How God helped Mary J. Blige to Overcome Alcoholism

Mary J. Blige recently opened up to a magazine, saying that the tragic death of Whitney Houston last year helped her face her demon of alcoholism.

In an interview with Los Angeles Confidential, Blige, who calls herself a born-again Christian, discussed her decade-long battle with alcohol addiction, explaining that she started to focus on her relationship with God instead of alcohol.

The 42-year-old entertainer admitted that her alcoholism got worse when she tried to cut back and only drink socially.

“I chose to learn how to drink socially and it didn't work,” she said. “The test comes when you have to decide whether you're drinking to be social or drinking to cover up something again. To cover up depression, to cover up guilt. Shame. Abandonment. … Once I realized, 'There you go again,' I had to stop.

“Whitney Houston's death is another reason I stopped,” she continued. “I really do think I'm done. I looked at how that woman could not perform anymore.”

The “No More Drama” singer said she chose to kick the habit by relying on God over a formal rehabilitation program.

“I didn't want to go to rehab,” she confessed. “I believe that anything man himself can do for me, God can do for me in a greater way. I decided to pray and to seek God on my own. I just stayed in the Word. And it worked.”

Blige has openly talked about her tumultuous past over the years, which included cocaine and alcohol addiction that began when she was just 16. She has said that her dependency masked incidents of her childhood, insecurities about her appearance, and emotional pain from an abusive relationship.

The actress and multi-Grammy-Award-winning musician revealed in a 2001 episode of VH1's Behind the Music that she experienced sexual molestation as a child, beginning at the age of 5.

“That thing followed me all my life. The shame of thinking my molestation was my fault. It led me to believe that I wasn't worth anything,” she said during the documentary. “I really didn't care about myself. I was borderline suicidal … I was like the walking dead; just smoking and drinking and hanging.”

The R&B songstress founded the Mary J. Blige Center for Women in Yonkers, N.Y., in 2006 to help encourage women who have been victims of domestic violence.

In the LA Confidential interview, Blige discussed her opinions on God, even when she was at her lowest.

“I loved God, but I didn't love myself,” she explained. “I believe in God so much that I would not let the enemy win my soul.

“God loves me no matter what,” she added. “He loves me high. Sober. Gay. Straight. I can't let the world tell me anything different. That's how I survived, knowing He loved me no matter what. Because if I don't believe that God loves me when I do wrong, I'm dead.”

Blige recently starred in Betty & Coretta, a film for which she was also an executive producer, alongside Angela Bassett. The Lifetime movie—featuring Blige as Betty Shabbazz, the wife of slain human rights activist Malcom X, and Bassett as Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow—kicked off the network's Black History Month celebration on Feb. 2.

The original film chronicles the friendship the two women formed and shares the story of their experiences as single mothers after the assassination of their husbands.

“Women never get a chance when they are behind powerful men,” Blige said in an interview with The View. “They never get a chance to tell their stories and what they're dealing with. I wanted people to see what Betty and Coretta had to deal with, and how everyone's not so perfect.”

Culled from Charismag

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MARRIAGE: 25 Characteristics of a Husband Who Truly Loves His Wife

1. Includes his wife in envisioning the future.

2. Accepts spiritual responsibility for his family.

3. Is willing to say "I'm sorry" and "Forgive me" to his family.

4. Discusses household responsibilities with his wife and makes sure they are fairly distributed.

5. Seeks consultation from his wife on all major financing decisions.

6. Follows through with commitments he has made to his wife.

7. Anticipates the different stages his children will pass through.

8. Anticipates the different stages his marriage will pass through.

9. Frequently tells his wife what he likes about her.

10. Provides financially for his family's basic living expenses.

11. Deals with distraction so he can talk with his wife and family.

12. Prays with his wife on a regular basis.

13. Initiates meaningful family traditions.

14. Initiates fun family outings for the family on a regular basis.

15. Takes the time to give his children practical instruction about life.

16. Manages the schedule of the home and anticipates pressure points.

17. Keeps his family financially sound and out of harmful debt.

18. Makes sure he and his wife have drawn up a will.

19. Lets his wife and children into the interior of his life.

20. Honors his wife in public.

21. Explains sex to each child in a way that gives them a wholesome perspective.

22. Encourages his wife to grow as an individual.

23. Takes the lead in establishing sound family values.

24. Provides time for his wife to pursue her own personal interests.

25. Is involved in a small group of men dedicated to spiritual growth.

Robert Lewis is passionate about helping men discover the biblical principles of authentic manhood. He founded and developed Men’s Fraternity in 1990, and today this significant area of ministry is reaching men worldwide in churches, on college campuses, in corporate boardrooms, and in prison cellblocks via his three one-year video curriculum: Quest for Authentic Manhood; Winning at Work and Home; and The Great Adventure. In response to great demand, Robert developed the feminine counterpart to Men’s Fraternity, The New Eve. Culled from Charismag.

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7 ways to be more like Jesus when using the Internet

I have been amazed at what people who love Jesus can write about other people who love Jesus online. I am referring to comments that believers leave on blogs and Facebook postings. Not long ago, I responded kindly to someone who attacked something I wrote. I think his first word regarding my blog was “NONSENSE!”

When he saw my response, he quickly wrote back an apology saying, “I didn’t realize you would read my comment.” Of course, a blogger with respect for his readers doesn’t just write and disappear but reads responses and responds back. That is the difference between a blog and a magazine article.

We live in new world where people can respond instantly to blogs or Facebook postings—often without realizing that “reckless words pierce like a sword.” We of all people should have our words seasoned with love, even when we disagree.

I have hesitated to write this blog, because I didn’t want people to think that I am thin-skinned—that I was seeking to defend. However, when I saw what someone posted about a dear friend of mine last night, I decided it was time. Here’s the post.

“What a petty article, people to the left and right of us are dying to the left and right of us. Or living but dying inside without the Savior. You sir have a religious spirit. Christian=anointed ones in the Hebrew has the same root and meaning as messiah. Get over your self pride and go win a soul for the King.”

Amazingly, two people liked this post! Let’s forget for the moment that this hastily written message is barely coherent. The man he was rebuking is one of the most humble men I know. He has risked his life for the Gospel when his congregation in northern Israel was firebombed. He has led countless people to Yeshua, both through public preaching and grinding it out on the streets. He has birthed five congregations in Israel (more than any other leader). Yet this fellow speaks to him in the most ungodly judgmental way.

My guess is that this young man (I assume he is young) would not have spoken to my friend like that had they been in the same room. But our fingers tend to lack the tact of our tongue, and we tend be just a little bit meaner when sending emails, commenting on blogs, mocking people on Twitter or responding to a controversial post on Facebook.

Here are several tips that can help us communicate with kindness and disagree respectfully without denigrating a person or calling them names.

1. Assume the Author Is Human and Will See Your Comment. Most serious bloggers want to engage with their readers and therefore do read the comments. Don’t assume he or she is in some ivory tower somewhere, but that he or she is just like you. We sometimes respond as if the author is not real. I have sent messages on Twitter to blogger Michael Hyatt and each time he has responded, despite having 125,000 followers. I view Mr. Hyatt as a ‘real’ person, not merely someone famous.

2. Look Across the Room. Pretend that you are talking to the person and they are sitting next to you. Don’t be any bolder behind the protection of your laptop or iSomething than you would be face-to-face.

3. Double Check your Attitude. Before you click "post" to a comment in which you disagree with someone, check twice to make sure you are attacking the argument and not the person. It is one thing to say, “I disagree with you and here is why…” It is another thing to say, “I disagree with you and you are a stupid, proud, arrogant idiot… and you smell bad!”

4. Disagree with Respect. Even when you do disagree, do so with respect. Personally, I love to engage people who disagree with me. I do have about three full-time jobs, so I have to be careful not to spend my whole day debating theology on the Internet. But when someone challenges, I am game—but only if the person communicates with respect.

5. Do Unto Others…Use the Golden Rule of the Internet: Respond unto someone in the way in which you would like them to respond to you. Pretend you are the one on the receiving end of your response. How would you feel? Would you feel attacked or respected?

6. Don’t Be Impulsive. Never respond impulsively, but rationally. If you are out having dinner with your family and you feel the need to run to the bathroom so you can continue debating with someone a million miles away through your phone, you might have a problem. Sometimes in the midst of these debates we become impulsive—and obnoxious—ignoring the more important things in life, like your family or your job. And because of the pressure of being in a bathroom, typing on a phone, while your wife thinks you are relieving yourself, would tend to send a badly worded message that might reveal your obsessive state. Stay focused on your real life.

7. Don’t Make it Personal. Never respond emotionally. If someone is rude to you, don’t be rude back. When someone disagrees with me—even rudely—I will often start my response with the words, “Thanks for responding” and end my post with the words, “Blessings.”

Full disclosure: I have probably broken every one of these rules, but like you, I am a work in progress. Let’s commit ourselves, especially those of us who claim to love Jesus, to act just a little bit more like Him in our Internet discourses.

Question: What are some other ways that you think might help us communicate better? Use the comments section below.

Written by Ron Cantor

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10 Questions to Ask Your Wife Every Year to avoid divorce

The best remedy for marriage conflict is marriage communication. Disagreements, fights, impasses, separations and divorce can be traced back to poor communication more than any other factor. Likewise, listening amounts to some of the best relationship medicine around.

Listening works best when we ask good questions. Good questions indicate bona fide concern. The man who asks good questions is already well on the way to communication excellence.

The best questions also serve as conversation starters. Remember, you are interested in her. But, once you start talking, she’s going to ask stuff too. The more you know each other on a deep level, the easier it is to fall in love all over again.

Here are 10 good questions you should ask your wife, at least every year:

1. What do you think is going right in our relationship? It’s been a while since you took the marriage vows. But it’s still true that positive affirmation leads to more productive change than negative evaluation. It’s helpful to identify our strengths. Once we know them we can play to them. Building each other up is always win-win.

2. Where would you like our relationship to be this time next year? It doesn’t matter where we are, there’s always room to be better. She might say, “I’d like to see more spontaneous affection.” Or, “I want us to be moving forward together in our faith.” She could say, “I want our relationship to involve more fun!”

3. Will you please marry me, all over again? Say it with flowers. Say it like you mean it. Make sure your wife knows how much you cherish her.

4. I’d love to hear about your dreams for the future. A wise Hebrew writer once wrote, “Without a vision, the people perish.” Listen to your wife, imagine great things together, and then step into the possibilities.

5. Is there anywhere you’d like to visit this coming year? Indulge a little whimsy. Listen, laugh together, fantasize about fabulous vacations, and then tuck the information away somewhere, so you can possibly plan a trip. A good husband listens to his wife’s dreams. A great husband weaves them into their plans for the future.

6. Do you think we’re doing OK financially? This needs to be an ongoing conversation. However, like any small business (and a family is like a business in many ways), the directors need to have a comprehensive annual meeting to evaluate the finances and the plan for the coming year.

7. How are you doing health-wise? Encouraging one another necessarily involves accountability. Partners should never remain ignorant when it comes to health concerns.  And not just physical health.  It’s also important to take inventory of each other’s emotional well-being.

8. If you could change one thing about our priorities as a family, what would it be? Notice this isn’t an invitation to criticize, but more an opportunity to grow together.

 Possible answers might include:

— I’d like to see less TV time and more family time with one another at home.

— We’re not eating together enough. I’d like to see dinnertime valued a little more.

—    We say can’t afford a family vacation, but then we eat out 2-3 times a week. Maybe we should shift that one around!

9. Is there anything I devote regular time to that you see as a possible threat to our family/our relationship? Patterns take time to emerge. When we look back—or from another person’s point of view – sometimes we can see more clearly. Ask your wife if there are any adjustments you can make (Consistently late for dinner? Too much golf? Too many evenings with “the boys”?) that would help her to feel more secure.

10. Are you happy? It’s a good question even if she says she’s happy already. “What can I do to make you more happy?” is a great discussion.  Again, this is where good, active, listening is very important. And your wife’s greatest happiness will always be found in God, so encourage her to grow in her faith. Culled from Charismag

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HELL IS REAL:My husband spent 23 minutes in hell fire.

Annette Wiese awoke to her husband's screams, only to find that Bill had spent 23 minutes in a fiery pit that many people, including some Christians, don't believe exists.

 

At exactly 3:23 a.m. on November 22, 1998, Annette Wiese awoke to her husband's screams. Rushing down the hall of their Santa Ana, California, home to the living room, she found him lying on the floor in a fetal position, his hands grasping at the sides of his head, begging her to pray for him. After he drank several glasses of water, Bill Wiese explained in gasps to his wife that God had taken him into hell.

 

Wiese had spent 23 minutes in a fiery pit that many people, including some Christians, don't believe exists.

"It was terrible," he says. "I was thinking: This has to end—I can't endure this, I have to get out.

 

"Only, in hell, you understand you're never going to get out. You're going to spend eternity here."

 

The visit, chronicled in Wiese's book, 23 Minutes in Hell, started an evangelistic journey for the couple that is growing each day. It began with Wiese's speaking about hell first in home Bible studies, then in churches, and now includes radio and TV appearances by the author.

An 'Unlikely' Choice

Sitting in a hotel restaurant a few blocks from Disneyland in Anaheim, California, the polished, poised and dressed-to-preach couple explain their new direction.

"Our heart is that we want to be in ministry full time," Annette Wiese says. "We know we've reached the point where we have to put together a formal ministry and move forward with that."

 

That the Wieses see themselves as chosen by God to deliver a message about hell—a hotly debated topic among Christians—is paradoxical. It's not the kind of calling you might expect for this couple.

 

Both are longtime Christians from highly functional middle-class families. Both have an uncommon normalcy about them. Neither had a prophetic inkling of the event Bill would go through or their subsequent call to evangelism.

Annette grew up in Seattle and Southern California, and Bill, son of an insurance salesman, grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Each is the second oldest of five siblings and was previously married with no children.

 

They met in the Irvine, California, church they still attend. They've been married more than 10 years. Both work in real estate—Bill as owner of a real estate brokerage firm that resells homes and Annette with a company that builds new homes.

 

Annette is polite, perky and quick to laugh. Bill is soft-spoken, methodical, studious and nicknamed "Mr. Starch" by the youth drawn to his message. Before that frightful night in 1998, he taught a Bible class and led worship at his church but says he "never liked the microphone and being in the front."

 

"I've always been one to gravitate toward the scholastic and conservative end," Bill says. "Then, what happened grouped me into another class and maybe made me into something that was not so conservative, even a little bit wild."

 

He has become something of a spiritual Superman. He's changed from a mild-mannered, retiring, faithful-but-not-on-fire Christian version of Clark Kent into a fearless champion of the truth he believes in. He's willing to take on the villains of skepticism, false doctrine and modern Christianity's distaste for the subject of hell.

 

It's not like him.

 

"That's opposite of my nature," he notes. "It's a bit contrary to who I am to talk about a vision [of hell]. If I were given my choices, I would have chosen heaven and not hell."

 

Why God selected him remains a mystery to him. He offers the thought that God often chooses the most unlikely person for the job—from Moses to Gideon to the apostle Paul.

 

"I asked, and He never gave me an answer," Wiese says of why he received the experience. "I'm no Billy Graham or Mother Teresa. I hate disorder and filth, and hell is filthy, disorderly and chaotic. It's loud from the screams, and I hate noise.

 

"The only possible reason I can think of is that God knew I would draw attention to His Word and point people to what the Word has to say and not just me."

 

Wiese says God made the reality more horrible by not letting him realize he was a Christian while he was in hell, though he's been a believer for many years. Afterward he was reluctant to even mention his experience to friends.

 

He was much more eager to research the Bible and other books on the subject by Christian authors to make sure the hell he experienced wasn't contrary to Scripture or widely accepted doctrine.

 

"To tell someone you've been to hell is pretty amazing," he says. "I thought people were either going to think I'm crazy or had a bad dream. It wasn't that I didn't believe in visions. I just never thought one could happen to me."

 

Hell to Pay

Wiese allowed time for God to open the door for him to write a book about his experience. He used the time to conduct extensive research about his topic. A portion of his book is a study on the theology of hell. And he delves deep into the Scriptures for his latest book, Hell, in which he answers the most popular questions that he’s received while speaking around the country. 

 

Hell, he discovered, is under fire.

 

"The doctrine of hell has disappeared this century," he says. "A lot of people seem to think, Well, I confessed the Lord and I can live my life anyway I want and I'm still saved.

 

"The fear of the Lord has left the church, and I think God wants to bring that back. He wants me to draw attention to His Word that says hell is real—not allegorical, but [a] literal burning hell—and people will go there if they don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior."

 

When Christ arrived and removed Wiese from hell, He commanded him to tell the world about the place. God, Wiese believes, wants the message delivered to the unsaved for salvation and to the church to invoke witnessing.

 

The description of Wiese's 23-minute visit to hell is sobering enough to do both. "Here on earth, it's impossible to know the hopelessness of hell," he says. "Here on earth, even if things are terrible, you think you can die and get out.

 

"But there you can't die. You have a body, but somehow it holds up under all the torment, and somehow you keep going. And you know you're never, never going to get out.

 

"That's the part that's most tormenting. Hell is more horrific than anyone could ever imagine."

 

His message stirs an adverse reaction in many people because it stems from his claim that hell is not a biblical metaphor but an actual place. The backlash is strong enough to make the Wieses prefer not to give the name of the church they attend or even talk in detail about what they say are some of the "over the top" e-mails they receive.

 

Bill was surprised when, during radio shows, some Christians called and said that although they are born again they don't believe there is a hell.

 

Other Christian callers quoted Matthew 25:41, saying hell is reserved for the devil and his demons and not for people. Many, he says, consider his message "highly offensive."

 

"Hell is reserved for the devil and his demons, but people go there if they don't accept Christ," he explains. "There are false doctrines out there."

 

'Believe the Word'

 

When Jesus arrived in hell and ascended with Wiese in tow from the center of the Earth into space, He gave him a vision—one in which people were dropping one by one into the pit he had just escaped. Wiese says he was allowed to feel Jesus' pain.

 

"I couldn't believe how sad it was for Him," he says. "I finally had to ask Him to stop allowing me to feel it. It was overwhelming.

 

"He loves us so much that when one person falls into hell, it saddens Him beyond belief," he explains. "It was terrible to feel what He felt but also wonderful to know that He loves us that much."

 

To those who say a loving God wouldn't send anyone to hell, Wiese says that God sent His only Son, His Word and even a person such as him to keep people out.

 

He points out that the hellfire and brimstone message delivered by New England preacher Jonathan Edwards in his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" marked America's First Great Awakening in the 18th century. Such preaching continued with Charles Finney and others in the Second Great Awakening a century later, he notes.

 

Wiese believes his message for the postmodern world is to be the same. He speaks it with passion, emphasizing each point with a biblical quote, complete with chapter and verse.

 

More than anything, he is motivated by his experience to continue telling people about the reality of hell.

 

"It's not important they believe me," he says of those who hear him preach. "It's important they believe what the Word says.

 

"Just like [the apostle] Paul saw heaven, I saw hell," he adds. "Hell is real, and I don't want anyone to go there. I've got to do whatever my part is to help."

 

Ed Donnally, a former Dallas Morning News writer, is a Foursquare minister and chaplain. He serves as an associate pastor and works as the development director for an international chaplaincy ministry. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Sandi. 

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Learn How to Minister to a Muslim

We Christians should have no enemies because our DNA is one of faith and love, not fear and hatred. We must not forget we have received commandments to bless those who curse us, to overcome evil with good and to preach the gospel to the lost.

It is these things, not a spirit of fear, that should be in the forefront of our hearts and minds when we look at the Muslims living in our midst. If we are willing to lay down our lives to reach a certain group of people with the love of Jesus, it becomes impossible for us to hate them!

I have three keys to reaching Muslims with the gospel:

1. The Love of God. Muslims are generally warm and friendly people who respond well to love and kindness. Their culture is one of hospitality, generosity and fellowship. In the Middle East, everything is based on relationship and covenants. Instead of looking at Muslims with fear and suspicion, befriend them, invite them to your home for a meal (no pork!), and show them warmth and kindness. You’ll be amazed to see how they respond.

2. Personal Testimonies. Muslims also respond well to people’s personal testimonies of what Jesus has done in their lives; testimonies of lives transformed, of healings, of direct answers to prayer and of God’s provision. They find this most fascinating and gripping because such things are totally foreign to Muslims. Their god is silent and hasn’t spoken for 1,400 years!

3. Signs, Wonders and Miracles. Muslims greatly respect and respond to the supernatural work of God—signs, wonders and miracles. This is a major key. Muslims actually acknowledge there is healing in Jesus but not in Muhammad. I have never met a Muslim who has ever turned down an invitation to receive prayer in the name of Jesus when it comes to disease or demonic oppression.

Many Muslims today have seen their faith in Islam shaken, and they need Jesus Christ. As it was in my case, they can see Him only when we let His life, light and love shine through us. Jesus Christ changed my life, bringing me out of the darkness of Islam into His light. 

I look at the vast numbers of Muslims still in slavery to Islam. Jesus died for them so they may be saved. What a great and wonderful harvest of souls we have before us, ready to be reaped for the kingdom of God!

Written by Christopher Alam

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Christopher Alam is the founder of Dynamis World Ministries, which he started as a missions organization in order to preach behind the Iron Curtain before the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. The ministry has spread to Asia, Africa and Latin America, and Alam has preached the gospel in 70 countries. His autobiography, Out of Islam, tells his journey of faith.

Culled from Charismag

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Billy Graham: Why Does God Allow Suffering?

On Nov. 21, 1980, when the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas burned, survivors were brought into the Convention Center, where our Crusade meetings were being held. In an interview, Governor Robert List talked about the good times at the MGM only 24 hours before. “And how quickly,” he said, “the music has stopped.”

Some day, for all of you, if you don’t know God, the music will stop. It will all be over. The Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

The Bible says that Job suddenly lost all of his wealth and his children. The devil said to God, “If You take all those possessions away from him, he’ll curse You and turn from You.” But God replied, “You can do anything to him, except you can’t kill him, and then we’ll see” (Job 1:11-12).

Job never asked why those things were happening to him. The closest he ever came was when he said, “Show me why You contend with me” (Job 10:2). Job was sharing his agony of spirit with the very God he could not understand.

Suffering carries a message of mystery. The Bible says, “Great is the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16). When I was asked to explain the tragedy of the fire at the MGM Grand Hotel, I had to say, “There’s a mystery to tragedies like this. We don’t know the answer.” And we may never know until God explains all things to us.

For humans, there is a mystery as to why God created the earth. There is a mystery as to why He put people on this earth. But God has revealed answers through the Bible and through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. In the Bible you will find the answers to the questions and the problems of your life.

But man rebelled against God. Man said, “I don’t need You, God. I can build my world without You.” God said, “If you take that position, you will suffer and die.” Man took that position, and he began to suffer, and he has been dying ever since. Physical death is just the death of the body, but the spirit lives on. If your spirit is separated from God for eternity, it will be lost forever.

The Bible teaches that Satan is the author of sin. Sin is the reason that we have afflictions, including death. All of our problems and our suffering, including death itself, are a result of man’s rebellion against God. But God has provided a rescue in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s why Christ died on the cross. That’s why He rose from the dead.

Messages That Move Us to Action

In suffering there is also a message of compassion. Jesus said, “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35-36).

As fire swept through the MGM Grand Hotel, I saw the emergency crews, the military people, The Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the doctors, the nurses and the people coming to donate clothes and food. I saw compassion in action.

In suffering there is a message of unity. Jesus prayed “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You” (John 17:21). And that’s the way we ought to be as Christians, one in Christ. If you have been born into the family of God, you are a child of God. You are brothers and sisters.

Suffering holds a message of comfort. In Second Corinthians we read:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Because tragedy happened to you, it gives you a greater sense of oneness with others who experience tragedy. You can feel for them in that suffering situation. Because we have been comforted through the Word of God, we in turn may be able to comfort others.

What should be our attitude toward suffering?

First, it should be one of worship. We ought to say, “O God, I believe You are the great and mighty God. I don’t understand all the things that are happening in my life, but, O God, I trust in You.”

Second, we should ask God to teach us all He would have us learn about Him, about ourselves, about others and how we can minister to those who are suffering.

Third, our attitude in suffering should glorify God. People are going to watch us as Christians. They will ask, “How is it that Christ is so in control of his or her life that he or she was able to help others?”

Jesus suffered and died for us on the cross, but God raised Him from the dead. Jesus Christ now sits at the right hand of God the Father, and He sees our suffering. He sees our life every day and knows exactly where we stand.

The Bible teaches that we are to be patient in suffering. That’s the hardest thing of all, to be patient, to have songs in the night. Ask God to help you have a trusting, patient attitude, and flee from bitterness.

In suffering there is also, I believe, a message of warning. Are you prepared to meet God? What do you have to do to be ready? God took the initiative in giving His Son, Jesus Christ. God says, “I love you. I want to forgive you. I want you to go to heaven.” But you must respond to Him. Find hope, peace, and security today.

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Your Pastor Is Under ATTACK! What Will You Do?

Hell has unleashed a coordinated assault against spiritual leaders. Are you willing to provide extra prayer covering to protect them?

I wasn't feeling especially spiritual--I was just trying to decide which carpet color I liked best. But God had other plans for me that afternoon.

Jerry, a stout 60-year-old flooring salesman, had come into my office to show me some carpet for our church. We had never met, so we chatted briefly about his business.

After a quick orientation on material and pricing options, I dove into the bulky sample books he had plunked down on my desk. I think I was considering the virtues of a soft geometric pattern when I looked up and was caught completely by surprise:

Jerry's broad shoulders were shuddering. He was red in the face, trying hard to hold back his tears.

"Are you OK?" I asked, feeling somewhat awkward.

"I'm sorry, it's just that this is hard for me. I used to be a pastor like you. Coming back to a church setting like this for the first time is difficult."

"What happened?" I inquired, trying to imagine what drove his pain.

"The constant pressure in our church on top of the painful physical attacks my wife was having almost ate me up emotionally. I became a nervous wreck. I got to the place that I knew if that phone rang just one more time, I'd lose it.

"So my wife and I packed up and walked away after 30 years of ministry. It tore us up. We still love God, but the constant battles ... ."

Jerry's voice trailed off. His head tilted down and his hands covered his eyes in shame. Before I knew it, I was on my knees beside this broken man. He gripped my hand. I asked the Lord to restore his wounded spirit and heal his broken heart.

Pastors in Pain

Jerry is not alone. In fact, nearly everywhere I travel, I meet pastors who are hurting. A wave of trouble seems to have been unleashed against the church, and spiritual leaders are getting hit with the worst of it. Many of God's servants are facing sickness, financial problems, frustrating reversals and unimaginable family tragedies.

What is happening? The Bible warned that the end times would be stressful and difficult. Yet many of us are discerning that something beyond tough times is in play.

I believe there is an all-out assault from the enemy against spiritual leaders. Satan knows what we must be reminded of today: "'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered,'" (Mark 14:27, NKJV). For that reason, I believe unless we learn to provide our spiritual leaders with a protective shield of prayer, our churches and ministries will never fully change our cities with the gospel.

It's no secret that pastors and other spiritual leaders live with continual pressure. Leaders often have tougher paths to walk than those who follow them. The harvest fields they work in are booby-trapped with spiritual and emotional land mines hidden there by the enemy.

The statistics should disturb us. For example, did you know that hundreds of pastors in North America leave the ministry every month because of stress, burnout and failure? The numbers also reveal that:

97 percent of pastors say they were inadequately trained for the challenges they face
80 percent say pastoral ministry has had a negative effect on their children
70 percent say they constantly fight depression
70 percent say they feel underpaid
71 percent say they are in financial trouble
65 percent say they have thought about quitting the ministry within the last 30 days
70 percent say they do not have someone they consider a close friend.

If these figures are correct, we have a crisis on our hands. If these terrible trends hold true over time, the damage will be devastating.

In the midst of this enemy advance, where have all the watchmen gone? The honest truth is that many of us are dozing. Like the disciples who slept while Jesus faced His most difficult hours, we often do the same with those whose victory is so important to us.

Are you praying and fasting for your spiritual leaders? Others are, but not in the way you might think. Many of us are now aware that witches routinely fast and pray for the downfall of our Christian leaders.

Spiritual warfare specialist Ed Murphy tells a shocking story of a conversation he had on an airplane with an occult leader who admitted that he and others were fasting for key spiritual leaders to fall into sickness and disgrace.

The truth is, pastors too often go unsupported during these times of attack. One significant pastor I know suffered a massive heart attack and then a stroke from ministry pressure. Shortly afterward more than 100 families left his big-city church.

Their reason? They thought his faith was not strong enough. If he had been a true man of God, they reasoned, these things would not have happened to him.

We had better figure out whose side we are on and keep our eyes open. David made it clear that failing to properly protect your leader is a serious sin (see 1 Sam. 26:13-15).

Saul's commanders were sleeping when they should have been shielding, and an enemy was able to slink in by cover of night. We must avoid being drowsy disciples if our churches and ministries are to advance.

The Command to Cover

What can we do? God is calling believers to pray prayers of protection over their leaders so the entire church can prevail against the enemy's attacks, move forward and take cities for God. Supporting leaders means protecting them from enemy fire so they can advance and make a way for us all to come into our places.

Scripture commands us to cover our spiritual leaders with protective prayers. "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence," (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

Paul told the Philippians that Epaphroditus had nearly died for the cause of his ministry, and urged them to honor him and care for him in light of that fact (see Phil. 2:25-30).

The people who respond to this call play an enormous role in the kingdom of God. Pastors and leaders worldwide will attest to this.

In our own church, we are blessed with devoted intercessors who make it their aim to cover our pastoral team every time they gather for prayer, often fasting for days and then surrounding us physically, praying for our needs. On occasion, they e-mail us or drop us notes filled with loving and sensitive insight birthed through their hours of prayer.

This kind of support is invaluable to spiritual leaders because it empowers us to do God's work without endless demonic hindrances. Emotionally, I can't tell you how it makes me feel to know that my marriage, family, ministry and personal life are shielded with daily prayer by faithful intercessors who have responded to the command to cover.

If you are an intercessor, and you watch in prayer over your leaders, you are a vital part of the plan of God for your region.

Opening City Gates

There is a powerful link between this kind of prayer and the advancement of the gospel (see 1 Tim. 2:1-4; 2 Thess. 3:1). Intercession for spiritual leaders enables us to strip the enemy of territory and claim the harvest for the Lord in our cities.

We cannot forget that when the early church prayed for the apostle Peter in a time of crisis, citywide revival was released. Think about the story of Peter's imprisonment in Acts 12: He not only was imprisoned during a widespread persecution of the church, but he also was bound between two soldiers, and four squads of soldiers were assigned to guard him. Surely this is a prophetic glimpse of the overwhelming resistance that key leaders face.

But Scripture says constant prayer was made by the church for Peter's release. After a glorious visitation by angels and a dramatic jailbreak in answer to a nonstop prayer storm, something incredible happened that we cannot miss: Peter was led to the city's iron gate--which opened of its own accord (see Acts 12:10).

I believe this is a compelling picture of how intercession for leaders will lead to even the most stubborn gateways opening in our cities.

In the same way, the key to a prevailing church or nation is having the right spirit in place to prayerfully support leaders. I am convinced that we will see more reconciliation, financial provision, miracles of healing and personal breakthroughs than ever before if we will learn the secret of supporting those whom God has placed over us. When we back our leaders, we are victorious, and the gospel goes forth in new power.

---

Build a Prayer Shield

How you can provide covering:

Remember your leaders each time you pray.

If your church has prayer meetings, make it a practice to physically surround your spiritual leaders each time they are present for a few minutes of intensive prayer.

If your church does not have a functional prayer shield in place over your spiritual leaders, seek permission to create one. Gather like-minded prayer warriors, study good materials on the subject, and make it your mission to pray over your church or ministry leaders.

When you pray for leaders, be sensitive to the issues they commonly face and pray accordingly. Come against the attacks of the enemy in the areas of distraction, temptation, discouragement, burnout and physical sickness. Pray for an impartation of faith, focus, wisdom, leadership and fruitfulness to remain upon their lives.

If you sense God is showing you something for them, offer to share it with them. When you have their permission, be positive, brief, discreet and humble. Then leave it in God's hands with no strings attached. You may be a greater source of encouragement than you realize as you continue to pray for your leaders.

Written by David Cannistraci

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6 Simple Ways to Win Souls

Ever noticed that you can say the right thing the wrong way? When this happens your witnessing opportunity can go haywire--your incorrect attitude can create a huge roadblock. Here are some pointers to help you engage in fruitful evangelism.

1. Do your homework. Anticipate the different types of questions your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors will have when witnessing opportunities arise. Not everyone's questions will be the same.

Try to think about every person in your sphere of influence and what sorts of issues they are struggling with. What life experiences have shaped their view of life? What kinds of struggles do they experience in their jobs? 

Truth expressed in a relevant manner is the key to meeting an individual's needs. 

2. Learn to listen. We must genuinely attempt to understand what the person is saying and what his perspective is. As you listen, ask yourself, "Is this the real issue, or is this merely a symptom of something deeper?" Remember to keep an open ear to the Lord. Let Him speak to you about the person you are talking to.

3. Use questions wisely. Ask questions of the person in an attempt to answer his questions. Just make sure you ask the right questions in the right way. This will often allow an individual to see the answers to his own questions. 

Jesus used this form of evangelism when the Pharisees questioned Him about the origin of His authority (see Matt. 21:23-27). He responded by asking them where John the Baptist's authority came from--heaven or Earth? When the Pharisees saw their predicament, they answered that they did not know. 

The point of using questions in evangelism is for the other party to see the inadequacy of their worldview and a need for change, not just in their philosophy but also in their experience. 

4. Embrace humility. Don't come across as a know-it-all. Humbly admit that there are some questions you just don't know the answers to. But always offer to try to find the answers. 

5. Don't pressure people. Jesus called us to make disciples, not decisions. Don't pressure a person who has not fully considered the cost of discipleship. This results in a premature step. 

6. Trust God at all times. Many disastrous results could be avoided by simply following this rule of thumb. Remember that Jesus did not pressure the rich young ruler to follow Him (see Luke 18:18-23). Jesus presented the truth, which included what I call "the sacrificial demands" of the gospel in a conviction-filled yet pressure-free environment. 

Trust in God's power, not yours. We often forget that rational discussion alone will never convert a human heart or mind.Remember, there are spiritual barriers as well that attempt to inhibit the gospel's work, resulting in spiritual, not intellectual, blindness (see 2 Cor. 4:4).

Logic and rationale can lead a person to the cross but never through the cross. Only God can do that.

But He does it graciously, and He chooses human vessels to use in this awesome process called evangelism. That's why prayer and evangelism must go hand in hand.

Culled from Charismag

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When Casting Out Devils Brings Retaliation

When you cast out devils by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you (Luke 11:20). But what comes next isn’t always as much fun. There is often natural and spiritual retaliation for setting the captives free.

Although no weapon formed against a deliverance minister can prosper, the enemy nonetheless forms a weapon and takes his best shot. After all, when youcast out devils—when you set the captives free—you just did marked damage to the kingdom of darkness. Whether you are an experienced deliverance minister or just beginning to study the gospel art of casting out devils, entering the battle without expecting the backlash is not wise.

Retaliation From Flesh and Blood

Deliverance was an earmark of Jesus’ ministry. His keen ability to cast out demons was one of the things that made his ministry so popular among the people. But Jesus faced His fair share of retaliation for casting out devils—and so will you if you engage in deliverance ministry.

After Jesus cast the devil out of two demon-possessed men in the region of the Gadarenes, sending them into the swine, the entire town came out to meet Him. But instead of glorifying God as one might expect, they begged him to get out of town (Matt. 8:22-33). If that wasn’t insulting enough, when Jesus cast a devil out of a blind and mute man the Pharisees suggested He was using the power of Satan (Matt. 12:24). And religious spirits were especially indignant that Jesus cast out a devil on the Sabbath day (Luke 13:14). Ultimately, one of the reasons the religious spirits wanted to kill Jesus was because he was setting people free from demonic oppression and, in doing so, threatening their dead religious rule.

Those who don’t understand the spiritual dynamic of demonic oppression often criticize, mock or otherwise ridicule deliverance ministers. If you cast out devils, even some Christians may think you are a heretic or have a demon yourself. Such retaliation is from flesh and blood, but it is motivated by the whispers of the enemy who wants to persecute you sorely until you cast off your casting out ministry.

In his video teaching on Demonology & Deliverance, Lester Sumrall said he was greatly criticized for his teaching on casting out devils: “You’ve got to be able to accept that. If you are not able to accept that, the devil will defeat you quite easily. You’ve got to be willing to be mocked, to be laughed at, to be misunderstood in order to do what God has wants you to do.” Amen.

Retaliation From Evil Spirits

On the other side of the retaliation coin, deliverance ministers can expect retaliation through manifested spiritual warfare. I’ve cast devils out of people only to turn around and face a heavy dose of witchcraft or imaginations that tried to convince me the devil never left. I’ve had nightmares after exercising deliverance ministry. I’ve felt tired and sick. Thankfully, I understood that it was the enemy hitting back and took authority over the assignment in the name of Jesus.

When you set out to engage in deliverance ministry, don’t go there without preparing your heart—and don’t go there alone. Jesus sent the 72 disciples out two by two to cast out devils (Matt. 10:8). And they understood their authority in the name of Jesus before they ventured into ministry. Deliverance ministry is not a game of patty cake.

To be sure, you can’t just read Pigs in the Parlor and dub yourself a deliverance minister. If you don’t truly understand your authority in Christ—if you don’t have an intimate relationship with Him—the retaliation could be dramatic and painful. Remember the itinerant Jewish exorcists who took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits?

They said, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” The seven sons of Sceva joined into the deliverance party “And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpoweredthem, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:15-16).

Although you aren’t likely to experience anything quite like what happened to the sons of Sceva, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare yourself for retaliation before you ever step foot into thedeliverance session. Beyond fasting, seeking God for wisdom, and putting together a team of deliverance ministers, remember to bind up the retaliation and plead the blood of Jesus over yourself before and after the session. And everything you do, do it with faith in the name of Jesus. Amen

Written by Jennifer LeClaire 

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