Why Do We Need Healing?

Who. . . Me?

 

Sharing an article by Ken Unger

To quote the Book of Jeremiah 30:12-13: "This is what the LORD says: 'Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you’.” I’ve come to accept that the “wound” God is referring to is that of a broken heart. Afterall, there is no surgery, therapy or medicine available that can CURE that kind of wound. It’s something only Christ can do, WHEN we see our need to be healed. And, as I’ve mentioned before –
"It would seem that God often allows and creates a need within us, before He willingly fills (Heals) it."

When we’ve been hurt by someone, the emotional wounds we receive will often result in a broken heart. In my own healing journey, I’ve come to recognize and acknowledge just how badly I had been wounded during my lifetime. Fortunately, God brought me to the place where I could no longer deny the pain and infection from my past hurts that had been building up (tearing me down) for so many years. And, not only were those hidden, past, heartfelt wounds affecting me personally, but they were also affecting my relationships with others and the choices in life that I was making.

Prior to beginning my Healing Journey in Christ, I never knew just how blind I was. Not only regarding my own woundedness, but also in regard
to seeing the effects of a broken heart within others. To make my point –
if you never had the measles, than you probably wouldn’t recognize the symptoms in someone who does. But once you’ve had that infection, you can easily spot that sickness in others, because “you’ve been there.” Yes indeed, for a while I was truly blind. Not only did I have “eyes, but could not see” – “ears, but could not hear” – and “a heart that didn’t understand,” there were also many other “symptoms” of my wounds and brokenness.

Following is a list of symptoms that people tend to have when they’re suffering from a broken and wounded heart. And truly, I’m not providing this information to “point the finger” at anyone in particular. But when it came to my own past woundedness, I recall having a number of these symptoms, prior to beginning my Healing Journey in Christ. I found the information while I was researching How Forgiveness affects our ability to Heal. You can find the entire article on Forgiveness, Healing and Transformation at www.annemurchison.com/forgiveness.htm

Here's a direct excerpt from the article written by Anne Murchison:
 

In the table below we see just a few of the poisonous fruit of unforgiveness* [*symptoms of a broken heart - rbd] in no particular order of importance. They are all devastating to our relationships with God and one another.

Bitterness                        Resentment            Unbelief          Impatience

Hopelessness                  Rebellion                 Tension          Passivity

Being Judgmental             Negativism              Self-Pity         Anxiety

Self-Righteousness           Selfishness             Gossip           Racism

Broken Relationships        Rejection                 Criticism        Pride

Chronic Unmet Needs       Addictions               Deception       Rigidity

Punishing Silence             Frustration               Legalism        Adultery

Perfectionism                   Manipulation            Sarcasm        Divorce

Physical Abuse                Verbal Abuse           Isolation         Control

Loneliness                        Backbiting               Whining         Hatred

Some Depression              Some Sickness       Jealousy        Rage

Shallowness in Relationships                            Despair          Blame

Dishonesty with Self, Others & God      Withholding of Love and Affection

Insensitivity to Self, Others & God         Lying to Self, Others & God

These are not endearing qualities nor are they easy to live with in others
or ourselves. Unforgiveness is fertile soil for their propagation and growth. God's Love and Forgiveness are our only hope and remedy for a broken heart, a shattered life and a wicked world.

So when we see all of this “stuff” going on, what are we to do? Well, I’ve personally experienced that each of us needs to come to that place of hearing Jesus ask: “Do YOU want to get well?” You see sometimes it IS about us, and our personal need for Healing through Heartfelt Forgiveness. And sometimes, the first person we need to Forgive. . . is ourselves. You just can’t give to others what you don’t have and possess within yourself.

The following article is part of a monthly newsletter* which is published by Ken Unger. After being introduced by Dan Copan and then talking with him on the phone, I first met Ken when I attended a Transformational Healing Retreat with Dan back in May of 2008. Ken and Dan have been close friends for nearly thirty years now and have been working on Dan’s own Transformational Healing Journey for over twenty years.

In Dan’s own words, “Ken personally showed me a love and concern that
I had not experienced before. I felt he really accepted me and listened to me as I gradually opened up and shared the painful hurts of my past with him. His true friendship simplified the Healing Process for me and made it accessible. Despite my own previous religious mindset and background, Ken helped undo the “religious shoulding process” and helped bring me
to a healing place in Christ through his true unconditional love. Similarly,
I feel that Jesus did the same thing. He abolished religion and established relationships – in Love.”

And wouldn’t you know it. . . it was Dan Copan who brought what he had received and learned, through Ken and others, to me. I get the feeling that just like when you throw a stone in a pond – True Unconditional Love has a ripple effect. Once we receive and experience it, it goes on and on. Yes indeed. . . “Love Never Fails!”

Copan & David

Why Do We Need Healing?

(By Ken Unger)

I once wondered that. The whole healing quest evolved from my journey of leading spiritual growth retreats and finding ways to help my counselees get healthier. When it happened, I felt it was a diversion from my calling to equip the church to make disciples through learning how to love God and one another.

Then I saw the amazing results in churches where I led Transformational Healing Seminars and realized how badly God wanted His people healed. Only healed people could risk the radical love necessary to become true disciple makers. Those churches that embraced this usually doubled in 

a matter of months as the fire of God’s awesome love began to radiate, shine and warm the surrounding community. One pastor told me this seminar changed his whole city!

Only later did I discover how deeply rooted such healing is in the purposes of God. Biblical names reveal a person’s calling and destiny. Jesus name means salvation, for He will “save us from our sins.” Christ’s name shows us how He does that. Christ means Messiah, which in turn means "the Anointed." What was Jesus anointed for? To heal the broken, liberate the bruised, free the captives, bring good news to the poor, the year of Jubilee that releases us from our spiritual debts, and restoration of sight to the blind. (Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18)

I’ve seen all those things happen and more through Transformational Healing. People are sufficiently humbled to ask forgiveness. They’re often adequately convinced of God’s love for them even at their worst depravity that they can freely accept His love without feeling they must deserve it. This frees them from judgmentalism to truly love others, risk rejection, go the second mile and find compassion for the hurting, even those who have wronged them. It liberates them to care about the things God cares about: loving Him above all and their neighbors as themselves. In other words, it transforms them enough that they can now make disciples. And that’s why we're here. Unless we are doing that we will never experience the abundant life He came to give us.

Is healing necessary? Yes. Without it, most people will never be able to truly follow the Spirit.  A better question is what are you waiting for? Find 

a way to bring healing to yourself and your church. It will change your life, your church and maybe even your city like nothing else ever can. It’s why Jesus is the Christ.

*You can receive a free subscription to Ken’s newsletters by emailing him at KenRUnger@aol.com and putting the word “NEWSLETTER” in the email subject line.

    

Only The Losers

But, Are WE Really in Need?

Sharing an Article by Keith Giles

I recall the words I saw on the T-shirt of a guy who was in a hardcore “Death-Metal” band, some 15-years ago. On the front of the shirt it said, “What a Bunch of Losers.” On the back of the shirt it said:

How foolish are those

that worship such a King,

Who was hung on a Cross – 

Between two thieves!

Ever feel foolish, or maybe like you were some kind of “LOSER”? Well, wait a minute – No Way! Not me, and certainly not you. Afterall, you’re my friend and besides, the Holy Bible says we’re both “New Creations in Christ” – right? So, let's do our best to “leave the past behind and press on.” Yep, we put on our best clothes and a happy face and we go about life.

Now in reality, it would seem that the “true character” of a man or woman is not how we are when people are watching and everything’s going just fine. But rather, how we are (truly feeling) when no one is watching and nothing seems to be going right in our lives. Perhaps we might consider how we feel and act when things aren’t going the way we would like them to, according to “our plans, hopes, dreams and expectations.”

Unfortunately, all of us have endured some painful experiences in life, and no one is exempt. Some of those hurts, wounds and consequences were brought about by our own choices. Sometimes, it’s what other people have done that has had a negative impact upon us. And yet, some of us seem to handle the negativity in life a little better than others.

A close friend once said to me, “Man, I just don’t know how you do it. You keep getting in these (emotional) car crashes and then you get up, dust yourself off and walk away like NOTHING happened.” At the time, I felt good about him saying that, but it WASN’T a compliment. My friend saw the heartfelt wounds of life taking their toll on me, and unfortunately I didn’t. Perhaps, I was truly Blessed when God stopped the “car crashes” and then finally just “dropped a mountain on me.” I think it was at that point that I eventually heard God say. . . “STAY DOWN.” Yes indeed, the Lord loved me enough to finally CRUSH me. In reality, I finally came to that place of saying, “I give up, Lord – have Your Way with me.” So, I must confess. . . I became a “Loser.”

Perhaps in “His Ways being Higher than our ways,” God allows some hurtful things to happen to all of us for a reason. I believe that reason is, ultimately, His desire for Transformation in our individual hearts and lives. I think Paul the Apostle knew something about “being a Loser.” Prior to his Transformational Journey in Christ, Paul (Saul) was truly “on top of his game.” He openly shared his accomplishments (and previous [wounded] pride) in the Book of Philippians – “. . . though I myself have reasons
for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” (Phil. 3:4-6)  Well, Paul previously WAS an obvious “Winner.”

But, as Paul continues in verses 7-8, he writes, “But whatever was to
my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.
I consider them RUBBISH, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil. 3:7-8)  Well,
I guess it happened – Paul became a “Loser” in Christ.

For King David, the Lord allowed him to make some choices that would eventually bring him down. And, it was in David’s acceptance of the Lord’s loving him enough to crush him, that he wrote, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” (Psalm 119:71)

As Job was experiencing extreme tribulation in his life, he wrote, "Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off!” (Job 6:8-9)  As I researched this last verse, I noted the “exclamation point” – it’s in EVERY version of the Bible, going back to the original King James. Seems to me that Job "was cryin’ out loud,” just a bit – Hmmm.

Even Naomi is noted as saying, "Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." (Ruth 1:20-21) 

Hmmm – again. I’m not sure how you feel, but I’m starting to like this list of “Losers.” Maybe with some of the unfortunate experiences I’ve had in my life, God actually loves me, too. So, how about you? Do you see God’s Loving Hand of Kindness at work in your life? Following, is an article I received from a fellow “Loser,” which was written by Keith Giles. May the Truth be told and shared – Glory to God!  And take heart – The Lord Loves each of us so much, that He’s not done with any of us – just yet.

R Butch David

Only The Losers

(By Keith Giles – www.subversive1.blogspot.com)

Only the broken can know the unending joy that comes from being re-formed [transformed - rbd] again into something beautiful. Only the hopeless can experience the astounding relief that comes from being rescued at the last moment. Only the poor can understand what it feels like to receive that undeserved gift of mercy, or food, or rent. Only the losers appreciate the fact that they have been given a trophy that they know they could ever earn on their own.

This is the Kingdom of God. It is scandalously inclusive. It runs against the grain of fairness and tramples on our sense of equality.

Jesus came announcing the Good News that the Kingdom of God was wide open. Anyone could enter it on the spot. However, there were a few conditions. His Sermon on the Mount outlined the requirements for seeing and entering the Kingdom of God. “Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who mourn.”

As John Fischer points out, when it comes to the Kingdom of God – “Proud people don't get in. Rich people don't get in. Successful people don't get in. Self-righteous people don't get in. Happy people don't get in. Competent people don't get in. And it's more than just getting in. People like this don't even see it. They don't know what
it is. They can't. They are blinded by their own sufficiency.”

This is why Jesus proclaimed that it was not for those who are well that he came, but for those who are sick. It was not for the righteous that he came, but for the sinners who were desperate for salvation and
had no way of measuring up without a Messiah who was full of mercy.
(Luke 5:31-32)

I love the account in the Gospel of John (Chapter 9) where Jesus heals
a man born blind. The entire chapter chronicles a kangaroo court where the Pharisees attempt to get at the bottom of this miracle (which Jesus decided to perform on the Sabbath, of course). Throughout the chapter there is a fascinating juxtaposition of the physical blindness the beggar experienced and the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees. At the end of
the chapter, Jesus says, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” (John 9:39) Hearing this, some of the Pharisees asked him,
“Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” (John 9:40-41)

See? Those who know that they are blind [wounded/brokenhearted - rbd] receive sight [healing - rbd]. Those who pretend that they can see are without hope because if they would simply admit that they were in need of Jesus, He would reach out and heal them.