Recovery for families

Beginning this spring 2016 I am starting a new program in my local area for Families and Friends of addicts called RECLAIM. I was the facilitator of a program under the umbrella of Celebrate Recovery for 2 years at my home church.

Everyday life got in the way and slowly turned over the reins to someone else and decided I needed more time to focus on my family. Needless to say I never stopped getting kicked by God to continue it. I have a Facebook page called Family and Friends of Addicts. Family and Friends of Addicts I encourage anyone who have a loved one caught in addiction to visit my page. We have events, live Skype chats as well as ongoing support from the community and myself. I offer Free support for anyone who is caught in this vicious cycle of family addiction.

Blessings,

Pastor Lisa Wilson

 

Todd White

Just wanted to share this with everyone to be an encouragement. We all need to experience God’s Wonders and Miracles. This man is from our area of PA and if I get a chance I would love to see him in person. His video is so worthy for any group leaders, Pastors, or families to share with our kids. For me it has rekindled my fire and passion for the unseen God that I couldn’t do anything but share this incredible video. Our Faith has to be in HIM totally or we miss out on the greatest gift of the Spirit doing HIS work through us.

To watch the video click the link below.

Todd White

 

Blessings,

Pastor Lisa Wilson

You want me to submit to you?

I had a dream once when my husband and I were at a point in our marriage that I perceived him as controlling me. He spoke so much about me submitting to him and if I didn’t I wasn’t doing what God was asking and prohibiting him to lead. I honestly thought my husband was losing his mind. I was raised to do whatever I wanted and could be whomever I wanted to be with hard work. I was taught to be respectful, honorable and have integrity. I did not know what in the world he meant because even in my Christian walk I was totally focused on the fact that while the bible says wives must submit, it also says that husbands should love their wives as Christ loves the church. To me this was extreme and honestly was scary. We would fight over it days on end and while I saw nothing wrong with our marriage or what I was doing I would cry out to God to show me what he meant.

I would cook, clean, work, pay bills, make a lot of the decisions on my own without even speaking with him, get kids off to school, discipline if necessary and saw nothing wrong with it. While I found out later some discipline was ok I only did what I did to prevent my husband from coming home after a long day and have to deal with kids discipline. Little did I realize I was taking everything away from him and his role other than work was diminished. My ex husband loved this because he didn’t have to ever be the bad guy and he didn’t ever have to make any major decisions. But my husband wanted it all and I had a hard time understanding that.

My life growing up my mom was the disciplinarian and she took care of everything because my Dad was not always around and when he was around he wasn’t if you know what I mean. My mom was our mother and father growing up so I was trained up to be like her. She was the only example I had and that’s what I called normal. I would never be angry towards her for that because she was my foundation before I even knew God or Christ. But honestly it did hinder my growth as a Christian Mother and Wife.

So back to my dream during this period of our marriage. I dreamed that I was standing next to a broken wall. The wall stood but was not connected at the top of the ceiling. It was almost like the wall could come down at anytime if someone hit it too hard. When God showed me this I had been praying that he would reveal my role and this is what he showed me. I believe that the wall was an image of the foundation of marriage. My husband was the ceiling that the wall needed to be connected to so it would stand firmly and I was the broken piece that separated the wall from the ceiling. Without me my husband was basically holding up with ceiling all by himself. As a man he is suppose to lead his family and support them but he couldn’t because it was broken or not together. I broke the covenant between my husband, I and God. God being the whole house, the structure and the foundation.

I realized rather quickly that I had a very important role and it was not as a decision maker or to have control over every situation. I also came to the conclusion through prayer that I had to submit to God long before I could submit to my husband. It was not instantaneously but I could slowly see the wall that was broken mending. My husbands load became less of a burden to carry and I found joy in just being a mom. My husband and I became partners for the first time.

Many people believe that if women submit to their husbands they will be controlled, not allowed to speak and will have to ask permission for everything. That’s not true at all and the perception that has been painted over the past generation is what is keeping marriages from being successful and lasting forever.

When a women submits she allows God to take control of her life. She is given the power of prayer for her family and is shown what is important to pray for. She is given wisdom as a mother, wife and friend. It is the most freeing feeling in the world. I still to this day say we are a work in progress but that work, while difficult is well worth waiting to see the finished results when Christ is the Center of our marriage. Our family and our bond together increases each and every day.

Once I realized that not only was our foundation stronger it was like I was watching a relationship blossom from just being acquaintances to seeing my husband fall in love with me and truly loving me like Christ loved HIS Church. It became a foundation of true love and not just a marriage or a piece of paper that said he was my husband and I his wife.

Life became easier too, yes we still had struggles and kids will still be kids but with this new foundation we could now pray for our kids. We could see changes in our children, family, jobs, finances that we wouldn’t of had if I hadn’t submitted to God first. God is now at the forefront of all we do, all the choices we make.

We as women need to trust our husbands and when Christ is at the front leading your husband you will trust him because you know he is leading you and your family closer to God. Now he may stumble and you may actually not always agree with how he leads but submitting is putting the trust in him. If he makes a mistake we must let it go and not use words like, “I told you so” because that will only discourage him. As a wife we can speak and offer up our wisdom but ultimately it is his decision to lead your family. Trust him and never stop praying that God is always at the front of any decisions that are made.

I guess I really can’t emphasize enough that our job as women is to pray. We are that pivotal piece that holds that wall up. We are the light of Christ over our family that is filled with love, grace and mercy. While our husbands have that too they are built for so much more and have several areas where their strengths and gifts are used to uphold the ceiling of the family. Whether that be through labor, discipline or teachings. Women offer those things as well but should not be at the head of any of those decisions unless it is agreed upon.

This is why prayer is so important and the foundation for every decision that is made in a home. A solid Christian home has an order that was 100% ordained by God. That is that God is at the Head, the husband is to lead and the wife is to walk along side her husband. God surely didn’t give birthing rights to Adam for a reason. And God punished both Adam and Eve for Eve’s choice to eat the apple after Adam warned her not to.

Please do not think I have a legalistic view to submission I’m not trying to portray that at all. We women are so important and our husbands recognize this. Some may not say it and some may demand this is the way it’s suppose to be. I believe what ever way it is received pray on it. It took me to get down on my knees to really seek my role.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Please help me to understand what it means to submit, to You and to my husband. Our culture seems to believe that submission is a negative quality, one that should not be pursued. In a day where Your ways are not accepted, please help me to remain strong and live how You want me to. Show me what it means to submit in marriage. Help me remain humble and willing to submit to my husband daily. Please help us to submit our hearts to You in Jesus’ name AMEN! (Unveiled Wife) 

Blessings,

Pastor Lisa Wilson

 

 

 

Truth Seekers

On a search of Churches to attend over the past two years I have found that few churches teach all the doctrine of the bible. I have learned that so many of these churches with a denominational background have removed part or parts of the Bible to fit their beliefs and are being used in part to brainwash their congregation that this is the only way.

I follow a women on Facebook who has recently started a home church for this very reason. She posted a comment last night that really hit home for me on this very subject. One of the ladies who commented stated that there was a person she was visiting in the hospital. A Deacon from the Catholic Church came in to visit the patient and offer up communion. He explained his position with the Church and stated that he does not have the same connection with the Holy Spirit and can not bless the water or the food the same the Priest can. After reading this I was floored and it brought so many thoughts to my mind.

John 17:24

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

I am not here to debate or even argue whether one faith is right or wrong but I am going to encourage each of my followers to carefully examine the doctrine they are being taught. I wrote a blog recently on Religion or Relationship and this ties very closely to that post.

We as a body of believers must know that because of the New Covenant we have been given the same rights and powers that Jesus had when he walked the Earth but most people are not taught how to fully unleash that power through the Holy Spirit. Church leaders have a tendency I think sometimes to want to control their people to the point that they don’t want us to know we have that same ability to heal and pray the same way Christ did. We hear about it in public schools that they are dumbing down our kids by the new Core Values, is this what has happened to our Churches around the world? Of course many pastors around the globe are publicly healing and delivering people from disease, oppression, and many other things but are they teaching their followers that they have this ability or is it an act? I can’t say for certain but I do know that if a Priest that his Deacon does not have the same connection with the Holy Spirit that Priest is taking God’s authority and saving it all for his own glory and not sharing it with others. Is that happening everywhere? I don’t know but I encourage each and everyone to dig deeper and start asking questions.

Ephesians 4:14

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

2 Timothy 2:16-18

But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.

Titus 1:10-11

For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

Hebrews 13:9

Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

2 Peter 3:17

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness

Romans 16:17-18

Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

2 Peter 2:1

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

1 Timothy 4

4 ^1-2 God’s Spirit specifically tells us that in later days there will be men who abandon the true faith and allow themselves to be spiritually seduced by teachings of the devil, teachings given by men who are lying hypocrites, whose consciences are as dead as seared flesh.

^3-5 These men forbid marriage, command abstinence from food—good things which, in fact, God intends to be thankfully enjoyed by those who believe in him and know the truth. Everything God made is good, and is meant to be gratefully used, not despised. The holiness or otherwise of a certain food, for instance, depends not on its nature but on whether it is eaten thankfully or not, It is consecrated by the man who has accepted the message, and thanks God for food.

^6-7 You will be doing your duty as Christ’s minister if you remind your church members of these things (false teaching), and you will show yourself as one who owes his strength to the truth of the faith he has absorbed and the sound teaching he has followed. But steer clear of all these stupid Godless fictions. Take time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.

^8-11 Bodily fitness has a certain value, but spiritual fitness is essential both for this present life and for the life to come. There is no doubt about this at all, and Christians should remember it. It is because we realize the paramount importance of the spiritual that we labor and struggle. We place our whole confidence in the living God, the Savior of all men, and particularly of those who believe in him. These convictions should be the basis of your instruction and teaching.

Many churches or denominations have removed several important pieces of doctrine because they/man said they didn’t like what the real word of God means or didn’t like the interpretations that were taught to them for years. This is why we have so many different churches/faiths in our Nation compared any other Nation in the world.

Lastly how do we prepare ourselves in a way that we know what we are being taught is of sound Doctrine? We must first be in the Word, study the Word, know the Word and ask the Holy Spirit to help us discern the Truth. We are in a generation that the Word has been twisted and taken out of context for so long that we need God to reveal the truth to us. Generation after Generation has become less and less reliant on the Bible. More and more Atheism and Agnostic faiths have emerged. We can also see more and more Satanic Cults emerging on State Capitals around the US openly expressing their belief. To combat these things is not to bury our heads in the sand and ignore them and it really isn’t about going on a crusade and fighting them in combat. We must arm ourselves with the Full Armor of God. To do that we must pray and strengthen our relationship with God.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Lisa Wilson

 

Relationship not Religion

How many of us during some point in our Christian walk have been told we are too religious? I know I have been countless times in my walk, especially when I am on Fire for the Lord. I am shouting his name from the roof top and telling everyone I know about who my Father is and how awesomely amazing he is. 

I just had a conversation with my sister and she told me to stop talking about it that Religion is private. I spoke up and said it has nothing to do with Religion, and the only thing that is private is my intimate relationship with him. I still don’t think that she fully understood my point and I will continue to beat my head against that brick wall until I see her saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

I find myself defending my faith more and more these days. Our family has been hit by so many people who claim to be religious. Any one can claim it because all they have to do is say I believe that the world was created by someone or something supernatural so there must be a God. Problem with that is they have no clue who the Father really is. They have never experienced his amazing grace and love. 

I find myself spending more and more time thinking about HIM. Sometimes more time than I think about my husband or kids. I believe it is so amazing that he can direct my thoughts to HIM in such a way that I don’t want to do anything else other than spend time with him. I crave that deeper relationship that is so powerful that it can take me to a place where I begin to feel like a small child with my Daddy’s arms wrapped around me. 

When we draw closer to HIM that is exactly what we get, a deeper more intimate feeling of HIS presence. Those brick walls that are keeping us from HIM because of busy schedules come tumbling down. The hills don’t seem as steep to climb and the road blocks are no longer obstacles.  When we make time he takes time to do what he needs to do inside us. 

It’s kinda like if we take time to water a plant it will grow but if we don’t it will wither up and die. Thinking of the story of Jonah and how Jonah handled things when God covered  him with the vine. But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”       Jonah 4:5-11

If Jonah would of just watered that vine he would of had covering much longer that what he did. We too are like Jonah everyday we walk on our own and don’t really see what God is doing for us because we aren’t paying attention. 

I remember a time when I was working outside the home for a retail Optical as a manager. I had a young man who worked with me who I found out was a christian. He was a really cool kid and would see me in the morning and some how always knew if something was weighing on me. He asked me if I needed prayer and we would chat about one situation or another. You don’t find that too often in the work place anymore. We worked together for about a year then told me he had found another job. I was so upset and actually prayed to God now what am I going to do. I actually was gonna miss this guy just because of his presence and we could talk so freely about God and Jesus. Well the first day that he was not there God did something amazing for weeks on end. Everyday for several weeks God sent me Godly customers. Men, Women, families who would begin conversations about God. I remember sitting there measuring them for glasses and we would just Praise God at the desk. Now that’s a God who was trying to get my attention. I think one of the reasons he was trying so hard was because several months later he had an important message he wanted to be sure I received. 

God put me through a lot of things that year that made me realize how a relationship with him is so important and valuable. He will do anything to get our attention we just have to pay attention. We have to think of it like this sometimes to really appreciate our God and all he is attempting to do for us. My question is would you marry someone you don’t know? Why would you want to and then later find out he/she wasn’t right for you. God already knows us but he wants us to get to know HIM. How can we do that if we don’t spend time with HIM?

 

Blessings,

Pastor Lisa Wilson