Tag: Healing

Today’s Word Is TRANSMIT

Tue-Jul-14-2020

Besides physical sickness, there are many things in life that get transmitted, some exceptionally good things and some very harmful things. Love, hope, and joy are contagious, but so are anger, discontent, and bitterness.

There is a Bible passage that talks about the transmission of spiritual and emotional healing.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2nd Corinthians 1:3-4)

In other words, as God comforts us, we are inspired to comfort others. This word “comfort” has a deeper meaning than just getting a pat on the back or a hug to make you feel better. The “comfort” spoken of here is deep, more like a profound, life-changing healing.

Simply put, “Healed people heal people.” As we find and receive healing from God, we become agents of healing in the lives of others.

But there is a reverse principle implied in this verse that is also true. “Hurt people hurt people.” The past hurts that some people have endured get passed on or transmitted to others. The person who feels hurt, often reacts and compensates by hurting others.

Here are two ways to apply these principles.

First, get yourself healed up. Address your hurts and find peace. Dig deeper into the Word. And there are many churches, ministries, grace-filled Christians, and inspiring books to help you. God’s healing comfort is deep and effective. Most of the time, the “just forget about it” approach doesn’t work. In the medical world, wounds that are not painfully cleaned out and treated with inconvenient shots, stitches, and bandages, will not heal, they will get “infected.” Emotional wounds can also get “infected” if not painstakingly treated.

Second, understand and forgive others who display hurtful behavior toward you or others. It may be that they are not simply “mean” people, but far more likely that they have been hurt in the past in such a way that they don’t realize how they are hurting others or how to stop it. They need someone who has been healed (like you, for instance) to help them get healed.

Be well!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is BROKENNESS

Mon-Jun-29-2020

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” – King David (Psalm 51:17)

The first place to start is this … everybody needs fixing. I need fixing. You need fixing. The list of perfect people is not very long, there has only been one name on that list … ever.

The second thing is this … you can’t get fixed until you admit you are broken. This is a problem. Who wants to admit they need help? But we are like a broken watch in need of the watchmaker.

King David wrote some very wonderful poems. He was a wise man. He was a warrior and conqueror extraordinaire. But, he had a thirst for power and a lust for women. (You can read that story in 2nd Samuel Chapter 11.) His attraction to Bathsheba led to adultery, followed by a plan to get rid of her husband so that no one would find out.

The prophet Nathan cornered David into a discussion and confession. David was brash and gutsy, but he knew from history that if you are guilty, you don’t challenge God or one of his prophets. It will not end well.

So he hit his knees, and admitted his brokenness.

It is amazing and sad how many people will not do the simple thing of confessing their wrongdoing, admitting their brokenness, taking on a contrite attitude, and asking God to forgive and restore. By the way, when I say “they,” I really mean “me” first. People sometimes revere pastors and spiritual leaders, but we are not exempt.

I once saw a woman get a new start on life by forgiving her sister for something done 30 years before. (She was waiting for the apology that was never coming.) I have seen an adult daughter reconcile with her mother over something that happened as a teenager. I have seen two employees look at each other with a contrite heart, and both simultaneously say, “I’m sorry.”

Feeling broken may seem like a bad thing, but if it is acceptable and even desirable to God, then it really is a very good thing. Having worked as a hospital chaplain, I have seen many patients trying to be their own doctor, instead of listening to those who know how to heal. By the same token, I have also seen many people trying to be their own spiritual doctor instead of listening to God or the wise counsel of a spiritual leader.

It is human nature to take a different approach than humble confession. One way we do this is just to deny the problem. Another is to make excuses for why we think we were justified in our sin or failure. And yet another is to defiantly think we should just be let off the hook. Court cases end up like this sometimes … the accused pays a penalty without admitting wrongdoing. For David, this was not going to happen.

If we can’t admit our wrongdoing, we won’t get far in our faith journey. A song by Micah Stampley, called “Take My Life,” starts out … ”Holiness, Holiness is what I long for; Holiness is what I need.” A later verse adds, “Brokenness, Brokenness is what I long for. Brokenness is what I need.”

God mends broken people, but first comes admitting we are broken. A good posture for this is on our knees, hands out, eyes looking up to God. At this point, tears often come. And then begins the healing and restoration. Get used to this. It will come again and again as you get washed more and more. The 51st Psalm was written by David during the Bathsheba experience. Verse 2: Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Verse 7: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Clean on the inside, that’s what God wants to do.

Broken and Blessed!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is COURAGEOUS

Mon-Jun-22-2020

((If you haven’t already, you should watch the movie Soul Surfer.))

On October 31, 2003, Bethany Hamilton, age 13 at the time, went for a morning surf along Tunnels Beach, Kauai, Hawaii, with her best friend Alana Blanchard, Alana’s father Holt, and brother Byron, when a 14-foot-long tiger shark attacked her, severing her left arm just below the shoulder. The Blanchards helped paddle her back to shore, then Alana’s father fashioned a tourniquet out of a rash guard (protective swim clothing) and wrapped it around the stump of her arm. She was rushed to Wilcox Memorial Hospital. By the time she arrived there she had lost over 60% of her blood and was in hypovolemic shock. Her father was already at the hospital to have knee surgery that day. Instead, his surgery was cancelled, and Bethany took his place in that operating room, where her wound was closed.

Despite the trauma of the incident, Hamilton was determined to return to surfing, and one month after the attack, she returned to her board. Initially, she adopted a custom-made board that was longer and slightly thicker than standard and had a handle for her right arm, making it easier to paddle, and she learned to kick more to make up for the loss of her left arm. After teaching herself to surf with one arm, on January 10, 2004, just 10 weeks after her accident, she entered a major competition.

Since the attack, she has appeared as a guest on numerous television shows, as she was transformed from shark attack victim to inspirational role model. The television shows she has appeared on include The Biggest Loser, 20/20, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Today Show, The Tonight Show and Dude Perfect, as well as in magazines People, Time, and American Girl. Additionally, she was the cover story in the premier issue of niNe magazine.

In 2004, she won the ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete and also received the Courage Teen Choice Award. Also that year, MTV Books published Hamilton’s book, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, which describes her ordeal. Her story is also told in the 2007 short subject documentary film Heart of a Soul Surfer. Described as a “faith-based documentary,” the film addresses her devout Christianity and her courage and faith in Jesus Christ in the aftermath of the shark attack and follows her quest for spiritual meaning.

Thank you, Lord, for courageous, inspirational people! Give us courage as well. Help us to believe in your healing and restorative power.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is ABSORB

Tue-Jun-9-2020

What creates fear in you? Relationship problems? Health problems? Financial problems? How about fear of failure? Fear of death? Fear of rejection? Something else?

Unaddressed fear contributes to worry, and the combination of fear and worry becomes heavier and heavier. Sometimes we try to fix it by isolating it into a back corner of our mind and then just live with it. In the medical sense we know that infected wounds don’t go away. And emotional woundedness that manifests in fear and worry festers in the same way.

So … How do you get rid of fear? What can you do to be less afraid of threats? Is there a way to reach the point where fear is not your automatic reaction? Can fear be cleansed out of us and replaced with a sense of peace and security?

Would the best tool be to have more courage? That certainly helps. Should we frequently and habitually remind ourselves of truths as a way to quench our fears? That is helpful as well. Some people would tell us, “Just get over it.” In my experience that rarely works. The fear hides somewhere inside, but it is still there.

You might know the answer I am looking for if I ask it this way: What does the Bible say will cast out fear?

It is love … perfect love.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1st John 4:18)

The source of love is God, and love is the most powerful game-changer in existence. We can release this love power into ourselves and into others through prayer. Everything God does is based on his love for us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his Son…” (John 3:16) God’s love is “perfect” love.

During these contentious times, let us intentionally reflect on the unlimited and unconditional love of God. Think of how deeply, thoroughly, and perfectly God loves you! Soak it in. Bring to the surface any worry or care that causes distress and ask God to replace it with his love. Make declarations about his love’s effect on you. “I am deeply loved by God.” “Nothing can separate me from the love of God.” (see Romans 8:38-39) “I hereby trade any disturbance in me in exchange for the love of God.” “I breathe in his love and breathe out the impurities of fear and anxiety.”

You see, as we continuously absorb the love of God into our inner being over a long period of time, fear starts to run out of places to inhabit within us. Fear eventually has little or no room to function. As the incredible love of God goes in, the fear is “cast out.”

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is UNCONDITIONAL

Tue-May-12-2020

Having God’s unconditional love does not mean you have God’s unconditional approval. – Pastor Miles McPherson, former NFL player

While attending seminary I found a stray puppy one day and decided to rescue her. She was brown and black and fuzzy, possibly part German Shepherd. I took her home and fed her. Then I put her in the sink and cleaned off a lot of fleas and dried blood. Next, I took her to the vet to get rid of parasites from her bloated stomach and to give her immunizations to protect her future health. I named her Ginger, and eventually had a friend come forward who wanted to adopt her and give her a permanent home.

Here’s my way of saying what Pastor McPherson is trying to get at: ”God loves you just the way you are. But he loves you too much to leave you the way you are.”

Some folks interpret God’s unconditional love as requiring nothing in the way of change or improvement. They would contend that if God loves me the way I am, he’s not going to make me change or do anything. I am what I am. What you see is what you get.

But think of this … Suppose I take in this stray puppy but do nothing to “fix it up.” I tell my friends about my new puppy, and that she is really cute and lovable. So, they come by to see this little rascal but are astonished at her sickly appearance. Obviously, they would think that I didn’t care very much about its well-being. They would, in fact, think that I was cruel to take it in and then let it suffer through fleas, worms, sores, and malnutrition. If I really loved this puppy, then taking it in is not enough.

In terms of the love of God for us, being “saved” is only the beginning. When I took in Ginger the puppy, unconditional love was at work. I gave her a home when she was lost, unclaimed, and belonged to no one. That was her “salvation.” But that unconditional love also led me to nurse her back to health by fixing what was wrong.

God loves you unconditionally, which means he wants you to come home to him, but because he loves you unconditionally, he also wants to work on what is not healthy in you. Those of us who are looking for change and transformation can be encouraged today that it is available. God will meet us where we are and take us where we need to be. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

In the case of this helpless puppy, I took charge and worked on her problems. However, in our case, when God takes us in, and by his grace and our confession and faith, we receive salvation, God is not going to force us into change. We are not animals, but humans with a will and a choice.

So, yes, “God loves us as we are, but he loves us too much to ignore us and leave us like we are.” He lets his desires be made known, offering to lead us into health and well-being. He does not demand that we change or force us into it. He waits for us to want it and to seek it and to seek him. This is the way to life as we are intended to live it.

God in his unconditional love saves us and then leads us through the changes we must make to become the person we are intended to be. This is a life-long process. We may need to remind certain people what the unconditional love of God is really like – He loves us like we are, but he loves us too much to leave us like we are.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

(If you’re interested) … The Miles McPherson Story: The man behind the Pastor

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in March 1960, the second oldest of five children, Miles McPherson was raised on Long Island in a strong family. After excelling in football throughout high school, he attended the University of New Haven, where he majored in engineering. McPherson was the university’s first player to achieve All-American honors in football and be drafted into the NFL. Strong athletics run in the McPherson family; Miles’ brother, Don McPherson, was a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1987.

Miles played four years in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers from 1982-1985. It was during this time that he developed a cocaine addiction that found the NFL star in a tailspin as he began feeding his habit.

After his second season in the NFL and after a weekend-long drug binge, he called out to Jesus Christ, accepted Him and stopped doing drugs in one day. This turnaround put him on the road to becoming a pastor.

Today’s Word Is TEMPLE

Tue-Apr-7-2020

In the Old Testament, the Temple represented the presence of God as the center of the faith community. There was an outer court where people gathered, an inner court or Holy Place where sacrifices took place, and an innermost room, called the Holy of Holies, where the Spirit of God dwelt. In this innermost place was the Ark of the Covenant, a large golden chest, which contained a golden pot of manna from the wilderness, Aaron’s wooden rod which budded, and the tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments.

Cloth partitions divided areas, including an enormous high and thick cloth surrounding the Holy of Holies. This was the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would go out from there to do Kingdom work in the land where God needed it.

By the time of Jesus, the Temple had become a marketplace of vendors selling various animals to be used for sacrifice, as well as various religious trinkets. Activity was especially great during Passover. And during the final week of Jesus’ life, he entered this commotion to right a wrong.

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (Matthew 21:12-13)

The problem was that the hearts of the leaders were not right. In modern Western thinking, we consider that getting your heart right with God is about confession, attitude, positive thoughts, good intentions, and right beliefs. In the Jewish culture, the heart was a symbol of your will (your decision-maker). Thus, if someone wanted to check out whether your heart was right with God, they wouldn’t ask you what you believe, they would look at what kind of decisions you make, and what kind of activities are going on in your life. It was a contradiction to say that you loved God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and with praise and worship, and yet your life reflected something else.

Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple signified that what was going on in this Holy Place was not consistent with their faith. What was believed about the meaning of the Temple did not match up with what you observed when you were there. The next verse after the cleansing of the Temple says this, “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.” (Matthew 21:14) Now that’s what is supposed to be going on in the Temple!

On the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, great storms and earthquakes took place. And during this violent weather, a strange thing happened. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. (Matthew 27:51)

My friend Charlie tells me this is the reaction of God to those who hated his Messiah so much that they would be the perpetrators of the crucifixion. The Jews had two practices that indicated their objection to something that was wrong. First, if there were someone making false claims or spreading bad teaching in the public places of discussion, listeners would bend over and pick up a handful of dirt and toss it in the air. (We would be more likely to “boo” them in our day.)

Second, if something blasphemous was said, they would tear their clothing. When Caiaphas the High Priest was interviewing Jesus, and Jesus said, “You say that I am,” (meaning the Messiah), Caiaphas stood and tore his robe in half, “top to bottom” (Matthew 26:65).

Well, when God tosses dirt in the air (earthquakes) and rips his clothing from top to bottom (the curtain in the Temple), he does it in a big way!!

What happened that day was that the Holy Spirit left the Temple in Jerusalem, and 50 days later at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to live in the hearts of believers. And that’s what happens to us when we repent, believe, and receive salvation … the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. Your spirit comes alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. (1st Corinthians 6:19)

My wife had a revelation several years ago, in which it came to her that Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple is a reminder to us that we, too, need to keep the new temple (our lives) cleansed. Just as Jesus got rid of those who robbed the Temple of its holiness, so we must get rid of those things which rob us of the peace, joy, and good things of God. We look to see if the activities and atmosphere of our lives reflect the faith, love, and worship which dwells in and sounds forth from the holy place called “me.”

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is BELIEVING

Mon-Apr-6-2020

The old phrase, “seeing is believing,” is only half the truth. Do you really have to see something first to believe it, or are you supposed to believe it first before you can see it? In the ministry of Jesus, it happened both ways. Sometimes “believing precedes seeing.”

For instance … And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” (Matthew 9:20-22) She believed first and as a result received her healing.

On the other hand, after Jesus had chosen his first disciples, he attended a wedding with his mother. It was there that he turned water to wine. “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11) They saw first and then believed.

Both of these scenarios happened many times in the ministry of Jesus. Sometimes people believed first and then the miracle came. And as a result of that, many others believed after they saw it.

The reason I raise this question at the beginning of Holy Week is because the day is coming on Easter Sunday when something difficult to believe, from the world’s standpoint, is about to happen … the resurrection of Jesus. It was well-known that Jesus foretold this. Not only did his followers know it, but so did the Pharisees and Temple guards. After Jesus was put in the tomb, the following discussion took place.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:62-64)

Jesus had begun his ministry at age 30, and up to that point in Jewish history, several resurrections had already happened that all Jews, especially the Pharisees, would know about. The prophet Elijah raised one. And the prophet Elisha raised one. Plus, there was the guy who, fortunately for him, had his dead body laid down in Elisha’s grave, and then came to life!

And now, here was Jesus, hundreds of years after the prophets, saying publicly, at least indirectly, that he was the Chosen One, and seemingly saying that his death was imminent, and even further, comparing himself to Jonah’s three days in the whale. (See Matthew 12 below.) He was explaining prophecies about the death and resurrection of the Messiah that were not being taught in the synagogues!

So, let’s go to one week before the annual Passover celebration in the third and final year of Jesus’ ministry, when a sad thing happened … Jesus’ good friend Lazarus got sick and died. Then Jesus told [the disciples] plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:14-15) So, Jesus and the disciples journeyed to Bethany, arriving four days after his burial. This was a personal loss to Jesus, as he often stayed in the home of Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha.

When Jesus arrived, Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21) And in verse 25, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

I’m sure everyone there, including Martha, knew that Jesus had previously raised two from the dead, a widow’s son and an official’s daughter. But this was her brother. This was personal. That is the moment when we are tested greatly … when it is about “me.”

There are many times that my faith needs strengthening, and sometimes what I must do is relive this moment when Jesus looks Martha in the eye and says, “Do you believe this?” When I think of Jesus standing face-to-face in front of me, I pretty much start melting, and my eyes moisten. He is nothing but pure love. And whatever it is that I am having difficulty with, I can already begin to sense that he knows my struggle and that I am going to be alright.

I believe Jesus wanted Martha, when asked “Do you believe this?’, to immediately say “yes,” even though Lazarus was still dead. He wanted her to believe that there is a resurrection of faith and life about to happen.

What seems impossible to us is altogether possible for him. We don’t have to “see” in order to say, “I believe.”

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Matthew 12:38-41

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Today’s Word Is FRAGILE

Mon-Mar-16-2020

How do you handle people who seem to be fragile? It is tempting to tell people who can’t deal with their problems to just “get over it.” There might be a handful of people for whom that works, but that approach is rarely effective. So, let’s consider two types of fragile people.

First – there are some folks who are always fragile; it’s a way of life, and a method of avoiding further hurt. It takes great commitment to help this kind of person without “enabling” their negative behavior. Usually this kind of person needs more help than we can give, and perhaps we should seek outside wisdom.

What they “say” they need is “a little help.” What they “actually” need is “inner healing” in a profound way. This idea sounds extremely frightening to them. They may get angry or hurt if you won’t give them, once again, a small dose of help. Their best hope is with a person who loves and is committed to them enough to find them some serious help. Counseling would be good. In a spiritual sense, they may need inner healing from a ministry that is equipped for it. Celebrate Recovery helps with addictions. Sozo ministries, Formational Counseling, and other ministries like them can help facilitate amazing emotional healing from God. I was involved many years with The Order of St. Luke the Physician and saw many people receive life-changing inner healing.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, and you are unsure how to proceed, please contact me.

Next … there are also folks who are temporarily fragile, such as during a hospital stay, or following the death of a loved one, or any number of other crises. It might also describe someone who has dealt with a difficult situation for a long time and is getting extremely weary and discouraged or close to falling apart. Sometimes this extends to the whole family, as all may be suffering and fragile. But these would be folks who normally seem to “have it together,” and who could get back on their feet through the love of Jesus and the assistance of their family and God’s family. For people such as this, we can apply the words of Isaiah the prophet, who said this about the coming Messiah Jesus … “A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish…” (Isaiah 42:3)

Being honest with people about their situation is necessary of course, but we can also be mindful that there is sometimes very little capacity remaining for dealing with their condition. In this sense, we are dealing with people who are like “bruised reeds” or “dimly burning wicks.” It is quite an art to help people deal with stress and hurt and to assist them with healing, while simultaneously caring for their personhood in such a way that we do not break their spirit or extinguish their hope. It is worth developing the ability to accomplish this.

Remember, we will occasionally run into one of those “always fragile” people who resist help. But many others will respond positively to our ability to get them through this present difficulty, even in their fragile state. And perhaps they will gain strength, wisdom, and maturity because of it, even to the point of gaining a passion to help others like you have helped them.

If you are one of those dimly burning wicks or bruised reeds, tell someone that you trust. Tell them that you are willing to listen, and that you need someone to walk with you. Find a friend, a chaplain, a pastor, a counselor, someone wise and trustworthy. If you have been thinking about this … then don’t put that off any longer. There is hope. Life can be better.

And if you know of a friend, co-worker, or family member who is “fragile” but won’t say so – then however gently you must do it, offer them some hope and support.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is STING

Wed-Mar-11-2020

“For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8)

Having talked about death yesterday, I realize there is more to say – and an important healing you or someone you know may need. Many years ago, I was in a powerful reunion service with 300+ in attendance in which the Holy Spirit fell on the room and dozens of people wept immensely or fell to their knees and received a healing from an affliction I had never thought of.

Before I describe that event, let me say something about my comment yesterday that I “lost” a dear pastor friend.

Why do we say, “I lost a loved one”? That’s a misleading phrase for a person of faith. Yes, we lost someone, in the sense of their physical presence. But neither my friend who died nor I have been living all these years as if we only had hope in this life.

It is a central faith issue to me to know that I didn’t really “lose” my friend in the sense that people of no faith would interpret it. The family of God has members on both sides of the veil. I am on this side, he is now on that side, but not far away. He is not lost in the sense that he no longer exists, or that we won’t see him again. It is only that I have lost the chance to see him at meetings or to have lunch with him. However, he’s just as important to me as ever. His influence is just as real. We still both belong to the same owner, the God that made us. And someday day I will see him again.

I hope you feel some kinship with persons who have died and gone on before you. Eventually the sadness diminishes and gives rise to a sacred connection. A season of sadness is normal, but through God’s comfort, we eventually receive a sense of peace and thankfulness.

Those who go before us are compared in Hebrews 12:1 to a “cloud of witnesses.” So now my friend is one of my witnesses. And his faith story is part of my encouragement.

My mom, dad, sister, and others are also part of my cloud of witnesses. And being “surrounded” by this cloud of witnesses, by these people who have died in the faith, is not supposed to be depressing. It is intended to be life giving and refreshing. It’s sort of like running the race of life and seeing far enough ahead that there are people past the finish line waving, jumping, and cheering us on.

Back to the church gathering in which so many were healed – it happened at my daughter’s church in California. An apostolic woman widely known across America, who was very advanced in age, walked to the podium to say something the Lord had given her. She read this verse to us, talking very slowly and distinctly, pausing to let each phrase sink in …  (1st Corinthians 15:54-55) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

Then she spoke a few minutes which sums up to something like this, “Some of you in this room have had a death in your life that you have been unable to recover from. This is because of an affliction or spirit that has given you a “sting.” The sting of the death of this particular person has stayed with you so profoundly that normal grieving and healing has not taken place. You are suffering from the “sting of death” and it will not go away. I come to you today in the Name of the Lord to break this sting of death off of you. Sting of death, be gone! Come Holy Spirit and heal!”

During her words, a few people in the room had already begun weeping. By the time she finished, some were on their knees. Some lifted their hands as if to receive what the Holy Spirit was doing. The outcry spread throughout the room. Some ran to the front to kneel and pray. Chairs were being moved around as people ministered to one another. The entire room was filled with the electric sense of God’s healing presence. It must have lasted for an hour, as continually more people realized what this sting had done to them. By the end, there came a holy silence, as everyone in reverence understood the cleansing that had just taken place.

I have a word of hope for you … if there is a death in your past experience that still has a “sting” to it, ask God for this healing. Don’t give up or think that this sting is meant to be permanent. That is not true, and is not from God’s Word. God wants us to be surprised and relieved when this sting goes away, so that we ask, “death, where is your sting?” … because we realize it is gone. And all the glory belongs to God!

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is GRIEF

The Steps of Christian Maturity
Beatitude #2
Grief Comes from Letting Go
Tue-Feb-18-2020

The Beatitudes describe a process of maturing in the faith. Yesterday I shared with you that the road of faith and maturity toward a blessed and influential life starts with humility. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:3) (Beatitude #1). Jesus next addressed those who mourn.

Grief is most frequently associated with the feelings we have when someone dies. But … grief also happens on many other occasions as well. It is the emotion that surfaces when we lose or give up something that is important to us, something that we depend on, or are just accustomed to, whether it is good for us or not.

Sometimes we are grieving and don’t know it or don’t want to admit it. One thing that inhibits the process of healing from our grief is to deny it. Another is to pretend we are “strong” and can deal with anything … “no help needed, thank you very much.”

Let me surprise you a little … When Jesus says: “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) (Beatitude #2) … one additional thing he has in mind is that there are things we need to let go of, and we are going to miss them. We will grieve over losing them, but they have to go. Our health and happiness depend on it. The things that need to go include … selfishness, worry, fear, gossip, bad habits, distrust, etc.

Intentionally giving up things that are unhealthy is part of the maturing process, but it may still cause us to grieve, because we’re used to them. The promise of this Scripture verse is that if we let go of anything that holds us back or is bad for us, no matter how much we liked it and didn’t want to let go of it, God will replace it (in His timing) with something better that “comforts” us in a healthier way. Someday we will look back with thanks and peace rather than resentment and regret. The tears of grief help to wash away the hurt so that we may fully receive God’s comfort and move forward.

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” … Get it?

How does this apply to salvation and Christian maturity? When we receive salvation, we are gifted with marvelous things, like peace, hope, joy, love, and forgiveness. But gaining these things involves releasing other things that were part of our old nature … sinful and unhealthy things. Unfortunately, we liked some of those bad things … we were used to them. Isn’t that true? Just like we sometimes love to eat food that is unhealthy for us, we also have habits and possessions that we are fond of, even though they are not good for us.

Do you see where Jesus is going with this? There will be parts of our old life that have to go for us to receive the wonderful things of God. This is a favorable trade-off, and yet we must recognize that the process of grief is going to take its course, as we say good-bye to those familiar but destructive tendencies. Once you know how to release these things in a healthy manner, the way forward into deeper faith looks promising and exciting. In the meantime, the process of letting go is infused with a promise … you will be comforted by God himself.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles …” (2nd Corinthians 1:3-4a)

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

If you have not read the previous steps of the Beatitudes, you should go back and catch up. We are discussing the faith journey toward Christian maturity as described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

The Beatitudes … Matthew 5:2-10 (NRSV)

2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”