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 

Meet The Host of Turning Your Past Into Purpose Retreat Cruise 2016: Pastor Linda Hillman

Linda A. Hillman is a faithful servant of the LORD.  Her credentials reads like a Who’s Who in the Bible—she’s been through the school of very hard knocks and has survived and thrived because of her trust in the LORD and her saturation and application of His Word.  Adversity has to take a back seat to Linda because, in her own words, “God can and will do, I am a living witness.”

As a ministry leader, Ms. Hillman’s resume includes but is not all inclusive:

*Founder and President of W.H.O.L.E. Ministries

*Founder and President of Living Above Hurt Ministries

*CEO/Master Coach of Destined 2 B U Empowerment Group

*Currently an Elder and Single Adult Pastor on the Pastoral Staff of Victory in Praise Church, located in Stockton, CA

*Hosts a weekly small group in her home

*Has implemented cell groups in different ministries

*Has worked in home mission churches for 5 years

Three other areas that make up her ministry niches are Evangelism, Christian Education and Music.  Her work as an evangelist is a tribute to her determination to serve God’s children.  She sings and preaches wherever the LORD sends her—she’s even travelled Europe, helping to save the lost and lift up the saved.  As an educator, under the direction of Bishop Rufus K. Turner, Ms. Hillman assists in the development of VIP Bible Institute.  But it’s her music that has brought her to the attention of Christian music lovers with her appearance in the McDonald GospelFest two years in a row. 

As in her favorite worship song, Welcome into This Place, Linda welcomes the call God has placed on her life to minister to His hurting people.  God has trusted Linda to establish His work in the world and she continues to “study and show herself approved” by pursuing a Master of Divinity in Theology.  Linda Hillman is certainly an exemplary example of loving, dedicated servanthood…and the world is a much better place because of the Spirit of God in her.

Residue

Residue, what is residue?

First let's look at how the dictionary defines it. Residue is a small amount of something that remains after the main part has gone or been taken or used. So what got me thinking about residue is the PAM cooking spray commercial. You know the one with the ghost of food past. He basically describes himself as the definition found in the dictionary but with a twist. He says that you combines with the new food being cooked. So the residue from the old is now affecting the new.  Yes, someone just got that.

So what does it mean to us in our journey to be free and delivered from our past.. We have to apply the word of god to use and be washed thoroughly. no residue can remain. if it does we will be tainted from the past in every new situation, choice, and relationship. 

Have you ever asked yourself after an argument or an outburst: "Why did I do that or why did i say that?" or maybe it was "where did that come from?" or "I thought I was over that." these statements alone gives us a clue that residue is there. the Bible says:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

This weekend I learned from Evangelist Rein Johnson that to be IN Christ means to be encompassed (See clip below). In order for us to remove all residue we have to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. we have to allow the Word of God to change how we think. We have to forget the former things as Isaiah 43:18 says and move on the the newness that comes from being transformed. We have to press into the things of God and not allow what happened to us to hinder us. It's not pretending that it did not happened but it is sitting with a journal and allowing the truth of your situation and past to teach you the lessons you could not learn at the time.

It's freeing yourself, let liberty and redemption happen. It's forgiving yourself for thinking you could have done something different. For thinking you could have made a different choice or said something differently. It's understanding that you are who you are because of what you have gone through and that does not make you a bad person or less than. It's not getting over stuff and pretending it did not happen but it is understand that you went through it. In going through it you must let the word wash over over and cleanse you so when you step out one the other side you are a new creature.

Let me end with this. Getting rid of residue is a simple process. Let's take a look at a butterfly and the transformation that occurs when it is ready to covert from a caterpillar. 

First, the caterpillar digests itself, releasing enzymes to dissolve all of its tissues. If you were to cut open a cocoon or chrysalis at just the right time, caterpillar soup would ooze out. But the contents of the pupa are not entirely an amorphous mess. Certain highly organized groups of cells known as imaginal discs survive the digestive process. Before hatching, when a caterpillar is still developing inside its egg, it grows an imaginal disc for each of the adult body parts it will need as a mature butterfly —discs for its eyes, for its wings, its legs and so on. 
Once a caterpillar has disintegrated all of its tissues except for the imaginal discs, those discs use the protein-rich soup all around them to fuel the rapid cell division required to form the wings, antennae, legs, eyes, genitals and all the other features of an adult butterfly. 

This process is a natural look at what takes place supernaturally in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Everything that God needs for us to be whole and complete is already in us but we need to get wrapped in our cocoon called Christ and let him completely transform us to be NEW. He will then make sure that all residue is done away with. That you will become exactly what he intended you to be and all old ways are destroyed and done away with. No more Residue!

You are Bound No More.


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

Stop Having A Fit

Many times we have triggers inside of us but why are they there. What was the original hurt? Was it real or perceived? What was left unlearned because we chose not to deal with it? So everything else is weighed against it and never in balance because there is really no way of recalibrating the scale. The truth is it was never calibrated right in the first place. There has to be a point where you destroy the root of the problem. You must confront the very thing that initiates your spiral into the pit of anger. That leaves you in a fit of rage, anger and confusion. You must be willing to expose the whole truth and nothing but the truth to allow the lessons to be learned and more importantly lived.

Life is not going to hand you a solution to all your problems; however every solution you need is racing to get to you. The real problem is our ability to see past the problem. When we start to remove the layers of film on our eyes we will be able to see a true reflection of what occurred and how to fix the situation.

We throw fits because we are not willing to hear, trust and learn. We are so busy wanting it right now that we miss the eternal applications that will keep our hearts and minds in perfect peace.

We blame God, others, loss of jobs, houses, cars, mates and what have you so we don’t look at the real problem. It is simple…the “me” problem; the understanding that I am my worst enemy. It’s because of how I interpret things that have occurred that I am in this situation. It’s me not anyone else. Sure they hurt you, they lied, they talked about you, they left you, they cheated…and that almost killed you –mentally, emotionally, socially, financially and spiritually. Yes they did all that. However, no one has power over your decisions but you. And you have to give that power away. It is your fault not theirs. I know that reality hurts, OUCH! It hurt me to say it and I am sure it hurts to read it. So now that the band aid is off let’s fix the problem instead of having a fit.

It starts with you taking the power back and putting ownership where it belongs. Do this for me, take a minute to stand in front of the nearest mirror and say, “Today I will no longer pass the buck. The buck stops here. My worst enemy has become my best friend.” Then smile as big as you can. The next thing you are going to do as a project is simply get dressed up. I mean go all out and dress for success and take a picture.  For the moment you are taking the picture nothing else matters. Think of a time you felt totally free from anger, worry, frustration, strife and hatred… YES that moment. Bask in that moment and smile for the camera. Take a few shots with different poses even do an outfit change, if you like. Make it a real photo shoot opportunity. Now every time you see those pictures I want you to think this is my best friend. 

Nope, not finished yet, remember we are fixing the problem not just placing another band aid on it. Now it’s time to get serious about your healing. Get a Journal. You don’t journal superficial things like what you ate today or what the events of the day were. No, this journal is to take a long good look at you. Therefore journal how you feel, journal your heart, journal your thoughts, journal your raw emotions and let it flow. Today you may feel like pulling your hair out because of what John said reminded you of your past relationship with Steve, journal it. Tomorrow you can be on top of the world because you realized that you just got that promotion you been wanting, Journal it. You had a breakthrough during early Morning prayer, journal it.

When you journal, you start to see that problems become clearer. Just as amazing, is the solution will leap at you from the pages of your journal. You will start to see patterns. Your answers to many of the questions that you have will be hidden in the midst of the text. With each dilemma there is a lesson to be learned, every storm has a warning of dark clouds but it’s always followed by sunshine and a rainbow. Dancing is a great distraction as well as a happy feeling. Laughing is the best medicine for the heart that is broken. 

Journals will save your life – well, at least help it make sense in the here and now. Now that you are thinking about it, start a journal today. Don’t just write in the journal but take a few minutes to read and reflect on what was written. See what treasurers are inside of you. Treasures you never knew where there because you were too busy having a fit.

You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 

(c) 2014 Living Above Hurt Ministries

Ten Lepers Healed, One Restored

"Thy faith has made thee whole." What does it mean for Jesus to say these words to you? Well first we have to look at the three different times He said it in the Bible. 

The first we have the woman with the issue of blood. Then we have Blind Bartimaeus, and finally The ten Lepers. I will focus on the Ten Lepers in this post. I am sure in the upcoming weeks we will talk about the woman with the issue of blood and Blind Bartimaeus because each incident has some wonderful gems to gleam for understanding in healing, transformation and restoration.

Let me just briefly say that each account has Jesus asking a question before He says the famous words, "Thy faith has made thee whole." In the testimony with the woman with the issue of the blood the question was: "Who Touched my clothes" Mark 5:30, "Who Touched Me?" Luke 8:45. I find it interesting that Matthew does not make mention of the question just said Jesus turned and saw her. Again that's another post. In the testimony of Blind Bartimaeus, He asked "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" Mark 10:52. In the testimony we are going to focus on His question is "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" Luke 17:17. 

One more thing you should take note of regarding the similarities in these testimonies. In all Jesus asked a question and in all He gets a reply. In Testimony of the woman with the issue of blood it was His disciple, Peter that answered. In the testimony with Blind Bartimaeus, it was Bartimaeus that answered. However, in the testimony of the ten lepers; Jesus, Himself, answers.

So let's look at this unique healing. The entire account is found in Luke 17:11-19. Here's a quick recap. Ten lepers see Jesus traveling afar off and they cry out to Him, Master have mercy on us. Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the Priest. They all leave to do just that, the Bible says that as they went they received their healing. One realizing that he was indeed healed; ran back to Jesus and with a loud voice praised him, showing his gratitude. Jesus ask where are the others and makes reference to him being a Samaritan (stranger) and then utters the words; Thy faith has made thee whole.

As I prayed about a revelation, some very important things stuck out to me from the Scripture and then God breathed a revelation that floored me. So let's take a look at the points this passage has. 

Note: Now don't get me wrong, there are more but for the sake of time, here are just a few of my main points. :)

1. Jesus was recognizable from afar off. Since these men were lepers they could not interact with others. They were uncleaned and they had to keep their distance. "A leper wasn't allowed to come within six feet of any other human, including his own family. The disease was considered so revolting that the leper wasn't permitted to come within 150 feet of anyone when the wind was blowing." (Got Questions?org). 

2. Leprosy was a outward symbol of sin in the life of those afflicted. The way that leprosy disfigured it's host was symbolic of how God views sin and it's destructive nature in our lives. "In ancient Israel leprosy was a powerful object lesson of the debilitating influence of sin in a person’s life." (Got Questions?org). Leprosy cannot be cured by man, thus you have to fall on the mercy of God to override the sin and it's affects in your life. Just like they had to go to the Priest to show themselves, we must confess our sins to one another that we might find forgives in the house of the Lord. It is by God's grace and mercy toward us that we can be redeemed, restored and reaffirmed.

3. Now it required faith on their part to go to the Priest to show themselves. When as they turned, their situation still looked the same. It required faith in Jesus' spoken word. Many times Jesus has spoken to us to do something. He does not give more instructions than that. Sometimes we are like Nathan and we take offense at his request. It seems so silly, so insignificant. Surely he would wave his hands, have a prophet call me out in a service, or split the sky open to answer me. However, all He says is "Go wash or show yourself to the priest. We are underwhelmed. We wanted more. These men just moved on his request. as they moved, something changed. They were healed.

4. Now the Bible makes specific mention that one of the lepers was a Samaritan. This is important only because Jews did not like Samaritans. It is assumed that all the other lepers in this group were Jews. Now this is two part for me. 1. It shows me that misery loves company and it does not matter if it is coming from a professed enemy. When you are low you will do things that you would not have done normally. 2. It also shows that the Jews, felt entitled. They took Jesus at His word and now they could get back to their lives and be normal again. However, the Samaritan, realized that this was not a small feat. It was God that had given him a second chance at life. He realized that a mere man could not have done this. His thoughts were on glorifying the giver of this new life. Everything he had lost was something he could acquire again.

Now he turns and falls at the feet of Jesus. "He turned back towards Him who was the Author of his cure, whom he wished to have the glory of it, before he received the benefit of it. The Samaritans were separatists from the Jewish church, and had not the pure knowledge and worship of God among them that the Jews had, and yet it was one of them that glorified God, when the Jews forgot, or, when it was moved to them, refused, to do it." (Matthew Henry Complete Commentary) This Samaritan worshiped, God the best way he knew how.

5. Jesus notices that he was the only one to return and for this, he gets an added blessing. He hears Jesus utter the words, "Thy faith has made thee whole."

As I pondered on this, God spoke to me and said, "Linda, would you want to be healed or Whole?" I then asked, "Is there a difference?" Then it hit me. there was a flash of a man disfigured and mangled by leprosy. He was missing skin, limbs, hair and badly scarred. I saw this man from head to toe. His entire body had been affected by this disease. I could see the disease was gone but the aftermath was horrific. This man would always have signs of the disease that ate his flesh and claimed body parts. It was hard for me to look. Then I heard God say, "healed." As I continued to look, this same man began to change right before my eyes. Where there had been no nose, now a nose grew. Where his eyes were discolored, they were now a brilliant blue color. The white scars on his skin turned to creamy smooth ivory skin, blemish free. This transformation took a few minutes until the man stood before me, restored. Then I heard God say, "Whole."

What God showed me was that everything that this man had lost was now returned to him. He would not have reminders that his disease had robbed him of his life. He was whole again, new and redeemed. His mind, his soul and his spirit were free to breathe again. Elder Smith said on a prayer call that he was restored emotionally, mentally, physically, financially, socially and spiritually. I agree! Nothing lacking, nothing missing, WHOLE. Free to live a new life with all it's benefits.

"The rest were made whole by the power of Christ, in compassion to their distress, and in answer to their prayer; but he was made whole by his faith, by which Christ saw him distinguished from the rest. Note, Temporal mercies are then doubled and sweetened to us when they are fetched in by the prayers of faith, and returned by the praises of faith." (Matthew Henry Complete Commentary).

So in conclusion, I am still studying this but I just had to share this with you. I think as we move forward and we allow God to reveal to us what's holding us back from living a complete and fulfilled life. As He uncovers our hurts, habits and hang ups, that we don't forget to thank Him for His mercy bestowed upon us. We worship Him for who He is. We shout it from the mountain top that although we appreciate what He has done, we know that HE was the only one that could do it. Before we bask in the benefits of no longer being bound, confined, or an outcast...we remember the Author of our cure and magnify him.

You are Bound No More.

Pastor Linda Hillman

(c) 2014 Living Above Hurt Ministries

(209) 565-4055

Pastorlindahillman@hotmail.com

References:

Why is leprosy talked about so much in the bible. Got Questions?org http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-leprosy.html

Luke 17. Matthew Henry Complete Commentary http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/luke/17.html

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?