December 24, 2011

Updates coming in tne New Year

We'll resume posting after New Year's.  We've made some exciting changes to our ministry and can't wait to announce them in early January.  We hope everyone has a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

December 14, 2011

Healing for Damaged Emotions part 9

The following exercise of renouncement should be done with a person you trust who is saved, Spirit-filled and full of faith. DO NOT DO THIS EXERCISE ALONE! Please understand this is not a quick fix, but a step to release the devil's hold and allow healing to come.  If you need help please email me.

Generational/ancestral sins and the resulting curses
1.  I confess the sin(s) of my ancestors, parents, and myself of __________________________.

2.  I choose to forgive and release them for the sin, the curses, and the resulting consequences in my life. (Be specific).

3.  I ask you to forgive me, Lord, for this sin, for yielding to it and the resulting curses. I receive your forgiveness.

4.  On the basis of your forgiveness, Lord, I choose to forgive myself for involvement in this sin.

5.  I renounce the sin and curses of __________________________. I break this power from my life and from the life of my decendants, through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.

6.  I receive God's freedom from this sin and from the resulting curses. I receive _________________.

December 7, 2011

Healing for Damaged Emotions part 8

OPEN DOORS

Please check if common to you or your family whether past or present.

Occult Involvement and/or Cults, Religions and Societies                                                                                     __Levitation           __Water witching      __Freemasonry            __Shintoism
__Accident proneness  __Mediumship           __Hare Krishna          __Animal spirits
__Mental telepathy       __White magoc         __Hinduism                 __Ouija board
__Wicca                      __Islam                     __Palm reading            __Witchcraft
__Jehovah's Witness    __Astrology              __Past life readings      __Drinking blood
__Job's Daughters        __Black magic          __Pendulum reading    __Drinking urine
__KKK                __Occult books         __Psychic readings      __Own masonic jewelry
__Knights of Columbus  __Psychic healing   __Own occult jewelry  __Masonic
__Reincarnation            __Own pagan fetiches __Moonies                  __Crystal ball
__Satanic worship         __Joined a coven       __Mormonism            __Seances
__Dungeons and Dragons __New Age           __Eight ball                 __Sorcery
__Made a blood oath     __Paganism             __Spells                     __Seen a sacrifice
__Rainbow girls             __ESP                     __Spirit guide             __Seen demons
__Fortune telling      __Used mantras       __Scientology            __ Handwriting analysis
__Superstition               __Visited pagan temples__Shamanism             __Hexing
__Tarot cards               __Horoscopes              __Tea leaves              __Bahai
__Shriners                    __Human sacrifice        __Trance                    __Buddhism
__Knights Templar           __Hypnosis              __TM                         __Christian Science
__The Way                      __I Ching                 __Vampire                  __Druids
__Unitarianism                 __Incantations           __Voodoo                 __Eastern Star

December 2, 2011

Healing for Damaged Emotions Part 7

OPEN DOORS

Please check if common to you or anyone in your family whether past or present.

Infirmities/Disease          Control                        Fears                    Sexual Sin
__Accidents                  __Appeasement            __Anxiety              __Adultery
__Anorexia/Bulimia       __Denial                       __Bewilderment     __Beastiality
__Arthritis                     __Domineering             __Burden               __Defilement
__Asthma                     __Enabling                    __Drread               __Exposure
__Bone/joint problems  __False Responsibility  __Harrassment      __Fantasy Lust
__Cancer                      __Jealousy                   __Heaviness           __Fornication
__Diabetes                    __Manipulation             __Intimidation          __Incest
__Fatigue                      __Passive Aggression  __Mental torment   __Pornography
__Female problems       __Passivity                   __Oversensitivity    __Prostitution
__Heart problems          __Possessiveness       __Paranoia             __Rape
__Lung problems           __Pride                         __Phobia                __Seduction
__Mental illness             __Witchcraft                __Superstition         __Sexual abuse
__MS                                                                  __Worry
__Migraines                                                        __Fears - any kind
__Physical abnormalcy
__Premature death
__Upper respiratory problems

November 28, 2011

Encouraging Words-Why We Should Give Thanks

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 34:1, NIV

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV

I hope all of our American friends had a great Thanksgiving enjoying a bountiful feast, lots of football, and not suffering any casualties during the ensuing shopping frenzy (don’t laugh, it happened).

Brenda and I shared the holiday meal with her family, which is still going through a challenging time after the recent passing of her mother and nephew. As you can imagine, a family experiencing the first major holiday without their matriarch dealt with a wide range of emotions.

Holidays in general can produce some of the most extreme emotions we experience at both ends of the spectrum. When things are good, when we are enjoying abundance, it is the best time to acknowledge and celebrate those blessings. It is also a time when we often miss what we don’t have the most intensely, whether it is material things or loved ones.

It is especially sweet to enjoy the security and opportunities that material wealth can provide, and Brenda and I are more blessed in that area than either of have ever been, either separately or together. While she is well along in the grieving and healing process, it was painful to see other members of her family, already in much more challenging situations than ours, still struggling mightily with the pain of loss and survivors guilt.

I believe the Lord spoke to me when I was asked to offer the blessing before our Thanksgiving meal. I gave thanks for those who were standing in that house, ready to dive into a delicious meal, and also gave thanks for those who weren’t with us, for what they meant to us and will continue to mean in our lives.

You see, giving thanks is not just a good idea. It’s not just a way of humbling ourselves by acknowledging the true source of our blessings (although I believe that is very important).

We should give thanks, first and foremost, because the Bible tells us to. I quote two verses above showing that message very clearly, but there are plenty of others.

The part of that we so often lose track of is to give thanks at ALL times.

Really? Brenda is supposed to give thanks because her mother passed away? No, but she should, and did, give thanks for the life she led, for the impact she had on her family and church, and for the knowledge that she is in heaven feeling no pain and enjoying her glorified body and fellowship with Jesus!

Is Brenda supposed to give thanks for the gaping hole her mother’s passing left in her family? No, but she can give thanks for the opportunity to draw closer to her sisters and nieces, to help them lean more on each other instead of her mother.

Is Brenda supposed to give thanks that her nephew passed away just as it appeared his life was moving it its most positive direction yet? No, but she can be thankful that this led to his daughter and two grandchildren got reconnected with his mother and now have the potential of having a relationship that was previously non-existent.

Our God is a “glass half full” God. In fact, He is always poised to fill the other half back up when some spills out, even though it may not look quite like (or anything like) what was lost. Sometimes we have to look very, very hard, but I believe there will always be something positive our lives can gain from even the worst events or circumstances.

If we have trouble seeing that in the natural, we can always ask the Holy Spirit to point it out to us.

Then we can give thanks, not just because God told us to, but because we want to.

November 24, 2011

Healing for Damaged Emotions Part 6

OPEN DOORS

Please check if common to you or your family whether past or present.

     Anger                        Violence                    Depression                 Grief
__ Abandonment         __Abuse                       __Dejection            __Anguish
__Feuding                   __Arguing                     __Discouragment    __Despair
__Frustration               __Bickering                  __Despair               __Heartbreak
__Hatred                     __Cruelty                     __Despondency      __Loss
__Hostility                   __Cursing                     __Gloominess         __Sorrow
__Murder                     __Death                        __Hopelessness     __Weeping
__Punishment              __Destrction                 __Insomnia                 Shame
__Rage                        __Feuding                     __Misery                __Abandonment
__Resentment             __Hate                          __Oversleeping      __Anger
__Retaliation                __Mocking                   __Sadness              __Bad boy/girl
__Revenge                   __Murder                     __Self-pity               __Condemnation
__Spoiled                     __Retaliation                 __Suicide attempt    __Defilement
__Temper tantrums     __Strife                         __Suicide fantasies  __Different
__Violence                   __Torture                      __Withdrawal          __Disgrace
Unworthiness                 Failure                         Trauma              __Embarrassment
__Inadequacy              __Boom/Bust Cycle       __Abuse - any kind __Guilt
__Inferiority                  __Defeat                        __Accident              __Hatred
__Insecurity                 __Loss                           __Loss                   __Inferiority
__Self-accusation        __Performance              __Imprisoned          __Self-accusation
__Self-condemnation   __Pressure to succeed  __Rape                  __Self-hate
__Self-hate                  __Striving                       __Torture               __Self-pity
__Self-punishment                                             __Violence

Encouraging Music-Thank You" by Brianna Haynes

November 16, 2011

Healing for Damaged Emotions part 5

OPEN DOORS

Please check any that apply to you or anyone in your family whether past or present.

      Unbelief                      Addictions                 Escape                 Rebellion
__Apprehension             __Cocaine                  __Daydreaming    __Contempt
__Double mind              __Downers/uppers     __Fantasy             __Deception
__Doubt                         __Marijuana               __Forgetfulness     __Defiance
__Fear of being wrong   __OTC drugs            __Hopelessness    __Disobedience
__Mistrust                      __Prescription drugs  __Isolation            __Independence
__Rationalism                __Street drugs           __Laziness           __Insubordination
__Skepticism                 __Alcohol                   __Passivity            __Resistance
__Suspicion                  __Caffeine                  __Procrastination  __Self-will
__Uncertainty               __Cigarettes               __Over sleeping    __Self-sufficiency
   Mocking                  __Computers              __Trance               __Stubbornness
__Blaspheming             __Food                      __Withdrawal         __Undermining
__Cursing                    Gambling                      Pride                       Bitterness
__Laughing                 __Internet                   __Arrogance            __Accusation
__Profanity                 __Pornography           __Conceit                __Blaming
__Ridicule                  __Overspending         __Controlling            __Complaining
__Sarcasm                 __Sex                        __Egotistical             __Condemnatino
__Scorn                      __Sports                    __Haughtiness         __Criticalness
Unmotivated              __Television              __Prejudice              __Gossip
__Irresponsibility         __Video Games         __Self-centeredness __Judging
__Laziness                                                    __Self-importance    __Murmuring
__Procrastination                                          __Vanity                    __Ridicule
__Undisciplined                                                                              __Slander
__Unforgiveness

November 14, 2011

Encouraging Words-The Blessing of an Uncluttered Mind

At that time the disciples came toJesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  He called a little child to him, and placedthe child among them.  And hesaid: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, youwill never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position ofthis child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my namewelcomes me. 
Matthew 18:1-5 (NIV)

Brenda and Irecently had the opportunity to attend her great niece’s fifth birthday party,where we were blessed by the fact that the adults clearly outnumbered thefive-year olds.  While I was observingthe somewhat contained chaos that ensued from a safe distance, I was stuck bythe pure enjoyment the kids were having just running around and screaming andbatting balloons. 

These childrenweren’t worrying about going in to work the next day.  They weren’t preoccupied with family problemsor watching their 401(k) tanking.  Theydidn’t even care about the results of the football games that were inprogress.  All they were thinking aboutwas running around and screaming and batting balloons.  Did I mention the screaming?

How great wouldit be to be blessed with such an uncluttered mind?  I’ll bet that sounds pretty appealing. 

I think that isthe core of the text from Matthew 26, where the Lord tells us we should becomelike little children.  When is the lasttime we approached Him with an uncluttered mind?

It’s hard, Iknow, and I’m as guilty as anyone.  Myjob gives me responsibility for overseeing a team of 17 people, and it is rarethat I’m not thinking about something one of them did or needs to do or thatthey will be impacted by.  I try to be agood husband, so I’m thinking about Brenda and things that affect her welfare alot.  When I “relax,” I’m often thinkingabout my Ravens, Terps, and why my fantasy football quarterbacks are justkilling my team.

I have a hardtime clearing my mind when I come to the Lord, approaching Him like a smallchild (if only I had the same trouble acting childish).  God is quite the gentleman; he generally won’tshout at us.  More often, He is thatsmall, soft voice that can easily get drowned out by all of the noise in ourlives. 

It’s our loss,but it disappoints Him also.  God hasgone to a lot of trouble to build a relationship with us.  After all, that’s one of the overarchingthemes of the Bible, from Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to Jesus’ultimate sacrifice for us. 

I don’t think ourLord spends time being angry with us.  Ido think, however, that he misses us. You know how frustrating it is when you’re talking with someone whoreally isn’t paying attention?  Kind ofhurts your feelings, doesn’t it?  SinceGod made us in His image, isn’t it reasonable to think that when we come to himbut aren’t really focused that it hurts His feelings?  I think it does.

Now while I doubtthe Lord wants us to approach Him with the attention span of a five-year old(although a lot of us already do), He does look for an uncluttered mind, onethat is receiving Him and only Him.  Howcan we do that?  Here are a couple of wordsI will focus on and encourage you to consider—priority and trust.

The urgency oflife realistically prevents us from consciously making God our priority every wakingminute, but I think it is critical that we intentionally set some time asideevery day to do just that.  All rightGod, I’m turning off the TV, turning off my computer, turning off my phone, andtuning in to you.  Pray out loud, readscripture, or just meditate on Him and listen to what He has to say, but let’smake sure to have some quality time with the Lord.

How can we turneverything off, something might happen we need to know about.  How can I turn off all the noise in my mind,I have so much I need to be thinking about. Trust Him.  Trust that the worldwill not figuratively come to an end while you’re not paying attention.  Trust in the Lord that He has something tobless you with when you spend time with Him. Trust that He will show you a way to get things done, even when you’reoverwhelmed, after you take time out for Him.

God won’t shoutthrough the noise in our lives, but he will richly bless the quiet, unclutteredmind.  We just need to bring it to Him.

November 9, 2011

Healing for Damaged Emotions part 4

OPEN DOORS

Please check if common to you or your family whether past or present.
Abandonment            Performance             Finances                          Deception
__Abdication              __Competition            __Bankruptcy                   __Cheating
__Blocked intimacy    __Envy                       __Cheating                       __Stealing
__Desertion                __Jealousy                 __Covetousness                __Confusion
__Divorce                   __People pleasing       __Debt                             __Denial
__Isolation                  __Perfectionism          __Deception                      __Fraudulence
__Loneliness               __Possessiveness     __Delinquency                  __Infidelity
__Neglect                   __Rivalry                    __Dishonesty                     __Lying
__Rejection                __Striving                    __Failure                           __Secretiveness
__Separation              __Workaholism           __Greed                           __Self-deception
__Self-pity                    Religion                   __Idolatry of possessions  __Treachery
__Victimization           __Anti-christ                __Irresponsible spending   __Treason
   Rejection               __Betrayal                   __Job failures                    __Trickery
__Expected rejection __Denominationalism __Job losses                 __Untrustworthiness
__Perceived rejection  __Division                   __Lack                           Mental
__Self rejection           __Hypocrisy                __Neglect                      __Craziness
   Anxiety                   __Injustice                   __Poverty                      __Compulsion
__Burden                    __Legalism                  __Robbery                     __Confusion
__False Responsibiliy  __New Age practices  __Not tithing                  __Distraction
__Fatigue                    __Religiosity                __Stealing                      __Hallucinations
__Heaviness                __Excessive rules      __Stinginess                  __Hysteria
__Nervousness            __Spiritual pride                                               __Insanity
__Restlessness          __Traditionalism                                                __Paranoia
__Weariness                __Unforgiveness                                               __Schizophrenia
__Worry