i belong Amen Ministries - Blog

Hurry Up, and Wait

1/4/2022

Most of us are impatient. We hate to wait. We're used to minute rice, instant pudding, fast food, and movies on demand. We quickly ask, "How long?" We even ask it of GOD Almighty in a bitter and self-pitying tone!

"How long?", asked Abraham, who, when he was seventy-five years old and childless, was promised, "I will make you into a great nation" (Genesis 12:2). He waited twenty-five years before the child of promise, Isaac, was born (Genesis 21:5), and there was still more to wait for! How did he manage it? Well, "he staggered not at the promise of GOD through unbelief; but was strong in Faith, giving Glory to GOD; being fully persuaded that what HE had promised, HE was able also to perform" (Romans 4:20-21).

"How long?", asked David, who, when only sixteen, was anointed by Samuel at GOD Almighty’s direction to be king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). He did not immediately ascend the throne, but waited some fifteen years while serving King Saul despite danger and provocation and spending years in the wilderness, running from place to place like a hunted animal, as a jealous Saul tried to kill him. David waited many years before he received what was promised and, like Abraham, did so by Faith (Hebrews 11:32-33).

"How long?", asked Paul, who, for a quarter of a century served The CHRIST despite great deprivation and suffering only to be arrested, imprisoned, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death for the crime of proclaiming JESUS The CHRIST as LORD & SAVIOR! See him sitting in a dark prison cell awaiting the headsman who is to execute him. Is he disheartened? Has he given up on GOD Almighty? He has not!

Hear Paul! "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which The LORD, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that Love HIS appearing" (2Timothy 4:6-8).

And what about you? Will you Trust YAHWEH, GOD Almighty, while HE works HIS Good, Acceptable, and Perfect Will in you until HE has formed your soul to HIS plan, or will you turn your back on HIM? HIM Who Loves you and gave HIMSELF a Living Sacrifice for you and stalk off into the darkness?

Dear FATHER in Heaven, My GOD! My GOD! Please forgive my impatience and weakness of Faith at times. Please give to me the Grace to persevere and Trust YOU, I will experience the fulfillment of all YOUR promises when YOU know I am ready to do so. Please help me to gladly accept YOUR timetable rather than sullenly demand mine. Thank YOU for all YOU provide every single moment of every single day. I Pray to YOU, in The Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Luke 8:1-15

Prepare Ye The Saints

1/4/2022

When we speak of that 'golden rule' of doing unto others as we'd have others do unto us, let us not look at it as being 'offensive', or 'judgmental', because The Truth is neither of those things.

We owe it to the lost, to those who remain in bondage, to speak The Truth, in Love, allowing the same opportunity that we had, to that Promise of the Hope of Eternal Salvation.

Truth, in Love. Let's discuss the "in Love" part. This is not a Love that tiptoes around anyone's emotions or feelings, but a Love that is bold and brave to reach into the flames, at any cost, even if it causes the person to hit you, hurt you, walk out of your life or vow to never speak to you again, and yank them out! Screaming the Truth if need be to be heard!

The Truth is offensive to those who do not live in it. When pride is present, Truth is most definitely offensive. But that doesn't mean we don't tell it, boldly and bravely, because we Love the individual, which is only possible because we were first Loved while still in our own bondage.

If I am living in sin then I want you to tell me that what I am doing is wrong, that it is sin, it is dangerous and that no matter how deep into that sin I may think I am, that there is a way out. That there is no such thing as "too far gone"! That there is Hope and that Hope is The Truth of JESUS The CHRIST!!

Tell me that I can change. Show me!

Tell me that I can be Forgiven and washed clean! Show me!

Tell me that I can become a new man in The CHRIST! And show me! Show me testimonies of those who have the very Freedom I seek!

Tell me all of that, because that is what I want others to do unto me because that is what I will do unto others! That is what The Bible says. That is the 'golden rule', not allowing me to live, and remain, in bondage, not allowing me to burn in hell for eternity because you had the wrong idea of what being 'offended' is, or because you didn't want to hurt my feelings or maybe just because you didn't care enough to do what GOD has charged you to do!

Tell The Truth, but do so in Love. Tell me that sin leads to death, because it does and I am going to need to know this if I am going to have a chance of being brought to repentance.

The lost need to know this! And they need to know this not so we can save our country, or our planet, but so we can save souls! Not so we can win a social or political battle, but so we can win a Spiritual War!

Proverbs 4:14-15 "Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on."

Do not walk in the way of evil. Do not walk with them, do not go down that path with them no matter who they are, no matter what you feel! This is not about how you feel, it is about what is right and what is wrong. It is about what GOD'S Word says!

I want to encourage each of you that when the time comes, and it will come, that you are faced with with this issue, to keep in mind that transgenderism is not only a mental disorder, but that confusion is Healable! Mutable! Forgivable! Keep in mind that each sinner, regardless of their sin, is someone who is in need of Forgiveness!

We need to know and understand this before we can go out and teach it, before we can bring HIS Message to others.

When I lived as a transgender there were some frightening moments when I was approached by "Christians" that had no clue how to reach me or what I believed, and their efforts did more damage than good and this is what I want to prevent from happening.

This is what GOD has charged me with, bringing this message, HIS Message, to the Saints to equip them for the battlefield.

Because there was also an approach that did reach me, that did touch me, that did minister, edify, teach me and penetrate my heart! There was an approach that planted a seed and it was welcomed by myself because of 'how' he approached me. Because of 'how' he taught me. Because of 'how' he told me the Truth, in Love.

And I know that GOD placed that man in my life for a reason, and here I am fulfilling that reason, doing my part as a Child of The One, True GOD.

Will you do your part?

Love...

1/4/2022

Some find it difficult to come to believe the Love of GOD because they have known so little Love in this world, and that which has called itself 'love' was a pathetic distortion of the real thing.

Maybe as children they were only 'loved' when they pleased and then they were pushed away when they were not pleasing. Desperately trying to be the best little boy or girl in the world, but somehow not getting a hold of the Love that was conditioned on performance. Growing up hungering for Love, but never finding it, never keeping it, until giving up in bitterness, fearing further disappointment and rejection, and said, "Love is only an illusion, a delusion!"

Well, some of us did not give up, but became compulsive pleasers, ready to do anything for anyone who said they did, could or would Love us. This made some of us vulnerable to physical, mental and/or sexual abuse. The abuser said he would Love us, we did what he wanted, despite knowing intuitively something was wrong, and then, he disappeared. Others were not exploited until they were older, but the result was the same.

In time, giving up on Love, settling for the empty husk of lust and sex, condemning self to a life based on thoughts & feelings. For years we wandered alone, without Hope. We dissociated from ourselves and became someone else. We put on a false identity. Hoping our charade would be believable.

Then we hear that "GOD is Love." We are afraid to Believe it. We feel we cannot face one more disappointment. We dread the pain of being disillusioned again. We draw back and put up our wall. And yet, by GOD’S Good Grace, something stirs in our hearts. We sense that this is somehow different, and it is our last chance, our only escape from the dark pit into which we have fallen, our only way out of the cesspools of this world that we have become so comfortable in.

And so, looking to YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, focusing on HIS sacrifice for our sins, we press on into the Love of GOD Almighty. It does not disappoint! At last, we have found Love; True and Pure Love, because Love has found us! I Belong, Amen!!

The problem? We are not being given the Truth in its entirety. While living in sin I heard "GOD Loves you" so many times that when I had any contact with a Christian I could always reiterate that "GOD Loves me". Period! Like that is the end all. It's not.

GOD Almighty does Love each and every one of us with a Love that is incomprehensible and a Love that we cannot be separated from. What we are not hearing, learning and being told is that HIS Love doesn't get us into The Kingdom of Heaven. We are not being told that it is not HIS Love we have to obtain to get into The Kingdom, but that we must obtain HIS Mercy to get into The Kingdom.

Dear FATHER of Lights, I admit I am afraid of one more disheartening letdown. Please, be patient with me as I learn to trust YOUR Love. Bear with my hesitation. Help me to remember that YOU have demonstrated YOUR Love in deed at Calvary, and to see that proves it is safe to trust YOU. The others gave me only tempting but false promises; YOU gave YOURSELF. YOU are Real! And I Thank YOU, FATHER, for all of the many Blessings YOU so generously pour out upon each one of us on a daily basis. I Praise YOU and Glorify YOU in The Mighty and Precious Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading John 16:1-33…

Do You Know You?

1/3/2022

Do you know who you really are? Most people don’t, and there are several reasons for this.

First, since childhood, people all around us try to make us into who they want us to be. If we fall short of their expectations, they criticize, ridicule, and scold us, leading us to think we are worthless. They withdraw their love, telling us indirectly that we are not worth caring about. They tell us, sometimes silently, we are "bad" and should be someone else.

Second, our sense of identity changes as we go through life because those we come into contact with, and our life experiences, change our sense of who we are. Sometimes that's good; more times it is bad.

If we fall into bad company, we may see ourselves as "good-for-nothing"; if we sit among those who are proud, we may become arrogant. If we are around those who appreciate us, we get a stronger sense of who we are or can be; if we surround ourselves with those who put us down, we get a sense that we don't deserve to be respected.

And, just for the record, when a child is exposed to gender-ideology it confuses their developing minds (including their own sexuality) and it destroys them. Allowing them to be sexualized through sex-education, trans-queer curriculums, and gender ideology you are allowing them to be subjected to something that is pornographic by it’s very nature to each child it is presented to.

What we come to believe about ourselves is a powerful influence on who we think we are! You may even wonder where to go to find out who you are. Because while other people may inflate our sinful egos or crush our tender hearts, we may be utterly wrong in our view of ourselves. So, where can we turn for a true picture of our real nature?

Since YAHWEH, GOD Almighty, Created us, HE alone knows us through and through, better than we even know ourselves! HE has revealed the Truth about us in The Word. There, when studied and read IN CONTEXT, we find HIS Plan for us. HIS Truth, in its entirety.

This nature is imputed to us when we become a Child of The One, True Living GOD, and is being Created in us as we continue Trusting in in HIM while HIS HOLY SPIRIT conforms us to the identity HE intended, our true image, perfectly ours in glory. What is our True Nature? YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST! It was HE Who taught me how to be a man through Scripture and through HIS Example.

It was also HIS Holy Spirit that allowed me to comprehend, in context, while showing me that my own innate design as a homosexual man is not condemned by HIM or HIS Word. HE showed me that "denying self" was much different than denying my own design. HalleluYAH!!!

Dear Heavenly FATHER, I know I fall short of living and giving YOU Glory in all that I do, and I Thank YOU for YOUR Patience, YOUR Strength, YOUR Guidance and YOUR Mighty Presence. Please grant that I may continue to discover my True Nature in YOUR Creation and my design. Please continue to allow YOUR Light to shine brightly through my every word, deed and action. Thank YOU, FATHER. Please continue to keep me and watch over me. I Praise YOU & I Glorify YOU with all that I am! I Pray to YOU, in The Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading 2 Peter 3:1-18...

Solid Hope

1/2/2022

Every morning, I am faced with The Glory of another day here, in this dark, deceived and confused world, and it is such a Blessing to me! To me, it speaks of Hope, Encouragement, Confidence and Surrender.

Hope of a new day, another chance to tell of HIS Amazing Grace that saved a wretched wretch like me. Encouragement and edification that I am to offer, through HIS Truth in Love, to not only the lost, but the Saved as well.

The Confidence that I feel GOD HIMSELF has in me by allowing me another day and another chance to carry out this mission that HE has given me, because HE Wills that all men be saved!

And Surrender because that is all it takes. To surrender to GOD and HIS Way, The Only Way, YAHWEH!! To give it all to HIM without first worrying about cleaning any of it up or polishing it before I can offer it to HIM. Just drop it all at HIS Feet and know that the battle is HIS, the Victory is mine!!

My journey out of the dungeon of self and of sin has been one rollercoaster, believe that!! But surely it has been a Glorious and Victorious journey. My LORD, my GOD, is shining The Bright Light into my life and opening the eyes of my heart to what is true about my past, and what is also true about my design and my future! There is Hope. There is newness of Life. And there is Victory in JESUS The CHRIST with the guidance of HIS Spirit.

Many of you know how I was confused and misled to believe I was born in the wrong body and was meant to be a girl for over 20 years. Many of you know how I was enveloped by the lgbTQia+ cult for 30+ years. Many of you know the trauma and confusion that brought me to deaths door with full blown AIDS. Many of you have read the testimony of molestation and chaos in such a young life. Please be encouraged that there is Hope and there is Freedom from the dark deceptive lies of the enemy!

Please be encouraged that there is Freedom from believing we are anything outside of what GOD has Created us and allowed us to be born. Know that there is Freedom from any and all addictions, and that goes from over-eating to transgenderism, from drugs to gambling, from co-dependency to pedophilia, from lying to fornication. Oh The Blood of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, surely covers it all! HalleluYAH!!!!

Dear FATHER in Heaven, I thank YOU for the solid Hope that YOUR Holy Spirit pours into my heart through YOUR Word. Please LORD, Bless me with Patience to wait, Vision to see, Strength to persevere, and continued Faith in YOUR Truth. Grant that I may ever fight the Good fight of Faith. I Pray this and ask this in The Mighty and Magnificent Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Don't Let Negativity Cheat You Any Longer

1/2/2022

Are you ever tempted to mumble or grumble?

Do you ever allow self-pity to whimper, "Things would be so much better if only..."? Of course you do. We all do. However, we must learn to deal with such thoughts & feelings or they will ruin our fellowship with GOD Almighty, strengthen our distrust of others, and leave us thinking we are helpless victims instead of men and women made strong by our own weaknesses because of GOD’S Grace to Triumph over anything this world can throw at us.

I read somewhere that Theodore Roosevelt was very nearsighted. Since bifocals were unknown at the time, he always carried two pairs of glasses with him, one for near vision and one for far. While he wore one, he kept the other in a steel case in his vest pocket. During his last political campaign, a man shot him. The surgeon who examined his wound handed him the steel spectacle case, stating that its presence in his vest pocket had saved his life by breaking the force of the bullet and deflecting it from his heart.

"Well, now, that's strange," Roosevelt said. "I've always considered having to carry those two pairs of glasses a burden and a handicap, and here at last they have been the means of saving my life."

As YAHWEH, GOD Almighty, used that steel spectacle case to save the life of Theodore Roosevelt, so HE can use the fires you have been through to save your life--not physically, but spiritually.

HE did not cause the evils you suffered. HE grieved over them. Those who did them to you were disobeying HIS Will. HE hated what they did, but, wonder of wonders, HE determined to take it and use it to Bless you and make you a Blessing in ways that would have been impossible without that pain!

Out with the mumbling and grumbling! Out with self-pity! Praise HIM for HIS Marvelous Grace & Mercy, HIS Great Love, HIS unsearchable Sovereignty, HIS Mighty Power, and HIS perfect plan! Don't let negativity cheat you any longer! Rejoice! GOD Almighty Reigns!!!

FATHER GOD, Please forgive me for my "poor me, woe is me" folly! I have suffered, but YOU have promised to transform that suffering into Goodness! Help me to Trust YOUR Promise and deliver me from those thoughts & feelings that blind me to what YOU are doing. Teach me to rejoice by Faith, so that I will see all the GoOD that YOU can bring out of pain. Thank YOU, FATHER, for this day. I Praise YOU, and lift YOUR Name on High. I Glorify YOU! I Pray to YOU in The Precious and Powerful Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading 2 Corinthians 1:1-11...

The Beast!

1/1/2022

I catch myself having to fight strong, seemingly uncontrollable urges at times. I fight a beast, a monster, an addiction called lust. This 'lust' is an appetite in which GOD never intended for us to have. This appetite is insatiable and no matter how hard we try, will never ever be satisfied!

Did GOD Almighty Create the beast? No. If I will, by GOD’S Grace, not be intrigued by it, the beast will not only remain under control, but will grow weaker every day until it virtually disappears.

What is your beast? Fantasy? Pornography? Masturbation? Violence? Pedophilia? Stealing? Transgenderism? Cussing? Drugs? Adultery? And the list goes on.

If you will stop playing with deception and look to YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, you will find yourself beginning to conquer the beast. After all, next to HIM, that beast is a whimp, an absolute nothing!

Dear YAHWEH, GOD Almighty, Please forgive us for toying with sin, playing with the devil, and thus allowing it to grow ever stronger in our lives. Help us to put it to death as we look to Your Son for Grace and help in time of need.

FATHER, help us to remember that whenever sin looks safe to play with, we are being blinded by the enemy. Grant that we may always see how far we can stay from sin and not how close we can get to it. Thank YOU for the many Blessings YOU bestow upon us all. I Praise YOU, Glorify YOU and Pray to YOU in The Powerful and Mighty Name of Your Son, YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

I Got Your Number!!

12/31/2021

Dear Confusion,

Oh, you didn't know I knew your real name, did you?!!?!??! Although you disguised yourself as transgenderism, anxiety, depression and self-pity, I finally figured out who you really were! And just in the nick of time!

After all those years we spent together, such intimacy! I trusted you, and I gave you over 30 years of my hard core dedication. 30+ years!!! Even after all you've done to me I'm still haunted by your call. Haunted, but not intrigued, definitely not impressed and by no means fascinated.

You stole from me. You cheated me. You used me. You hurt me. You abused me. You misled me. You infected me. You lashed out at me. You stabbed me! You tricked me. You raped me. You profited off of me. You locked me up! You set me up. You left me for dead! And I have two words for you....

Thank you!!

Thank you. If I had not allowed you to rule over me, to corrupt me and infect my life the way you did, then I may not have met my One, True Love when I did.

Thank you for showing me, for 30+ years, exactly what I don't need in my life, so that it was so easy to recognize what I do need, and what I deserve. Not to mention what I am worth!

I met Someone Who truly and purely Loves me like I've never known possible. I've been given another chance at Life, and Life more abundantly. I am finally Free from the pain, the darkness, the depression, the hurt, the wandering and of course, from you, the deceiver, the liar, the cheater, the thief, the infectious poison called Confusion. Of course we both know that confusion is just one of the many faces you represent out of the darkness that dwells this earth just looking for someone to devour and envelope.

I know you are proudly and boldly stalking about, fooling many others with the glitz and glamour of your lies, but one by one they too will realize just how sad, how pathetic, how sickening, distrustful and dangerous you really are. They too will meet their One True Love and be Free from your shackles!

Your days are numbered.

Blessed & Highly Favored in HIS Precious Grip, David Arthur of I belong, Amen Ministries

Conquering Fear

12/25/2021

There is another kind of hangover which we all experience whether we are drinking or not. That is the emotional hangover, the direct result of yesterdays and sometimes today's excesses. If we would live serenely today and tomorrow, we must eliminate these hangovers. This requires an admission and correction of errors now.

I know a man whose life is riddled with fear. He is always running away from problems which usually get worse through his neglect. Rather than face the people he has offended and make the amends that might restore the relationships, he hides from them. Is there any hope that a man like this will ever become fear free?

The Truth is that there is a great deal of Hope for him. The antidote to fear is Faith in GOD, and the Truth which is the foundation of the Trust that conquers fear. Since our sins are often the dirt in which fear grows, taking a moral inventory; confessing what we find to GOD, our-selves, and another human being; while humbly asking GOD to remove our defects of character can help cleanse the soil of our life so that fear will be unable to take root. If we sincerely seek to make amends to those we have offended, many will forgive us and receive us back into their hearts as soon as they are assured that we are sincere.

The question we must ask ourselves is, "What do I need to do about it starting today, and will I do it?"

Dear GOD in Heaven, Will I ever learn that the "easier, softer way" is always a blind alley? Please help me to walk a solid and grounding walk which takes no shortcuts, but does an honest job looking to YOU in Faith. Grant that as I do this, fear will be overcome so that healthy friendships/relationships may flourish and I may be healed of those defects and fears. Don't let me put this off one more day! Thank YOU for all the YOU are and all that YOU have always been, but most of all, Thank YOU for what YOU shall always remain, my LORD, my GOD. Praising & Glorifying YOU always! I Pray to YOU, in The Precious and Mighty Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Matthew 25:1-30 this morning….

We Were Meant To Be Courageous!

12/21/2021

We can’t possibly get rid of our defects of character until we first recognize them.

One way we hide them from ourselves is to blame others for our unhappiness. Are we lonely? It's because others are not friendly. Are we depressed? It's because no one cares. Are we disappointed? It's (yes, we even go this far) because GOD let us down! It's never because of us, it's always because of someone else.

Think about it, if that is true, then our situation is very sad indeed. If that is true, that everything is everyone else’s fault, then we have become the hopeless victims of others and we can do nothing to change our situation. We can't change others. We can only change ourselves. If we tell ourselves our problems are all caused by others, that we are perfectly innocent of any responsibility for them (not that we would say it aloud, but we think it in our hearts), then there is nothing to be done but to continue suffering.

We trap ourselves in our misery by not only blaming others, but by refusing to listen to others who have shown that they care for us. When they try to point out the defects of character that are causing our unhappiness, we make excuses, or we tell them they are not good friends because what we really need is someone to listen to us, not someone to "preach" to us. We even stay away from passages in the Bible that speak of our character defects and look only for what "comforts" us.

After having insulated ourselves from any responsibility for our sad situation and from anyone who might point out things we might do to change it, we settle down in our sand pile of self-pity and say, "Poor me!", “Oh woe is me!”

This just shows that we have not been truly working on building ourselves up with GOD Almighty, but have just been going through the motions. Our confessions were a charade. We have not faced our character defects and therefore we cannot pray and work against them. We have doomed ourselves to staying stuck.

The only way out is to stop blaming everyone else, open our ears and hearts, face our defects, ask The FATHER to remove them, and do what HE empowers us to do, which is to be as much like YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST as we possibly can! Then, and only then, we will begin to know the fullness of HIS Joy!

Heavenly FATHER, Please forgive me for blaming others, even YOU, for my unhappiness, my issues, my defects. Please give me the Courage to face my faults fully, head on, and to renounce them, and seek YOUR Face to overcome them. Please give me an open ear and an open heart to those who offer good counsel. Thank YOU for all that YOU are. I Praise YOU and lift YOUR Name on High. Praying in The Precious Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Proverbs 28:21-26...

Let's Look At Fear Once Again

12/18/2021

Have you ever heard a true story when the announcer would say, "The names of the characters in this program have been changed to protect the innocent." Sadly, when it comes to our own defects, the devil also changes their names. This is not to protect the innocent but to confuse the unsuspecting.

Take fear. What other names does it go by? How about terror, dread, anxiety, horror, distress, fright, panic, alarm, trepidation, apprehension, angst, concern, despair, dismay, doubt, jitters, suspicion, unease, uneasiness, worry, abhorrence, agitation, aversion, awe, consternation, cowardice, creeps, discomposure --to name a few!

When we are "up tight," we are fearful.

When we go into hiding, we are fearful.

When we withdraw, we are fearful.

Most fears are matters of the mind and have no real ground in reality outside of that. These are the fears we must learn to face and overcome if we are to find the Peace and the Freedom that we seek.

I allowed fear to cripple me at one point! Have you? Have you ever said, "I just can't feel comfortable around those people, they don’t know what I’ve been through!"? Isn't that fear?

Maybe you have called someone at the last moment, asked them to go with you to an event that evening, had been told that they already had other plans, and withdrew from them in your mind? Isn't that fear? Groundless, unreasoning fear--fear of rejection?

This might be a good time to look at those synonyms for fear and ask yourself what part they play in your life. It might be a good time to look at several failed relationships and ask yourself honestly what part your fear played in the end of a promising friendship.

It might be a good time to begin to pray every morning against fear and to examine yourself each night to see if you have given in to it by any name it may assume.

It might also be a good time to discuss what you are learning about fear with someone and to ask him or her to hold you accountable to become a person of godly Courage. Pray with me…

Dear Heavenly FATHER, I am so easily deceived and sadly it is often I who deceive myself. I have so many excuses for my fear that I confuse myself and hinder my walk. Help me to recognize fear when it approaches, to repel it, and to be a person of real, true, godly Courage as I reach out to others. Thank YOU, LORD, for YOUR Faithfulness in all YOU have provided, and continue to pour out among each one of us. I Pray to YOU, in The Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading 2 Samuel 23:1-17…

Entrusting GOD To Reign

12/16/2021

We must entrust our lives to our One True Living GOD, YAHWEH! Our FATHER in Heaven!

Would you say a patient who refused to take the medicine his doctor prescribed really trusted the physician? If someone went to an attorney, but refused to follow the lawyer's advice, would you say he trusted the attorney? I think not.

Of course, there are good reasons at times not to trust a physician or a lawyer. They are fallen, finite, fallible human beings. They can be wrong. They can have an agenda which is contrary to your best interests. But is there any good reason why you should not trust YAHWEH, GOD Almighty? Has HE not proven HIMSELF worthy of full confidence repeatedly?

How can you not Trust HIM after Calvary? After HE came to this world robed in flesh to die upon a cross for you and for me!

The problem is that we hate to give up our own sovereignty over our lives.

Although we have repeatedly shown that we cannot trust ourselves and do not know how to make our lives run as they should, we hang onto the throne of our own lives with all our might! We would rather trust in the self who has broken countless promises and failed repeatedly than trust in The One WHO Loves us and gave HIMSELF a Living Sacrifice for us.

We want to be our own lord rather than bow our knee to our LORD, our SAVIOR, our GOD Almighty. What madness!

It is crunch time people! Will you continue to lean on the broken and chaotic self which has brought you nothing but grief, or will you Trust in The Rock? Will you Trust in The One that has given HIS Only Begotten Son for you? Will you entrust your life into those hands that were pierced so the Hope of Salvation could be offered to you? Will you turn your life and your will over to HIM today and continue doing so as long as you live? Will you surrender?

Dear Heavenly FATHER, Please forgive me for looking to self, and to others, instead of to YOU as the One, True Living GOD. Thank YOU, that The Blood cleanses me from the sin of my unbelief as I lay down the arms of my rebellion against YOU and YOUR Will. Give me the Faith to trust YOU ever more completely with each new day. Thank YOU for all that YOU are and all that YOU provide. I Praise YOU! I Glorify YOU! I Lift YOUR Name on High! I Pray to YOU, in The Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Joshua 24:1-18…

A/A ~ Moral Psychology With Immoral Intentions

12/16/2021

Sad when I hear, or see, someone praising an ungodly program, like A/A or N/A, and even claiming it to be of YAHWEH, GOD Almighty.

Even when I was saved, and had addictions and issues plentiful I never fell for the belief that addiction was a "disease"! As an addict I knew that it was "just wrong" and if you really didn't wanna do something, you didn't. But if you had an excuse to do something naughty chances are you would.

A/A and N/A's methods are rooted in an attempt at theological impartiality, the brain-disease model of addiction, and using psychology’s mental illness concept.

Neither are capable of providing a sound means unto recovery, reason being, there is no such thing as "recovery" with YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, because when you surrender to HIM and HE makes you Free then you are Recovered!

The Gospel affords those who struggle with any addiction, stronghold, vice or sin a comprehensive renewal; A/A constitutes another religion which affords its adherents an ever-present fear of relapse.

Depressing to think that people really believe that these programs are based on biblical Truth.

"A/A is in no way compatible with biblical Christianity, and it is in and of itself another competing religion—The A/A fellowships are its churches, the ‘Big Book’ is its Bible, the “spiritual experience” is its conversion, sponsors are its clergy, and the Twelve Steps are its creed. A/A’s religion even possesses a method of evangelism complete with personal testimony"

The Origin of A/A (recently shared with me) [a long read - but so worth it]

In 1928, Frank Buchman, an ordained Lutheran minister, began the Oxford Group, a moralistic cult which held that through absolute honesty, purity, unselfishness, love, and confession of sin, man can achieve peace with God, even Christ. The movement, also called Moral Re-Armament, affirmed a neo-Pelagian view of human nature, believing that through confession of sin and a renewed commitment to moral living, humanity could bring about a pax humana.

Conspicuously absent from the Oxford Group’s teaching was any mention of the gospel of Jesus Christ. H. A. Ironside, the great evangelical theologian and pastor of Moody Church, a contemporary of Buchman, remarked that the teaching of the Oxford Group was essentially a form of Christianity without the Savior, his cross, his atonement, or his Holy Spirit.

William Wilson (1895-1971), also known as Bill W., was a drunkard who had a career on Wall St. until the great depression hit on “black Tuesday,” 1929. Wilson gave himself over to alcohol as a way to alleviate his loss, and in 1934 he met a former drinking buddy who had reached sobriety through a conversion to the Oxford Group. Although Wilson wanted sobriety, he rejected the Christian faith. Bill’s friend responded to his hesitancy by inviting him to invent a God of his own making. He said, “Why don’t you choose your own conception of God?’’

While in the hospital undergoing detox, Wilson was under the care of Dr. W. D. Silkworth. Silkworth instructed Wilson that alcoholism is a disease, and that this disease results in a biologically driven predilection for alcohol. Out of desperation to be free from this disease, Wilson is said to have cried out from his hospital bed, “I’ll do anything! Anything at all! If there be a God, let him show himself!” After having a “spiritual experience,” Wilson agreed to believe in “a Power greater than himself,” undergoing some form of conversion.

The basis of Wilson’s relationship with his own conception of God were certain works he learned while in the Oxford Group: “a moral inventory, confession of personality defects, restitution to those harmed, helpfulness to others, and the necessity of belief in and dependence upon God.”

These works were later featured in AA’s recovery model. Wilson became convinced that these were the essential and exclusive elements needed to achieve sobriety.

Dr. Robert Smith (1879-1950), AKA Dr. Bob S., was a proctologist & a severe drunkard. In the Oxford Group in a last-ditch attempt to find sobriety, Smith met Wilson who introduced the good doctor to the disease model of addiction. Through his own “spiritual experience,” along with Wilson’s aid, Smith was able to achieve sobriety.

Together, Smith and Wilson went on to aid yet another “alcoholic,” and thus founded the organization as it is known today. As of 2014, A/A is an international organization which consists of over 115,000 local chapters or “fellowships”

A/A’s Method

A/A only admits people into their fellowships who desire to stop drinking. Once admitted, other alcoholics who have reached sobriety begin to aid the newcomer to “work the steps.” He or she is typically appointed a sponsor, unless they were previously invited to A/A by a sponsor. The sponsor is someone who has “made some progress in the recovery program and shares that experience on a continuous, individual basis with another alcoholic who is attempting to attain or maintain sobriety through A/A” The sponsor encourages and helps the newcomer to attend a variety of A/A meetings, promotes A/A literature and teaching to the newcomer, and disciples them in the traditions of A/A. Sponsors essentially look after the new recruit, assisting them on their path to sobriety.

A/A’s recovery movement is centered around the spiritual experience that is brought about by following The Twelve Steps of Recovery. The Twelve Steps of Recovery are as follows:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol— that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

A Biblical Evaluation of A/A
The tenth of A/A’s “Twelve Traditions” states,

No A/A group or member should ever, in such a way as to implicate A/A, express any opinion on outside controversial issues—particularly those of politics, alcohol reform, or sectarian religion. The Alcoholics Anonymous groups opposes no one.

AA intends to portray an innocuous image while remaining neutral on controversial issues. However, such an attempt at neutrality is itself non-neutral.

One cannot be lukewarm on an issue such as the Lordship of Christ. Jesus said to his disciples “Whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

An attempt at neutrality, or even silence, is itself an opinion on “controversial issues.” Therefore, because A/A intentionally rejects the exclusivist nature of the Bible’s truth claims, it rejects Christianity by implication.

A/A Promotes an Unbiblical Spirituality
Although A/A claims that it “is not a religious organization,” it promotes and teaches its own distinct spirituality. The practice of the twelve steps is said to produce a “spiritual experience” or “awakening,” just as in some form of religious conversion. According to Alcoholics Anonymous (i.e., the “Big Book”), “For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express himself in our group conscience.” The pamphlet, Members of the Clergy ask about Alcoholics Anonymous, states,

Most members, before turning to A/A, had already admitted that they could not handle their drinking—alcohol had taken control of their lives. A/A experience suggests that to get sober and stay sober, alcoholics need to accept and depend upon a spiritual entity, or force, that they perceive as greater than themselves. Some choose the A/A group as their “Higher Power”; some look to God—as they understand Him; and others rely upon entirely different concepts.

When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God. This applies, too, to other spiritual expressions which you find in this book

A/A’s spirituality is definitionally relativistic. That is, A/A’s foundational “spiritual method” is idolatry. What underlies A/A’s nebulous notion of a “Higher Power,” is the belief that all conceptions of God are equally legitimate and helpful in achieving sobriety. Thus, the underlying presupposition of A/A’s spirituality is theological neutrality.

Biblical Christianity rejects theological relativism in the strongest possible terms. The non-Christian’s conception of God is corrupted by sin and needs correction, not embrace.

There is only one God, and it is the Triune God of the Bible: “For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.” The existence of biblical revelation presupposes the human need for a proper understanding of God, what God requires, and man himself. Thus, A/A’s theological relativism is a flat rejection of biblical revelation and the Triune God.

A/A has attempted to cloak its rejection of the Triune God and biblical theology by featuring the endorsement of theological liberals such as H. E. Fosdick. It promotes its spirituality as religiously neutral:

We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by which faith can be acquired. If what we have learned and felt and seen means anything at all, it means that all of us, whatever our race, creed, or color are the children of a living Creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try.

Those having religious affiliations will find here nothing disturbing to their beliefs or ceremonies. There is no friction among us over such matters.

The Scriptures teach that there is no neutrality in this life, and that there is no form of “faith” through which one may have fellowship with God outside of Christ.

A/A’s spirituality is designed to fly under the radar of Christians as somehow compatible with the biblical faith:

We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.

A/A’s spirituality is nothing less than an attack of the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Mediator. One cannot know God as father without the salvific work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus contradicted A/A inclusivist spirituality by claiming, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. A/A’s “broad” and “roomy” path unto God is, in reality, the wide path that leads to destruction.

A/A Calls Disease What the Bible Calls Sin
The disease model of alcohol addiction is an intrinsic and unalterable part of the fabric of A/A. For A/A, “Alcoholics” are not like typical people. They are instead, “bodily and mentally different” than other people. Alcoholism, says A/A, becomes completely involuntary, such that the only thing that may stop an alcoholic from his involuntary habit is A/A’s “spiritual experience” leading to an entire “psychic change:”

At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail…have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent.

For A/A, alcoholism is a disease, and alcoholics are sick. However, biblically speaking, devoting oneself to an addiction to alcohol isn’t merely a disease, it is the sin of drunkenness. Edward Welch has noted,

Since the history of drunkenness extends back to the beginnings of recorded history, the writers of Scripture were very familiar with it, probably even more than we are today. The biblical view of drunkenness—the prototype of all addictions—is that it is always called sin, never sickness. Scripture is unwavering in this teaching and relentless in its illustrations.

Because A/A does not accurately identify the problem, it is unable to provide a sufficient solution. The solution for drunkenness, and for any sin, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The means by which men become made new is the grace of God wrought in Christ and him crucified and resurrected for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

When AA teaches drunkards to proclaim in its twelve steps creed, “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol,” it is asserting that drunkenness is not a choice people make, but a biologically driven addiction. This assertion is a clear contradiction of the Bible’s teaching, that drunkenness is a choice people make, and not merely a biological reality. When the Scripture commands, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery,” it is assuming that people have a personal choice in the matter.

When Peter tells believers, “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry,” he assumes that his readers have a conscious choice as to whether one continues in drunkenness or not. The watching world claims it is impossible to stop drinking and it is “surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you.” Nonetheless, drunkenness is a choice.

The Scriptures refute A/A’s claim that drunkenness is altogether different than other vices:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Cor. 10:13)

Drunkenness is not a special classification of sin that requires a unique solution. Rather, drunkenness is “common to man,” and may be resisted.

In addition to there being no biblical justification for the disease model of alcohol addiction, there are also severe medical, logical, and moral problems with the model:

A/A’s Model Revokes Both Personal
Freedom and Responsibility
If addiction is brought about by a genetic disease, this presupposes a loss of personal freedom and subsequently, personal responsibility.

Thus, the drunk who drives his car into a crowd of people isn’t personally responsible. Rather, such a turn of affairs was brought about by an illness, just as if the drunk had a stroke while behind the wheel. The mother of the baby born with a drug addiction shouldn’t be prosecuted, as her actions were the result of a disease. If the brain disease model were true, many actions previously deemed immoral or criminal should, when committed by a drunkard, go unpunished.

A/A’s Model Presupposes Anthropological Monism
The notion that drunkenness is brought about by genetics implies that human beings are not a body-soul unity as taught in the Christian Bible. Instead, the brain disease view assumes that human beings are only physical entities who have no immaterial soul or spirit. This view, known as physicalism, is in fundamental contradiction with the Bible’s description of the soulish existence experienced by the dead, whether in the presence of God or in torment.

A/A’s Model is Intrinsically Unscientific
The disease model assumes a completely unscientific understanding of alcoholism. Built into the model is the notion that an alcoholic is someone who has an uncontrollable compulsion to drink. This lack of control is said to be evidence by destructive behaviors, and failed attempts at quitting. “But there is no scientific way to distinguish between uncontrolled compulsion and uncontrollable compulsion.”

The Brain Disease Model is Yet Unproven
There is not unanimity among medical professionals and scholars on the brain disease model of addiction. For instance, a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine notes that, “the concept of addiction as a disease of the brain is still being questioned.” Consider the following:

Although the brain disease model of addiction is perceived by many as received knowledge, it is not supported by research or logic. In contrast, well established, quantitative choice principles predict both the possibility and the details of addiction.

It surely is irresponsible to claim that ‘addiction’ is a brain disease based on the present state of neurological knowledge and underlying theories and techniques. It is more probable that addiction is normal human bonding to an object, in spite of the negative social and cultural evaluations it is subjected to.

There are many people who recover from alcohol addiction without having had any treatment for their “disease,” and no actual medical intervention for the brain disease model has ever been developed.

This is due to the fact that there is no pathology associated with addiction. While brain disease model advocates argue that addiction has a molecular basis in the human brain, there exists no known biological marker whatever. It is more accurate to recognize that brain function changes gradually in response to alcohol addiction.

A/A’s Model Requires Wholesale
Ascent to Modern Psychology
There is good indication in the literature of A/A that the organization affirms a modern psychological view of “mental illness” in conjunction with the brain disease model. The notion of a non-pathological mental disease is contrary to the basic teaching of Scripture. As Adams notes below, the Bible doesn’t possess a category for a non-organic illness:

The Scriptures plainly speak of both organically based problems as well as those problems that stem from sinful attitudes and behavior; but where, in all God’s Word, is there so much as a trace of any third source of problems which might approximate the modern concept of ‘mental illness’? Clearly the burden of proof lies with those who loudly affirm the existence of mental illness or disease but fail to demonstrate biblically that it exists. Until such a demonstration is forthcoming, the only safe course to follow is to declare with all of Scripture that the genesis of such human problems are twofold, not threefold.

A/A’s capitulation to psychology requires us to consider the vast problems inherit in the modern psychological establishment. Even the secular world has come to the realization that psychology and its resultant therapeutic culture doesn’t work.

Psychology has been recognized by the secular culture as something of a pseudo-science. Dr. Alex B. Berezow, a microbiologist, has come out and declared, “Psychology isn’t science.” The basis for Berezow’s confident assertion is that psychology doesn’t meet basic scientific criteria:

Why can we definitively say that? Because psychology often does not meet the five basic requirements for a field to be considered scientifically rigorous: clearly defined terminology, quantifiability, highly controlled experimental conditions, reproducibility and, finally, predictability and testability.

Psychology’s failure to legitimize its “science” is rooted in its inability to follow standard scientific practices. John Horgan has noted that in 2015 more than half of 100 studies published in “major psychology journals” had failed a replication test “despite painstaking efforts to re-create the original experiments.” In his book length evaluation, Dr. Brian M. Hughes has noted,

Second-rate replication records, paradoxical paradigms, enigmatic measurement practices, cryptic statistics, and unconvincing sampling conventions all stand as ubiquitous reminders of why psychologist’s enthusiasm should be tempered.

Hughes concluded that although psychology “considers itself agile at producing authentic insights about the human psyche,” psychologists should instead “feel torrents of collective embarrassment running down their spines.”

A/A’s embrace of psychology’s “mental disease” concept and the brain disease model of addiction, leaves A/A incapable of providing those who struggle with alcohol addiction an appropriate solution. Drunkenness is first a spiritual condition, and only by implication a physiological condition.

That is, the physiological effects of drunkenness are brought about by a preexisting spiritual condition, which in the case of the drunkard, is manifested in alcohol abuse. While legitimate medical interventions may be necessary, the root issue is one of sin and not disease.

A/A’s Spiritual Method Denies the Gospel
A/A’s slavish devotion to the disease model of addiction renders its members in a state of helplessness such that they may never achieve freedom from the predilection to be drunk.

A/A has cloaked its failure to provide freedom from alcohol addiction by instituting its own anthropological dogma, namely, once someone is an alcoholic, he or she will always be an alcoholic. Hence, A/A members introduce themselves saying, “Hello, my name is…and I am an alcoholic,” into perpetuity.

Alcoholism, says A/A, is a disease for which there exists no cure. So devoted is A/A to the disease model, the organization equates alcohol addiction with the finality of amputation:

We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control. We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones.

By distinction, the Christian gospel makes sinners free from bondage to sin and the Holy Spirit sanctifies his people. While Christians may still struggle with sin, they are not a slave to sin and are a new creation in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” The Scriptures explicitly deny the finality of addiction:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: …….. nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11)

“Drunkards,” says the apostle Paul, were transformed into Christians by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By using the imperfect verb ēte, Paul characterizes some of the Corinthian Christians as precisely what A/A denies, people who were once addicted to alcohol, but were made free from that addiction.

The biblical answer to either a substance addiction or a behavioral addiction (i.e., one that is not in and of itself sinful) is not complete abstinence. For instance, the Bible’s message to someone who is a glutton and is addicted to overeating is not, “Stop eating, and never eat again.” Instead, the Bible’s message is to repent from abusing the gift of food and use food properly through the redemptive power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit. Similarly, no one says to the shopping addict, “Never buy things again.”

Rather, the Bible’s directive is to put the gift of provision within its appropriate place. So, it is with alcohol addiction. Fear of relapse such that one may never drink alcohol again is not recovery.

Rather, recovery is a well-adjusted and faithful disposition that is not still in bondage to sin. The Christian who has been freed from the sin of drunkenness is free to make good use of God’s gift of alcohol. Indeed, that Jesus ordained the use of alcohol in the Lord’s Supper is good evidence that neither he nor his church viewed complete abstinence as the proper approach to drunkenness.
The wealth of so-called “dry drunks” in AA testifies that its methods are able only to bring people to a fearful state wherein the potential relapse is always close at hand.

Conclusion
A/A is in no way compatible with biblical Christianity, and it is in itself another a competing religion—The AA fellowships are its churches, the ‘Big Book’ is its Bible, the “spiritual experience” is its conversion, sponsors are its clergy, and the Twelve Steps are its creed. A/A’s religion even possesses a method of evangelism complete with personal testimony:

When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don’t waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity. This advice is given for his family also. They should be patient, realizing they are dealing with a sick person.

Tell him [i.e., the prospect] exactly what happened to you. Stress the spiritual feature freely. If the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can choose any conception he likes, provided it makes sense to him. The main thing is that he be willing to believe in a Power greater than himself and that he lives by spiritual principles.

In the final analysis, A/A is a competing religion, and only through religious syncretism, can one harmonize the competing claims of Christianity and A/A While many have reached sobriety through AA, the end doesn’t justify the means. Millenia before A/A existed, those who were addicted to alcohol found healing and freedom through the gospel of Jesus Christ, Christian soul care, and the local church.

Wrecked 2 Redeemed.

12/11/2021

We never know when GOD Almighty will call on us to share what, for so many years, held us captive as slaves, in order to allow someone else to see that there truly is Freedom.

It is wonderful to know that out of the wreckage of our past, The FATHER can pick up the pieces and use them for HIS Glory and to do good for others. I remember reading something where someone compared their past to an auto grave yard. They said, “There are lots of wrecks, but each one supplies lots of things that can be used to restore other cars.”

When I look at my past and all the time I wasted not being used of The FATHER, I am so very Honored, Blessed and Thankful for HIS Grace & Mercy as well as the way that HE allowed The Presence of HIS Holy Spirit to envelope me, dwell within me, lead me, guide me and reveal HIS Truth to me along this path.

Can't you see The FATHER’S Hand in all of this? For years, my life was a total wreck because of sin. Now that YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, has rescued me, I am being used to help others! GOD Almighty is so good at restoring us and then using us.

What's happening in your life?

Oh my GOD, my GOD, I've wandered so far from YOU in the past, and my ways have brought me so much pain and shame. Thank YOU for picking me up where I was and for Loving me. Thank YOU that today my past can be used to help others find Freedom in YOU and come out of their bondage. Thank YOU that YOU change lives. Thank YOU for every single Blessing YOU pour out upon each one of us on a daily basis, many of which go unnoticed. YOUR Name is above all names. I Praise YOU, FATHER. I Glorify YOU and I Pray to YOU in The Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Psalm 29:1-11

Get It Together!

12/4/2021

Does a shiver of fear run up your spine if I remind you there is "no guarantee" and much "appropriate risk" in revealing our private/personal secret lives to others? Of course, you don't know what exposure could do. Maybe you feel you just can't face any more hurt.

Believe me, I most certainly understand. But we must be transparent, open, bold & blunt in our honesty if we are to help others to recover from the dark addictive world of unwanted sexual fetishes, addictions and strongholds!

There is such Freedom in being transparent, and not just for others, but for ourselves as well. When we get to the point that we can share our deepest and darkest secrets freely and openly, we come to a major accomplishment in our walk with GOD.

What are you risking if you don't find the Freedom you seek?

Your health, your family, your reputation, your spiritual life just to name a few. Sit down and list the things your sin can cost you just by keeping it bottled up and hidden. Count the cost. Then, do what you ought to do. Risk Loving enough to be the one that uses this customized tool that GOD has allowed you to obtain, this testimony, and be the key that can help others get Free from their deep dark secrets and the bondage they remain in.

Don’t let anyone steer you away from what GOD has called you for.

Dear Heavenly FATHER, I remember when I felt like such a coward. Thank YOU that YOU understood me and were ready to give me Grace to help whenever I need it. Thank YOU for granting me the Grace of Courage to recover, courage to Love, courage to Live and Courage to help others see that there is a way out of the darkness and confusion which envelopes them. Please continue to Strengthen me to move forward despite my fears and to never turn back until I experience all that YOU have promised. I Praise YOU, Glorify YOU and Pray to YOU, JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth, in YOUR Precious and Powerful Name. Amen.

Reading Proverbs 14:13-34 this morning….

Past Pains Can Bring Wisdom

11/20/2021

We don’t always come closer to wisdom because of our integrity. The best understanding is often rooted in the pains of our former mistakes.

One reason making amends is so important is that it helps us break through the denial which may still be keeping us in the dark about our true selves. When we confess to GOD Almighty, we may not fully face the sin in our heart. When we confess to ourselves, we may still be hiding many things that we don’t really have to confront. But when we confess to other human beings, our own blindness makes what we say the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth.

For example, I used to make it a point to state that I was only guilty of luring in, and seducing, teenage boys because the admission of just being a pedophile was too much for me, seemed to be something I didn’t want to face because I couldn’t be that monster, or could I!??!!!?

Although I was never drawn to little children I did lure in, seduce and recruit some teenagers and even some preteens, so the very first battle for me was to admit that I had become a child molester, and that it could have gotten even darker and things could have gotten much worse, in order for me to face what was living inside of me and to be forgiven. And HE forgave me! HalleluYAH!

There is an understanding within victims that have been molested or sexually abused that there is nothing wrong with it, and so the circle of victimization continues. Until it is broken!

I am not “in recovery” for my past addictions and strongholds because I Am Recovered! Washed Clean! Justified! Sanctified! And set forth on solid ground for a purpose and time such as this. Once you surrender to YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, then you are recovered!

In making amends we come face to face with the one/s we have wronged. They know the whole truth and may even feel it deeply. They may see all too clearly that to which we are blind. Now we can get a glimpse of ourselves and the pain we have caused in the eyes of the ones that we have hurt. Their anger or their grief can be used to tear down the veil behind which we have hidden from ourselves and help us see who we really are.

It was all of HIM in me, with me and through me when I met with one of the young men I had not only seduced but infected with HIV/AIDS. I seduced him into sexual darkness when he was just 14 and it went on until he was 18, which is the year before I was Saved (from my death-bed at age 37) and was lead, by The HOLY SPIRIT, into The Light of Truth and set on the path that would bring me to where I am at this present time.

Many cringe at the pain this might involve. We make all manner of excuses to escape a clear view of ourselves. We may even convince others that it is not wise or possible to make amends when we are really simply protecting ourselves from seeing ourselves. This is utter foolishness and a lie from the pit of hell.

While there are times when it's genuinely unwise or impossible to make amends, let us beware lest we cheat ourselves of the necessary Blessing of self-knowledge by avoiding what is unpleasant for us rather than hurtful for the one to whom we brought pain.

Let us remember that there is no progress without knowing from whence we came and where we want to go. Let us ask for Grace, Guidance and Strength to get to know ourselves in making amends, to restore relationships (when advisable or possible) and see that they are never fractured again, while we grow up into The CHRIST in all things. If these things come to pass, we will have made amends and found Blessings that will last for the rest of our lives.

FATHER GOD, Please keep me from undermining my walk with YOU and my growth by trying to protect myself from necessary suffering. Especially make me willing to know the pain of seeing myself clearly; boils, scars, warts and all! Only then can I leave that which I do not want to be and, by YOUR Grace, become that which I long to be. Set me free from the tyranny of self-ignorance and grant me the freedom of self-knowledge! Thank YOU for all of the Blessings YOU provide. I Praise & Glorify YOU. I Pray to YOU in The Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading 1Timothy 4:1-16...

Dying To Self... Embracing HIS Plan

11/6/2021

Have you said, "I will not [add-your-own-stonghold/addiction/sin] again"? After a couple of days--sometimes maybe even a couple of hours--that claim would be out the door and then you would experience feelings of guilt, shame, and failure.

Why couldn't I overcome this? What was going on with me? Am I truly Saved? Is this all for real? These are some of the questions I used to ask myself. I was definitely not ready for the answers!

Some key elements are usually missing when we stumble often. For one thing, we try to solve the problem all alone. Our arrogance keeps us from looking to The CHRIST. Our shame keeps us from reaching out to GOD’S People. Our pride makes us unwilling to take direction from anyone. We remain alone and "in charge", but, alone, we absolutely cannot make the transition to Holiness.

It's not that we don’t try. And it’s not that I didn’t try, but I kept attempting to do all the right things on the outside, while hanging on to the past with its hurts and pleasures on the inside and I would even use those things to justify my behavior. The real problem was that I was unwilling to die to self. I hung on to my independence with all my might. I kept telling myself, "I don't need anybody! I'm better than others I know. I can do this! I got this! I am strong enough to handle this!"

The Truth is that all my sin was inside. It made me feel powerful and in control and it fed my arrogance.

I finally came to know YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, and surrendered in order to be truly Free. I learned that when the devil attacks, it is not I who fights the battle, but my FATHER in Heaven fights it for me!

I have surrendered unconditionally and was Filled with HIS Holy Spirit, being buried with HIM in baptism, knowing that I must die to self and recognize who I am, what I am, Who dwells within me and The Power and Authority I have to bind those dark spirits that attempt to oppress me!

The recognition of what is "of this world and my old nature" and what is "of HIM" is a pretty scary place when you have many around you cheering you on. Especially when you are on the wrong path but cannot see that. Surrendering to HIM totally and allowing HIS Holy Spirit to lead, guide and reveal is the key.

I never would've imagined that I could ever embrace my Same-Sex Attraction and walk it out, while also remaining in a right, pleasing and acceptable relationship with my FATHER in heaven! And I never would have been able to get on the path that HE planned for me if I didn't receive (from HIM) and accept the Courage to stand against those that were cheering me on amidst their own failings and false teachings... yes, The Church.

I Praise YOU, FATHER GOD. I Praise YOU for breaking the power of my sin at The Cross. I Praise YOU for opening my eyes to the Truth. Please, keep me by YOUR Power Alone. I Pray in The Mighty, Powerful and Precious Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Revelation 3:14-22...

How Much More...

11/6/2021

How much more can GOD Almighty show us?

I received an email where the writer said his father’s words & actions, taught him that children are to be ridiculed, abused, and tormented; that to love or trust anyone was to fall for an illusion; that other human beings were to be used sexually before they could use you. That, he taught him, was the only real truth. He was taught that to trust a woman was to be a fool, that having feelings other than anger are incompatible with being a real man.

He wrote that his mother taught him, by her example, to manipulate and use guilt as a tool to use and abuse others and that if he didn't talk about what was done to him then it wasn't that bad. He learned that what he did to others sexually and emotionally didn't really matter. She taught him to be fake... false and guarded around others.

He went on to tell me that once when he was sick with a fever, his mother left him home alone for three days so she could spend time with her boyfriend. This taught him that he could never expect anyone to be there for him when he needed them. So, he learned to be alone and to share his problems with no one.

Amazingly, he has been "Made Free"!

He forgives his father for the lies that he imparted on him as well as the emotional and sexual abuse that he inflicted on him. He doesn't hate his father; he Loves him. He has even promised his father that he will no longer walk in the lies, but hold tight to the Truth and Love that goes deeper in him than any falsehood that he had accepted earlier in life; The Truth of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST and The FATHER'S Love for him!

He also forgives his mother for leaving him, teaching him how to manipulate, for teaching him to maintain self-pity as a mind-set, teaching him to wear masks, to distrust, to hide his true feelings (even in his relationships). He doesn't hate his mother; he Loves her. He has even promised her that he will no longer live in her lies, but that he will walk in the Love and new life that has been given him through YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, our LORD, and SAVIOR.

As you may gather, his early life was based on lies, but thank GOD Almighty that HE has replaced those lies with Truth and has been transformed from a user and abuser to one who can truly Forgive, Love and Care! Thank YOU, FATHER, for YOUR Amazing Grace, Mercy, Love and Truth that comes with this new life that has been given to this young man.

Dear FATHER, Thank YOU for setting us free from the lies that others believed and instilled in us! Thank YOU for YOUR Word and for brethren who Love us and teach us YOUR Way. Thank YOU for YOUR Infinite Grace, for robing YOURSELF in flesh, coming to this world and being the Ultimate Sacrifice, for the cleansing Blood of YOUR Son, YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, and for the ministry of YOUR HOLY SPIRIT, Who is making The Truth real in our lives. We Praise YOU, Glorify YOU and Pray to YOU, in The Mighty Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Psalm 10:1-18...

The Former or The Latter..... Your Choice.

10/23/2021

Making amends with those we have hurt is a major part of our walk in The Way. One can hardly overestimate the importance of making amends. Unfortunately, most of us under-estimate the power that this discipline has to change our attitude toward GOD The FATHER, others, and even life itself.

When you set out to make amends, you make a proposal for a new life. You begin to find it because seeking Forgiveness and Mercy from those you have hurt prompts you to show Mercy and Forgiveness to those who have hurt you. You cannot hate and make amends at the same time, not genuinely anyways.

Confessing and re-examining our wrongs can bring the new life we need to find the Freedom that we seek. It can bring us Spiritual understanding and also develop Spiritual strength. We find ourselves becoming like YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. We find our true identity, as GOD Almighty Created and intended, as it becomes ever more clear. We experience the Joy that comes from doing GOD’S Will. We become whole men and whole women rather than fragmented persons. We come clean with The FATHER and with others and find that it feels wonderfully amazing and freeing!

Any attitudes of unwillingness or reservation in making amends block the Blessing that HE wants to pour out on us. We feel guilty and discontented and this fills us with defensiveness and anger. These are painful emotions and we find they bring temptation to turn back to the old empty ways in a foolish attempt to numb the pain our unfaithfulness is causing.

We must choose to either live with the guilt, shame and anger that unresolved wrongs involve, or the Peace, Joy and Love that making amends can bring. To choose the former is to choose continued bondage but to choose to work it Faithfully and thoroughly is to choose Freedom. What will you choose?

Dear FATHER, Please help me to remember that YOUR Word calls me to deny self, to take up my cross, and to follow The CHRIST. That does not sound easy. It will not be easy. It is, however, the way to health and wholeness. May I walk it now and always and enjoy the Blessings that flow from such a life. Thank YOU, YAHWEH, GOD Almighty, for the many Blessings YOU so generously pour out on each of us every single moment of every single day. I Praise YOU! I Glorify YOU! I Pray to YOU, in The Precious Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading 1 Samuel 7:2-17...

Confess Unto Another

10/16/2021

Most people find the idea of confessing their deepest and darkest sin "to another human being" absolutely frightening. Even when they understand that they are not asking for forgiveness (unless they are confessing to the one they have wronged) but are asking for counsel and prayer, they choke at the idea of "airing their dirty laundry in public". But why?

For most of us, it is fear of rejection. We tell ourselves that if we tell someone all of our dirty little secrets, things we can hardly bear to look at ourselves, that they will despise us.

Rejection isn't easy to deal with under any circumstances. When we feel rejected, we feel certain fears deep within ourselves. We begin to feel inadequate and lonely. We feel lost and confused. We feel discounted. Then, to defend ourselves, we will probably be tempted to "act out", which makes no logical sense but it “feels” right.

Small wonder that the prospect of confessing to "another human being" should seem so threatening. Yet The Bible says we should (James 5:16) and that is something we must do if we are to find the Freedom we seek. There is such a tremendous Freedom that comes with Transparency. I cannot stress this enough.

How can we overcome this fear of rejection?

First, we can remember that we are really pretending we have the power to predict the future when our past experiences make it crystal clear that we have no such power.

Second, we can choose the one to whom we initially make our confession to very carefully. We can look for one who Loves GOD Almighty, Loves people, and has known struggle in his/her own life. Such a person is likely to understand, because they know how difficult life can be.

Third, we remember that no matter what rejection we face at any time in our life, The FATHER accepts us, and, after all, it is HIS verdict that really counts!

Finally, we remember that we are in the Hands that were pierced by nails so that we could receive the hope of eternal salvation, and we Trust HIM.

We make our confession to another human being, and, if our experience is like most others who have done so, we find a warm friend, a loving heart, and a wise counselor.

Dear Heavenly FATHER, Please deliver us from the fear of rejection. Please grant us the Courage needed to continue on this Faith walk. Please let us be wise in choosing the one to whom we confess and courageous in making that confession. Let us learn to live by Faith and triumph over fear. Thank YOU for all that YOU provide for us on a daily basis. I Pray to YOU in The Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading 1 Corinthians 16:1-13

A Message To The Saints

9/11/2021

We sometimes think the world in which we live does not affect us. After all, aren't we Children of The Most High GOD? Don’t we read the Word on a daily basis? Are we not Faithful to Praise & Worship HIM?

Our delusions are exposed as we continue to deal with our strongholds, our hurts, habits and even seeking to find a loophole to step outside of Holiness just to please those who remain in, and of, the world. The world has forgotten GOD Almighty. Have we unwittingly allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world?

When facing condemnation, we may tell ourselves, "Do better and the guilt will go away!" But HIS Word teaches us to look to HIM and to The Cross so that guilt can be washed away!

HIS Word tells us to look to The Victory on Calvary. It says, know yourself to be in HIM and thus dead to sin and alive to GOD Almighty!

When feeling worthless, we may tell ourselves, "Be good!" The Word of GOD says to see The CHRIST and see HIS Righteousness imputed to you so that you measure up in every way in HIM and are of immeasurable value!

When tempted to give up and give in, we may tell ourselves, "Hang in there!" The FATHER teaches us to draw Strength, Guidance and Joy from HIM! From HIS HOLY SPIRIT which dwelleth in us!

Is your walk one that forgets GOD or HIS Word? Have you learned to focus on the Victory that The CHRIST has already won and are you rejoicing in it? Do not allow yourself to fall victim of peer pressure, wanting to be “liked” or wanting to be like anyone else. Stand out. Speak up. Shine brightly for GOD Almighty and leave a lasting impression of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, on those who come into contact with you.

Heavenly FATHER, Thank YOU for all of the many Blessings that YOU so generously pour out amongst each of us on a daily basis. Oh, we Praise YOU for the chance YOU grant us just to get closer to YOU each day that YOU allow us to remain here on this earth. Forgive us FATHER, for allowing this world and the worldly to influence us, our thinking, our feelings, our habits, ways and even our emotional bond to the people and things of this world. We know exactly what we do and we beg YOUR Forgiveness. Please allow YOUR Holy Spirit to lead us & guide our steps along this path YOU have planted our feet on. We Pray to YOU in The Holy Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Judges 7:1-25...

Great Faith

7/6/2021

I have Faith. I have Great Faith! I know that GOD Almighty Loves me and that HE Loves me so much that HE robed HIMSELF in flesh, came to this Earth as The Man, YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, and became the ransom for my sins and I know that HIS HOLY GHOST dwells within me.

Still, there are times when I do not feel like HE is with me. I can be skeptical and cynical. There are times when I want a tangible experience, so The FATHER works to stretch my Faith in things unseen. I marvel at the many ways HE has met me where I am.

When I first began my walk I was in "therapy" for major depression, PTSD, anxiety, bipolar, sleeping disorders, etc…. While in session one morning it just came upon me that I did not need this anymore, all that I needed was in HIM and within HIS Word. I asked the therapist if she wanted to pray, she said no and so I then told her that I was done, and no longer would be needing her services and that I hadn't been on the medications for months.

I slept better than ever and from that moment on having given it all to GOD Almighty, and I have not suffered from any of those “ailments” again because HE let me know that they aren’t illnesses or diseases at all, but symptoms & results of being in and of this world.

Now I am not saying that anyone should dump out their medications. What I am saying is that is what I did and that is what worked for me. I was also diagnosed with diabetes and had been on medication for it for years, that also went away, along with many other "sicknesses". This is what I did and how HE has worked in my life. Full blown AIDS? Gone! Fibromyalgia? History! Osteoporosis? Hmph!

YAHWEH, GOD Almighty, is Able to do anything! Amen!! Anything!!! Above and Beyond whatever we could even imagine!! I realized that HE was my safety net, and that HE would see that I not only had a testimony that could help introduce others to HIM, but that I was also a living testimony of HIS Healing Power, able to stand again, balanced and secure.

Our One True Living GOD shows HIS Love to us in many ways. HE affirms us and HE speaks to us in very personal ways. How has GOD affirmed you? How has HE made HIS Presence known to you? How has YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, spoken to your heart? Look and listen, HE is there.

Dear FATHER, Thank YOU for YOUR Patience with me and Love for me. Thank YOU for all that YOU have put in my path to help me find spiritual health as well as physical health. Please forgive me for my weakness of Faith and teach me to Trust YOUR Word rather than my thoughts & feelings. Please continue to stretch my Faith in things unseen. I Pray to YOU, FATHER GOD, in YOUR Son's Mighty and Precious Name, YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading 2 Corinthians 5:1-10...

Powerless

7/6/2021

In RESIDUE we have touched on questions like, “Have I learned to beware that, without YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, I am powerless?” and also “Have I learned to fear sin's power?” and “Have I determined to make YAHWEH, GOD Almighty, and HIS Way, the top priority in my life?”

Today, I ask this question... “Have I come to a deep awareness that I cannot do this alone?” Can you say from your heart, "I need GOD’S help and the help of HIS People?”

First, let’s think about GOD’S help. Do you pray earnestly every single day? Do you spend time in thoughtful, daily study of HIS Word? Do you worship The FATHER through, in and with your life; Word, Deed, Action? When tempted, do you let fear engulf you, or do you reach out to your Mighty, Magnificent and Able FATHER in Heaven in confidence that HE can and will deliver you?

Do you really believe that YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, will make you Free and are you trusting HIM to do just that? Will you stay with HIM no matter how long it takes? Are you working hard while remembering that without HIS Blessing all comes to nothing? Do you ask HIS HOLY SPIRIT to keep you from sin in thought, word, and deed each morning and thank HIM for your victories each night?

What about the help of HIS People that are called by HIS Name? Have you reached out to Trustworthy brothers & sisters and asked them to hold you accountable? Accountability is very important for all of us, but more so for those battling with the flesh.

Have you developed healthy, transparent intimate relationships or are you still waiting passively for friends to spring up out of nowhere? Have you let fear keep you from being open with others about your struggles? Are you not just looking for what you can get out of relationships, but also looking for who you can help, knowing you will be helped as you help others?

Has your understanding of being powerless led you to see the folly of trying to be a ‘Lone Ranger’? Has it sunk in? Do you get it? If not, then please reach out to The FATHER in prayer and to your brethren for some guidance.

FATHER, We know that it is the enemy that makes us want to forget our need of others and even of YOU! We are so slow to Trust, to ask, to reach out and to tell our deepest and darkest secrets. Please allow YOUR HOLY SPIRIT to help us to face the Truth and to keep reaching out in Faith, trusting YOU to reach back and to lead us to others who will also support us in our struggles and in our times of need. We Praise YOU and Glorify YOU Oh Mighty GOD. Thank YOU for all that YOU are. We Pray in The Powerful & Precious Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Psalm 122:1-9 this…

Prioritize...

7/5/2021

One way to measure our walk is to see the place that GOD Almighty has in our lives.

A time management expert pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of his students. He produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, in the jar. When no more rocks would fit inside he asked, "Is the jar full?"

Everyone in the class said, "Yes." He said, "Really?" He reached under the table, pulled out a bucket of gravel, dumped in some gravel, and shook the jar, causing the pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Again, he asked, "Is the jar full?"

"Probably not," one of the class answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table, brought out a bucket of sand, and started dumping the sand into the jar. It went into the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked, "Is the jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted. Again, he answered, "Good!" He grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

One student said, "The point is that no matter how full your schedule is, if you really try hard you can always fit some more things in!"

"No," the expert said, "that's not the point. The point of this illustration is that if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. If you fill your life with lesser things, you'll never have the time you need to spend on the big, really important stuff (the 'big rocks')."

And so it is in our walk as a Child of GOD Almighty. If our walk is something that we work on after everything else has been taken care of, there is little hope that we will ever be pleasing and acceptable unto HIM. GOD Almighty must be number one on our list of priorities and our schedules should be worked around HIM, not the other way around. See this as a vital part of learning to live for HIM, and we could all be well on our way! Is GOD Almighty the “big rocks” in your life? Will HE be?

Dear FATHER GOD, I'm sorry I've put so many things ahead of becoming what YOU made me to be. Please forgive me and grant that I may make my likeness to YOUR manifestation of The Man, YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, to be the priority in my life. Oh FATHER, YOU robed YOURSELF in flesh to become the ransom that I might be Holy; please help me walk in YOUR Way, The Way, The Only Way, so I may become Holy. Please grant me the Courage and Perseverance to press on and press forward with YOU as my top priority! I Pray in The Mighty Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading Psalm 90:1-17 this…

Re-Discovering Our True Identities in The CHRIST!

5/29/2021

I read a story on Joseph Stalin where I learned some interesting facts. Stalin's real name was Iosif Dzhugashvili. He was born and raised in the Russian province of Georgia. His father was a drunkard, a failure who would play on his son's sympathies, and he was also very abusive. His mother was strict, very religious, and did domestic work. He was an only child and a good student. He had almost no role models from which to develop a positive identity.

At his mother's urging, he entered a Theological Seminary to study for the Russian Orthodox priesthood, but, like most of his fellow-students, had no use for the dull, restrictive life there. Instead, he read a novel, The Patricide, by Alexander Kazbegi, and was deeply impressed by a character named Koba.

Koba became his god, giving his life a new meaning. He wanted to be a second Koba, a fighter and hero to whom others would look up to, he even called himself "Koba", wouldn't allow others to call him anything else, and kept that name well into his thirties.

This was an important step in the journey of Iosif Dzhugashvili's becoming one of history's most murderous tyrants. His failure to find a positive identity and the adoption of a fictional, revolutionary one led to a life of total and utter destruction that destroyed many others' lives.

How can we develop a positive identity that will Bless us and make us a Blessing rather than curse us and lead us to lives that destroy? What better person could you identify with than our LORD and our SAVIOR, YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST? Let us strive to follow HIM, to imitate HIM and to be in The FATHER'S Will.

You will gradually find the identity that was intended for you and become the person you've always longed to be. This is the road to your true identity! Will you walk it?

FATHER GOD, Thank YOU that I do not have to look to novels, movies, textbooks or TV programs to find my identity. My problems in my childhood may have robbed me of the identity YOU intended for me, but I do not have to be deprived forever. I will look to YOU and to those who Love YOU in Truth and learn from them. Please help me, Guide me & Strengthen me! Thank YOU for all that YOU are. I Lift YOUR Name On High. I Pray to YOU, in The Precious Name of YOUR Son, YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.

Reading 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:2…