An Ocean of Secrets

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." - James 5:16

I was watching the movie Titanic recently, one of my favorites.  The main character, Rose, tells the story of her romance with Jack, which ends when he dies in the Titanic sinking.  Nearing the end of her life, Rose confesses to her granddaughter this secret love she had before meeting her husband later in life.  In this moment of confession, she says to her granddaughter and the others listening to the story, "A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets."

This was such a interesting statement, and my first reaction was to think, "Not just a woman's.  We all have an ocean of secrets."  And while the movie portrayed her secrets as part of her adventurous, romantic mystique, most secrets create a bondage in our lives.  People keep secrets because they are ashamed, and don't want others to know about the sin committed, lie told, or law broken.  We have an image to uphold in front of others, and we are afraid of what people may think about us if they were to know about these secrets. 

Fortunately, God knows everything about us - what we have done and what we will do - and loves us as sons and daughters.  He sent Jesus to forgive us from our sins, and if we will receive it, we are washed clean from our ocean of secrets.  I know I am comforted knowing that He is aware of everything I've done and will do, and loves me all the same.

But sometimes that's not enough to heal us from our ocean of secrets.  As we see in James 5:16, God tells us to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."  Confession releases power in your inner healing, as God honors the Body of Christ as a conduit for his work in each member of the Body.  In other words, we were not meant to "go it alone." 

One person who learned this powerful truth was Agnes Sanford, a founding member of the Charismatic Movement in the mid 1900s.  Agnes had a powerful healing ministry, and her first book, The Healing Light, was a best-seller.  But she found herself drained of her power as she gave more and more of herself in prayer for others, and from traveling around the country speaking.  One day she asked God how her strength could be restored, and He revealed to her that confession was the answer.  As one of her friends told her, "The confessional sets free in you the power of God through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. It releases power in the way that is the most simple and wholesome and human."

So Agnes, coming from a church background that did not practice confessionals, split her life into seven periods of time.  She asked the Holy Spirit to reveal to her any unforgiven sins, hurts, or other memories from each of those seven time periods, writing them all down.  Finally, she shared everything from her list with a priest from another church, who prayed with her for her forgiveness.  The priest said, "Although so few people know it, the church through Jesus Christ really does have the power to forgive sins."

Sure enough, Agnes said she "had hardly gone out of the place before I was flooded from head to foot with the most overwhelming vibrations...and indeed a healing process did begin in me at that time."  She was able to continue her ministry with vibrancy and power after learning to take advantage of confession.

My home church, Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, aligns to this approach and includes a confessional time in its "Kairos" freedom program.  I participated in this myself, and agree with Agnes that there's something powerful about telling another person about a sin you have never told anyone about, that's been kept buried inside.  It was very liberating.

If your "ocean of secrets" is keeping you from being the whole person God intended you to be, I would encourage you to explore a confession of those secrets to a member of the Body of Christ - a priest, pastor, or other Christian brother or sister.  And watch Jesus work in His promise to heal you and set you free.

-Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com

Wait

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31

When I was told ten months ago that my position was being eliminated at the company where I had worked for over ten years, I wasn't too worried. I was confident in the experience I had built over a 17-year career, and knew the economy was strong in my area.  God had warned me about the change by telling me He would give me "strength for the days ahead," and that He would "close my wound with new skin quickly" (Isaiah 58:8).  The company offered me a lower level role, but I turned it down, confident in God's word for me and excited to see what God had in store for my next adventure.

Little did I realize the challenge I was going to face in finding employment, and had I known the long and difficult road that lay in front of me, I might have made a different decision.  Most of the time I've felt the strength promised by God, but I've also had periods of anger, confusion, and doubt.  I don't understand why God's timing has to include a wait of several months for the next part of my journey to begin.  I've enjoyed the time off from a busy work environment to spend more time with family and friends, and in quiet time with God.  But we were made to work, to have a purpose. So why do I have to keep waiting?

In the midst of this struggle, I was going through some old files on my computer, and I found the following poem that I had saved from 1999.  I don't know why I was attracted to the poem at that time - I graduated from school that year and landed a job right away, and was engaged to be married, so I didn't have a reason to be drawn to it.  But now, in this season, it is perfect. Looking back, it seems as though God called me to this poem as a prophetic look into a future time when I would need it, and then prompted me to search through these files at just the right time.  He is amazing!

I hope this poem, written by an unknown author, encourages you during a season of waiting.  That may be now, or could be many years from now, so save it for whenever you may need it.  It shows us that waiting may, in the long run, be the greatest gift we could receive in this season, and we'll look back later and be thankful for God's perfect timing as our life's plan unfolds.

WAIT

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
and the Master who gently said, "Child, you must wait."

"Wait? You say, wait!," my indignant reply,
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate
hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promised that if we believe,
we need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
as my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting....for what?"

He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want - but you wouldn't know Me."

"You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
when darkness and silence were all you could see.

You'd never experience that fullness of love
as the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove.
You'd know that I live and I save....(for a start),
but you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.

The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.
You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
what it means that "My grace is sufficient for thee."

Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true.
But, oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
that the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,
my most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT."

May God give you strength and peace in your seasons of waiting, as well as a closer walk with Him!

- Adam Gellert

adamgellert.com

Children of Light

Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark,

it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” - Luke 11:36

Jesus told his disciples to be a light to the world.  But what does that mean?  Is it just a figurative expression for demonstrating God's love by showing the joy we have in Him as Christians?  That's partially true, but do you realize that there is also a very real light shining in you that comes from accepting Jesus as your Savior?  Two incredible stories have changed my view of what it means to have Jesus living inside me, and the power I have through Him to make an impact on both the natural and spiritual world.  If you accept this truth, you will never be the same!

About five years ago I heard the story of a witch doctor who had the ability to leave his body and travel in the spirit to people's houses to place a curse on them.  People would pay this witch doctor to do this to their enemies, and he made a good living at it.  But one day, he left his body and went to a man's house he was supposed to curse.  When he arrived at the window, all he could see was a blinding light coming from inside.  The light was so strong, and so powerful, he could not enter the house.  He could see the man, but surrounding him were three figures shining in a bright light,  Puzzled, the witch doctor later learned that there were three Christian missionaries at the man's house that night, sharing the gospel with him!

The second story reinforces this incredible truth.  Agnes Sanford, in her autobiography Sealed Orders, tells about growing up in China with her missionary parents.  She describes how the Chinese were able to easily comprehend the idea of Jesus Christ having the power to drive out evil spirits, because they believed in and even saw them.  She goes on to say, "Not only that, but they perceived, in a way that we are unable to perceive, that those who accepted Jesus walked in a circle of light that protected them from evil spirits.  Knowing this, a heathen family would sometimes invite a Christian family to live in a haunted house rent free for a few months, believing that after a while the Spirit of Christ abiding there would make it untenable for evil spirits."

Of course, being the light of the world also means living in such a way that others see and want what you have.  Matthew 5:16 says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  But I hope these two stories give you the confidence to see who you are from another perspective.  As a Christian, when you walk into your office at work, go into the mission field, or just sit having coffee with a friend, you are emanating the light of Jesus Christ, which has the power to "demolish strongholds."  You are driving out darkness wherever you go!  And with this knowledge, walk boldly in your inheritance as a son or daughter, and shine brightly in a world filled with darkness.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden."

- Matthew 5:14

"Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light."  

- John 12:36

- Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com

Jesus, Help Me! The Power of Three Words

The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. - Matthew 15:25

One of the earliest and most unexpected lessons I learned when God "activated" my life for more with Him, was that the devil doesn't like it when someone starts living in their destiny with God.  I started experiencing very difficult spiritual encounters, and one night in March 2014, I was awakened at about 2:00 a.m. I heard the growl of an evil sound or voice, and then suddenly felt myself being seized with numbness on the top of my head.  When the numbness got to my neck, I could sense that it was making its way down my entire body. In desperation, from deep within my spirit, I cried out, “Jesus, Help Me!”  It was an automatic response, and even I was surprised at what I blurted out.

Instantly the numbness went away and I was able to go back to sleep. While frightening during the experience itself, I was so encouraged and amazed to discover what crying out to Jesus can instantly do, and to know that in the end, Jesus has all of the power and authority in the universe.

To reinforce this point, I was surprised recently when reading a book from Francis MacNutt about the history of healing ministries in the Church.  Before the Charismatic Movement of the 20th century, healing ministries were all but dead in the Church for a variety of reasons.  However, there were some exceptions, with one being a Lutheran pastor from the Black Forest area of Germany named Johann Christophe Blumhardt (1805-1880). 

Johann had no intention of getting involved in healing work. His church was spiritually lethargic and his congregation regularly slept through his sermons.  But there was a woman in his small town of 500 who had a variety of illnesses, and was so temperamental that people crossed to the other side of the street to avoid her.  She had bleeding coming from places in her body, and the doctor asked Johann to get involved, since he could not cure her.  None of this had been covered in his seminary, so he didn't really know what to do.

With a big crowd gathering outside of her home due to the loud noises coming from the woman's pain and suffering, Johann decided he could not do any harm by asking her to repeat after him, "Lord Jesus, help me."  When she did this, to everyone's astonishment, the bleeding stopped!  Johann went on to experience many healing miracles in his town and beyond, with people lining up from far and wide to see him beginning every day at 6:30 a.m. and ending at 11:30 p.m.

I was amazed to read about someone getting the same result of healing from saying the same words I had said in my encounter - Jesus, Help Me.  I'm not saying this is a "formula" for healing - we know from the Bible that Jesus and his disciples saw people healed in a variety of ways, and I've witnessed the same thing from my own experiences.  My point is that many times, healing comes at the point of desperation, when we run out of all other options, and submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus.  We are finally able to give up control from our rebel hearts, and have no choice but to give credit to Jesus for our healing. 

Have you tried all other options? Are you finally ready to say, "Jesus, Help Me" from the depths of your spirit?  In His compassion and unending love, Jesus is ready to lift you up and bring healing to your situation, whatever it may be.

Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your unfailing love. - Psalm 109:26

2018 Update: I was given a copy of The Red Sea Rules by Robert Morgan, and he tells the following similar story: "My daughter was napping in her dormitory one day when she awoke with a start.  An oppressing sense of evil invaded her room, and she felt a physical force descending upon her, pressing her into her bed as though to suffocate her.  Terrified, she cried, "Lord, help me!"  Instantly the malevolent force vanished, leaving her weak and weeping...I've read or heard of a number of such incidents."  It was interesting to find yet more confirmation of this type of spiritual attack happening to others, with the same response consistently bringing relief - a call to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

-Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com

You Will Be Amazed

"Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." - Habakkuk 1:5

About a year ago, I had reached a low point in my life.  I was sitting on a plane returning home from a work meeting I had just attended.  My company announced some big changes to the organization, and I had spent the week in a fog, hearing rumors about my job being impacted as new leaders were introducing themselves to the team.  The prior six months had also been a difficult time, with a palpable feeling of favor being lifted from the company I had spent a decade with.

But then, as I sat staring at the tray table in front of me, wondering what the future held, I heard God say, "You will be amazed!" 

That one word from God immediately changed my mood and gave me a boost of excitement.  My thoughts went from worry and fear to hope and promise, wondering what God had in store for this season. 

Sure enough, 2016 truly was an amazing year, but not in the way I expected.  While my position was eliminated at the company a few months later, God gave me encouragement and peace, and prepared me for the change that was coming as I spent quiet time with Him.  Even though I had never earned better than a "C" in college English classes and never thought I would be a writer, God motivated me to write a book that was published in the summer, which just won a literary award.  He gave me favor to participate in radio and TV interviews, speak at a women's leadership conference, and join my church's healing ministry team.  He opened doors to connections with incredible people of faith that I would have never met in other seasons of my life, and allowed me to provide Bibles and other supplies to Christians in Pakistan.

God was true to the word He gave me early in the year that I would be amazed, and in doing so He completely changed the trajectory of my life.  Sitting on that plane, I could have never imagined the adventures in store for 2016.  And this is just the beginning of the story and a lifetime of being AMAZED.

Most of us know the scripture from Jeremiah 29:11, where God promises to give us "a future and a hope", but do you realize that He wants that future to be filled with "amazement"?  He doesn't want to just pick you up off the ground and set you back on your current course; He wants to lift you up onto a new trajectory, one where you are able to know and be who you were originally created to be, filled with joy in the purpose God has for your life. 

No matter where you are in life's journey, God is saying to you right now, "YOU WILL BE AMAZED!"  Claim this message and take your first step into the great adventure of an amazing life with God,  His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." - Ephesians 3:20

- Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com

Atomic Prayers

I was watching a television show recently about the period of time in United States history when the government tested atomic bombs in Nevada.  It was interesting to learn how atomic bombs don't get their power from the large plume of smoke that rises into the atmosphere; while that may be dazzling to see visually, the real devastation comes from the shock wave that screams across the landscape at over 500 miles per hour.  You've probably seen the videos of the effects of these shockwaves, which instantly raze buildings to the ground with forces many times stronger than a hurricane.

Amazingly, the very next day after watching this show, I was viewing an episode of Sid Roth's TV show, It's Supernatural.  Sid was interviewing a man who had a near-death encounter with Jesus as his body was laying on an operating table.  Jesus took the man to the Nevada desert, where He asked the man to pray.  When the man prayed, an atomic bomb exploded in front of them, just like the tests in Nevada.  Jesus explained to the man, "Do you see the shock waves coming from the blast? Your prayers are like these shock waves in the spiritual world!  They are demolishing strongholds with the force of an atomic bomb!"

My body got chills as I sat listening to this testimony.  Since I had just seen another show on this same topic the day before, it was very clear to me that God was sharing an important insight with me, one that greatly encourages me to know that my prayers have that kind of effect. 

I think we all like the tangible, visible experiences we can have with God - the witnessing of physical healings, financial blessings, the warmth of God's presence, and the like.  But many times, at least in my experience, prayer takes work and commitment, because we don't always see an immediate, tangible result.  Our prayers may be impacting our children or grandchildren many years from now, or people across the world that we will never meet or even know.  I envy intercessors who spend time in constant prayer, with the faith that they may not see the result of their prayers in this lifetime.  I'll admit it takes more work for me because I like to see that what I'm doing is producing results that I can see, touch, and feel. 

But this is why I believe Jesus so clearly showed me the analogy of our prayers being like atomic bombs, and wants to encourage all of us to use this incredible weapon called prayer. Atomic bombs are the most feared weapon in our world, and the same can be said about our prayers in the spiritual world.  The enemy fears our prayers, and prayer produces amazing results.  I challenge you to pray as much as possible, even when you may not see the results of your prayers in your lifetime.  You are sowing seeds that will bear fruit in due season, and you are helping win battles in unknown places, on this earth and in the spiritual realms!

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." - 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." - Ephesians 6:18

-Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com

Are You George Bailey?

The movie It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie.  Released in 1947 and starring Jimmy Stewart, the movie centers around George Bailey, a fictional character who grows up in a small town in New York called Bedford Falls.  He has big dreams from an early age to leave the town and see the world.  He plans to become an architect and build incredible buildings, creating a life of adventure that the others in the town can only dream about.

But as the movie unfolds, George is prevented from leaving Bedford Falls every time he has the chance to do so.  First, his father dies as he is leaving for college, and he is forced, through his sense of duty and honor, to take over the family Building and Loan business.  As George is leaving for his honeymoon to finally get a chance to see some of the places he wanted to travel to, there's a run on the banks and he must use his honeymoon savings to save the Building and Loan in a time of crisis.  Finally, with the little money the family does have, they decide to use it to send George's younger brother, Harry, to college.  Harry ends up serving in World War II and becoming a war hero, earning the Medal of Honor. 

As George watches his life's dreams pass him by, and others from Bedford Falls leave to find wealth and success elsewhere, George dutifully serves his town and helps the poorer families build houses, saving them from the local rich, wicked banker.  He marries a woman in town and has many children, when he hadn't intended on getting married due to his life ambitions.  But when his uncle accidently loses the Building and Loan's funds, everything George worked for seems to be lost, as he faces arrest and scandal. 

George Bailey reaches his wit's end, and in thinking that the end may be near for him, he prepares to jump off a bridge outside of town, when an angel who has been watching George's life unfold saves him.  George tells the angel he wishes he'd never been born, because of the failures of his life, so the angel grants the request and shows him what the town of Bedford Falls would have been like if George hadn't been born.  It's a shocking reality, and George finally sees that he had a much bigger, better impact on the world than he ever realized.

I must admit that I have always related to George Bailey.  I have lived most of my life in the same city, although I went away to college and spent a couple of years in another city due to a work assignment.  Every time I lived away from "home", I loved the sense of adventure, the chance to see something new.  Now that I'm back home once more, I long for the chance to venture out again into the "wild" of a new and exciting place.  When I talk of leaving town, I tell my family (and myself), "I don't want to be George Bailey", knowing I only have a small window of time to see the world and take part in what I view as a true "adventure".

But what if that's not what God has called for my life?  Will I be content to make an impact from the place He may be calling me to serve?  What if, ironically, the real adventure is here?  Would I trade the opportunity to make a bigger, better impact at "home" for what could be a shallow and selfish experience somewhere else, that has little lasting result?  Like George Bailey, can you see the impact you've had on others' lives, that would be missing if you had never been born, or if you had chosen a different path than what you were called into?

Maybe you have had the same thoughts and frustrations.  Like George Bailey, you had dreams and desires that never came to fulfillment because honor and duty led you down a different path.  Or from a different view, maybe you've had the chance to travel the world, but you long for a place to call "home."  In either case, God has an adventure in store for you, and it may look different than what you have planned.  Open your heart to God and ask him to reveal your true calling and purpose, and God will faithfully show you that if you follow His plans for you, in the end you will be able to say, "It's Been a Wonderful Life!" 

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" - Ephesians 3:20 (The Message Translation)

-Adam Gellert

adamgellert.com