Forward Thinkers, the ministry I Pastor was birthed nine years ago during a very difficult time in my life. Forward Thinkers, the former church I was Pastoring in NE Houston had been flooded out by one of the biggest tropical storms to ever hit Houston and this natural disaster eventually caused me to experience the loss of over a million dollars of assets. To make matters worse, all this occurred during the same time frame of the sudden death of my twenty-one day old daughter.
Forward Thinkers, I was broken, mad at God, and didn’t have the energy to deal with my grieving wife, causing me to feel like I was ready to give up on our marriage. Forward Thinkers, I felt like a man under attack but thank God through it all I never closed up my bible. I stayed in the word because I feared if I left the word I would end up lost in the world like the prodigal son.
Forward Thinkers, in a vision the Lord showed me a Green House and took me to Matthew 11:28 in the bible.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Forward Thinkers, the Lord told me He would send hurting people (especially people who have experienced church hurt) for me to lead out of their pain and guide them into their full potential.
Forward Thinkers, I now realize in order to go from pain to full potential, we must first be healed. Many new relationships fail because people enter into new relationships before being healed of the pain of the previous relationship. Forward Thinkers, we must also keep in mind the devil doesn’t desire for us to be healed but to remain stuck in the pain of our past.
Last week in a rich West Houston neighborhood a Porsche driving lawyer went on a shooting rampage after his twelve year old law firm came to an end due to financial hardships. This man had a severe breakdown because he didn’t pause long enough in the midst of his problems to be healed. Forward Thinkers, healing is not just for poor people.
Forward Thinkers, today there are a countless number of people walking around hurt and wounded by this thing called life. I struggled back and forth which direction to take this month long series on healing; because this country is so broken and in need of a spiritual healing, there were several angles I could have taken.
Forward Thinkers, as a country, we definitely need to be healed from racial tension, police killings, as well as Black on Black crime.
I wonder how many people reading this article are walking around wounded from the pain and heartache of broken relationships filled with nightmares of betrayal and domestic violence.
Forward Thinkers, I often counsel adults who are still stuck in the painful memories of childhood pain resulting from child abuse, lack of parental support, and generational family dysfunction.
I have not even mentioned the need to be healed from medical conditions such as cancer and lupus which will be highlighted this month.
Forward Thinkers, some of us even need to be healed from self-hurt produced from bad choices such as drugs, sex, and alcohol addictions.
Last Sunday evening I prayed at Houston City Hall during the National Day of Remembrance which is an event in which names of murder victims are called and their families are encouraged. In Houston, the list was over 300 names long of people murdered from September 2015 to September 2016. Forward Thinkers, there are thousands of people grieving and in need of healing.
No time to be playing church; the world needs a word to be healed.
Psalm 30:2New International Version (NIV)
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
Forward Thinkers, in the midst of it all, there is good news: we can call on the Lord and be healed.
Forward Thinkers, Mary J Blige says somebody told her pain is a game we all have to play. I can’t promise you this series will not prevent you from the pains of life but I can promise you it will prevent you from being stuck in the pain. I encourage you to call on the Lord and be healed.
Let’s wrap up by looking at Joseph in the book of Genesis. Forward Thinkers, Joseph had every right to be bitter and broken by the negative events of his life but he stayed connected to God through it all and God healed him from it all. I pray this will also be your testimony.
Genesis 50:19-21New International Version (NIV)
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Forward Thinkers, Joseph had to deal with family hurt but in the end, he ends up blessing the same brothers who set out to hurt him. A true sign of being healed is when your enemies’ presence can no longer irritate you. Forward Thinkers, the next level of healing is when you can bless those who tried to curse you.
Forward Thinkers, Joseph was lied on and ended up in jail behind false charges. In life, bad things can happen to good people but we must find God’s purpose for allowing it to happen. Even in the worst of circumstances we must discover God’s plan and purpose so we can be healed. Now let me add this footnote.Being healed doesn’t mean erase the memory but it means you can move forward in spite of the memory.
Forward Thinkers, Joseph was misused by two men he helped get out of jail. They were supposed to come to his rescue but once they got what they needed out of him, they forgot about him. Forward Thinkers, this is a difficult one because Satan will use what others did to us to harden our hearts against helping others but we must keep in mind the words of Jesus on the cross, ‘Father forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing’. Forward Thinkers, pause right now and ask the Lord to heal you from all the people who mishandled you. Joseph and Jesus both forgave and then did something great after being mistreated.
Forward Thinkers, let’s close this up. If Joseph don’t get betrayed by his brothers, he don’t end up in the pit and being sold; and if he is not sold, he would never end up in Potiphar’s house and lied on by Potiphar wife; and if she didn’t lie on him, he never goes to jail where he interprets Pharaoh’s dream and ends up second in charge in all the land. Forward Thinkers, we must believe through it all, God has a plan and what the enemy meant for your bad, God will turn around for your good. So seek God’s healing hand and be healed so you can reach your full potential.
Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church located, in both Houston, Texas, and the Woodlands, Texas. Pastor Deckard is also the Co-Founder of the No More Bloodshed Movement. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com, follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Periscope @ Pastor E A Deckard or the church website www.ghic.net.