| Counseling
Corner titles listed below: (Select the title to read
message)
2012
-
2011
-The Baggage of Sin
-Sounds of Darkness
-Not
Knowing
-Getting
Under the Means of Grace
-Praise
in the Midst of Hurt
2010
-The
Blight of Ignorance
-Facing Life’s
Issues with Scripture
-Anointing
Your Home With Oil
-The
Strongman of Frustration
2009
-Habitual Repentance
-Repentance and
Cleansing
-Repentance
Unto Salvation
-The Disappearance
of True Repentance
2008
-Where Your Treasure
Is
-The Spirit of Bondage
-The Burden of A
Heavy Heart
-The Peril of Complacency
-Fear - A Volatile
Emotion
2007
-Spiritual Warfare
-The Whole Armor of God
-The Way Of The Cross
2006
-What Is My Purpose
-Unforgiveness
-The Cry for Gentleness
2005
-Christian integrity...
-Second in a series
on Christian Integrity
-Third in a series
on Christian Integrity
2004
-Refusal To Receive
Counseling
Year Unknown
-Sin Is The Problem
-Holiday Loneliness
-The Accursed Thing
|
The
Baggage of Sin
Rev. Don Loss
I recently ran across a quote I had saved on a 4x6 card
by a Confederate General in the Civil War. General Richard
Ewell offered the soldiers under his command this bit
of advice; “The road to glory cannot be followed
with much baggage.” This advice could apply to
emotional baggage as well as physical baggage. My mind
reflects on the emotional baggage that many are carrying
which brings on physical baggage affecting their bodies
as well as their minds. Men come to Bethel with prescriptions
for mental and physical maladies. Their well-being has
been ravaged because, for one reason or another, they
have abandoned the narrow way (following Christ). What
once was a vibrant and joyful commitment to Christ is
now evidenced by waywardness, confusion and bondage
because of sinful choices. The sins of indulgence have
become a heavy burden upon their weakened soul. The
baggage of sin has become a yoke on their mental and
physical well-being.
I’m
reminded of the great classic, Pilgrim’s Progress.
In this allegory of the christian life, the main character,
Christian, flees from the City of Destruction, holding
his Bible, wanting to escape from “the wrath of
God”. An evangelist points him to a small wicket
gate in the distance for relief from the burden on his
back. “Enter by the narrow
gate for wide is the gate to destruction and there are
many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and
difficult is the way which leads to life and there are
few who find it.” Matthew
7:13-14 As he heads toward the gate he falls into
the Slough of Despond with the burden of sin on his
back. The weight of his sin nearly swallows him up before
a man called Help rescues him. He was told that there
were steps (the promises of God) across the swamp but
they were buried under filth because of the sins of
the City of Destruction flowing into the swamp. Again
I am reminded how many who have left the narrow way
end up unable to see any of the promises of God. Their
sin has darkened their souls. “...having
gone far from the Lord, having followed idols and have
become idolators.” Jeremiah
2:5 The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, tells the
people of God; “Have you
not brought this on yourself in that you have forsaken
the Lord you God” Jeremiah
2:17 And, sadly, we see the result of this state;
“Your own wickedness will correct you, and your
backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see
that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken
the Lord your God and the fear of Me is not in you.”
Jeremiah
2:19
You
may be asking how you can get this baggage of sin off
of your weary soul. I would suggest you go to II
Timothy 3:1-7 in the Scriptures and look at what
may be a form of godliness in your own life.
Mark those traits or behaviors that you see in yourself
and repent of them. Then ask the Holy Spirit to show
you the baggage of sin that you have been carrying such
as unforgiveness, anger, sexual immorality, deceit,
etc.... Repent and ask forgiveness of what He reveals.
Make amends to those whom you have wronged. Kneel at
the cross. Come to a loving God who cares for you. He
is waiting. Get alone with Jesus and go to Him and He
will lovingly remove the baggage of sin that has been
a yoke to you. He will cleanse you and forgive you from
all guilt and shame. “Though
your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as
snow.”
Isaiah 1:18
Oh,
what a Saviour!!
May
the Lord bless you,
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Sounds
of Darkness
Rev. Don Loss
Sitting
on our front porch swing recently,
I was intrigued with the sounds of darkness.
The tree line in front of our home was beginning to
darken around the tree trunks. It signaled the beginning
of a great chorus of night sounds. All the crickets
and critters of the night were singing; announcing the
coming of night. The upper half of the trees were filtering
through a group of clouds that were illuminating the
sky with a red hue from the sun’s rays. It was
a peaceful atmosphere for the soul’s need for
reflection and meditation. (Joshua
1:8)
Then
I began to think of other sounds of darkness.
The cries of the souls that are living in darkness by
choice. The cries of the souls that are living in an
atmosphere of darkness not by their own choice. I think
of gunshots that are heard as a result of drugs, alcohol,
or uncontrolled anger. Screams of those who are physically
and mentally abused. I am reminded of cries during the
night when children cry out in fear of the dark and
the unknown. Then there are the whimpering cries of
those who have been rejected, abandoned and feel all
alone; wondering if there is going to be any hope for
their bruised souls.
“But when I looked for good, evil came to me;
and when I waited for light, then came darkness.”
(Job
30:26)
For
those who are living in darkness by choice;
“...your sins have withheld
good from you.” (Jeremiah
5:25) Also, your sins have aggravated your condition
by the darkening of your understanding. You may even
profess to know God but the Scriptures tell of the consequences
of this behavior. “Although
they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor
were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts,
and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
(Romans
1:21) Not only a darkened understanding and heart
is involved here, but there is giving place to the devil
because of your sins, which gives him the legal right
to take you captive and torment you. “...having
been taken captive by the devil to do his will.”
(II
Timothy 2:26)
This
combination of evil choices, darkened understanding,
and the work of the devil will bring sounds of darkness
in the home and in relationships.
You ask; what must I do to stop this madness? You must
“wash your heart from wickedness that you may
be saved.” (Jeremiah
4:13) You must run back to the Father like the prodigal
son in
Luke 15:18. “I will
arise and go to my father and will say to him; ‘Father,
I have sinned against heaven and before you.’”
Repent
of your sins one by one and make amends to those you
have wronged. Then be ready to bear
the consequences of those sins. For loved ones have
been wounded by the sounds of darkness that you have
instigated in your wildness. Now you must apply the
Scriptures to your life “with
all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing
with one another in love.” (Ephesians
4:12) You may have to submit to difficult news that
you can’t come home yet. But, you must trust the
Lord through it all. “Though
He slay me, yet I will trust Him.”
(Job
13:15) You must get back in the Word, in church
and be rightly related to the Lord.
For
those who are exposed to the sounds of darkness not
of their own doing;
seek strength in the Lord, seek counsel from the wise,
purchase a copy of Streams In The Desert, a classic
Christian devotional book, and wait upon the Lord.
“Wait upon the Lord; be of good courage, and He
shall strengthen your heart...” (Psalm
27:14) Do not return to a troubled marriage unless
you have peace from God about it.
You
need to put on the armor of God daily (Ephesians
6:10-17) and pray for His direction. “Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your
own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him
and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs
3:5&6.
Walk in the light as He is in the light,
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NOT
KNOWING
Rev. Don Loss
One
of the most prevalent factors facing all of us in the
tribulations of life is NOT KNOWING. In this article
I especially want to address the wounded
families who have a loved one in the bondage of addiction.
Along with any addiction will come lies, deception,
passivity, violence, fear, anger, depression and many
other emotional and mental instabilities.
Some
families may be experiencing their first occurrence
with addiction issues. Things were going
well until this problem invaded your household. It has
caused confusion, fear, and suspicion in the atmosphere
and will cause a great amount of stress while attempting
to deal with the addiction. It is truly a spiritual
assault upon the welfare of the family.
“The thief does not comeexcept to steal, kill,
and destroy.” John
10:10
Other
families have experienced the stress of a loved one
going over the edge several times. No
counseling, reasoning, or program has made any effectual
change in that family member’s demeanor. Truly
“they have been taken captive to do the devil’s
will.” II
Timothy 2:26 You have experienced anxiety, fears,
pain and suffering with their great burden upon your
shoulders. You’ve been cursed, abused, deceived,
seduced, begged for second changes, promised, rejected
and abandoned. And you find yourself still standing
because of God’s grace. “My
grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made
perfect in weakness.”
II
Corinthians 12:9
When
everything comes apart you must leave your burden with
the Lord even though “NOT
KNOWING” the outcome. Jesus Christ
is the place where you can obtain rest.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 Remember, some things will remain
a mystery for “the
secret things belong to God”.
Deuteronomy
29:29
Let
me warn you about falling into the trap of the devil
by becoming bitter in your own soul. Therejection, abandonment
and hurt that you may be experiencing may rupture into
an anger of your own. You must repent of this quickly,
asking forgiveness so that you may experience cleansing
and forgiveness -
I John 1:9. Otherwise you may fall short of the
grace of God - if you are not careful. “Looking
carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God;
lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble,
and by this many become defiled.”
Hebrews 12:15
Ronnie
Dunn, in his latest song; “Bleed Red”, speaks
of forgiveness:
“Let’s say we’re sorry, before it’s
too late, give forgiveness a chance,
Turn the anger into water; let it slip through our hands.
We all bleed red, we all taste rain, all fall down,
lose our way,
We all say words we regret, we all cry tears, we all
bleed red....”
Ephesians
4:31 & 32; “Let
all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking
be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to
one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even
as God in Christ forgave you.”
One last word; if you
have a loved one in bondage to addiction, go to archived
counseling corners link below, scroll down to 2008,
and click on The Spirit of Bondage. There you will find
some helpful suggestions on dealing with an addicted
person.
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of Page
Getting
Under the Means of Grace
Rev. Don Loss
I
am profoundly amazed at how grace is the most powerful
dynamic to assure victory in the life of a believer.
In his work, Personal Declension and Revival of Religion
in the Soul, Octavius Winslow writes of the nature of
true grace in its keeping power. “The finished
work of Jesus keeps him, the indwelling of the Spirit
keeps him, and keeps him to eternal glory....true grace
is indestructible grace; it can never die. But it can
decay.” Peter writes in his first letter that
the saints “are kept by the power of God through
faith for salvation....though now for a little while,
if need be, you have been grieved by various trials
that the genuineness of your faith, being much more
precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested
by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at
the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
It
has been demonstrated by the saints down through the
ages that it is the means of grace that insures the
strength to persevere through the travails of life.
Peter calls the saints “a peculiar people”,
“strangers and pilgrims” (II Peter 1:2-3)
who have been empowered by the grace of God to “abstain
from fleshly lusts which war against the soul”.
(II Peter 2:9-11) Paul writes in II Corinthians 12:9
of the Lord’s word to him in his petition to be
released from his thorn in the flesh; a messenger of
Satan (a demon) who buffeted him. “My Grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect
in weakness.” Notice that grace is poured out
from God. David said; “The Lord is my strength
and my shield; my heart trusted in Him (a means of grace)
and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
and with my song I will praise Him.” (Psalm 28:7)
Yet another means of grace derived from the act of trusting
God.
As
I look in my Bible another verse I have underlined beams
into my soul! God’s comforting means of grace
in the midst of anxiety. “In the multitude of
my anxieties within me Your (God’s) comforts delight
my soul”.
God’s Word is a means of grace to our soul. In
John 6:63, Jesus says; “The words that I speak
to you are spirit, and they are life.” God’s
Word itself is a powerful antidote to sin. David writes
in Psalm 119:11; “Your word I have hidden in my
heart that I might not sin against you.” The fellowship
of one another together in a local church is a means
of grace with the worship, prayer, teaching, and preaching
of the Word. So many believers have abandoned this powerful
means of grace in disobedience to God. “And let
us consider one another in order to stir up love and
good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25
My
fellow believers in Christ Jesus, do you not see that
the best way to be victorious in your life is to stay
under the means of grace? People are constantly fearful
that their loved one will fail if they are not in some
secular program to keep them on the straight and narrow
way. No, my friend, it is God, in the Name of Jesus
Christ, who is your help and strength. Even though grace
is indestructible it will decay if you do not stay under
the means of grace. This is why I always answer the
same thing when I am asked what Bethel’s follow-up
program is - make sure that one stays under the means
of grace. Grace will flow from the fountains dispensed
from prayer, worship, fellowship of the saints, teaching,
preaching the Word of God, etc.
How
sad it is that so many of God’s children have
gone to the world for help rather than to God. The Israelites
were guilty of that in the time of Jeremiah. “Thus
says the Lord, ‘What injustice have your fathers
found in me that they have gone far from me, have followed
idols and have become idolators?’” In other
words, they had left the means of grace; God and His
Word. Many saints have wandered in the world of gracelessness
looking for help in time of need and have become idolators
as a result..
May
God’s grace be poured out on you as you seek to
stay under the means of grace,
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Praise
in the Midst of Hurt
Rev. Don Loss
“I will praise the
name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving!“
Psalm
69:30
David wrote this Psalm as a result of experiencing reproach,
shame, and dishonor. He was hated without a cause. He
was weary with crying. But, through it all, he prayed;
“Hear me, O Lord, for Your
lovingkindness is good. Turn to me according to the
multitude of your mercies.”
I am sure some of you have experienced the sam treatment
as David. You may have even experienced the same emotions
he was painfully bearing. He was hurt, mistreated and
alienated from loved ones. Psalm 69:8 And, he could
not change things.
Those of you reading this article may have situations
that you have tried to resolve but to no avail. You
could not change things either. This presents an opportunity
to accept the reality of what is and praise the Lord
in prayer as David did in spite of your circumstances.
There is a peace that comes in the resignation of acknowledging
the state of things. Some of the most tormented people
who have anxiety and depression are trying to change
things that are out of their control and impossible
without the intervention of God’s grace and mercy.
Oftentimes, the people who have hurt us, abandoned us,
hated us, demeaned us, or abused us are not in a position
to change. They may have issues that they have never
dealt with and they do not have the desire to repent
as you might think they should. “As a man thinks
in his heart; so is he.” Proverbs
23:7
Let’s see Ding David’s perspective in times
like these. He recognized the darkness for what it was,
but he also recognized that even so; “Your lovingkindness
is good. Turn to us according to the multitude of your
mercies.” Psalm
69:16 God is always good and He pours out the multitude
of His tender mercies towards us in the midst of our
trial!
Concentrate and meditate on what is true concerning
the goodness of God and the mercies of God and give
Him praise. Accent the wonders of God rather than the
heaviness and burden of life which is so easy to focus
on. Doing this will lift your countenance even though
it may not resolve your difficulties. You can demonstrate
the peace of God in your life. I learned a very helpful
principle from Rick Joyner. There are two actions continually
occurring before the throne of God - intervention and
accusation. Jesus always lives to make intercession
for us. Hebrews
7:25 And Satan is accusing us before our God day
and night. Revelations
12:15
Start sowing a ministry of grace and prayer into those
who have hurt you. “Do good to those who hate
you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you.” Luke
6:27-28 Remember also the powerful act of love in
I Corinthians 13; “Love suffers long,... does
not behave rudely, does not seek its own....Now abide
faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest
of these is love.”
I’ve seen this principle of sowing a different
spirit into a once hostile situation work time and time
again. Think about it, pray about it, and then act upon
it.
And, don’t forget to give God praise for his goodness....in
the midst of hurt!
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The
Blight of Ignorance
Rev. Don Loss
I am drawn to the subject of ignorance
that prevails in the lives of many professing
Christians. There is rampant idolatry, depression, fear,
bondage, sexual immorality, etc., that counselors and
pastors have to deal with in the sheep-fold of the Christian
faith. In my experience it is the blight
of ignorance that is the cause of this
sad situation.
Just think of how many times you have advised someone
that what they are doing
is not wise. That
what they are doing is going to end up in a total forfeiting
of all that is of value to them. And,
before long, they have chosen to discard the counsel
and are back in a pitiful state of mind and behavior.
We know the consequences of this condition from the
Scripture; “For innumerable
evils have surrounded me, my iniquities have overtaken
me so that I am not able to look up; therefore my heart
fails me.” Psalm
41:12
We have Paul mentioning ignorance
in Ephesians
4:17-21 as a state of being alienated from the LIFE
of God. “This I
say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should
no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in
the futility of their mind, having their understanding
darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because
of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness
of their heart, being past feeling, having given themselves
over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have
heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth
is in Jesus.” Paul writes to the
Ephesian believers that they have been taught the truth
in Jesus and are no longer in this predicament because
they “[have been]
made alive in Christ Jesus, who were once dead in trespasses
and sins.” (Eph.
2:1)
Whereas before the Ephesian believer’s disposition
was driven through ignorance by his fallen Adamic nature
to indulge his appetites and passions,
he is now inclined by grace to live righteously. Peter
writes in I
Peter 1:14; “...as
obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the
former lusts as in your ignorance, but as He who called
you is holy, you also be holy in your conduct.”
Many professing believers in Christ Jesus have abandoned
obedience to God and His Word and are languishing in
the web of their sinful choices. Ignorance
is defined as “without knowledge” and many
times this is the case. Persons who have come to Christ
have not been nurtured and/or discipled. And, sometimes
the new believer, of his own doing, has no desire for
the pure milk of the Word. (I Peter 2:2) But, others
who are very knowledgeable in Scripture are
“always learning and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth.” (II
Timothy 3:7)
Let me say that they have never come to a living knowledge
of the truth. It’s not that they have not heard
truth or been taught truth, for they have. They have
simply failed to submit
to the truth once and for all. And,
they remain ignorant
in their foolishness.
Maybe there are some reading this that can identify
with what I have been writing. I would encourage you
to repent of this ignorance
and to get back in the light. Pray
God will give you a hunger and thirst after righteousness
again. Find a friend or mentor who can
help you get back on track; one who knows God’s
Word. Get back into the teaching, preaching and fellowship
of a local church. Commit yourself to reading the Scriptures
daily in a quiet time. Stay under the means of grace
and God will show up. Trust Him! He
is faithful, compassionate, and forgiving.
(Proverbs
3:5&6)
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Facing
Life’s Issues with Scripture
Rev. Don Loss
The more I counsel people the more I see the failure
of believers in Christ to use the vast depth of the
Scriptures to help them in their pain, their loss, their
sufferings, their anxieties, their depression, their
hopelessness, their guilt, their shame, their lusts,
and the list goes on. The saints of old leaned on the
Word of God to sustain them through all the tribulations
of life. They could not have withstood the calamities
that came upon them if they did not cling to the Person
of God and the promises of God. We read in Psalm 94:17-19
where the psalmist wrote; “Unless the Lord had
been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence.
If I say, “My foot slips”, your mercy O
Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties
within me, Your comfort delights my soul.”
It
is only when you have a knowledge that is derived from
God and His Word that you are able to stand when the
flood of life’s issues and the devil himself assault
you. There are a multitude of words in the world that
are without knowledge. Job 35:16 says; “He multiplies
words without knowledge.” This is not to diminish
good counsel, but counsel seasoned with the grace of
God is specifically helpful to us as believers because
it is of a spiritual dynamic. “However, when He,
the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into
all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority,
but whatever He hears He will speak. And He will tell
you things to come.” John 16:13 This kind of counsel
is derived from God’s Word and is Christo- centric;
centered in Christ. Christ’s words in Matthew
11:28 are; “Come to Me, all ye that are heavy
laden and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
I
think about my own life, of the various assaults by
the devil upon my soul. Where could I go but to the
Scriptures? “When the enemy comes in like a flood,
the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against
him.” (Isaiah 59:19) “If God is for us who
can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) “Put on
the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)
It is through the application and appropriation of the
Scriptures mentioned that I experience confidence and
strength against our adversary “the devil [who]
walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may
devour.” (I Peter 5:8-9)
This
is the spiritual dynamic - that as a believer in Jesus
Christ I have an advantage that the person without Christ
does not have access to.
I
think of the tendency to succumb to depression when
things are lost, whether it be possessions, loved-ones,
or security. We all have experienced, as a general rule,
hardships in our lives, be it divorce, failure, finances,
children, rejection, death of a loved one, etc. If we
put our hope in grasping of these things for our sanity
and happiness, we are at the mercy of the roller coaster
of life. If we do not catch ourselves, and look to God
through it all, we will be down cast and anxious. Now
look at what King David wrote; “Why are you cast
down, O my soul? And, why are you disquieted within
me? For I shall yet praise Him, the Help of my countenance
and my God.” (Psalm 42:11) In one confession,
he overcame depression (cast down) and anxiety (disquieted).
It is by his confession that he is justified, by bringing
into his mind a positive confession. “For by your
words you will be justified, and by your words you will
be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)
I
would like to share something with you that made a lasting
impact on my mind. I once asked someone to pray for
me concerning a particular issue that was troubling
me. That person prayed; “God has made us alive
together again with Him, having forgiven us all trespasses,
having wiped out the handwriting of requirements [and
decrees] that were against us which are contrary to
us. And, He has taken it out of the way, nailed it to
the cross.” That verse came alive to me! My own
and others’ confessions that were contrary to
my well-being were nailed to the cross! I thought how
easily we can fall into a confession that may or MAY
NOT be true. It revolutionized my life! I have been
careful about my confessions since that prayer.
Now,
I challenge you to start reading God’s Word to
discover God’s vast resource of truth to help
you through this life. If you haven’t been there
for a while, start reading through the New Testament.
And, do one more thing for me that will help put your
focus on the Scriptures. Write out every verse in Psalm
119 that contains the word “word”. It will
refresh your soul.
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Anointing
Your Home With Oil
Rev.
Don Loss
One of the most
important weapons that I have found for protection against
demonic spirits in the home is
the anointing oil.
Upon arriving at Bethel Colony
of Mercy on January 1, 1984 from Columbia Graduate School
of Bible and Missions in Columbia, S.C., I
was ready to proclaim the Gospel to alcoholics and drug
addicts. Not long after
arriving here I encountered
a demonic spirit in our home. That
was the beginning of a long season, twelve years, that
my family and I were tormented. It was a baptism of
being immersed in spiritual warfare of which I had little
knowledge.
Needless to say, I began to study
and become equipped to battle “against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of
the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenly places.”
(Ephesians
6:12)
The spirit of fear tormented us
for twelve years in our home. Then
I learned about anointing the home with oil.
Scripture reveals to us that oil
is used to anoint objects and places. “And
you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle
and all that is in it, and you shall hallow it and all
its utensils, and it shall be holy.”
(Exodus
40:9) We
need to anoint our homes and sanctify them wholly unto
the Lord.
In order to keep the death angel
from coming in to kill their first-borns, the
LORD had His people anoint the doorposts and lintels
of their homes with the blood of the Passover Lamb.
(Exodus
12) Evil
spirits do not need a door to enter a home. They can
pass through any wall. But, the
door is symbolic of an opening. We
have many openings in our homes such as doors, windows,
fireplaces, air ducts, etc. Since there are no more
blood sacrifices, the counterpart
of the blood today is the anointing oil.
After
twelve years of being tormented by a spirit of fear
in our home, I invited a few spiritually mature friends
to join me in anointing our home with oil. We went through
anointing the doors, windows and vents in our home.
Before anointing the final door,
I commanded, in the Name of Jesus,
that every evil spirit in the house leave through that
unanointed door. Those
evil, demonic spirits left our home. One of our friends
stated that they felt them go out. My
wife, Cathi, said it was the first time since moving
there that the house did not seem dark to her.
We then anointed that final door
and asked the LORD to sanctify and seal our home and
invited His presence in our home. That
particular anointing brought a peace in our home that
we had not experienced since we were in seminary.
According to one spiritual warrior
from whom I have learned much, there
are other areas that need to be sealed. Anoint
the cord that goes to your computer from the phone jack,
asking the LORD to seal it so that no demons can be
sent into your home through the computer. Another suggestion
is to anoint the mirrors in your home. The mirrors are
not evil, but can be used as a doorway for evil spirits
to enter. “For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according
to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”
(II
Corinthians 10: 3-4)
This anointing of your home will
fail if you have objects such as idols, drugs or occultic
paraphernalia. Let me suggest
a book, Spiritual House
Cleaning: Protect Your Home From Spiritual Pollution,
by Alice and Eddie Smith for further
help.
If you feel the need
to re-anoint your home occassionally, you
will only need to open the main door, command the evil
spirits to leave, anoint the door again and ask the
LORD to seal your home, inviting His presence back in
your home.
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The
Strongman of Frustration
Rev. Don Loss
Frustration
is one of the most prevalent feelings that gives place
to negative emotions and behavior. All of us give place
to this emotion at times. If we are not on guard concerning
the emotion of frustration, it can produce strife and
anger. “As coals to hot embers, and wood to
fire, so is a quarrelsome man to inflame strife.”
Proverbs
26:21 [Amplified Bible]
Having been in ministry at Bethel for over 25 years,
I have often seen the power of
frustration to cause destruction in the lives
of those who are carried away by it.
For instance, the insecure, the over-sensitive, the
proud, the defensive and substance abusers are all vulnerable
to frustration. Anyone having any of the aforementioned
characteristics is vulnerable, with substance
abusers having the most volatile reaction of all.
The attempt to protect one’s self and cover-up
suspected substance abuse from those who question their
irrational behaviors will cause stress and frustration.
Where there was once peace and tranquility in a home,
confusion and anger will erupt when one tries to defend
himself from suspected substance abuse. It is at this
point that the demonic can (and often does) enter the
atmosphere.
“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking
in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly,
sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist,
confusion and every evil thing are there.”
James
3:14-16 Every evil thing includes demonic entities
that darken the air with violence, fear, confusion,
anger and hopelessness. It is this strongman
of frustration that opens the door to other demonic
spirits to unleash their assault on unsuspecting victims
to “steal, kill, and destroy.” Sadly, the
substance abuser, having lost
control of his faculties, is “taken
captive by him (the devil) to do his will.”
II
Timothy 2:26
Having made a scene in the home, he will disappear into
the night. The one left standing in the home, usually
a wife, is totally engulfed in
a wave of loss, fear, confusion, and a broken and bruised
heart.
Where did the abuser go? He is being driven
by the devil back to his drug of choice. He cannot
stop this overwhelming power which has
taken him captive to use again. “For
He (Jesus) had commanded the unclean spirit to come
out of the man. For it (the demon) had often seized
him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains
and shackles, and he broke the bonds and was driven
by the devil into the wilderness (of bondage).”
Luke
8:29
This explains why there is an inability
to resolve this problem with earthly wisdom.
For a demonic entity has invaded the substance abuser.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual
hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians
6:12
You are probably asking “where do we go from here?”
I would recommend giving this article to the one who
is in bondage and have him read it. He will need deliverance
from the demons that have taken him captive. Bethel
Colony has a deliverance ministry that is being used
mightily of the Lord to set men free from their
bondage to substance abuse. “Therefore if
the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
John
8:36
Pray as an intercessor for your loved one! Confess all
sin he is guilty of that you are aware of and ask God
to forgive him if he is not in a position to do so for
himself. It is best for the abuser to make a list of
his sins and repent of each one. [See article on Repentance
and Cleansing in the Counseling
Corner archives] Having followed these instructions,
as the intercessor, you need to take the artillery of
warfare prayer binding the strongman
of frustration (in your loved one) with the manifestation
of substance abuse and command it to come out in Jesus’
name. (Luke
10:19) If you are the abuser, after repenting of
your sins, you should do the same. Please understand
that these prayers are effective for those who are believers
in Christ.
The next step is to remove all drug paraphernalia from
the house. Walk through the house, praying that the
Holy Spirit would reveal other objects in the house
that would defile your home (Ps.
106:39). Ask forgiveness for bringing those objects
into your home. Petition the Lord to bring His presence
back into your home and set a hedge around it (Job
1:10).
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Habitual
Repentance
Rev. Don Loss
In the past I
have written articles on The Disappearance
of True Repentance, Repentance Unto Salvation,
and Repentance and Cleansing.
In this article I will be focusing on the practice of
repentance by the spirit of habitual
repentance.
In my experience the most prevalent reason for failure
in a believer’s life is the neglect of habitual repentance.
Habitual repentance relieves a person from his
burden when he has been destroyed by sin or when he
is struggling with particular temptations. Relief
is always found at the cross whether it is repentance
unto salvation or habitual repentance in a believer’s
life. The person that is saved can rejoice that his
sins are no longer able to bring
him under condemnation (Romans
8:1) because of “being justified freely by
His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”
(Romans
3:24). But repentance does not stop here. There
is a continuous battle that will go on in the believer
“for the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the
Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to
one another” so that you do not do the things
that you wish. (Galatians
5:17) Paul speaks in Romans 7 of “sin” that dwells
in us (Romans
7:17-20) and that “evil is present” within us (Romans
7:21). But on the other hand, as believers, we “delight
in the law of God according to the inward man. But we
see another law in our members, warring against the
law of our minds and bringing us into captivity to the
law of sin which is in our members.” (Romans
7:22-28)
The acknowledgment of this war
must be realized because we all find ourselves sinning
at times as believers. And, we must never give
place to sin or take sin lightly for it will always
bring a believer into defeat or bondage to the devil
him self. “Be angry and do not sin (letting
anger take root), do not let the sun go down on
your wrath (leading to bitterness, resentment,
rage and unforgiveness) nor give place to the
devil.” (Ephesians
4:26-27)
This angry mood can be disarmed by taking the anger
to the Lord and asking Him to forgive you in order that
you may experience immediate “forgiveness and cleansing
for your sins.” (I
John 1:9) Confess your sin
as sin, repenting of the sin by turning away from it,
forsaking it, giving it no place to harbor in your soul.
For “sin is at the door and it’s desire is for
you.” (Genesis
4:7) Also, “looking carefully lest anyone
fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness
springing up cause trouble, and by this many become
defiled.” (Hebrews
12:15)
Since you’ll be receiving this letter just before Christmas,
you might want to confess your neglect of keeping your
soul cleansed and forgiven by not taking your sins to
the cross immediately, “not letting the sun go down
on your sins”, in order that you may experience
the marvelous, wonderful grace of forgiveness for your
sinful behaviors, attitudes, moods or some other sin
you need to take to the cross. (II
Cor. 7:1) It will be a wonderful Christmas present
to your loved ones. Then, make
it a habit to keep sin subdued by practicing the habit
of repentance and your victory will begin to manifest
in your life.
May you have a very Blessed Christmas!
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Repentance
and Cleansing
Rev. Don Loss
This is the third Counseling Corner
written on repentance. I want to speak of the importance
of the need for a full examination of one’s sin
after he has made a profession of faith. Asking forgiveness
for one’s sins against God and entering into the
new birth (II Corinthians 5:17) is a wonderful experience.
But, we must not stop there. Our lives of sin before
coming to God have left a track record of defilement
and there needs to be a cleansing on our part by confessing
sins that we have participated in. “Beloved, let
us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates
and defiles body and spirit, and bring our consecration
to completeness in the reverential fear of God.”
(II Corinthians 7:1, The Amplified Bible).
It is my experience that many who have
repented unto salvation and have indeed been washed;
“you were washed, sanctified, justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God.”
(I Corinthians 6:11) are not experiencing victory in
their walk. They are living with a multitude of sins
that have never been confessed. These must be dealt
with in order to experience the grace and peace of God
fully. Some believers still have resentment, bitterness,
rage, immorality, anxiety, fear, bondages, infidelity,
deception, addictions, jealousy, depression, etc. Their
“sin-trained” flesh has been active in the
former lifestyle. Guilt and shame still haunt them in
many cases. While reading from various sources I ran
across this work from the evangelist, Charles Finney;
“General confessions of sin will never do. Your
sins were committed one by one, and as best you can
they should be reviewed and repented one at a time.”
And that may be what you have neglected.
Have you failed the admonition to “cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit”?
I suggest you start by confessing your sins that have
not been addressed and you will experience a heavy load
lifted off of your shoulders.
“If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9
I have heard over and over again from
my counselees that when they go through the process
of repentance through confession of their sins, they
feel so much relief. Here are some suggestions for this
repentance exercise:
1) Get alone with your Bible, pen and
paper.
2) Read the first chapter of I John, especially focusing
on verse 9.
3) Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal all those things that
break or hinder your fellowship with Him.
4) Write them down - make a list. Things may come to
you over the next several days.
5) One by one, confess each sin separately outloud.
Agree with God that it is sin.
6) Ask forgiveness based on I John 1:9.
7) Thank God for forgiveness and cleansing.
8) Renounce each sin in turn - declare that Satan no
longer has a part in your life in that area of your
life.
9) Ask the Holy Spirit to fill that area of your life
and put a guard over it.
10) Announce that this area now belongs to God.
You should feel a great relief after
you have done this. Your intimacy with God will be enhanced
since sin in your life will no longer be grieving the
Holy Spirit.
Enjoy the blessing and keep short accounts
of your sins from now on.
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Page
Repentance
Unto Salvation
Rev. Don Loss
Over the years I have seen many make professions of
faith, but not all of these that professed sorrow over
their sins had a heart to forsake their sins. It’s
quite a task to discern whether a person really is born-again
in many cases. Are we not reminded of the Scriptural
text; “This people honors Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.”? Mark 7:6 When
a person’s heart is far from Christ, “the
enemy comes in like a flood” (Isaiah 59:19) taking
that person captive to do the devil’s will.
When issues are not dealt with at the
cross, we find those who have hurts, loneliness, rejection,
anger, anxiety, depression, bondages, etc., floundering
around trying to find relief for these legitimate issues.
And, thankfully, some do find relief and are rescued
by God’s common grace that He supplies to the
world. But many soon fall back into their former condition
and the cycle continues. Meanwhile, disappointments,
heartaches, resentment, helplessness, etc., invade the
whole family atmosphere. But, it is not hopeless!
At Bethel Colony, we help men examine
their lives to discover whether or not they have a clear
understanding of repentance. Many have made professions
of faith at some point in their lives but they have
built their lives on the sand. In the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus says; “But everyone who hears these
sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like
a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”
Matthew 7:26 He also says; “But why do you call
me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which
I say?” Luke 6:46 These sayings are exactly what
Jesus wants every professing believer to consider, whether
or not he really is a true believer. Has he truly repented
of his sins? If he is backslidden he has given evidence
of living in his sins instead of forsaking them. There
are many professing believers living in sin for one
reason or another - to get their needs met, loss of
conviction of sin, carelessness, ignorance and lust
to name a few. And, we have all seen heartache as a
result.
Now what about repentance unto salvation?
A repentance unto salvation must be made at the foot
of the cross. This is where the power of saving grace
comes in. A person must truly examine himself to see
if he has been fooling himself. As was noted in the
last newsletter; “true repentance will be after
a godly manner. For a man repents when he turns to God,
sees his conduct as God sees it (sin), submits to God’s
judgment and asks God to forgive him.”
I have led many to Christ who have
had some sort of church background but never were truly
saved. I take them to various Scriptures showing the
way of salvation. An acknowledgment of their sins and
their offense against God comes to light. They see that
Christ died for their sins in a new and fresh way. They
repent of their sins, and behold, there is a sense of
a weight lifted off of them, a burden removed, and the
peace of God floods in. They then enter into the Kingdom
of God as “a new creation; old things have passed
away and all things have become new.” II Corinthians
5:17 Their countenance is lifted, salvation has come,
and they rejoice! Truly a supernatural repentance unto
salvation has taken place. New help has arrived from
above for their issues. And God , in His love, will
help them. For we know who this God is, He is the God
of the Scriptures. He is Jesus Christ. Look what He
says; “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you REST!” That,
my friends, is the power of the gospel. Oh, what a Savior!
Do you have repentance unto salvation?
Have you been living a lie? Surrender now and come to
Jesus at the cross. Ask forgiveness for your sins for
He will surely save you!
Until next time, the Lord bless you,
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Page
The
Disappearance of True Repentance
Rev. Don Loss
Any counseling that does not exhort
one to true repentance is on sinking sand. In the Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus said; “Therefore, everyone
who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the
sand.” Matthew 7:26
It is astounding the number of professing
believers in Christ who have no clue about the spirit
of repentance. True repentance is a heartfelt sorrow
for sin. Heartfelt sorrow over sin does NOT focus on
what one has lost as a result of negligence, rebellion,
irresponsibility, carelessness, lusts, passions, disobedience,
idolatry, greed, or covetousness. That is “worldly
sorrow” and it produces death. II Corinthians
7:10
R.V.G. Tasker’s commentary on
II Corinthians says concerning this worldly sorrow;
“Sorrow for wrong doing which leaves God out of
account is merely remorse, that melancholy compound
of self-pity and self-disgust. So far as healing and
uplifting, remorse depresses and embitters.”
I don’t know about other counselors,
but in my experience, I often see a “form of repentance”
that is likened to a “form of godliness”
which the Apostle Paul speaks of in II Timothy 3:5.
Paul writes that this disposition has no power because
it denies the intent to become godly, to be conformed
to the image of Christ, or to walk in the spirit of
obedience. Is this not the same problem with repentance
we see today in those who profess Christ and have a
“form of repentance” and deny it’s
power? And, may I be so bold to say that any program
that does not exclusively require repentance at the
foot of the cross, and sorrow for sin against Jesus
Christ may have a form of repentance but is still denying
it’s power.
I am reminded of Paul’s admonition
to the church at Corinth when he writes “For Christ
did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel,
not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should
be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who
are being saved it is the power of God.” I Corinthians
1:17-18
I think of the prodigal son who “wasted
his possessions”, lost all that he had and ended
up feeding swine. Can we not see what his greatest burden
was?... “I have sinned against heaven and before
you.” Luke 15:18 His first priority was his sorrow
for sin against his father. It was not a worldly sorrow
but a godly sorrow.
R.V.G. Tasker writes concerning godly
sorrow; “All sorrow that leads to repentance can
truly be said to be after a godly manner. For a man
repents when he turns to God, sees his conduct as God
sees it (sin), submits to God’s judgment and asks
God to forgive him.” (Parentheses added.)
The Greek word for repentance, metanoia,
means “a change of mind”. According to The
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, it “denotes
that inward change of mind, affections, convictions,
and commitment rooted in the fear of God and sorrow
for offenses against Him which, when accompanied by
faith in Jesus Christ, results in an outward turning
from sin to God and His service in all of life.”
As the Apostle Paul said to the body
of Christ; “I have much to say” concerning
this subject. My counsel to you is to make sure you
have a godly sorrow and not a worldly sorrow for truly,
godly sorrow will work a healing balm to your wounded
and tormented soul. Hoping to shed some light into your
soul.
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Where
Your Treasure Is "2008"
Rev. Don Loss
My wife, Cathi, and I have recently returned from a
visit to Scotland and Ireland. Both countries are beautiful
beyond description but the Isle of Skye, off the west
coast of Scotland, especially won our hearts. We fell
in love with the people and the beauty of the island.
We were treated royally by a precious Parish Minister
and his dear wife as we stayed in their home for four
days. They fed us royally, showed us some of the most
beautiful sites we have ever seen, and introduced us
to many of their friends who live on the island as well.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience which we will
treasure in our hearts and minds for years to come.
Out of all of our travels around mainland Scotland and
Ireland, the Isle of Skye won our hearts more than any
other place we saw or visited. It is definitely our
preference!
In similar manner, unless our hearts are won for Christ
above all other experiences, our hearts will be divided,
compromised or lukewarm for the things of God. We may
be Christian in some ways, but not all the way. The
Scripture says; "For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also." Luke 12:34
A treasure is anything you cherish or value highly.
It could be a person, a reputation, money, possessions,
or any type of indulgence that will give pleasure to
the flesh. It is very difficult to treasure the virtue
of purity when one is enjoying a fling with a mistress,
or sexual indulgences with a girlfriend for; "Where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Professing Christians are often guilty while justifying
their forbidden fruit in the name of love or saying;
"God understands".
And let us not forget the millions that are abusing
drugs and alcohol. It is a love affair with a substance
that is seen as the cure-all. Some like the feeling
it gives them even at the expense of risking all that
it will cost them. Some use it as an escape mechanism
from the difficulty or hurt that they are experiencing,
abandoning all reason. Some use in order to have a moment
of relaxation, a sedative, relief from pressures. Whatever
the motive, it is a desire that in the end will kill
the user; either emotionally, physically or both. If
you love that which God condemns, you will lose that
which you love most. Almost always that includes family.
One wonders whatever happened to Demas who was a co-laborer
with Paul the Apostle in Philemon v.23. We know that
Scripture tells us in II Timothy 4:10 that Demas forsook
Paul "having loved this present world". Whatever
enticed Demas to return to the love of the world is
not surprising. There are many today who have professed
Christ and have gone the way of Demas in one degree
or another. Their lives drift into the snare of the
serpent who deceives them into believing that they can
live as they please without consequence.
It is our desire to counsel those who are in bondage
to their sinful choices to acknowledge their disobedience,
repent of their sins, and to love Jesus first and foremost.
Until they see that their primary offense is against
God, it will be difficult for them to see the cross
and the width, length and depth of His love for them.
This perfect love will, by its nature, melt the heart
of the one who has been rescued from blindness and has
made Jesus their first love.
When Jesus is treasured in your heart above everything
else, your heart will always be warm toward Him. "Did
not our heart burn within us while He talked with us?"
Luke 24:32 It will no longer be a burden to obey laws;
it will be a delight to love Him. The obedience to Him
will flow naturally out of the one who is deeply in
love with Jesus.
May I ask you...Do you have a "heart" problem?
Is your heart cold, divided, compromised in the love
of God? Have you considered the Scripture; "For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"?
Think about it! Are you ready to give your heart to
Jesus and make Him your treasure above everything else?
Oh, my friend, do it! The Savior is waiting.
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The
Spirit of Bondage "2008"
Rev. Don Loss
One of the unclean spirits that we
deal with is the spirit of bondage as men and women
who come under the power of addiction have given place
to this spirit. They have violated the clear imperative
of the Scriptures; “...nor give place to the devil”,
in Ephesians 4:27. Sadly, many are trying to help these
people with the wisdom of the world. “For though
we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the
flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”
II Corinthians 10:3&4. The weapons we are talking
about are part of the full armor of God which includes
the offensive weapons of the sword of the spirit and
aggressive warfare prayer. (Eph.4:17-18) We must take
out the strongholds of bondage by attacking the unclean
spirit that has built a fortress as a result of habitual
sinful behavior. At some point, a person loses the capacity
to will what he would like to will; to stop whatever
indulgence that has given the devil permission to take
advantage or ground given...”in order that no
advantage be taken of us by Satan.” II Corinthians
2:11
A contemporary song-writer, Kenny Chesney,
has a clear picture of the torment of a soul. Let’s
look at his lyrics from the song, “Demons”,
to give you an idea what I am saying:
Sometimes they’re in a bottle,
Sometimes a pair of high-heeled shoes,
Some come rolled up in paper
Some have six strings and only play the blues.
Once you meet the devil,
There ain’t no way he’ll let you be
When I’m not chasing demons;
There’s demons chasing me.
Do you see what the demons have used
to put people in bondage? A bottle (alcohol), high-heeled
shoes (lust), rolled up in paper (drugs), six strings
and playing the blues (depression). Does this sound
familiar? That’s just the first stanza. The third
stanza really expresses the strength of the craving
for the things that one has “given place”
to the devil.
There’s things that I can’t
leave alone
Cause they won’t leave me alone.
What I want ain’t what I need;
Still I reach for the things that I crave
Then try to run away.
Am I afraid of being free?
Cause when I’m not chasing demons;
There’s demons chasing me.
Let me interpret for you the demonic
stronghold mentioned here: “Still I reach for
the things that I crave”...represents the things
that the demon has one in bondage to; like the things
written in the first stanza...“When I’m
not chasing demons”.
Then there’s the other phenomenon;
“There’s demons chasing me”. This
is the terrible state of the actual torment of the one
who is in bondage to the devil’s will through
alcohol, drugs, etc. Matthew 5:16 talks about “those
who were tormented by unclean spirits.”
The devil torments those who have given
place to him and those tormenting spirits need to be
driven out. There are exceptions where people are set
free from the spirit of bondage by repentance and the
grace of God. Our experience is that 85 - 90% of the
men who come to Bethel have to go through intentional
deliverance in order to be set free. Those who have
given occupation to the devil in their souls and body
can and do receive deliverance from evil spirits.
You may be asking; I see myself there,
what can I do? Repent of the particular bondage that
has taken you captive; drugs, alcohol, lust, self-condemnation,
guilt, depression, etc. Make a list of other sins against
God and repent of each one. This will help bring about
your deliverance.
God is able to deliver you and wants
to set you free. Prayerfully put on the armor of God
by reading Ephesians 6:13-18. Make it personal: “I
take up the whole armor of God. I put on the helmet
of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, etc...”
Take your authority by quoting Luke 10:19. Command the
spirit of bondage to come out quietly and discreetly
in the name of Jesus. Jesus will set you free. (John
8:36) Then get back in love with the Lord and His Word.
Put on the armor of God daily for your protection. We’re
always here to help you.
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The
Burden of A Heavy Heart "2008"
Rev. Don Loss
As I think of all the heartache that evolves when a
member of one’s family goes out on the limb of
substance abuse, it is overwhelming. If the loved one
has left the way of the Lord and has gone the way of
folly, it is only a matter of time, for the seed of
foolishness will tear apart any meaningful relationship.
Once a person has lost his footing in righteousness,
he will suffer loss. The backslider in heart will be
filled with his "own" ways. (Proverbs 14:14)
He will more than likely fall into a spirit of impulsiveness.
As one Princeton theologian has written; "he will
be like a feather in the wind of temptation." And
the wind of sin can be very turbulent as we all know.
It is a whirlwind of confusion of which God is NOT the
author. The loved one has left the rock of responsibility
and discipline, falling headlong over the cliff of folly.
(Romans 14:29) "But a sound heart is life to the
body." (Proverbs 14:30) Oh, that our loved ones
would leave their madness and return home. "Truly
the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, madness
is in their heart, while they live." (Ecclesiastes
9:3)
The sad thing about this situation is that so often
the family that experiences this burden has drifted
from the way of the Lord as well. If this is the case,
it aggravates the means that are needed in times such
as these: encouragement, prayer, worship, fellowship
with other members of the body of Christ. "And
let us consider one another in order to stir up love
and good works not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some...." (Hebrews
10:24-25) If this is your case, return to the body of
Christ. You will need their love, understanding, prayers
and encouragement. God Himself will comfort you in your
tribulation. "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 of our tribulations
that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
trouble with the comfort we ourselves are comforted
by God." (II Corinthians 1:3-4)
I would encourage you in your heart-breaking relationship
to daily pray Ephesians 6:10-18, making it personal.
I suggest you write it daily until it is etched in your
spirit; for you will need it. Be prepared for a lot
of lies, since those in bondage to substance abuse are
entrenched in a stronghold of deception, trying to keep
what they have already lost - their dignity and integrity.
It is the nature of the beast. At some point, the attempt
to hide the unbearable will be exposed. At this point,
the challenge must be made to get help. The help needs
to be biblically based. The person confronted must come
to a spirit of repentance. It is about his sin against
God and his fellow man. The prodigal son said; "I
will arise and go to my father, and will say to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before
you.’" (Luke 15:18)
Ask God to give you a spirit of gentleness if you are
in this difficult situation. You are going to be hurt.
Ask God’s grace for you to receive those fiery
darts in love. For you see, the one hurting you is grasping
for straws. He is doing harm to you because of a futile
attempt to save what he has already lost (the relationship).
Hurt people hurt people. You, be gentle still. It will
be hard, but the rewards are great.
One last thing is on my mind. This is a spiritual battle
and you are fighting the spirits of darkness in your
heartbreaking situation. When you are communicating
(or trying to) with the one that may hurt you in words
and will bring a spirit of confusion in your conversations,
pray this way: "I bind any communications being
addressed to me that is authored by evil spirits, and
I only receive communication between (insert name) and
me that is authored by the Holy Spirit." You will
be amazed at the difference in the outcome. You have
taken authority, which God has given you, and brought
the communication on your grounds in the Spirit of the
Lord. (Luke 10:19)
Our hearts are burdened with you who are suffering.
We know that God is faithful to His Word. He has promised
to lighten your burden. "Come to Me, all you who
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
(Matthew 11:28) "Fear not; I am with you. Be not
discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,
yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous
right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
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The
Peril of Complacency "2008"
Rev. Don Loss
In dealing with people who have issues, I am reminded
of the Scripture; "These people draw near to Me
with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their
heart is far from Me. And, in vain they worship Me...."
Matthew 15:8-9. There is a pretension that all is well
with the Lord while lives are filled with the wages
and consequences of sin. In their complacency they’ve
lost or have suppressed the truth about the evil of
sin. They call that which is evil good, and that which
is good evil. And we find that many are no longer pricked
in their conscience about the evil of sin when this
occurs. You will see God’s people living in various
lusts, sexual immorality and addictions without a conscience.
Puritan preacher, Stephen Charnock, comments on this
plight; "One never chooses evil because it is evil,
but because he sees it to be good." Is this not
the end of complacency?
Just what is complacency? It is "unconcern, self-satisfaction
accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies."
either morally or mentally. Haven’t we all scratched
our heads in disbelief over why our loved ones are living
in contempt of God’s holy word. They have left
a life of virtue to a loose primitive way of living.
They are exemplifying unsophisticated behavior that
is unaffected by objective reasoning. Addiction, lying,
manipulation, seduction, irresponsibility, adultery,
fornication, greed, etc., to note some of the unsophisticated
behaviors. From the latter behavior becomes a flood
of misery.
This quote from Flannery O’Connor’s letters
caught my eye concerning the complacent soul; "It
is the complacent heart, the soul unmoved by its own
misery, it’s own lack of love, that renders the
creature most resistant to grace."
So, what is the answer to this pitiful state? First
of all, we must understand this is a spiritual problem.
The wisdom and well-meaning intent of the world can
only band-aid the problem and the bleeding may never
stop. Why? Because secular institutions lack the ministry
of grace where the counsel, teaching and preaching of
the Word of God is administered. As the Psalmist has
written in Psalm 60:11 - 12; "Give us help from
trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God
we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down
our enemies."
And, may I add; let us not water-down sin, the message
to address sin, and the God who alone can remedy sin.
Confessing of sin to a god we understand without the
cross will not administer grace. Then, what will? "For
the message of the cross is foolishness to those who
are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is
the power of God." I Corinthians 1:18 God will
bestow grace upon the captive and broken-hearted soul.
"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace
of God which was given you by Christ Jesus, that you
were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance
and knowledge, even as the testimony in Christ was confirmed
in you." I Corinthians 1:4 - 6; Paul’s letter
to the church at Corinth.
You may be wondering; is there hope for me or my loved
one with a spirit of complacency? Certainly so! Return
to the cross and repent of your complacency. Review
where you began to slide away, get alone with God, make
a list of the sins you committed in your waywardness,
ask for forgiveness for each sin and repent, forsaking
all those sins, and commit yourself to walk with God.
Return to your local church and begin afresh with the
assembly of the people of God. If the problem persists,
we are always ready to help. We will minister the grace
of God to you through counsel, teaching and preaching
Christ Jesus "in demonstration of the Spirit and
of power." I Corinthians 2:4
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Fear
- A Volatile Emotion "2008"
Rev. Don Loss
I would like to address the spirit of fear that we are
all susceptible to experiencing. This emotion can overrun
us before we know what hit us. It is like a flood that
gains strength coming down a mountain stream. You are
sitting by the bank not suspecting or seeing the coming
deluge. Then you hear the noise, fear sets in, you see
the wall of water approaching, fear rises up, the wall
of water hits, sweeps you away, and fear engulfs you.
How can this happen? It can happen in many ways, but
the focus I am taking concerning fear is in the realm
of relationships. We can all relate when we get an unexpected
phone call, an unexpected delay where one you love doesn’t
show up, an unexpected abnormality when a spouse doesn’t
show up with a paycheck and the T.V. is gone, an unexpected
jolt when your children have made choices that endanger
their lives, a sickness that devastates a child’s
or other loved one’s health, and other unexpected
situations that have fallen on some of you reading this
article.
You may be like King David who cried out to God, "My
heart is severely pained within me....fearfulness and
trembling have come upon me...and terrors...have fallen
upon me." Psalm 55:4&5. Did you notice that
David cried out to God in prayer? "Give ear to
my prayer, O God, and do not hide yourself from my supplication."
This is the first step in handling fear. "Be anxious
for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding,
will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6&7
More than likely you’ll need some warfare prayer
to get to the place of peace. In my own experience,
I have succumbed to a spirit of fear in a fearsome scenario
that would begin to race in my mind, with a resultant
fear in my heart and a churning in my stomach. Unknowingly,
Satan takes advantage of the fear and "the enemy
comes in like a flood...." Isaiah 60:2.
At this point, you must take authority over the spirit
of fear that is racing through the mind with all kinds
of imaginations. You must pray with authority against
the spirit of fear and command it to leave you. You
must bind any thought that is flooding through your
mind that is authored by the enemy, and only receive
communication in your mind that is authored by the Holy
Spirit! I have found that this will help subdue the
spirit of fear. But even after doing all this, I have
still had an awful feeling in my abdomen. As I began
to praise the Lord, I have felt a release come through
me and felt the peace of God. It was the Scripture manifesting
itself in my whole being; "when the enemy comes
in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up
a standard against him." Isaiah 50:19
After the spirit of fear has been disarmed, you need
to take a position on the firm foundation of the Word
of God. Speak out loud the Scriptures: "For God
has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and
of love and a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7 Now take
advantage of that word ‘love’. For you see,
it’s God’s love for us that will magnify
His protection over us since He is the "Great Shepherd
of the sheep..." in Hebrews 13:20. It is this perfect
love that He has for us and our knowledge of it that
will cast out fear.
So, let’s lay the sword of the spirit into our
enemy with this verse; "There is no fear in love,
but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves
torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect
in love." I John 4:17
It is this stand of our trust in God that has been accomplished
through prayer, warfare in the mind, and in resting
ourselves in the arms of the Great Shepherd that will
manifest itself in "the peace of God which surpasses
all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."
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The
Way of the Cross "2007"
Rev. Don Loss
Whatever happened to the cross in counseling? Are life’s
issues so difficult that something other than the Scriptures
are needed to address them? "The words that I speak
to you are spirit and life." John 6:63 If a troubled
person is not saved, it is one of the greatest opportunities
to introduce him to the message of the cross.
"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
I Timothy 1:15 I have led many to Christ in the initial
counseling session.
Others, who said they were Christians, find out that
they never really have trusted Christ for their salvation.
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine,
and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built
his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods
came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and
it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But
everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not
do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house
on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.
And great was its fall." Matthew 7:24-27
Also, it is a marvelous opportunity to address backsliding
and to exhort the counselee to "return to their
first love". Revelation 2:4-5
Counseling is a process of helping people to see their
sin and their responsibility, to own it and to take
it to the cross. The counselee will need to look at
the past, any grievances, emotional scars from various
incidents, and his loss of identity. It is the purpose
of biblical counseling to rescue a person from this
dungeon of darkness and bring hope and light into the
myriad of situations that he/she has gotten themselves
into. This can only be accomplished fully in Christ
Jesus.
What a joy it is to take a broken person to the cross,
seeing him find relief from his guilt and shame and
love from Almighty God, no matter what they may have
done in the past! As one has said, even the most monstrous
sin is able to be forgiven and cleansed at the cross.
It is the nature of a season in darkness to separate
one from the sense of God’s presence. In this
darkness, one tends to look to solving his problems
and circumstances rather than looking at his sin against
God and his sin against others. It’s a spiraling
abyss to get one’s needs met by circumventing
the way of the cross. We all hear the cries; "If
he or she would only.....", "If I had not
been mistreated by.....", "If my wife (or
my husband) would give me another chance.....",
"If I could only get them to love me.....",
"If I only had lots of money.....", etc...
The Scripture states; "There is a way that seems
right unto man but its end is the way of death."
Proverbs 14:12 Take them to the cross first of all,
and then you can help them deal with the circumstances
and the problems while standing on solid ground. Not
so self-centered, but other centered.
Whatever happened that so many find themselves blinded
to the way of the cross? The cross is the remedy for
feeling hopeless, dirty, guilty, and unlovable. "Just
as I am Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse,
relieve; because Thy promise I believe, O, Lamb of God,
I come! I come!"
I will end by saying that a lot of healing would be
experienced by bowing the knee at the cross. While at
Vacation Bible School at my home church this week, I
got a picture of the message and power of the cross.
After the closing prayer, a precious little girl named
Emily tapped me on the shoulder and said; "You
didn’t bow your head." I asked her to repeat
what she had said as I wasn’t sure I heard her
right. She again said; "You didn’t bow your
head." "What do you mean?", I asked.
She said; "When the preacher was praying, you didn’t
bow your head." "Oh, I'm sorry." I said.
She put her arms around my neck, kissed me and said;
"That’s okay." Certainly, irreverence
toward God or any other sin toward God is a serious
offense and is not ‘okay’. But what touched
me was the expression of love by this little girl that
was given so freely after my confession. I immediately
reflected on the sacrifice of Jesus "who saved
a wretch like me." The message of the cross burst
vividly in my soul once more!
Do you need someone who cares? Flee to the cross in
the spirit of repentance. Jesus is there waiting to
embrace you, kiss you and forgive your sins.
Top of Page
Spiritual
Warfare "2007"
Rev. Don Loss
Answering the call to the ministry, I left a career
in the U.S. Army in 1980, and entered Columbia Graduate
School of Bible and Missions in S.C. During the summer
of 1982, I completed an internship at Bethel Colony.
On January 1st, 1984, I was hired as Associate Director
of Bethel Colony and have held that position for 23
years.
As Associate Director, my responsibilities include counseling,
teaching, and preaching the Word of God to men in addiction
to alcohol and other drugs. Having been instructed well
in the methods of nouthetic counseling, I used the Word
of God to address the difficult issue of addiction.
After a season at Bethel, I noticed many relapses in
the men that came through Bethel Colony and then left
in seemingly good standing. Seeing that something else
needed to happen for these men, I began to investigate
the possibility of demonic strongholds.
When Paul Ritchie was hired as Executive Director in
1986, I was pleased to discover that he came with experience
in the area of demonic strongholds. We began to fight
together against these strongholds.
As the ministry grew under this new directorship, I
took on the ministry of deliverance. Since that time,
we have found that students who experience deliverance
are less likely to go back into addiction than those
who do not. Certainly, deliverance is not the end of
the story. These men must continue in the various means
of grace God has provided for them as believers. Regular
church attendance, prayer, the study of God’s
Word, quiet time, worship, fellowship among the people
of God and putting on the armor of God daily are all
essentials to maintaining one’s deliverance.
Many pastors are confounded with the problem of addiction
and we sympathize with their dilemma. Some believe it
is a medical/clinical problem and send the addict to
a psychologist or psychiatrist. There are times when
this is warranted; especially in the case of those with
suicidal thoughts and/or panic attacks. The addict may
need to be stabilized in order for him to be able to
respond to Biblical counsel.
Once the addict is stabilized, the Word of God is used
to minister grace and to help heal their wounded lives.
Many addicts are dealing with failure, rejection, bruised
emotions from past trauma, depression, fear, guilt and
shame. Repentance and/or salvation are the first steps
to breaking any bondage. All issues of the past will
have to be dealt with by repentance, acceptance, and
identity in Christ. In The Bondage Breaker, Neal Anderson
does a great job of pointing a person to Jesus Christ
as the One who will set them free.
We appreciate all that are involved in this devastating
war on addictions. At Bethel Colony, we have gone further
in ministry by advocating John 8:36 which says; "If
the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed."
It comes down to a power encounter with our adversary
in order to free people from addictions. We see from
Luke 8:29, the crux of the problem with the Gerasene
demoniac. "He (Jesus) had commanded the unclean
spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized
him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains
and shackles; and he broke the bands and was driven
by the demon in the wilderness...:" It was only
by a power encounter that the enemy was able to be driven
out. As one preacher in Africa has been quoted; "You
Americans counsel demons; we cast them out."
Bethel has taken this last statement with great consideration
and has gone with Jesus’ charge to his disciples
in Mark 3:14 & 15; "... He sent them out to
preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and cast
out demons."
There is much to be said about the ministry of deliverance
and we would be glad to help any who are interested.
Here are a few resources you might consider:
The Adversary, by Mark Bubeck, is a very powerful book
which addresses praying doctrinally against the enemy.
They Shall Expel Demons, by Derek Prince, is an excellent
resource for understanding the grounds for giving place
to the devil, Scriptural examples of the demonic, some
illustrations of the demonic, the preparation and process
of deliverance, and how to keep your deliverance.
The Strategy of Satan: How To Detect and Defeat Him,
by Warren Wiersbe is a good follow-up resource.
These are just a few resources which we think will be
helpful if you are entering the arena of Spiritual warfare
against demonic forces.
In the King’s Army,
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The
Whole Armor of God "2007"
Rev. Don Loss
Greetings to our friends of Bethel Colony of Mercy.
We count it a privilege to serve the Lord Jesus Christ
in order that we might be of some help to those who
are looking for answers to life’s problems. I
started out writing on another subject for this Counseling
Corner and ran into a wall. Then I began to think how
God would have us to remember the Apostle’s exhortation
to put on the full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10.
I could say a lot on this topic from my own experiences,
but I know that there is so much more to learn. I just
picked up The Christian In Complete Armor, by the Puritan
writer, William Gurnell. I bought this book when Cathi
and I first got married, 28 years ago. We were living
at Ft. Polk, Louisiana and I was a curious and avid
reader. I was fascinated with John Newton, who wrote
the famous hymn, "Amazing Grace". He said
if he might read only one book besides the Bible he
would choose The Christian In Full Armor . Little did
I know that one day I would be at Bethel Colony of Mercy
putting on the armor of God daily to protect myself
against the violence of our enemy, Satan.
One of my recent students, a good soldier in this fight,
felt the weight of heaviness come over him as he reflected
on an incident that happened in his life several years
ago. It was one of those events that etches its’
way deep into the conscience. That word, ‘etch’,
is derived from a German word meaning to corrode, to
eat into, to make an impression. As this man dwelt on
the event, it made such a deep impression on his soul
that he needed deliverance from the spirit of heaviness.
He had given ground to the enemy by reflecting on this
sad and painful memory which had occurred years ago.
He thought he had already dealt with it and was free
from the effects of it. But, by dwelling on the event
and neglecting to put on the armor of God, he was ambushed
by the enemy who is always looking for an opportunity
to assault a vulnerable child of God.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to stand against the wiles of the devil" Ephesians
6:11
Now, knowing this truth, I’m going to challenge
those that are in Christ to use the armor that God has
provided for us in this spiritual warfare. This is what
I suggest you do during this upcoming Christmas season:
1. Recall the difficulty that overwhelms you during
the holidays. (Caution - Don’t reflect; just recall
the event. Never park in a negative mood. Build a bridge
and get over it.)
2. To etch in your conscience the command to put on
your armor, I would challenge you to write out the passage
Ephesians 6:10 - 18 once a day for seven days. The Holy
Spirit will then have the opportunity to pull this up
into your memory when the battle concerning a past painful
event starts to erupt in your mind and your emotions.
3. Take notice of the particular pieces of the armor
in Ephesians 6:14-18 (NKJV): Belt of truth, Breastplate
of righteousness, Gospel shoes of peace, Shield of faith,
Helmet of salvation, Sword of the Spirit (which is the
Word of God), All prayer.
4. Begin to pray putting on the full armor of God daily.
I personally start with the head, moving down to the
feet. For instance, I will pray; "I put on the
full armor of God: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate
of righteousness, the belt of truth, the gospel shoes
of peace, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit,
and all prayer in Jesus’ Name." Commit this
to memory.
5. One last word. The enemy may already be inside the
camp; meaning he has lodged himself in your mind and
emotions to cause a painful memory to resurface for
a specific day of battle. To fight this, use the weapon
of prayer with authority. Pray out loud if you feel
heaviness coming on. "I command the spirit of heaviness
to leave me in the Name of Jesus. I submit to God, resist
the devil and you (spirit of heaviness) must flee."
James 4:7
Note: If you have a spirit of bitterness towards anyone;
you must forgive them in order to be on good ground.
Failure to forgive will impede your deliverance.
Blessings on all of you that have been our fellow saints
in the faith! If this article helps you this Christmas,
please write or email us and share your victory with
us.
In the King’s Name,
Don Loss
Top of Page
Unforgiveness
"2006"
Rev. Don Loss
Another rampant violation of God’s law among believers
is the sin of unforgiveness. An unforgiving spirit can
occur as a result of abandonment, rejection, hurt, pride,
anger, unresolved conflict, jealousy, envy, covetousness,
sensitivity, abuse (physical, verbal or sexual) just
to name a few. The sense of being wronged, warranted
or not, seems to be the main root. Once anyone makes
the decision not to forgive there is conception which
"gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown
brings forth death." James 1:5
We all know of relationships where unforgiveness is
harbored and the love that two people expressed for
one another has died. No amount of reasoning with them
to forsake their sin has prevailed. For, you see, when
one has built up a justification for his attitude in
his mind, he has entrenched the belief that he has a
right to feel the way he does. A callousness of indifference
sets in that hardens the heart and he is truly taken
captive by the "deceitfulness of sin". Unknowingly
that person has fallen short of the grace of God, with
the "root of bitterness springing up causing trouble
and by this many become defiled". Hebrews 12:14-15
I wonder how many have said the Lord’s prayer
without taking note of "forgive us our trespasses
AS WE forgive those who trespass against us...Mat. 6:12
And further on we read, "For if you forgive men
their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you. BUT, if you do not forgive men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Mt
6:14-15 In other words; what you have sowed in your
heart, unforgiveness, resulting in anger and bitterness
toward another, will be reaped in your own heart. You
have opened the door to receive the same emotion you
poured out on another causing all types of emotional
and physical cancers of the soul and body. And God,
who wants the best for you, would heal your broken heart
and set you free if only you would repent of this murderous
sin. Isaiah 61:1
Let us look at Ephesians 4:30-32; "Do not grieve
the Holy Spirit." How do we do this? Paul tells
us in verse 31; "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger,
clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with
all malice." That would require repentance. "And,
be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
Is it possible that you can be free from the bitter
spirit of unforgiveness that has calloused over from
wounds of the past? Oh, Yes! God’s grace is sufficient
to help you. A writer of fiction, Flannery O’Conner,
wrote; "Grace must wound before it may heal."
For you see, the pains and wounds of the past have hardened,
and you must understand the knife of the spirit of conviction
must lance your calloused sin of unforgiveness before
healing will manifest itself in your life.
You ask how this is done. Start by listing those you
have unforgiveness towards. Then, make a list of their
offenses against you. Follow that up by your response
to their wrongdoings. Then take each person on your
list and ask God to forgive you for not forgiving them.
Follow this up by forgiving them. Then you will experience
the softening of your heart towards those who wronged
you and the love of God ministering to your wounded
spirit from past hurts and abuses.
I challenge you to get with God and begin forgiving
those you have anything against. Then, write or email
us and let us know what God has done as a result of
your obedience to Him. May our God richly bless you.
Top of Page
The
Cry for Gentleness "2006"
Rev. Don Loss
In my years of counseling at Bethel, I have seen much
unforgiveness, resentment, rage, blame, slander and
other self-centered attitudes. Self-centeredness naturally
exhibits a lack of gentleness towards others. A person
must first identify and repent of his own sin before
he can exhibit a spirit of gentleness on those loved
ones he has wounded with words, looks or physical abuses.
This gentleness is a sweet smelling aroma of the fruit
of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. It is a balm of
healing on those who have been wounded deeply. Looking
at Webster’s dictionary, I see gentleness defined
as "free from harshness, sternness, or violence".
My heart grieves over the wives who have experienced
harshness, sternness or violence from their husbands
instead of gentleness. Webster then goes on to define
gentleness as "soft, delicate". My question
to men who may be reading this is: How long has it been
since you have been "soft and delicate" to
your wives and children? And, not to exempt wives from
their responsibility, though it may be hard, you must
also die to that fiery dart of pain that’s entered
your soul and ask God to give you the "balm of
grace" from above to not return evil for evil.
Romans 12:14-21.
There is a spiritual law found in James 4:12-17 that
says when "bitter envy and strife exist, confusion
and every evil thing are there" and it brings an
atmosphere that is "earthly, sensual and demonic".
This is why drug and alcohol abuse give place to so
much heartache and heartbreak. It is the catalyst to
spiritual darkness over one’s home.
But, on the other hand, there is wisdom from above that
is "pure, then peaceable, GENTLE, WILLING TO YIELD,
FULL OF MERCY, and good fruit..." And the scripture
goes further to explain that those who act out of the
wisdom from above have exhibited the fruit of righteousness
and have sown peace in their relationships.
It is my experience that all of us are looking for gentleness.
We want to be treated with dignity. We long for someone
to come alongside of us and give encouragement, kindness
and understanding. Even in our frustration, ugliness
and anger we are still longing for someone to be gentle
toward us.
In a recent counseling session with a Bethel student,
I sensed a tension rising up between the student and
myself. I was raising my voice and so was he. I knew
that the dialogue had passed the point of resolution.
By God’s leading, I resigned to the fact that
we were not going anywhere and I gently said something
to him. Out of his mouth came the Scripture; "A
soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs
up anger." Proverbs 15:1. At that point, we both
entered into the atmosphere of wisdom that comes from
above and we had a peaceable counseling session.
Are you harsh, bitter or jealous with someone you know?
Take your sinful attitude to God, confess it and ask
God to forgive you. Ask the Lord to give you the spirit
of gentleness so that you might be a blessing to the
one who needs you to be gentle towards them. Make a
conscious effort to be gentle to someone you’ve
hurt, ask their forgiveness and start ministering to
them in a spirit of gentleness. They are crying out
for it!
May the Lord bless you. Be gentle!
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What
Is My Purpose "2006"
Rev. Paul Pruitt
One of the most discussed subjects in the world is "What
is my purpose?" As a believer you will learn that
is entirely the wrong question. That question causes
us to focus on us. We were not created to fulfill our
purpose but to fulfill God’s purpose. So it’s
not; "What is my purpose," but; "What
purpose have you designed me for Lord?" "And
we know that all things work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are the called according
to His purpose. " (Romans 8:28 NKJ)
Too many times I see a person come to Bethel and get
their life right with God but still fret. Or, an even
bigger concern; not care about what they are supposed
to do in life. What they are in some way understanding
is that God has a moral will for their life( ...exercise
yourself toward godliness (1 Tim 4:7 NKJ) and they have
not been living according to that will. So they surrender
to Him and follow His moral will and begin to reap that
blessing of obedience. "For he who sows to his
flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who
sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting
life." (Gal 6:8 NKJ)
What one soon will figure out is that this is not the
whole revelation, to sit on a pew and be a good boy.
God has a moral will for your life but He also has a
ministry will for your life: "And say to Archippus,
‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received
in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.’".
(Col. 4:17; NKJ). If you have been called by God to
salvation, you have also been sent by God into service.
This is part of the struggle since the beginning - to
be independent. Gal. 5:1 says; "Stand fast therefore
in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and
do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
Christ set us free from sin; but not from Him. We are
to be dependant on God. This is the age old question;
"Who is going to be Lord of my life?" Not
just my job or my Sunday or my behavior, but; my life.
Will I make Him Lord or co-pilot? Not only is this partial
revelation but it is also partial obedience. In my book,
that is merely convenience.
The call on the people of God is to go and make disciples
(Matt.28:19). I don’t know what or where you are
called to serve, but I do know that you are. You may
be asking the question; "How can I find out?"
I would suggest the following steps:
1)Get in God’s word. "Ask, and it will be
given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it
will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will
be opened." Matt. 7:7&8 (NKJ).
2)Start using your gifts and talents for Him in any
way that gives Him glory. Learn to stop looking at your
abilities and start seeing that all things are possible
with God. (Mark 10:27).
3)Be faithful in the small things. "His lord said
to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were
faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over
many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."
Matt. 25:21 (NKJ)
4)Always give Him praise in what He is doing through
you.
5)Step out in faith and do not look back. 1 Thes. 5:24,
says; "He who calls you is faithful, who also will
do it." (NKJ)
Before you can follow through these steps you have got
to stop seeing what you want to do and start asking
what He wants you to do. 2 Tim. 4:5 says; "But
you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do
the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
(NKJ)
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Third
in a series on Christian Integrity "2005"
Rev. Don Loss
Let us continue the subject of Christian integrity by
addressing deception. It is one thing to lie, but it
is another to deceive. The liar lies out of habit and
does not necessarily plan anything in his lying. He
just wants to put himself in a good light. The deceiver
has gone further in that the lie is the stepping stone
to his well-thought-out schemes to get his desired end.
You will find him manipulating and scheming very artfully
and craftily. All of us have been amazed at those whom
we sense have deceived us but we cannot get a handle
on it. The reason is that the deceiver becomes a master
of deception as a result of being taken captive by the
Master Deceiver; Satan himself. "So the great dragon
was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil
and Satan, who deceives the whole world". Revelation
12:9
Satan is constantly at work deceiving believers. Paul
states his fear for the church at Corinth in II Corinthians
11:3; "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent
deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
I am also reminded of Paul’s words to Timothy
in I Timothy 4:1-2; "Now the Spirit expressly says
that in latter times some will depart from the faith,
giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
speaking lies of hypocrisy, having their own conscience
seared with a hot iron."
Any of us who have dealt with drug addicts, alcoholics,
etc., have experienced the effects of those who have
‘given heed to deceiving spirits’. And,
in some sense, they have departed from the faith; even
though they "have not....learned Christ, if indeed
you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the
truth is in Jesus."
This spirit of deception in a person is one of the hardest
to deal with, for human wisdom is not able to cure it.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual
hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." (Ephesians
4:11) But the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word
of God, (Ephesians 6:17) "is living and powerful,
and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even
to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12.
I encourage you to pray for your loved one who is caught
up in deception using the words in Ephesians 1 which
Stacy Pruitt prayed for her husband as we shared in
our last newsletter. Pray fervently; "the fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James
5:16.
Discipline may be needed as you continue to pray. You
may have to confront the deceiving one and give an ultimatum.
You may have to put the person out, as painful as that
may be. The one caught up in deception has not come
to the end of his rope yet. When the noose gets tight
enough around the neck, it will then be an opportunity
for the Spirit of the Lord to get his attention. Then
the person can cry out to the Lord for mercy and begin
to acknowledge his sin against God and man.
Rebuke the spirit of deception in the one taken captive
and command it to leave. Light can then penetrate into
his soul and tenderness toward God and others can return.
And, God can begin to minister to his broken and contrite
spirit. What was impossible with man is possible with
God. Matthew 19:26
It has been well-said; "Difficulty is the atmosphere
of miracles." May our Lord bless and keep you.
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Second
in a series on Christian Integrity - "2005"
Rev. Don Loss
The most flagrant violation of Christian integrity is
the lie. The problem with the lie is that it is presented
as truth. It is not easily detected as a lie unless
the one receiving the lie has information that refutes
the lie. While that would be nice, it is not usually
the case. And the liar, in his bent on deceiving, will
not reveal the truth.
All of us have experienced the difficulty
of dealing with one who lies. When we question the lie,
the liar proclaims his innocence, turns the conversation
around, attacks and ends up protesting how hurt he/she
is that we would question what he/she said. But isn’t
it just the opposite? The one lied to, trying to get
at the truth, ends up being hurt, confused, burdened,
wondering if perhaps the accusation was uncalled for.
So it would seem deception has reigned and the liar
goes off justifying himself. Lying is difficult to address
because the lie is set in a foundation of stone that
does not easily chip unless truth comes to the rescue.
If you are guilty of the sin of lying,
you must face it promptly and deal with it aggressively.
In Proverbs 12:22, the Scripture states; "Lying
lips are an abomination to the Lord. But those who deal
truthfully are His delight." God will judge the
liar according to Revelation 21:8; "But for the
cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers
and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and
all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns
with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Any true believer in the Lord Jesus
Christ should be shocked that he would even consider
lying since it is such an offense to God. Sadly, many
professing Christians are lying and causing hurt, confusion
and deception, spilling out an environment that causes
so much damage, especially with the ones that are closest
to them.
So, what must be done? You must acknowledge
your sin before God, confess it, ask forgiveness for
it and make a commitment to forsake it. Then go to the
person or persons you have lied to and confess to them,
ask forgiveness from them and make any amends that may
be appropriate. You must then be aggressive in attacking
the stronghold of lying. Be on the alert at all times
for its resurfacing. Old habits don’t die easily.
Practice, practice, practice telling the truth and God
who redeemed you will be delighted. "But those
who deal truthfully are His delight"
God bless you.
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The
first in a series on Christian integrity... "2005"
Rev. Don Loss
As a result of counseling over the years one of the
things that concerns me is a lack of integrity in some
professing Christians. The Oxford American Desk Dictionary
and Thesaurus defines integrity as moral uprightness;
honesty. An example of integrity is recorded for us
in Job 2:3: "The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have
you considered my servant Job, that there is none like
him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who
fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to
his integrity, although you incited Me against him,
to destroy him without cause.’"
Let’s first focus our attention on the moral uprightness
aspect of integrity. While attending a volunteer appreciation
dinner at our local pregnancy care center recently,
I was impressed with the executive director’s
emphasis on the importance of teaching and counseling
young people in the area of ‘sexual integrity’.
Rather than talking about with-holding something from
them, young people are encouraged to uphold moral uprightness
in their lives. I thought to myself of the multitudes
of professing Christians that hold to nothing close
to this kind of sexual integrity and display little
or no guilt or shame.
I have counseled many men who eagerly proclaim a love
for Jesus Christ and at the same time admit that they
are living with girlfriends or are dating women who
are married to another man, committing adultery without
shame. They tell me that they plan on getting married
and that God understands that they love one another
and that sexual activity in their relationship is nothing
to be concerned about. Obviously the lust of the flesh
is so entrenched in their thinking that to be grieved
over sinning against the Holy Spirit is beyond their
conscience. The conscience has been seared and there
is an evident lack of sexual integrity.
II Timothy 3:4&5 speaks of those who have a "form
of godliness" who are "lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God." And, I Thessalonians
4:3 says; "For this is the will of God, your sanctification;
that you abstain from sexual immorality." Hebrews
13:4 tells us of God’s judgment on such activity;
"Marriage is honorable above all and the bed is
undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."
I could go on and on but I want to help you deal with
your sexual immorality and begin to submit yourself
to a life of sexual integrity.
First, you must forsake all sexual immorality no matter
what form it takes. In order to forsake it you must
feel guilt and shame over your sexual immorality. You’ll
never stop your indulgence unless you agree with God
that it is wrong. Upon acknowledging the wrongness of
it, confess (agree with God) all sexual sin, repent
(forsake) and ask God to cleanse you from the sin(s).
Ask Him to cleanse your body and mind, especially the
fantasies of your lust. Then, forsake all environments
that would revive those lusts. Don’t ever revisit
those areas of your life again. One of my seminary professors
said something I will never forget; "Never kiss
a sin goodbye." Be done with it.
After completing the above steps make a decision for
sexual integrity. Commit yourself to a life of purity
with your body and your mind. And, finally; "Let
the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts
to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:16&17.
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Refusal
to Receive Counseling "2004"
Rev. Don Loss
One common problem in helping a person
out of his sin and into a vital relationship with Jesus
Christ is the unwillingness to receive counsel. We see
this at Bethel when a man leaves without the approval
of his counselor. I am reminded of Proverbs 3:5&6;
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean
not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge
Him and He shall direct your paths." Part of trusting
in the Lord is trusting in the Word of God as your counsel.
Proverbs 11:14 tells us; "Where there is no counsel,
the people fail; but in the multitude of counselors
there is safety."
How many times have you tried to reason
with a person that’s gone astray? They have been
in church, they have read God’s Word, they know
the way. And, yet; they are back in the den of bondage
to their particular lust. And, of course, the end of
their foolish choice is; "the backslider in heart
will be filled with his own ways." Proverbs 14:4.
What is going on with the repeat offenders
of the truth? One possibility is that they are holding
to a "form of godliness" and are ‘always
learning and never able to come to the knowledge of
the truth." II Timothy 3:4
I recently confronted a student with
the truth of II Timothy 3:1-7 and he responded with
the answer; "That’s me!" There’s
hope when one sees the truth about himself. But repentance
must follow or he will continue in the lie and his wisdom
and knowledge has deluded him; "for he has said
in his heart, ‘I am and there is no one besides
me.’" This spiritual battle cannot be resolved
in the wisdom and counsel of the world. It is a spiritual
stronghold that refuses to bow itself to the Lord God
Almighty!
What can be done in cases like these?
My first inclination was to mention warfare prayer while
writing this, but the Lord added another dimension to
my mind. "However, this kind does not go out except
by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:21. Fasting
one day a week for a loved one in captivity is a worthwhile
goal. Particularly pray against the spirit of antichrist
which resists godly counsel and holds your loved one
in captivity. In addition, pray against the spirit of
bondage that has held him captive. Isaiah 49:25; "But,
thus says the LORD; ‘Even the captives of the
mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible
be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends
with you, and I will save your children.’"
There is hope, my friends, but you’ll
need to fight the good fight with prayer and fasting.
I suggest you purchase the book by Mark Bubeck, The
Adversary. It was the first book I sought to educate
myself in spiritual warfare when I arrived at Bethel
Colony twenty years ago. May God bless you. Keep the
faith!
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Sin
Is The Problem!
Rev. Don Loss
Two things were emphasized in the Lord’s admonition
to the woman caught in adultery; "Neither do I
condemn you; go and sin no more". Both ingredients
are needed by the sinner. It seems to me in my years
of counseling that more emphasis is given the first
admonition; "Neither do I condemn you" than
the second; "sin no more".
Often a person claims to be a Christian when there is
little evidence of it in his lifestyle and he justifies
himself by a remembrance of a decision he made for Christ
somewhere in his past. Now, it may or may not be a legitimate
conversion, but after admonishing a person to "examine
yourselves as to whether you are in the faith",
(II Corinthians 13:5), many have concluded that they
were still dead in their trespasses and sins.
I am often reminded of characters in
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Mr. By-Ends
is from the town of Fair-Speech along with his friends,
Lord Turn-about, Mr. Facing-both-ways, and Mr. Two-tongues.
They all detest the true gospel and confess to never
strive against wind and tide. If the way of Christianity
seems difficult they will choose the way of compromise.
Thomas Scott, D.D., comments on these professors of
Christ. He writes, "When rest is given to the church,
hypocrites often multiply more than real Christians."
A sinner certainly needs to know that there is no condemnation
in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), but let us not stop there.
Jim Owen, the author of Christian Psychology’s
War on God’s Word, has it right when he says that
things have gone away from the truth. The terminology
of the day is; "People hurt. They have diseases.
They are traumatized. They are addicted. They are dysfunctional.
These words fit into a victimized world much better
than the words ‘sinner’ or ‘rebel’
or ‘wicked’."
Let me say that sin must be addressed as the root of
all those experiencing addictions or bondage. The Psalmist
writes in Psalm 107:10-11; "Those who sat in darkness
and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and
irons- Because they rebelled against the words of God
and despised the counsel of the Most High."
Maybe you need to look at sin as the reason for your
bondage. You must cry out as Paul did in Romans 7:24;
"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me
from this body of death?" And, of course, he points
to Christ who will redeem us from the law of sin and
death. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin
for us, that we might become the righteousness of God
in Him." II Corinthians 5:21. Hallelujah! What
a Savior!
Counseling Testimony:
Secular vs. Christian
Is the world’s view of what composes a professional
man the same as God’s view? I found myself questioning
that while at a Christian renewal center for help with
my addictions.
When placed under the care of a Christian counselor,
I found myself very disillusioned. He hadn’t been
trained in psychology nor was he a Certified Alcohol
and Drug Counselor. This created a conflict within me.
Whatever the source or origin of this dilemma is not
important. Whether it was my own personal denial, Satan,
or just the world’s view implanted in my mind
for so long, I did not see him as being qualified to
treat me; even though God did. Knowing the Christian
lifestyle all too well from growing up in a home that
promoted it as the key to success in life made it all
too easy to take those values for granted. As I began
to open up to Christ again and let Him guide my steps,
I began to realize that secular textbooks place man’s
knowledge and intellect far above anything else, but
my counselor’s Textbook is the knowledge from
a God that we cannot even begin to fully fathom. The
textbooks of the world teach of chemical imbalance and
a disease that we will always live with. His Textbook
teaches that we are new creatures in Christ Jesus; "old
things are passed away and behold, ALL things are become
new". All in all, I had to come to a place where
only God’s grace can put us to fully comprehend
that there is a big difference between man’s idea
of truth and The Truth. That Truth is Jesus Christ.
Bethel student, August, 2004
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Holiday
Loneliness
Rev.
Don Loss
Soon Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us. The
holidays can be a time of joy or a time of brooding.
Some will succumb to the latter and come under a cloud
of loneliness. In reflecting upon their circumstances,
a person may say to themselves; "Why does the Lord
our God do these things?" Jeremiah 5:19.
You may even share Jeremiah’s emotion of despair.
"Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me".
Or, "Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable
which refuses to be healed? Will you surely be like
an unreliable stream as waters that fail?", as
Jeremiah cries out to God.
Oh, my friend, I know some of you will be tempted to
voice Jeremiah’s words as you reflect on the loss
of, rejection of, or abandonment of a husband, a wife,
children or parents during the coming holiday season.
Or it may be for financial or geographical reasons that
you cannot be with your family and loved ones. This
can be the time when your brooding sprouts up and breeds
further loneliness, self-pity and depression.
Beware that by feeding these negative emotions they
will "give place to the devil". (Eph.4:27)
And when the devil has you in this place he will then
take you further into the ‘Slough of Despond’
by the means of alcohol, drugs, or prescriptions to
diabolically attempt to alleviate your loneliness and
pain.
Now let me suggest a remedy for this diabolical plot
against you. Understand first of all that the Lord cares
for you. He knows that there will be times when you
will be sad or lonely. We read in the Scripture that
we should come to Him when we are feeling this way.
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." (Matt.11:28) "Cast
your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you."
(Psalm 55:12)
You can come to the Lord in prayer asking Him to relieve
the cloud of loneliness and to comfort you. James 4:2
says; "You have not because you ask not."
You can pray for your heart’s desire for fellowship
with your family. Nevertheless, concede to the fact
that it may not happen and accept it. Once you accept
your circumstances, you are no longer bound to a disappointing
situation beyond your control to change. Your emotions
are then set free to focus on more positive things.
I suggest you use the time to give the Lord thanks for
His goodness. "Oh, that man would give thanks to
the Lord for His goodness!" (Psalm 107:8) Maybe
find a place to get away that you can lift up your loved
ones to the Lord. Maybe there are grievances that you
have against your loved ones that you need to ask God’s
forgiveness for. You will be surprised how the Lord
will minister to you when you do this.
Some of you have been so self-centered that you need
to confess this to the Lord. Being self-centered in
itself is a problem. It is all focused on what I want,
isn’t it? Ask the Lord to show you where to give
of yourself this Thanksgiving and Christmas season and
not to be consumed with being a taker. Let love flow
out of you even in the most disappointing event that
you may experience.
What about praise?! Dig up some praise music and listen
to it. It will lift up your heart and subdue the spirit
of loneliness.
Think about getting out of the house. Go somewhere that
will lift your spirit. Visit a friend that loves the
Lord; one that can encourage you and pray for you. Maybe
you need to seek out a church or return to church for
fellowship with the body of Christ if you have been
neglecting that.
Lastly, remember to celebrate the Savior during Thanksgiving
and Christmas. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness and all these things shall be
added unto you." (Matt. 6:33) Remember that our
fellowship is not only with one another, but "...truly
our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son,
Jesus Christ." (I John 2:3) Make it a priority
to give thanks to the Lord during Thanksgiving. And
during Christmas, give praise to the new-born King of
kings who has come to give you life. (I John 5:12) Set
your eyes on Him and you will not be disappointed.
During the holidays do not mope in
sadness; rather; hope in gladness.
Keep this article close at hand if
holiday loneliness is a problem for you. I believe the
Lord will use it to minister to you. Jesus Christ loves
you.
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The
Accursed Thing
Rev. Don Loss
The ministry of Bethel Colony of Mercy is to sanctify
the men God brings here. This is a process of determining
what the need of each student is. Many have had an experience
with Christ in their past but through their negligence
or recklessness they are totally disarmed by a habitual
ungodly mind-set and behavior. They have been taken
captive by the devil to do his will (II Timothy 2:26)....and
they pay the price.
In Joshua chapter 7, we read of the
sin of Achan who violated God’s commandment by
coveting and obtaining those things from the city of
Jericho which were forbidden. We read in Joshua that
Achan took and hid a beautiful Babylonian garment that
was an accursed thing and (according to God’s
instructions) was to be destroyed. God had warned the
people of Israel in Joshua 6:17; "...by all means
abstain from the accursed things lest you become accursed
when you take of the accursed things and make the camp
of Israel a curse and trouble it."
As a result of Achan’s disobedience
the nation of Israel was defeated by the people of Ai
who were few in number. And God spoke to Joshua concerning
the defeat and said to him; "Get up, sanctify the
people. There is an accursed thing in your midst; you
cannot stand before your enemies until you take away
the accursed thing among you."
Bethel’s ministry has been to point out the accursed
thing that has caused much sorrow and defeat in the
lives of the students. We see multitudes in bondage
to their particular lust, whether it be alcohol, crack,
cocaine, Oxycontin, Xanax, pain killers, pot, heroin,
or something else. For, you see, this accursed thing
brings trouble; not only to themselves but to those
all around them, especially their families. You that
have experienced the latter sadly understand the heartache.
But we have a Savior who is able to save to the uttermost.
And those students who are broken,
desperate, ready to take wise counsel will be set free.
The strongholds are mighty, of which substance abuse
is just one of many others that have to be addressed.
But through the ministry of deliverance, many who have
been enslaved to their addictions are now free, no longer
lusting after the accursed things. And families are
now having hope again that their dad, husband or son
is once again the person he used to be. For the power
of the gospel has done its work. "If the Son shall
set you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:36
Top of
Page
Bethel Colony
of Mercy is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, gifts
to which are deductible as charitable contributions
for Federal income tax purposes. Financial information
about this organization and a copy of it’s license
is available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch
at (919) 733-4510. The license is not an endorsement
by the State.
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