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FROM THE EDITOR’S HEART
One of the first truths that became alive in me was that God is ever speaking and wants me to hear His voice. As I approached the Scripture with a yielded heart toward the Holy Spirit and an expectation to hear, the Holy Spirit was faithful to speak to my heart and renew my mind. Jesus said, …I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth…for He dwells with you and will be in you…He will teach you all things…He will guide you into all truth…(John 14:15-17, 26, 16:13). Another conviction that became real in me was that I needed the body of Christ and Father God’s delegated authorities to have a vibrant walk of faith and fulfill my calling (Eph. 4). The dynamic experiences I went through during college—concerning relationships, my career, bosses, money, and stuff—could fill a lengthy book, and I am grateful for every experience, even the painful ones. This issue of Present Truth contains articles from individuals in our Power House college/career ministry. They share how God has shaken them to the core and made Himself very real to them. May the Holy Spirit use their words to encourage and strengthen your walk of faith.
Sincerely in Christ,
THE LAST DISCIPLE is a well-written novel that
is a good alternative to the left-behind series. It is written from
what we consider a partial-preterist viewpoint; i.e. that the
great-tribulation and most of the book of revelation was written about and
fulfilled in the first century. Reading it is an excellent way to both
enjoy a novel and gain a scriptural understanding of how Jesus' and His
apostles prophecies were fulfilled in the first century.
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We are glad to have you as a subscriber to our Present Truth Magazine. Below you will find articles from individual authors who have written for our magazine. Our prayer for all who receive read these articles is that the Lord "...may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18).
Wisdom for 21st-Century Living Some people who appear to be successful fail to find the true meaning of life. They can be educators, philosophers, psychologists, poets, playwrights, kings, government leaders, scientists, and even theologians and end up empty, often depressed, worn out, and even suicidal. Solomon, a king in ancient
Israel, is an interesting example of one who had wealth, riches,
pleasures, and honor before men and satisfied his natural human appetite
with material things. Still he did not find the true meaning of life
until he was very old and contemplating death. I believe that the
Creator placed Solomon’s writings in the Scriptures for every generation
to profit from his experiences. The very humble king responded: Give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge (rule or govern) your people, that I may discern between good and evil (1 Kings 3:5, 9). Divine wisdom is the key to finding true meaning to life and living “under the sun” on this planet. A human being cannot find true wisdom apart from revelation from God. Solomon’s downfall started when he began to “search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven” (Eccl. 1:13). Normally, “wisdom” in biblical literature means piety, godliness, and virtue, but this text is speaking of human wisdom, perhaps along the lines of Greek philosophy, where truth is sought solely by the intellect. The pursuit of human wisdom is vanity and like grasping for a handful of wind (Eccl. 1:2, 4:16, 12:8). Solomon’s writings in Ecclesiastes speak clearly to the culture of our day. While experiencing every conceivable pleasure and earnestly pursuing and achieving unprecedented success and wealth, Solomon concluded that life is meaningless apart from a vital connection and devotion to God the Creator. Solomon says, Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl. 12:1). As we grow older, we frequently experience the symptoms of aging, such as the loss of sight, hearing, teeth, etc. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it (Eccl. 12:7). Therefore, while we are young, we should seek to please the Lord and honor Him in our work so that God can give wisdom, knowledge, and joy. Through total devotion to God through Jesus Christ, we have access to the wisdom, discernment, and knowledge of God that leads to successful living and true meaning in life. This writer has been young and
now is growing older. I have found and currently
Abundant Life Covenant Church sponsors a college/career ministry called Power House (located in the Bears Mall at Grand and National in Springfield), and we encourage those of you ages 18-25 to come and visit. You will discover the true source of all wisdom for 21st-century living. A. Wilson Phillips is the co-founding and senior pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.
CONNECTED This month’s Present Truth is emphasizing college ministry. College students are at one of the most crucial junctures of their lives. They are no longer children but still in the process of integrating into the adult society. They’re experimenting, questioning, and testing life as they know it; they’re endeavoring to find the balance of living for the moment and planning for the future. One of the issues that college students will need to scrutinize is our western world’s emphasis on individualism. It is my conviction that one of the deepest needs of our hearts is really to be a part of something larger than ourselves, to be vitally grafted in to a living, thriving cause. Let’s look at three examples where the individual can be linked to greatness.
This is what God calls covenant. He has initiated an eternal connection with us through His Son Jesus Christ. This is a faultless agreement with our infinite God that requires our best in response to His best. In fact, every facet of our well-being and fruitfulness springs from our participation in God’s presence and His kingdom.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members
of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a
holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together
for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22).
Richard K. Clark is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.
Power House An ancient prophecy reads: I will give you a new heart—I will give you new and right desires—and put My Spirit within you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new heart of love (Ezek. 36:26, TLB). Approximately 865 years later, Jesus of Nazareth recognized the fast-approaching day when this divine prophecy would become a reality. He told His disciples: I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth… He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-18). As Jesus’ earthly ministry was drawing to a close and He was about to return to His Father, He instructed the waiting disciples: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8a). Since the beginning of creation, no one who followed God’s ways had ever experienced the permanent indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. The disciples had no idea of the magnitude of Jesus’ statement. They were to be the first to receive God’s power inwardly in the person of the Holy Spirit—who would free them from all forms of psychological bondage, cleanse them from guilt, fill their lives with purpose, and bring them unimaginable comfort, joy, and peace. When Jesus said, “You shall receive power…,” He used the Greek word “dynamis” (doo'-nam-is), from which we get our English word “dynamite.” The Holy Spirit would give them the power to live above the former control of sin and the power to live in a dynamic relationship with their Creator. For the first time in man’s existence, God’s nature could now be expressed through a people who had received His power. Jesus stated, “…You will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you (John 14:20). He also promised: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I will love him and manifest Myself to him… and We will come to him and make Our home with him (John 14:21, 23). Not only did Christ’s followers become “power houses” individually, they were placed together to form a corporate “house” for the Spirit of God. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22). The greatest need in the human psyche is the need to belong. This innate desire is felt the strongest during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. It is what drives us to find a mate, to settle down, to create a family; it’s what drives us to find our significance. God placed this desire in you and me. It’s what He uses to draw us into a relationship with Himself where we find our true sense of belonging and our true sense of significance. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6), and again, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44). The Father draws us by tugging at the emotions of our heart. The purpose of Power House (our college/career ministry) is to provide a home for those the Father is drawing. If He is drawing you, come and visit with us. It’s where you belong! Most of the stories written in this issue of Present Truth are by young people who have discovered the power of a changed life through an encounter with the Spirit of God. Byron Hamilton and his wife Leesa lead the Power House college/career ministry and own Med-Soft National Training Institution in Springfield, Missouri.
Holy Spirit as my
Teacher Last May I graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor of science degree in manufacturing systems management. I experienced success and failure during my time in college. Both my success and my failures confirm the importance of the role Holy Spirit plays in my life. I spent my first year of college in rebellion against Holy Spirit and ended up failing. After surrendering to the Lord, I began to seek Holy Spirit on what He would desire for me to do. As I sought Him, He revealed to me that I was to finish up my college education and that I should seek a degree in manufacturing. I sought Holy Spirit diligently on this, but my motivation was to get direction so that I could continue doing things my way. At the time, I thought the Lord’s job was to give me direction, but I was the one who would work it out. As I began to work toward my degree, I took a math class that was extremely challenging to me. I did not have the discipline or the understanding to pass the class and ended up failing it. This deeply disturbed me because I thought that as a Christian I should be getting A’s and not F’s. (I still believe this.) However, I was not relying on Holy Spirit to pass the class, I was relying on myself, and this is the reason that I failed. I learned the role of Holy Spirit involved more than just giving me the direction for my degree. I learned that Holy Spirit desired for me to rely on Him at every point in my journey through college. Proverbs 3:5-6 says: Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. I took the same class again with a new understanding. I would pray for Holy Spirit to help me to focus on my homework before I would do it. I began to pray for my teachers. I also prayed for Holy Spirit to bring things to my remembrance as I was taking tests. I remember one time when I was taking a test that I could not recall how to work through a certain problem. In the middle of this problem, I was prompted to sing a praise song under my breath as I shifted my focus on the Lord. He brought to my remembrance how to work the problem. At the end of the semester, I ended up with a high B in the class. I believe that God gives each individual a calling for his/her ministry. However, it is important to realize that our highest calling is to seek the Lord in the journey as well. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matt. 6:33). Matt Bears is a member of Power House and a graduate of Missouri State University.
Hearing God’s Voice I grew up in church and heard testimonies of how words spoken from the Lord had completely changed individuals’ lives. When I was sixteen, I made a decision that I was going to do my own thing. I turned my back on the Lord and rebelled against Him. At nineteen, unbeknown to me, the Lord began to call my heart to Him. The rebellious lifestyle I was living was no longer fulfilling, and I began to desire more out of life. It was during this time that I started a new job and discovered that my supervisors and most of the employees were young Christians. God knew the desires of my heart before I did and placed me in a situation where I would see and hear His presence through my coworkers. As my heart began to soften towards the Lord, it began to open up towards my coworkers, and I heard their words differently than I had before. I began to hear testimonies of how God had spoken to these young people and had completely changed them. These testimonies were similar to ones I had heard growing up. Unfortunately, the more I wanted to hear God’s voice personally, the more unworthy I felt. I was fearful that God had turned His back on me because of my sin. I became frantic, and my guilt was overwhelming. I let my emotions control me, and my mind could not rest. I began to think that I wasn’t chosen by God at all. One night I had the understanding that if I could just get completely quiet and make my mind be still, and come to the Lord expecting to hear His voice, that I would indeed hear His voice. So that’s what I did. The moment I was able to get quiet, God’s voice came quietly to my inner being and said, “I have never left you, nor have I forsaken you.” God was there the whole time; He had never turned His back on me! All I needed to do was be still and focus on Him. The Bible says in Psalms 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” By God’s lovingkindness and mercy, He forgives us; however, many times we need to die to our negative emotions (fear, anxiety, guilt, etc.) and say, “Lord, I lay these fears down. My emotions are not what I live by; they are not truth. I live by Your words.” Matthew 4:4 says: It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Not long ago, the Lord reminded me through the above Scripture how important it is to hear His voice every day, to believe and live by His words. His quiet inner voice and His written Word are what now sustain me and give me confidence daily. He is all that I am and all that I have need of. God actively speaks today through the Holy Spirit and pursues His children by His spoken and written Word. He desires to have fellowship with us and delights in us. I am so thankful God desires to give us a successful future and will never leave or forsake you and me. Angel Lemmonds is a member of Power House and an insurance follow-up representative at Cox Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri.
Marriage—Two Good Forgivers Like most little girls, I thought marriage would be that fairy tale life you see in the movies. What is not shown in most movies are the difficult times that married couples face. The truth is, the person that you are closest to will be able to hurt you the most. I heard our youth pastor say that a good marriage is the union of two good forgivers. I laughed at the time, and then a few months later I got the opportunity to put his wisdom in practice. My husband and I had only been married a few weeks when the Lord spoke to me and told me that if I wanted our relationship to last and be fulfilling, there were a few things that I personally was going to have to do. I had to learn that forgiving is not just about saying, “I'm sorry,” but it is also about saying, “I forgive you.” A study from Duke University Medical Center revealed what forgiveness does for our bodies. The study showed that those who had forgiven others experienced lower levels of pain and fewer associated psychological problems, like anger and depression, than those who had not forgiven. The study demonstrated that the body participates in our negative emotions, not just through the muscles but also through cardiovascular disease and a weaker resistance to infection. People who reported higher levels of forgiveness were more satisfied with their lives and less likely to report symptoms of psychological distress, including feeling nervous, restless, or sad. Marriage has been a wonderful opportunity for me to practice forgiving. As Christians, we have no “right” to withhold forgiveness, regardless of how bad someone hurts us. Jesus said it best: For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:14-15). Peter asked Jesus: “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and 1 forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:21-22). Jesus is not giving us a legalistic formula; He means limitless forgiveness. True humility is laying down my own feelings and asking Father God what His will is in that situation. I never realized the importance of true forgiveness until I humbled myself and practiced it, and I continue to practice it. It is a liberating feeling—the best way to live life. Whenever I feel unwilling to release forgiveness, I always think, “Do I want my heavenly Father to forgive me?” Amy Clark is a member of Power House and is a financial counselor for Cox Health Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri.
Tested By Fire In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire... (1 Pet. 1:6-7a). Higher education is considered one of the most quality investments a person can make. It is believed in our “Age of Enlightenment” that college classrooms are where minds are molded, ideas are formed, and where the future of society rests. In college universities today, most professors have academic freedom to teach however they want. We all speak and teach from our bias. Regardless of how hard we try to be objective, what is inside of us will eventually come out. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34b). A few years ago I entered Missouri State University with specific values and priorities. Some of my values and priorities are not in keeping with the ideologies of liberal universities today. This placed me in a rather uncomfortable position. I have had many opportunities to speak my faith with professors and students. Sometimes, because of fear, I have elected to keep silent; however, I can always count on another opportunity to present itself in this setting. About a year or two into college, I declared religious studies as my major. Talk about a “pilgrim in an unholy land.” Because I study religion at a secular university, my conviction in God has come under question. All the previous thoughts and beliefs I had were now exposed under the microscope to be examined. I started hearing many things that contradicted what I learned growing up in church. The authenticity of God’s Word was under attack in most of my classes not just in religious studies. As a result of these experiences, I have learned to read, study, and think. It has been difficult to attend a university which emphasizes human reason over divine revelation. Whenever I hear something that is foreign to my thinking, from students or teachers, I examine those words with God’s Word, the Bible. His Word has become my measuring stick for truth. The pastors at my local church have stabilized me during this time. They have always encouraged me to embrace these challenges, because it gives me another chance to seek God and His Word. This is why it is so crucial for us to plug into a local church; we need pastors to help guide us along during the times when our faith is tested. Without this understanding to harness me, I would have easily been “tossed to and fro” (cf. Eph. 4:11-16). Unfortunately, under this pressure many turn away from their upbringing and embrace these liberal ideologies. Often this is because Christian young people develop beliefs not convictions. Faith in our culture is seen as just some belief. Faith is more than just a belief; it requires action/obedience (Heb. 11). I believe too many embody the words of the 2004 Presidential candidate John Kerry when he said, “I leave my faith at the door.” This is part of America’s problem today; we’ve left our “faith at the door.” Faith is not something that can be left at the door. Faith is what enables God to move in our circumstances. My time in college has been a quality investment. I’ve learned how to respect my professors and classmates even when we disagree, which seems to be quite often. Over time, I have become a more panoramic thinker. However, my view of God is still very focused. I believe in the inerrant, infallible, and authentic Word of God, regardless of the scrutiny. Some say that makes me a narrow minded, unintelligent thinker. Oh well, the religious leaders in Jesus’ day didn’t believe He was that intelligent either, so I’m in good company! In order to make steel, one needs intense heat. Our faith must be tested by fire because God is strengthening our convictions like steel. The building material will snap under pressure if it’s not tested by heat. Kyle Clark is a member of Power House and a student at Missouri State University. He is employed with the Springfield News-Leader.
Transformation For a long time I struggled with not knowing who I am and what I am supposed to do with my life. I have come to understand who the Lord has made me to be and that my identity is from Him. Although I know this to be true now, the road to the truth has been a humbling experience as well as a confidence builder. Over the course of time, my confidence had been shot due to my lack of success. My most recent relationship ended on a not-so-good note, leaving me feeling worthless. It was during this time, when I felt all hope was lost, that I found the strength to proceed. In our weaknesses, the Lord is strong. I learned to develop a dependency upon Him for every situation. For our light affliction … is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:17). The trials and tribulations that we face both within ourselves and without are all meant to build us up in the character of Christ. Learning to trust in the things we cannot see is acting with childlike faith. Many times I have had situations inflicted upon me from external sources outside of my control, such as illness, and have also experienced the inability to change those within my personal sphere of influence. Negative thoughts that I created within my own mind inevitably led to self-inflicted bondage. Each of these instances was used by God to conform me to His image. I began to feel utterly at the mercy of situations and circumstances that had befallen me. Then the Lord spoke through James 1:2-4: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. Applying this Scripture, incredibly, my outlook toward all the difficulties in life has changed from defeat to victory. The Lord has revealed to me the essence of who He is in the midst of all the trials: “He who does not know love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). The very essence of what my heart had longed for, which was to know love and to be loved, is the very essence of who God is within me. My search to be loved ceased in the world, and I began seeking love in God. The eyes of love were opened for me and have become my guide. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19). This verse has been impressed upon my heart for quite some time. I had gone through a period in my life where I knew the truth about God and spoke it but did not live it. I found out I reap what I sow. The people that I so desperately wanted to touch and see change, did not. To be a Christian is to be Christ-like and to live as He lived. In order to see the fruits, I must be the fruit. By being God’s fruit, I will draw my fellow man through my actions and bring them to understanding by imparting God’s truth to them. Christ said: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you (John 15:16). Brandon Dupree is a member of Power House and a student at Ozark Technical College in Springfield, Missouri
Changing from the Inside Out In my teenager years, I had a relationship with the Lord. He blessed me with the desire to want to please my teachers, parents, and coaches. I was independent and was used to doing things by myself. I displayed an appearance that was intimidating to others, and it made it easy for my peers not to like me. Playing sports and working hard to make good grades, I became so involved in wanting to be the best that I neglected putting effort into my relationships. I focused on myself. I also developed into an overly sensitive, insecure individual. I thought if I were able to change my appearance then maybe I would be accepted by my peers. I ended up trying to handle my problems by portraying a rough exterior; then because that wasn't working, I became even more sensitive on the inside. I was very miserable and after awhile found myself not caring about my appearance. Basically, I would just roll out of bed and go to school in shorts and a t-shirt. After some time, I got the opportunity to have a new beginning at a different school, and the Lord started to work on my thinking. He had given me the understanding that being sensitive was a very good thing as long as I was sensitive to Him and allowed Him to control my thoughts and actions. When a tough situation would come up, I would ask the Lord how He wanted me to handle it. I started to realize the need to filter my thoughts through Him. He changed my thinking, and the changed thinking caused changed actions. During that time in my life, I heard a message at church that if we try to take control of a situation, we limit what the Lord can do—but if we allow Him to have complete control, then He is an unlimited God on our behalf. I started to let the Lord show me how to relate to my peers, and He showed me how to be outgoing in a positive way in my relationships. Through this change in my life, I started to feel better about myself. When I look back on those memories, I see how the Lord had allowed tough situations to come my way to produce patience in me. By relying upon His presence in my life and asking for wisdom, I have changed from an unstable and double-minded person to one who displays the Lord’s confidence in my life. My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:2-8). Amanda Bears is a member of Power House and is a financial sales representative at UMB Bank in Springfield, Missouri.
Walk—Don’t Run My spiritual journey reminds me of building a house—one has to lay the foundation first and build slow and steady, and the foundation has to be strong for the house to be strong. My spiritual foundation is formed by me receiving God’s truth, meditating on it, renewing my mind to it, and making the necessary changes in my life. The Lord has been teaching me that He is unchanging. However, I’m learning that I am changeable. I have the ability to change to be more like Christ every day. A few weeks ago, I found a journal that I hadn’t written in for a few years. As I thumbed through it, I was amazed at the great changes God has accomplished in me. Slowly but surely, He has been changing me into the image of His Son. The following journal entry indicates where I was in 2003:
Sometimes I wonder, wonder if I’ll ever
really be okay. Being sick sucks. Yesterday I flipped out on my friend and
cried for probably 30 minutes off and on. I was okay at one minute and the
next started crying again. I don’t understand; I am taking my meds, why
aren’t they helping me that much? I would be afraid to see what I would be
like if I weren’t on any meds at all. Sometimes I want to take extra pills
so I don’t have to feel anything. When I get depressed like this, I think about the bad things that have happened to me, but I suppress the events and just remember how it made me feel... I know I need counseling but it costs money and that’s something I am really short on. I really want to get a second job. Maybe that will help me keep my mind off of everything else going on. Reflecting on how I use to feel and think just a few years ago was a real wake up call. I thought back to what had led up to this very depressed, confused, and destructive state. It was a series of not very significant compromises. When I was a teenager in high school, I had a very close walk with God. I was active in our youth group and knew right from wrong. When I was 19, we left our hometown, and I moved in with my aunt in a different town than where my mom and siblings lived. I had fewer rules and stipulations. I started a new job and made friends with people my own age who were not Christians. I did not get reestablished in a church home. I was out of my normal routine and did not make the right choices. Eventually, I started going to parties that involved heavy drinking, smoking pot, and cigarettes. I began thinking that clubbing and partying was the way to go. At the age of 20, my life started going downhill—extremely fast. My life seemed out of control, and I felt like I was going nowhere. I began hanging around with people who did methamphetamines. I moved into my own apartment, and one of the guys I hung out with needed a place to stay so I invited him to stay with me. After he moved in with me, he quit working; soon money got really tight, and I couldn’t meet my bills. I lost my apartment. I began doing things I said I would never do, and some things I never even thought of doing. I ended up getting in trouble with the law, twice. I chose the life of the world, and I am still serving a five-year probation with the law. After all these wrong choices and suffering the consequences of those choices, I was labeled with a mental illness: bi-polar with schizoaffective disorder. I was admitted to the psychiatric floor of the hospital, twice. I felt I had hundreds of voices talking in my head all at once. I would even cut my body just to relieve the pain in my mind. I saw things that weren’t there. I heard things that didn’t exist. I went to no less than ten doctors and ended up on nine different medications simultaneously. It was during this time that I made the above journal entry. The Lord brought me to a place where I had no choice but to give up. I surrendered my life back to God. I was able to begin decreasing my medications and believed that if I would continue to obey Him I would be completely healed. Since October 2005, I have been medication free! I began a new entry in my journal: It’s been a few years since I wrote in this journal but I found it and thought it would be a good idea to start writing again. A lot has changed since 2003, but good has come from it all. I love God so much! I usually find myself writing about some guy I have a crush on or I think I love. But now it’s all about my Father God. He is so amazing and great! He has done so much for me. Tonight at Power House, He healed me from my strong independent will. Now my will is His. I don’t want control anymore. I am tired of driving and wrecking. It’s time to grow up in Him. Ever since I have built my foundation with the Lord as my rock and have walked with Him, I could not be happier! I can see that there was purpose in my pain; it has brought me to where I am today.
Janissa Hole is a member
of Power House and a manager at Sonic Drive-in Restaurant in Springfield,
Missouri.
POWER HOUSE A new ministry that targets 18 to 25-year-olds is gearing up for the upcoming school year. Students, graduates, and those on career paths that may not currently include college are welcome. Power House is a
transdenominational ministry that gives attendees a sense of family. The
power of the Holy Spirit is present in our in-depth Bible studies, times
of prayer and praise, and in our daily lives. Come study, do research,
receive counseling, and/or just hang out with like-minded people. |
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It
was during my college days that the Lord really got hold of my life.
Growing up, I usually practiced the Christian principles my parents
taught and lived before me, but I occasionally rebelled against those
values. God taught me how to be intimate with Him, transformed my
thinking, and solidified my faith as I transitioned from being dependent
on my parents to being dependent on Him. 
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experience
true pleasure in my union with Father God. I truly believe the best is
yet to come. 
Children may come from this relationship, and they will be secure
and healthy
when encompassed by parents, the church, and God.