Exhortation and encouragement.
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DEFEATING DEPRESSION PART3 PartB
Psalms 119:25
The Threshold of Forgiveness
As I was writing “the book of my pain” down, I felt terrible grief and terrible anger, but when I detected all the lies that I had believed, I moved from ANGER to REPENTANCE. I began to ask YAH’S forgiveness and I began to forgive myself, God and others that I thought I held nothing against. I had uncovered all the pain and grief in my heart and the lies that I believed were exposed to the light. My wellbeing was at hand!
“He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confess and forsake them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
Declare Truth over the Lies!
Once I finished doing that, The Holy Spirit told me to take a marker and highlight all the lies that I detected on the paper! That was a very relieving activity, the lies were now highlighted and IN THE OPEN! They could not hide as snakes in the darkness any more and they could not “bite me”. I did this with GUSTO! Then He told me to find a Scripture that opposed that lie and to declare it one time over the lie! The Word of YAHVEH is SO POWERFUL that it works better than a laser beam! Only one time of declaring His Eternal Word over the painful lies caused them to be DISMANTLED in my mind and to leave me forever! And with it, PAIN ALSO LEFT!
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” Psalms 119:105
Remember my previous statement?
“The more lies that you believe, the more pain that you will have. The les lies, the less pain. No lies, no pain”
I will add one more thing: Pain functions inside of you as a BLOCK to the flow of the Holy Spirit and His Glory, so:
“The more pain, the less Glory, the less pain, the more Glory. No PAIN, ALL GLORY!
So, this is the secret to an unhindered flow of anointing:
Get rid of the lies, get rid of the pain and get filled with His Glory!
After these three days retreat, DEPRESSION LEFT ME and the Glory of Elohim began to flow unhindered in me. My external circumstances did not change, my daughter was still as sick as ever, but I had changed! I also understood that I was to do MAINTENANCE every month. And so every month I go on a 3-7 day retreat in order to maintain myself FREE FROM LIES, FREE FROM PAIN and FREE FROM DEPRESSION! Maybe you only need one day where I needed three days, but by all means do not delay to retreat yourself with YÂ’shua and follow the instructions of this chapter. You will thank Him and me forever! YOU ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR PAIN! While my daughter was not instantly healed but rather her condition grew worse, I had the inner fortitude now to keep going and one and a half years later, she was released from the hospital in FULL REMISSION! Today she is a blooming flower. To our marvelous Heavenly Father be ALL the glory!
Redirecting my course
On the following morning I came out to our morning prayer meeting, where The Holy Spirit showed me that I had broken my vow to be traveling to the nations. I had made that vow right after my salvation, but because of Adi’s illness I broke the vow for I was trying to rescue her, so in my mind I couldn’t possibly travel anymore. As I said above, I could not heal her not even after three years of standing by faith and declaring the Word. I had tried everything and nothing worked! But when I got rid of the lies, the pain and the depression , my ears were open to hear the rebuke of The Lord. I had forsaken Apostolic Ministry trying to ‘save’ my daughter. My husband told me later that no one could talk to me about this prior to my life changing retreat! I was too full of pain to LISTEN! Now, after you are free from pain and depression, LISTEN to His direction for your life. He will probably REDIRECT YOUR COURSE. Be prompt to obey and live to the fullest of what He has designed you to do! I immediately began to travel again, in spite of my daughter’s strong objection! Had I not obeyed Elohim’s instruction, I doubt that she would have been alive today, had I not rid myself of lies, guilt and worthlessness, I would have not been able to go in spite of all opposition from my daughter’s side. Once you are free from lies, you will have new strength to stand and to obey. Once you obey, you will experience His back up, support and blessing. Remember to maintain yourself free from lies and pain at all times! The enemy will throw you ‘curb balls’ often but if you are free from lies and pai n, you will come out on top at all times!
“And it shall come to pass, if you hear diligently unto the voice of Yahveh thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command you this day, that the Yahveh your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you hear unto the voice of Yhaveh your God.” Deuteronomy 28:1,2
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DEFEATING DEPRESSION PART3 PartC
FREEDOM FROM PAIN WILL BE FREEDOM FROM DEPRESSION AND AN UNHINDERED FLOW OF HIS ABUNDANT LIFE AND GLORY!
Remember the steps to follow:
1.Take time to have a prayer retreat, disconnect all phones and allow NO ONE to interrupt you!
2.When you are in, dedicate it to The Lord and ask The Holy Spirit to help you find what hurts you.
3.Ask yourself what hurts you?
4.Write your pain down in full honesty
5.Weep and shout if you need to! Make sure that you are in a private place so no one tries to ‘rescue you’.
6.Once you realize that you have been believing lies about yourself, God and your situation go into repentance and forgiveness. Highlight the lies that you have detected
7.Match Scripture against EVERY lie and declare it once by saying: Example- “The following is a LIE: ‘God hates me’, the TRUTH is that ‘God so loved ME that He sent His only son…”. Remember that His Word works better than a laser beam so use it against each lie, please be thorough!
8.You are FREE. Now praise Him for His deliverance!
9.Hide his Word in your heart and meditate on it ALWAYS! “Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you” Psalms 119:11
10.Take time to LISTEN to His instruction.
Rededicate your life to Truth and Freedom and to do His Will at all times!
“The entirety of Your Word is truth” “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” Psalms 119:160, John 8:32
We love you and care for you!
Your friends in Israel
Bishop Dominiquae and Rabbi Baruch Bierman
© Bishop Dr Dominiquae Bierman 2006 - Permission is granted (and we encourage you) to distribute these writings. You may reprint in hard copy form, send to your e-mail lists and post them on your website. You must not alter any writings and you must keep all the author information on the writings, including the following: Kad-Esh MAP Ministries, www.kad-esh.org. This copyright notice must also remain. For all other permissions and enquires including publishing, please contact [email protected] -
Paul Keith and Wanda Davis: "BE CAREFUL NOT TO PROPHESY ACCORDING TO FOX NEWS OR CNN"
Questions and Answers
By Paul Keith Davis
In this months newsletter, I thought it might be fruitful to answer some questions we have been asked, which are applicable to the corporate church. These questions/answers were primarily taken from a television interview done earlier this year. I hope it is helpful!
Question: What do you think about the present conflict in Israel?
Answer: One of the most important aspects of answering that question, is to be careful not to prophesy according to Fox News or CNN. The prophetic voice of the congregations must hear directly from the Lord to outline His thoughts on this situation rather than the thoughts of man.
With that said, I must say that the only thing the Lord has spoken to me concerning the conflict, came on the second day of military action. I asked the Lord what was taking place, and the answer came back a little surprising. He said "realignment."
Although we are genuinely saddened by the loss of life within both the Arab and Jewish community and the hardship placed upon the citizenry, the end result will be beneficial to Israel.
Unfortunately, political decisions have been made concerning the land of Israel that are not consistent with the plan and desire of Heaven. As a result, these kinds of conflicts become necessary to realign earthly perspectives with that of Heaven. I believe it was a monumental mistake to relinquish Gaza or any of the other land previously restored to Israel.
Continued.... -
part2...
Hopefully, our political leadership will continue to support Israel and the prophetic destiny of the land. In so doing, it will help position us for God's grace and favor essential to effectively move forward into the 21st century.
Question: What are some of the things the Lord is speaking to you concerning the 21st century congregation?
Answer: Presently, God's people who have embraced the grooming and preparatory season, are about to transition into something fresh and new. I believe the last ten years in particular have been intense preparation. Many people have been through various forms of refining. It has been a difficult season but necessary; it has been allowed for a higher purpose.
One of the things I see the Lord doing right now is helping people understand what they have been through. We are presently about to transition into a new day and the grooming has been essential. The Lord spoke very clearly to us while in Wales that "Moses My servant is dead." We are about to transition into the Joshua anointing.
This perspective is speaking of a parenthetical season of time that we as the modern believers have been in for the last 120 years. That season has now ended and the Congregations has come back around to Kadesh Barnea. This is the place in Israel's history, where they missed the opportunity to enter into the Lord's promise and ended up wandering for the next 38 years. We are now being re-offered the opportunity to cross over into the promise of God missed by the previous generation.
I believe this is an incredible season to take ground spiritually. I believe it is an opportunity to apprehend promises. Change is going to be apparent in this year and those to come. I think it is going to be a fruitful season for those who have allowed God's hand to prepare and equip them.
Question: You travel extensively. What are some of the things you are seeing God do in the various places that you travel?
Answer: Primarily, we are seeing people gain understanding of God's dealings in their life and Congregations. By understanding the process, we are much more fruitfully capable of emerging quickly and effectively. In the last year, we have seen people apprehend the Spirit of Understanding more abundantly than any time before.
It is as though people have been going through some spiritual process, but now the Lord is giving comprehension of the importance of the process and the end result of it. This revelation allows people to fully engage in His dealings and relinquish them to the Lord who then releases them into their destiny.
Throughout the assemblies of God, there has been a remnant of people being prepared for something significant. It will be a "first-fruits harvest." Particularly, during the last year, we saw various places where the spiritual climate was being transformed by the injection of God's presence.
When we are able to touch God's heart with our desperation for Him, it releases an authority and anointing that literally changes a region. For instance, we were just in a particular city and held a conference that the Lord blessed. Many leaders who were not even a part of the conference called the host pastor and acknowledged that the conference changed the atmosphere over the region. They were seeing a fruitfulness that was not present before the conference.
This is an example of how the Lord can change the spiritual climate of a region and impact the entirety of His people. It is a principle of the Kingdom. Throughout the assemblies of God's people, the Lord is changing the spiritual atmosphere over gatherings and regions, and establishing boundaries and borders that present the revelation of His kingdom.
Question: Of all the stories in the Bible, who is your favorite character?
Answer: Well, it is hard to say anyone is my favorite without first acknowledging and including the Lord Yeshua. However, outside of His own death, burial, and resurrection, I would have to say the Lord has spoken to me more profoundly from the book and life of Daniel.
Daniel's experience in chapter 10, about the angel Gabriel coming to him and speaking to him from the books of Truth is profound. I believe it is one of my favorites because I have spent so much time lately, understanding the spiritual ramifications of that passage. What Daniel saw then is directly applicable to our day and the present condition of God's covenant people.
Daniel saw something for the end-of-time generation. He offered the incredible prayer of repentance in Daniel 9, which opened the door to experience the visitation of Daniel 10. There is evidence that the Lord Himself, appeared to Daniel along with Gabriel in this incredible divinely granted appearance. Daniels revelation of God's Kingdom is directly pertinent to our day. Even the life of Daniel is a prototype and spiritually typical of today's leadership.
Daniel saw incredible revelations that were not relevant to his day, but were sealed in a book that is now accessible. The seven sealed book has been opened by the Lord Yeshua who now comes placing His feet on the land and sea as pillars of fire (Revelation 10). He is now offering that book to a bridal company who will take it and spiritually devour it. They must then prophesy that revelation to the nations of the earth.
Question: Of all the revelations the Lord has given to you, which is your favorite?
Answer: Every supernatural encounter is precious. It is hard to distinguish one as being more superior to another. Nevertheless, the ones that include the Lord Yeshua would have to be the most memorable.
continued... -
part3...
Probably the one that most profoundly changed me was the time that I was taken into the Lord's courtroom. I had been ardently pursuing "ministry" and ministry gifts for years. I had studied the lives of Smith Wigglesworth, Maria Woodworth-Etter, Kathyrn Kuhlman, William Branham, and others, and developed an insatiable desire to see God's power and truth manifested in our ministry. That hunger still exits but now from a different perspective.
It was my desire for the Lord to use me as He had them. Therefore, at the time of the visitation I had been in passionate pursuit of ministry. Before that encounter I had literally listed the many spiritual endowments I felt necessary to achieve our mandate. They were all Biblical and sound principles, but my primary focus had been the pursuit of those attributes. However, in my experience, as I was escorted into the Lord's courtroom, my priorities were about to shift.
As the angels were escorting me into the room, I could see the Lord standing at the opposite end. I intuitively knew that in this place you could ask for any request and the power was present to grant it. In that realm of the Spirit, the possibilities are endless.
As I made my way toward the Lord, I literally fell at the feet of the Yeshua Adonai. Although I was mindful of my "ministry request list," it suddenly didn't seem to have the importance that it did before. Certainly those things are necessary to fulfill our mandate. Nevertheless, my sole desire at the time was to remain in that place with Him forever. The only request my lips could utter was for the Lord to remove the evil of my heart that I became aware of in His presence.
This experience changed my pursuit from that of ministry, to the Person of the Yeshua Adonai. Without question, we have an incredible mandate being placed upon our generation to bring in the harvest, heal the sick, and deliver the oppressed. However, we can more fruitfully accomplish that directive by pursuing the person of the Yeshua Adonai, and becoming the reflection of His image. Then we can be entrusted with even greater mantels of revelation and power essential for the harvest.
Our greatest mandate is to pursue Him.
by Paul Keith and Wanda Davis
White Dove Ministries
www.whitedoveministries.org -
The Ultimate Franchise
Luke 2:49
And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?
Earth is God's business. He has set up many franchises (churches) designed to send His representatives (Body of Christ) into the world to make known the best product ever given to mankind (Jesus). His branch managers (pastors) have been given the responsibility to teach and support those in the field. God's goal is to establish a franchise in every nation, state, and city. It is the ultimate business because when you introduce someone to His product (Jesus), you receive a reward from the home office (Heaven). God has promised that His representatives will have all the tools and customer support needed to accomplish their strategic plans.
Jesus knew that He was to be about His Father's business. He knew He was sent to earth not to enjoy the pleasures of lowly man, but to accomplish a task for which He alone was sent. When He had accomplished His mission, He was to entrust this mission to other representatives into whom He poured His life for three years. This field training allowed Jesus to mentor, model, befriend, and demonstrate firsthand the model for a successful business to be launched and sustained.
God has big plans for His franchise. He wants every human being to partake of His product; however, even God knows that not everyone will. Nevertheless, this does not thwart His efforts in seeking to make it known among His audience.
You have been called to be part of the ultimate franchise. How many new recruits have you been responsible for bringing into the franchise lately? -
Hidden Heroes
by Max Lucado
A revival can begin with one sermon. History proves it. John Egglen had never preached a sermon in his life. Never.
WasnÂ’t that he didnÂ’t want to, just never needed to. But then one morning he did. The snow left his town of Colchester, England, buried in white. When he awoke on that January Sunday in 1850, he thought of staying home. Who would go to church in such weather?
But he reconsidered. He was, after all, a deacon. And if the deacons didnÂ’t go, who would? So he put on his boots, hat, and coat and walked the six miles to the Methodist Church.
He wasnÂ’t the only member who considered staying home. In fact, he was one of the few who came. Twelve members and one visitor. Even the minister was snowed in. Someone suggested they go home. Egglen would hear none of that. TheyÂ’d come this far; they would have a service. Besides, they had a visitor. A thirteen-year-old boy.
But who would preach? Egglen was the only deacon. It fell to him.
And so he did. His sermon lasted only ten minutes. It drifted and wandered and made no point in an effort to make several. But at the end, an uncharacteristic courage settled upon the man. He lifted his eyes and looked straight at the boy and challenged: “Young man, look to Jesus. Look! Look! Look!”
Did the challenge make a difference? Let the boy, now a man, answer. “I did look, and then and there the cloud on my heart lifted, the darkness rolled away, and at that moment I saw the sun.”
The boyÂ’s name? Charles Haddon Spurgeon. EnglandÂ’s prince of preachers.
Did Egglen know what heÂ’d done? No. Do heroes know when they are heroic? Rarely. Are historic moments acknowledged when they happen?
You know the answer to that one. (If not, a visit to the manger will remind you.) We seldom see history in the making, and we seldom recognize heroes.
But weÂ’d do well to keep our eyes open. TomorrowÂ’s Spurgeon might be mowing your lawn. And the hero who inspires him might be nearer than you think.
He might be in your mirror. -
Psalm 103:15
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
Deanna built a career on her looks. She had been the dream girl of Hollywood and had loved living the fast life. Now, her looks were fading and Deanna had nothing to fall back on. She had believed her charmed life would never end, but the hard reality was that she no longer could bank on her beauty.
We are given each day as a gift. Once a day is gone, it can never be recaptured. Too often we live our lives as if they are going to go on forever just as they are. Lives change, and we need to be ready to change with them. God helps us to accept where we are and to grow to new levels of maturity. Before this day passes and is gone, call upon the Lord to help you make the most of it. Then, when the new day dawns, be ready for the challenges it brings.
Prayer:
Help me to live for what is important this day, so that I might truly be ready for all the days to come. Your gifts are so won derful, Lord. Please don't allow me to take them for granted. Amen. -
Product Testing
By OS Hillman
Matthew 25:21
His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
Testing allows one to discover how well a product is made when placed under extreme stress. Increasing the pulling pressure between two objects reveals the amount of tension that can be withstood in a chain link. Eventually, the "choking" point occurs. In sports, we ascertain the "choking" point for athletes by putting them into a pressure situation. At what point will the athlete lose concentration and collapse under the pressure? It is under these stressful times that we discover how well we have been trained to withstand the pressure and make right decisions regardless of outside influences.
In my younger days I played sports. I came to observe that we fail under pressure usually because we reach a point where our ability to focus on execution yields to concern about outcome. This worry about outcome forces us to lose our concentration. The fear of failure begins to rule our emotions and actions, which ultimately results in our failure. What we fear has come upon us. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In life, we see giving in to pressure in the form of compulsive behavior, withdrawal, anger, abuse, moral failure, and dishonesty, to name just a few manifestations.
Jesus never yielded to pressure. He never made decisions based on outcome. He always made the right decision. He always performed the same no matter what the circumstance. He lived a life based on absolutes, not circumstances. He never gave in to "situational ethics."
As God entrusts us with more and more responsibility, He brings more and more pressures into our lives to "test the product," to make sure that He can give even more responsibility to us. This process helps us see where we are in our maturity and determines our level of future responsibility.
Are you a product that can withstand the product test? Will you perform as the Maker designed no matter what outside pressures come? Know that you cannot perform well unless you are continually in relationship with and obedient to the one who made you. Trust the product developer today. He has made you to perform well under pressure. -
Streams in the Desert
compiled by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
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Our Dependency on Christ
"We are troubled on every side" (2 Cor. 7:5).
Why should God have to lead us thus, and allow
the pressure to be so hard and constant? Well, in
the first place, it shows His all-sufficient
strength and grace much better than if we were
exempt from pressure and trial. "The treasure is
in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the
power may be of God, and not of us."
It makes us more conscious of our dependence upon
Him. God is constantly trying to teach us our
dependence, and to hold us absolutely in His hand
and hanging upon His care.
This was the place where Jesus Himself stood and
where He wants us to stand, not with
self-constituted strength, but with a hand ever
leaning upon His, and a trust that dare not take
one step alone. It teaches us trust.
There is no way of learning faith except by
trial. It is God's school of faith, and it is far
better for us to learn to trust God than to enjoy
life.
The lesson of faith once learned, is an
everlasting acquisition and an eternal fortune
made; and without trust even riches will leave us
poor. --Days of Heaven upon Earth
"Why must I weep when others sing?
'To test the deeps of suffering.'
Why must I work while others rest?
'To spend my strength at God's request.'
Why must I lose while others gain?
'To understand defeat's sharp pain.'
Why must this lot of life be mine
When that which fairer seems is thine?
'Because God knows what plans for me
Shall blossom in eternity.'" -
"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wiltÂ…" (Matthew 26:39).
When you submit yourself to God's will like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, you remain connected to His perfect plan for your life. -
"And let the peace of God rule in your heartsÂ…" (Colossians 3:15).
Let peace be your guide. If you don't have a "release" in your spirit to go through with something, don't do it. That is the Holy Spirit's way of keeping you out of danger. -
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" (Psalm 55:22).
When you are under pressure and stress, turn your cares over to God. He will uphold you even in the midst of trials and tribulations. -
Good to see you using "God", "Holy Spirit" and "Jesus" again.
-
err... not me not me...Originally posted by Chin Eng:Good to see you using "God", "Holy Spirit" and "Jesus" again.
posted from a friend who sent it through... -
aaahhhh.... another cut-and-paste. 
-
DEFEATING DEPRESSION PART 4 PartA
Depression- from WebsterÂ’s New Unabridged Dictionary
Low spirits, gloominess, dejection, sadness, a decrease in force, activity, amount, and a decrease in functional activity. An emotional condition either normal or pathological characterized by discouragement, a feeling of inadequacy, the act of humbling abasement as a depression of pride. Abasement, reduction, sinking, fall, humiliation, dejection, melancholy.
Disappointment and Depression
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick” Proverbs 13:12
One of the major causes for depression is deep disappointment, the Word of God calls it- “hope deferred”, in other words a certain hope that never becomes a reality or that delays in materializing. Depression is exactly the opposite of expectation. In most cases depression is accompanied by a sense of hopelessness or “what’s the use”. This feeling is normally based on experience, for example: “I have been praying for 18 years for my family to be saved and have seen no answered prayer” or “my husband has promised me thousands of times that he will change but he never does” or “God promised me through a prophetic word that I will do great things for Him but I am still working as a simple clerk”, “I believe that by His stripes I am healed and yet my physical condition is not improved”, “I was hoping to have a great family life and my marriage ended in divorce”, “I have done my best to reconcile with my parents and yet they still reject me”, etc… These are some of the many complaints of someone that has been deeply disillusioned by God, people and life.
When the disappointment goes deep enough, it causes a feeling of deep hurt, bitterness and then despondency; the attitude will be of great mistrust in YAH {God}, His Word and people. There is a point where there are no more expectations of life and thoughts of death begin to plague your mind, some people even contemplate suicide and all this is caused by DISAPPOINTMENT. You expected something to happen that:
A} did not happen and will never happen
B} did not happen in your time frame and you believe therefore that it will never happen
Your mind then decides to either cope with this reality in a positive way or to quit expecting anything at all. When it decides to quit- this is DEPRESSION and it can be dangerous.
Disappointments, Disappointments, Disappointments
First of all let me make a statement here: Disappointments are part of life as much as breathing and eating, all of us at one time or another will suffer some disappointments. The question is our choice of reaction when they come. There are some disappointments that need more processing than others, in every case PROCESSING IS NEEDED and DENIAL IS A KILLER.
A disappointment is like walking through a dead end street. You expected to find an exit and you canÂ’t go on lest you TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER WAY.
Disappointment from people
Since we are all imperfect humans, we will all disappoint someone at some time. So, we need to take into consideration that as much as people have disappointed us, we most probably have disappointed some people. In that sense we are all in the same boat! However it is necessary to process and to acknowledge the disappointment, the broken promise that have caused your heart to become sick. If you went through a divorce, there is a broken promise there, if your father or mother committed suicide, they have broken their promises to you, if they abandoned and rejected you, it is the same. Then disappointment and mistrust will set in.
Important exercise: Write down a list of all those that have disappointed you, broken their promises or broken your trust. Acknowledge your pain first and even mourn for the lost relationship. Then go ahead and forgive and begin your healing process!
continued... -
Defeating Depression Part4 PartB
Forgiveness
Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Y’shua said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21,22
The only way out of depression due to the disappointment of people is FORGIVENESS. Complete forgiveness and being willing to trust again. Unforgiveness and mistrust are a lot more dangerous than taking the risk of being disappointed again. YÂ’shua said if your brother sins against you forgive him 70 times 7, in other words endlessly! He knew that our loved ones were going to disappoint us and the antidote was CONTINUAL FORGIVENESS. Choosing to trust again is pivotal for recovery! It is better to take that risk than to live in the emptiness of constant mistrust. This is possible only if you trust God above men, because then you will know that He is able to heal you every time that people break your trust. What can keep us sane when people fail us is the humility to realize that we have also failed people many times and so we need constant mercy and forgiveness and second and third chances, so we are willing to extend that to others. Some people are too prideful, thinking that they are a lot better than others and they fail to see that they too have acted sinfully against others, so they do not forgive and refuse to trust again. Pride and unforgiveness will keep you depressed!
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14
Disappointment in yourself
If you are disappointed in yourself, you need to process it, acknowledge it and forgive yourself.
Important Exercise: Write down a list of all the people that you have disappointed, including yourself and God. Write down all the promises that you have broken to yourself and to others. Go ahead and REPENT by,
A} Asking GodÂ’s forgiveness
B} Asking people to forgive you
C} Making a new commitment for change
Do not ever be afraid to TRY AGAIN. only found the formula for electricity after trying 10.000 times and failing. He never gave up and he did not see the 10.000 futile attempts as failure but as “10.000 ways how not to do it!”, finally due to his tenacious perseverance, he succeeded and due to that we enjoy electricity today!!! Had it not been for his positive attitude you could not use a computer, or read by a night light, there would be no high tech to speak about. Just imagine how much your life depends on electricity! So, yes maybe you are not going to succeed right away but NEVER quit trying!
FORGIVE YOURSELF AND TRY AGAIN, NEVER STOP TRYING UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH! LIFE IS WORTH LIVING TO THE FULLEST EVEN IF THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES!
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10
Disappointment in God
For the vision is yet for an appointed time. But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come. It will not tarry. “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:3,4
Many, many people are angry and disappointed with The Almighty. The reasons for this are:
A} Expecting the Almighty to do things our way
B} Expecting Him to do it in our time frame
Both of them are called PRESUMPTION
Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Isaiah 29:16
Presumption is rooted in pride and in our own interpretation of Elohim-God and of His Word and Ways. We need to separate between the written Word of YAHVEH and His revealed Word. When He speaks a Word to you in your innermost being and even confirms it through a prophecy, then you can stand on it and believe for it, obey His instructions and wait UNTIL it comes to pass. Take into consideration that waiting on this word will test your patience and perseverance and it will most likely not come to pass when you expect it. It will probably come as a “suddenly” when you least expect it!
His written Word gives us many promises and most of them are conditional, in most cases you will see the word IF.
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of Yahweh your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Deuteronomy 28:1-3
In other words, you cannot expect them to come to pass unless you fulfill His requirements, and even when you do {at least in your own eyes}, it will still happen in GodÂ’s timing and not yours! If you do not understand these principles early in your walk with YAH {God} through YÂ’shua, you will have built up frustration, anger, disappointment and mistrust in Him and eventually you will also suffer from some type of depression.
This is the dead end street I had mentioned before; it really leads NOWHERE, so the only option is to TURN and to find ANOTHER WAY. This other way is the way of humility and trust
Important exercise: Write down in what manner has YAH {God} disappointed or frustrated you. Forgive Him, ask His forgiveness for your pride, presumption or mistrust, forgive yourself, forgive others and begin a new lifestyle!
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19
continued... -
Defeating Depression Part4 PartC
Word Medication: Write down for yourself a WORD PRAYER about the faithfulness of God of at least five scriptures and declare them day and night until they become part of you!
The prophet Habakkuk knew the secret of trusting Elohim at all times, even during the painful time of banishment and exile,
Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in Yahweh, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Yahweh God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments. Habakkuk 3:17-19
When you choose the way of trust, though you may not see anything encouraging with your natural eye, you will enjoy His strength and His joy!
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on Yahweh Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
As you choose to trust your Father in Heaven against all odds, you keep persevering, forgiving and loving you will never fail and depression will flee!
Trusting Elohim unconditionally is closely linked with the Fear of God. When we fear Him, we will not consider breaking His commandments as an option and we will know that we cannot exercise manipulation to make Him act, however true faith and even desperate faith and trust will move Him. A person that fears YAHVEH can also trust Him FULLY, thus he can walk completely WHOLE in the midst of all circumstances!
“For you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings” Malachi 4:20
May His healing break forth speedily for you as you apply these instructions!
We love you and care for you
Your friends in Israel
Bishop Dominiquae and Rabbi Baruch Bierman
© Bishop Dr Dominiquae Bierman 2006 - Permission is granted (and we encourage you) to distribute these writings. You may reprint in hard copy form, send to your e-mail lists and post them on your website. You must not alter any writings and you must keep all the author information on the writings, including the following: Kad-Esh MAP Ministries, www.kad-esh.org. This copyright notice must also remain. For all other permissions and enquires including publishing, please contact [email protected] -
Returning from the East
by Max Lucado
Somewhere Oswald Chambers wrote: “Christians must occasionally travel under sealed orders.” Such was the case for a group of us who traveled to China in August. Though we think we know the purpose of the trip, I’m confident that the real orders were seen only by spiritual forces.
Our groups consisted of ministers, representatives of two Christian colleges, a representative of Focus on the Family, a publishing delegate, a lawyer, and John Bentley, the trip facilitator and director of an orphanage in China. Our goal was simple: extend the hand of Christian friendship to high-ranking government officials in China. By his grace we were granted audiences with
- The China Social Service Commission
- The State Department
- The Department of Religion
- The Communist Party Department of International Understanding
Each meeting lasted 45 minutes to an hour. The first three meetings began with prepared speeches from the official explaining China's position on a variety of matters, but especially religion. The meetings were gracious and hospitable. In each case, our message to them was simple and identical...we extend the hand of goodwill and hope that we can enhance our relationship. We told them that we come more in the name of Jesus than in the name of a country and would like the chance to display the love of Christ through good works in China.
It was no small moment when one of the communist leaders made the statement: “We receive you as ambassadors of the love of Jesus.”
Let me also mention how cooperative the US Embassy has been. Thanks to their intervention, the meetings we feared had fallen through were held. They hosted our delegation at the embassy and encouraged us to keep up this mission.
I learned so much about the work of God in China:
- Estimates as high as 100 million Christians.
- Persecution in many cases is lessening as the country becomes more open in its understanding. ItÂ’s no longer necessary to smuggle Bibles; indeed we visited a Christian book store near the university district of Beijing.
- While the country is known for its Communist regime or exploding economy, fastest in the history of the world, it should be known for its delightful people. The people are so quick to smile and happy to serve. They are, indeed, a special nationÂ…worthy of every effort to tell them about Christ.
Max Lucado
***** -
School's First Day
by Max Lucado
“Jenna, wake up. It’s time to go to school.”
She will hear those words a thousand times in her life. But she heard them for the first time this morning.
I sat on the edge of her bed for a while before I said them to her. To tell the truth, I didnÂ’t want to say them. I didnÂ’t want to wake her. As I sat in the silence, I realized that my words would awaken her to a new world.
For four lightning-fast years sheÂ’d been ours, and ours alone. And now that was all going to change.
I didnÂ’t want to wake her up because I didnÂ’t want to give her up.
But I woke her anyway. I interrupted her childhood with the inevitable proclamation, “Jenna, wake up.… It’s time to go to school.”
I knew it was time. I knew it was right. And I knew she would be fine. I gave her up as much as I could today.
TodayÂ’s events took it from black-and-white theology to Technicolor reality.
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31, 32)
I was releasing Jenna into a safe environment with a compassionate teacher who stood ready to wipe away any tears. You, Father, released Jesus into a hostile arena with a cruel soldier who turned the back of your son into raw meat.
I gave up my child fully aware that were she to need me I would be at her side in a heartbeat. You said good-bye to your son fully aware that when he would need you the most, when his cry of despair would roar through the heavens, you would sit in silence. The angels, though positioned, would hear no command from you. Your son, though in anguish, would feel no comfort from your hands.
Before the day was over, I sat in silence a second time. This time not beside my daughter, but before my Father. This time not sad over what I had to give, but grateful for what I’d already received—living proof that God does care. -
Making Room for Atheism
John Piper
Our church exists “to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.” That is our mission. “All things” means business, industry, education, media, sports, arts, leisure, government, and all the details of our lives.
Ideally this means God should be recognized and trusted as supreme by every person he has made. But the Bible teaches plainly that there will never be a time before Jesus comes back when all people will honor him as supreme (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).
So how do we express a passion for GodÂ’s supremacy in a pluralistic world where most people do not recognize God as an important part of their lives, let alone an important part of government or education or business or industry or art or recreation or entertainment?
Answer: We express a passion for the supremacy of God...
1) by maintaining a conviction at all times that God is ever-present and gives all things their most important meaning. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Governor of all things. We must keep in our minds the truth that all things exist to reveal something of GodÂ’s infinite perfections. The full meaning of everything, from shoestrings to space shuttles, is the way they relate to God.
2) by trusting God in every circumstance to use his creative, sustaining, governing wisdom and power to work all things together for the good of all who love him. This is faith in the future grace of all that God promises to be for us in Jesus.
3) by making life choices that reveal the supreme worth of God above what the world values supremely. “The steadfast love of the Lord is better than life” (Psalm 63:3). So we will choose to die rather than lose sweet fellowship with God. This will show his supremacy over all that life offers.
4) by speaking to people of GodÂ’s supreme worth in creative and persuasive ways, and by telling people how they can be reconciled to God through Christ, so that they can enjoy GodÂ’s supremacy as protection and help, rather than fear it as judgment.
5) by making clear that God himself is the foundation for our commitment to a pluralistic democratic order — not because pluralism is his ultimate ideal, but because in a fallen world, legal coercion will not produce the kingdom of God. Christians agree to make room for non-Christian faiths (including naturalistic, materialistic faiths), not because commitment to God’s supremacy is unimportant, but because it must be voluntary, or it is worthless. We have a God-centered ground for making room for atheism. “If my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight” (John 18:36). The fact that God establishes his kingdom through the supernatural miracle of faith, not firearms, means that Christians in this age will not endorse coercive governments — Christian or secular.
This is why we resist the coercive secularization implied in some laws that repress Christian activity in public places. It is not that we want to establish Christianity as the law of the land. That is intrinsically impossible, because of the spiritual nature of the kingdom. It is rather because repression of free exercise of religion and persuasion is as wrong against Christians as it is against secularists.
We believe this tolerance is rooted in the very nature of the gospel of Christ. In one sense, tolerance is pragmatic: freedom and democracy seem to be the best political order humans have conceived.
But for Christians it is not purely pragmatic: the spiritual, relational nature of GodÂ’s kingdom is the ground of our endorsement of pluralism, until Christ comes with rights and authority that we do not have.
Originally published in A Godward Life (Multnomah, 1997) -
Our Helper in Prayer
By Dr. Charles Stanley
Romans 8:26-27
In a moment of frustration or pain, have you ever found yourself calling out to God, “Lord, I don’t know how to pray!” At some point, every believer faces a moment like that. But our Father has made provision for such times—the Holy Spirit is our prayer Helper.
Talking to God can be difficult when we do not know the wisest request to make, particularly when His will is unclear. Sometimes we cannot express our feelings adequately in words. In those circumstances, the Holy Spirit intercedes and speaks on our behalf. Not only is He aware of our heart and need; He also knows GodÂ’s mind and will so He can form the perfect prayer.
Prayer struggles are common to believers. The apostle Paul wrote about how his desire to do ministry conflicted with his wish to be with Jesus. (Philippians 1:22-24) He suffered a great deal in order to do the work he loved. Not only that—his greatest joy was looking forward to eternity in Christ’s presence. He faced a tough choice: knowing that persecution would not likely diminish, was he to pray that his work might continue, or should he ask God to call him home and leave some people unreached?
The Lord knew believers would need a Helper to offer guidance and give voice to their heartÂ’s needs. The fact that God ensured we could always reach Him should tell us how much He values prayer. In fact, the discipline of regular communication with our Father is so vital that He would not even send an angel to act as messenger and interpreter; instead, He took that role Himself and came to us in the form of the Holy Spirit. -
"Honor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His sanctuary" (1 Chronicles 16:27, AMP).
When you spend time with Yahweh, your spirit will be strengthened and your joy tank will be refilled. -
"If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you on high above all the nations of the earth" (Deuteronomy 28:1, AMP).
Obeying Yahweh's voice is the key to your success in life. Spend time with Yahweh and His Word so that you can recognize when He speaks to you. As you follow His lead, you walk in prosperous paths and He will exalt you.