Gethsemane Ministries

scriptures for overcoming compulsive behavior

2011-06-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Prayer for Deliverance:

Dear Lord, I confess that I have been turning my life over to things that do not satisfy; to things that have built a wall around my heart and have hurt my relationship with You. I repent of those things now and give them over to you. Today, I lay down my compulsive behaviors at the foot of the cross. Please take them from me and help me to rely on You for the strength, comfort and assurance I need each moment of every day. Help me to walk according to the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit that I may be victorious in every way. In the precious Name of Jesus, AMEN

Scriptures for Overcoming Compulsive Behaviors:

I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. Romans 7:15-17

Trusting oneself is foolish, but those who walk in wisdom are safe. Proverbs 28:26

The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. Psalms 34:17-18

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38–39

But this precious treasure - this light and power that now shines within us - is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don't know why things happen as they do, but we don't give up and quit. 2 Corinthians 4:7-8

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you. Romans 12:2

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

So don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.

1 Peter 5:7

It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God. He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Deuteronomy 30:19

I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. Psalms 40:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6

The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe. Proverbs 18: 10

But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

O LORD, you alone can heal me; you alone can save. My praises are for you alone! Jeremiah 17:14

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Declaration of Freedom:

Signed_________________________________________ Date ________________

I will be accountable to ________________________________ in this area.

(Note: An accountability partner MUST be of the same gender.)

Breaking the Chains – Compulsive Behaviors

2011-05-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Compulsive Behaviors Are:

§ Driven behaviors which are often influenced by subconscious desires and motives.

§ Strong, uncontrollable, hard to tame actions and behaviors which have a predictable pattern.

§ Behaviors that unsuccessfully use something outside ourselves to fix or compensate for what is wrong inside our self – our attitudes or feelings.

§ Often habits learned over one's lifetime which are difficult to break.

What Are Some Typical Compulsive Behaviors?

Some of the more popular compulsive behaviors involve:

§ alcohol	§ smoking	§ gambling
§ drugs	§ the Internet	§ computer gaming
§ eating disorders	§ shopping	§ hoarding
§ anger	§ co-dependency	§ inappropriate relationships
§ extra-marital sex	§ pornography	§ self injury

We become at risk for developing compulsive behaviors when the behavior in question is used to manage our feelings. These behaviors are often utilized to "self-medicate" against feelings of anger, disappointment, boredom, stress, anxiety, loneliness or sadness. These mood altering coping strategies not only keep us from developing healthier and more adaptive ways of managing our emotions, they also interfere with our spiritual growth and our relationship with the Lord.

Do you have a problem with a compulsive behavior? Many of our activities can and do become routine, but that doesn't necessarily make them a problem. The following are danger signs known as the Three Cs:

§ Cravings or compulsive urges. People with a problem behavior organize their lives around their compulsive activity.

§ Control problems. It's not how often or how long someone engages in the activity, it's the inability to stop or curtail it that signals trouble. Ask yourself, "Do I control it or does it control me?"

§ Continued performance despite persistent problems caused by the activity. When someone is willing to repeatedly suffer significant harm to maintain that behavior, then it's a problem.

Problem behaviors usually start out as voluntary but become automatic. At first, it may seem as if these experiences are positive, but as frequency and intensity increase, the short-term payoff fades and damaging consequences occur. The process may grow gradually without one realizing it.

Like alcohol and drug abusers, people with compulsive behaviors often deny problems. They lie about their behavior, make excuses ("I only do it when I'm really stressed") or rationalizations ("It's better to be hooked on shopping than on drugs"), and blame others for resulting problems.

The important thing to remember is that the Lord wants us to walk in freedom – not bound by compulsive behaviors or any other thing that would interfere with our relationship with Him. And experience tells us that just wanting to change or do better is not enough. When we get ready for God to remove our shortcomings, we may still want to control how He does it. We are so used to calling the shots that we’ll ask for God’s help as long as he does it on our terms. We may be tempted to demand that the changes happen on our timetable or in the order we feel ready to give them up.

But God doesn’t work that way. God told the prophet Jeremiah to go to the potter’s shop to learn a lesson. Jeremiah 18:3-6 says, “So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started again. Then the LORD gave me this message: “… can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.”

How to Find Freedom:

1. Identify areas of compulsive behavior in your life.
God says in Jeremiah 6:14, “You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there!”

2. Admit or “own” the problems.

We have to admit that we have been defeated by an internal force that has brought nothing but pain and degradation to our lives; then, we have to admit we need help in dealing with that force.

3. Ask for and accept the Lord’s help in dealing with the compulsive behavior.

We must completely accept the fact that we cannot remove our own shortcomings, and we must become willing for God to remove them for us. To be entirely ready is to reach a spiritual state where we are not just aware of our defects; not just tired of them; not just confident that the Lord will remove what should go – but all these things together.

4. Join with others for support and accountability.

Join a small group for support and form an accountability relationship with someone of the same gender.

part three deliverance from resentments and bitterness

2011-05-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

Prayer for Deliverance:

Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I have been holding on to resentments and bitterness against others. I confess this as sin and ask you to forgive me. I repent of those feelings now and give them over to you. I choose to forgive those who have hurt me in the past. Today, I lay down my bitterness and resentments at the foot of the cross. Please take them from me and help me to rely on You for the strength, comfort, peace, and assurance I need each moment of every day. Help me to walk according to the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit that I may be victorious in every way. In the precious Name of Jesus, AMEN

Scriptures for Overcoming Bitterness and Resentment:

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many Hebrews 12:14,15

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you Ephesians 4:31,32

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly I Peter 2:23

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing...”

Luke 23:34

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:14-21

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:14,15

I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another. Galatians 5:19-26

Declaration of Freedom:

I, _____________________________________________________________ , declare
by faith that by the power of the Blood of Jesus Christ, The Word of God, and His Holy Spirit, I have been forgiven and strengthened and can now walk in freedom. I will not let resentments and bitterness destroy what the Lord wants to do in my life. I choose to forgive those who have hurt me that I may also walk in forgiveness.

Signed_________________________________________ Date ________________

I will be accountable to ________________________________ in this area.

(Note: An accountability partner MUST be of the same gender.)

Forgiveness and Freedom

2011-05-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

Why Should I Forgive?

Think of forgiveness as a gift that you give to yourself. It is not something you do for the person who hurt you. It is a gift to yourself because it enables you to stop feeling painful feelings and pushing others away. Forgiveness frees you from anger and allows you to restore your ability to have close and satisfying relationships with others.

Anger is a poisonous emotion that comes from being hurt. When you are consumed with anger and bitterness, it hurts you at least as much as it hurts the person who has harmed you. It is as if you are filled with poison. If these feelings are not resolved, they can begin to eat you up inside.

You have two choices: to stay connected to the person who hurt you by keeping these poisonous feelings alive, or to let the feelings go and forgive the person who harmed you. When you withhold forgiveness, think about who is actually being hurt. It is more than likely that the person who is filled with anger and anxiety is you, not the other person.

What Forgiveness is Not:

§ Forgiving another does not mean you will never again feel the pain or remember the thing that hurt you. The hurtful experience will be in your memory forever. By forgiving, you are not pretending the hurtful behavior never happened. It did happen. The important thing is to learn from it while letting go of the painful feelings.

§ Forgiveness is not about right or wrong. It doesn’t mean that the person’s behavior was okay. You are not excusing their behavior or giving permission for the behavior to be repeated or continued.

§ When you forgive another, it does not mean you wish to continue your relationship with them. This is a separate decision. You can forgive a person and live your life apart from them.

Forgiveness can only take place because the Lord has given us the ability to make choices. This ability is a gift that we can use it whenever we wish. We have the choice to forgive or not to forgive. No other person can force us to do either.

How to Find Freedom:

1. Identify areas of bitterness and resentment in your life.
God says in Jeremiah 6:14, “You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there!”

2. Admit or “own” the problems.

We have to admit that we have been defeated by an internal force that has brought nothing but pain and degradation to our lives; then, we have to admit we need help in dealing with that force.

3. Ask for and accept the Lord’s help in dealing with your feelings.

4. Join with others for support and accountability.

Join a small group for support and form an accountability relationship with someone of the same gender.There are many christian recovery groups out there, possibly through your church, that can help you deal and heal in a safe healthy God centered environment.

Breaking the Chains – Bitterness and Resentment

2011-05-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

No one gets through life without being hurt by another person. We all have experienced the pain of a thoughtless remark, gossip, or lie. If you have experienced an unhappy marriage, the devastation of infidelity, or suffered physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, you know what it feels like to be hurt. When you are offended or disappointed by others and allow the hurt to germinate in your heart, bitterness and resentment will take root.

Characterized by an unforgiving spirit and negative, critical attitudes, bitterness and resentment are sinful and self-defeating. They will color both your conscious and unconscious thoughts and actions. It is sometimes tempting to hold on to these feelings and build a wall of safety around yourself. After all, in the world’s opinion, you are probably justified to have these feelings. But allowed to fester, they will destroy and kill (Galatians 5:19-21).

What Causes Bitterness and Resentments?

Resentment results from burying our hurts. If resentments are then suppressed, left to decay, they cause bitterness, anger, frustration, and depression. Some of us actually become addicted to our resentments. Even after we accept the Lord as our Savior and try to follow His will for us in other areas of our life, we can wrongly choose to run on the energy we derive from continually stirring the coals of resentment – keeping past hurts and hatred alive long after the events that caused them. But experience tells us that what we don’t talk out creatively, we act out destructively.

Bitterness is a spiritual malignancy that makes a person extremely vulnerable to unwise decisions and destructive thought patterns that infiltrate and affect our bodies as well as our souls. It may aggravate or even cause physical problems. You can be affected mentally, spiritually and otherwise. Your relationships will always suffer.

God can free you from this sin. It is an oppressive and destructive emotion having its root in hate, which is likened to murder. You must repent. No one can have peace and happiness with such emotions tearing at him.

Forgiveness – God’s Prescription for Healing

God forgives and forgets sin. However, you may have made your best effort to forgive and forget and find that you cannot. God can help you to cleanse your memory. Instead of remembering with malice and hurt, remember with forgiveness. Then go one step further and ask God to forgive your offender. By forgiving and then asking God to forgive your offender, you release God to bless you and the other person.

When you forgive another person, you no longer allow their behavior to cause you anger, pain, bitterness, or resentment. Forgiveness breaks the cycle! It doesn’t settle all the questions of blame, justice, or fairness, but it does allow relationships to heal and possibly start over. When you choose not to forgive, you make the choice to hold on to your feelings of resentment, anger, and pain.

Firery sermon

2011-02-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

THE SILENT SERMON

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services
regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting
before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preacher's visit, the
man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace...and waited.

The preacher made himself at home but said nothing . In the grave silence,
he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After
some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a
brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone,
then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's
flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its
fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher
glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood
up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the
fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of
the burning coals around it.

As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear
running down his cheek, 'Thank you so much for your visit and especially
for the fiery sermon. I will be back in church next Sunday.'

We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little.
Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left
unspoken.

The Lord is my Shepherd ----- that's a Relationship!

I shall not want ----- that's Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ----that's Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters -----that's Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul -- that's Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness -- that's Guidance!

For His name's sake ----- that's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death --that's
Testing!

I will fear no evil ----- that's Protection!

For Thou art with me ----- that's Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me -----that's Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies ---that's
Hope!

Thou annointest my head with oil -----that's Consecration!

My cup runneth over ----- that's Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ---that's
Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord ----- that's Security!

Forever ----- that's Eternity!

Face it, God is crazy about you!

What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in
our lives.

BELIEVE

2011-02-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

" Lord! we know what we are, but not what we may be.."
William Shakespeare

I think like many we all hold that desire to meet Jesus and ask that all important truth, what did it all mean? where is our place, how do we get there? whats next? But we are here on this earth till its time to be with him, there is no time machine that can take us back to when he walked the earth to meet with him. All the wisdom of his time here is in the bible, our only tool to learn his desires for us and how we should grow in relationship with him. so we believe, we believe in him, and his saving grace and the word of God that strengthens us.

For some this can be difficult, not all of us grew up with a solid foundation in a christian home feed and nurtured with the word of God. Some of us came from our own personal Egypt's , of pain, abuse, addiction and anger. The concept of a loving healing Lord is not something easily learned or believed. That's where faith steps in as we grow in the word. As we learn his plans, to prosper not to hurt us we can finally grow in belief and trust God, building a relationship with him.

Sometimes this revalation comes quickly and sometimes slowly, but as long as we press in, and believe even what we cannot see the growth comes. With two thousand years between the dream and the reality ( and the hope of a time machine not really looking that promising), Jesus still offers us access to him, the God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow and welcomes us wherever and when ever we want. His invitation still stands today: "Come unto me." and when you do, he promises you the time of your life.

QUESTION:
If you could step beyond the bounds of prayer and stand face to face with the Lord to ask or say one thing what would it be?

LISTEN

2011-01-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

One of the things I noticed since I became a Christian is that the body of Christ can talk! we talk all the time and when we are not talking we are praying and when we are not praying we are singing. I think its safe to say that the church knows how to make some noise and spends a lot of time doing just that.

Now don't get me wrong, most of the time it is a good thing. The father wants to hear from his children. Worship , prayer, and fellowship are all wonderful things that honor the heart of God. But sometimes I wonder if we have underestimated the power of silence. When is the last time you have been in the presence of God and not said a word? Have you ever been moved so much that you feared saying a word might quench the moment?

That's because worship is not only about being heard by God, but hearing God as well. If we continue making all the noise and not taking the time to hear from the Father, we risk the chance of forgetting why we started making noise in the first place. If I told my husband I loved him and never gave him a chance to respond, I would begin to wonder how he felt. If a conversation with my husband consisted of me doing all the talking and he never getting a chance to say anything, our relationship would fall apart. All relationships are based on a two way communication, our relationship with Christ, being the ultimate relationship, is obviously no different.

So next time you find yourself in a time of worship, take a moment to be silent. Since we are so good at talking, stop and ask the Father to speak to you. Be reminded that Christ sings over you! Be reminded that the King of Kings has called you by name! I promise you, it will make the sweetest time of worship so much sweeter.

ADVENTURE:
Be silent for more that a moment and listen to what God is speaking to you right now. If we can do this and learn his voice then we can hear him better when he asks us to do for him. what is he speaking to you?

HOPE

2010-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight".

Proverbs 3:5-6

Nothing turns out just like we would think or plan sometimes when we dream, that's how it turned out with me. As I fought against God, trying to do it my way I stayed stuck in my pain and misery and addiction which worsened with time. By the time I was 19 yrs. old I was strung out, engaged and just miscarried twins when my real father finally found me.

He looked at me and took me into his arms and told me he had been looking for me this whole time, even hired a investigator. took me in his arms and told me he loved me. as we talked and he heard the shambles of my life he wept, apologizing for not being there. There was joy in my heart but at the same time pain, I was angry, wondering why it took him so long to find me, why i had to go threw so much. He looked at me and asked if I was done and would I like to come down and meet my family. so I packed a suitcase and left with him to Minnesota.

There I met my grandparents, brothers and sister, aunts and uncles cousins and more, who were so excited to meet me. yet in the midst of all this love and joy and celebration of my homecoming, I had to hide in my room there and cry, I still felt so alone, so lost. I met the family I had dreamed about all my life and still I was broken and empty.

After returning to Washington my downward spiral continued, through two failed marriages and worsened drug addiction having my son and finally losing custody of him, losing my property, my belongings and almost loosing myself in the next 12 years. by the time I was 30 there was nothing left, and I blamed God, and at the same time reached out to him for the first time in my life. This lead to a spiritual experience that I couldn't ignore any longer, God was there and he loved me, so like my biological father I reached out to god with both hands and hung on.

The last 9 years have been a roller coaster of hope healing and grace. Where the Lord showed me how much he loves me each and everyday, and so does my daddy. During this time I realized not the painful memory of my past but the tools I got from each circumstance that happened during my life and how to use it today to further his kingdom, to help the lost like I once was. To be his hands and feet.

When I accepted the lord in my life and allowed him in my heart a funny thing happened, the gut wrenching black painful emptiness disappeared, was healed and filled with God's consuming love and grace. I wasn't alone any longer, I was loved, accepted and whole.

Today I am blessed to help in a recovery discipleship ministry, to use the tools I learned the hard way during the circumstances of my life before I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. sometimes being given the chance to live or lives over again might seem tempting at first, but when you stop to look at the tools you picked up during your journey, I'll bet you end up smiling at the lessons many more times than cringing at the missteps. And in the end, its truly the journey and not the destination. It's the dream not just the coming true. It's who we are now not just who we will become.

QUESTION;

On life's journey we have many ups and downs. What is the best thing so far that has happened on yours? what is the worst?

dream

2010-12-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

It has been said that what we truly want in life is found, not at the destination, but in what we experience on the journey there.

as a child I dreamed of the father I didn't know. growing up in a abusive home my real father that I had made up in my head as I knew nothing about him was growing in leaps and bounds. he was my white knight, my hero, who saved me from my painful existence at home.

He would drive up to the house , rescue me from my evil stepfather, beating him up and scooping me up and drive away to a new glorious rich life, filled with love, understanding and safety. I would meet my other family who would welcome me with open arms, showering me with more love and attention. And all this would heal my heart and fill that empty pain filled space in my gut.

As I grew older the dream expanded, getting more detailed, yet here I was empty, abused and broken with no sign of hope that my hero would show up. by the time I was thirteen I broke down and told someone how I was being tortured by my stepfather, he was thrown in jail and removed from my life forever. My dream was wavering, and I had solved the abusive parent myself. I began to think he wasn't coming, maybe he didn't care, maybe my other family didn't want to know me.

My broken life a shambles little did I see past the anger, and pain from my past that I was masking with drug addiction that my bitterness was growing, and in that I learned how to survive. I used every painful stumble to grow as a person even in the face of total spiritual, mental and physical breakdown. I felt abandoned by my fathers, both spiritual and biological. I could not see a end to my misery and suffering and felt I could not go on. But then I had no knowledge of God's plan for my life, or even who he was.

but I was about to see, everything. not in my time, not my way but soon it would be revealed

check back for the next lesson to find out how.

ADVENTURE
Remember a time when everything went wrong in your life, only to later discover that it was the path toward something very right.

Shine

2010-11-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

An old Serbian proverb advises, "Be humble, for you are made of the earth. Be noble, for you are made of the stars." It doesn't take much to accept the first part, but believing the second part is a challenge. Could it ever be true that we contain even just a sprinkle of the sparkle of heaven?

Jesus was a bundle of contradictions, so it's not that surprising that anyone following him ends up caught in the web of his paradoxes, or are we? We are led to believe we are mere dirt and spit brought to life, and in the very next breath we are the image of God, encompassing every ounce of his glory and beauty. no pressure there! Sometimes it's hard to figure out where the balance is. Am I to worthless to go on or to worthwhile to give up? I believe Jesus showed up just to prove the latter.

He even played the game himself for a while. As Philippians says, he was the one " who , being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing..... being in human likeness" (2:6-7). The maker of the stars stepped down to the earth to show us what we're made of; a touch of heaven and a whole lot of earth. He was willing to stoop to our level to show us the heights we could attain.

Jesus Christ is our ideal model for humility in obedience and service. Our thoughts, attitudes, and actions are to be patterned after Christ. His willingness to humbly obey his father is a great example for us. As we take an honest moral inventory of our life, we must humbly admit our faults so we can begin to change our destructive patterns. If we follow Jesus Christ in humility, learning to admit our failures without hesitation, nothing will be able to stop our growth and recovery.

Maybe then it isn't such a contradiction after all. God molded an Adam from the dust of the ground, the earth he already poured his love into and then in one divine kiss, breathed the life of heaven into his soul. We are as much of a creation of what is above as we are of what is beneath us. We have feet of clay and a soul made to soar the skies.

Obedience to God's program is one of the requirements for spiritual growth. But how can we lead a clean, innocent life like he wants us to? We have already admitted that we are powerless over our addictions and circumstances. God not only asks us to live a Godly life , he also provides us the power to do it. He works in us, giving us the desire and ability to obey him. As we get to know God by reading the bible and spending time with him in prayer, he can transform us from the inside out so we can shine brightly before him.

A quirky old country song lamented, "It's hard to be humble when your perfect in every way." Good for a laugh, but luckily, we're daily given reminders of just how far we have to go so that we may resist really ever believing we are that wonderful. At the same time, God lets us keep our starry eyed hearts set on him and the promise of what can be. We remain children of the living God, a noble people with a marvelous inheritance waiting, even while plodding the dusty roads before us.

Question
Humanity and divinity mingled was the gift of Jesus to the world. How can you manifest that combination in your own life to the glory of God and good of others around you?

Honor

2010-11-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

In the movie "To kill a mocking bird", Gregory Peck patiently tried to explain to his daughter scout, why people hate. She'd already seen it all around her: a strange boy who had condemned himself to a hermit's life for not being the same as everyone else, and a poor boy at school whose only crime seemed to be being poor. Then, looming over all of them, the innocent man already hung for nothing more than being someone no one else wanted around. Someone they feared because they could not understand ~ and hate became the easiest way out.

Somehow in his gentle explanation, Peck's character managed to sum up life's pursuit in much the same way that Jesus did two thousand years earlier: "Do to others as you would have them do to you". It was as simple and as complicated as that. Even we who are not children listening on someones knee know that it's much easier said than done. But when all is said and done, it really is the truth of life, the embodiment of what Micah says when he declares what God requires of us: " To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (6:8).

Who can forget that incredible courtroom scene ~ a place where hate collided with the truth and Atticus Finch was in the fight of his life? As a simple lawyer, he knew the not so simple truth. When it would have been easier to walk away, easier to let hate take over all reason and go back home, away from all these unreasonable souls consumed by their own prejudices, he did the right thing. He stayed and he fought for a friend. He fought for innocence lost and for the innocence found again. Maybe deep down he knew that what he helped others find in themselves meant that he, too, could keep it alive in himself.

There are no easy answers. And even in the movies, there isn't always a happy ending. Being true to his word, Atticus found, didn't guarantee happiness. It didn't even guarantee fairness. Yet it was still a lesson worth teaching his daughter, his neighbor, his enemies, his friends. He said it was a sin to kill a mockingbird because mockingbirds just go busily about their lives and do nothing to hurt us. God gives the same warning when it comes to all people. Let go of the hurt and the "eye for an eye". ...Love is all you need after all. And love can cover a multitude of sins.

God's greatest commandment was to Love, in love is forgiveness, healing and hope. In love we find our desire to do what we know is right in our "Knower" in our soul, God's will in our lives, hearts and all our ways. As we grow closer to the Lord in relationship it is his gentle nudge to our spirit that helps us over come our old reactions, habits and hangups. thus allowing those areas in our lives that has kept us tied to pain and sin be finally freed and healed by him. Teaching us his grace and mercy so then we can be more graceful and mercy giving with others.

CHALLENGE :

Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing. Write about a time in your life in which you made that honorable choice with the Lords leading and how it healed and or transformed you leading to more grace for others and yourself.

WONDER

2010-10-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so they say. But sometimes the most beautiful things in the world can't even be seen.

With all the splendor that surrounds creation, it's mesmerizing to think that what we see is barely scratching the surface. For beauty is, in fact , way more than skin deep. God, the Master Designer, uses the seen and the unseen to dazzle us from afar and to plant His beautiful works both without and within. Simone Weil wrote, " the soul's natural inclination to love beauty is the trap God most frequently uses in order to win it and open it to the breath on high."

God is not only the Creator of all things, but also Giver of the gift that enables us to recognize beauty. His trap is a circle of love ~ enticing, beguiling, and enchanting. As the poet wrote, " Love drew the circle that took us in." God takes us in for our own good and sets us before all the glories of Heaven and earth. Jesus declared that "eye had not seen and ear had not heard" the amazing things God has in store for those who love him. If not even Solomon in all his splendor could match the glory of the swaying lilies of the field, how much more must be the splendor God has in store for those with eyes to see? Just imagine what could be waiting while you breathe deep and take in whats here right now.

When the bible declares that the mountains will sing and the rocks will cry out the message of God's love, it's mearly another picture of the length, the height, the breadth, and the depth that God will go to lure us out of our suffocating shells and awake us to the wonder of what he has made. He promises beauty even from the ashes. Ecclesiastes assures us that "he has made everything beautiful in his time," and that " he has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the begining to end" (3:11).

Heaven truely is found in every grain of sand and every wildflower, because God's love and his hands have made every one of them. If he can't make us see it with the obvious, he'll set it before us with the miraculous.

It really is a beautiful sight..

Question:

How has God trapped you in his love?
What can you do to draw others into that circle?

REJOICE

2010-10-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

" THOUGH THE OLIVE CROP FAILS AND THE FEILDS PRODUCE NO FOOD , THOUGH THERE ARE NO SHEEP IN THE PEN AND NO CATTLE IN THE STALLS, I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD. I WILL BE JOYFUL IN GOD MY SAVIOR.

HABAKKUK 3:17,18

All of us face unexpected challenges as we go through our lives. Things don't always turn out the way we expected them to. Darknessfalls, clouds gather, and shadows come, but our faith and confidence in God need never be shaken. And when we face difficult times and trials, he will be with us to make a way where there seems to be no way.

Have you ever felt that God was a million miles away and wasn't even listening to the cry of your heart? Have you ever poured out your heart to God , desperate for an answer but the answer didn't come? I think all of us have experianced this at some point in our lives. Does it mean that God has forgotten us? Does his silence mean that he doesn't care? nope, the bible tells us he will never leave or forsake us (hebrews13:5) and that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think ( Ephesians 3:20) ! Our solutions to our problems are limited to what we can ask or think. God's solutions are above all that we could ever ask or think, Isaiah (55:8-9)tells us that his thoughts and his ways are far above ours.

So what do we do when we are going through a difficult time yet? Habakkuk 3:18 says " yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be happy in the God of my salvation." We are suppose to exsult, to find great joy in the Lord and rejoice in the God of our salvation! Why? Because everything is perfect in our lives? Not necessarily . I heard someone say once that we don't have to deny the reality of our situation, weather it's physical, finantual, spiritual or emotional; we just don't have to accept it as the finality. In other words we need to see our situations throught the eyes of faith. Remember God has the final word. Circomstances may be telling you that you are finished and you have run out of options. But God has promised in his word that he will make a roadway in the wilderness and a river in the desert.( Isaiah 43:19) When we exsaust our own resources, God is about to show us that he is not limited to our ideas and solutions.

Luke 1:37 tells us that " nothing is impossible with God," So if your going through a difficult situation right now, don't allow the enemy to come in to your life and steal your song. Make a choice to bless the Lord. Make a choice to exsult him, even in the midst of a difficult circomstances, because God is working in ways you cannot see! So lets lift our voices and worship him, lets lift our voices and sing to him, and praise him with all our hearts because he is an awesome God and worthy to be praised. and remember, sometimes the most intense praise comes in the midst of the most intense pain.

QUESTION:

What difficult situations has God brought you through?and who and what did he use to do it? How were you able to bless the Lord even in the midst of your pain?

DARE

2010-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

I will heal their waywardness and love them freely
Hosea 14:4

When God asked His prophet Hosea to marry the local loose woman, the groom must have thought someone was off his rocker. Spend your lifetime convincing the world you are the messenger of God's word of morality, justice, and truth~ and then he asks you to... what?! It's probably, at least at its core , on of the funniest stories in the bible. Leave it to God to drive someone crazy to prove a point. Not to mention imagining this whole story from Gomer's point of view: One day you're the scourge of the town, and the next day you're walking down the aisle with the village preacherman.

Makes you wonder if anyone knew what was going on that day. But something amazing usually does happen when you let go and let God do what ever he wants.

So Gomer marries Hosea, and they have a few children with depressing names, and life sort of goes on for the odd couple. Until Gomer's old life beckons and that age old temptation returns. Perhaps she couldn't really believe she could be loved. Or that she was worth being loved, Or maybe she believed she wasn't good enough to live like someone who was loved.

Whatever her reasons, she strayed. And Hosea came home, but instead of kicking her back to the streets, he just said over and over again, "How can I ever leave you? How could I ever not love you?" Hosea's heart may have been crushed by her betrayal, but his love was indestructible. God, it seems, must have looked down and said "See, do you get it yet? Anyone? this is what i have been saying all along"

You can almost imagine him chuckle when he first dreams up the absurd plot. If you can prove to one of your creation that the love they have for each other is a mere sliver of the love you have for them maybe.... just maybe... they'de start to understand, that boundless, fathomless ocean that is God's locve seems limited only by our inability to accept it. It's just to wild for words.

Charlie Chaplin, the old time actor and film director, was no stranger to absurdities himself when he declared, "Life is a tragedy when seen close up, but a comedy in a long shot." Almost everything's funny when your not in the middle of it. So the farther you walk away from something that breaks your heart, the closer you come to realizing that you are surrounded by a love so unreal, it would take a miracle to make you believe it.

Hosea got a close up view, in fact he got the leading role in God's attempt to show the world his love. No matter how far you go, the script reads, there is absolutly nothing you can do to shake him. Many have tried, including Gomer who put on one of history's strongest performances. but so far no one has succeeded.

QUESTION:
Have you ever tried to run away from love? it is when we are most unsure of ourselves that we doubt the love of others. What are ways you can remind yourself of God's constant love and presence in your life?

2010-10-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

RECEIVE

On the old hit show “Trading Spaces” friendly neighbors give a lackluster room in their homes over to each other and a couple of opinionated designers, and trust them to deliver a totally new look to it. They’re hoping that somehow, miraculously, the designer assigned to their home will have the same taste they do. In the most captivating episodes, that usually isn’t the case .

The intriguing part is watching the shocked couple with the new, not~ to~ their~ liking room trying to graciously thank their neighbor friends, the designers, and the show host for something you know is coming down as soon as the production truck pulls away. It’s hard to cultivate a grateful response when disappointment is clouding the way. Most of the time, as someone watching from afar, you have to say, “Well, it’s better than you had before, give it a chance.”

When Jesus traded his own space in heaven for the chance to make something new of the dying old world before him, it was hard to find even one grateful party. Everyone was sitting around waiting for a warrior Messiah ~ someone with a room with a view of the promised land. They expected him to arrive and, in one broad stroke, vanquish their enemies and make everything right again.

Instead they got the Prince of Peace, who to be sure was ready to do some rearranging. Trouble was, he was more interested in their hearts than their land. And apparently the only enemy he was interested in vanquishing was the unbelievable baggage of expectations and demands everyone seemed to be carrying around with them ~ both for him and for their own lives. what no one expected was that all the change he left behind would be so beautiful. By the time they discovered it, he wasn’t around to thank ~ in person anyways, we had done away with him because he didn’t operate or move as we wanted him to.

As Joni Mitchell sang “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.” Sometimes the best gifts come in unexpected packages. If your willing to be patient and wait to discover what might not be obvious at first, you may find that every day, every moment, every person you meet is a gift to your life. And they all come from the ultimate giver of all good things.

Question:

It truly is better to give than to receive, but a grateful receiver can be a gift back to the giver. Think of the gifts God has given you and your response to those gifts. What were they? Cultivate your own grateful heart and share.

Love

2010-10-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

When Paul wrote about the three great things remaining ~faith , hope, and love~ he wasn't kidding about the greatest of these being love. Love is the thread that runs through the entire story of God's attachment to his people. He has written His name on our hearts and refuses to take no for an answer.

Pascal said " the heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of." God is the best proof of that. His heart is consumed, not by logic, nor reason, nor by rules, but by passion. When it comes to love, He's ready to do anything in the name of it. The first Christmas morning was only the beginning of the incredible lengths He was willing to go. And if God truly is love, Jesus was the walking, breathing, in our faces proof of that, He started the party two thousand years ago and still hasn't stopped inviting everyone to come.

He was love, is love, and oozes love. Love tinges his every decision, his every move. He dined and danced with the rebels and losers and didn't care what the neighbors thought. When everyone wanted to stone the woman caught in her guilt, Jesus dropped the stones and let love speak the verdict.

Opening his door to anyone who knocked, he was the only one who took in any story they told. It didn't matter. Like he said, the sick were healed, and he didn't come to let the saints feel even better about themselves. He came looking for the lost, broken sinners who never even knew they had gold~engraved invitations to the party, let alone the right to RSVP. All we needed was love and he knew it. Of course he knew it. It was his plan all along.

When all the party poopers stood outside and watched through the windows, shouting their lists of all the rules he was breaking, he partied on. They really thought he needed to learn. They really thought he didn't know. They assumed he was breaking God's laws when was the one who carved them in the stone in the first place.

He knew the rules, he knew the laws. And he also knew ~ actually, He made it so ~ That the greatest law of all was love.

In the end love conquers all. Love even trumps Justice. Amazing grace, they call it, and its a grace He's extended to all his creation every day since the world first began. It's a stupendous, magnificent, beautiful thing ~ this thing called GOD'S LOVE. And it is indeed, amazing

Question~
If love truly is the greatest gift of all, how are you sharing it in your own life, with God and those around you?

hebrews 4:14-16

2010-10-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the Heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confessions.
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet with out sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

Titus

2010-08-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Paul wrote the letter to Titus, a young pastor on a Island of Crete. Titus faced two primary problems in his church. On the one hand, some claimed that immoral living was alright because God's grace was sufficient for forgiveness. On the other hand, there were those who claimed that acceptance by God came through obeying God's laws. Paul encouraged Titus to confront both groups for undermining God's gracious gift of forgiveness in Christ.
Paul solved Titus's duel problem by reminding him of the importance of God's grace. When we discover the amazing grace God has bestowed on us, we will feel an incredible sense of gratitude. This will motivate us to delight in obeying God's will for our life, not to live immorally because our forgiveness is guaranteed. God is not a harsh taskmaster whose favor depends on our slavish obedience to his rules. He is a gracious Father who offers us a relationship with him, both now and through eternity. We can live a Godly life out of gratitude to God because he loves us and forgives us.
The fact that God is gracious and forgiving is essential to recovery. We already know that we are powerless against sin and dependency. We have all failed many times over. We don't need to be afraid to admit our sins and failures to our gracious God. He will forgive us and help us start over again. Because God is gracious, we can continue our honest, self examination without fear. God will never write us offfor our failures and mistakes. God accepts us just as we are.

2010-08-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

We have so many updates for all of you this week!

Saturday 21st
Chosen Generation revival
music,food and fun! our band will be playing there so come on down. its at 221st meridian in graham by the graham hay market.

Wednesday 25th
Music in the park
in Shelton, WA. at the post office park on second and railroad. come on down to sing and fellowship with us, our band will be playing there.

The new house
on corner of first and pine.
Funding and prayer is needed. asbestos was found and work has been stopped until we can have it removed; the cost is going to be $4,000.00. please keep this in prayer that God supplies the money as this is a expense we cannot afford at this time. Or if God places it on your heart to donate please contact Gethsemane ministries.

Facebook video
we uploaded a new video of one of the concrete jobs our guys recently finished, go check it out!

next church w out walls! and more...

2010-08-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night the 11th of August and again on the 25th is another church with out walls family! we hope to see you there! we will be on second and railroad at the post office park in Shelton Washington. sharing praises for the lord and spiritual unity in Christ.

Also we have been blessed with another house for the ministry, but it has a lot of work needed.If you have time, resources or just prayer come on down to share and encourage as we renovate it for housing for the recovery men's ministry. It is located across from Pro-build down town Shelton on first and pine.

We also have someone to keep our blogs and facebook resources updated. so as to keep everyone in the loop! We will be sharing fun, work, and life here as well as a encouraging word from the lord.We thank you for your patience as we get it up and moving!

Mrs. mimi
for pastor Brian Hellenthal

Looking forward to summer

2010-04-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hey check this out,

We are looking forward to putting on a series of concerts this summer. It is a joint effort to reach out to the community of Shelton and surroundin areas. Teaming up with other churches in the area we are going to be playing music at Post Office Park through out the season. the event is to be called a "Church without Walls please come and join the excitement." We will post more soon. God bless.