Testimony Tuesday

Good morning friends.
Today’s testimony is about carrying the root of bitterness.

I know that in my own heart I’ve had to deal with this problem personally.

There are truths in the following video that spoke to me and have had to learn over the years.

A quick personal testimony for me is when my stepfather passed away in July of 2019 I had thought I had dealt with unforgiveness and bitterness towards him for all the abuse myself and my siblings suffered with while growing up.

I thought those feelings would end with his death. It did not. I did forgive him several years prior after my mom passed, but there was still some lingering undefined roots of bitterness that surfaced every now and then.

A week prior to his death my stepfather asked for all of us kids and grandkids to gather around him because he stated he had something he wanted to tell us. We had all been there to help take care of him during his last days.

My expectation was that he was finally going to apologize for the way he treated us. In anticipation we sat in his living room and gave him our undivided attention to see what he had to say…it was not what I expected.

He began to tell us about a monument that he all wanted us to go visit off of hwy 395 in California. He shared a story about a tribe of native Americans who were unjustly slaughtered a long time ago. I couldn’t even tell you what tribe. He was telling us we should go there and visit the site that was located behind a gas station off the highway.

There was no apology. There was no repentance of any kind. There was no, “I love you.” There was no, “I’m so proud of you kids.”
Nothing.

Although we quietly listened, and respected him. His grandkids respectfully promised him they would visit the site when they returned to So California since it was on the way back from Nevada where he lived. (I never personally went to the site, because I lived in the opposite direction in the Pacific Northwest. Perhaps one day I will)

I was a little disappointed, but not surprised.

He passed away peacefully in his home July 31, 2019 . My sister and I were asleep when the aide came to wake us up and tell us he had passed.

Fast forward two years, and we were still cleaning up my parent’s estate. Though he left a large mess for us to deal with, I was forced to think about some painful memories during that time.

God began to remind me of the lingering unforgiveness I had in my heart. But, it was a process even when I thought I had completely forgiven him in the past long before he passed. My heart was still wounded, and exposed to those memories.

I wanted so badly to hear those words from the man who raised me since I was nine years old. But it never came.

When I saw this video, one of the freeing things I’ve heard was that, it is a process. The truth in this woman’s testimony hit home with me.

Forgiveness doesn’t always mean there will be reconciliation. The point is, being in bondage to bitterness will only torment you with no solution to be free. So, I knew what God wanted me to do. He’d rather I be reconciled to Him alone. I finally let my stepdad go. I was no longer a slave to him or the feelings I felt, nor the anger and bitterness.

What defines us is not our expectation of what we think we deserve when someone has wronged us, but what God has already done for us. He is enough!

My prayer for those of you that have suffered with unforgiveness or bitterness is that, allow God to do the heart surgery you need. He will take over your crushed heart of pain, and the torment of slavery to all that was wrong. It may be, that you will need to do this more than once, even daily for a while. But, had it not been for God to forgive our own sin, none of us would be any better. I pray you find true freedom from the bondage of bitterness and unforgiveness through the only burden lifter of God’s tender mercy and grace.

And yes, I know I am free because Jesus Christ did it for me.

Be at peace.

Blessings,

Paula
@CallToBattle

We say we trust God, but so often, we live like it all depends on us.

We try to control outcomes, protect ourselves from pain, and manage every detail so life won’t fall apart.

But the truth is, you were never meant to carry what only God can hold. And until you let go, you will never know the deep, unshakable peace that comes from choosing surrender over control.

And that type of surrender doesn’t come natural to us.

It’s the boldest act of faith. It says, “I believe Your will is better than mine, even when I don’t understand it.”

So I just wanted to set a little reminder for you today, that you don’t need to have all the answers about what’s ahead. You just need to hold fast to the One who goes before you.

Peace begins where striving ends, and trust takes over.

What you place in His hands, He strengthens. What you surrender, He sustains. And when you yield to His will, you find the rest that you have been searching for. ☕️
~Amy Klutinoty ~

Well, I think the longest I’ve waited to turn the furnace on was by the end of October. I normally turn my oven on or the fireplace to warm my downstairs. But when the bitter cold arrives…I finally surrender to the furnace. Anyone else place this game?😁

Me: “Lord, what do You want me to know today?”

God: “Come to Me in earnest surrender, laying down at My feet all those things that hinder you from being available to Me when I call you to work on what I’ve given you to complete for My kingdom purpose in your lifetime.

“Trust Me to help you handle those things that slow you down and trip you up. I have better plans for you than to leave you stuck in a rut of just surviving; let Me show you the greater things you can accomplish with the very resources I’ve already given you. What I'm looking for in you is a heart of humble submission, willing to be shaped and molded by My hand, so that you may become more usable to Me and more resilient for the journey I intend to take you on.”

Ps. 84:12 (NIV) ~ “Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”

Welcome to our second week of the ACTS prayer model. This week we focus on Confession.

Again we want to direct you the helpful Bible Hub app.

Confession
After Adoration, the next step is Confession, acknowledging our sins and seeking forgiveness. Scripture emphasizes the seriousness of sin (Romans 3:23) and our need to repent. Confession fosters humility and openness before God: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
In (Daniel 9:5-6), Daniel’s prayer includes detailed confession of wrongdoing, demonstrating the necessity of honestly admitting guilt. Confessing sin is not simply recounting failures; rather, it is agreeing with God about our moral state and dependence on His grace, ultimately leading to restoration and fellowship. The manunoscripts of both the Old and New Testaments consistently highlight confession as an integral aspect of genuine prayer (see Leviticus 5:5, Psalm 32:5).

Testimony Tuesday

I love to hear about encounter miracles that are unexplainable. You know…the kind that instill a wow factor response.

These are the kind of miracles that gives you Holy Spirit goose bumps.

Though we shouldn’t be surprised at all, because we hear accounts like this all the time.
But we love to hear about them because stories like this increase our faith.

Today I am sharing a couple of said miracles. Please feel free to share your experience of a miracle encounter.
👇🏼

I would have to agree with Pastor Sean Fuecht regarding Trump’s comments about making it to heaven. I believe the Holy Spirit is working in Trump’s heart, for sure. Please pray for Trump. Pray that his heart will finally see and completely surrender. Pray he will have an encounter with Jesus.

https://youtu.be/HxU3lMD0Z_o?

https://youtu.be/bgLKnxAuiEI?