Do You See Me Now? Guest blog by Milton Harris

One day when I was brainstorming topics for new messages, tired, frustrated, and suffering from spiritual block, I decided to take a break. As I lean back in my chair, I glanced over to my right, and there was a small smudge on the wall that very much resembled the likeness of Jesus Christ. I could not believe it, ecstatic about this observation, I called everyone who was around to come and see Jesus! When everyone was gathered around, I showed them the area where the Jesus smudge was and I asked them “what do you see?” I found myself becoming frustrated with the crowd because what seemed to be clear to me was not resonating with the crowd no matter how long they stared. It wasn’t until I pointed out exactly what I saw, that they were able to see what was there before them all along...Jesus.

It was in this moment that I believe Jesus was telling me that a lot of us do not recognize Him even when He is right in front of our face. Why do we not recognize Him? I believe it is because we are too focused on ourselves and our desires, that we are oblivious to the fact that Jesus is waving His hands in our lives trying to get our attention. Jesus wants us to know that He is always here with us and one of the ways He shows Himself to us is through the miracles He performs within our lives. Now, when I say Jesus shows Himself to us through His miracles, we need to be careful not to define miracles too narrowly or too broadly, because Jesus is performing them all around us every day. However, the problem is, we do not have the eyes to see them because we are not focusing on Christ and trusting in His purpose for our lives. Jesus desperately wants to be visible in our lives and He is waving His hands right before us through the signs and miracles He performs. He is screaming out to us...Do You See Me Now?

The good news is that we are not the first people to suffer from spiritual blindness. The people during Jesus’ time also had trouble seeing Jesus for who He truly was. In John 8:19 Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees who did not believe Jesus was the son of God. They are asking Him to show them His father who sent Him, giving reference to Jesus’ earthly father. Jesus replied “You’re looking right at me and you don’t see me. How do you expect to see the Father? If you knew me, you would at the same time know the Father.” It is in this scripture Jesus tells us why we are so blind to His presence. Jesus is saying that we cannot view and understand things of the spiritual world through Earthly Lenses. The Pharisees were looking for Jesus’ Earthly father because they did not accept the truth that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and it was this refusal that prevented them from seeing the truth that was Jesus.

I have one takeaway this week and It is to open your eyes to the miracles going on in your life big or small, because that is when you will see Jesus. Recognize the breath in your lungs, the food in your belly, the ability to read this blog. Recognize...Jesus. Don’t allow Jesus to be right in front of you but because you are focused on the things of this world you do not see Him.Jesus wants us to recognize Him in our lives and just like when He performed all the signs and miracles for the Jews, Priest, and Pharisees so they could see who He really was (the Son of God), I believe Christ is doing the same for us today, and is asking...DO YOU SEE ME NOW?!

Milton Harris

Milton Harris III first accepted Christ at the age of seventeen when he decided to join First Baptist Church of Glenarden. This was not a quick decision; he actually spent four years attending services as a visitor before making the life-changing decision to give his life to Christ. Religion and God were not something that was introduced and pushed upon him growing up. He knew of God, but never had a relationship with Him. After that fateful Sunday morning service, his spiritual journey began, but slowly. After five years of studying and strengthening his walk with Christ, Milton accepted the calling he knew God had placed upon his life for preaching the word of God. This was an overwhelming and very intimidating task initially, until he suddenly realized all God required of him was to be of pure heart and to be himself. In addition to preaching the word of God, he works as a full-time U.S. Capitol Police Officer, mentors junior high school boys as a football coach, and has been invited for the last four years to speak at an annual Men’s Conference on the importance of men stepping up to be the best fathers and husbands they are capable of being. Milton and his wife Tracy reside in Brandywine, MD with their lively little boy Jayden. 

Meet Pastor Linda Hillman

Many of you have read my blogs and maybe have asked yourself... Who is this lady? Well, Let me take the time to introduce myself to some, to present myself to others and to remind yet more of you that I am just a Woman saved by grace. There is nothing special about me but my Love for the Lord and his people. Ministry is truly my life. I pray that this helps you see a part of me that will help you make it through your struggles. I am an open book so that deliverance can be administered.

So here it goes!

Well, I have had my share of ups and downs. My childhood was not perfect and I have since learned that it was not as bad as I thought it to be during my childhood. There were a few things worst than what occurred to me. I grew up in church, but that did not stop the Devil from tempting me with the "Life". At an early age, I was involved in gang violence and if it had not been for a praying mother, I would have been lost to that life. BUT God's purpose for my life was not my own. I thank God I never really got involved in the drug scene and drinking just was not in the cards for me. However, lustful desires would cause this church girl to get involved in something just as addictive as drugs and alcohol. The desire to please my flesh and that I did in every way possible. Let's just say, anything you heard about Church girls being bad, well I might have written the book on it.

At the age of 14, I was tired of running from God and my calling and went to a Catholic Church and asked God to show me what He was really like. I needed to know Him for myself. I was no longer satisfied with the stories in the Bible or the testimonies I had heard from others. I wanted to know God as my Personal Savior. Two weeks later, while visiting some friends in Loomis, CA. I was in a back-slidden state of mind and during a Sunday night worship service, with the power of God all over me, refused to praise God unless I was going to praise Him for real. I did not want to be a hypocrite. That night, I had a dream and I saw Christ clearly. His face was so close to my face that I could have touched Him and He said, "Linda, I died for you, I love you. I have called you to prophesy, preach and teach My word." Those words, as simple as they were, revealed so much to me. God knew MY name and he knew where I was. If God, who created the universe and all that we know to be real, could pay me a visit, then I would acknowledge Him. 

The next day, I completely started a new. I went back to the things I knew as a child. I started getting more involved in our Youth Department, I got on the Bible quizzing team, I studied His word and began to let the hatred and malice go. The word began to wash over me. It was more than words to memorize, it was my lifeline. I began to love the woman I was to become. I have never looked back again. I am not perfect, but I know that I am truly free, forgiven and healed of all past sins. I have learned that releasing things to God allows you to walk out your destiny in Him.

God blessed me to start a ministry called W.H.O.L.E. (Women Healed Of Life's Experience) Ministries in 2005. This ministry is for women who have experienced life in a damaging way and feel that they are broken. They feel no one can love them. It is a ministry for them to become W.H.O.L.E. again. I focused on people in the community and those not of the household of faith. I understand that believers had a balm in Gilead but the unbeliever didn't know nor did they understand God's love for them. They needed someone to show them the way.

Later in 2009, I started a subdivision of W.H.O.L.E. Ministries called Living above Hurt Ministries, this subdivision was offered only to the Body of Christ. After hearing horrific stories of people that had been hurt in the Church and spiritually, emotionally, verbally, mentally abused by other saints. I knew that W.H.O.L.E. Ministries was not the place for them and created Living Above Hurt to be a safe haven for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

My passion in life is to be pleasing only to God. Sometimes that means that those around me cannot understand why I do certain things. I am now aware, this happened to Jesus and when people talk about me, I know that I am walking in His footsteps. Right now I am not tired, I am running this race stronger than I have ever ran. I see and feel the passion when I teach, preach and prophesy God's word to the unbeliever and the saint alike.

My favorite saying is God show yourself mighty in this place. I have yet to see him fail when the request is made.


You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2015 LAH Ministries International 
Booklindahillman@gmail.com 

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Will You Be Made Whole
In The Meantime 

Where is Your Focus

Most people struggle with insecurity. While some struggle more than others, there has probably been at least one time in your life where you felt like you didn't measure up, you weren't good enough, or didn't have what it takes. Maybe you've felt that in your job, in your school, with your parents, in your marriage, or with your own children. Our insecurities stem from the fact that so many of us are focused on outward things and the way others approve or disprove of us. Beginning today, you are going to learn to have an altar ego by acknowledging this one simple truth: without Christ, there is something wrong with you. If you are not inwardly focused on Christ and instead more focused on how others perceive you, then you will continue to struggle with your insecurity. Where is your focus? What insecurities do you struggle with most?

You are Bound No More.

Pastor Linda Hillman 

Why So Much Suffering? Does any one really Care?

Nearly 450 million people suffer from mental or behavioral disorders. Nearly 1 million of those who suffer from such disorders attempt suicide every year and of those 40,000 are successful on their first attempt. Here's another staggering thought, the greatest number of deaths of the 40,000 that are successful, are among men. Surprised?

Let me ask this, how many of the individuals that attempted suicide reached out for help? How many asked the silent question, "Would you care if I killed myself?" How many sat in our churches, on our jobs, in the doctor's office or walked by us as we lived our lives. How many did we dismiss as "Oh that's just ________, they will be alright." Did we let them know that they were loved, respected and needed? Did we take the time to notice their pain? How many ended their lives and there was a solution to their pain but it was never offered to them? 

Are you one of those that will consider suicide this year. Are you one that will attempt to end your pain with such a final solution? Suicide is a real option for some and the only option for others. So it's time we stop acting like this is something that will go away and help the hurting heal. 

Living Above Hurt Ministries is looking for men and women who understand and want to help those who are hurting. Not just those hurting in the world but those that are feeling as thought there is no place for them to go and they are already in the Body of Christ. They sit in our churches hurting from past failures, hurts, habits and hangups, they have been abused, misused and mistreated. They have lost hope.

We want those that are hurting in the Body of Christ to know there is a way out of the pain. You can rise above the pain and live again. We do care about your pain, anguish and frustration. You voice does count.

Join me in ministry or join me in being healed. I once suffered from thoughts of suicide and even planned it out but God. Now I am ready to talk to those that need to and want to live about the hurt. this ministry is not for the faint in heart but it is for those that care about the pain of others and have survived their own hell. 

Don't let another wounded soldier die...not on our watch.

You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 

You are Valuable!

We are all God's children. Brothers and sisters in many sizes and colors. We are His prize possession. So the greatest lesson we can learn from our Father is simply, as He hung dying on the cross he utter the words..."Father Forgive them for they KNOW not what they do."

Let me try to explain myself and tie this all together. If we have been hurt, betrayed, scorned or what have you by someone in our lives then we have to work on forgiveness. Forgiveness does not let the person off the hook but it does open the door for you to grow to levels otherwise unknown.

The fact of the matter is that if we could remember that we are all God's children then we may not be so quick to hurt one another. There are no big I's or little u's. No race or weight differences. No social or economic differences. No educational or geographic differences. We are all the same. Just like I would not dream of hurting or devastating my biological sisters or brothers, and when I do I am quick to repent and seek forgiveness and visa versa.... thus is how we should be toward our spiritual brothers and sisters. When they believe in your God or not. Whether they call your God....God or not.

So what if that brother that raped you, or that sister that slandered your name, that brother that abandoned you or that sister that betrayed you understood that they were hurting their family.... would they have done it. What if the world understood the significance of the bond that connects us. Would they we able to hate me because of the color of my skin or the size of my body or the texture of my hair. If they knew hating me meant they hated themselves because we are the same would they do it?

So I end this thought with this simple song from Sunday School.... Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, brown, black and white, they are precious in His sight. JESUS loves all the children of the world. 

You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 

(c) 2015 Living Above Hurt Ministries 

Why Be Made Whole?

Many people are walking around with emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, and financial baggage. They carry it from place to place - relationship to relationship. Most importantly they make decisions based on their past hurts and hangups. The one thing that I know to be true is that you don't have to be that way. You choose to be that way. Yes, I said it YOU choose to walk around and play the blame game.

Just think about the last time you had a real good laugh? A good meaningful conversation where it did not turn into an emotional blame game? Can you think back that far? If you answered: No, I can't remember the last time a really laughed or sat down and had a good conversation without blaming others for my current circumstances... then I am here to help you. Just consider me your own private coach for healing.

For many years, I thought that being "me" was being rude, resentful, evil, a gossip and saying what was on my mind no matter who it hurt. I thought I was keeping it real. As the young people say, "I was keeping it '100'". however, I was living a lie and truth be told I was miserable. I blamed everyone for what I did not have and what I thought I could not get. I was my worst enemy. In my book, "Will You Be Made WHOLE" I share a formula that helped me to see that I could be and do anything I wanted to do but I had to be healed of the things life had dealt to me. I had to release on the things that were not meant to be in my life. I had to realized that there was a different me YELLING on the inside of me... Hey sister, let me out. I'm suffocating in here and I can make things so much better.

If you are tired of living in the pits of hell that you call a life. Then let me help you. I promise, you can blame me for the satisfyingly delicious life you will experience.

You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 

(c) 2015 Living Above Hurt Ministries 

Loss of Identity - Redefining Yourself through Faith

Having a relationship with Christ is not a religion, it is a lifestyle and identity. You live it, breath it, wear it and eat it day in and day out. It is the very reason we are called Christians.

A Christian is to be Christ-like. It means to have the mind of Christ in you, causing you to live with a higher awareness of love and faith. You operate not as the "normal" would have you respond but as the Spirit would lead you.

The unfortunate things is many of us of us have been indoctrinated into a religion. This indoctrination began at birth or conversion, and continues throughout your whole life. Religious beliefs and doctrines get internalized and adapted into your own identity, often to the point of suppressing your real authentic self in favor of the "group-think identity" of religion. For many who thirst for a more meaningful experience, they must lose fundamental parts of their identity. This can cause an identity crisis of sorts which can be quite painful at times, yet freeing and euphoric in the end.

Because doctrines are internalized to such a great extent, the persecution complex arises quickly and naturally to any information that is critical or challenging to those beliefs or teachings. New information isn't seen as just critical or challenging to the Dogma of religion, but as a personal attack in many instances. This is why you see many fighting over the letter of the law and hating what does not look, believe or think as they do. Once a person decides to stand for authentic relationship with Christ it can prove quite difficult to be embraced by those that still uses the defense mechanisms of legalism. However, it can also leave those of us who do cleave to Christ in relationship to feel a sense of loss with a church shaped hole in our heart and feeling like we don't know who we are anymore. After all, some of the greatest life-questions of philosophers were given to us with surety through great men and women of the cloth. We knew who we were because they told us, where we came from and where we were going after this life, if we followed their path. As long as we dont let the touchy-feely, sloppy agape come near us.
One of the more painful experiences we may have in leaving legalism is losing the identity we so deeply internalized and invested in. For many of us, there is a mourning process that we go through to weep over the loss of our beloved companion, "the church", and all that it fulfilled in us, or that we believe fulfilled in us. It is okay to mourn this loss. Not everyone goes through this though and that is okay too. Mourning can help release some of the religious or church programming and identity though, making room for God's truth to shine through. His truth that church is not a building we attend but who we are and we all are not a islands based on our beliefs but the body of Christ jointly fit together. We are all one!

You see the internalizing of beliefs into our core identity is what gave legalism (Religion) so much power over our thoughts and minds, and also the potential to hurt us on our way out through the loss of identity. Despite all of this potential for hurt and mourning from the loss of identity, you now have an opportunity that many go their entire lives without ever experiencing, and that is being able to consciously define your new identity. This can be a freeing and empowering experience. It can also set you up for further hurt if not done cautiously. When it comes down to the words and phrases by which we identify ourselves, the more emotionally invested we are in those definitions, the more potential and power we simultaneously give them to hurt us if or when that identity dissolves. Any identity-definition can be internalized and believed in so heavily that should it fail, causes us great pain, suffering and further identity crisis. The key to preventing any further identity crisis is to limit how emotionally invested you become towards any one identity-definition you may have for yourself, or that you adopted from outer sources. 

With all that said, the only source that we should look to for a definition of who we are is the one who created us. He thus, created us for relationship with him. To be loved by him and to love him. To allow our faith to accomplish what the world says is impossible. Not be our own strength but the strength that comes from Him. So let go of the religious beliefs that limit the God you serve and you from becoming a new creature in Christ.

Embrace the fact that transformation, requires you to lose your old ways and take on new ways. To think differently and understand your purposes as it pertains to the whole. Strive to be in relationship with Christ. Thus your identity will be made clear and your faith pure!

You are Bound No More!

Pastor Linda Hillman

(c) 2015 Living Above Hurt Ministries

Pastorlindahillman@hotmail.com

Can You Get Passed The Circumstances?

We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. - Hebrews 12:2

Peter was a really unique man. He was the boldest of all the disciples. He said things that other people only thought. He was the type of person who did things that other people didn’t have the nerve to do. Peter was completely drawn to Jesus. Peter wanted to follow Jesus with his whole heart. But, many times he made mistakes. Does this sound like anyone you know? Maybe you are not as Bold as Peter but you still want to follow him and are drawn to him like Peter. Maybe, you are afraid like Peter was after denying Christ that there is no forgiveness for you. I am a living witness that Jesus can and will forgive you.

The above scripture in Hebrews is the key. We must keep our eyes on Christ. Only in him can we find perfection. He is the only one that can cause our circumstances, issues, problems and past hurt, habits and hangups to become null and void. Does that make you breathe easier? It should. You don't have to do it in your own strength.

I am reminded when I read "We must keep our eyes on Jesus" about the testimony in the Bible of how Peter walked on the water. No one can walk on the water, don't believe me, well try it and see how successful you are. Yet and still, we will say when someone has excelled at something in life, "it's like they can walk on water". Peter was an imperfect man, who put his trust in a perfect man and was able to accomplish something no one else has repeated since him. 

Trust is all it took. Setting aside all the thing that told him he couldn't accomplish it, to believe the one who said he could. take a moment to think about it.

Does your current situation seem impossible? Do you feel you will never get over that hurt, that habit, or that tragic event? Do you let others define you by your past? Do you wish you could move passed it but you are afraid what might happen if you take that first step?

I encourage you today to take a breath and put your eyes on Jesus. Keep them there and step forward. Let the spirit of God lead you. You salvation is only steps away from you. Don't be afraid and let your emotions get the better of you. You may just do the remarkable!


You are Bound No More. 


Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2014 Living Above Hurt Ministries 
Pastorlindahillman@hotmail.com

Coming Soon! Will You Be Made Whole

Will You Be Made Whole

As Jesus traveled around throughout the country teaching and working miracles a woman with an issue of blood touched His robe.

Facts About Her:

·She was “diseased with an issue of blood twelve years” (Matt. 9:20).She had “suffered many things of many physicians” and had spent “all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” (Mark 5: 26);

· She had heard of Jesus and when she saw He was near she joined in the throng of people following Him as He made His way to Jarius’ house. She said within herself, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” (Matt. 9: 21);

· She came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment (Matt 9:20). As soon as she touched Him “the fountain of her blood was dried up” and she “felt in her body that she was healed of that plague” (Mark 5: 29);

· As soon as she touched Him Christ "immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him” (Mark 5:30) stopped and asked “Who touched me?” Everyone around Him denied it and Peter asked him “Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee and sayest thou, Who touched me?” (Luke 8: 45).

· When the woman saw that she was unable to hide from the Lord she “came trembling and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.” (Luke 8: 47)

· Christ looked on her and told her, “Daughter be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)

Speculations About Her:
Under the Mosaic law a woman with an issue of blood (referring to menstrual orpostpartum bleeding) was considered unclean and was “put apart” for 7 days. During this time anything she lay on or sat on was considered “unclean” meaning that if anyone touched one of those things he would have to wash his clothes and bathe in water to become clean again. Also during this time if any man was sexually intimate with her he was also unclean for 7 days and must adhere to the same sort of “setting apart” as a woman (and actually the guidelines for a man who has an issue of blood, or who was unclean were more strict than for women, see Leviticus 15:1-30).

The Mosaic Law also specified that if a woman had an issue of blood that lasted longer than 7 days that all the days of her issue were considered unclean and she must be treated as such (Leviticus 15: 25). This means that this woman had probably been unclean for 12 years and that she had to live “put apart” from others for all that time. If she had been married her husband probably would have divorced her as she would have been unable to care for her children or for others without making them all unclean. Her unclean status would also have meant that she was probably unable to attend the temple or other worship services.

I did a quick Google search for information about “prolonged menstruation” and I discovered that today this woman probably would have been diagnoses with menorrhagia, which is abnormally heavy and long menstruation that causes enough cramping and blood loss that it makes normal daily activities impossible. The scriptures are right in calling it a “hemorrhage” because the amount of blood lost is significant—enough to fill a maxi pad at least every hour for several weeks (not to mention 12 years!).

According to the Mayo Clinic common causes of menorrhagia are:

• Uterine fibroids, non-cancerous growths of the uterus wall
• Endometrial hyperplasia, a thickened endometrium
• A bleeding disorder, like von Willebrand disease
• Problems with clotting
• Thyroid functioning
• Glandular issues
• Infection
• Ovarian cysts
• Uterine polyps
• Cancer

In the scriptures it say that the woman spent all of her living upon physicians who could not help her. Today physicians are usually able to treat or control menorrhagia with hormone pills but in severe cases hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and endometrial ablation or resection (which permanently destroys the entire lining of the uterus) are used to treat it. It is incredible that Jesus was able to heal this woman with only a touch.

In our lives we have issues, maybe it’s a physical disease but a dis-ease nonetheless. This story goes to show that no matter what we are going through in life, we can be made whole.

Know for Sure - This is a 7 Part Series - Part 3

What do we know is certain? We all have a deep desire for certainty. People search in different areas of life just to find out something for sure. As you look at God’s design for our lives, true certainty comes from only one thing. In Hebrews 11:1, the Bible defines faith as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Isn’t it amazing that the one thing God told us we can be certain of, an eternal life through Christ, is something we can’t physically hear, see, or touch?

What we do have is a promise in His Word. Authentic believers live this life certain of one thing: we can overcome this world through Christ believing that our eternity comes from knowing Him.

Today’s Challenge: Today you can declare to devote your life to the truth. Though we cannot truly predict what the next hour will bring, we know the One who holds the future. His name is Jesus Christ. The more we trust that, the more it will be evident in everything we do. When it's true in our hearts, our actions can't help but to begin to follow. Jesus tells us the greatest commandments are to love God and to love others (Matthew 12:29-31). From this day forward, declare to live your life with these commandments at the top of the list as you become the authentic follower of Christ.

Leadership Thought: “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

You are Bound No More.