOXZDXt1Szms1uw_-WYQQsg4h9MWYmwah4ID5eWLtSh3LdMWs_SbAHYkMBiw0zY79HselT6Iv1Xx6DOAS8/s320/Mandy+and+Noah+at+Moraine+State+Park+Sept+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moraine State Park 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZXtRRYGbWXSXjiRvvJ3wuEfSF2bd-0Hc8RLt5CcelY7tphOVOdz8JEwUoT6VI0jCzSqIt0x4pnzhA5e2X1buVfNAdc3raAjGpD5iOwY1he2U1_icl1wRHOJFOioo9vkjaAaM4c6gaFg/s1600/Mandy+Dana+Dad+and+Adam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZXtRRYGbWXSXjiRvvJ3wuEfSF2bd-0Hc8RLt5CcelY7tphOVOdz8JEwUoT6VI0jCzSqIt0x4pnzhA5e2X1buVfNAdc3raAjGpD5iOwY1he2U1_icl1wRHOJFOioo9vkjaAaM4c6gaFg/s320/Mandy+Dana+Dad+and+Adam.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad's birthday celebration</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPcWx0GI9WRKtj4bvDHPJODU8FJSn5hFUzqoTNodwD4hMcEB9GiOyXQItlYoJR2tJRzxiZtQjTt37IabYAUNrHGVqk2NryG6RdU8uQ50z8OS-I2ktuOhup5ToFoMttBGTEHAKNHT9v8s/s1600/Mandy+and+Dana+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPcWx0GI9WRKtj4bvDHPJODU8FJSn5hFUzqoTNodwD4hMcEB9GiOyXQItlYoJR2tJRzxiZtQjTt37IabYAUNrHGVqk2NryG6RdU8uQ50z8OS-I2ktuOhup5ToFoMttBGTEHAKNHT9v8s/s320/Mandy+and+Dana+1.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNamWtKfY9SrJ9_hFMMuuBTh9gcSEMOUUkiFKYR4S64bBrmVctP7H4Ix7z1xQoNr_AZ-Wl4WCCzOpavcINbZwNZHx9-cbE7nLYql8jIfd1sSOnk0YdmtGF6kUUjz51OmsT0wYO5w7MzvQ/s1600/Mandy+Adam+and+Dana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNamWtKfY9SrJ9_hFMMuuBTh9gcSEMOUUkiFKYR4S64bBrmVctP7H4Ix7z1xQoNr_AZ-Wl4WCCzOpavcINbZwNZHx9-cbE7nLYql8jIfd1sSOnk0YdmtGF6kUUjz51OmsT0wYO5w7MzvQ/s400/Mandy+Adam+and+Dana.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother's HS graduation 2008</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsOHsA4bvDeLX8_bBpUYcjnsZhOnS_i5lmW-C728mwG58rSOIvB6zwg1NvkOVAUdqSNG_XT6xl1PrbSszjKIs3gPbXfBo5p073RMuZ5jOw03ej72ZalvaMzLrzUgtD6x1QpGGtILC0Ig/s1600/Mandy+and+Dana+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsOHsA4bvDeLX8_bBpUYcjnsZhOnS_i5lmW-C728mwG58rSOIvB6zwg1NvkOVAUdqSNG_XT6xl1PrbSszjKIs3gPbXfBo5p073RMuZ5jOw03ej72ZalvaMzLrzUgtD6x1QpGGtILC0Ig/s320/Mandy+and+Dana+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas as kids<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">1 Corinthians 15:54-58</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not <i>in </i>vain in the Lord.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Romans 8: 35- 39</span></b></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="text Rom-8-35" id="en-NIV-28152" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28152BY" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28152BY" title="See cross-reference BY">BY</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?</span><span class="text Rom-8-36" id="en-NIV-28153" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">As it is written:</span></span></div>
<div class="poetry top-05" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative; text-align: start;">
<div class="line" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="text Rom-8-36" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">“For your sake we face death all day long;</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Rom-8-36" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28153CA" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28153CA" title="See cross-reference CA">CA</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="first-line-none top-05" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -0.5em; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="text Rom-8-37" id="en-NIV-28154" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><b>No, in all these things we are more than conquerors<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28154CB" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28154CB" title="See cross-reference CB">CB</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> through him who loved us.</b><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28154CC" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28154CC" title="See cross-reference CC">CC</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Rom-8-38" id="en-NIV-28155" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">neither the present nor the future,</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28155CD" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28155CD" title="See cross-reference CD">CD</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> nor any powers,</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28155CE" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28155CE" title="See cross-reference CE">CE</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Rom-8-39" id="en-NIV-28156" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28156CF" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28156CF" title="See cross-reference CF">CF</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPcWx0GI9WRKtj4bvDHPJODU8FJSn5hFUzqoTNodwD4hMcEB9GiOyXQItlYoJR2tJRzxiZtQjTt37IabYAUNrHGVqk2NryG6RdU8uQ50z8OS-I2ktuOhup5ToFoMttBGTEHAKNHT9v8s/s1600/Mandy+and+Dana+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a>Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-30242078327516996142015-10-02T18:27:00.000-04:002016-06-25T22:22:39.815-04:00Rejection Leads to Confidence<div>
God has used rejection from people to build confidence in me that could not have been made any other way. Now I am still trusting that God will bring people into our lives that we will be able to fellowship with on a more consistent basis. However I do believe this time alone was God ordained just as Jesus, John the Baptist and Paul were alone in their wilderness seasons. </div>
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My hope is for people to see that God can and will use everything that happens to us for His good and that includes the rejection we may have experienced in our lives too.</div>
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Ultimately God wants us to learn to depend on Him and that usually includes taking us out of our own comfort zones. Each of us have our own comfort zone and God will tailor the challenge specifically for us. </div>
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God wants us to surrender our lives to Him. He wants us to willingly come to the place where His will is more important than ours. He wants us to leave the comfort zones and learn to trust Him into the calls He has placed on our lives. </div>
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<h4>
The Devil Wanted Me Dead</h4>
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Looking back now, I realize the devil was out to get me in my junior year of high school. At 16 years of age, the devil wanted me broken and dead. </div>
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During marching band camp, I started to have symptoms (fainting, lightheadedness and heat intolerance) that would eventually be diagnosed as Postural tachycardia syndrome. No one (not even doctors) listened to me back then and I suffered undiagnosed with this condition for 8 years. I still suffer with this illness today.</div>
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I also found myself in a very controlling relationship for a few months. When I tried to dump that boyfriend, he threatened to harm me and harm himself. It was also during this time where a family member psychologically abused and raped me. It was a traumatic time for me.</div>
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It felt like a horrible nightmare except it wasn't a dream. It was real life. </div>
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As all of this was going on, not a single one of my friends (nor my family) knew anything about it. I suffered in silence in my junior and senior years of high school. People just knew that I became an emotional, broken and messed up person who wanted to die. I couldn't talk to them about the symptoms I was feeling nor could I tell them about the events that took place. Unfortunately those friends stopped talking to me in my senior year and I was alone back then too.</div>
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Thankfully when I was born again, God was able to heal me of the trauma from that season. </div>
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After high school, I entered into the work force and was going to college full time. I started to feel increasingly unwell though. I first quit college in the beginning of 2004 and then eventually quit working all together at the end of 2005. At the age of 21, I was already disabled and unable to hold a job or go to school. Looking at my life by worldly standards, I had absolutely nothing going for me. I was a burden and waste of space. </div>
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As I got sicker, I started to look online for support and answers. It was on forums, yahoo groups and websites that I started to make friends with others who had the same story as me. It was great! I was so happy that finally there were people who understood chronic illness and its limitations at a young age. </div>
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For about 3 years I had many wonderful chronically ill friends online. I became a researcher and guinea pig. I subjected myself to treatments in hopes that I could help others. I was part of a community and felt like I belonged. I finally thought that I was making some sort of contribution to the world. Not everyone agreed or liked my style, but I talked to people on a daily basis online and considered many of them great friends. </div>
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In this time frame, my husband also became chronically ill and times got much worse. We entered into a new level of hell.</div>
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Things Got Harder After I Was Saved</h4>
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When I came to believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in 2012, God called me out of those chronic illness communities. I had to stop looking at treatment protocols and researching potential cures for chronic illness. That did not go over real well with my chronically ill friends and I walked away from many friendships there. It was hard, but it was part of "taking off the old and putting on the new". God was very clear to my husband and I that we were forbidden to go back to these groups and we were forbidden to even discuss these things with people. I still hold to that today.</div>
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I was a new believer in Christ and started to become more active in Christian circles. I figured making friends was going to be much easier. I was wrong. Very quickly I realized that many people want to use you in the Church too. </div>
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They want you to be a testimony for their ministry. </div>
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They want you to join their church. </div>
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They want you to participate in events and ministry. </div>
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With both of us having unpredictable chronic illnesses, we knew it was not going to work well. My husband and I were the odd people out, often times sitting outside during worship because it was too loud. The noise sent my body into sensory overload and it caused <a href="http://www.hyperacusis.net/hyperacusis/what+is+hyperacusis/" target="_blank">horrendous pain</a> in my husband's ears. It was a mess. </div>
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Just a few short months after being saved, I began to write on my blog about things God had shown us. </div>
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This was not a comfortable place for me to be in. I had little to no bible knowledge, little experience as a born again Christian, zero experience in ministry and yet God said to write! I had to extensively research, pray and wait on God to write every post. It is hard writing deep theological posts with migraines and brain fog, but somehow God gave me the strength to it. Although I have many unfinished blog posts that hopefully one day will be published...haha!</div>
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In May of 2014, someone locally unfriended me due to one of my <a href="http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2014/05/i-desire-mercy-not-sacrifice-have-we.html" target="_blank">blog posts</a> and it caused me to begin questioning everything I thought I heard from God. I was close to shutting down my blog and forgetting about it all. I was in total anguish. </div>
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This brought me to a fork in the road and I had to make a decision. </div>
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Was I going to listen to the people who were upset with me? Was I going to let fear of man take over my heart? Was I going to follow God and continue to speak regardless of it being out of my comfort zone and regardless of the potential fallout? </div>
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I didn't have an answer to those questions at the time. I felt so lost and confused on what was the right thing to do. I didn't want to make people angry, but I also did not want to be silenced either.<br />
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What I have learned in this season is:</div>
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<b>If we choose to remain silent when God tells us to speak <u>it is disobedience.</u></b></div>
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<b>If we choose to remain silent for fear of what men will say <u>it is disobedience.</u></b></div>
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Fear of man may disguise itself as humility, but it is actually <b>false humility!</b> False humility can lead us into a place where we are pleasing people at the cost of obeying God. This is what the devil was after in my life. He wanted me to turn from God and to listen to the other voices around me instead of the only One who matters. </div>
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With my history of losing friends, the devil just kept telling me how much of a bad friend I was to everyone. He kept telling me that I should have kept my mouth shut. He kept saying, "See what you did!". On the other hand, I knew the things God had shown us were truth and important to talk about.</div>
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I was being pulled in all directions and at that point my own heart was betraying itself too.</div>
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A Prophetic Word Changed It All</h4>
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I thank God for a perfectly timed prophetic word in July 2014. If it were not for that word, I truly believe this blog would no longer exist. That single prophetic word changed everything. It gave me the confidence to continue to open my mouth and speak as God was commanding me to do so instead of cowering back. </div>
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God said to me in that word, "When you feel insecure, when you're pushed back on stand in the confidence of the Lord and open your mouth and do the things that he has given you to do."</div>
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However when I opened my mouth, I heard from people around me....</div>
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...You are just "hurt". </div>
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...You are "critical". </div>
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...You are being "judging".</div>
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...Who made you judge?<br />
...You are casting stones!</div>
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...Who are you to speak?</div>
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Nowadays when these accusations and labels are thrown at me, I know they are originating from the flesh or the devil. I simply continue on speaking what God has called me to do because I know that those people are not hearing from God. </div>
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<b>When I no longer needed validation from men and knew God was with me, it gave me the confidence to speak.</b> It doesn't make it easy or fun. I still have feelings, emotions and can be hurt by words said to me by friends, family and strangers online, but now I know I'm in God's will. That is the most important thing.</div>
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Sometimes I make mistakes and ask forgiveness where necessary, but when I make a mistake it doesn't mean I should stop speaking all together. The enemy wants us to feel insecure, so that we stop speaking.</div>
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I truly believe the enemy will speak to us through other Christians to get us to second guess ourselves and to second guess what God has already spoken. He will bring back old labels, old hurts and old wounds that God has already healed. He wants us to begin to believe those lies again about ourselves so we do not continue on in our calling from God. YES the enemy will use a Christian to do it too. I've seen it time and time again with the emails I've received from strangers via this blog. </div>
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<b>Some of the most demonic, twisted words have come out of the mouths of Christians and Christian ministers in this season!</b></div>
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I admit, I'm a broken disaster on most days. Sometimes the attacks take a toll on me. It just shows me how much I need to depend on God to do any of this. If I had my way, I'd never speak out ever again. Yet because I have walked through this season with God, I know that I can't walk away. If I have truly laid my life down to Him, then I must speak.</div>
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With everything that has happened to me in my life and the way that God has redeemed it, it has given me a boldness in certain areas that scares people. I think most people would expect me to be hurt and unhealed emotionally. I think most people would expect me to be a doormat. I think most people expect me to be depressed and constantly negative. I think when people meet me in person, they are shocked of the joy and the smile on my face despite the hardships I write about on my blog. </div>
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How did this happen? Only God can do it. You can't learn it from another.</div>
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You have to get to a place where you have nothing to lose anymore. </div>
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You have to get to a place where doing God's work is more important than having men on your side.</div>
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Thankfully I know I can trust in God. I know that God has different thoughts about me than those around me who yell and curse me. </div>
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Somehow in His amazing ways, God can use everything that I've been through in my life and use it for His good. He has used all of this to prepare me for the call on my life. </div>
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I now have compassion for those who have been the victim of incest. </div>
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I now have compassion for those who are chronically ill and doctors cannot help. </div>
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I now comfort those who feel alone in their walks with God. </div>
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I now comfort those who have been believing God for healing and it has not yet come.</div>
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I now point people to the One who truly matters; Jesus Christ!</div>
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It was in this season where the dependency of man was removed from me and I've had to learn what it means to really truly depend on God. That involved tears, pain, frustration, anger, lack and confusion at times. It is a normal part of the process!</div>
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<b>When I stopped looking to men for my help, I stopped sending others to men too. </b></div>
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I started telling them directly about Jesus Christ and did not refer them to a book, teaching, video or healing course. These days I'm rather selective of the things I recommend to my friends, strangers and family because I know the impact it will have on that person's walk with God.</div>
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You don't learn to trust God by watching a video or reading the latest Bethel book or going to the next conference. You learn this by surrendering yourself to God as you go through tough times in life. There is no other way and no shortcuts around this.</div>
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What the devil has tried to use to literally kill me, silence me and wound me, God has redeemed. The devil sends his little minions from time to time in the form of baby Christians to attack me personally, but I just sing praises to God that the enemy lies are just that..LIES!</div>
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It is in this season where I had to decide if I was going to let the words of people get me to back down. Do I care that much about what people think about me to disobey God? Would I allow false-humility to keep me from fulfilling the call of God on my life? </div>
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For some what I say looks critical and judging. </div>
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For some my testimony and who I am today is offensive. </div>
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For some they say I'm too young to speak.</div>
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For some they say I haven't been trained properly to have an opinion or voice.</div>
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There is always something that people will say about you, but the only thing that truly matters is what God is saying. It is common for people to label others with terms that have negative emotions or connotations attached. They do this to write you off, to discredit you in order to do character assassination. </div>
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Jesus tells us an important lesson in Matthew 10:24-28 (emphasis mine).</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/10-24.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;" target="_top"><b>24</b></a></span>“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. <span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/10-25.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;" target="_top"><b>25</b></a></span>“It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. <b>If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more <i>will they malign</i> the members of his household!</b><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">
<b></b><span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/10-26.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;" target="_top"><b>26</b></a></span>“Therefore <b>do not fear them</b>, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. <span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/10-27.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;" target="_top"><b>27</b></a></span>“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and <b>what you hear <i>whispered</i> in <i>your</i> ear, proclaim upon the housetops.</b> <span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/10-28.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;" target="_top"><b>28</b></a></span>“<b>Do not fear those who kill the body</b> but are unable to kill the soul; but rather<b> fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body</b> in hell."</blockquote>
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For those who God has called, there comes a place where you have to simply say to the people...."I'm continuing on and doing what God has called me to do. You can smear my name. You can do character assassination. You can even kill my body, but I'm going to continue with what God has called me to do!"</div>
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Once you are truly able to get to this place, then you are free. It doesn't mean the words won't hurt or you won't have dark days, but overall you realize that only following God and fearing God is what matters. </div>
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Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-87952657601943369582015-09-29T01:52:00.000-04:002016-06-16T21:03:40.641-04:00Feeling Alone in the StormsI've been really quiet on my blog because it's been a very difficult, trying time (once again) in my life. There has been so much stress and pressure put on me and I did not feel like writing.<br />
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This blog post is going to be pretty emotional and raw.<br />
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Let's talk about friendships or really the lack of them. I wrote a post about this same topic in the beginning of this year <a href="http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2015/01/learning-to-let-go.html" target="_blank">here</a> where I've had to let go people I've met in this season.<br />
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Ever since I was a teenager, I've had trouble keeping friends. In all of the friendships I've ever had with women, there was always this element where I had to be fake. I couldn't actually be honest and truthful with them because it might hurt their feelings. For me this does not work. I like to just say it like it is instead of me festering or holding on to things inside of me. However I realized that 99% of the population does not work that way and so it causes problems.<br />
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People want you to be fake. I refuse to do it.<br />
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Inevitably I've always been the one blamed for being a bad friend and then a "break up" happens. It is always in these times where the other person's true feelings finally come out. This is when I see they were the ones festering animosity this whole time and it's a big mess. After various messages back and forth, I realize that there is no possible way reconciliation can happen because it wasn't real to begin with.<br />
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It is like I was friends with a facade, not the actual real person within them.<br />
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I've seen this cycle time and time again in my life. Today, this is why I'm upfront and real with people.<br />
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My husband told me this quality in me is why he fell in love with me. He loved that I had an opinion! Apparently on our first date I was ranting about the Catholic church?! haha! I don't even remember that, but it's obvious that God put us together. No one else I ever knew liked that quality about me!<br />
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It is the thing everyone else hates that my husband loves.<br />
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I say it like it is because I will not fester and harvest things inside of me. Any time I've violated this rule of mine, it always comes back to hurt me in the long run.<br />
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In these fake friendships, I always felt like I lost my freedom and my voice. It was like that person expected me or even peer pressured me into doing what they were doing. I hated it. I had to put up an act. I had to always agree with them. I had to like the things they liked. I had to basically be them and I hated it. It's like a bad controlling relationship.<br />
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To me that is not a friendship but that is honestly a prison. Today I refuse to befriend someone if that's the terms they have for friendship. I absolutely despise it and will eventually push the person away on purpose.<br />
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To add insult to injury, having a chronic illness does not help things either. It tested all of the friendships I've had.<br />
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The main problem is that....<br />
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I don't have kids.<br />
I did not finish college.<br />
I don't work.<br />
I can't regularly go to church.<br />
I can't "hang out".<br />
I hate talking on the phone because it aggravates my health problems.<br />
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That pretty much throws every friendship and way of making (and connecting with) friends out the window. All of the things that people do with their friends, I cannot possibly do and it always puts strain on the friendship. If I do end up making a friend, eventually the emails or texts stop and then I never hear from them again. Time and time again.<br />
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So for me, all that I have are online friendships and I am grateful for those who have stuck around even if it's just 3-4 of you. I thank God for you every day.<br />
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I feel like most of those whom people think are their friends are an illusion.<br />
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They are there for you today because:<br />
...you still agree with them.<br />
...you can still hang out.<br />
...you work with them.<br />
...there is something in your life that connects you.<br />
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If you remove all of that, will they still be there? For how long? A few months? I had amazing friends when I worked at Kohl's and Pier 1, but that was over 10 years ago now and those people are gone. I personally have never seen a friendship ever last when there is nothing to keep a person connected.<br />
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This is a sad post, but one I wanted to write today. I really don't have any friends. No one calls. No one texts. I get no phone calls on my birthday. I get no invites to weddings. I get no invites to bridal or baby showers. Honestly if I died today, I do not think anyone locally outside of my family would actually care. I've had to come to the reality of that and somehow be OK with it.<br />
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I simply have no one at all in my life except for my husband and God.<br />
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I've entered in a time where my husband cannot help me in the place I'm in. He cannot help me with the struggles and pain that I'm feeling in my heart. I have been so emotionally and physically unwell, but instead of God bringing me people to comfort me, He has taken more away.<br />
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It might seem strange to many of you reading, but I believe that God has brought me to this place. He has brought me so alone and so low to show me that He is enough. I don't need likes on Facebook. I don't need a certain number of friends on Facebook. I don't need more followers on my blog or even more visitors here. I really only need Him.<br />
<br />
Jesus was betrayed and abandoned by the only people and friends He knew. God knows the pain I'm feeling and I continue to trust that He will bring my husband and I community and friends that will accept us as we are today. Neither of us have that right now.Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-42365475308134739132015-04-18T01:50:00.000-04:002015-04-18T01:50:16.560-04:00Who is the Thief that Steals, Kills and Destroys in John 10:10?<b><span class="text John-10-10" id="en-NASB-26492"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">10 </sup>The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have <i>it</i> abundantly. </span></span>(John 10:10)</b><br />
<br />
We have all heard this scripture, but who do you think is the thief? <br />
<br />
Most reading this today would likely immediately say, "the devil " because it's been repeated over and over again by many ministers. However is this an accurate assessment based on the context? I do not believe so. I too used to say "the thief" was the devil, but as I started to read John 10 thoroughly, I had to come to the realization that I was wrong. I've even written a <a href="http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2013/07/god-is-not-in-control.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> using this verse, which I no longer agree with. I believe there is a lesson in the Parable of the Good Shepherd that Jesus was trying to share that has been lost because many have made "the thief" in this particular parable, the devil. I've seen many use this verse to promote theologies that are otherwise not supported in the bible, so I think it's important to step back and really take a look at this verse.<br />
<br />
First let's refresh ours minds of what occurred before Jesus gave the parable. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%209&version=NASB" target="_blank">In John 9</a>, Jesus healed a man who was born blind. It caused quite an uproar because no one had ever been healed of a condition like this before. The Pharisees were not happy <u>when they heard it was done by Jesus</u> and they began to interrogate the man and his parents.<br />
<br />
The man told the story of what happened to the Pharisees, but they did not want to listen. Then they called this man's parents in and they were so fearful of the Pharisees, that they essentially left their son to explain it yet again. God used this man who had been born blind to confront the Pharisees and to reveal their true hearts and spiritual condition. God used "a foolish thing to confound the wise". The Pharisees became angry and they kicked him out of the synagogue.<br />
<span class="text John-9-34" id="en-NASB-26475"></span><br />
Jesus states in <b>John 9:39-41:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="text John-9-39" id="en-NASB-26480"><span class="woj">“For judgment I came into this world, so that <u>those who do not see may see</u>, and that those <u>who see may become blind.</u>”</span></span> <span class="text John-9-40" id="en-NASB-26481">Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “<u>We are not blind too, are we?</u>”</span> <span class="text John-9-41" id="en-NASB-26482">Jesus said to them, <span class="woj">“If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.</span></span></b></blockquote>
<span class="text John-10-1"><span class="woj">It is in this exchange that Jesus exposed the Pharisees for what they really were; blind guides leading other blind people to their destruction. The Pharisees said they could see and were followers of the Law and Disciples of Moses. <u>Yet they purposely</u> denied Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus said, "Because you say you see, your sins will remain." </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text John-10-1"><span class="woj">God is merciful to those who are in ignorance and do not know, but His wrath is upon those who purposely close up the way of salvation and abuse His sheep. Although Jesus opened the eyes of an actual blind man there was a spiritual element to what He was teaching. Jesus was clearly teaching about opening the eyes of the spiritually blind.</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-10-1"><span class="woj"></span></span><br /><span class="text John-10-1"><span class="woj">This is extremely important to remember as we head into the Parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10. </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="text John-10-1"><span class="woj">“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who <u>does not enter by the door</u><i> into the fold of the sheep</i>, but <u>climbs up some other way</u>, he is a thief and a robber.</span></span><sup>"</sup></b></blockquote>
Here Jesus is saying you must enter through the door that leads into the fold. Later on we will see that Jesus is the door. However, the "fold" that Jesus is referring to here is the pasture that holds God's sheep. Therefore, if a person does not enter through the door (Jesus), but climbs up some other way, Jesus says he is a thief and a robber. These thieves and robbers are false teachers (the Pharisees) who were not sent by God. These false shepherds have entered into the pastures of His children, but were not granted access. They gained access unlawfully. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="text John-10-2" id="en-NASB-26484"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">2 </sup>But <u>he who enters by the door is a shepherd</u> of the sheep.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-3" id="en-NASB-26485"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">3 </sup>To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.</span></span> </b></blockquote>
<span class="text John-10-4" id="en-NASB-26486"><span class="woj"></span></span>Here Jesus is using an analogy to assert His deity and is showing that He has been sent by God.<br />
<br />
In these two verses we see that: <br />
God the Son is the Shepherd.<br />
God the Son is the door to the fold.<br />
God the Father is the doorkeeper.<br />
<br />
Jesus is saying that He has been sent by God to shepherd the sheep. The sheep (God's children) know the true shepherd's voice and He calls them by name and leads them! You can see the difference in descriptions here. God calls us by name, but thieves and robbers do not. They do not even use the door and instead gain access into the fold through unlawful means.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="text John-10-4" id="en-NASB-26486"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">4 </sup>When he puts forth all his own, <u>he goes ahead of them</u>, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-5" id="en-NASB-26487"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">5 </sup>A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”</span></span> <span class="text John-10-6" id="en-NASB-26488"><sup class="versenum">6 </sup>This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.</span></b></blockquote>
Here Jesus is saying He brings all of His own into the fold. This is likely talking about God calling each of us by name to believe in Jesus for salvation. <br />
<br />
Jesus (the Shepherd) has gone ahead of the sheep. He is our example. He shows us the way. The sheep will follow Him because they know His voice. A stranger's voice they will not follow, but instead they will run away because they do not know the voice of strangers. The strangers here are the thieves and robbers that Jesus spoke about in v. 1. They are the ones who have gained unlawful access to the fold. These are the Pharisees, false teachers and false shepherds.<br />
<br />
Now Jesus begins to explain this verse in a more plain sense, so they could understand.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>7 <span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj">“Truly, truly, I say to you, <u>I am the door of the sheep</u>. </span></span><span class="text John-10-8" id="en-NASB-26490"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">8 </sup>All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.</span></span></b></blockquote>
<span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj"></span></span><span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj">Jesus was stating here that <u>He is the only way</u>. He is the door (and the Shepherd). He is our salvation. He is telling the crowd you cannot follow any other person or way into the fold. He says, "Those who came before Me were thieves and robbers" These are the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders who killed all of God's prophets. The Pharisees and Jewish leaders were not sent by God and did not lead the sheep by God's authority. They climbed up some other way to deceive the sheep. v.1.</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="text John-10-9" id="en-NASB-26491"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">9<u> </u></sup><u>I am the door</u>; if anyone enters through Me, <u>he will be saved</u>, and will go in and out and find pasture.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-10" id="en-NASB-26492"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">10 </sup>The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have <i>it</i> abundantly.</span></span></b></blockquote>
<span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj">Here Jesus talks about what a person will find in Him. Jesus is the door to salvation. If a person enters through Jesus, he WILL be saved. Those who enter in through Jesus will go in and out of the fields and find pasture. In this pasture we find forgiveness of sins, love, rest and eternal life! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj">In verse 10, Jesus is using the idea of a thief to show the contrast between Him as the Good Shepherd and those who are false shepherds. If a person follows the thief, he will steal from the sheep, kill the sheep when it suits him and ultimately destroy the sheep. There is no salvation in the thief. There is no life.The false shepherds and teachers do not care about the sheep, but will actually send them to their destruction. Yet Jesus says,"If you follow Me, then you will have life abundantly." I believe Jesus is talking about eternal life here.</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj">Having gone through all of this verse by verse, I no longer belief that verse 10 is talking about the devil as "the thief". We all know that the devil is our adversary, who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A8&version=NASB" target="_blank">1 Peter 5:8</a>). I am in no way trying to make him look "good" because he is not. However we need to be true to the scriptures. This parable is not talking about the devil, but about false teachers, false shepherds and anyone else who keeps the means of salvation away from the people. </span></span><span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj"><span class="text 1Pet-5-8" id="en-NASB-30474"></span>It is talking about those who were not called by God, but pretended to be one of His shepherds. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj">In this particular scripture, Jesus was most definitely talking about the Pharisees, but it is something we should heed even today. There are thieves and robbers pretending to be shepherds who have not been called by God, but are in this for their own selfish ambitions. </span></span><br />
<span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text John-10-7" id="en-NASB-26489"><span class="woj">As we continue on in the parable, I believe it's even more clear that the thief in v 10 is not the devil.</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="text John-10-11" id="en-NASB-26493"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">11 </sup>“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.</span></span></b></blockquote>
Here Jesus is telling us that He is the good shepherd and He is foreshadowing the cross, but we can use this as an example of how we should treat the sheep that God gives each of us to care for. A good shepherd would lay his life down for his sheep. He takes care of them regardless of the cost to himself. Jesus leads by example and He shows us the heart of God for His sheep.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="text John-10-12" id="en-NASB-26494"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">12 </sup>He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd,
who is not the owner of the sheep, <u>sees the </u><u>wolf coming, and leaves the
sheep and flees</u><i>,</i> and <u>the wolf snatches them and scatters <i>them</i>.</u></span></span> <span class="text John-10-13" id="en-NASB-26495"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">13 </sup><i>He flees</i> because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-14" id="en-NASB-26496"><span class="woj"></span></span></b></blockquote>
Here Jesus is showing us the contrast. Hired hands are the thieves and robbers that were previously discussed. They only care about the sheep in so much for what the sheep can give them. They do not look to the sheep as their own and so would not lay their life down for them. They are in this for themselves and their own selfish ambitions whether it be money, fame or status.<br />
<br />
Good news though. Jesus is not a hired hand! He is the Good Shepherd! God takes possession over us as His children and He is our Father. Jesus willingly surrendered His life for us! <br />
<br />
We also see in v. 12, Jesus talks about a wolf coming to the sheep and the hired hands do not
care. The wolf could be the devil, hunger, sickness and trials in life. When a hired hand sees the wolf come, they flee because they do not care about the sheep. They only cared about themselves and their own safety. They do not want caught up with the wolf because it is more than they had bargained for. They run and let the sheep to fend for themselves, but a sheep is no match for a wolf and the sheep are scattered! Sheep need a shepherd, but this hired hand was not it and it lead to their destruction. It is the hired hands (thieves) that lead the sheep into being slaughtered.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="text John-10-14" id="en-NASB-26496"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">14 </sup>I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,</span></span> <span class="text John-10-15" id="en-NASB-26497"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">15 </sup>even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.</span></span></b> <span class="text John-10-17" id="en-NASB-26499"><span class="woj"></span></span></blockquote>
Once again, Jesus says, I am the Good Shepherd! He is contrasting Himself to the thieves, robbers and hired hands that came before Him. The hired hands do not care about the sheep, but He says, "I care about the sheep because I know you by name. I own you. You are mine!" Jesus the good shepherd does not flee when the wolf comes, but will lay down His own life willingly! He shows us the kind of service that we should all follow in. Hallelujah!<br />
<span class="text John-9-41" id="en-NASB-26482"><span class="woj"> </span></span> <br />
<span class="text John-9-41" id="en-NASB-26482"><span class="woj"></span></span><span class="text John-9-41" id="en-NASB-26482"><span class="woj">If
we quickly look to <b>Ezekiel 34:1-10</b>, we see that what Jesus was talking about here was prophesied through Ezekiel about the false shepherds in Israel. </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text Ezek-34-1">Then the word of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> came to me saying,</span> <span class="text Ezek-34-2" id="en-NASB-21316"><sup class="versenum">2 </sup>“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span>, “Woe, shepherds of Israel <u>who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?</u></span> <span class="text Ezek-34-3" id="en-NASB-21317"><sup class="versenum">3 </sup>You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat <i>sheep</i> without feeding the flock.</span> <span class="text Ezek-34-4" id="en-NASB-21318"><sup class="versenum">4 </sup><u>Those who are sickly you have not strengthened</u>,<u> the diseased you have not healed</u>, the <u>broken you have not bound up</u>,<u> the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost</u>; <b><u>but with force and with severity you have dominated them</u>.</b></span> <span class="text Ezek-34-5" id="en-NASB-21319"><sup class="versenum">5 </sup>They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and<u> they became food for every beast of the field</u> and <u>were scattered</u>.</span> <span class="text Ezek-34-6" id="en-NASB-21320"><sup class="versenum">6 </sup>My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek <i>for them</i>.”’”</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span class="text Ezek-34-7" id="en-NASB-21321"><sup class="versenum">7 </sup>Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>:</span> <span class="text Ezek-34-8" id="en-NASB-21322"><sup class="versenum">8 </sup>“As I live,” declares the Lord <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span>, “surely because My flock has become a prey,
My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack
of a shepherd, and <u>My shepherds did not search for My flock, but <i>rather</i> the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock;</u></span> <span class="text Ezek-34-9" id="en-NASB-21323"><sup class="versenum">9 </sup>therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>:</span> <span class="text Ezek-34-10" id="en-NASB-21324"><sup class="versenum">10 </sup>‘Thus says the Lord <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span>, <b>“</b><u><b>Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them</b>.</u>”’”</span></blockquote>
God was not happy with the way the shepherds of Israel were treating His sheep. They slaughtered the sheep, took their wool and ate them for food, but did not care about them at all. This is exactly what Jesus was talking about in John 10 with the Parable of the Good Shepherd. This is one of those scriptures that actually shows that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah in the Old Testament.When Jesus was born of a woman and came into the world in flesh, God was taking His sheep back out of the mouths of the false shepherds in Israel. Jesus is the Good Shepherd as opposed to the shepherds of Israel who were thieves, robbers and hired hands.<br />
<br />
I truly believe when this parable is read in its entirety and alongside Ezekiel 34, it becomes very clear that "the thief" discussed in v. 10 is not the devil. It is certainly talking about false shepherds and false teachers. If people want to debate that the Pharisees and false shepherds in Israel were doing the devil's work, then that is something as a Church we could certainly debate. However, I still think the point must be made that in this parable, Jesus really was talking about the Pharisees. It ties into what had just occurred in John 9 nicely as well.<br />
<br />
I personally feel we should refrain from using this Scripture to create theologies that are otherwise not supported in the Word. <br />
<br />
What do you think? Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-73780336403270051262015-04-14T18:46:00.000-04:002016-04-24T14:27:29.353-04:00The Unstable Foundations of Hyper-Grace and "Finished Work" Doctrines<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Over the past 3 years, I became aware (and deceived) by the “hyper-grace” teachings while seeking God for healing. I
truly believe the only thing that kept me from fully embracing
hyper-grace is the fact that I am sick and have a real need. I've had
chronic illness for over 14 years and doctors cannot help me. I need
to see the <u><b>reality</b></u> of what Jesus did on the cross in my
life, so catch phrases, slogans and simply believing things
differently will not cut it for me. I need the real supernatural
power of God to hit my body.</div>
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The hyper-grace message became very
popular because many people live with a lot of condemnation and do
not have a basic understanding of the true message of God's grace. </div>
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Since I've been sick most of my
adolescent and adult life, I used to struggle with a lot of
condemnation. I've never been able to meet up to anyone's expectations in life. </div>
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In the church, most of the condemnation
that people feel, stems from the fact that ministries are driven by
teaching people a method instead of getting people to know Jesus
Christ in a personal way. When we try to sell Jesus as a 10 step
method, it only makes a person feel condemned and feel as if they are
never doing enough. You will always find someone who prays more,
reads the bible more, prays in tongues more (or maybe you don't pray
in tongues at all!?), sees more people healed or does more street
ministry. It's an easy place for people to self-condemn themselves.
These checklists and methods also turn into weapons used against
people too.
</div>
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I think it's important to recognize
that the main theme of the hyper-grace movement is their disgust and
rejection of all methods that have been created in the church. Many
of them have been hurt in an abusive church situation. I am not
faulting them for wanting to move away from controlling types and
it's one of the reasons why I gravitated towards their message too.
The problem though is instead of simply rejecting the bad they have
indeed over-corrected into error.</div>
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They believe that once Jesus died on
the cross, that doing anything at all for God is considered works.
They believe if you try to obey the teachings of Jesus, then you are
pushing “works salvation”. Sadly if you teach on things like
service and obedience of any kind that you are “legalistic” and
“religious”. Some of them say praying is a work. Some of them
say reading the bible is a work. Some of them say turning from sin is a
work. Some of them say fasting is a work.</div>
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There are variations of exaggerations in these groups. Not all of them believe in the same exaggerations and
it makes it difficult to succinctly point out all of the errors. A person is basically forced to use minister names because
otherwise you might be using a broad brush on another group who
doesn't believe in what the other group within hyper-grace believes.</div>
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<br /></div>
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They have gone from one extreme which
is a long list of things “to do” to the other extreme where they
say, “there's nothing left to do. Jesus did everything. Just rest”. They
have confused the free gift of salvation with the costs of serving
the God who gave us that free gift. </div>
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<br /></div>
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First, it's important to understand that
from what I've seen, no one on either side is preaching the idea of
doing works in order to be justified (saved). Of course salvation
is only found in believing in what Jesus did on the cross, but we
should also obey God's will for our life.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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But this is where the conflicts and disagreements begin.</div>
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Many will say that grace cannot be
exaggerated. They say that God's grace is too good and I agree that God's
grace is too good. The fact that God sent us His Son Jesus, to die
for us, to redeem us even while we were still enemies of God, is
amazing! But once we come to believe in Jesus, our life and actions
do in fact need to change and this is where hyper-grace disagrees.
They say, “It's already done in Christ”. “you are already holy
and sanctified”. And yet there is a renewing that God must take us through in our lives to begin to react as Jesus would not as our flesh would. Unfortunately many in the hyper-grace groups do not believe that God can do a work in each of our lives. They do not believe in wilderness seasons. They do
not believe that trials can be used to conform a person into the
image of His son.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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I suspect many people who come across
the hyper-grace teachings are in fact temporarily set free! This
happens because they realize that the man-made methods that they put
themselves under were not of God. I myself had this realization in 2013. I stopped trying to fulfill some man made healing method and started to
look directly towards Jesus. But this is where I differ from the
hyper-grace camp... Looking directly towards Jesus and pursuing Him
involves having to pay a price of some sort. We will have to pray and read the bible. It involves spending time with God. It involves having to turn your back to the
things you once did and learn to live the life that he wants for you.
It involves sacrifice at times. <u>It's not an effortless journey.</u> It actually is quite painful to die to oneself.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When a person does not have this real
connection to God and trials come, many who believe in the
hyper-grace, finished-work teachings walk away from the faith. I've seen at least 3 "leaders" in this movement shut down their blogs and FB pages. When
the trials and struggles of life come, many of them are not built on
the rock that is Jesus. While they reject the "methods of men",
they have also done away with any personal relationship and intimacy
with God too. <b>When a group of people considers turning from sin and obeying the Lord as works, then how as a church can we restore such
people back to the true gospel message?</b> When a group of people think
God is no longer doing works in His children, then how will they ever
be prepared when storms come?
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In my few years, I have seen more walk
away from God in these groups than in any other group. I have a few Cessationist friends who are sick and do not believe in healing, but
trust God no matter what. They are on stable grounds. I have
hyper-grace friends who are sick and were believing God for healing,
but when it did not come; <u>They left the faith.</u> The general attitude and mindset of those in hyper-grace is this. "Either God is good and
He heals me now or God is not real” There is no room for
long term struggles in their walks with God. There was no trust built
in God, but simply they trusted in their doctrines and catchphrases. Underneath the catchphrases and slogans, when their life spoke louder than them, they had nothing at all to lean back on.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If those who have accepted hyper-grace
were honest with themselves I believe they would see there's a lot of
healing that needs to take place within their hearts. They are
insecure of God's love and therefore have had to then say that God is always
loving and there is no wrath. They are insecure about their salvation and therefore have had to say that you cannot fall away from the faith. They need black and
white answers to legalistic questions about God and it
has forced them to have to rewrite scriptures like Ananias and
Sapphira. For example, some are now saying that Peter in his great power received
from God, murdered them. They cannot accept that God may have judged them, but they will gladly turn Peter into
a murderer. Wow!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unfortunately sometimes we need to examine ourselves to
see why we are believing the things we are believing. God put me in a situation that forced me to do it. It came down to humbling myself and realizing that what I had believed about God was not true.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The bottom line is that those believing hyper-grace have been
deceived into thinking that service, obedience, prayer and reading
the bible is works. They have been deceived that trials and struggles
in life are strange things we should never experience. If you type in trial,
struggles or wilderness into the hyper-grace blogs and you get almost
no keyword hits. They have absolutely nothing at all for those in
hard times. It is a teaching that attracts people with generally good
lives, but gives them zero tools to endure when the wind begins to
blow. It's not supposed to be that way! The gospel is supposed to get
us through the good times and the bad times.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If we have lost our hunger for God,
then more than ever we need to be alone with God and seek him! Unfortunately though, it is
nearly impossible to talk to many in the hyper-grace/exaggerated Finished work groups. For having such an amazing
revelation of God's grace, I do not see this same love and grace
extended towards those who want to have simple discussions with them.
They see the inconsistencies with everyone else, but are totally
blind when they do it themselves. We can all get our feathers ruffled
at times, so I understand and can relate. However I don't see the
great revelation of righteousness, grace and forgiveness they all
claim to have. If I don't see it in their life, then what and why are
they even talking about this as if it's having any transformative
effect? Do as I say, not as I do? Isn't this exactly what they were
against in the first place? The hypocrisy that's in the Church and the
pastor or church that hurt them? Have they simply become what they preached against? In many ways, yes I do believe so and they don't even see it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We rest in knowing what Jesus did for
us, but that doesn't mean we don't pray, read the word or turn from
sin. It does not mean we do not commit our lives to God and serve Him
in whatever capacity He wants for us. In fact because of what Jesus
did, we have a hunger to do all of those things even more so
because we see what He took for us. We should not arrogantly look at the cross and then think we are owed something from God.... Jesus
gave us more than enough and we should have a joy in our hearts
while following Him. No matter what life brings and sometimes it will bring tough situations.</div>
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-5543923457732597392015-04-10T23:39:00.000-04:002016-03-14T20:35:05.386-04:00A Necessary Cost<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Recently God has been talking to me a
lot about cost and sacrifice. He has been giving me various dreams
about the cost that we've had to pay in this season as we were
seeking Him for healing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Prophetically we were told that what my
husband and I have been walking through was part of a necessary cost.
We've had other words that basically confirmed we had been walking in
a wilderness season and a training program as well. 2 years ago I
could not have handled this, but God has changed my heart on many
matters relating to this and I choose to trust God.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This summer marks 15 years of suffering
with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome. In 2005, I had to quit college
and work altogether because I was too sick to function any more. That
was only a year after I had gotten married. Pretty much my whole
marriage has been riddled with trials, struggles, sickness, pain,
frustration and confusion. Then in 2009 my husband got sick with
chronic fatigue syndrome. He was hospitalized for a week and then
became bedridden for an entire year. During this time, he was no
longer able to run his own business. We went from being financially
well off to being in total poverty. I gave my life to Jesus in June 2012. By 2013, we had no money left and
God told us to start selling off everything we owned and to go on
food stamps. We obeyed and once we ran out of things to sell, we had
to start trusting God for ALL of our bills and God provided! We have
been completely dependent upon God ever since and both of us are
still too sick to work. We have had to cautiously navigate this
season and yet God said it was a necessary cost. Looking back on all
of this, it is only by the grace of God that we have made it through
it all.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If God is asking us to sacrifice things
in our life or asking us to bear a load, we must know that it is not
for the remission of our sins. We are not paying to be saved, to be
loved by God nor are we trying to lessen our eternal punishments by
offering up a sacrifice. <span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
shedding of Jesus' blood</span></span> on the cross was enough to pay
the penalty for our sins. We are only saved by grace through faith in
Jesus, so suffering in this life has nothing to do with making
payment to God for our sins. I just wanted to make sure that was
clear before I continue on here <i>because many seem to get confused
about that.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When Jesus died on the cross and rose,
for me as a Gentile believer, it was only the beginning. We see this
in Ephesians 2:11-13.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="en-NIV-29243"></a>“Therefore,
remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth...remember that
at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship
in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without
hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who
once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is only because of what Jesus did on
the cross that we can now be reconciled to God through faith in His
son. Now that we are in a relationship with God, He may call us into
a place that requires us to sacrifice. He may call us out of our
comfort zones. He may call us into a season where we are bearing a
load. All of these things are for His purposes and often times are
related to the calling that God has placed on our lives. He has to
get us ready for the work He has ordained for us to do (Ephesians
2:10). We see this in the life of Elijah, David, Jesus, John the
Baptist, Paul and even Peter. They all went through some stuff.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There's a popular message today that
says you can't earn God's favor or blessings. Many of them are
actively attacking service and sacrifice saying you are trying to
“buy” God. They say if you sacrifice things for God you are cheapening what Jesus did. They will say that if you try to “please” God with
your sacrifices that you are “doing works” and “adding to the
Finished Work of Christ”. These teachings actually show what is in
these minister's hearts. It is true that I can't earn God's favor
<u><b>when it comes to salvation and why would I?</b></u> That was
paid for by Jesus' sacrifice, but what these groups fail to recognize
is that Jesus was also an example of obedience for us to follow. Everyone wants to “be
like Jesus” in power and miracles, but I see very little talk about
“being like Jesus” in devotion, holiness, <i>obedience</i> and <i>in
service </i>to the Father.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When Jesus was about to be betrayed and
suffer a horrible death, He called out to God.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Father, if you are willing, remove
this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
His obedience to God was to His own
death! We should remember these words from Jesus when God calls us to
sacrifice or walk a certain way that is difficult. We should remember
that Jesus chose to die for us willingly and we should be willing to
give our lives for Him too.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Having said that, in this season God
was calling my husband and I to stand into a difficult place. He
called us to bear a load that seemed impossible to bear at times, but
it was in these times that we had to dig in and really begin to trust
God. We had to dig into His word and start searching for living water
to live off of! </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On my worst days, it was God who gave
me the strength to stand and now I can say that our faith has been
tested by fire. God did something inside of me that I cannot describe
to you today. I feel something inside of me that I cannot describe,
but it was born in me through this difficult time. I finally
understand how the apostles could do what they did day after day
after day, knowing they were going to be physically assaulted at
times. I cannot even imagine the physical pain they must have been in
after getting stoned, beaten and whipped and yet the hope that was in
them through Jesus, that brought them to their feet to continue
proclaiming the gospel.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If God calls us into or if we
have found ourselves in an impossible situation (like my husband and
I), God may call us to continue to stand in this difficult place for
a season. We may be called to places we didn't think God would ask us
to stand. I know that was certainly the case for me. I never knew
that God would ask so much <u><b>of me.</b></u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A common way God calls us to stand is
when there are delays. Delays in the promises of God creates the
atmosphere for sacrifices and loads to bear. It was the delay in our
healing that caused us to have to stand in this difficult place and
instead of giving up, I said, “Ok Lord, not my will, but yours”
and what that involved was a lot of changing, stretching, tearing
down, rebuilding and growing in Christ.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The “Finished work” groups would
say I am preaching “mixed-grace” because the words sacrifice and
service are bad words to them. They would say that I am preaching
works based salvation. However my post has nothing to do with
salvation and everything to do with being obedient to God's will for
our individual lives. There's a big big difference there. Paul was
never trying to obtain God's love or his salvation through the
beatings and sufferings he went through for Christ's sake. <u><b>Yet
enduring this was part of the cost for his calling from God. He was
called to suffer these things for Christ.</b></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
It</span></span> was very clear in his writings that he understood
the costs involved and he knew it would ultimately lead to his death.
This was also the same with Peter. After Jesus was resurrected, He
told Peter in John 21:18-19, the kind of death that would be pleasing
to God for following Him.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="en-ESV-26906"></a>“Truly,
truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself
and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch
out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do
not want to go.” 19 (<b>This he said to show by what kind of death
he was to </b><u><b>glorify God.</b></u>) And after saying this he
said to him, <u><b>“Follow me.</b></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b>”
</b></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I bolded things here because God
through His son Jesus called Peter to die a certain way and Jesus
said, “Follow me”. It was part of Peter's calling that he would
suffer and die in this way!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They knew the cost and willingly
accepted it. Everything that Peter and Paul went through was part of
a necessary cost of the calling on their lives. I believe we each
have a role to play today. Are we willing to pay the price though?
Are we willing to accept our cost for following God? Are we willing
to say, “Father not my will, but yours be done”?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some people may go through a season
where they have to get angry with God because of the cost God is
asking of them. Some people may go through a season of rebellion
because they made an idea for themselves who God is that was not
based on scripture. Some people may never willingly accept the cost
and I believe those calls may be forfeited.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The sacrifices God asks from us will be
different for each person. He may ask us to let go of things that we
cherish and hold dear to us. He may ask us to leave a job. He may ask
us to take a certain job. It may be things that we never thought God
would ask us to let go of.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'd like to share a dream I had several weeks ago. In this dream, I
found out that I was given free stays at a $400/night hotel. It was a
beautiful place and I was already imagining myself in the room. I was
so amazed that someone would give me this! I asked the lady at the counter if there would be any other costs and she repeatedly told me no. Except I found that she lied to me. If I
wanted to use internet, drink the bottled water and eat breakfast, then I'd have to pay for
those amenities. When I found out there was a cost, I was angry! This lady at the counter in charge of putting people into their rooms flat out lied to me!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even though the $400/night room was
given to me for free, I was angry about the costs <u><b>I had to
bear.</b></u> Because that lady lied to me, I started making a scene in the place. I was so
mad that <u>I walked away</u> from that freely given $400/night hotel
and went to the cheap $50 hotel because the amenities were
included.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When I woke up I had to look
up to see if this was a real thing with more expensive hotels and I
found out that it was! But God wasn't talking about real hotel rooms. I believe these rooms represented the callings God is asking His Church to step into. The lady at the counter who lied to me represented teachers and ministers who are not being upfront with God's children. These ministers are lying about the costs and are not properly preparing people for their calls!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Remember the room itself was given for free. The same goes for our callings which are given to us freely
through faith in Jesus Christ, but in order to walk in those callings
and fulfill those callings, there may be costs to us. In the cheap hotel, the internet, breakfast
and bottled water were all "included", but the room was cheap. It was dirty. It wasn't
anything special whatsoever.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In my dream God also showed me the
lines of others in the Church who have settled
for the cheap hotel when He is calling them into the $400/night room. <b>They settled because they had been lied to by ministers! And because of that lie, they were not willing to bear the price He is asking of us
to bear. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
In this dream I very clearly heard the word, cheapskates.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>We have become cheapskates in the things of God.</b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many hyper-grace and Finished Work
teachings today are actually teaching believers there is NO price to pay. They are perfect representations of the lady in the counter of my dream. They have twisted up so many believers and have put in the hearts of believers the false idea that if you give of yourself to God, that you are trying to earn the blessings of God. Whether they realize it or not, but they are not
giving people freedom but becoming gatekeepers, keeping people from receiving what God has
for them in their life. They would likely accuse me of the same thing. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If we are not careful we may walk away
from the high calling of God and settle for something lesser because
we don't want to pay any price at all. Even if that price is
minuscule compared to what God has given us! There may be more asked
of us with particular callings. This is seen in the lives of
Jesus and the apostles. They walked in power, boldness and authority,
but it came with a price.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Have you been duped by false teachers
in the Church telling you there is no cost? And I use the word false
teacher very seriously. I do not throw that out there lightly.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Are you not willing to pay a price
because you were lied to that there was no price to pay?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Are you walking away from what God has
called you because it is different than what you had been told?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At various times of our walk I have
been guilty of this. I fell for hyper-grace and the exaggerated Finished Work teachings in the beginning of my
walk. God in His grace warned me in a dream about it at the end
of 2013. I never thought that sickness would ever be part of the cost
that God would ask of someone to bear. However in this season as I
trust and believe God for healing, He has shown me that He was using
this sickness for His purposes. Without the sickness, I never would
have had the compassion and desire to see captives set free. Without
the poverty, I never would have been on food stamps, without light
bulbs, soap and other various things at times. The necessary cost was
a major humbling for me because I looked down on people like that. I
never would have been able to feel the pain the sick and poor feel. I
never would have even cared at all about these people. It was this
struggle, this cost, this pain that made me who I am today and now
God can use it all for His glory.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Whatever cost you bear for a season,
God will use that so you can help others in similar situations. And
since I believe in the supernatural power and healing of God, I
believe this means God will use you to pray and see others healed,
set free and delivered in Jesus' name. But we must be willing to follow Him, no matter what.
</div>
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-73658139505180891932015-03-12T19:04:00.001-04:002016-12-09T19:48:00.201-05:00Knowing God's Love During the Storms<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTRF9i2P0zbZoMmtzrz4_G740u9WLbqkmOgXnxXhte1ibPreyZA2qe4cPVVeX_uHAOfip0-fZYo5FwaHy9mDVw2jGbxhRxStdVkdljugqSImwqpO83SX9JkTo4jmxs3RQZ5dkrLFuhP8/s1600/After+the+storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTRF9i2P0zbZoMmtzrz4_G740u9WLbqkmOgXnxXhte1ibPreyZA2qe4cPVVeX_uHAOfip0-fZYo5FwaHy9mDVw2jGbxhRxStdVkdljugqSImwqpO83SX9JkTo4jmxs3RQZ5dkrLFuhP8/s400/After+the+storm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mix of dark clouds and sun. A storm passing through the area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When life is going good, it can be easy to see God's love in our life. Many associate God's love with the
joy they feel and the blessings they have been given such as family, a good job and good health. But if those tangible things were taken away from you unexpectedly while you were faithfully following the Lord, could you
still see God's love? Would you think God was upset with you because of something you had done? Would you still be able to continue to believe and trust in God? <br />
<br />
Several months ago I was telling my husband that this long season has given me a different understanding of God's love. Even talking about this topic is tricky because God can choose to reveal His love to His children in different ways during different seasons in our lives and one way isn't necessarily wrong or right. Admittedly though my journey has been a bumpy ride and I never had a "honeymoon period" after being born again. I came to God while in a long battle and the battle raged even more afterward, so this gives you an idea of where I am coming from. <br />
<br />
In this difficult trying place, God's love has not always been tangible, but that does not mean something is wrong with me nor does it mean He does not love me. There are some things I saw while in this season, that I wanted to write about. Because of the way many teach God's love, there were labels people wanted to put on me in this season that I had to actively and purposely reject. These labels and teachings can make those who are
going through these stormy seasons, seem as if they are missing out or
not measuring up in some way. It's easy to see God's love when life is good, but we also need to be able to see His love when things aren't going well because we were never promised a perfect life. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Does God's Love Mean Instant Answers to our Prayers?</h3>
<h4>
</h4>
I often saw people associating God's love with instant answers to their prayers. This is very dangerous.<br />
<br />
God is faithful. He hears our prayers. We can trust in that because scripture tells us in <b>1 John 5:14-15</b>, "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. <span class="reftext"></span>And if we know that He hears us <i>in</i> whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."<br />
<br />
Sometimes God's timing and His answers to our prayers may not be what we expected or even wanted though. Therefore, if we attach God's love to immediate answers to our prayers, it WILL cause us to lose our faith and trust in God if there is a delay. I once heard a prophet say "Delays are not denials" and that is so important to settle within our hearts.<br />
<br />
God really can be trusted even if and especially if there is a delay. <br />
<br />
I have also seen many people link God's love with physical and emotional healing. Since I've walked this journey seeking God for healing of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and other various chronic problems, it is absolutely the worst thing a person can do. While I agree healing is a demonstration of God's love, we <u>cannot make it the cornerstone</u> or the measuring stick of God's love in a person's walk. When a person has been praying, believing and asking God for healing for years and are not yet healed, it can be rather devastating to their faith, their hope and their trust in God.<br />
<br />
We must more accurately focus attention to the cross instead of getting them to look to their healing as God's love. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Does God's Love Mean Instant Delivery <i>From</i> the Storms? </h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
</h4>
Some ministries suggest since God loves us so much, that He will keep the really bad things from happening to those who have "truly surrendered". But if for some reason a trial does come, then people who "know who they are in Christ" will have a quick delivery in all trials. These two teachings coupled together are very dangerous.<br />
<br />
I walked down this path and listened to these teachings and they produced no life. It nearly made
me leave the faith only a short 8 months after I was saved. The problem is as soon as a trial comes or does not leave as quickly as we thought it should, these teachings will cause a person to question everything, even God.<br />
<br />
These teachings have bred a disdain for those who are sick, hurting or frustrated. Those who are healthy and living a great life are perceived as "spiritually healthy" and those who are in trials, sick and hurting are perceived as "spiritually sick". This is not biblical though.<br />
<br />
We need look no further than the ministries of Jesus, Paul and the other
apostles to see that this entire idea is false. Jesus himself clarified this false idea in the bible in <b>Luke 13:4-5</b>, when He brought up the 18 who died because the tower of Siloam fell on them. He said, “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were <i>worse</i> culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? <span class="reftext"></span>“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” <br />
<br />
The ideas taught in some groups have left many in the midst of storms feeling hopeless and defeated. Many teach that those going through trials especially a long term trial, that there is something wrong with their relationship with God or they haven't figured out "who they are" and they are "living in the old man" and much more. There's so many catch phrases out there that it's impossible to list them all here. However the overall idea in this group is that trials should be short lived, should not cause you any distress and should be overcome with ease. These attacks made to a person's relationship with God cause them to lose hope, lose trust in God and eventually lose their faith altogether. No matter how good they sound, these teachings are misguided. <br />
<br />
Jesus wasn't short of revelation (given that He was fully God and fully man) and He certainly did not have a bad relationship with His Father. YET He was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit, which lead Him to be tempted by the devil. Jesus being put into this difficult set of temptations and trials had nothing at all to do with God's love for Him nor a lack of relationship with the Father. <b>If you can believe this about Jesus' wilderness, then we must start believing it for other people's wildernesses as well.</b><br />
<br />
God will guide us and carry us when the storms come and He will provide the way of escape during our struggles. However it may not be instant, even if we are fully surrendered and know our identity in Christ and are "living from the new man". In fact there is evidence in the scripture that says the opposite, which I'll touch upon later in this article. Sometimes there are things that God is doing in us during these storms that cannot be taught elsewhere. This isn't because of God, but is a part of our human nature. We tend to be stubborn and unable to see our own weaknesses until we go through difficult times. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Where Do We Find God's Love (No matter what)? </h3>
<br />
The demonstration of God's love is that He sent His son to die for us on the cross, even while we were lost and dead in our sin! He gave us His son Jesus Christ, so that we may be set free from sin and to be reconciled back to Him. Because of this we can now have a personal relationship with God and also have eternal life. <br />
<br />
This is how one builds a strong foundation in God's love that will get them through the storms of life. This is the GOSPEL! For some people though this isn't enough. They have stopped preaching the Gospel and have replaced it with "revelation" that focuses on authority, power and experiences. But what good is power if it's not to preach the Gospel and God's love seen in His son? The power of God is the cross!<br />
<br />
If you first have to see God do something for you to know His love, then you may never make it there. Settling in your heart that God's love is seen on the cross is <u>what will actually carry you
through to the other side, to the fulfillment of His promises for you.</u> <br />
<br />
When we build a foundation on this, our life circumstances won't destroy us and we will be able to step into the call God has for us no matter how difficult it may be. There may be trying and frustrating times in our life, however we know that we can still approach God in our time of need. Nothing can take away from the power and love demonstrated on the cross because it stands forever and ever. Even if we are sick or in poverty or being persecuted in chains! We can trust that God's love has not left us and has not faded away. God has not set Himself against us in any way when we meet obstacles and road blocks along the way. We can boldly come to God in our time of need and continue to ask God for our needs. <br />
<br />
I am fully aware of all the scriptures that says that God will provide and God will heal and God will give us good gifts etc. Yes I understand and agree completely that God can and will bless us in our life according to His purposes. However if we need those things to know or to prove that God loves us, that is precisely the problem. It is not a stable foundation. <br />
<br />
This is not limiting God. In times where we have nothing and in times where we have plenty, God will use it all for His purposes. We see this stated by Paul in <b>Philippians 4:11-13</b>. <br />
<br />
"Not that I speak from want, for <u>I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.</u><span class="reftext"><b> </b></span>I
know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in
prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of
being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering
need. <u>I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.</u>"<br />
<br />
Paul, one of the most "anointed" men, suffered from want at various times in his ministry. So if it's OK that Paul did, then it is OK if you are too. Please understand me here. That's not to say we can't ask God for help, but nothing is spiritually wrong with you if you have a need. Nothing! Do not let any teachers convince you that you are spiritually unwell because you have sickness in your body or because you lost your job or are going through financial trouble.<br />
<br />
Some of the teachers today may have likely told Paul that "he must not know who he is in Christ" since he suffered from need at times.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Is God's Love Always a Feeling?</h3>
<h4>
</h4>
<br />
The third mistake is that many believe or even teach that God's love is something that they will always "feel" or "see". There are times and seasons where God may give us an outpouring of His love and we should cherish that! Sometimes though we will go through seasons where we will not feel His love, but we know that He loves us because of what His Word tells us. If you are in one of those seasons where you are not feeling His love, do not let anyone tell you that you are less of a Christian for some reason. Do not base your walk with God on other people's experiences. <br />
<br />
<u>In the seasons when we do not feel His love, we stand on God's word and receive His love through His word.</u><br />
<br />
When our relationship with God feels a bit distant, it's important to understand that it does not mean that God is distant. Scripture says that, He will never leave us nor forsake us. This scripture is a promise to us when we aren't feeling loved and when everything in life is a disaster. In the book of Job, even though Job did not feel God's presence during his trials, God was listening to <u>every single word</u> and every single cry from Job. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>God is present even if we don't feel His manifest presence. This is such an important thing to remember because so many are chasing God's presence when He is always there. </b><br />
<br />
If we need to see, feel and experience things to know God's love, then <u><b>the enemy will use it against us</b></u> so that we never make it to the fulfillment of the promises God has made to us. The enemy wants you to start questioning God's love (because of what you don't see or feel). He wants you to become discouraged and walk away from God.<br />
<br />
It's so important in these times of our life to get in the Word and to really start reading it through on our own. If you have trouble understanding it, then every day continue to pray for God to reveal it to you, to help you understand and the Holy Spirit will come and do that. I know that I had to keep at it and then suddenly one day it was like the letters jumped out at me and everything started to make sense. And when that happens a glorious thing will take place. Instead of just regurgitating what others are saying, God will be able to lay down real foundations in your life that YOU personally live by. It won't be what "so and so says" but it will become real in your own life. It's so important to get to this place during these difficult times. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Paul Knew God's Love Despite His Hardship</h3>
<br />
As I already mentioned above, Paul went through a lot of stuff. Yet he saw God's love while in a prison, being beaten, shipwrecked and going hungry. <br />
<br />
In <b>2 Corinthians 11:24-27</b> we read about some of the hardships he was "boasting" in: <br />
<u><br /></u>
<span class="text 2Cor-11-24" id="en-ESV-28997">"Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.</span> <span class="text 2Cor-11-25" id="en-ESV-28998">Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;</span> <span class="text 2Cor-11-26" id="en-ESV-28999">on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;</span> <span class="text 2Cor-11-27" id="en-ESV-29000">in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure."</span><br />
<br />
Remember in Philippians 4, Paul said that he learned to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself in. I hope we all can agree that God loved Paul very much and yet he went through all of these things in his life.<br />
<br />
This helps us to realize that...<br />
<ul>
<li>God's love isn't based on what we are feeling. </li>
<li>God's love isn't based on our life going good. </li>
<li>God's love isn't based on the condition of our physical body. </li>
<li>God's love does not mean instant delivery or total protection from trials. </li>
</ul>
If you are going through a tough time, it doesn't mean you are a lesser Christian or have done something wrong or have turned God against you in some way.<br />
<br />
We are to trust God during hardships and know that His great love is there because He sent His son Jesus! I have found meditating on what Jesus did on the cross can be really incredible. Think about how much God loved us to pay that kind of price. He wanted us to be reconciled back to Him! <br />
<br />
When we come against obstacles, do not let anyone try to tell you that you are in that situation because you aren't committed enough or aren't surrendered enough or "don't know who you are in Christ" or 'are living out of the old man". It's best to just ignore them and to continue on seeking the Lord in your walk. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Scriptures of God's Love </h3>
<br />
Read these scriptures and meditate on them to understand where God wants you to see His great love.<br />
<br />
<span class="text John-3-16" id="en-NASB-26137"><span class="woj">“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. </span></span><b><u>John 3:16</u></b><br />
<br />
<sup>"</sup><span class="text Eph-2-4" id="en-NKJV-29234">But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, </span><span class="text Eph-2-5" id="en-NKJV-29235">even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),..." </span><b><u><span class="text John-3-16" id="en-NASB-26137"><span class="woj">Ephesians 2:4-5</span></span></u></b><br />
<br />
<span class="text Eph-2-5" id="en-NKJV-29235">"And
walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." </span><span class="text Eph-2-5" id="en-NKJV-29235"><b><u><span class="text Eph-2-5" id="en-NKJV-29235">Ephesians 5:2</span></u></b> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text John-3-16" id="en-NASB-26137"><span class="woj"><span class="text Rom-5-7" id="en-NASB-28055"><sup>"</sup>For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.</span> <span class="text Rom-5-8" id="en-NASB-28056">But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."<u><b> </b></u></span></span></span><b><u><span class="text John-3-16" id="en-NASB-26137"><span class="woj">Romans 5: 7-8</span></span></u></b><br />
<br />
<span class="text John-3-16" id="en-NASB-26137"><span class="woj"><span class="text Rom-5-8" id="en-NASB-28056">"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only
begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son <i>to be</i> the propitiation for our sins." </span></span></span><b><u><span class="text John-3-16" id="en-NASB-26137"><span class="woj"><span class="text Rom-5-8" id="en-NASB-28056">1 John 4: 9-10</span></span></span></u></b><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span class="text John-3-16" id="en-NASB-26137"><span class="woj"><span class="text Rom-5-8" id="en-NASB-28056">We are Conquerors in the Trials </span></span></span></h3>
<br />
This next scripture takes the idea of God's love to a whole different level. All of Romans 8 is amazing, but I have found many chop this one verse in half and ignore the context in which it was made because it's such a difficult and yet powerful message. <br />
<br />
<div class="line">
"<span class="text Rom-8-35" id="en-NASB-28152"><u>Who will separate us from the love of Christ?</u> Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?</span> <span class="text Rom-8-36" id="en-NASB-28153">Just as it is written,</span><span class="text Rom-8-36"> “<span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">For Your sake we are being put to death all day long</span>;</span><span class="text Rom-8-36"><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;"> We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered</span>.”</span><span class="text Rom-8-37" id="en-NASB-28154"> <u>But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer</u> <u>through Him</u> <u>who loved us</u>.</span> <span class="text Rom-8-38" id="en-NASB-28155">For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,</span> <sup class="versenum"> </sup>nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, <b>will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.</b>"<b> </b><b>Romans 8:35-39 </b></div>
<span class="text Rom-8-39" id="en-NASB-28156"></span><br />
I'm not sure about you, but this doesn't sound like the "It is Finished" "God loves you message" that is very popular right now. Paul is talking about a lot of tough situations in this scripture which are being done to the physical bodies of Christians. These are Christians in need. He is also quoting out of Psalm 44:22, which talks about how they were being killed for God's sake, not because they had turned away from God, but because they were following God.<br />
<br />
If we quickly head over to <b>Psalm 44:17-22 </b>this is the context of what Paul quoted:<br />
<br />
<span class="text Ps-44-17" id="en-ESV-14589"><span class="text Ps-44-17" id="en-ESV-14589"><sup class="versenum">17 </sup></span>All this has come upon us,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-44-17">though we <b><u>have not</u></b> forgotten you,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-44-17">and we <b><u>have not</u></b> been false to your covenant.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Ps-44-18" id="en-ESV-14590"><sup class="versenum">18 </sup>Our heart <b><u>has not</u></b> turned back,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> <b><u> </u></b></span><b><u><span class="text Ps-44-18">nor have our steps departed from your way;</span></u></b></span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Ps-44-18"><span class="text Ps-44-19" id="en-ESV-14591"><span class="text Ps-44-19" id="en-ESV-14591"><sup class="versenum">19 </sup><b><u>yet you have broken us</u></b> in the place of jackals</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-44-19">and covered us with the shadow of death.</span></span><br /><span class="text Ps-44-20" id="en-ESV-14592"><sup class="versenum">20 </sup><b><u>If we had forgotten the name of our God</u></b></span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-44-20">or spread out our hands to a foreign god,</span></span><br /><span class="text Ps-44-21" id="en-ESV-14593"><sup class="versenum">21 </sup><b><u>would not God discover this?</u></b></span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-44-21">For he knows the secrets of the heart.</span></span><br /><span class="text Ps-44-22" id="en-ESV-14594"><sup class="versenum">22 </sup><u><b>Yet for your sake</b></u> we are killed all the day long;</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-44-22">we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.</span></span></span><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Ps-44-22"></span></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
Paul was not preaching the love message that is being preached today in many groups. This scripture along with Romans 8:35-37, pretty much says, if you are following God, then you should expect trouble to come. <b>It's not because you have turned away, but it's because you are following God</b>. <br />
<br />
Paul continues on that we can take courage that even while in these trials that we are overwhelmingly conquering in Christ and that nothing can separate us from His love. In some translations it says, "we are more than conquerors in Christ", so just because you are going through something does not mean you are "spiritually sick".<br />
<br />
We must believe this, that when we see trials, even unto death, that it does not mean God does not love us or turned His back on us. For those In Christ, we are more than conquerors.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
<br />
What God demonstrated in His son Jesus can not be undone. No matter what Satan or man does to us, it cannot remove us from His love. Sometimes God will call us out upon the waters like He did with Peter on the boat, but we can trust God in these places. You have been called there and that is what makes it stable. Know that God is there. He has called you here. He sees. He knows. He hears. You can feel broken, tired and weak, but God will carry you through those times. Trust in Him. <br />
<br />
In these times, we absolutely must look to the demonstration of God's love on the cross. Things that happen to us in our life are going to call into question God's love and His goodness. If we put emphasis on how our life is going or on our feelings, then we very well may believe that we are unloved and rejected by God. If these feelings harbor long enough, one could walk away from the faith. But know if you are going through stuff, it's not because your relationship with God is bad or that God has given up on you. <br />
<br />
I want to encourage people who feel like they lost their faith because they misunderstood God's love to come back and to recommit. God really does love you despite what you see in your life. He is calling you back today <b><i>because</i></b> He loves you. Tell someone the struggle you are going through and pray that God reveals His word to you in a bigger way because it will refresh you as you walk through the storms.Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-36907892845919671112015-02-04T16:26:00.000-05:002016-09-25T22:17:37.906-04:00How Deception Became a Part of My Walk with GodI was raised Catholic by my family, but truthfully I knew nothing about God. On my mother's side my uncle was a Catholic priest. One of her sisters was a nun and so was her aunt. Yet somehow in this family who was very "devout" and spiritual, I did not understand how Jesus and God fit together in the equation. As I got older, I didn't want anything to do with it. I avoided all things of God and did not talk about Him at all. If someone brought up their faith I was extremely uncomfortable and usually changed the topic. <br />
<br />
The first non-Catholic minister I ever saw preach was Dan Mohler in 2012. Some people would be absolutely amazed because they respect this man of God, but for me it meant nothing. We made the journey to this unknown church. We got there and I wasn't used to this kind of service at all. The music was too loud and it sent my body into a sensory overload fit. My heart rate was ridiculously high just sitting there due to my health problems.<br />
<br />
Finally he started to preach. He sure was lively and happy, but I had no idea what Pastor Dan was talking about. It was so far above my level of understanding of God that I basically gave up trying to listen to him. Sad but true!! At the end of the meeting I made my way up to the front to get prayer and a woman came up to pray for me. I thanked her. Then my husband came back over to me and he said, "I want to get baptized".<br />
<br />
That night I was confused by the message. I knew nothing about Jesus. I did not know what He did for me at all and yet somehow I got baptized. I can blame my husband for that! haha I was baptised at Harvest Chapel on June 16, 2012.<br />
<br />
About a month later I had an impression to quit all of the health stuff. It felt forceful and painful to me at the time because all I had ever known was doctors, science, researching supplements, genetic stuff and chronic illness FB groups and forums. <br />
<br />
That was when my real journey began. That is when I started watching videos and reading about healing theology. This was the most dangerous time for me because I had no foundation whatsoever and yet I was like a dry sponge ready to soak up anything I could find.<br />
<br />
Today plenty of teachers focus solely on the "Finished work" and the
Book of Acts. They say healing is always flowing and always right now and they have plenty of scriptures to promote this idea. Well as
someone who was sick for 12 years at that point, I fell for it. I wanted
healed now. I wanted healed today. I wanted MY life back now. <b>Hook, line and sinker, I wanted it! </b><br />
<br />
Since I came in by way of Dan Mohler and Todd White, I immediately gravitated towards these ministries and those who preached a similar message. I was feeding on their teachings and thought I was growing in faith. I was able to repeat what they said and it all sounded really good! But honestly beneath the surface, I had nothing...<br />
<br />
I went down this path for months. I got prayer from anyone who came to the general area. I believed! I wanted healed! I was told by another minister that "God wants you
healed more than you do!"... <b>YES Sign me up!</b><br />
<br />
But then nothing was changing and I started to question things. This is when I realized that there was more to this than what these guys were preaching. I started noticing a general disdain for the sick in the Church despite so many ministries focusing on healing. <br />
<br />
I finally learned that although Jesus is a healer and "paid the price", that God also wanted to do a work in me. I didn't really know what that meant at the time. However I was told repeatedly in these circles that was not true. Many people will neatly try to separate suffering, tribulation and trials away from sickness. They may agree that a trial can be a car accident or a loss of a job, but could NEVER be sickness. Sickness is MUCH scarier to think of as a trial because it's out of our control. We can't just snap our fingers and make it ok overnight.<br />
<br />
At that time, I agreed that sickness was not a trial because I certainly did not want to be sick anymore. Trials are for other people, not for me. <br />
<br />
I was repeatedly told that God's work in me was "already done" in Christ and that we no longer have to go through periods like that. I was repeatedly told that we are already perfect and our healing has already happened in the Spirit because of what Jesus has done on the Cross. I was also told that, as far as God is concerned, "you are already healed".<br />
<br />
That sounds great and easy, but it made me confused, frustrated and eventually angry as life got harder physically, emotionally and financially. My life is an absolutely disaster. haha<br />
<br />
I was repeatedly told "You're already healed" meeting after meeting after meeting. I was tired of hearing it! I was tired of the talk.<br />
<br />
Others said that I needed to find someone who could "represent Jesus to me in the way I needed" and once I did that, then I would be healed.<br />
<br />
<b>Unknowingly this caused me to chase MEN instead of Jesus Christ. </b><br />
<br />
Looking back now for a long time I was fighting not against the devil, but against God wanting to do something much larger in my heart and in my life. <br />
<br />
There is a deception in the church that says everything is already done. Some call it hyper-grace, some call it greasy grace, I personally believe it's an exaggeration of the Finished Work of the Cross. Those who believe in this message claim everything is already completed and done.<br />
<br />
Am I saying that Jesus needs to come back and die on the cross again? NO<br />
Am I saying that Jesus did not accomplish what He came to do? NO<br />
Am I saying that I am justified by my works? NO!<br />
Am I saying that there aren't some truths in the "finished work"? NO there are some great truths!! <br />
<br />
However what I am saying is that we need to be balanced with what the Finished Work truly accomplished and what we are expected to do now that we are in a relationship with Him. <br />
<br />
<b>Deception came into my walk with God because of the unbalanced healing theologies I was following. </b><br />
<br />
Some say you do not need to sacrifice anything for God, Jesus sacrificed it all.<br />
Some say you don't have to go through wilderness seasons, Jesus went through the wilderness.<br />
Some say you have everything now, today. Healing is now, not tomorrow.<br />
Some say if you think God heals in His timing, that is unbelief.<br />
Some say there is no journey.<br />
Some say you are already perfected (mature).<br />
Some say you have all the spiritual gifts now.<br />
Some say everything is now.<br />
<br />
And it was these messages<b> which made me nearly walk away from God.</b> <br />
<br />
It was these messages that had me walking around in despair because I thought I had missed it. I thought that God was mad at me for not saying my prayers with enough "faith". It was these messages which had me screaming at God in my head for an entire week. It was these messages that almost made me give up and tell God I was done with Him. It was these messages which made me question God's love for me.<br />
<br />
And somehow in that pain and in that brokenness, I finally found God and finally found balance. God was finally able to build a strong foundation in me where I had to abandon everything I thought I knew.<br />
<br />
In life bad stuff is going to happen and when someone is IN Christ,
it does not mean bad things do not happen. In the Finished Work crowd,
there tends to be an emphasis that trials won't come or will be immediately overcome to those who
really believe "it is finished" or really "know who they are in Christ". This is deception and an imbalanced view of what Jesus accomplished. It leads those who have generally good lives
to be exalted as better "sons of God" than those who are struggling
with trials, sickness and other things. This is clearly not true.<br />
<br />
God will use the
trials and the bad things that happen to us for His Good. He will use
them to test and purify our faith to make us a more mature Christian.
Sometimes these obstacles if they are large enough, they can be used by God as a wilderness season before He decides to fulfill His promises.<br />
<br />
But this idea completely goes against what many healing ministers teach.
<br />
<br />
The diet industry makes something like 60 BILLION dollars a year on diet pills and gimmicky exercise machines. This industry is fueled by people who want to lose weight, but don't want to do it "the hard way" and there is a captive audience too. A 60 billion dollar audience.<br />
<br />
Well I fell for the spiritual equivalent of the diet pill. I wanted to be healed now, but I did not want it to be hard. I wanted it to be easy and not cost me anything. There is a very captive, desperate audience who will buy the books, watch the teachings and exalt teachers into leadership positions.<br />
<br />
So in the diet industry we see, <br />
"Just take this pill and you will lose fat fast!".<br />
"Just buy this abs machine and you will be ripped in no time".<br />
<br />
In the exaggerated Finished Work healing ministries we see,<br />
"It is finished. It is already done. Just receive what God already did, today".<br />
"God wants you healed more than you do!"<br />
"You have all dominion!" <br />
<br />
And just like all of those people who want to lose weight easy, I did not want my spiritual walk with God to be tough. I didn't want to wait and have to walk through the fire to get what He had promised to me in Christ. I completely ignored the Old Testament and tried to somehow separate the God who wrote that with the God who wrote the New Testament. <br />
<br />
So I collected for myself teachers who agreed that everything is now and is easy.<br />
I followed the Todd Whites, the Dan Mohlers, the Curry Blakes, the Pete Cabreras, the Andrew Wommacks, the Art Thomases.<br />
<br />
I repeated the mantras and chants. <br />
"I'm a daughter of God, I have all authority given unto me in Christ".<br />
"By His stripes I WAS healed"<br />
"Today is the day of salvation!" <br />
<br />
Many of these things by themselves are biblical truths, but in the ways they are used become deception.<br />
<br />
Desperation and persistence are bad words to the "Finished work" ministers. Everything is always about today and if you go to sleep sick, then YOU failed today. That is how these ministers preach it. They believe God's hands are tied and it is up to receive what "God has already done", so there is very little room for long term battles without condemnation setting in.<br />
<br />
These distorted views of God are absolutely devastating to a person's walk with Him.<br />
<br />
I was a baby Christian who knew nothing at all. I was a completely blank slate. I was a dry sponge ready to soak up anything I could find and in that was the problem. I did not soak up the pure living water of Jesus, but dirtied water along with the living water. <br />
<br />
The underlying deception that I fell for actually prevents and stunts our maturity in Christ.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>It is lifting up immature believers in the Lord who are simply repeating catchphrases from other ministers.</li>
<li>It is lifting up believers in the Lord who think everyone who is struggling "just don't know who they are in Christ".</li>
<li>It is lifting up an army of narcissistic people who are in spiritual pride and have no grace whatsoever for people.</li>
</ul>
<br />
If I had been healed at the first meeting at Harvest Chapel, I would have been a horrible person. I would have been a complete arrogant, prideful monster. I would have been a prideful healed person who went around and abused those who were not healed. I would have thought that I "did it right"and that was why I got healed. I would have taken credit for my healing.<br />
<br />
And God knew it and so I believe He delayed my healing in order to show me the condition of my heart. He delayed my healing to do a larger work in me that needed to be done, so He could use me later on. Instead of just wanting to be healed to move on with my life, now I want healed to do the work that God has called me to do. I gain my life to lose my life to be a servant of God. <br />
<br />
These groups whether they realize it or not, but they have rejected the means that God our Father in heaven prepares us for leadership, for ministry and for a life that bears good fruit. When they say everything is now and today, they deny God's Sovereignty and the specific plans He has for each one of us. They claim everything that Jesus did is past tense and now we have all authority and all dominion. They continually emphasize that Jesus was "just a man in right relationship with God who knew His identity" and that we are just like Him. They elevate the deity of man and diminish the divinity of Jesus Christ. <br />
<br />
Let the Lord mature us in His time as we seek Him for healing, for life and for the promises He has made to all of us in Christ. Yes it does not always feel good, but just like having to lose weight the hard way, it can be a tough journey, one with ups and downs. However thankfully we are putting ourselves in the hands of a good God. We can trust in His ways and in His methods and in His timing.<br />
<br />
And this is how I fell into deception and I praise God for His grace that He knew better and that He had a more perfect plan in store for my life. <br />
<br />
Today I continue to believe God for a complete healing of everything in my life and now when that day comes, I will truly understand the magnitude of what <u>God did</u> in my life. I will understand the grace that He poured out on me and I will truly give all Glory to Him and not to my faith and not that I finally just believed "right". I will know that I did nothing to deserve healing and it is all God's grace. Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-71400938018357437022015-01-20T04:31:00.000-05:002015-01-20T07:30:18.104-05:00Learning to Let GoIf you read my blog, you know that 2014 was full of challenges for me. <br />
<br />
One area that has been tried is my friendships and relationships with people. Disagreements about theology and teachings has cost me several friends last year and this has never been easy for me to deal with. In fact I haven't dealt with it at all. When someone distances themselves or unfriends me on FB, I'm not the kind of person that says, "Well fine I didn't want to be your friend anyway!"... I'm the kind of person that's agonizing over the post or the thing that caused that person to feel so angry that they hit the unfriend button or to keep them from talking to me. I will think about how I shouldn't have said anything at all. I will drive myself mad at times with all of the, "I shouldn't haves". <br />
<br />
Well yesterday I realized that I need to finally let go of these people. It has been going on for longer than I'd like to admit (since summer), but I really feel like God is nudging me to let go and to move on. This is not about needing to forgive, but it is more about feeling sorrow and sadness about losing people who I thought were my friends. Somewhere along the way though me caring so deeply for them and hanging on has actually become detrimental to my walk now. <br />
<br />
I got a prophetic word in July where God was telling me to let Him deal with the people and that I am not violating my relationships and that I'm simply walking into the things He has for me. That was really important for me to hear at that time because I was second guessing every single thing and it is why I took a long break from FB.<br />
<br />
I thought I was good, but yesterday I realized there is more that God needs to heal though. This is the first time in a while that I was feeling this nudge from God to do something, so I know it is very important. I have to obey and follow His lead.<br />
<br />
God has also given me various dreams that I am only now understanding their significance. There was one where I was in a car and a person asked if they could get a ride to work. I said sure, no problem at all! Well somewhere along the trip, there was a car wreck at the bottom of a hill and they just got out of the car to check it out. I was yelling at them to come back in the car, but they did not. Traffic started to move and I'm yelling at my dad who is driving to stop and go back. My dad said "We have to keep moving" and I got mad and hit my dad on the head with a folder I had in my hand. haha!!! It's very obvious in this dream my dad is symbolic for God. I kept looking back and yelling at my dad to go back for them. I was so sad in the dream that my friend got out and we moved on without them... <br />
<br />
Only now I am finally understanding how significant this dream was for me. God is saying I have to let go. I have to stop looking back. I have to because these people are no longer part of my walk. They are the ones who chose to get out of the car. I did not push them out. There are other things in this dream God is showing me, but for this post I won't get into them here. <br />
<br />
Yesterday I made the decision that I am not looking back anymore and I am letting go. Making this decision is the first step, but now I have to allow God to heal me in His time and I have to obey Him in where and how He wants me to walk from now on.<br />
<br />
I wrote this blog post only because it might help someone else who has been in the same situation with their Christian friends. It is time to move on and I'm trusting that God will help me and heal me and perhaps bring us some new local and long distance friends that we can connect with. Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-31852168945509146362014-11-24T18:47:00.000-05:002016-04-21T15:20:06.282-04:00Don't Deny Reality: Have Faith in God, Not Faith in Your Faith<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'll be starting off with a scripture out of Romans 4.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+4%3A19-21&version=NASB" target="_blank">Romans 4:19-21</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"Without becoming weak in faith he
contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a
hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with
respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew
strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that
what God had promised, He was able also to perform."
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This single scripture found in Romans 4 tears down the popular healing theology which says you have to believe you are
already healed in order to be healed. This scripture also tears down the teachings
that say illnesses are just "lying symptoms" and if a person
believed the symptoms were real, then that is why they got sick or
remained sick. These commonly held beliefs on healing are unbiblical.<br />
<br />
The deadness of Abraham and Sarah's body was very real.
It was nothing that Abraham or Sarah did/said or thought that made their reproductive systems unable to produce a child. Sarah had always been infertile (Genesis 11:30) and on top of that, now she was an elderly woman past any capability of carrying a child. If all that Abraham and Sarah had to do was <u>believe that they
could</u> conceive a child at their age in order to conceive a child, then we are
actually reducing the miracle that God performed here and bringing New Age "power of the mind" into our churches. This is terribly wrong and offensive to God! As we read in the scripture above, "he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform."<br />
<br />
Abraham's faith was correctly focused on <u>God's ability to perform</u> the miracle He had promised. This is where we should focus our faith as well.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We simply believe that <b>*God*</b> is the One able
to perform the miracle. Our faith is in God. It is not faith in our faith and not faith in our ability to believe that we are "already" healed. Faith is not a denial of reality either. It's seeing the
reality of what is going on in our body (or in our life) and
despite that, still believing the promises from God. That's real biblical faith!
That's good news because you don't have to become superstitious about your words. You can simply rest in your heart that no matter what happens or what comes your way, you are still looking to Jesus.<br />
<br />
If you are in a multiple year battle or in a battle where your sickness is progressively getting worse (or fatal), you have to be
settled about this. Otherwise as you walk this journey with the Lord, your faith in God will get shipwrecked and you will begin to focus inward and condemn yourself for not "believing
right" if things get worse. I've seen it time and time again with many friends and strangers online. They have been so confused by putting their faith in their faith, their words, their declarations and their "positive confession" that they aren't even looking to God anymore. We should simply keep our focus on Jesus and not on us.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you are believing God for a healing,
it's OK to see and feel the sickness in your body. However you should, just as Abraham, be careful not to allow it to waiver your faith in God or in God's power or ability to heal. Simply continue to
stand on the promise of healing that God has made to you and know
that HE is the One able to perform them, regardless of how impossible your
situation looks in the natural. With Abraham and Sarah, their situation literally was impossible.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="en-NASB-439"></a><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+18%3A11-15&version=NASB" target="_blank">Consider in Genesis 18:14</a>, when Sarah laughed at the thought of having a child at
her age, what did God reply to Abraham? “14 Is anything too difficult
for the Lord?...”That was a rhetorical question of course because we know that nothing is too difficult for the Lord.<br />
<br />
Now unbelief occurs when a person doubts God's ability or power to heal their body. These are things we may have to face and wrestle at times in our walk with God. I think that's part of the growing process and maturing in the faith. As long as we don't call it quits and walk away from the faith, I think this is a healthy process that needs to be encouraged with care.<br />
<br />
When Peter doubted as he walked on the water, Jesus didn't just let him drown. Jesus reached out and grabbed him during his weakest moment and brought him to safety. We can trust that God will do the same for us in our weakest moments. Sadly with the way some ministers teach doubt and unbelief, you would have thought Jesus just watched Peter drown! haha</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This whole post might sound a bit semantical to some,
but it is really important for those who are believing God for the impossible. Understanding that our faith is in God's ability to perform what He has promised is KEY! It takes the burden off the sick person who has wrongly been told they must pretend they are already healed or
have been told they are still sick because they believed "lying symptoms". <span class="null">Whether the church realizes it or not, but this
actually destroys the relationship between the suffering person and God. It makes God into an impersonal force who will release healing only when you finally believe "just right". It's such an awful, destructive doctrine.</span><br />
<span class="null"><br /></span>
<span class="null">As a church, we need to have more compassion and understanding, so we can build people up and bring their focus onto God instead of towards themselves. </span><br />
<span class="null"><br /></span>
<span class="null"><b>True faith is not about how hard you muster up a feeling or try to believe, but instead it is about WHO you believe in. </b></span><br />
<span class="null"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="null">Updated: March 2016</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
</div>
</div>
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-566741641733451122014-11-11T20:14:00.000-05:002016-03-12T18:06:08.599-05:00Some Things God's Taught Me in this Season...Humility, Trust, Doctrine, Surrender, Charity<b>Humility.</b> "a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness".<br />
This is a big one and one of the hardest to learn and walk in...It requires us to be broken and challenged deeply. BUT and this is the important thing. We have to come out on the other side with a greater love, compassion and grace for others. Every one will go through hard times, but for some it causes the person to become hardened and prideful. You will see this typically as a "get over it" or a tough guy type attitude. However as Christians, God challenges us to grow in maturity by not reacting this way. When God brings us low, it is to impart grace, love and compassion for those who we once disregarded or thought were inferior to us for various reasons.<br />
<br />
The specific areas where you hold pride and self-righteousness may be very different from mine. Here's some of the areas God had to bring me low...<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• </span>Dying to my political beliefs which I made my identity for a long time. Saying goodbye to Republicanism and everything that goes along with it. Letting go of my lack of compassion for people on welfare and disability that was masked as "political beliefs". Letting go the idea that I somehow "did things right" as a opposed to those who found themselves in bad situations.<br />
<br />
When we found ourselves unable to feed ourselves, God told us to go on food stamps. We had to walk into the assistance office and to be seen with "those people". We began shopping at walmart on welfare day and saw everyone else there who were also on food stamps. Looking into their eyes and seeing they are just like me! Having to swipe the access card at the register, so everyone knows "they are on food stamps". God brought me low and took away the ego and pride that was inside of me. I used to think I was better than these people. I became one of them.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• </span>Dying to my knowledge of natural health which I made my god. Saying goodbye to thinking that I was more enlightened because I "did things naturally" and was very self-righteous. God told me to quit all chronically ill, natural health groups and to remove myself from all discussions involving these things. I had to stop looking at natural ways to get well and to start looking to Jesus Christ as my healer. I had to stop thinking that I could fix myself with a diet, a supplement or some new health theory and had to come to realize that I needed God. <br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• </span>Dying to thinking I was a better person because I ate a certain way or did not eat certain foods. For some it can be juicing, veganism, paleo, gluten free etc. I had to stop looking down on people who didn't eat organic or in the way I thought was "right". I had to come to a place where I was just happy that I had food to eat.<br />
<br />
<b>Trust in God. </b>"assured <span class="ssens">reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something " </span>This is another hard one to learn. It required me to stretch myself to the point of total brokenness...The place where God called my husband and I to stand, it stretched me so much...so, so, so much. And because of where he called us, these are the things God has shown us in this season. <br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• </span>Dying to the idea of there being spiritual formulas and spiritual laws one can "master" to make God heal, deliver and send provision etc. Trust and relationship with God is not found by saying a list of declarations and following a list of rituals. Trust is letting go of control in your own strength and allowing God to do what He wants to do. Trust is in God, not in our methods or words we speak. We have to learn to be patient and wait for Him, even when we don't want to or even when we don't believe this to be true. hahah! <br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• </span>Dying to the idea of knowing how or when healing is going to happen. Tough one!! I believed I was going to be healed in 2013. Here we are coming to the end of 2014...<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• </span>Dying to the idea of really even understanding our walk at times! Trusting God can look like unbelief or laziness to others on the outside who haven't walked the same path. God may put us in a season that requires total trust without Him giving us much information to know where we are to walk or what is coming.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">•</span> Dying to the idea that I can make it happen... This is very hard. This one not many people agree with because of the way we teach healing and suffering in the church today. Repeating declarations and the general idea that "if I just say the words exactly right and with enough belief then it will happen"...does not make it happen. Healing is a personal transaction between us and our Lord. It is not a mastering of a universal law or life force. We are not the New Age!<br />
<br />
Learning to trust in the Lord is not something that can be imparted by a touch at a conference. Be careful not to chase a particular healing minister or pastor instead of trusting God. Man will disappoint us every time.<br />
<br />
<b>Biblical Doctrine.</b> This is another big one for me. Coming into this, I didn't think I could learn scripture on my own nor write on biblical topics. But God challenged me big time...With this challenge, He had me unfriend, unfollow and unlike just about every single ministry page and had me start over again from the ground up. God wanted to teach me Himself without having other voices tell me how to interpret scriptures or what I should believe instead of what is actually written in the bible. <br />
<br />
This allowed God to show me a lot of things! This allowed God to correct me, discipline me and change what I believed. He gave me discernment! He showed me deceptions! He prophetically showed me where certain ministries were heading. It was like everything opened up to me and things became so clear in the Word. <br />
<br />
It has been in this season, that God really built a foundation in me. He put a fire in my heart to preach the gospel and what he has shown me and to not hold back no matter how hard it might be and no matter who may stand against it. He put a commitment in me to do what he has called me to do. This part of my walk is honestly what keeps me going! Knowing that God has not put all of this in me for nothing. That he has a plan for me (and my husband!). And that He is going to make these things come to pass. <br />
<br />
<b>God is God.</b> Sonship does not mean Godship. Sadly many today believe in the manifest Sons of God doctrine that deifies man. Even though God has given us authority in Jesus' name, God's will rules above ours and we should pick up our cross and follow Jesus. This does not mean that God does not love us nor does it mean God does not want good things for us. However I have had to come to a place of realizing that I am the clay and He is the potter. We follow <i>Him</i> and that's in the good and the bad. That's when He calls us to stand in stormy places and also when He calls us to stand in calm places. We should have a reverence for the Lord, His will and His word. <br />
<br />
<b>Charity.</b> People have helped us so much in this season and I have been so very grateful and thankful. It has challenged me deeply with the way I will now bless others who are in need. I could have added this to the humility section, but I wanted to highlight it. Those who have given us money have never once questioned me how it was being used or where it was going. I'm not sure I would have done the same before this season. God has really changed my heart and put a desire in me to bless those in bad situations! We would not be here today if it weren't for people's generosity and charity! I want to be able to make that difference in someone elses life now.<br />
<br />
<b>Overcoming rejection. </b>In this season, I have seen a lot of rejection and yet God was able to build confidence in me. As God started to teach me the Word, I began to become more confident in what He had taught me and I started to share with people online. Since I don't really leave my house often, this was the natural place for me to start. I started being outspoken on FB, YT and on my blog. Sometimes I got banned, blocked and unfriended. And yet God kept telling me to keep speaking and to open my mouth and say the things He has taught me.<br />
<br />
I remember one time in particular, I was at a meeting and I felt very strongly to go and pray for this lady. I walked up to her and I said, "I feel the Lord wants me to pray for you. Would that be ok?" And the lady replied back to me, "No I don't want you to pray for me". That was NOT what I was expecting considering it was a healing meeting and she let another lady pray for her, but to this day I think God set that one up for me. haha I think God tests us more than we imagine...<br />
<br />
We have to be very careful that we don't let people's words hurt us to the point where we stop obeying God out of a fear of rejection. When we know that God has called us on a certain path, then we <b>have to</b> take confidence in it and start walking in it. We can't let the rejections stop us. <br />
<br />
Sometimes though the path God has us on, will not always run parallel with others in our life. If they unfriend you, then you have to forgive wherever possible and just move on. I had to stop allowing disagreements cause me to start doubting and questioning God's call on my life. I almost walked away from what was in my heart because I was letting a fear of man get to me. We have to stand firm in the confidence of what God has spoken to us and then preach that knowing the potential costs. <br />
<br />
These are just a few things I've learned so far in this season. There's so many more!!<br />
<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-20014010671497136132014-10-31T23:22:00.001-04:002014-12-10T15:09:33.850-05:00Being Sifted Like Wheat, Lord Make it Stop, Please!<span class="text Luke-22-31">Lately </span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">I
have been crying out to God. Telling Him, I can't take it anymore. I told God I was
so done living like this. Haven't we stood enough, Lord?? I've been saying this for 17 months, but in the past few months things have been unbearable. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">As I was laying in bed the other day with a migraine and feeling lost, this is the scripture that God spoke to me.</span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="text Luke-22-31">And the Lord said, <span class="woj">“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.</span> </span></span></b><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” </span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">This is not exactly the kind of scripture I was looking for, but in our situation it makes sense. Lately everything has been falling apart. Everything hurts. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">Inside I feel completely dead from </span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"></span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">the culmination of all that has been going on for the past 6+ years. I've only been saved for 2 years, but we were suffering long before we started down this journey in Christ. It seemed like it has all caught up to me. Years of living very poor with very high levels of stress that never go away. Years of feeling insecure and uncertain about our situation. Years of not knowing how we are supposed to walk at times. Years of feeling like I'm making things up as we go. </span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"></span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">Some days it feels like it's never going to end because well it's been 6+ years. It hasn't ended yet.</span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">And yet we do hold on desperately to what God has promised us even though it seems so remote and distant at times. God is the only hope we have because without a miracle from Him, we have no life before us.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="null">Neither of us can heal ourselves. </span><br />
<span class="null">Neither of us have any capacity to work.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">The days leading up to this latest breakdown, we had been praying and trusting God for a need and no money had come in, so I was scared and anxious. I cried so much the day before, it triggered a migraine that started in the evening and continued on when I woke up the next day. On top of everything else going on, it just seemed so cruel. </span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">I guess this is what it feels like to be sifted by Satan. It hurts. It unrelenting. He's evil and wicked and trying to get me to turn away from God. Sometimes I have been mad at God.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">While laying in bed I was also reminded of <a href="http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/RH41_daniel_baumann.aspx" target="_blank">the story of Dan Baumann</a> who was tortured in prison for 9 weeks. God sent him to this country knowing that he was going to be arrested and tortured for weeks.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">Dan tells in his story,</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">"</span></span>It was out of my hands, there was nothing I could do. <u>Either God would do a miracle or I would stay there.</u></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
There was no sense of feeling God. I felt like God was far away. All I
could really trust in was His character, and that His character would
be true no matter what I was feeling and no matter what circumstance I
was going through."<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"></span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">“I struggled with faith, ‘Was God with me? Did He love me? If God is
good why would He allow me to go through this situation?’ And I
remember one day I woke up, and I was done inside." </span></span></blockquote>
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"></span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">Although the circumstances are much different, on a spiritual level we are at a similar place because if God doesn't show up, there is no way out. It seems I've asked the same questions and have also felt done inside too </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">And of the thousands of verses God could have given me to encoruage me, He gave me the one saying that Satan was sifting me like wheat. That's hard to hear to be honest because I have no idea if there is an end in sight. I have no idea how much longer this needs to go on for. Satan asked permission and God gave it to him. That's hard to swallow.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">This part of the scripture is encouraging though. </span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">"</span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><u><b>But I have prayed for you</b></u>, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to <i>Me,</i> strengthen your brethren"<b> </b></span></span></span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span></span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span></span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">I hope Jesus is praying for me that my faith should not fail because I feel dead inside. God somehow uses our brokenness to make</span></span> us into who He wants us to be. It is after we feel crushed that God restores us and enables us to strengthen our brothers. I just hope that I make it to the restoration part! heh I'm tired. I'm done living like this.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">Some people will not understand where I am walking right now and that's ok. I have found either people understand because they've been through it or they flat out just don't get it at all. Again that's fine. I'm not going to try to prove something to these people who don't get it. What we are going through is biblical and the things that Satan tries to use to destroy us, God can use to purify us. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">God has invested in us and I'm believing that He's making this all work out for our good...some how, some way. I hope soon.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">I am weak. I am helpless. I have nothing without the Lord's provision and grace on my life. I've even come to realize that our faith isn't even ours and it is a gift from God. How could I take credit for anything when it's Jesus who is praying that my faith should not fail? </span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">I can't even begin to explain how trying this season has been for me. It feels like at any moment everything could fall apart. Given all of my health problems, I don't even know how I keep going at all. We depend on God for literally everything and it's been extremely, extremely difficult. I don't think most people could relate to be honest. <b>And yet God has brought us all this way, for more than 2 years. </b>However in the last few months, things have become even more difficult than before, which is horrifying to me. And yet God was saying to me, "Satan has asked to sift you". And God said ok. Again that's hard to understand for me right now. It certainly feels like we are being sifted and he's trying to destroy us. He is trying to steal everything from us to ultimately get us to walk away from God totally. The devil thinks we only love God because of the stuff he blesses us with, so he starts putting pressure on these things to see what we do. Ultimately he wants us to curse God and turn our backs on Him forever (read in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+1&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Job 1:9-10</a>). </span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">Getting back to Luke 22, after Jesus said that Satan was going to sift him, Peter said, </span></span><span class="text Luke-22-33" id="en-NKJV-25898">“Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-33" id="en-NKJV-25898">And yet Peter was not ready to do this. God knew that, but Peter didn't. Not long after he spoke those words, Peter denied Jesus three times. Temporarily his faith failed. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">During this ridiculous season, just like Peter, I have failed in various ways and have had mental breakdowns several times throughout. Lately I've started to lose grips on reality. I've never been one who can handle stress well and looking back I also now understand why God chose to heal my adrenals. He knew I wouldn't have lived through this otherwise. For those that don't know, your adrenals glands make a hormone called cortisol that we depend on to live everyday and it increases in stressful situations. Trying to take meds to mimic that rhythm is extremely difficult and usually doesn't work.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">The sad reality is many times we have to fail in some way before we can see our weaknesses. We may talk a big game when life is easy, but when the trials come, just like Peter, we could find ourselves doing the opposite of what thought we would do. </span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"></span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">When Peter saw Jesus look at him after the rooster crowed (read in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22%3A60-62&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Luke 22:60-62</a>), Peter was deeply troubled and wept bitterly. He finally recognized his weakness, his humanness and came to a place of repentance before God. What Satan used to try to destroy Peter, it actually ended up sifting Peter and bringing him into deeper intimacy with God. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">Once we see God's grace and willingness to forgive us in our weak times, something inside of us changes that wasn't there before we "failed". We then feel compelled to help those who are in similar situations and let them know that there is hope in Christ. </span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">And I do really like the last part in this verse. "...when you have returned to me, <b>strengthen your brethren</b>". </span></span><span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">After we have failed in some way in our walk and then see God accept us back by His grace, only then we really know how to support and strengthen others in their struggles. This is how God can use our failings for His glory. Our failings become a testimony to His faithfulness and our testimony encourages and strengthens others who have walked the same road as we once did. In addition, we gain grace for people who have "failed" in similar ways as we did and we can pour love out to them, guide them, teach them and strengthen them just as God did in our lives. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">We essentially impart to people what God did in us, </span></span><span class="null">but we have to get out and come to a place of healing to do this.</span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj">This is what God shared with me while laying down with a migraine. God was telling me exactly what was going on here because things have been so dark. What Satan used to try to destroy me, ultimately, it is pushing me into answering the call God has on my life. I just hope I can continue on because I don't feel like I can. Please pray for me and my husband. </span></span><br />
<span class="text Luke-22-32" id="en-NKJV-25897"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-64252989256195194872014-10-26T19:25:00.000-04:002014-10-26T20:30:46.700-04:00The Times When it HurtsSome times the only way to 'feel' God's love is by simply remembering what Jesus did for us on the cross. It isn't about a feeling. It isn't about a hope in your heart. Sometimes there really is no other feeling that verifies it, but remembering what the Word says. No comfort. No warmth. I hope that this changes when I'm out of the wilderness, but in this season God has never been "Daddy" to me as some like to call Him. He has in fact been very distant in times when I wanted Him close. And yet I do know He is here. He knows I'm writing this post, but He has chosen not to make Himself known. He has been very quiet in the toughest times when we had no way to pay for our mortgage. He has been very quiet when we were going to lose our car insurance. He has been very quiet when we were going to have our natural gas turned off and electricity turned off.<br />
<br />
Then to be told that God has you here and is withholding on purpose, it's hard to understand. It's hard not to get mad at times. It's hard to continue to remember that God is good. Sometimes the lines blur and you don't know who or what you are fighting. It's hard to accept. It's certainly not the prosperity God that the Western church preaches. It's not the "healing is always on" God that the Western church preaches. <br />
<br />
The other day I was reading Job and was seeing that God had been distant throughout Job's struggle as well. However we know at the end when God restored everything to Job, that He in fact wasn't distant. He was listening to every single word him and his friends were saying. He was involved but was silent. Imagine though that Job didn't have Jesus Christ as His Lord and savior. The Messiah was yet a promise far off in the future. He didn't have the privilege to know God's love through the sacrifice that Jesus would make for us. His friends words did not help either.<br />
<br />
This has been the hardest year of my life. Prior to that, 2013 was the hardest. Prior to that 2012. Prior to that 2011. etc It feels like God is trying to destroy me. It feels like he wants to watch me suffer to the point of absolute destitute. In this season I've been pondering more about what are our needs? Is clothing really a need when you have clothes, even if they are 6 years old and have holes? Is a house a need, maybe a shelter works well enough? Heating? Light bulbs? Trash service? Hot water? Food? Internet? Cable? Phone?<br />
<br />
Sometimes God won't always be there cheering you on and embracing you. Sometimes he will choose to step aside and see what you do...<br />
<br />
I can look to Jesus' wilderness and even though we don't know what happened during the full 40 days, Jesus, the perfect, sinless, Son of God was likely broken physically, mentally and emotionally to prepare Him. We also know that Apostle Paul had some sort of wilderness for 3 years (read in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+1&version=NASB" target="_blank">Galatians 1:11-24</a>), but again we know of no specifics on it. There seemed to be some sort of preparation for him too.<br />
<br />
Every day is a battle. Every day is tears. Every day is pain. Every day the sky feels like it's falling.<br />
<br />
And yet God gave us promises of life, strength and rest. He said we were examples. He said that we were like the green leaf in drought that did not wither. He said that we were going to be those who build mature Christians. He said that we would be healed. He said that our needs would be met in this season.<br />
<br />
I just didn't realize what was going to happen in between, to get to these promises. No one prepared me properly. I was sold a false gospel and told everything would be better after I gave my life to Jesus. <br />
<br />
God knew what was to come because He called us here to stand. It doesn't make it any easier though as I write this crying my eyes out. <br />
<br />
People say God won't do this. I don't know. One thing I do know now, is there is a very high price to pay to be used of God. Yes there is a cost. Yes there is sacrifice. <br />
<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-74918849413599906982014-10-15T16:46:00.002-04:002016-04-21T00:02:20.751-04:00When God Calls You to Stand in the WildernessWhen God calls you to stand in a wilderness, it's not fun. It is not pretty. It is not a game. You can fall away from the faith during this time if you mistakenly remove the full armor of God by trying to do things your own way. Regardless of how alone you may feel, God is there every step along the way protecting you, providing for you and also teaching you things that can't be established elsewhere. You are in good company, but you must stay alert and obey God every step of the way. If you fall down as I have along the way, just get back up and run back to Jesus.<br />
<br />
For a long time, I didn't realize we were in a wilderness. I thought I was looking for the anointed man to pray for me to get healed. I thought that I just needed to get my healing theology settled and then I would be healed. I thought that I had missed it somewhere along the way. We had these amazing prophetic words spoken to us over 2 years ago talking about a time where we were obviously healed and I just could not understand where we went wrong or what we possibly did to miss it. We walked to the best of our ability and generally felt like we were obeying God... So what was going on?<br />
<br />
That's when I looked around and realized, Duh you've been in the wilderness all along. The dry earth, spiny shrubs and fierce animals all around....Yep all this time I've been in the wilderness, but couldn't recognize it. haha The questioning, the reasoning, the crying, the doubting, the anger, the frustration, the unknown, the helplessness and much more. This is where your faith is tested and God builds you, matures you and fashions you into what He has for your life.<br />
<br />
<u>Romans 5:1-5</u><br />
<i><span class="text Rom-5-1">Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,</span> <span class="text Rom-5-2" id="en-NASB-28050"><sup class="versenum">2 </sup>through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.</span> <span class="text Rom-5-3" id="en-NASB-28051"><sup class="versenum">3 </sup>And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, <b>knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance</b>;</span> <b><span class="text Rom-5-4" id="en-NASB-28052"><sup class="versenum">4 </sup>and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;</span></b> <span class="text Rom-5-5" id="en-NASB-28053"><sup class="versenum">5 </sup>and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.</span></i><br />
<br />
<u>James 1:2-4</u><br />
<i><span class="text Jas-1-2" id="en-NASB-30269"><sup class="versenum">2 </sup>Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you <b>encounter various trials,</b></span><b> <span class="text Jas-1-3" id="en-NASB-30270"><sup class="versenum">3 </sup>knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.</span></b> <span class="text Jas-1-4" id="en-NASB-30271"><sup class="versenum">4 </sup>And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.</span></i><br />
<br />
Many say God can't or won't use sickness as a wilderness in a person's life. Many say that healing is right now, always flowing, so just receive. I believed that for a long time and this is actually where it lead me. After struggling for more than 20 months in trying to understand what was going on, I am glad to know that we were in the wilderness all along. Why? Because it gives me hope and a satisfaction that there is an end and that God has been in this the whole time! When God has you in a wilderness, He really is with you every step of the way. Through your goof ups, triumphs, failures, sadness, tears and pain. When Elijah was in his wilderness (read in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2017&version=NASB" target="_blank">1 Kings 17</a>), God provided water for him at the brook Cherith and commanded ravens to bring him food each day. Then once the brook dried up due to the drought, God sent him packing to the next place where he would live off of a handful of flour in a jar and some oil in a jug for years. Even though things looked dreary, God was there.<br />
<br />
So for me, realizing that God has been guiding our footsteps in this journey and it wasn't just me off doing my own thing, losing my way and following my flesh, I have to tell you it was extremely uplifting, hopeful and reassuring. God used our journey in pursuing Jesus as our healer as a time for Him to build me, teach me, establish me, change me, tear things down in me, build things back up in me and for me to get to know Him.<br />
<br />
God refrained telling us we were in a wilderness because I don't think I would have accepted it. For me it is much easier to believe a wilderness season could stem from a loss of job, death of a friend, being burned out in ministry or God bringing you into a new place, but no way would He use sickness! Even though the signs were written on the wall, I didn't want to look at them because it challenged some of my beliefs of what God would do in a person's life with sickness. Generally speaking I do not believe that God made me sick, but God used this journey in us to conform us to the image of His son.<br />
<br />
<u>Romans 8: 28-30</u><br />
<i><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/8-28.htm" target="_top"><b>28</b></a></span> And we know that <b>God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose</b>.
<span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/8-29.htm" target="_top"><b>29</b></a></span> For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined <b>to become conformed to the image of His Son</b>, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
<span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/8-30.htm" target="_top"><b>30</b></a></span>and
these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He
also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.</i><br />
<br />
So I am here now, but if I continuously look back to see what I could have done is fruitless and leads to guilt and condemnation. It keeps a person from moving forward and just keeps them walking around in circles. If Elijah had left the widow's house to go back to the brook which may have been familiar to him, it would not have been flowing with water again and the ravens would not have brought him food. God did that only for a time and then told Elijah to move on. He didn't tell Elijah to hit a rock or speak to a rock to make water like he did with Moses, he told him to move on and go forward to the widow's house.<br />
<br />
<b>We have to follow God's leads wherever that takes us even if it challenges us and makes us feel uncomfortable or if it is different than what others around us are doing.</b><br />
<br />
When we find ourselves in a wilderness, we can't keep looking back at what God did for us in a past season or earlier in the season and try to make it work again. Sometimes we have to let go of our comforts and continue on to the next area God has for us. He wants us to walk forward with Him and move from there. Many times it really will be out of our comfort zones and it won't feel so good at first and this part of the testing of our faith. Many may actually rebuke it as if it's the enemy (haha!!), but it may be God leading us away from everything we once knew and telling us to walk this way over here instead of the path many others went down before us. This is what God did with Abraham, telling him to leave his family and his country to move into new land where he promises to bless him and make him a nation (read in <a href="http://biblehub.com/nasb/genesis/12.htm" target="_blank">Genesis 12:1-3</a>).<br />
<br />
Just in the last 4 months, I have finally come to a place where I am OK with the idea that God has essentially been saying, "not yet" when we went to all of those healing meetings. He used those healing meetings and ministers to get me to start asking questions, to get fed up with it all and to seek Him in a much deeper way. He kept us here for a short while to build something in us that otherwise would not have been in us because I never would have started questioning things.<br />
<br />
Trust me though I don't look at this in a prideful way, but really in just shock and awe of God has done. He took me who was a borderline atheist who wanted nothing to do with God and ministry and has turned me into a Born again Jesus preaching madwoman. haha!<br />
<br />
It has not been easy by any stretch of the imagination because our wilderness is not just spiritual, financial and emotional, but also physical. We both have physical conditions that can only be healed by God. It is even tougher when you suffer from symptoms daily and are robbed of any way to work to provide for yourself. I had to surrender everything to God and just let Him do what He wanted to do in our lives. We are completely dependent on God for all of our needs in this season any way...I really mean that too and he has provided. If I look at it selfishly for a moment, how can I run from the only one who can help? How can I say no to the only one who has the power and authority to heal me and give me the life He has promised me? <br />
<br />
<u>1 Peter 1:6-7 </u><br />
<i><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_peter/1-6.htm" target="_top"><b>6 </b></a></span>In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
<span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_peter/1-7.htm" target="_top"><b>7 </b></a></span><b>so that the proof of your faith, being
more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by
fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor</b> at the
revelation of Jesus Christ... </i><br />
<br />
I have been quite distressed at times. I have felt extremely tested and tried to the point of brokenness not once, not twice, but more like ten times. I don't know why we have been tested in this way, but I give praise and glory and honor to God for what He has done. Maybe some day in the future I will be able to look back and say, "Oh yes now I see why God did this". As for now, I have to continue to trust Him because we are still in the wilderness and He is our only way out of the wilderness. A friend came over and prayed for us and she said, "you won't fall off the cliff". That has always been something I would say, "God don't let us fall off the cliff, we have been hanging on to you". We won't fall off the cliff because God is here with us. It's not because of something that I am doing or because I have such amazing faith. I generally don't look at myself as someone who has great faith. haha! It's completely and entirely because God is in this. He is leading us every step of the way and I just put my simple faith and trust in God.<br />
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And even though I've come to a place where I'm spiritually OK that God had us here and was doing something in our lives, I am also very ready to move on and for healing to take place in our bodies. It is time Oh Lord for the promises in our life to be fulfilled. I want to be able to answer the call God has in my life and to start walking out what He has been showing me.<br />
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Psalm 143:7-11<br />
<div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<span class="text Ps-143-7" id="en-NKJV-16301"><sup class="versenum">7 </sup>Answer me speedily, O <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>;</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-7">My spirit fails!</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-7">Do not hide Your face from me,</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-7">Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-8" id="en-NKJV-16302"><sup class="versenum">8 </sup>Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-8">For in You do I trust;</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-8">Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-8">For I lift up my soul to You.</span></div>
</div>
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<div class="line">
<span class="text Ps-143-9" id="en-NKJV-16303"><sup class="versenum">9 </sup>Deliver me, O <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, from my enemies;</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-9">In You I take shelter.</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-10" id="en-NKJV-16304"><sup class="versenum">10 </sup>Teach me to do Your will,</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-10">For You <i>are</i> my God;</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-10">Your Spirit <i>is</i> good.</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-10">Lead me in the land of uprightness.</span></div>
</div>
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<span class="text Ps-143-11" id="en-NKJV-16305"><sup class="versenum">11 </sup>Revive me, O <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, for Your name’s sake!</span><br />
<span class="text Ps-143-11">For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.</span></div>
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<span class="text Ps-143-11"> </span><span class="text Ps-143-12"> This song came on Spotify as I was writing this and it seemed quite appropriate. Sometimes God says, "stay"! Sometimes God says, "go"! We have to listen to Him and follow appropriately.</span></div>
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<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-69073589156327368632014-05-15T23:54:00.000-04:002016-01-25T17:30:51.832-05:00"I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice" - Have We Lost the Heart of Jesus?Before I was saved, I used to be very involved in the natural health and chronic illness communities. If you want to see what I used to do, you can read all about that journey in the archived posts from 2008-2011. I used to research scientific theories, come up with new ideas and try out different treatment options. I knowingly and willingly made myself a guinea pig in hopes of finding something that would cure me and work for others who were sick with similar conditions. <br />
<br />
Over the years, my husband and I started noticing that people would invest their personal identities and get their value from following a diet, a supplement regimen, treatment plan or even going to a specific doctor. The followers of these groups would become die-hard fans and they would defend it against any questions or claims whether legitimate or not. I will admit I fell into this trap myself and repeated many of the "truths" that were promoted in these groups without first testing them out myself.<br />
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In these communities, if a person ever had complications or problems with a diet, treatment plan etc., the people were so loyal to that specific plan that they would yell and blame the person that needed help. They would pick apart the person's eating habits, dosing schedules, lab results and look for ANYTHING they could use to blame the lack of results on the person. <br />
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Ultimately, no matter how well a person followed their plan or advice, as long as they weren't seeing results, they could <b>never</b> do it right and it was always determined to be the person's fault when it did not work.<br />
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When God spoke to me in July 2012 and pulled me out of the natural health communities to pursue Him for healing, I spotted the exact same error in the church too.<br />
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In this post, my focus will be mainly on the healing portion of ministry. I'm going to thoroughly discuss the effects of having misplaced our identities and personal value in healing teachings, doctrines and ministers. I will also talk about the effect it is has had on the sick people who are on the receiving end as well. This is a long post, so here we go. :)<br />
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<h3>
Doctrine Becomes A Weapon Against Those in Need </h3>
Having sound doctrine is important and we should always be studying the Word to examine our beliefs. However if our doctrine ever becomes a yoke we put on those we were once trying to help, then we are in error.<br />
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Nearly every healing ministry sets up a specific plan or some sort of guideline for the sick to follow. I understand that these were created with good intentions and were meant to give the sick a plan of action to keep people on track. <br />
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Problems arise when people go through "this plan", but they did not receive their healing. It can be a confusing time for many sick people because they believed this was what they were supposed to do. <br />
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When a person in need tries to get help or has questions about healing, the same doctrine that was once used to "help" the sick becomes a weapon used against them. Often times the sick person is told to go through the checklist again and again and again because they "could not have done it properly". Their lives are picked apart and many doctrines then go on to look for a secret sin, hidden emotional roots and anything else they can to put all blame on the sick person. It's also very popular to say that the sick person doesn't really believe or doesn't really want to be healed. Some teachers say things like, "The sick have to want to be healed. We can't do it for them". It shows that those pushing the doctrine think they are 100% right and the person in need is 100% wrong. It also shows how much we as a Church have lost our compassion for the sick and hurting and have become blinded by a doctrine or teaching put out by popular ministers.<br />
<br />
The heavy burdens and yokes we put on those in need and looking for help are unscriptural. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;"><u>Matthew 11:28-30</u></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #073763;"> <span class="text Matt-11-28" id="en-NASB-23488"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-11-29" id="en-NASB-23489"><span class="woj">Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">you will find rest for your souls</span>.</span></span> <sup class="versenum"> </sup>For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”</span><br />
<br />
It's not like I am talking about people who are practicing sin and are unrepentant. I'm also not talking about unbelievers or atheists who are actively against God. I'm not even talking about Cessationists who don't believe it's God's will to heal His children through the prayers of his church.<br />
<br />
I am talking about people who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, know it's God's will to heal, come to healing meetings, buy healing books, watch YT videos on healing and are following Christian healing pages on facebook. These people are plugged in and seeking the Lord with all their heart.<br />
<br />
And yet, when these people struggle or have a question, for some reason many in the healing movement take that as a personal attack to their own identities. Why? Well I believe it is because many have based their identities on these doctrines, ministers and teachings instead of getting their identity from Jesus and knowing His heart. We need to reevaluate 'what' or 'who' has our heart! If we are getting our value from a doctrine or a minister that we follow, then we need to recognize this and ask the Lord to help us. We should always be looking to the Lord Jesus Christ for our personal identity and value, but sometimes we falsely base our identities off of the doctrines, churches and ministers that we follow.<br />
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People outside of the church do this too with their political parties, sport teams and even colleges. This is not something that is limited to the Church, but we should hold ourselves to a higher standard.<br />
<br />
Even Paul warned about identifying with a leader within the church because of the problems it caused with rivalries and factions. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>1 Corinthians 1:11-13</b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text 1Cor-1-11" id="en-NASB-28375"><sup class="versenum">11 </sup></span>For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. <span class="text 1Cor-1-12" id="en-NASB-28376"><sup class="versenum">12 </sup></span>Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” <span class="text 1Cor-1-13" id="en-NASB-28377"><sup class="versenum">13 </sup></span>Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? </span></span><br />
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<h3>
Do We Have a Heart for the Sick?</h3>
In recent years, a teaching that has gained popularity is "knowing your identity in Christ" or "knowing who you are". This teaching is extremely important and it's a place where the church needs to grow. However, even though it is widely taught among the Charismatic and Pentecostal circles, it has had very little impact on keeping people from misplacing their identities in a ministry, church or a teacher. In fact, identity teaching has become another doctrine where many use it as a weapon against the sick and hurting, to disqualify them from being healed.<br />
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Ministers may say things like, "If you really knew who you were in Christ, then you would be healed. Sickness could not even stay in your body".<br />
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This is an example of taking a teaching and using it to attack the person in need. The repercussions from a statement like that could be devastating to a new believer. Doesn't the minister need to "know who he is in Christ" in order to pray for the sick to see them healed too?<br />
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Somehow ministers become immune to any correction and all the burden is put on the sick person.<br />
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There is a major disconnect between what is taught by ministries and what is actually practiced when presented with a person who is in need. If we actually knew the Person of Jesus Christ and understood His heart and nature and what that truly meant (outside of repeating phrases we heard someone else say), then I truly believe our actions would look much different when a person comes to us for help. <br />
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A church that has a heart for the sick would be spending a lot more time praying specifically for healing of those who want prayer instead of writing books about why people are not healed. There would be meetings that are <u><b>completely focused</b></u> on praying for the sick and the sick would be encouraged to come and get prayer repeatedly. These meetings would be tailored to the sick and not to healthy. At meetings, the worship and the message would be shortened in order to be able to pray for as many people as possible. There would also be a person leading the way and praying for the sick. The sick would not be passed on to members of the audience who may or may not have any desire to pray for the sick (or may not even be saved)! Most "healing" meetings in the American Church end with the audience instructed to pray once or twice for a person near them, while the worship band packs up their gear. Somehow the two hours of singing and one hour message became more important than actual prayer. This is what passes for a "healing meeting" today.<br />
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It is wrong. It is an embarrassment.<br />
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Almost all healing meetings these days are called, "training and equipping" events where it's mostly meant for able bodied people to go for entertainment. It's simply a pep-rally. Sorry this may be harsh, but most of them are not really healing events at all for the sick and yet these are the only real healing events that take place in the church. The person dying from cancer simply needs someone to pray the prayer and to encourage them in their faith. These training and equipping events will never fulfill the needs of the sick found in the Body of Christ, so there has to be more! Where are all the people these events are supposedly training? It's like a college with thousands of graduates and students, but none of them ever apply for a real job or leave their dorm. <br />
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If we give our hearts to a method created by man, often times we become spiritually blinded too. Even in our search for "truth", we tend to look at everything through the lens of that ministry or doctrine. We tend to follow and believe whatever is put out by them without first searching the Word or asking Holy Spirit for guidance. Early on in my journey I was guilty of this too and I accepted many interpretations of scripture as truth without doing my own study. I would later find out how much people twist scripture to fit into their teachings or purposely ignore entire verses and chapters as well. In addition, when we endorse a teaching we tend to ignore the gentle questioning within our spirit and it can become potentially dangerous, leading us into deception. I believe this is why there is such an influx of psychology, new age, new thought and other metaphysics entering into the church disguised as inner healing, deliverance and prophetic ministries.<br />
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Anyone can slip into the trap of having their value and identity come from a minister or teaching. We have to constantly guard against it, recognize it and put our focus back on what Jesus did for us.<br />
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<h3>
I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice</h3>
Looking back when I was in the natural health communities, it always started off with someone who had good intentions. I know this to be true in the church as well. We love Jesus and are simply trying to give reasons as to why a person isn't healed and we are trying to give people something they can do to be healed. Unfortunately though even in these good intentions, it becomes something that is very bad. Many go on to use the knowledge they have learned to attack the very people they were once trying to help. How many of us in the church have heard things like:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You must have some doubts you don't want to admit to".<br />
"You don't have sufficient belief for healing". <br />
"Maybe there's some hidden sin in your life that you just won't let go". <br />
"You didn't find the appropriate root that's keeping you from receiving healing".<br />
"You must have some secret doubt about healing".<br />
"Your negativity is keeping you sick".<br />
"Maybe you don't really want to be healed".<br />
"You are sick because you don't want to give up your disability check".<br />
"You probably just want to stay sick so you don't have to work".</blockquote>
Taking the scriptures and knowledge one has learned and using it in this manner is not OK. If Jesus Christ is our identity, then where is His grace? Where is His love? Where is His patience? Where is His righteousness? Where is His redemption? <br />
<br />
We should remember, <br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><u>Matthew 11:28-30</u></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;"> <span class="text Matt-11-28" id="en-NASB-23488"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-11-29" id="en-NASB-23489"><span class="woj">Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">you will find rest for your souls</span>.</span></span> <sup class="versenum"> </sup>For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”</span><br />
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When we say these kinds of things to the sick, we have strayed away from understanding the heart of Jesus. We are no longer representing Jesus, but instead putting the burdens of man onto the sick. These are the kinds of traps and lifeless uses of scripture that the Pharisees used against the people of their day. Remember that Jesus said to them, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice". We are in error when we push a doctrine to the point of actually tearing people apart with the scriptures that were meant to bring us life and freedom in Christ. When we enslave and indoctrinate the sick into a method, then we lose an opportunity to connect them to Jesus. Scripture is more than just words... It's supposed to point back to the living God!<br />
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As ambassadors of Christ, we cannot be lashing out at hurt, sick people who have come to us for help. I know that sick people can be emotionally unwell, but that does not give us justification to treat them poorly.<br />
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They are bound in their sicknesses. They need to see His compassion and grace shine through us. If we cannot help them, then we always need to be pointing them to the one who can always help and that is Jesus. <br />
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If you are interested more about what "I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice" means, then I highly recommend <a href="http://www.johnburkeonline.com/i-desire-mercy-not-sacrifice/" target="_blank">reading this article on another blog</a>. <br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Those in Need Shouldn't Have to Prove Themselves</h3>
The checklists that most ministries want the sick to do are impossible to ever fulfill or complete in a way that is satisfying or final. Many of the requirements are open ended and can always be questioned or doubted.<br />
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For instance, a person cannot prove they have removed or dealt with roots, doubts, sin, unforgiveness nor can they show a person their level of belief or faith. These are heart issues that only God truly knows, so this naturally becomes an easy point of attack for those on the outside. There is a high cost when we force the sick to prove themselves to us time after time. Many leave the faith and walk away totally away from God. In the very least, they begin to have a twisted view of God's nature and they start to feel like healing is tied to a checklist of things that need "fixed". The sick and hurting then become self-focused rather than Christ-focused.<br />
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Instead of looking for what's "wrong" in the sick and needy, we need to simply be pointing them back to Jesus Christ. The reality is we do not know why people are or are not healed. The reality is there is no secret revelation or formula to see more healings. The reality is even if a person dots every "i" and crosses every "t", it does not mean they even know God. Remember, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice". It's not about how well we can follow a checklist. It's about knowing and understanding the heart of God. Following a healing doctrine perfectly does not mean the sick will be healed. This is something that every healing minister and every person in the Church who wants to pray for the sick needs to understand. There is not something wrong with everyone who is not healed by your doctrine, your prayer, your church or your favorite minister. To think this way, it is not godly, but instead arrogant and prideful in yourself and in the ministries and doctrines you follow. Instead of trying to make ourselves look good, we need to begin surrendering these mindsets to the Lord.<br />
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We must always point back to Jesus instead of pointing people back to a man or to a teaching. Jesus is the only healer and that is who we need to point people to no matter what is going on.<br />
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It's also important to note that when someone comes down with a sickness
in their lives, it does not mean they have a bad relationship with God or that they "opened a door".
Even the biggest legends in healing history had major
struggles in their lives. John G. Lake's first wife died while he was
in ministry serving the Lord. Smith Wigglesworth was struck with several
illnesses during his life. Despite a lot of prayer, he had chronic
kidney stones that were never healed. He also had an appendicitis for 6
months and was on his deathbed. He was delivered of this condition,
but he still endured the struggle and was not healed instantly. His daughter was also deaf and despite many
prayers, <b>she was never healed.</b><br />
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I find it sobering and
humbling to know that even those who many put on a pedestal dealt
with the same exact things that we deal with today. We don't have all
the answers. We have made too many assumptions and that has cost us our
compassion, humanity and love for people. We have to put our trust in
God, not people of the past, not doctrines, not a minister, not a church
and not a pastor. It is our faith in Jesus that will guide us through
the struggles of life and the disappointment when people are not healed when we pray. We need to stop blaming the sick! <br />
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<h3>
A Dishonest Presentation Brings a Distorted View</h3>
"You are already healed!". "By His Stripes you WERE healed!". <br />
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We preach these phrases, but it's a dishonest presentation and that is why many ministries see disgruntled sick people. <br />
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It is true that Jesus already paid the price for us to be healed. Jesus' sacrifice was perfect and we do not need Him to die again to heal us today. I don't know of anyone who is calling for such a thing. However that one time sacrifice for all does not mean we are 'already healed'.<br />
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When Jesus died, rose from the dead, sat down at the right hand of God and Holy Spirit was sent to live inside of believers, sickness on earth and in man's body did not instantly disappear. If all sickness had completely left the world after the resurrection of Jesus, then I would agree that we were "already healed". Despite what Jesus did, the earth is still under the effects of sin and people still have sickness in their bodies.<br />
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I sincerely ask people to reconsider the way in which we preach healing. The way in which Jesus proportioned healing for us was in fact "easy" for us (, but highly costly for Him). However the way in which we obtain that healing in our body is a mystery.<br />
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Please do not allow the simplicity of what Jesus did for us to cause you
to lose your compassion for those struggling. Please do not allow the teachings and ideas
put out by man cause you to lose your hunger and desire to see the sick set free. <br />
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When we are seeking the Lord for healing, it is not like we are trying to put together a table from IKEA.<br />
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When we buy a table from IKEA, we know when we follow Steps A through T, if we follow the directions exactly, that at the end we will have the table we purchased. This is NOT how healing works and we have done a huge disservice to think in these kind of terms. <br />
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There's a distorted view in the church of how intense the struggle can be for someone who is believing God for healing. Many sick people go it alone too and have no support there to help them along the way. They reach out to these ministries because they have no one else. As sick people go through this battle the church does very little in order to encourage them to keep hanging on. <br />
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<h3>
Closing Thoughts </h3>
My husband and I have been seeking healing for over 2 years now. I have been sick for more than 14 years and my husband has been sick for about 6 years. We currently have no income and have sold off everything that we own that had value to pay to live. Everything with value is now gone and we live each month by faith. We have been through every healing method that is out there and we have gotten prayer from many different people (including very popular Facebook and YouTube ministers) and yet we have not been healed. I don't know why. I don't try to make up a reason. I don't blame anyone for the prayers not working. Despite all of that we still need healed. I can't just "let it go", "get over it" or decide in my head that healing is not important or just shrug my shoulders and move on with life. I'm not "already healed". Without the real Jesus I have no life. I will have another 40+ years of sickness, poverty and eventually homelessness and bankruptcy. No one and nothing can change that but Jesus! Hallelujah!<br />
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The reality is is that when YOU are the sick person, things change big time. It is easy to look from the outside in and judge, ridicule and shift blame. However when doctors say to you, "Sorry sir, but there is no treatment or cure for this" or "Sorry, but surgery was unsuccessful and you'll have to be in a wheelchair for life", this is when Jesus being a healer has to be more than a doctrine with catchphrases.<br />
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The church of today focuses so much on entertainment. We worship a God that we don't even know anymore. We have lost his heart and have filled that void with doctrine, ministers and church events. When you are the one who needs healing to be real, you cease caring about these things. It's child's play. It's a distraction. It's a way to feel as if you are doing something "spiritual" when you aren't. When you are in a time of desperate need, your spiritual life ceases being about entertaining church events and it entirely becomes about seeking and believing Jesus for His promises. All of the things people say to shift blame to the sick person, it changes when it's YOU in that position. No one truly understands what it is like to be in this position until you are in this position.<br />
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The problem is that there are no real healing meetings in the church anymore. We have meetings where we sing praises to God for hours and "soak in the presence", but then we won't tend the sheep that God commanded us to tend. We won't comfort the hurting or sick. What good is our meetings? What good is our events? What good are the programs? In <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%201%3A11-17&version=NIV" target="_blank">Isaiah 1:11-17</a>, God shows us how the things we do can become a burden to Him. In fact some of the words for worship in the Greek has little to do with music and everything to do with reverence and service to the Lord. If we are worshiping God, then our hearts should be bursting with a joy and desire to pray for the hurting, broken and sick. We should want to reach down and help them to see the Lord.<br />
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Apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthians when they turned the Lord's supper into a dinner party where the rich left overstuffed and the poor left hungry. This is not much different today in the meetings we have in the church. We've turned church meetings into concerts and games, where we watch the sick leave in need and hungry with no where to go! Why do we despise those who come to get prayer for healing? Why do we despise those who have nothing when we have gotten our fill? If Paul came to our church events and saw what we were doing, what would he say to us? <br />
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If we were honest we'd realize that the sick and broken have no where to go. No one wants to pray in a church environment because it's tough, risky and not entertaining. We are ok with concerts, writing books, releasing albums, long sermons and making videos, but when it's time for real ministry time, we run scared. We can't look the sick in the eye and care for them unless it's on our terms. We are ok if they sit in our worship meetings, go to our "training and equipping events', but they better be able to get healed on their own ! We don't have time for the sick in the Church because they show something deep within our selves that we are afraid to admit.<br />
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I've heard the lousy reasons why these meetings can't go on long.<br />
<br />
You have to get home to watch a movie.<br />
You have to go visit with your friends at Applebees.<br />
You have to get home to prepare tomorrow's sermon.<br />
You have to get back to the hotel to get on an early flight to do this same thing tomorrow.<br />
You have to get home to pray to God and soak in His presence.<br />
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The church has turned its back on their sick brothers and sisters because they are too busy doing "stuff" that is more entertaining. We are addicted to entertainment whether inside or outside of the Church. We can't just sit still for a moment and look at what it is that we are doing.<br />
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Most sick people are not living at all and are barely surviving. Many live day to day and some commit suicide because they have no hope. They need a miracle and when they leave a church event, they can't just forget about it and be happy. They can't unwind by having dinner with their friends or go on a date night with their husband to forget about it. These people are grieving over the dinners and date nights they haven't had for years and the vacations they haven't been able to take. They are prisoners in their bodies and Jesus is their only hope.<br />
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The Church needs to stop being self-centered and become Christ-centered. When we attack these people or put huge burdens on them, their last hope is gone because we actually make Jesus bad news. The church has allowed wolves to come in and misrepresent the true nature of Jesus. <br />
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If you have made a doctrine or minister your identity, which caused you to embrace doctrines that were never demonstrated by Jesus, then you need to repent and make real changes to your ministry, your church and the way you pray for people. If you have taken the knowledge you've learned and used it as a weapon against the sick, you need to repent too. If you've created a "relationship" with God that is based around conferences, worship meetings and entertainment, you need to repent.<br />
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Let God guide you in this time and allow him to change you and mold you into what he wants for you. Pray that God shows you His heart and what he feels towards those who are sick and hurting. It does not matter what's popular or entertaining. What matters is knowing the heart of Jesus!<br />
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Let's make Jesus our identities, not our thoughts, doctrines, 10 step programs, worship concerts or anything else in between. Keep encouraging the sick to get prayer and encourage them to have a relationship with Jesus in their own homes. If we take that away from them, then they literally have nothing to live for and that's wrong because Jesus died for them so they may live!Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-18980555301447457022014-03-08T18:23:00.000-05:002014-03-08T18:23:03.857-05:00Rebuilding from the Dirt, Up.I just wanted to give a brief update of what has been going on with me. It's been quite a long time since I posted. This post won't be full of analytical discussions. <br />
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Since August, God has been tearing down everything that I thought I believed and starting over again. You can see the beginnings of what he was teaching me in that last post from August. However I have realized how important it is to have the basic understandings of the Christian faith before adding on to it or building onto it.<br />
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Mostly I have been re-learning about what it really is that Jesus did for us. That Jesus was both God and man and what that really means to me. God has been teaching me His nature and what that means as far as limiting Himself. Yes God has limits that he put on himself. He cannot lie and he cannot be unfaithful to us.<br />
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I have also been questioning the Charismatic church. Not for their beliefs in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but pretty much everything else they believe in. The constant moaning and crying for revival. The inner healing rooms. The interwoving of New Thought and New Age practices. The focus on experiences and tingling feelings. The focus on God's love instead of also His Holiness, His Faithfulness, His Righteousness.<br />
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In the past 2 months, God has been blessing us miraculously. We have had several miraculous provisions and it's been incredible. I know that I don't deserve what he is pouring out on us and it's hard for me to accept it at times. I've been convicted in my heart that that's how I need to feel about what Jesus did on the cross too. It's undeserving. It's amazing. It should cause a person to be speechless and overcome with Joy! <br />
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Also in these past few months, has been a lot of struggles too. My sister's brain cancer is growing and she has been suffering with the chemo treatments. My health has been suffering lately as well. I have more vision loss and have had numbness on the left side of my body. My head has not been feeling right and writing big long, thought provoking analytical posts have not been possible. Reading long posts can trigger these feelings and I just haven't been able to do it. <br />
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We finally have trash service again. I cried when we got enough money extra to pay for this to come back on. Sometimes it's the small things in life that make you happy and appreciative!<br />
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This is the reality of what's been going on and I don't partake in the idea that we have to pretend everything is ok to have faith. Things have been tough but God has proven himself once again to be faithful. Sometimes I may think his timing is slow, but I have to trust him because he is the only reason why we have made it through. If I cannot trust him in his time, then who or what am I really putting my faith in? Faith in my faith? Faith in a person's teaching? When a person thinks "they did it right" it does not produce good fruit. It simply produces a sense of superiority or self-righteousness and that's something that I want God to burn out of me. I want there to be none of me in my testimony and ALL of HIM. Sadly I see a lot of this "I did it right, so let me sell you a book" from ministers. I also see a lot of people who God graciously healed and these people go on to attack the sick who struggle to receive their healing. I want nothing of that. If I look like a fool, or an idiot and I do everything wrong, then all the more glory to God when he delivers us and sets us free.<br />
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That is it for now. Blessings to everyone!Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-38415519868330416532013-08-31T14:44:00.000-04:002015-03-27T01:38:20.005-04:00"Standing" For a Healing: Are we leading people astray?<u><b>Author's Edit March 2015:</b></u> Since I wrote this post, God had us walk down an even harder path. On Sept 12, 2013 my husband and I made the decision that we were done going to healing meetings. This post was mostly written from a place where we were going to meetings to get prayer and I thought that's what we were supposed to be doing. But God had other plans and ideas for us. God has shown me many of the things I believed needed even more purifying. I encourage you to read some of my new posts <a href="http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2014/10/when-god-calls-you-to-stand-in.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://danachronicallyliving.blogspot.com/2015/02/how-deception-became-part-of-my-walk.html">here.</a> <br />
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The other day Holy Spirit reminded me that when I tell people I am "standing" for my healing, that I need to explain what that actually LOOKS like. Many have their own idea on what that is...Some of which I don't agree with at all.<br />
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In this post I'm going to cover a variety of points surrounding the idea of "standing" for healing. I will touch upon what faith or "belief" looks like in a sick person. This is an area where I feel there is a lot of confusion. I will also talk about how the popular "standing" methods are actually a part of the New Thought, Christian Science false religion. Understanding this will likely set a lot of sick people free from these teachings! I will also talk about what unbelief looks like in the sick. Don't worry I don't make it some abstract thing. ;) Lastly I will touch upon how we have lost grace for the sick in the church. We see lots of grace in street ministries but not inside the 4 walls of the church. I hope this posts brings fresh ideas to those who are in healing ministries and to the sick who are believing God for their promise of healing.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<h3>
<b>Faith Is Going to Get Prayer</b></h3>
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When I say I am standing for healing, it means I am getting prayer and having hands laid onto me whenever possible. I talk to a lot of sick people and I really want to emphasize how important it is to go and get prayer in Jesus' name and have someone lay their hands on you. We are called to be obedient to the Word. <br />
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<u><b>James 5:14-15 (NKJV)</b></u><br />
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and <b>let them pray over him</b>, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [emphasis mine]<br />
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It says to get prayer and prayer only. Today we have to go to people in the church that believe in Jesus as a healer. Back when the Bible was written, healing wasn't a debated topic so any elder would do. Unfortunately today we have to be a bit more choosy when it comes to who we get to pray for us. <br />
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When you are obedient to the Word of God and go to get prayer, that is your mustard seed of faith! You don't wait for a feeling! We have already been commanded to GO in the Bible!<br />
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This can be witnessed throughout Jesus' ministry too. Remember that Jesus <u>did not</u> heal an entire city when he entered it. A person had to show a mustard seed of faith and come to Him or to one of His Disciples to receive healing. However, even if a person had doubts, Jesus still healed them as long as they came to him. He did not shoo them away and tell them to get more teaching in them like many ministries do today.<br />
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<b><u>Matthew 8:1-3 (NKJV)</u></b><br />
1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.<br />
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<h3>
Holy Spirit Heals </h3>
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It is by the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of Christians that allows us to get prayer and receive healing from other Christians. Holy Spirit is a person with an identity. When we pray and lay hands on others, it is Holy Spirit that touches the sick to heal them. <b>It is not our thoughts. It is not our "positive energy". It is not a universal "life force". </b><br />
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When you go and get prayer, don't get too focused on a specific minister praying for the sick. If you get prayer from one person and nothing changes, then keep going. If you get prayer from a popular healing minister and nothing happens, just keep going. I warn you not to get too hung up on a single person or a single event. Why? Because if you go to the "most greatest, spectacular healing evangelist" and nothing happens, you may take that as a sign of God's will for your life. This is not true! Jesus healed everyone who came to Him and he is the same yesterday, today and forever. You keep getting prayer <u>until you see your healing.</u> Persistence is something that I don't feel is being taught much today. Many sick people probably get prayer once or twice and if nothing happens, then they stop. I am encouraging you to keep getting prayer because this is what Jesus told us to do!<br />
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Don't get too caught up on a minister's youtube videos, testimonies and other things. Just know that it is Jesus doing the healing through a faithful servant here on earth.<br />
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<u><b>Luke 11:9-10</b></u><br />
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.<br />
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This is a really great healing testimony of a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zZf21LLKwk" target="_blank">woman that was healed of MS</a>. It was not a quick healing and took many many prayers until the spirit of infirmity broke off of her. <br />
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In this woman's healing testimony, it was just some friends at her church that were the ones who eventually broke off the spirit. It didn't take some super, duper awesome healing minister who knew it all or had it all figured out. God will use anyone who makes themselves available and will use them when they step out to pray for the sick in Jesus name. There's a local man who prays for the sick and has seen amazing things, but he has prayed for both my husband and I and we haven't seen anything. So while this man has been the point of contact for Jesus healing in many lives, in ours it has not been. I don't know why it happens like that, but we continue to get prayer until healing takes place.<br />
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<h3>
<b>What Most People Say Is "Standing"</b></h3>
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In Christian healing circles, here are some examples of things that sick people are told to do in order to "stand for their healing". Sadly many of these teachings are starting to become more like false New Thought, Christian Science teachings. <br />
<ol>
<li>Quoting daily "By His Stripes, I am Healed" or telling people to say "I am already Healed!" </li>
<li>Repeating out loud, reading out loud and listening to healing scriptures over and over again to change your situation through your "thoughts" or chemistry. </li>
<li>Setting people on an internal struggle to find out why they "aren't receiving". </li>
<li>Pretending that you are "already healed" when you have actual sickness. Being told that if you focus or complain about symptoms, then that's a lack of faith.</li>
<li>Over-spiritualizing what it means for a person to have "faith"or belief.</li>
<li>Having a bunker mentality where you have to "do it on your own". </li>
<li>Becoming self-focused and doing mind "work" (i.e. eliminating hidden doubts, fears, unbelief). </li>
<li>"Finding the root" source or cause of your sickness. Once that is discovered, then your body can heal.</li>
</ol>
<ol></ol>
Many people I know will have a hard time digesting that list above... These are very popular teachings right now! The horrible thing about New Thought is that it very closely tries to resemble some legitimate teachings in Christianity. It even uses verses from the Bible to promote itself! Many of these verses are the same verses that people use to promote similar things in Christian healing circles. Mark 11:24 seems to be a particular popular one for New Thought teachers. If you are the kind of person who likes to read about differing religions to get a better feel of what to watch out for, I highly recommend just doing a google search for New Thought. You will probably be blown away by how much is now being embraced by healing ministries. It honestly scares me! <br />
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This is an area that many will disagree with me. However I feel that this is an area that needs exposed. If you quote things and repeat things as a <u>method</u> to "line up your mind" to create a a new reality or to "line up your mind" to see healing in your body, then this is <u><b>New Thought</b></u>. <b>Jesus healing is not from our mind. </b>We should only be listening to and reading the Bible to learn more about the nature and goodness of Jesus and the Father. Once our reading becomes about “positive thinking” or convincing ourselves that "we are already healed" and "it's already done, finished", then this is where it is the false teachings of New Thought, mind healing and affirmative prayer. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Christ healing is not <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_prayer" target="_blank">affirmative prayer</a>. </b><br />
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I see so many sick people slamming their heads against the wall trying to follow these absurd teachings. Instead of being told to focus on what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are told to focus on our thought processes, how our words affect our mind and we even begin digging into our lives to find some "reason" for being sick. It spreads the ideas that <u><b>we</b></u> can overcome sickness by removing negative thoughts and ideas from our minds. These teachings and methods for "standing" are not of Jesus at all and it is part of the New Thought, Christian Science and New Age healing movements. <br />
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These ideas have infiltrated its way into Christian healing teachings. All of the teachings listed above breed contempt, frustration, disappointment, discouragement and feelings of unworthiness in the hearts of the sick (and in those praying for the sick too). Many teachings even go as far as to say, that the way you know if you are thinking right is that you are healed. If you aren't healed, then you aren't thinking right and you have to keep doing more "work". This is the most discouraging teaching of them all. I will be bold and say these are ALL lies from Satan himself.<br />
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Satan wants you to <u>self-focus</u> instead of looking into the eyes of Jesus and seeing the truth and love of what he accomplished on the cross. <br />
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<h3>
<b>New Thought Teachings Are Pushing People Away From God </b></h3>
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Eventually many of the sick who use New Thought methods, get worn down, frustrated and WALK AWAY FROM GOD. In the very least, their view of God becomes distorted and many no longer consider Him good because they feel he is making them jump through so many hoops. God is not causing a person to jump through hoops nor is he causing a person to have a distorted view of himself.<br />
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After being victims to these teachings, the sick will even go on to say that healing must not really be for today because they've “done it all” or have "tried it all". Some may even start to say that God doesn't love them anymore or they actually start to spiritualize their sickness. <br />
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“God gave me this sickness for a reason. He wants me to help others with it.”<br />
"This was God's perfect plan for my life"<br />
"I guess God doesn't love me because I'm sick and I must not have good faith to get healed." <br />
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Again these are all lies from the devil...<br />
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From my experience with these teachings, they do not produce much fruit at all. For every person healed, hundreds are left to rot on the side of the road and are told they have to get more teaching in them in order to be healed. There are so many sick people out there who got caught up in these teachings and have given up totally. The "name-it-and-claim-it", "get your thoughts right" message is destroying people. I have found many who promote this are healthy people and/or sick people who have taken credit for their healing. Both of these groups of people, really think it's about them. They think they have it all figured out. They really think it is their positive thoughts, their repeating of scripture and their doctrine that is keeping them or made them healthy. These people are very destructive to the sick whether they mean to be or not! I've just had to walk away from anyone who makes me feel it's my fault for being sick.<br />
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Healing has never been about us. It's never been about getting our thoughts right. It's never been about meeting some imaginary criteria in our minds. It's never been about "claiming it" or acting as though it's "already been done". <b>It has always been about what Jesus suffered on the cross for us.</b> If you try to get healed on your own merits, your own works and your own thoughts, <u><b>it will never happen</b>.</u><br />
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This is GOOD NEWS because you can stop trying to meet some weird criteria in your head. It is about His love and His faithfulness. Jesus destroyed the works of Satan and it is this truth that the devil doesn't want people to know. The devil couldn't care less if you have your thoughts in order <b>because there is</b> <b>no power</b> <b>in this</b>.<b> There is power in the name of Jesus</b>, so he's distracting you with these other weird teachings. <br />
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<h3>
<b>Prayer Isn't To Twist God's Arm </b> </h3>
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Getting prayer for healing is not about twisting God's arm to move. It's not about trying to meet some criteria for him to release "the goodies". When you get prayer for healing, you can be confident that God hears these prayers because it is His will for you to be made whole.<br />
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<u><b>1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)</b></u><br />
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.<br />
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Jesus promised us healing when he was beaten and died on the cross. God is not in heaven with a clipboard checking off items from a list of requirements a person must meet before healing them.<b> </b><br />
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<b>You already qualify!</b> Lots of sick Christians really need to hear that. YOU ALREADY QUALIFY!<br />
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You qualify, not from your own thoughts or merits, but because of the Faithfulness of what <u>Jesus did on the cross</u>! Many of the "standing" methods in today's healing ministries completely forget this when we don't see results. It's like they just want to give sick people homework to get them out of their hair. Unfortunately the "homework" they give people are sending them down a path of false teachings.<br />
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Also I feel the need to say that prayer is not a "science". It's about petitioning to God in Jesus' name, so that he may answer your prayers and make way for things. Prayer is not a way of declaring things or to put things "out into the universe". When you use prayer in this manner, it's not about Jesus at all. This way of viewing prayer is a false teaching as seen in New Age, New Thought and Christian Science religions. <br />
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<h3>
<b>Getting Prayer Isn't Always Going to Be Easy or Comfortable</b></h3>
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Getting prayer is tough. People say dumb things to you. People will try to give you advice on your lifestyle, diet, supplement regimen and other things. You have to learn to ignore it. It can be hard to find people who believe that it's always God's will to heal. Sometimes it takes money to get to these places. Sometimes we don't have the money, so we have to ask for money to get to these meetings. Often times, if we are really sick, then we need a complete support team to help us to get there. For most sick people, going to these events, it means suffering with symptoms the entire time too. To those who are completely housebound, then I really recommend getting in touch with a local church that will send a prayer team to your house.<br />
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When the going gets tough, this is when you really have to believe that God wants you well and that God really is GOOD. This is a place where reading the Bible to understand the true nature of God is vital in order for you to stay in the fight. You have to realize that God loves you with all of his heart whether you are healthy or sick, BUT he is NOT the one who gave you sickness. He<u> did not</u> plan this for your life. God is not the author of the bad that happened in your life. The devil is the one that steals, kills and destroys and he declared war on us the day we were born (and even before that day).<br />
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I caution sick people. The worst possible thing you can do is to refuse to get prayer or to stop going to get prayer. When you refuse to get prayer whenever it is available to you then it's a hard truth to hear, but this is unbelief.<br />
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If you are flat out refusing to get prayer when someone is offering it, it is probably one of the most dangerous places a sick person can find themselves. If you haven't gotten prayer any time recently, my heart cries out for you. I pray that the Lord will lift you up and remove the hurt or the teachings keeping you away from Him; I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!<br />
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<b>You have to get back in the fight. Always be willing to get prayer, whenever it is possible. </b>I'm not saying you have to go to every single meeting in your area. haha Just be mindful of churches who hold healing events and be on the look out for ministers visiting in your area. You can't be passive or waiting for some sign to happen. The sign came when Jesus died for you on the cross. <br />
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<h3>
Unbelief is When You Won't Get Prayer </h3>
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If there is something keeping you from getting prayer, then yes that is unbelief.<br />
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Remember in Jesus' hometown, he was unable to do many miracles there. It stated that the people took offense towards him. They knew him as the carpenter's son and did not understand how he could be preaching like this. His words offended them. His actions offended them. If a person offends you, you aren't going to go over to them and have a pleasant conversation. Typically you are just going to be angry, mad and leave the person alone to go on with whatever it was you were doing beforehand. This is exactly what happened to Jesus and this is starting to happen with a lot of sick in the church.<br />
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<u><b>Mark 6:5-6</b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="en-NKJV-24413"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="en-NKJV-24414"></a> </u><br />
5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a <b><u>few</u></b> sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their <b><u>unbelief</u></b>. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. [emphasis mine]<br />
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This scripture does not mean that Jesus laid hands on a bunch of people and it did not work. It does not mean that Jesus was "powerless" as some people like to preach it. It means that since they were so offended by his words, only a <u>few came out to receive prayer</u>. Jesus can't lay his hands on the sick if the sick don't show up to have hands laid on them.<br />
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This is the same for today. <b>If you don't receive prayer or try to reach out for prayer, then Jesus won't be able to lay his hands on you through another Christian. </b>Many of these "standing" methods are not a pursuit of Jesus at all and we have to be willing to walk away from all of the past failures or hurts we endured to follow what Jesus intended us to do for healing. That means getting ourselves into places where we get prayer. <br />
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Some of us may have to forgive ourselves for the time we spent on these teachings. While others may have to forgive the people who have said hurtful things. I know I was at that place. There was a time when I told God I was done getting prayer because I was so angry. Well the Lord did not give up on me. He helped me through that time! He gave me a prophetic word that touched my heart so much that I knew I had to keep going and that he really did have a plan for my life even though I hadn't seen it yet! All of the horrible things others were saying to me at that time was not how God saw me. It was probably the biggest breakthrough I have had through my journey. Prophetic words have been extremely instrumental in my journey! If you are in a really bad place and don't know a good prophetic person in your area, then check out <a href="http://www.marycrews.com/prophecies.php" target="_blank">Mary Crews online prophetic ministry</a>. She does online calls about once a month. <br />
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<h3>
<b>The Sick in Jesus' Day Did Not Have it Easy </b></h3>
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We also cannot forget what the sick in Jesus' day went through to come to him. They had no cars, no wheelchairs, no modern medicine and no air conditioning. Most traveling was done on foot. The sick had to fight their way to Jesus because of the large crowds that wanted to be touched by Him. There were likely many who turned away because it was too hard and we don't hear about those in the Bible. We only hear about those who dug in and persevered until they were able to make it to Jesus. Don't be the person who turns away! Some of the sickest were on mats and it took other people to drag them to the place where Jesus was preaching and healing. It's ok and Biblically accurate if we need others to help us along our journey. Don't get tricked into thinking it is your mind or thinking that will make you well!<br />
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It's important to understand that faith is a decision. It is an action to go and get prayer. I know it can be discouraging to get prayer and see nothing. I understand all of the frustrations and disappointments. I have been there many many times. I have been in the middle of meetings and have cried because I wasn't healed. I have been on the way home from a meeting, crying out to God because I wasn't healed. I have shed more tears of disappointment than I care to even admit, but here I am. Pushing through all of that and continuing to get prayer has become part of the journey for many sick people in the church. I know it's not how the church is supposed to operate, but that is where we are right now. We have to know that we are in a war against the enemy's army. He is the one that keeps us sick.<br />
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We have to get back up and keep heading towards Jesus.<br />
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<h3>
The Grace Message is Being Lost in Healing Ministry </h3>
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As I said above, some people have been very badly hurt by the church. Many sick people feel rejected, condemned and judged by many teachings and by their fellow Christians who spread these teachings. We can accept God's grace when it comes to salvation, but when it comes to healing, we throw it totally out the window. I think this is because we have embraced New Thought, Christian Science and New Age teachings. More and more we are losing the Gospel message and embracing psychology and philosophy. <br />
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“If you doubt at all, then you won't be healed”<br />
"Any negativity will keep healing from flowing"<br />
"You don't have sufficient belief or you would have been healed already"<br />
"God won't answer if you are needs driven"<br />
"Getting too much prayer, shows you are needy"<br />
"If you really knew your identity in Christ, you would be healed already" <br />
"If you really knew your identity in Christ, you wouldn't have gotten sick"<br />
"You need to get it on your own". <br />
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Jesus never said anything like that to the sick. Why are we looking at the sick in such a negative way when God is not? Why do we take scripture and then use it to smack people over the heads with it? The church has more Grace and love on the street towards atheists, witches, drug addicts and prostitutes than we do for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are sick. <br />
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We judge the sick.<br />
We blame their faith. <br />
We get offended if they are on disability.<br />
We get offended if they don't listen to our worldly advice.<br />
We blame their thoughts.<br />
We blame some secret unknown sin that we have no evidence even exists.<br />
We accuse them of having a secret desire to remain sick.<br />
We even think that some are faking to get attention.<br />
Many think if they were sick, then they have it all figured out and would be instantly healed. <br />
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It's no wonder I have to rally the sick to get them back into the church for prayer. (heh I have to laugh so I don't cry). We have abused them and the only ones who have had to suffer for this lack of compassion are the sick themselves.<br />
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When it comes to healing, the legalistic mindsets we were called out of, kick in full force and we are hurting sick people. We totally lack the compassion and love that Jesus showed. <br />
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Many of the methods for "standing" are a way to disqualify the sick in the praying person's eyes. I'm not sure of the motives behind it. These teachings actually discourage the sick to keep getting prayer when that's the VERY thing that God called the sick to do in His Word! <br />
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Honestly though I feel very sorry for many of these people because if sickness ever hits them or someone very close to them, they are going to be in for a rude awakening when they go through all of their "methods" and nothing happens...<br />
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<h3>
<b>What it Really Means to "Stand" for Healing</b></h3>
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I just want to make it clear, that I do not repeat scriptures in my home. I read the Bible, but not out of a sense of works or obligation. I do it out of wanting to know God. I pray and talk to God all throughout my day. There is never a shut off switch. Even though I try to be hopeful, I know it's not a positive attitude that will get me healed. I don't declare that "I'm healed already." I don't do things that cause me to hurt myself in order to "trick my mind" into thinking I'm healed. <br />
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My husband and I get prayer any time it is feasible. Recently we have been getting prayer from some local people, but we have also taken trips. One time we had $50 to our name and we spent it on gas to get to a healing meeting...haha Another time we drove 6 hours to a healing meeting. We have been to several other meetings that were long distance and I think it's something to keep in mind. There are many healing testimonies out there where Holy Spirit sent a person on a trip to get healed. These two incredible healings stand out in my mind and I highly recommend watching the clips. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th9-R4Rt8_A" target="_blank">This man had Parkinsons</a> and t<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZx6KdCyQfc" target="_blank">his man was a quadriplegic</a>. <br />
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We were never called to do this on our own. <b>Christianity is not a solo journey.</b> The entire basis of the Gospel message is that you can't be saved nor make it to heaven on your own merits or works. We ALL need Jesus to forgive us of our sins and to reconcile us back to God. Interestingly with healing we actually go completely against the Gospel and we tell the sick to “get it on their own” and we tell them that their thoughts play a large role in their health. Something does not add up here. <br />
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Guard yourself against these false teachings which have you locked up in your own mind or are telling you to sit in your house repeating scriptures all day to get healed. This is not the Gospel! Lots of healing ministries cause the sick to become so inner focused, you actually begin to forget that God is pleased with you. This happened to me!<br />
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When you are told to look at your doubts, unbelief, thoughts and roots of sickness, it puts you in such a negative horrible place, the devil will come to devour you. Rejoice that this is not the way the Lord wants us to come to him for healing. Praise God for he is Good!...He is the one whose faith is everlasting. He is faithful when we are not. He is gracious when we stumble. Jesus is THE healer. Not our minds.<br />
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If you are one of those people who have been hurt and have stopped getting prayer, then just make the decision today to starting getting prayer again. God loves you so much and he is not looking for ways to disqualify you from any of the promises he made to us. Make the decision to step out and find a church in your area that believes in healing and start trusting God again for your healing. <br />
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Blessings to everyone! Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540394361537635721.post-39661115146916346942013-08-08T21:16:00.000-04:002013-08-12T10:42:56.212-04:00Natural Healing Is Wisdom of the WorldWhen we give supplement, dietary and health advice, we are no longer acting as ambassadors of Christ. We stop walking in Kingdom knowledge and in the power of Holy Spirit and instead we are spreading natural knowledge, wisdom of men and <u>associating that information</u> with the Word of God. Yet Jesus never ministered healing to someone by telling them to take an herb, go on a diet or to take a supplement and he had full Kingdom knowledge and power of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately people have twisted the meanings of certain scriptures to say that God wants people to use herbs and supplements as another method for his healing power. Yet this is not seen anywhere within Jesus' ministry. <br />
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Herbal remedies or natural health techniques were not demonstrated by Jesus and we know that He is the perfect image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Even the Disciples who learned directly from Jesus never used herbs to heal any person in the multitudes. It was ALWAYS through prayer and through demonstrations of power that healing happened. <br />
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If a person is able to take supplements or herbs and they feel better, then we can Praise God and be Thankful for it. However (and this is where I disagree with a lot of ministers) we also need to accept that this is <i>worldly knowledge</i> and not spiritual knowledge. Doctors and all medical care is included into this as well. It's human and scientific knowledge that has been <i>learned through the advancement</i> of science, medicine and biological studies. We can be thankful for many great things in our day and age. Thank goodness for running water, personal hygiene, antibiotics and emergency doctor care. All of these save many lives today!<br />
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However, you do not need to be a Spirit-filled Christian in order to learn about or learn how to understand the way herbs, supplements or a medicine "work" in the body. It is not revealed to us through God's Spirit, so therefore it is not Kingdom knowledge and <b>has no place in a ministry setting.</b> In a ministry setting you are representing Christ and Christ alone. <br />
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Am I saying we should condemn people who are using natural supplements or are currently going to a doctor? <b>No of course not! </b>I've been to over 50 doctors, used countless supplements and went to many naturopathic and natural minded doctors. I still see doctors and use antibiotics and other things when needed.<br />
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We show love and grace to everyone:<br />
...those who have been helped by doctors. <br />
...those who have been helped by natural medicine.<br />
...those who were <u>hurt</u> by doctors.<br />
...those who were <u>hurt</u> by naturopaths or natural medicine.<br />
...those who have done both, but are still sick and want healed! <br />
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Regardless of which path a person has come from or is currently on, we show them love and grace! When they are ready to accept Jesus as healer and they come for prayer, we show them love and grace! However, within the walls of a church or within a prayer, ministry setting we should never be pushing someone down any other path outside of Jesus.<br />
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If someone comes to you and is in immediate need of medical attention, then you can pray for them as you take them to the hospital or call an ambulance. <br />
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I'm not an ambassador of doctors. I'm not an ambassador of natural health. I'm an ambassador of Christ and that's what you are going to get from me! If you want natural knowledge or wisdom of men, then you have come to the wrong place. ;) You can get that kind of wisdom anywhere. How many churches can you go into and see a demonstration of Jesus as healer? ...Not many.<br />
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We need to be able to look at people with eyes of love no matter what path they have come from. <b>That's why it's so important for the church to stop identifying with all of these other healing methods.</b> <br />
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If we accept doctors and natural medicine as being an extension of what Jesus did, then we may have a hard time ministering to those who were either harmed by or not helped by those methods. We may take offense at the person and may not even believe them, let alone have faith and compassion to pray for them. Sadly I have seen what happens when a minister takes offense when a supplement they recommended actually hurt someone! <br />
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<b>1 Corinthians 2:11-14 [Emphasis mine]</b><br />
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so <i>no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God</i>. Now <i>we have received</i>, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that <i>we might know the things</i> that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. <i>But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God</i>, for they are foolishness to him; <i>nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.</i> <span class="text 1Cor-2-15" id="en-NKJV-28410"></span><br />
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My heart cry is that the church doesn't give in to the ways of the world. We need to heed Paul's words in this chapter of 1 Corinthians and put our faith in Jesus for healing.<br />
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<b>1 Corinthians 2:4-5</b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. </span><br />
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Amen!Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515068888663868718noreply@blogger.com2