Do you hear the Sound of Crying? by James May

Do You Hear the Sound of Crying?

Everywhere we turn there are voices shouting in our ears and each one has its own message to deliver. Satan loves to Shout in your ear! He is the accuser of the brethren, constantly standing before God to point a finger at the wrongs that we do. Every time we make even the slightest mistake, there he is, sitting on our shoulder, shouting in our ear with the same voice of the serpent that deceived Adam and Eve in the garden. His cry makes the heart tremble unless we are close to God enough for faith to answer Satan’s taunts. You are nothing but a hypocrite and a sinner! You’ll never measure up or be good enough. You are lost and serving God is impossible. Satan’s greatest weapons are deception and fear. By deceiving us into thinking that he is right, he creates the fear that paralyzes us so that we are unable to obey God.

We also Hear the Cries of the World!

There is so much pain and suffering in this world where we live. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t hear of some great tragedy or suffering somewhere. The world cries out because of its pain and suffering, its heartache, the absence of real love, loneliness, hopelessness, and poverty. Men’s hearts are failing them for fear of an uncertain future. They cry out for help, for someone to show them the right answer, and for someone to care, but, no one seems to answer the grand call of humanity as they speed toward the precipice of hell.

We hear the Cry of the Lost Souls!

Where can I find the answer for my sin? Who can deliver mankind from destroying himself? Who will help us to find the right path to walk? I am convinced that even if 20% of the world were really Christians that would leave about 5 billion people on earth right now who will spend eternity in hell. If we look around our own community of approximately 67,500 people I don’t think that 2 of every 10 people you meet are saved. You would be hard pressed to find more than 2 or 3 out of 100 people who are truly born again.

We hear the Cry of the Heart of Man!

The heart of people is breaking or already broken. Men cry in the streets for more comfort and less pain. The cry around the world is for peace, but there is no peace to be found without Christ. People cry out for recognition as if to say, look at me, I count for something while the world ignores them and time marches on into eternity. The heart of man is crying out for someone to stop, to care and to help them.

We hear the Cry of the Family!

Our families are in grave danger of annihilation. Same-sex marriages and gay and lesbian families are still in the minority, but they are gaining ground every day. God help the children that are raised in such degenerate surroundings. How can the children ever have a normal life when they are raised in filth and immorality to think that this is normal.

Our families are crying out for time for one another. We live in a world that requires so much of Mom and Dad that they seldom really have time for the kids who have to fend for themselves, live on the streets and face life alone while the devil is doing his best to destroy them even as children.

The normal setting of a home where there is one mother, one father and two sets of grandparents are almost nonexistent in our society. Divorce, remarriage and unfaithfulness are the hallmarks of marriage in our day.

We hear the Cry of our Children!

First of all, there are those children who cry from their mother’s womb because they are never given the chance to experience life. The safest place in the world for a baby used to be inside of its mother but no more.

Why Are Children Aborted?

The Alan Guttmacher Institute (the research arm of Planned Parenthood) states: * 1% are victims of incest or rape * 1% had fetal abnormalities * 4% had a doctor who said their health would worsen if they continued the pregnancy * 50% said they didn’t want to be a single parent or they had problems in current relationships * 66% stated they could not afford a child *75% said the child would interfere with their lives.

While I am diametrically opposed to the murder of unborn children through abortion, I sometimes think that these babies are really the lucky ones.

Too many of our kids are what used to be called, “Latchkey Kids”. Their parents both work or are never home with them and these kids are left to their own devices for survival. They are left to roam the “hood” and fight for survival of the fittest like some wild animal.

These kids are crying out for someone to notice their condition and to really care about them. Our so called, Child Protection Agency often does more damage to destroy a child than to help. I am glad for the few they help but so much more is needed. Man’s pitiful efforts in solving the problems of sin in the family are futile at best.

Our kids are crying for safe places to play, to go to a safe school, and a safe place to grow up without fear of being hurt, kidnaped or killed.

There Are Even Cries Within The Church!

With so much deception and false teaching, the cry of the church is for Truth and not fantasy. The church should be crying more than we are, for we have the only answer but we aren’t concerned enough most of the time, to cry out to God on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our cry is for the real fire of the Holy Ghost and not just voices that come from the lips of burning embers who have very little anointing and power left in them.

Christians cry out for Truth in relationships with other Christians and not for just some superficial, uncaring program that purports to reach out to them. The church should be crying out for workers who will enter into the harvest fields to reach souls in these last days but we are crying out for personal wealth, personal gain, and have little concern for the lost souls. Yes, there are many cries that can be heard in the earth, but what cries should we be listening for? We must cry out to God for all of our problems and not to other people who cannot even help themselves.

Psalms 18:3-6, "I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears."

The church should be calling out to God for boldness and for a new vision of lost souls that we can deliver the message of the gospel of salvation to a lost and dying world. Man needs to hear the message from Romans 10:13-15, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But this same passage also says, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?"

God is like the Marines, He is looking for a few good people who stand up and be counted and answer the cry of the world by shouting forth the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What can we say to a lost and dying world that is hurting and suffering that will bring the answer to all their troubles?

2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

In the days when Satan in screaming into the ear of even the most faithful of the people of God that they will never make it, this is what David wrote in when he faced the same finger of the devil as it pointed into his face:

Psalms 61:1-3, Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."

The cries of the world, of families, of children, of the lost and of the church are very real. God hears those cries but unless all of us decide to obey His Word, there is little that God can do to deliver.

But, if we will only cry out to God in repentance; if we will only obey His Word; if we will only run to Him as our High Tower and our refuge, then God can answer our cry and give us the life more abundantly that His Word speaks about.

Defining Church Hurt

There is a term that floats around in the Christian arena...it is called Church Hurt. What exactly is church hurt? well, I am glad you asked this questions because it has several answers. However, for the purpose of this ministry and blog Church hurt is defined in this manner:

Church hurt is all offenses that take place in church while doing ministry by other Christians, saints, and especially the clergy. So in other words, if you have been in church and things have happened to you or those you are concerned about that left a bitterness in your heart, maybe even caused you to leave a church to attend another, or even worst you stop going to church altogether. I asked that you know this is a safe haven for you. You can tell the story, no one will belittle you or make you feel like your feelings don't matter. However, understand this, this is a place of healing so we will help you work through the pain, anger, bitterness and unforgiving to get you to a place where you can begin to breathe again. It's our desire to get you to a place of healing and restoration.

No it does not mean that you will have to go back to the church you left but you will have to forgive them and release them and yourself from the jail that you have built. It means you will have to trust again. You will have to open yourself up again.  I know now it seems like you cant, but through the testimonies of others and my testimony I know you will see how it is possible to live in forgiveness.

So, just give this ministry a try...I know you will see that we care you and your soul and we truly want you to live in freedom.

You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 

God Can Heal Your Wounds

The real question is will we let God heal us? 

A lot of us have difficulty in relating to others because of hurts in our lives. These affects the way we communicate and also the way we handle ourselves. This is one reason why we intentionally or intentionally hurt others. Not until we are healed from our pains, we  will always have difficulty in facing life. God's desire and will is to heal us from our hurts as part of His plan in restoring us. However, we must be willing to let Him work in our life.

Life's Realities ...

• Wounds in our heart take place when we allow Sin, Unresolved Past, Unforgiveness, discouragement , Feelings of Rejection control our lives. Hurts in our hearts will be revealed during conflicts in relationship and times of crisis.
• Jesus is near to the brokenhearted. He understands our pain. He is willing and able to heal and restore us.
• A healed heart will always result to a contented and joyful life. It makes us generous in every area of our lives. It enables us to handle conflicts in relationships properly.
• There is a connection between a healed heart and a positive attitude ( Proverbs 17:22 ).
• God has provided for our healing but we still have a choice if want it or not. If we decide to be restored then we must be willing to let Him have it His way.

Steps to Freedom our damaged emotions

A. Receive comfort from God by surrendering our hurts to Him.
( Matthew 11:28; 1 Peter 5:7 )
B. Confront your past with God's Forgiveness .
(Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 18:21-35; Acts 3:19; 2 Corinthians 7:10)
C. Refuse to believe that you are product of your past experiences.
(Proverbs 24:16; Philippians 3:13-14)
D. Focus on your identity in Christ and build on it..
(Philippians 3:13-14; 4:13)
E. Choose not to be hurt when you are
offended by receiving and walking in the love of God.
( 1 Thessalonians 5:11; James 5:16 )

You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2015 Living Above Hurt Ministries

Why or How Come?

“What does not take me out, makes me stronger.” 

Many of us say the phrase after we have come out of a trial or hardship. We tend to get a sense of empowerment from this statement. The real question here is do we truly believe this statement. Is this just one of those statement that sounds good after a period of stressful situations. What if you are still in the midst of your dilemma, can you say this phrase? Can you claim the triumph even then? Do you ask “Why” me, why did I have to suffer? Do you harbor bitterness and unforgiveness?

You see many of us are so preoccupied with the “WHY” something happen that we may never get to the “HOW COME”. With that said, the question becomes, “How come this occurred and what am I suppose to learn? Exploring this can be daunting, so here are a few tips.

You need to ask yourself what is my pain. A doctor prescribes medication because of the symptoms the patient says they are experiencing. More simply put, when you go to the doctor with a pain in your stomach, you describe it to the doctor and he does an examination. With the information you have given him and what he finds through his examination, he then prescribes a medication regiment that will allow healing to occur. Now, it is understandable that the medication itself does not heal the body but what it does do is cause the pain to subside. In the absence of your discomfort, your body can then heal itself. What a concept, the medical profession has taught us to get rid of the pain so the process of healing can happen. If you ask yourself this question, do not use other words like what is the problem or who is my problem. Stay focused on you. Moving from what is my pain to what is the problem, you are minimizing your discomfort. It is like taking an Advil for a toothache. You may feel okay for a while but eventually the pain is going to come back because you have not dealt with the real issue and no healing is occurring.

Knowing what your pain is will lead to, “Why am I stuck?” Many will try to brush past this. If you have ever had an open wound, you know that it must heal from the inside out. This process can take a while and if you are not careful, the skin will begin to close on the surface but the wound is not total healed underneath. When this occurs, you have to reopen the wound to allow the healing to take place correctly. The same is true for inner healing. You must allow the inside to be healed before it will show on the surface. No facades that will hide the festering boil underneath. Being stuck in a rut and not understanding why things happened, can only lead to repetitious behaviors. These behaviors will keep you living in misery and regret, making one bad decision after another because you have not learned how to avoid it.

This is when you have to define the how come. The “how come” is logical reasoning. The “how come” will bring the change in your behavior you have been looking for. It will help you learn the lesson life was teaching you. For instance, maybe you were in that bad situation because you needed to learn self worth. The “how come” only comes with clarity of vision and after you probe deep inside yourself.


You are Bound No More. 

 Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2015 Living Above Hurt Ministries 

Healing the Hurts

Here's a lesson from a recent Women's Conference I attended. Be blessed with this one.

• Emotional Abuse
• Christian wounds
• Hurt in the church
• Domestic Violence
• Harboring negative feelings
• holding grudges. it hurts ourselves more than others

Someone once said that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and hoping that it will hurt the other person. But yet many of us do it and cant see that we are really killing ourselves.

You can choose to hurt or Heal

You can choose your happiness or sadness in life. One way to do this when you choose whether to continue to nurse a hurt you have received in life, or to heal yourself and you relationship with the person that hurt you.

In reaction to our emotional hurts we often erect protective structures to avoid dealing with them or allowing anyone to touch them. Over time these structures become comfortable. Before we cna heal the hurt, these structures must be acknowledged and dealt with. this will often mean honestly facing our pain and anger and resentment choosing to forgive, YES forgive those who have wounded us instead of resenting them, and determining to risk opening our hearts to others again. It also generally involves a slow and difficult process not a quick fix. Like peeling an onion, it usually happens one tearful layer at a time.

Definition

A wounded heart occurs when someone or something brings hurt to your emotions. "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they fo down into the innermost parts of the belly." Proverbs 26:22.

Sources of Hurts

1. Result of Offense brought to us from others People say things or do things to hurt us. Prov 18:8
2. Result from our won sinful behavior. Not all hurts come from without. sometimes they can be the enemy within. Prov 17:19, Psalms 25:18 II Sam 24:10
3. Result from a calamity where one is overcome by the experience. Job 3:25-26
4. Result from the sins of forefathers (ancestors) Exodus 34:6-7
5. Result from drug and alcohol use. Proverbs 23:29-35
6. results from occult involvement Leviticus 20:6

God's Provision

1. God cares about your broken heart. Ps 34:18, 51:17
2. God healed David's heart and He will also heal yours. Ps 147:3, Heb 13:8
3. Jesus was sent to heal the broken hearted. Luke 4:18
4. Jesus, Himself, suffered all the hurts that one could suffer. Isa 53:1-12, John 1:11. Luke 22:57, 23:35-37, Matthew 27:46
5. Through the suffering of Jesus, God has provided the healing for your hurts. Isa 53:5
6. It is God's desire to heal your hurts. I Peter 5:7
7. God must have control of your whole heart before He can heal it. Jeremiah 29:13, Rev 3:20

Steps of Preparation

1. You must give your heart to Jesus letting Him become your lord. Roman 10:9, Phil 2:9-10
2. If you have offended someone else, then you must confess your offense and ask them to forgive you. Matthew 5:23-24, I Peter 3:16
3. You must forgive (RELEASE) the person who has hurt you. Matt 6:12, 14-15
4. You must put their judgement into God's hands and then ask God to forgive them for their offense toward you. Luke 23:24, Acts 7:60
5. You must yield your rights to God (possessions, respect, honor, family, expectations). Matt 19:21, I Peter 5:5-6, Luke 18:20, Mark 8:34-37, Psa 119:165

WARNING: A wounded heat that does not receive healing is an open door for evil spirits. Esp 4:26-27, I Peter 5:8, Genesis 4:4-7, Matt 18:21-35

How to Receive Healing

1. Make a list of your hurts (begin with the greatest list)
2. Ask God to cleanse your heart of all wrong attitudes (anger, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, lust, hate, revenge). Isa 1:18, 51:10, I John 1:9
3. Picture your experience ob being hurt in your mind
4. Now picture Jesus suffering the same hurt for you and overcoming it by his own death and resurrection. I Peter 2:24
5. Next picture in your mind the resurrected Jesus offering healing to you. Luke 4:18-19
6. In faith ASK God to heal your heart in the name of Jesus. Ezekiel 36:26, John 16:23.

As God heals your hurts, He will also give you a tender heart that will be sensitive to the hurts of others. Ezekiel 36:26, II Cor 5:18, Mark 5:19

Remember: God can change that which was meant for evil into good. Genesis 50:20, Duet 23:5 Romans 8:28, I Peter 5:8-10 and II Cor 1:6

Meet The Musical Guests of Turning Your Past Into Purpose Retreat Cruise 2016: Minister Melissa Erha

Melissa Erha

Rev. Melissa Erha is an international evangelist and psalmist, who has been anointed by God to shift atmospheres and break down racial, gender and age barriers in the church around the world.  Her desire to minister to people through the Word and song came at the early age of 4. The call of God was evident in her life as she stood in front of her Sunday School class and declared to the generation before her that she was going to travel to the mission fields to preach the gospel.  By the time she reached 12 years old, her words came to pass as she went on her first mission trip to Peru, South America.  Then, at the age of 13, she preached her first sermon at an International Pastors Conference in Zambia, Africa.

Since then, her God-given assignment has opened the doors for her to minister around the world at various events, pastors and leaders conferences, youth revivals and campmeetings.  With a heart full of compassion, she has also done extensive mission work for the last 17 years.  At age 23 she married the love of her life, Minister Kenneth Erha, with whom she often travels in ministry.

Armed with the word of God and anointed by the Holy Ghost, Rev. Erha is passionate about reaching this generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ! She believes that worship is a lifestyle that only comes through a relationship with God and her desire is for all of God's people to experience that lifestyle.

Currently, she is working on the production of her first album!

Deal With Your Hurt Before It Deals With You

Although Samson seemed to be real with God, we can deduce that perhaps Samson wasn’t real with God about everything.

Was Samson still hurting from his betrayal and heartbreak, after his Philistine wife was given to his Best Man and then killed by her people? Did he fail to deal with this hurt which led him to find temporary solace with a prostitute and with Delilah? Many Bible commentaries are quick to brand Delilah as this manipulative woman which she was, but ‘it’s not every day blame the woman, sometimes let the man take responsibility for HIS actions’, read the story with fresh eyes.

Oftentimes, like Samson, we fail to deal with our pain and pride, which clouds our discernment, causing us to make unfavourable decisions. Surely, Samson would have understood Delilah’s schemes after the third time, but His pride got in the way of sound judgement. He allowed himself to be swayed by flattery and he told Delilah those things to prove his strength and massage His ego.

We would have thought that Samson would have learnt to be careful when it comes to sharing intimate information and this time it was information concerning his Nazarite (belonging to God from birth through an oath) status. Samson trusted his fate to a woman who didn’t believe in the things that he did and in the end it cost him His life.

Who do you trust? Do they share your beliefs and morals?

Is there a hurt that you’re holding on to right now? Take it to God, deal with it, so that it doesn’t become a liability in your life.

Have you ever allowed yourself to be deceived by flattery? Do you always feel like you have to prove yourself?

Don’t allow anyone - no matter how persuasive or attractive - talk you into doing wrong. Avoid being deceived by knowing the difference between deception and truth.

When bankers study cash notes, they don’t study the counterfeits. They diligently study the REAL notes, so that when a counterfeit comes, they can quickly identify and void it. In the same way, as believers, we must study God’s word so much, so that when something contrary God’s word is presented to us, we can quickly identify it and avoid being deceived.

Bound No More

The one thing we need but many of us struggle to get is respect. In life, we will go through some hard times and if we are lucky, we will be able to come out on the winning side. However, what about the one that are caught in the cracks. Is there hope for the woman whose been abused (emotionally, mentally, physically or socially)? Who is there to let that woman know there is hope in her hopeless situation?

We hear so much about sisterhood yet we are set apart. We gossip about one another steal each other men and if we get the chance, we will ruin another’s reputation so we look good. Now does this sound like sisterhood? More importantly how are we being good examples for the girls and women to come after us? Are we allowing them to find hope for their situations? Let me share my story and may be, someone will see there is hope and make a change for the better.

As a teenager, I suffered being molested, verbally abused and lived in a house raging with domestic violence. I grew up with anger issues and never tried to deal with them. I had relationship after relationship fail. One day I came to the realization that the life I was living was just a shadow of what could be. I did not have to live with the pain, frustration and depression. I could rise above it. I could be free. However, I knew that it would take some restoration of my inner emotions. I would have to learn how to look at life differently, not using my own reasoning because it was skewed and fragile.

I sought help from counselors and coaches that help my see past the hurt, habits and hang-ups. I was able to start a relationship on a healthy note and those negative friends – well I was able to influence them to be more positive. This did not happen over night it only started with a single step.

The first step can be the hardest however, if you are truly ready for healing to occur in your life then you will allow this step to take place, including removing all negative and unhealthy influences in your life. Many times, it is what we allow in our lives that hinder us the most. I had to deal with the past in order to maintain my present and secure my future.

We learned in history that if we do not learn from history it is bound to repeat itself. Well, this is true even in our lives. If we are not willing to learn from bad decisions, our fears, our failure and, even more importantly, our successes then we are bound to repeat them. Dr. Susan Jeffers says, “Life is not a struggle but an opportunity”. Additionally, you only get a single opportunity to make it count. Do not live with regret and remorse. Not to make light of the experiences you have been through, Nevertheless, if I can learn to let go of the pain and anger, then why not you?