Christians Arguing Over Halloween :(

I recently participated in a conversation on FB about whether or not Christians should celebrate Halloween. After much prayer, research of the origins of Halloween, research of what it means today to witches and pagan, and most of all confirmation from God's Word, my husband and I decided that we would not have our family participate in the celebration of Halloween. This is our choice. (For more on the research I've done on Halloween and what I have to say about the question, 'Should Christians celebrate Halloween?' follow this link http://consecratedtohim.blogspot.com/2009/10/should-christians-celebrate-halloween.html . Here are also some conversations on the subject from WeUsed2bu Ministries - http://www.weusedtobeyou.com/category/common-subjects/halloween/)

The debate on FB got offensive. I saw other Christians verbally attack and insult one another because they had different view points on whether we as believers should celebrate Halloween. At one point one honest sister shared that she questioned if her Christian friends and even the ministry that posted the original comment were truly Christians. This broke my heart. The founder of the ministry that posted the thread is a beautiful woman of God. She loves the young women she ministers to and has a sincere love for our Savior Jesus Christ. Her ministry helps many young women all over the world and is a light in the darkness of cyberspace.

I just felt the need after seeing this series of posts last night to encourage and challenge you to, whether or not you choose to celebrate Halloween, when someone asks you why you do or don't be ready to tell them, BUT do it in a gentle and respectful way.” (1 Peter 3:15) This is the instruction the Spirit of God has given us through the apostle Peter. We are not supposed to get involved in foolish arguments that just provoke fights amongst us. Don't argue with your Christian brothers and sisters who have different views about non-salvation issues. Don't try to be the Holy Spirit in peoples lives. Share your perspective, listen to their perspective and then if you don't agree, it's ok to agree to disagree, move on from the conversation before contention arises and someone gets offended.

I know that in our hearts when we share why we believe the way we do we want others to see the Truth that God has revealed to us, but when we share our revelations aggressively and disrespectfully we do not win the person over. We cause the other person to feel attacked and judged because they don't believe the same way that we do. The Truth of the matter is that God's Word clearly says,

“All things are legitimate [permissible--and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].” - 1 Corinthians 10:23.

Each of has to pray and seek God in His Word about whether or not HE would have us participate in the celebration of Halloween. It is His Spirit that leads us into all Truth. We have His Word that is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We can not force our views on each other. We can only share what the Spirit of God has shown us in a gentle and respectful way. It is not our job to reveal Truth, that is the Holy Spirit's job. Are job is to love one another no matter what. Are we loving one another when we think less of each because we do or don't celebrate Halloween?

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” - John 13:34-35

Do You Have A Sense Of Urgency

A couple of weeks ago one of our pastors had us spend some time looking at the story in Mark 2:1-12. It’s a story of four men who brought their friend to Jesus for healing. This story is special because these friends loved and cared for their paralyzed friend so much that when they saw that they could not get through the crowds they carried him up to the roof and then dug a hole through the roof to lower him down to Jesus.

Our pastor explained, “They didn’t want to see their friend suffering any more. They were determined to get their friend to Jesus because they were convinced that Jesus could heal him. They didn’t let the crowds stop them. They were creative. They were committed and determined to go to any length to get him to Jesus. Getting their friend to Jesus was their focus.”
Then he purposed some practical application questions to us and I purpose them now to you.

• Who has God put in your life that you need to bring to Jesus?
• Do you care enough to take initiative? Will you drive them to church, bible study, or a small group?
• Are you convinced that Jesus is the only way? If you think that there is another way then you will not have a sense of urgency.
• Are you willing to be creative?

I think that out of all of the questions above the one that hit me the most was the third question and comment. If we truly believe that Jesus is the ONLY Way, the Truth, and the Life then we should have the same desire and urgency that our heavenly Father has, that none should perish, but that they too should repent and turn to God (Jesus) for salvation. (2 Peter 3:9)

Our sense of urgency to see souls saved should come from knowing what the Word of God says is the destiny of those who refuse to believe in Christ Jesus. The Word says:

“..But whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:18)

“There will be a day of judgment for all unbelievers, those who rejected the Truth and refused to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from His glorious power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

Our urgency should come from knowing that HELL IS REAL and it is where all unbelievers go when they die. (Luke 12:5 & 16:23, Matthew 10:28 & 23:33)

This urgency for saving the lost should NOT come from a condemning, judgmental, or religious spirit. It should could from a Spirit of love and patience. Our Lord was loving and patient with us as He drew us to Himself. It was His kindness, mercy, grace and PATIENCE that actually led us to repentance. We must remember that the same Holy Spirit that drew us to Him is the same Holy Spirit that will draw others around us to Him too. We are not the ones who save anyone. No one can come to Jesus unless it is the Spirit that draws them to Him. Bringing someone to Christ usually is a process. Our job is simply to be a ready and willing vessel that the Lord can use. (Romans 2:4, John 6:44)

It very important for us to remember that we are in a spiritual battle. We are battling against unseen forces of darkness that do not want to let go of these people’s souls. The Word says that the enemy has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand the message about the glory of Christ. They often times consider the message of the cross foolish. Therefore we must use wisdom and patience when ministering to unbelievers, asking the Lord to give us the Words to speak, to know when to speak, and when to keep a cover over our mouth. (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 6:44, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 2 Corinthians 2:16-17)

A close friend recently said to me, “We don’t have to cram the bible down people’s throats”. I agree, however I do believe that we can spoon feed them and allow them to taste the Word without saying all the time, “The bible says” or “In Matthew 6:25-27...” All we have to do is speak the Word of God into their lives in normal conversation and trust the Lord’s promise to not allow His Word to return void. Then we should pray over the seed, that it not be stolen, but that it would be watered and cultivated by the Holy Spirit. But no matter what we can be sure of this, that even if some refuse to obey or receive the Good News, our godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by our pure and reverent lives. (Isaiah 55:10-11, Matthew 13:18-23, 1 Peter 3:1-2)

I believe with all my heart that our lives will be the most affective witness to the unbeliever and to those who are searching for Truth. Most need to see to believe. What is that they need to see? They need to see the love of Christ flowing in our lives. They need to see us serving and caring for others. They need to hear words full of faith, words that encourage and edify. How we react to life’s problems, trials, and tests will also be a witness to them of where our faith and hope lies. When they see that in the middle of life’s storms we are immovable and still praising God regardless of our circumstances, they will be inspired and influenced by our faith. I love Psalm 40:1-3. My favorite part of these verses is the part that says, “Many will SEE what He has done and be amazed. They WILL PUT THEIR TRUST IN THE LORD.” You see it’s because of what others see that God has done or is doing in our lives that they too will put their trust in the Lord. Our friends and family remember who we were when we were in the world so our life in Christ will be the most convincing testimony of Jesus’ faithfulness to save and change those who put their trust in Him. (1 Peter 3:1-2, Philippians 1:27)

If we are convinced that the Bible is the infallible Word of God then there should be that sense of urgency that the pastor spoke of and that the four men had to bring their suffering friend to Jesus for deliverance. We should make the most of every opportunity that the Holy Spirit provides us to share the Good News with those He has put in our lives. We shouldn’t be ashamed of our faith in Jesus or minimize it because we don’t want to offend anyone or want to be politically correct. We have been given the responsibility of being ambassadors for Christ. We should never be ashamed to acknowledge Jesus. God wants to make His appeal to the lost and the backslidden through us. We are speaking for Christ when we say “Come back to God!” We are His messengers entrusted with the Good News. We know the way to have eternal life and right standing with God so we must tell others without fear of persecution. There should be a sense of urgency to bring people to Christ because we know that their souls are at stake. (Matthew 10:32, 38 & 39, 2 Corinthians 5:20, 1 Thessalonians 2:4)

Lord teach us to be living witnesses for You. Let us not be afraid of persecution. When fear or inadequacy come against us remind us that you have anointed us to share the Gospel with the world. Help us to speak boldly for Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

It's Time To Get Out Of The Boat

This is a word for the servant of God who has been given a vision to do something great for the kingdom of heaven. Be encouraged and may your spirit be refreshed and comforted by His Word.

The vision, dream, and desire for ministry that you have has been implanted in your spirit by the Spirit of God. When you decided that you were going to serve Him with all of your heart, mind, and soul you became a trophy of grace that He would use to bring honor to His Son. Your life will be a living witness to all who knew the old you. Many will see what God has done in and through you and they too will believe in Christ Jesus and put their trust in Him.

He has given you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. The old stony and stubborn heart is gone. He has replaced it with a tender and responsive heart. Your heart is for God and the things of God. Your spirit longs to serve Him, to build up the kingdom of heaven, and to reach out to the lost and hurting. You are becoming more and more like Christ daily because His Word is constantly renewing your mind and transforming you. You know what God wants you to do because you have the mind of Christ and the Spirit of God living in you. You have God given desires growing inside of you. Your heart’s desire is like His, that no soul should perish but that they would know the Truth, repent, and be saved. You desire to be used by Him and therefore you have consecrated your life to Him to use as He sees fit. Since you have delighted yourself in the Lord and sought His kingdom first He WILL give you the desires of your heart. You will receive whatever you ask because you obey Him and do the things that please Him. The vision to do the ministry that He has called you to do will come to pass sooner than you think.

If you want to walk on water you have to step out of the boat, even if that means leaving others in the boat. Walking on water is a risk that many others are not willing to take. Don’t focus on what’s going on around you have to keep your eyes on Jesus then you will not sink. Remember His promises. Remember all that He has already done in your life. You know that He is faithful and true to His Word so step quickly when you sense Jesus inviting you to take risks for Him. Your faith and courage will inspire and motivate others to move forward in their calling too.

There will be times where you will feel inadequate and ill-equipped, but you have everything you need in Christ Jesus. He will direct you. His Word will be a light to your feet and will direct your steps. He has given you every spiritual gift you need to keep you strong. He has empowered and equipped you to do His will so do not listen to fear. Fear is determined to paralyze you so that there is little or no progress toward fulfilling the vision. Fear can be deceitful and will try to creep into your life in different forms such as compromise, worry, complacency, and contentment. So beware because fear often times is the influence behind these.

You will not be able to have everything figured out all the time. Remember that faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things that we cannot see. You are called to walk by faith, not by sight, nor by straight intellect. Be lead of the Spirit. Don’t try to put God in a box. He is the God of impossibilities. He is the God who parts seas for His people. He is the God that feeds the multitudes with a couple of fish and loaves of bread. He is the God that provides all of your needs from His riches and glory. He is the God that will ask you to move in faith when the rest of the world would say, “Don’t, not now!” Listen to the Spirit of God, not to the voice of men.

Remember that God is your source of hope and He will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now is the time to get out of the boat and walk on the water.

Satan's Meeting

I don't normally do this but this was too good not to share. It's something to think about it..Here's a pass it along email that I received..Thanks brother Sean.

Satan's Meeting

Satan called a worldwide convention of
demons.

In his opening address he said,
"We can't keep Christians from going
to church."
"We can't keep them from reading their
Bibles and knowing the truth..."
"We can't even keep them from forming
an intimate relationship with their savior."

"Once they gain that connection with
Jesus, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let
them have their covered dish dinners,
BUT steal their time, so they don't
have time to develop a relationship
with Jesus Christ.."


"This is what I want you to do," said
the devil:
"Distract them from gaining hold of
their Savior and maintaining that
vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons
shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials
of life and invent innumerable
schemes to occupy their minds," he
answered...

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and
borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for
long hours and the husbands to work
6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day,
so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with
their children."

"As their families fragment, soon,
their homes will offer no escape from
the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that
they cannot hear that still, small voice."

"Entice them to play the radio or I-Pod
whenever they drive." To
keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs
going constantly in their home and see
to it that every store and restaurant
in the world plays non-biblical music
constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break
that union with Christ."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines
and newspapers."
"Pound their minds with the news 24
hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with
billboards."
"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail,
mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and
every kind of newsletter and promotional
offering free products, services, and false hopes."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the
magazines and TV so their husbands
will believe that outward beauty is
what's important, and they'll
become dissatisfied with their wives. "

"Keep the wives too tired to love their
husbands at night."
"Give them headaches too! "

"If they don't give their husbands the
love they need, they will begin to
look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families
quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them
from teaching their children the
real meaning of Christmas."

"Give them an Easter bunny so they
won't talk about his resurrection
and power over sin and death.."

"Even in their recreation, let them be
excessive."
"Have them return from their recreation
exhausted."
"Keep them too busy to go out in nature
and reflect on God's creation.
Send them to amusement parks, sporting
events, plays, concerts, and movies
instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual
fellowship, involve them in gossip and
small talk so that they leave with
troubled consciences."

"Crowd their lives with so many good
causes they have no time to seek
power from Jesus."

"Soon they will be working in their own
strength, sacrificing their health
and family for the good of the cause."


"It will work!"
"It will work!"

It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their
assignments causing Christians everywhere
to get busier and more rushed, going
here and there.

Having little time for their God or
their families.

Having no time to tell others about the
power of Jesus to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil
been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!!!!!

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Please pass this on, if you aren't too BUSY!

Beware Of The Religious Spirit

Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13)

Brother and sisters do you know that you are sinner? As long as we are living in these sin craving bodies and on this sin infested earth we will be sinners. That is why we need Jesus every day. You are probably saying I know this Lisa, this is nothing new to me. But do you really know this? We must realize that although we have changed certain things in our lives and left addictions, habits, attitudes, or whatever vices behind none of us is without sin. None of us have arrived at place of perfection or are sinless. If we think we are standing strong, we must be careful not to fall. This is a dangerous place to be. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

In Matthew 9 the ‘religious’ people stood by and saw Jesus doing a work in disreputable sinners’ lives. He was spending time with them because they knew they were sinners and they needed Him. They didn’t deny who they were. Who they were and what they did made them realize that they needed the Savior more. Jesus called Matthew a known tax collector to be one of the disciples. Tax collectors were known for being greedy and taking more money than they were supposed to. Yet Jesus told Matthew to get up and leave the booth to follow Him.

The religious people were so caught up with their own sacrifices and rituals that they were not showing mercy to those that needed it most. Jesus told them, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices”. That same religious spirit exists today and we must beware of it. That spirit will try to creep into our hearts and make us think that we are so righteous and saved. It will bring a spirit of pride with it. Then the knowledge that we have about the Word will just make us feel important and religious, but it will not strengthen the church. Love is what strengthens. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)

This spirit will cause us to look at other people and say, “I can’t believe they do this or that” or “I would never do that” or “They got what they deserved”.

Brothers and sisters..I pray that we have not become so ‘saved’ that we have allowed a religious and righteous spirit to creep in to our hearts. This will only push people away from receiving the Truth and we are in danger of falling and becoming one those that we criticize.

“Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

When we see the Lord doing a work in disreputable sinners we should rejoice and ask the Lord how we can serve these individuals. We should not be behind their backs discussing their waywardness. Instead we should ask how can we help them. How can we build them up? How can we show them the love of Christ? This is what we are called to do. We are not to be like the religious Pharisees who thought themselves so great because they knew the Word. Brothers and sisters if we don’t truly love others we will gain nothing. Walk in love..

"You Are Gifted For Your Calling!"

Dear brothers and sisters,

I have been a busy bee with WeUsed2bu Ministries and I have not been able to write as often as I’d like to. The Lord is expanding our territory and I am humbly at a new learning curve. So keep me and WeUsed2bu Ministries in your prayers. I am going to try to do at least one posting a week here until I can start writing regularly again. You are always on my heart and in my prayers. Thank you for reading Consecrated To Him.

“You Are Gifted For Your Calling!”


Each of us has a God ordained purpose in this world. We are divinely placed right where we are at for such a time as this. It is not an accident that we are who we are. We were destined by God to be us. Our personalities, talents, and skills were given to us by God to bring glory to Christ Jesus. While we were being formed in our mother’s womb the Lord knew us and determined how He wanted to use us in the body of Christ. He gave each of us spiritual gifts which would help us fulfill His calling to become servants of the Most High God. We are a gifted people. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

"To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” 1 Corinthians 12:8-11

I want you to receive this deep inside of your spirit “You are gifted for your calling.” “We are gifted for our calling!” We are empowered by God to change the world around us. This is awesome! Knowing this should encourage and motivate us to move forward and work towards fulfilling the vision that God has put in us. You know what I’m talking about. The Spirit of God has put a vision in you to do something. Whether it’s to start a Christian band, pastor a church, lead a bible study, feed the homeless, become a foster parent, or open your home to missionaries; what ever the vision is He has equipped you to do it. You will never have to do it alone. I promise.

Not only does the Spirit of God empower us to do our part but then He also brings others along side of us with the same vision and heart that we have to fulfill the vision. Let us not forget that we are all together Christ’s body, and each of us is a part of it. You will see that if you just step out and put your faith to action the Lord will bring other gifted people to help you along the way. Trust me..I have seen this happen in my own ministry. I am so blessed that I am not alone. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Often times we allow the spirit of fear to come in and talk all up in our ear. We start to listen to fear telling us how inadequate we are for our calling. We begin to focus on how weak we are and how we still have so much more room for growth. Before we know it we have given up before we ever got started. We talked ourselves right out of stepping out in faith. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Brothers and sisters remember that our Lord did not give us a spirit of fear. The Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind is what we have residing in us. We need to remember that and walk in the Spirit. When the spirit of fear comes we are not to give it our ear. Instead of listening to all the negative junk that only serves to keep us from making progress we need to chose to listen to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God will encourage us and bring us back to Truth. This is the Truth…

None of us has reached perfection. We will be imperfect for as long as we are here in this imperfect and sinful world. But praise God that we can be certain that God, who began a good work within us WILL continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. In the mean time.. Our Lord has saved us and equipped for every good work that He has called and ordained us for. It is ok to feel inadequate. Our Lord can work with this because feeling inadequate reminds us that we are dependant on the Lord to see the vision through. When we think that we know it all or we think that we are standing strong we are in danger, be careful not to fall. When we are humble our Lord will exalt us and expand our territory. When feel weak it is ok because His grace will be all that we need. His power works best in weakness. So be glad that you are weak, because when you are weak He is strong and that is worth boasting about. (Philippians 3:12, 1:6, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Corinthians 10:12, 1 Peter 5;6, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Few of us were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called us. The world might look at us and consider us foolish, but God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think that are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. So be excited! We are perfect for our calling. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Go out into the world and fulfill your destiny knowing that you are gifted for your calling. Be strong and courageous. Let your confidence be in Christ Jesus. Meditate on the Word day and night and then you will prosper and succeed in all you do. Our Lord is with you and in you helping you. We have everything we need in the power of the Holy Spirit to serve Christ Jesus and fulfill the calling that Christ Jesus has put on our heart. Don’t be afraid any more! (Joshua 1:8-9)

Do You Want To Be A Follower? Then...

Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

Turn From Your Selfish Ways - “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” Philippians 2:3-5

Before we can take up our own cross and follow Jesus He tells us that we first have to turn from our selfish ways. The amplified version of Matthew 16:24 says, “If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests]”

We have to die to our self-centered desires which come from our old nature that fulfills sinful pleasures, has a “what about me attitude”, longs for the pleasures of this world, and is self serving. Immediately the Word that comes into my heart is Galatians 2:20 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” What Paul is saying here is that he died to his old self and desires when he came to faith in Christ. Christ and advancing the kingdom of heaven became his priority. That is exactly what we have to do, die to our old sinful and selfish desires and start putting others and the cause of Christ first. No more me, myself, and I attitude.

Leaving our selfish ways is about becoming others minded, loving them, looking out for their interests and well being (physically, spiritually, and emotionally). We voluntarily become a servant to others knowing that we labor not for our own glory but for the benefit of the Kingdom of God. Turning from our selfish ways is to become kingdom minded losing sight of our own will and instead accepting, desiring, and fulfilling God’s will here on earth. Once we lose sight of self then we can carry our cross.

Take Up Your Cross – “And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:27

Jesus’ journey through this world that led Him to the cross was marked with suffering and persecution. He was lied and talked about, the religious people of that day tried to trick Him and make Him stumble in His ministry, His family thought He was crazy, He was beaten and tortured, they called Him names and mocked Him, and He was betrayed by one of His own disciples and deserted by the others when He needed them most.

Our Lord and Savior suffered for us. He counted the cost for the salvation of our souls and determined that we were worth it. He set the bar by loving us to the point of carrying His cross. Now we must also count the cost of following Him and take up our own cross of suffering and persecution for the kingdom of heaven. (Luke 14:25-35)

The more we serve Jesus in Spirit and in Truth the more we will be hated, talked about, and persecuted. People will try to discredit and destroy our testimonies. They will hate us because we bring the sword (The Word of God) which cuts through them. Many love the darkness and our light shining on them reveals the sin that they love to keep hidden.

Here’s what our Master has said..

“All nations will hate you because you are My followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22

“Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted Me, naturally they will persecute you.” John 15:20

“Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of My household will be called by even worse names!” Matthew 10:25

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are My followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” Matthew 5:11-12

Follow Me – “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give your life for Me, you will find it.” Matthew 10:39

Becoming true followers of Christ is more than just believing in Christ Jesus and being saved. A follower by definition means one who subscribes to the teachings or methods of another; an adherent. If we are to be followers of Christ Jesus then we must be subscribed to His teachings (The Word of God) and His methods of serving and loving others. We need to adhere to His will and His Way of living (pure and holy). Here in Matthew 16:24 Jesus is telling us that if anyone wants to be His follower we must turn from our selfish ways, take up our own cross, and follow Him (The Word of God).

Following the Word is a matter of laying down our life because we love Christ Jesus because He first loved us. We trust Him and we know that His Word is true. He died for us and we desire to give our lives in return as living sacrifices to be used by Him to bring glory to God the Father. We are not ashamed of the cross and the gospel message so we share the Word of God not only through our words but through our actions. His love in us gives us a passion like our Master’s to see the souls of men redeemed from the hands of the enemy so we imitate Him by preaching, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17)

As followers we find our true life in serving Christ Jesus. We know that our Lord created our new life in Christ Jesus for such a time as this so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Let us be determined now more than ever to become followers of the Word and truly be about our Father's business.(Ephesians 2:10)


Father please help us to surrender our selfish ways and lay down our lives to follow you. We know that we will find our true lives in serving you and sharing the Truth of the Word of God. Thank you for the good work that you have started in us. We trust you and abide You. In Jesus name..Amen

You And Your Household Will Be Saved!

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” Acts 16:31

I have seen this scripture come to pass in my family. Glory be to God! Over the past year and a half my husband and I have seen many of our family members come down to the altar and receive Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When we decided to jump off the fence and really surrender our lives to the Lord everything changed. We began going to church consistently and inviting everyone to come with us. We were praying and interceding that when that altar call was made that the Holy Spirit would touch their hearts and that they would repent of their sins and turn to God for salvation and many did!

The first of all of them, which was the least that we thought would ever surrender to God was my brother in law Mike. He seemed to be the farthest away from God lost in self indulgent sins that were destroying him and his family, but the Lord heard our prayers and saved his lost soul. Glory be to God who is faithful to redeem the lost. Today he is on fire for Jesus and full of the Spirit of God. Thank you Jesus! Then by Easter 08 my father in law who had a terrible agonistic spirit had a Damascus road experience with Jesus and got the answers that he was looking for. He overcame cancer through the healing power of the Holy Spirit. Today He seeks our Lord’s face daily searching for his specific calling.

The total so far is ten friends and family members that have given their lives to Christ and this past Easter five more were added to that. YAY!! I am telling you this to encourage you to keep praying for your friends and family. You don’t have to preach at them all the time. Sometimes family are the hardest ones to minister to. They may not immediately believe what the Lord has done in us. They may not receive that we are new creations right away because they remember the old us. So be patient and loving. Be on fire for the Lord, but don’t condemn your family to the fiery pits of hell. Allow your new life in Christ Jesus to be the testimony that speaks to them. Most often actions speak louder than words. The Lord can use a quiet and gentle spirit to win people over, so be careful with using many words. Use wisdom, common sense, patience, and most of all love which conquerors all to bring your loved ones to the Lord. (1 Peter 3:2, 1 Corinthians 2:1-6)

If they ask you why you believe in Christ Jesus or where your faith lies then be prepared to tell them without arguing. Share the Gospel with them and allow the Holy Spirit to work on their hearts. Between what you share verbally and the example that you set by the way that you live your life they will be won over. Invite them to church. If they say no say ok, but then invite them again the following week. They will come eventually. You’ll see.. (1 Peter 3:15)

For those with prodigal children keep looking out for them. Don’t stop watching for their return. The Lord has seen your tears and heard every one of your prayers. He will bring them home. You just continue to cover them with your prayers. The Lord has not forsaken your children. He is being patient with them and allowing them to come to the end of themselves. I believe with all of my heart the Lord is bringing His remnant to your children even as I write this. He has prepared a way of escape for them. He has put a fork in the road that will lead them back to Him. Be patient and trust Him. Don’t give up just yet. You and your household will be saved!! In Jesus name!!! AMEN!!

Spirit Filled Women of God Needed

Calling all Spirit filled women of God blessed with the ability to give wise counsel who have a heart to train young women and teen girls to live wisely and pure lives. (1 Corinthians 12:8, Titus 2:4-5)

The WeUsed2bu ministry team is currently looking to expand out reach! We plan to begin marketing extensively to area churches, social services and centers, and commercial businesses that might be willing to let us post and distribute our materials at their locations. We want to see our information in the hands of as many young women and girls as the Lord will allow, so that they can utilize our services. Our ultimate goal is that they would know the Lord, and grow in their relationship with Him, and we are committed to that vision and purpose.

In order for this ministry to be successful, we are actively seeking volunteer counselors and contributing writers to join the team. These would be women who are willing to commit their time, talents, and spiritual gifts in service to the Lord and to the young women who visit the site. We need counselors to answer anonymous questions that come in from our readers and writers who want to share their godly insight on issues that pertain to Christian living. Each position requires a minimum monthly commitment, a high level of personal accountability, and a heart to help young women struggling with the difficulties of life in the current state of the world.

That doesn’t just mean locally; the site is being accessed all over the globe. The ministry has reached the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe, as people find the site and are utilizing its resources. It’s exciting to see how the Lord can use WeUsed2bu in that way, but we especially want to be a benefit to our local area, where we know that there is an untold number of young women who are in need of God’s hand in their lives.

If you are interested in coming alongside of us please contact us for more details at advice@weused2bu.com . Please forward this on to any godly woman that you think may also be interested. We are trusting the Lord to raise up the right people at the right time, and are looking forward to co-laboring with them in His name.

P.S.

If you are a blogger or have a site that you feel could help us reach out to potential counselors or writers please feel free to cross post this on your site. On behalf of both the WeUsed2bu ministry team and our readers, many thanks.

They Too Will Believe

Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
And He turned to me and heard my cry,
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
Out of the mud and the mire,
He set my feet on solid ground
And he steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing.
A hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what He has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.

I love this Psalm! It’s the story of my life. I was a mess before Jesus. Then one day I realized it and I cried out to Him for help. That was the day my life changed forever. He began lifting me up out the terrible mess that I had made of my life. He drew me closer to Him with the hunger He put in my heart for His Word. That is the solid ground that I walk on today, His Word. He truly has steadied me as I walk on this journey through life with Him. He is there holding my hand so that when I stumble I do not fall.

His praises..Well I am always singing praises to our Lord. I love worshipping Him. I lift my hands up and close my eyes knowing with all my heart that I am in His presence. I can be in a crowded church and I don’t care. I sing and worship Him with all of my heart.

This is something that the old Lisa would have never have done. Today I am new creation in Christ Jesus. The old has gone and the new has come. What the enemy tried to use to destroy me the Lord turned for my good and for His glory. I now stand on the Rock. He is my source of hope, strength, wisdom, and determination. He is the new song that I sing. Many have seen what He has done for me and are amazed. They too have put their trust in Him.

When I read these verses in Psalm 40 I receive comfort and confirmation that I need not be ashamed to share my testimony. You see I know that I am not the only one who was a mess and had to cry to Jesus for Him to lift them up out the pit of despair. Many people today are in despair and our drowning in the mud and miry clay. They are stuck.

What can give them hope and faith? Our testimonies can. Our lives can. We are to be living testimonies for all to see.

“Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.”

It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Others need to know that they are not alone in their mess. They need to know that we were in the pit also at one time but that we cried out to Jesus for salvation and He saved us. Then they will understand why we try to live our lives pleasing to God. Then they will understand why the name of Jesus is always on our lips. Then they too will believe and be saved. Your life can give others hope. So live to glorify Him and be ready to share your story of deliverance. If someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it and do it as a representative of our Lord. (1 Peter 3:15)

“You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 4:16-17

From the Archives: A Word to the Faithful Servant

“Do not despise humble beginning” says the Lord. “I am teaching and growing you up in Me! I will use you to do great things. You truly have been consecrated to Me. I just want you to be patient and keep studying and preparing. This is just a small piece of what I have for you. I will use you to save many in my name. But you must learn to truly trust Me and not allow fear to control you. I will increase your power and strength in Me. Your words will bring healing and restoration, because they will be My Words. You have a mighty call and a strong word on your mouth. Don’t be afraid! You will not be liked by many, but they did not like me either. Be of good cheer because I will be with you even to the ends of the earth. Watch and see this Word come to pass. Continue to encourage others with My words.”

Zechariah 4:10 “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin”

Ephesians 4:14-15 “That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ”

Colossians 2:7 “Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

Joshua 3:5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

Hebrews 10:36 “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.”

2 Timothy 2:15 “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”

Isaiah 41:13 “For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!

Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power to the weak.

Matthew 10:22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Reflecting On This Past Year

As this new year quickly approaches I feel the need to sit back and reflect on the blessings, revelations and miracles that our Lord has done for me and my loved ones. He has been consistently faithful and merciful to us. His provision is always right on time. He is my Loving Father who is always quick to forgive and bestow his grace and mercy on me. Instead of criticizing and complaining about my faults He has encouraged me that I can do all things through His Son. It is our Lord that has put this desire on my heart to live my life pleasing to Him and fulfill His calling. He has opened the windows of heaven and poured out His blessings on our family just as He said He would. My cup is overflowing because I am His. I truly am not deserving of any of this.

This year I have seen mountains moved and hard hearts softened. I saw several family members believe in Christ our Lord, repent, and confess their sins before the altar. Others rededicated themselves and were baptized. Close friends are starting to seek Him and question their purpose in this life. My immediate family has endured trials and hardships resulting in the strengthening of our bond with one another and increased faith in our Savior. This year I attended a wedding that the enemy tried to keep from happening, but the Lord had another plan. Now what He has joined together let no man separate.

Ministries were born and founded. 2008 was the birth of WeUsed2bu Christian Girl Advice site and Consecrated to Him – Real Christian Talk. It is His Spirit that has given me the courage and determination to trust Him to use these sites to help edify and encourage both believers and unbelievers. My husband and I also had the privilege of becoming two of the founders of Out of the Miry Clay Prison ministry formed by ex-offenders for ex-offenders. It has been a very busy year of reaping and sowing.

I wish I would have jumped off the fence sooner and submitted to His Word. It has become very apparent to me that our Lord truly does have a wonderful plan for our life just like the Spirit said through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) I have also received a clear understanding that it is not enough to just hear the Word of God, but that we HAVE TO be doers of the Word. That is how we truly know that we are His because The Word/Jesus Christ is truly Lord of our life. (James 1:22, Matthew 7: 21)

I am excited to see what 2009 has to bring. Even now as I write this I am full of excitement and hope because I know that this next year is going to be full of breakthroughs and miracles. Lives and generations will be changed forever. We will see territories expanded and more given to those who were faithful with what Jesus has already given them. He will use those believers/workers who are self controlled, committed, and determined to help reap from the harvest that is ripe and ready.

In preparation for 2009 I will continue sit back and reflect on this past year. I will not be posting any new articles, instead I will repost articles from the archives that have really impacted my life or that I may just have to revisit. Lol..During this time I will continue to write what I feel inspired to share, however they will not be posted until the New Year.

To my faithful Consecrated to Him readers. I am asking you to please pray and intercede for me and the ministries that are listed above. My heart’s desire is to help encourage and edify you with the love of God and the truth of His Word. So pray for the Lord to continue to use me as His conduit. Also, please prayerfully consider becoming a partner with me in this ministry by not only praying and interceding but by sowing a financial seed. Consecrated to Him is just the beginning of a greater vision that the Lord has given me and your contribution will help bring this vision to pass. I assure you will be sowing into fertile ground.

Blessings to you all in Jesus name…Keep your eyes on Jesus this Christmas season and don’t allow the cares of this world to come in and choke the joy and peace that this season of celebration should bring.

I love you all..

Christ’s handmaiden,

Lisa aka Trophy of Grace

You Have Something To Say

Several weeks ago I was invited to share my story on a site called Power Up Love. Power Up Love is a site where real people are sharing real stories, about how Love has really impacted and changed their lives. I went ahead and shared my story with their readers last week. I am trusting God to bring the right people who need to read my story to their site. I know that it will help someone to know that they are not alone and that God is no respector of persons, what He has done for me He will do for them.

What about you? I know you have something to say. A God story. A praise report. A story of deliverance.

You have something to say that someone needs to hear. Don't be ashamed or afraid to share your story of how our Lord delivered you from whatever it is. I had been in and out of jail since I was a young teenager and eventaully ended up in prison because I was so rebellious and full of rage. I was on drugs, involved in gangs, rude, angry, selfish, a thief, and so many other ugly things. I am not happy about who I was, but I am no longer ashamed.

I am one of God's many trophies of grace. He saved me and cleaned me up. He washed away all of my sins and gave me a solid foundation to build my life on, Jesus Christ. Today I share my story without fear. I don't care what the religious Pharisees of today think or what the self-righteous Christian says. I live for Jesus, not for man.

We can not not allow the enemy to try to hold us back by making me us feel that we are worthless because of our past. We have to be sure and confident of who we are in Christ Jesus. I know that I have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, so have you. Our sins are at the bottom of the ocean to be remembered no more. We are no longer worthless and lost. We are children of the most High God saved to serve and help save the lost. We do this by sharing our stories.

I encourage you to not be afraid to share your testimony. Don't allow what you went through to be in vain. Allow our Lord to use these experiences to help others. We defeat the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. We lay down our own lives when we share it with others. (Revelation 12:11)

You have something to say... Don't quench the Holy Spirit of God when He is directing you to speak to someone in love. This is not of yourself. It is not about you. It is about the person that needs to hear what God wants to say through you. Open your mouth, do not be afraid. The Lord will give you the Words to speak and when He does it will be annointed with His power to heal, deliver, and confirm. He will give you courage if you will only allow Him to have His way. Be his conduit.

From The Archives: Pray Much For Others

Our prayer life should not consist solely of seeking God on behalf our own needs. It is our responsibility to compassionately pray and intercede on behalf of the needs of others as well. Look at Paul’s instructions to Timothy regarding interceding for others.

“Here are my directions: Pray much for others; plead for God’s mercy upon them; give thanks for all He is going to do for them. Pray in this way for kings and all others who are in authority over us, or are in places of high responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he longs for all to be saved and to understand this truth; That God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, himself man, is between them to bring them together, by giving his life for all mankind. ” (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

We are called to be intercessors praying for the salvation of the lost, for those in authority over us and in positions of great responsibility, and also for other Christians. (Ephesians 6:18) Our prayers guided by the Holy Spirit and full of faith will make a difference in the lives of others and in the world.

James 5:16-18 says, “The prayers of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results. Elijah was as completely human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and one half years! Then he prayed again, this time that it would rain, and down it poured and the grass turned green and the gardens began to grow again.” (1 Kings 17:1-7, 18:36-39)

The Lord wants to use us to intercede on behalf of others who have not yet come to know Him. Our prayer should be for God to have mercy on them and for those satanic blinders to be removed from their eyes so that they can see how much God truly loves them and wants to save them. We should pray for them to realize that they are sinners in need of a Savior and that God’s kindness to them has been meant to lead them to repentance.

It is in our best interest to pray for our president and our government. We want to be governed wisely and for God’s will to be done in our country. Praying for those directly in authority over us such as our managers, bosses, and owners is vital to the condition of our daily work environment. Your prayers for the company and its employees will help prosper everyone there spiritually and financially.

Someone right now needs us to stand in the gap for them. Maybe it’s our friend who lost faith, our boss who is going through a divorce and is losing their children, or our widowed landlady who is full of bitterness. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to use us to intercede of behalf of whoever God puts on our heart.

Lord thank you for the privilege we have to come before you not only for our own needs but on behalf of the needs of others. Fill our hearts with compassion and confidence to pray for those around us and in authority over us. We know that our faith filled prayers will help change people’s lives now and forever. Thank you for the power of prayer. In Jesus name..Amen.

Day 2 WOC Treasures In Prison

Continued from Day 1 WOC Story of Champion


Day two was just as amazing as day 1. In the group of volunteers there were two other women who I had done time with in one of the jails, rehabs, or prisons. I can never really remember where but immediately there this excitement and bond. We were there together serving on one accord to give these girls hope that what God had done for us He would also do for them.

We were at Broward Correction Institution. This prison is very special to me because this where I started my prison sentence more than eleven years ago. To be able to go and share my testimony with these women is a dream come true to me. Every time I go back to BCI prison I am reminded of a prophecy that I read once while I was incarcerated. That prophecy changed my life and confirmed my purpose. Instead of sharing the details of the day I would like to share the prophecy because I see it coming to pass.

Treasures in Prison Cells

It was late and I was tired, wanting to go to sleep, but God wanted to talk; it was about midnight, but it dawned on me that God does not sleep. His question made me restless. "Bill, where on earth does man keep his most priceless treasures and valuables?" I said, "Lord, usually these treasures like gold, silver, diamonds, and precious jewels are kept locked up somewhere out of sight, usually with guards and security to keep them under lock and key. God spoke, "Like man my most valuable treasures on earth are also locked up." Then I saw Jesus standing in front of seemingly thousands of prisons and jails and He said, "These have been destroyed by the enemy, but these souls have the greatest potential to be used and to bring forth glory to my name. Tell my people I am going this hour to the prisons to activate the gifts and callings that lie dormant in these lives that were given before the foundation of the earth. From out of these walls will come forth a spiritual army that will have power to literally kick down the gates of hell and overcome satanic powers that are holding My people bound in My own house. Tell My People that great treasure is behind these walls in these forgotten vessels. My people must come forth and touch these lives, for a mighty anointing will be unleashed upon them for future victory in My kingdom. They must be restored." Then I saw Jesus step up to the prison doors with a key. One key fit every lock and the gates began to open. I heard and saw great explosions that sounded like dynamite going off behind the walls. It sounded like all-out spiritual warfare. Jesus turned and said, "Tell My people to go in and pick up the spoil and rescue them." Jesus began walking in and touching the inmates who were thronging Him. Many being touched instantly began to have a golden glow come over them. God spoke to me and said, "There's the gold!" Others had a sliver glow around them and He said, "There's the silver!" Like slow motion they began to grow into what appeared to be giant knights, armored warriors. They had on the entire armor of God and every piece was solid and pure gold! Even golden shields! When I saw the golden shields I heard God say to these warriors, "Now go and take what Satan has taught you and use it against him. Go and pull down strongholds coming against My church." These spiritual giants then started stepping over prisons walls with no one to resist them, they went immediately to the very front line of the battle with the enemy. I saw them walk right past the Church. The big-name ministers, known for their power with God, were surpassed by the giant warriors, like David going after Goliath! They crossed the enemy's lines and started delivering many of God's people from the clutches of Satan while demons trembled and fled out of the sight at their presence. No one, not even the church, seemed to know who these spiritual giants were or where they came from. All you could see was the armor, the golden armor of God, from head to foot, and the shields of gold were there, the shields were restored to God's house and there was great victory and rejoicing. I also saw silver, precious treasures and vessels being brought in. Beneath the gold and silver were people, the outcasts, the poor and the despised. These were the treasures that were missing from God's house. Then the Lord said, "If my people want to know where they are needed tell them they are needed in the streets, the hospitals, the missions, the prisons and jails." When they come they will find Me and the next move of My Spirit and they will be judged according to My Word in Matthew 25:42. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I need clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not come to visit me."

By Bill Yount

A Story of A Champion

Let me introduce you to my brother in law and brother in the Lord. He is living proof that our God is still in the business of doing miracles. After a 15 year drug addiction he has been delivered by God and is now completely sold out to Jesus. He is a JESUS FREAK!! I asked him to share his story and his experience from this weekend. I give you Mike Colon.. A story of a champion.

My name is Mike Colon and I am 30 years of age. This weekend I was blessed to have an opportunity to go into the prisons with the Bill Glass Prison Ministry WOC. Before I explain the awesome experience I had I figured I should give my testimony so you can understand just how big our God is.

My early childhood was pretty normal, grew up in a family with parents, an older brother, and a younger brother. We had a typical American Puerto Rican family. We lived in a nice home, had family vacations and grew up very close to our extended family. I was always a model student, played lots of sports and was actively involved in music in school. When I was going into the 8th grade we moved from New Jersey to Hollywood, FL and the transition really started my downward spiral. Within just a couple months of moving to Florida I was hanging with the wrong crowd, skipping school and started smoking marijuana. It was in my freshman year of high school when I just started living for the flesh.

My days started and ended with drugs, I was always late to class, grades fell and the things that were once important in my life didn’t matter anymore. It’s to no surprise that soon enough marijuana was not enough. My school was in a very “upper-class” neighborhood but that just meant drugs were easier to find. I started doing a lot of LSD and cocaine. By the time I was a junior I had gotten arrested several times and had gotten one of my girlfriends pregnant. I dropped out of high school in my senior year with 2 children and started selling drugs. I was seeking every possible fleshy way of filling the void that was empty this whole time.

From this point on in my life I was a “functioning” drug addict… I always had good jobs and even got my GED and was in college for pre-med/nursing. It wasn’t until recently that I realized even though I denied God as a young adult (I even went as far as considering myself agnostic) God always protected me. I continued on this path of destruction, always justifying my actions because I had a job and a family. In the years to follow I dropped out of college and continued living crazy. In that time I met my wife… about 8 years ago.

Our lifestyles were identical. We partied and did drugs routinely; I was a terrible boyfriend and a bad father. We had 2 beautiful daughters that I never appreciated until recently. And before I realized it I found myself deeply addicted to oxycontin and other pain killers.

In early December 2007, my older brother and his wife basically did an intervention on me and I went to a detox facility. Before entering the detox center, I was given a book called “Lose That Man and Let Him Go” by Bishop TD Jakes. This was the beginning of the end of my previous life. On my detox bed I prayed to God and asked him to help me change my life and I promised that if He did this I would dedicate my life to the Gospel.

Well, here I am! I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior on December 19, 2007 at Calvary Chapel Ft.Lauderdale and have never looked back. The addictions, the strongholds and the person I had been were instantly and miraculously gone. Our God, the Ultimate Redeemer, changed what many thought was the unchangeable… ME.

Since being born again, I’ve married my loving wife. God’s miracles didn’t just stop at me; they also impacted my wife… The change God has done in her life is just a whole other story. I’ve redeemed my relationship with my kids and I have dedicated my life to the Gospel. I am now actively involved in my Church and various ministries including the prison ministry event this past weekend.

I have to start by saying this weekend was AWESOME. I kinda expected to have a blessed weekend doing Kingdom work but never expected to be this fulfilled. This was my very first prison ministry event and I was really concerned that I wasn’t going to be ready. After praying over and over, God comforted me and explained that I didn’t need to be “prepared” I just needed to trust God and He would do the rest. Talk about a “conduit”. I truly felt God’s presence in the prison and I knew the words I spoke were the words of our heavenly Father. This experience was confirmation to me that God has a bigger plan for me and I could almost relate to the joy the Apostles must have felt leading people to know Jesus.

There were several incredible experiences I had this weekend doing Gods work but my best experience was at Dade Correctional Facility. After the guest speaker concluded his testimony he asked the inmates to take a look around to see the volunteers who were there to help talk to them about God. I noticed an inmate acting very “hardcore” just a couple feet in front of me (I mean what can we expect of these guys, they are in prison). But when he began looking around we caught eyes and to my surprise, standing in front of me was one of my best friends from middle and high school. When we caught eyes, immediately the “hardcore” image disappeared and in front of me was a very lost, broken individual, screaming for help. At this point I knew why God sent me to that particular prison, we talked for a little while and he proceeded to tell me he needed to change and he knew by my very presence that Jesus was the way. He pretty much said, “If God can change you, I know he can change me.” My heart screamed “THANK YOU JESUS!” and I was privileged to lead my once very carnal best friend to the love of our Almighty Savior, Jesus! Seeing my old friend and leading him to the Lord was incredible and took the cake!

This weekend helped me realize that we are all ministers in the Body of Christ and we are called to spread the Good News. I was able to lead a total of 16-18 once lost men to Christ this weekend and I am confident God will help them change. One of the guest speakers said this weekend we “increased the enrollment in Heaven and decreased the enrollment in hell.” The Bible says angels in heaven rejoice when just one sinner repents. Could you imagine the party in heaven this weekend… Hallelujah and thank you Jesus for this ministry. It has changed me!

Day 1 WOC Pt2 First Public Confession

Continued from Day 1 WOC "By The Word of Their Testimony

After lunch it’s back to the same pods we go so that we can fellowship with the girls. During our lunch break I was asked to be a platform speaker for the second half of the day. I was to go from pod to pod sharing my story. I have done these events quite a few times and I have been asked before to be a platform speaker, but this time was different I did not know why at the time. The Holy Spirit had been telling me to prepare my heart to speak since that morning so I was not surprised when I was asked to share. I asked our Lord to give me the Words that He would have me speak.

I went into the first pod and began to share my story in front of close to 100 women. I told them how I had been raised by both my father and mother until I was eleven years old when they separated. It was all down hill for me then. I became even more rebellious and started running away from home. I went to live with my dad because I was closer to him at the time. My mother was very strict with me and we just always seemed to bump heads. I explained that I realize today that she was just trying to protect me.

Full of stubbornness and rebellion I thought I knew everything and I wanted to be so grown. I had run away twice to New York before the age of 14. My family had formed a gang and pretty much joined forces with another big gang in our county. They were one of these largest gangs in Broward County in the early 90’s. Most of my family only helped feed the terrible demons that possessed my life.

I began doing drugs, fighting, having sex, stealing, clubbing, hanging out all night and disappearing for days at a time. I had been arrested a couple of times and did a little time in juvenile detention. Then I was sixteen when my mother died in a tragic car accident. This pushed me over the edge. Now I was full of rage and hurt. The one emotion that I had the most that ate at my heart was regret. I regretted not being able to be the daughter that my mother deserved. I just wanted to know that she loved me. What I shared next surprised me…

I continued on to tell them that perhaps I had been angry with my mother because when I was small child I told her of how I had been molested by a family member that was staying in our home. When I told her what occurred she addressed the individual along with their parent, but they did not believe me. I remember being slapped in the face and being called a liar. I was wounded forever. This was not the first or the last time that this would occur, not by the same family member. Others too had their way with me.

I stood for a moment before the women in disbelief but in freedom. I told them that this was the first time that I shared publicly that I had been molested. I gave glory to God who has healed me and explained that it is by His Spirit that I am able to forgive and share that story with them. Although I do not forget what has happened I remember with forgiveness. When I looked around and saw the tears and the shock in their faces I immediately knew that many of these women had also been molested or raped. My friend read me a statistic from the Us Department of Justice’s site that said more than 50% of the women in jail said they had been physically or sexually abused in the past. How awful. L

I finished sharing and went on to the next dorm to tell my story of deliverance. That day approximately 200 women heard how our Lord delivered me from darkness and brought me into the light. When I was done sharing I felt like the little girl that hides inside me was no longer full of shame and guilt. She was full of love and freedom in Christ Jesus. She has learned to allow our Lord to take what the enemy meant to destroy her and use it for His glory.

After leaving the prisons we went to a banquet that was hosted by a local church for all of the volunteers. We had dinner, fellowship, and shared our experiences in the jails and prisons. There was singing, laughing, and prayer. It was an awesome end to a glorious day.

Enclosing I would like to say that if you have been molested or raped you do not have to be ashamed or feel guilty. You were the victim but you do not have to remain the victim. You can become the victor through Christ Jesus. He can heal you if you will choose to forgive your offender. It took me many years to even face this situation, to even talk about it. It was just a couple of months ago that I told my husband, whom I have been with for ten years, that I was molested as a child.

Our God was patient with me and knew when I would be ready to face this. One of my mother’s in the Lord shared her story with me of how her father had for years sexually abused her. She spoke with such freedom and without shame. To hear and see how our Lord had delivered and healed her made me want to face my past too. It is because of her story and His Word that fills my very being that I can address this subject today.

His Word has brought healing to my soul. His Word is freedom to those that have been held captive by strongholds, addictions, anger, and unforgiveness. Allow the Holy Spirit to heal you and to help you forgive so that you can be free too.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives and to open the eyes to the blind.” Isaiah 61:1