Ministering Freedom Newsletter

MINISTERING FREEDOM
INAUGURAL NEWSLETTER
October 2013

We at The Church Unchained: LukeNine1&2 Ministries hope this email finds you well! We have been incredibly busy since the April 2013 Ministering Freedom seminar: ministering freedom to many individuals as a direct result of the seminar; establishing infrastructure as the Lord continues to expand our ministry; growing and serving through a renovation and expansion project in our home church; as well as many other general life and ministry opportunities. We have seen the Lord do some amazing things in individuals with very complicated and deep layers of wounding, and we continually stand in awe as we witness the healing grace and goodness of God.

Please know that we do not want to bother anyone who would rather not receive emails from us. There were some things turned in on our anonymous feedback forms at the first seminar we thought would be helpful to address briefly, and since we had no way of knowing who wrote what, we needed to send out an email to the entire list of registrants for that seminar. In addition to this, some who registered for the first seminar were not able to attend but expressed an interest in knowing about future seminars. Information about our upcoming (November 8-9) Introductory Ministering Freedom Seminar is included in this email. (If you prefer not to receive future newsletters from us, please "unsubscribe" at the bottom of this page.)

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

Before we go further, we want to thank those of you who attended our first Introductory Ministering Freedom Seminar and made it a huge success! The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive. The only comments we received which even came close to being negative had to do with the temperature in the Sanctuary (either too hot or too cold—we had some challenges trying to regulate the temperature), or with there being so much information presented it was difficult to keep up and take adequate notes (people said they scribbled on all the paper we had in the information packet and still did not have enough room and some suggested we should do a three-day seminar rather than two-day)! Even these comments were offered in the context of great praise for the seminar. Everyone raved about all the delicious food, and many commented that they could not believe we did all of that for free (several commenting that we should charge for it next time).

FEEDBACK FROM FIRST INTRODUCTORY MINISTERING FREEDOM SEMINAR

There were also helpful suggestions for improvement, which generally centered around the amount of information presented in a relatively short amount of time. Some suggested we move to a three-day format (while also acknowledging this may not be practical). Others suggested printed outlines of the presentation so people would not feel they had to constantly be taking notes. It was even suggested we should televise or podcast the seminar or put it out on the web in other ways.

CONFUSION CAUSED BY THE WORD “CREATE” IN REFERENCE TO DEMONIC ACTIVITY

Have you ever said anything and later wished you could take it back? As a public speaker, this has certainly happened to me (Jim Bethany) more times than I can remember. In the April seminar there was some confusion caused by my use of the word “create” in reference to demonic activity; to some it seemed I was contradicting myself. I regret this and will now make an attempt to clarify what I was saying because it is important we understand this. I stated in the seminar that Satan and demons are “sterile” and cannot “create” the way God creates (what theologians call creating “out of nothing”). The point was that demons cannot create “out of nothing” but can only use or manipulate what is already there to produce (“create”) a result. Perhaps if I had used the word “produce” rather than “create” the confusion would have been avoided. I will try to be mindful of that in the future! I explained in the seminar that Satan and demons are able to use against us only what has been given to them by us or someone else concerning us (we can make unfortunate choices which open the door to Satan’s attack, and we can be wounded by others or obligated through a vow an ancestor made concerning the family, etc.). An example would be that demons cannot “create” unforgiveness within us. Unforgiveness is a choice we make out of our own free will. We alone are responsible for it. What demons can do (and they are experts at this) is to stir our emotions and suggest to us compelling reasons why we should disobey God and refuse to forgive someone by pointing out what that person has done to hurt us. They can convince us that we should “punish” that other person through our unforgiveness (the reality is that we are actually injuring ourselves, which demons well understand). Demons can take unrighteous anger that is already within us and push us to unreasonable and illogical rage through lying to us and manipulating our emotions. Again, they are not “creating” rage in the same way God “creates,” but they are taking what already exists and manipulating it to their advantage in order to “produce” a certain result. Demons cannot take a happy person and “create” an angry one “out of nothing.”

Demons can also manipulate our flesh to create pain, headache, symptoms of disease, etc. in order to convince us we have not been healed in response to prayer. I have often seen people obviously healed physically (the pain leaves and they are able to do things following prayer they were not able to do prior to prayer) lose their healing later. What happened? The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The mind is a powerful thing. Because demons are able to manipulate what God has already created, they are sometimes able to “produce” a twinge of pain in our flesh designed to suggest to the person that he was not healed after all. In other words, Satan is able to convincingly give a person similar symptoms to what he had before even though Satan knows healing has happened through the intervention of Christ. This lie is designed to cause the person to come into agreement with the lie of Satan that healing did not take place, and once a person comes into agreement with that lie (they feel pain, don’t they?) the Enemy is able to steal away what God has done in that person’s life. I am not suggesting that if people only had enough faith they would always be fully healed. It is more complicated than that and there is much we do not understand. I am simply relating what we have seen in many cases of people losing the healing they did receive.

DOES GOD NEED TO BE FORGIVEN?

In the seminar we shared how anger and unforgiveness are often major blocks to receiving freedom. We pointed out that among those we need to forgive can be others, ourselves, and God himself. Forgiving ourselves can be much more difficult than forgiving others, usually because we hold ourselves to a higher standard (we think we should know better than to have done this or that). One person wrote on the feedback form, regarding the most valuable thing learned at the seminar: “I never knew that I had a right to even ‘forgive God.’ I’ve had anger issues from abuse as a child, etc. Where is it in the Word we can ‘forgive God.’ He’s perfect.” Since God is holy and perfect and not guilty of any wrong-doing, why would we need to forgive him? I want to address this here because it is precisely the difficulty we sometimes have with this that Satan uses to great advantage against us to keep us from getting free.

We need to remember that God is a Person. As with any other person, we can sometimes mistakenly allow our misperceptions or misunderstandings about that person’s motivation or action to cause us to be hurt or to pull away from that person. For example, someone may say something to us, never intending to hurt us, but we take what was said in a very negative way. Even though that person is innocent of wrongdoing we are hurt, and if we choose to hold onto that hurt we are now guilty of unforgiveness toward that individual (even though, in truth, he did nothing wrong!). The problem is in our perception because in our own minds our perception becomes our reality. In this situation the other individual is absolutely free of wrongdoing and yet our unforgiveness toward that individual is poisoning our relationship. Since unforgiveness is sin (because Christ commanded us to forgive as we have been forgiven) we are now hurting ourselves and giving the devil an opportunity to work against us (see Ephesians 4:26-27).

Since the Bible says God is love and is absolutely good and incapable of sin, the idea that we need to forgive God seems ridiculous on its face. What we need to understand, however, is that the damage is done in the area of our perception of what God has done (or not done, as is often the case). Satan will do anything he can to attempt to twist our understanding of who God is. When bad things happen to us, Satan will often lie to us about the goodness of a God who would allow such a thing to happen. He will tell us if God really is good then he should have been there for us. If God loves you, then why did he allow that person to do that terrible thing to you when you were just an innocent child? Satan will tell us God must think you deserved to have that done to you because you are worthless or unlovable. He will tell you that it was your fault and that you cannot be forgiven. Satan will beat you up relentlessly in an effort to destroy your awareness of self-worth and, as an added bonus, to completely twist your understanding of the Person of God and the unconditional love of God.

We should not be surprised at this tactic of Satan to destroy our trust in God’s goodness. After all, it is the very first tactic against human beings we see Satan deploy in the Bible. Think about what Satan said in the Garden of Eden to our first ancestors: “Did God really say.... He just knows that if you eat of that fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will be like God.” The unspoken inference (supplied by the thinking of the human beings themselves, but Satan led them to that jumping off place hoping they would take the leap) is that God is somehow not good, did not have their best interest at heart, and was somehow holding back good from them. In reality the fault here was not with God at all. The fault here was in the wrong perception Adam and Eve had of God. When they failed to trust God because of their wrong perception they were injured. Many people are angry with God because they feel God let them down by allowing evil to touch them, but they also know that they are not “supposed” to be angry with God (because that would be “wrong”), so they either do not realize they are angry with God and are holding unforgiveness in their hearts toward him, or they will not admit it, even to themselves. Satan is delighted when he can cause you to question the goodness and the love of God. As he does so often, he will tempt you to sin against God by harboring unforgiveness toward him; and then he will beat you up for holding unforgiveness toward God because you should know better than that! Satan loves to hit us with this “one-two” punch: tempt us to sin and then beat us up for sinning.

The individual asked an interesting question: “Where is it in the Word that we can ‘forgive God’”? Normally we think in terms of God forgiving us, and rightly so. Other than the general need to forgive persons we perceive have hurt us (whether they intended to or not, as addressed above) the only place in the Bible that comes immediately to mind in response to this question is the experience of Job. While Job steadfastly refused to curse God and die (as his wife oh-so-helpfully suggested he do!), that did not keep Job from complaining, and complaining, and complaining some more all through the book. Job was “steadfast,” but he was far from “patient” (never mind how this is often misquoted). Job insisted he was innocent of any wrong doing and he brazenly challenged God to show himself so that Job could prove that God was wrong in how he was treating him. Finally, after listening to Job for quite some time, God revealed his greatness to Job and put him in his place: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?” What was Job’s response? Job repented before God. In other words, he forgave God for the “wrong” he had been holding against God. Job never got the specific answers he was looking for and had demanded from God, but once he released God from Job’s requirement that God somehow make things up to him, Job was content. This is the power of forgiveness.

IMPORTANCE OF CUTTING UNHEALTHY SPIRITUAL TIES

Following the first Ministering Freedom Seminar, another person shared on his feedback form that one of the things he had learned was the importance of cutting away spiritual ties (some people call them “soul ties”) to others. These ties are formed through intimacy (usually sexual, but it can also be deep emotional intimacy). God designed us this way for his good purpose (healthy spiritual ties profoundly strengthen a marriage, for example), but the Enemy can use these spiritual ties against us when they are formed improperly (outside of God’s good design). Ties which are improperly formed spiritually between people who are intimate outside of God’s intent for sex within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (pre-marital or extra-marital partners) can be cut away and need to be cut away because demons can use them like a bridge between people to gain access from one person to another. As I shared in the first seminar, we can, in the name of Jesus, take the sword of the Spirit and cut away these unhealthy spiritual ties. It takes only minutes and can have profound consequences in setting people free. Entering into marriage without cutting these previous ties is like inviting all your previous partners with all of their spiritual baggage into your marriage bed, and your spouse and your marriage will be affected negatively. We want to add here, because we are not sure this was emphasized enough at the seminar, that cutting away these ties really should involve two steps: 1) confessing as sin your formation of these spiritual ties outside of God’s will and asking God to forgive you (which, of course, he will if you ask sincerely); and 2) cutting them away with the sword of Spirit (the word of God) in the authority of Christ.

SECOND INTRODUCTORY MINISTERING FREEDOM SEMINAR NOVEMBER 8-9, 2013

Our original plan had been to offer an advanced Ministering Freedom Seminar in the fall of this year which would have been open only to those who attended the introductory seminar. Due to many requests to offer a second introductory seminar before we offer an advanced one, so that other individuals and churches who had missed the first introduction could participate, we will be offering another two-day introduction November 8-9. People who attended either the spring or fall introductory seminars in 2013 will then be able to attend the Advanced Ministering Freedom Seminar in the spring of 2014. The Lord seemed to be indicating that this was a better plan than our original one because it will allow for the training of ministry teams from different churches and ministries without the long delay of waiting for another introductory seminar. (The advanced seminar will utilize more practical ministry demonstrations and will be geared largely around question and answer periods so we can go deeper into some things than the introductory seminar allowed. It will not be possible to attend the advanced seminar without having the foundation provided by the introductory one.)

A "thumbnail" of the November 8-9 seminar flyer is below. Please click on it to view a larger version and to open up more information concerning the seminar in a separate window.

Click on Flyer Image for Information on November 8-9
Introductory Ministering Freedom Seminar

You can also access more information about The Church Unchained: LukeNine1&2 Ministries, including testimonies, by clicking on the link below:

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CHURCH UNCHAINED WEB SITE

REGISTER FOR THE NOVEMBER 8-9, 2013 INTRODUCTORY MINISTERING FREEDOM SEMINAR

A direct link is provided below to our online registration form if you would like to register for the seminar. PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE IN ADVANCE! THIS WILL BE A TREMENDOUS HELP TO US IN PREPARING ADEQUATE RESOURCES. Our attendance is capped at 100 participants for this seminar, so it is possible those who have not registered in advance may be turned away the day of the seminar if we are full. Please note that for the fall seminar we are asking for a $25 registration fee (payable at the door by cash or check) to help with the cost of food and materials.

The Lord specifically instructed us to offer our first seminar as a free gift to the Body of Christ. The cost was substantial, primarily because of the great food. The Lord has instructed us this time to ask participants to help us with the costs for the food and materials. If the asked-for registration fee is a hardship there is a place on the form to let us know that and you can register for FREE.

RETURNING TO INDIA JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS!

LEFT: An unexpected celebrity welcome for our team! (Pastor George Pulidindi is on far left)
CENTER AND RIGHT: Colorful designs in chalk on the street for the New Year (made by dropping loose chalk onto the pavement)

LEFT: Praying in Tuni Leper Colony (The baby was crying and was very hot. We were told he was not digesting his mother's milk. At first he recoiled violently from our touch and emitted an ongoing, very strange wail, but after we commanded demonic attacks against him to stop and asked the Lord to heal him and wash him clean by His blood, the baby became peaceful and cool.)
CENTER: Idols of two of the most popular gods (Shiva and Parvati).
RIGHT: Pastors George and Jim baptize in a mountain stream.

LEFT: A dear sister in the leper colony Jim and Peggy were able to pray with. She radiated the love of Jesus!
CENTER: Bill, Tonya and Becky praying for some of the children.
RIGHT: Two faithful mountain pastors (first generation of the Church in this area).

The Church Unchained, in partnership with Richland Baptist Church, went to southeastern India last year just after Christmas (December 26-January 5) to minister the love of Christ. God blessed our trip and we are now working with a pastor and wife in India with an apostolic network of churches (Pastor George Pulidindi and his wife Dorothy). We covered a lot of ground last year, holding pastor’s conferences, encouraging the churches, and doing as much training in healing and deliverance ministry as we could. It was our privilege to minister to lepers, widows and orphans, in ways which addressed their material and spiritual needs. We were able to pray for healing and deliverance with so many precious people. I have never seen anywhere else the kind of hunger I saw in India to receive personal prayer and blessing. We did not have the luxury of taking a lot of time with individuals in prayer because everywhere we went the people, from the youngest to the very old, crowded around us wanting prayer. If we did not get to them quickly it was not unusual for them to grab our hands and literally place them on top of their heads, indicating their eager desire for prayer. We have been invited back this year (same set of dates) to deal directly with undermining the spiritual foundations of the rampant idolatry which is everywhere you look in India. Please pray for us as we prepare to enter into the spiritual territory of powerful false gods (principalities and powers) who presently hold India in spiritual bondage. We are praying for miracles to follow the proclamation of the Word, as Jesus said would happen, and for many to be set free!

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!

If you made it this far in reading this you may have the perseverance of Job mentioned earlier! :-) Thank you and God bless you!

Please forward this newsletter on to friends who may be interested in our ministry and who may like to receive our newsletter. We count it a privilege to minister to individuals and to share what we have learned with other churches and ministries.

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WE ARE INCORPORATED IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA AS A NON-PROFIT RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION:

You can also call Pastor Bethany during the week at 540-752-9352 (this is the number at Richland Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, VA)

Mailing Address:

At our first Ministering Freedom Seminar, held at Richland Baptist Church, some asked why the address given for financial contributions for The Church Unchained were to be sent to an address different from the church's address. As noted above we are incorporated in Virginia as an independent ministry. As such we have our own official mailing address. The address for financial contributions is:

The Church Unchained: LukeNine1&2 Ministries, Inc. (or just "The Church Unchained")
109 Shackelford Well Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22406

Checks may be written to "The Church Unchained" or simply, "TCU." All contributions to support our ministry are appreciated and are tax deductible. You will receive a year-end statement for preparing your tax return.

IF YOU PREFER NOT TO HEAR FROM US:

We are excited about sharing what the Lord is doing through The Church Unchained: LukeNine1&2 Ministries, so we hope you will want to hear about it as we work to minister freedom to individuals in an effort to unchain the Church so she can walk in power and authority. We really need informed intercessors! We also think you will benefit from the insights the Lord is giving us as we continue to learn from the Holy Spirit how to set people free. We do understand people are busy, however, and that overflowing email inboxes can be a nuisance. If you would prefer not to receive newsletters from us, please click on “unsubscribe” at the bottom of the page and you will automatically be removed from our newsletter email list.