Healing A Nation

The first President  of the  USA (232 years ago) and every President until  the 46^th President in 2021, gave an inaugural speech to a live gathering of people.  On January 20, 2021 instead of citizens, there were thousands of soldiers guarding the government from the people.  What is wrong with this picture? The government has slipped away from “by the people, of the people, and for the people” (at the federal level at least).

Our first President, George Washington stated in his inaugural address, “ Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained: And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”

Basically, what this is saying is that God’s order of creation must be honored and respected by all who call themselves citizens of the great experiment called the United States of America.  God’s sovereign rule is the authority above all nations, forms of government, and policies that dictate the rule of law. Anything short of acknowledging this Truth, will revoke God’s blessing and lead to the downfall of the USA.

The reality is we, as a nation, have turned away from God, and are guilty of the faults our Founders (Washington included) warned us against.  As we disregard the God who made us great, we dismantle our greatness. Turning back to God is our only hope for greatness. Turning back to God is our only hope to solve the problems we face.  Turning back to God is our only hope for unity (by the people, for the people, of the people) to return to being blessed by God. Not that our Founders were perfect in all the ways they themselves acted, but their pursuit of God was leading their way.

Our problems are not chiefly political, although politics is certainly involved. Our problems are a struggle between good and evil. Tyranny is evil. Our Founders fought a battle against tyranny, and won. In recent decades, forces of tyranny have been gaining ground from within our major institutions (especially government, media, and education). Examples are the authoritarian style state Governors using the Covid pandemic for excessive control, the so-called “news” media being hijacked to promote a narrative of fear and mob hysteria, and Big Tech companies using their digital savvy to systematically squash peoples’ opinions they don’t like. Killing unborn children, blurring clear boundaries of male and female biology, and trying to mainstream sodomy by redefining marriage, are abominable ad destructive to civilization. Tyrants are attempting to “cancel” our history and redefine the virtues that made America the greatest nation on earth.  We must fight and resist this tyranny.

Please note, by “fight” I do NOT mean causing physical harm or individuals’ character assassination. The very reason I have to make this qualification is because of tyrants calling evil good, and good evil. The American ideal of civil debate (as a means of fair “fight”) seems to be gone. We must speak up.

The greatest threat to evil tyrants is our good God. Therefore, squeezing God out of our nation’s heritage, culture, institutions, and lifestyles is the tyrants’ greatest aim. Unfortunately, if we are honest with ourselves, those of us who are God-followers must admit we have allowed evil to also invade our own ranks much too deeply. Immorality among  God’s people is rampant, and the Bible as the absolute authority of God is spurned by many who call themselves Christians.

As citizens of the US, at what point do we say, “The tyranny must stop” and engage the evil with resistance? The Germany of the 1930’s waited much too long to resist and paid a high price. Can we learn from history?  Now is the time to fight back the tyranny before it’s too late.The more power a government is given, the more controlling it will become of its people. American ideals hold tolerance in high value. Tyranny is a hypocritical use of tolerance.  We must become intolerant of tyranny within, similar to the way our Founders had to fight tyranny from distant forces.

I believe in America’s right to exist and defend her liberties (“America-first”), as a good political strategy in the global view of things.  However, my primary citizenship is in the Kingdom of God. As Christ-followers we cannot confuse our loyalties. The Church is called to a “Jesus first” strategy. Father God sent his only Son Jesus into the world to save the world from its brokenness (John 3:16-17).

For those of us who are citizens of God’s Kingdom we must first fight tyranny at our own personal heart level. With Christ as Lord our heart is being liberated from the tyranny of the devil’s imprisonment (see Isaiah 61:1). The Bible warns us that the “devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  The book of James says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:6-7).  And resist we must. Distractions and deceptions are more common than ever to cause watering down and numbing of our full devotion to Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:3).  Hebrews says, “Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12). The Church in America desperately needs revival. A revived Church is the best hope for healing a nation. 

Seeing revival in our land begins with being revival in our hearts. Our personal transformation journeys together can change the course of our nation’s demise. See some of my other articles for what inner transformation looks like. 

          My prayer is that we can make the following often-quoted Bible verses a part of our everyday lives.  God says,

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”   (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

God’s healing is conditional on our response to him. Seeking his face in prayer Is a huge part of it. God also requires repentance. Everything in our lives that leaves even the slightest hint of an open door for evil to slip through, must go. Resistance starts with giving no assistance, to ungodly thoughts which lead to ungodly actions. Why not get “all in” today? What is there to lose, when Christ is our gain?

And after our hearts are right with God, speak up to make him known in our land. Ask God to heal our land, and proclaim his authority especially to those who deny it. Speak up Church! Speak up?

Note:  I realize some may perceive some statements above as “too strong.” I do not think fighting tyranny and showing the world the compassion of Christ are antithetical. I believe this is not an “either/ or”, but a “both/ and” course of action needed. Sometimes the “loving” thing to do is to take a stand against evil. Jesus himself did just that. We need to distinguish between the promoters of evil and the average person who gets caught up in it. We must also recognize the difference between the “spiritual warfare” behind tyranny; not seeing people as the problem, but their actions stirred up by the common enemy of our souls.  I recommend a book, “Bold and Broken: Becoming a Bridge Between Heaven and Earth” by David & Jason Benham

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

House Re-construction

My wife and I have owned a number of homes over the years.  Most were older than I was, and it seems like something falling into disrepair happens at the most inopportune times.   

I have come to understand many spiritual lessons through experiences of owning and living in a house.  

Coming to faith in Jesus in a conversion experience is like transferring the deed of a property for God’s ownership.  Our physical, mental, and emotional being is no longer our own, but we have been bought with the price of the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:20).

At conversion, the Holy Spirit awakens our dead personal spirit, and comes to live inside our bodies (Romans 8:9-11).  Then the fun begins.  The process of transformation and sanctification are illustrated well by property ownership.   A number of places in the Bible speak of our body as a tent, temple, dwelling, or house.  Anyone who has lived in a particular house for a length of time knows that houses can take a lot of work to maintain.  Although houses are viewed as an asset on a financial balance sheet, tax collectors have come up with a method of depreciating their value over time because repairs and improvements are so expensive.  The older the house, the more surprises that may be found when trying to fix something.  Chipped paint may lead to broken plaster which may lead to finding a plumbing leak and so on.  For this illustration, when we “sell out” to God, he buys us “as is.”  Now the repairs are in his control, and in his terms of timing, methods, tools used, materials used, floor plans, space utilization, landscaping, outside buildings, etc.  .    

In the Bible, the ancient Israelites are spoken of as a “house,” where God dwells among his people.  In addition to a community meaning of “house,” since the coming of Jesus to the earth, the Bible also refers to an individual’s heart as being a “house”  for the Holy Spirit to dwell within.  

As individuals and as a community, the verses below indicate God’s people sometimes have a hard time maintaining their devotion to God.  God is faithful to grant them peace in their hearts when they remain faithful.  Christ Jesus’ temptation and suffering now provides full access to Father God and a way for our “house” to be made alive in him.   See the second chapter of the book of Hebrews for an introduction to the following quote.  

 

“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.  He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.  Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.  “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
     do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.
That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:1-12; NASB). 

A heart turned towards God, finds peace.  A heart turned away from God has no rest.  A believing heart turns toward God.  An unbelieving heart turns away.  Belief in God empowers peace.  Unbelief destroys any opportunity for us to experience peace in our body, mind, and soul.  At conversion, believing in Jesus begins a process whereby more and more measures of faith and trust (belief) is placed in Father God for our identity, provision, and protection.  We are still prone to complaining and blaming like the people of God described above, but now we have Jesus as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”  (see John 14).  

This process of change requires altering our beliefs.  Our beliefs must be brought into alignment with God’s “beliefs.”  This is done through surrendering possession of our house to God.  God now owns our heart, and we must cooperate with the re-construction he wants to do.  God may want to tear down a wall to make more space in a room.   We build walls of self-protection in our hearts that often damage our relationships.  God may want to strip old paint off the door frames of another room to expose the original wood.  We often make surface excuses to hide our imperfect perceptions, and we mask who God originally intended us to be.  God may just want to clean the junk out of some dark closets.   We hide things in places that become dark holes of disappointment and depression.   Just about any task of house renovation and maintenance can be likened to alterations in the human heart.  

The more re-making a house goes through, the more useful and beautiful the living space becomes.   The more  change in the right direction the more peace and rest that follows.   Room by room, piece by piece our heart is changed into a place of beauty and productivity.  A house foundation that is shored up and strengthened, will bear the weight of upward expansion, and also be better prepared for storms ahead (see the story Jesus told in Matthew 7:24-27).  Storms of life are inevitable and may take the form of relationship or business breakups, unemployment, pandemics, health problems, or some kind of injustice,  A heart transformed into greater wholeness, has greater capacity, resilience, and forbearance for these kinds of troubles.  

Some may find this difficult to believe, but one of the best ways to discover where our heart needs transformational healing and re-construction, is to allow ourselves to feel the pain of our inner hurts.  Just like a house may look a bit messy from demolition work before re-construction can continue, cleaning up the messes in our lives is somewhat necessary before beauty is restored.  I can speak from my own experience that every corner cleaned up is one more step to sweeter rest of soul.  More on the role of pain in the recovery process may be found in the article called Pain Evangelism as Discipleship at:  

http://authoredhersh.blogspot.com/2018/09/pain-evangelism-as-discipleship.html  

Applying answers to some questions like these may help facilitate house re-construction.   Where might there be some unbelief in my life?  What specific lie(s) might I be believing?  What is the truth that will turn me towards God?  What might I be holding onto (or hiding) in my house hoping that God’s re-construction won’t come to this closet/ cabinet/ room?  What am I thankful for that God already began (or completed) to make my house a better place to live?  Am I giving God praise for the good works he is doing?

Be blessed with re-construction.     

 by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

Healing Prayer Practice

In the previous article, we looked at some basic healing prayer principles to prepare our hearts and minds to encounter God and receive his healing power.   

The practice of healing prayer is not a religious exercise as many would be inclined to think of when hearing the word “prayer.”  It is not an exercise of willpower, nor a spiritual discipline to add to a list of good works to make one more pleasing to God.  Salvation through faith is a Gift of grace  accomplished by the work of Jesus (see Ephesians 2:8-10).   Jesus finished his work by living on the earth as a man, dying on a cross, and returning to Father through resurrection life.   His work now is in the hearts of those people who believe in him, to change them from the inside out in becoming more and more like him (Psalm 51:6, Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 1:22-23, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, 1 Peter 3:4).   

This transformation process is putting the hurt and wounded pieces (discussed previously) back in order, to make us whole and complete in God’s original design.  Healing prayer is a tool to help in this transformation process.  It requires an enormous amount of self-honesty, humility, facing painful memories, and trusting God to see us through.  Healing prayer can take many forms and vary greatly from person to person.  Let’s look briefly at the following 5 basic elements.

1. Acknowledge the beliefs of our inner heart, feel the emotions they stir, and identify the specific lies believed.

2. Ask Jesus to take us to the source (of these ingrained misbeliefs (perhaps in a memory).

3. Confess belief(s) in the memory(ies), renounce their effects, and acknowledge inability to change without the help of God.

4. Ask Jesus to reveal His presence in our pain in whatever way He chooses, and receive the truth.

5. Engage Jesus' ministry of truth in the memory(ies), and respond with ongoing transformation.  

First, we start with where it hurts.  What are the specific sensations, feelings, and emotions causing pain (displeasure, discomfort, disruption) at the moment?  Avoid trying to “figure out why” at this point.  Many people start by identifying things their “inner voice” is telling them.  Examples might be “I am not important, not loved, not needed, or unfit,” “I am worthless, a mistake, a failure, or stupid,”  “I should have done something to stop the abuse from happening,”  “I am too weak, helpless, or defenseless,”  “I am bad, dirty, or shameful,”  “I am all alone and will always be alone,”  “I am incompetent, or  I can't do anything right,” “I am anxious or afraid,” or “I am not ______  enough. or I don’t have enough ____ .”   

What are the feelings driving these beliefs?  Be as specific as you can in naming the negative feelings (ie. abandoned, rejected, deserted, forgotten, left out, don’t belong, ashamed, failure, faulty, stupid, trashy, unclean, unfit, unworthy, anxious, desperate, fearful, nervous, scared, untrusting, confined, cornered, defenseless, frail, helpless, weak, damaged, flawed, ruined, betrayed, disgraced, inferior, insignificant, unappreciated, unloved, defeated, hopeless, tired, despair, disoriented, confused, or indifferent.    

The next element is to invite God into the midst of the pain.  Jesus is very qualified to identify with pain and suffering.  In fact, the Bible says there is absolutely no type of human suffering he himself has not experienced (see Hebrews 4:14-16).   Remember, Jesus is the Healer.   He knows where the source of the pain lies.  He wants to remove the bad root, not just the symtoms.   Ask him to lead you to the origin of this pain  in your life.

The next major element is acknowleging and confessing our own misperceptions, misinterpretations, misjudgments, and/ or misconduct in the event(s)  our memory(ies) lead you to.  We cannot change the past, and much of what happened  is out of our control, but we can recognize and change the way we respond to it.  For example, maybe our pain leads us to remember our perfectionist dad or mom not giving us recognition or affirmation for significant acheivements, but instead always communicating how our performance was lacking.  Yes, maybe our parents were neglectful (or even abusive) is some regard, but blaming them for our reactions will not help us now.  We must indeed admit we were hurt, and reacted negatively, and confess (speak out loud) what we thought and felt about this at the time.  The list above may help here too.  Again, focus on what it felt like in the inner most depths of your being as a child, not on what it would’a, could’a, should’a been like.   

Longings for appropriate touch, acceptance, affirmation, and belonging are normal.  When these longings are not met, it is also normal to react and believe things that are not true  (critically judge)  those people in our life who should be supplying those needs.  In the example of a perfectionist parent, our inner voice may be telling us things like “Dad doesn’t love me,” Mom is mean,” “Dad cares about my sister more than me,” “Mom doesn’t understand,” “I’ll never be able to please dad and mom,” or “They are not interested in how I feel.”   But because “normal” in this case, is sinful, we must be willing to renounce the misbeliefs and actions, and surrender these over to God in exchange for the truth.  

The next major element Is listening for what God wants to tell us.  Listening is a skill to be developed.  Our faith is often so oriented towards doing (for God), we have difficulty being in God’s presence long enough to hear (from God) what he is saying to us.  This seems so basic, but it needs attention as an element of its own because it is SO important.  This involves quieting our spirit (complete silence is preferable) and asking questions like “Jesus, what truth would you like to reveal to me?”  “What are you saying?”  “What is the truth about my parents? (in the example above)”  “Where were you Jesus when this happened?”  or “What is the truth about who I am (and whose I am)?”  

Shame is the greatest source of lies.  Blaming ourselves for things out of our control is a form of shaming ourselves.   God never condemns us.  He sometimes condemns actions (that are against his will), but God does not condemn people he created in his image.  Any voice of condemnation we hear against our identity as a child of God, is from the enemy of our soul.  Truth always affirms our identity as children of God.  

God speaks truth through his written Word, the Bible.  He also speaks truth through other means such as his creation, people, pictures, prophetic images, and imagination.  Truth always affirms God’s character as holy, righteous, all loving, and all powerful.  Regarding other people, truth is able to separate their bad behavior from who they are as a unique creation of God.  And regarding the self, truth affirms our identity as God’s child, and his unfailing love is always accessible. Simply asking and receiving his love will connect us to it.  

The last element to mention here is surrendering to the truth with our heart (not just with mental assent)  and commitment to action for soul sanctification.   Perhaps confession, repentance, and/ or forgiveness is necessary, in addition to this type of work done in previous steps.  Our hearts are made of many parts (chambers).  Some parts may have been brought into the realm of believing, while other parts have work remaining to be done.  Healing is God’s work and in his timing.  Remember, when Jesus says, the truth will set you free” (John 8:32), there is a prerequisite.  Jesus says, “if you hold to my teaching,” that is how you will know the truth (John 8:31-32).  Truth is truth.  But truth that makes a difference (sets us free) is truth that we apply.  The ongoing application of the truth of Christ’s teaching, restores us to wholeness.  Not only are spiritual and psychological conditions restored, but physical conditions such as body aches, pains and diseases can be healed as well.  

Ultimately, healing is not merely for personal benefit, but to make more intimate our relationship with God, and become a more useful servant in His Kingdom.  The practice of healing prayer can become a habit that produces a lifestyle of godly character.  Journaling is a great way to record progress, and provide a way to look back and observe measureable improvements.  Writing can also have great therapeutic value.  

Some parts of our heart can be more resistant than others to healing prayer intervention.  Severe trauma or abuse may complicate the process.  Evil spirits can create another layer of bondage.  Family history can also be a factor.  It may be wise to attain the help of an experienced healing prayer warrior or counselor to guide steps in the journey.  When practicing the steps above, a feeling of unusual fear, anxiety, or overwhelm should be cause for halting the practice and seeking help right away.  

Leaders should be leading in regularly practicing the transforming power of healing prayer.  I recommend all leaders practice healing prayer with a competent practitioner on a regular basis to guard against blind spots and areas of unawareness the enemy of our soul tries to exploit.  People helpers can only help people overcome to the degree they themselves have experienced the overcoming healing prayer.  Charasmatic gifting and people skills are not a healthy subsitute for the deep heart work of inner healing prayer.  

In my own life, I am so thankful to the Sandfords and others from whom I have learned much over the past two decades.  I have found the practice of healing prayer invaluable in removing shame, false guilt, powerlessness, anxiety, depression, and so many more unwanted thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.  I haven’t arrived at complete wholeness, but my hope is secure in trusting God for transformation in his timing, without needing to understand all the details.  When I practice healing prayer, my heart is at rest in Refuge (see Matthew 11:28-29).  Please contact me if you wish for more help in making healing prayer a more significant part of life.  

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry