When Death Becomes Life

 

Romans 6 The Message (MSG)

6 ^1-3 So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!

^3-5 That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country.

^6-11 Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.

^12-14 That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.

What Is True Freedom?

^15-18 So, since we’re out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we’re free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it’s your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you’ve let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you’ve started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!

¹⁹ I’m using this freedom language because it’s easy to picture. You can readily recall, can’t you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God’s freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?

^20-21 As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you’re proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.

^22-23 But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

God Is Our Refuge

As I sat one saturday morning looking out my backdoor, I noticed how the heavy rain poured down.  While I sat there enjoying the sound and solitude of the rain, I noticed in the tree to the left of my back porch, there purched were various birds of different species, sitting and waiting for the rain to let up.  Some sat calmly on only one limb and others jumped around to various branches irritated with the rain.

What intrigued me about the birds the most was that no matter how hard the rain poured down on them, they were determined to wait out the heavy rains and remain safe.

At times it seemed as if the rain was going to drown them.  Yet again, some of the birds did not seem to be bewildered by the down pour while others expressed their discontent. However, for the most part they took it in stride. For almost an hour they would shake the water off their feathers and thier head continuing to wait patiently for it to stop. Had they moved from where they were, perhaps they could have suffered a greater demise of some sort. The wind could have weighed down their little wings drenched with the rain making it even more difficult to fly through the showers. Instead, they recognized that the best place for them to remain "safe" and covered by shelter, was to wait in the tree provided by God for them.  

God is a very present help and Jesus is our solid foundation which provides  and cares for our souls in the same manner. When the trials of life seem to overwhelm or overtakes us we do not have to become discouraged, disillusioned or despairing. We can look into the face of Jesus to calm every storm. Don't look at what you face in this life as being "just life" or believe that all you will ever have is "just trouble" in your life.  Our "real life" is hid with Jesus.  While you are here on this earth, you can still enjoy life.....but not life as in the way "the world" expects you live. Live life each and every day to the glory of God.  Seeking Him, loving Him, experiencing His joy and peace for your life. Jesus has also prepared a far better life for all of us which is "Eternal Life" spent with our Father in heaven.

God extends his love, compassions and protection to us  as the tree provided shelter to the birds. God cares for our souls and the very number of hairs on our head our numbered. God has enabled and equipped us to go through and to bear the trails of life that seem to pour down at times as rain.  Don't get me wrong, rain is not a bad thing. God created the rain for cleansing, purifying, and provision for the land. 

Jesus shedded his blood on calvary to cleanse us in the same way from our sins and to make us whole through repentance and His forgiveness for our sins.  Jesus offers to us as well reconciliation back to our Father in heaven through a better covenant. As with the branches of a tree for the birds, God's strenght is able to help us maintain our stand in faith and not quit nor give up when trouble arises. He is our refuged!

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

Jesus is our greatest example on how to endure suffering or trials. Jesus suffered and died for our sins, and even though His natural body may have grown weary, but by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was endowed with glory from our Father in heaven to fulfill the Father's will and to offer to everyone salvation through His atoning death on the cross.  We can trust Jesus to protect and to enable us to endure every trial, every sickness or circumstance in this life through faith in Jesus.  The things that afflict us in this life are temporal, momentary and will not destroy us unless we fail to place our hope and trust in Jesus. We have learn a lesson from the birds and to allow those things to just run off and down our backs. Holding on to them will hinder us. Also, we must pray to our Father and seek His counsel through everything.  Praise Him for everything even when you don't want to or "feel" like it. We are to Rejoice in the Lord at ALL times!  That keeps are hearts and minds focused and steadfast.  If we only recieve good all the time, then how can we every appreciate the experiences of the bad which are only to help us grow stronger in Christ?

The birds understood that as long as they stayed in the shelter of the tree where they were, that they would be protected and would not suffer harm.  They did not try to be self sufficient in their own ability. They relied on the tree brances to hold and cover them.

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned: neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

The appearance of things that we see in the natural or experience in the natural can cause us to doubt God's favor and love for us creating unbelief.  The Bible says, that God will never leave us nor forsake us......that means that He is committed to us and desires for us to be in covenant with Him. We are His children. He has a perfect will and plan for our life which cannot be changed for our life as long as we staff on His path.  

In closing we have security in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior!

Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2) I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3) Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4) He sall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5) Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night: nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6) Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon day. 7) A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.  8) Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9) Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation: 10) There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling, 11) For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12) They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.  13) Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14) Becuase he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliever him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15) He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16) With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Wilt Thou Be Made Whole



John 5:3  In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.  4) For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.  5) And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.  6) when Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?  7) The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.  8) Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.





The impotent man was a part of a great multitude which sought healing and recovery from their diseases.  In order for them to receive that healing they would wait with great expectation for the angel to trouble the water at a certain season.  There was a greater lesson that Jesus wanted to teach to the impotent man and the multitude that day.  It was not just about believing in the water with their mind physically, but to operate in faith and that they could be healed. The impotent man was troubled by his infirmity and felt as if he was being overlooked because no one was their to lift him into the water. His expectation was only of a partial belief in hope of being healed. 

Jesus wanted to make him completely whole from more than just the disease.  The "Wholeness" that Jesus offered was about eternal life, salvation and being set free. When we except Jesus we are made complete in Him. It is not based on our ability or health. Our life changes, and their is a new attitude, appearance, peace and joy.  We receive endurance to run this race of faith.  It does no good be healed and made whole in one area, when the rest of the body is still out of sync.  It is the same way with us as in the body of Christ.  Every joint supplieth and so in order for that to occur, we must deal with our sin nature and repent unto God. 

Willing to be made "whole" requires a committment and surrender of your will. You do not have time to allow the enemy to derail you in anyway through false imaginations and disillusions of doubt, worry, fear, stigma, people's hearsays about your past etc. You can't even get hung up on worrying about your HIV status, otherwise it too will become a crutch and hindrance which will limit your faith and growth in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is the one who gives us the greatest gift of all and that is eternal life. Our life is hid in Jesus and not in things of this world. The things of this world are temporal and that includes the flesh. What Jesus offers to us will last forever and that is a new life. You have the opportunity to become a New Creation. Every Old thing(s) such as your past, your sickness, your diseases, your fears, have all been forgiven and cast into the sea of forgetfullness never to be remembered again. Even if someone wants to bring up your past, it has no power over you because you are a New Creation in Christ Jesus. You have to believe within your heart that Jesus is God's Son and that every sin that you have or will ever commit has already been nailed to the cross. Jesus is our life and He is the one who exchanges His righteousness for our filthy rags and through repentence He lovingly washes us and makes us clean through His shed Blood.

You have to let go of every malignity physical, negative emotion concerning how you feel about HIV or what someone says to you about HIV.  It will erode your body, mind, faith, and belief in Jesus.  You still have a reason to praise God and give him the glory because everyday is a new gift of mercies God lovingly grants to us.  You must renew you mind daily and think with the mind of Christ and know that you were especially chosen to bear the weight of that infirmity as a good soldier. We are also to count ourself worthy to "suffer" for the glory of God through our trials, sickness, circumstances because you are equipped. Your weakness is made perfect in God's strenghth. Don't rely on you strenght, rely on the Giver of strength.    1st Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. John 3:12 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul propereth.

Every sickness or disease that comes into our body is temporary and has an expiration date not based on what we say, but what God says and is complete in His timing. When we are overly concerned and wrapped up in that sickness or disease it becomes an idol and replaces our trust and faith in God. What happens then is that we are constantly pre-occupied with the disease and it causes us to walk in disbelief of what God has promised us. God also becomes second fiddle and God will not stand for to be second to anything or anybody. Instead of focusing on the disease, praise God for everyday of your life. Embrace your life, but even with that be careful that you don't even make an idol out of "life" and try to just live in the now. Understand and know that our true life is hid in Jesus Christ. You cannot get caught up in you thinking and in your mind, because that is one of the easiest areas for the enemy to come in and to taunt you about your past or create images that do not even exist.

The intimacy that Jesus has with each one of us is personal and their is nothing that goes on in bodies that He does not already know about it because He is God. God knew what you were going to experience way before you came into the earth realm. He has been preparing you all along. You say you can't.....God's Word says...."that I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. You just have to believe it for yourself.

Even when Jesus was going abroad preaching and teaching the gospel, He encountered multitudes of people who were strictened by their affliction and became spiritually paralyzed to the point that they just "lay" and wallowed in their infirmity.  This infirmity became his excuse and crutch for not moving in faith to step into the water.  His excuses became his comfort zone of woe is me syndrome. The impotent man's vision was limited to only what he could see in front of him. It was also an opportunity for the multitude to recive witness of a supernatural miracle within this man's life.

Repentance for your sins and belief that Jesus Christ died and rose for the remission of our sins and that He is the Son of God, is the first step towards recieving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.  Once you have accepted Jesus you will recieve the gift of eternal life and salvation for your soul. Jesus comes in and takes up residence in your heart and you become a New Creation....no longer the same......old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. Jesus is now your personal Lord and Savior.  Rejoice Rejoice Rejoice Rejoice......because you are an overcomer through Jesus Christ. Everyone handles living with HIV differently. You are priceless! You are special! You are loved by our Father in heaven and Jesus Loves you and there is nothing that you can do to change that!!! Everyone experiences it differently. It is only HIV it is not the end of the world. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith! Believe God when He says that their is no one who can pluck you out of His hand! When He says that by His stripes we are healed, that is the TRUTH

You are the one that God will use to help someone to come to faith in Christ Jesus and to be reconciled back into fellowship.What you see as a burden or a death sentence....is actually a tool of God to lead others to Christ.  Jesus suffered more than any person.  Jesus willingly gave His life for all of us so that we can have eternal life.  There will be times when you will be the very person God uses to show to others that HIV is nothing to fear.  All power belongs to God and there is nothing to hard for God.  No one can dispute who you are in Christ Jesus.  No sickness or disease can ever dictate nor state the purpose and will of God's plan over your life. 

The impotent man looked at the water in the pool as being just water, but did not know that he was in the midst of The Healer Jesus himself. That is why it is important that you must be of a sober mind at all times in the spirit and in the natural. The enemy will attempt to cast you into a drunken mentally of negativity and self pity. 

Jesus gave the impotent man a command in John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And because the impotent man followed the instructions his heart was open and willing to recieve his true healing completely restored.

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
 
Thank you to everyone who reads these blogs.  Please continue to pray for this ministry that God's plan and purpose will be fulfilled in the hearts and lives of those living with HIV.......


Elaine Cunningham

Committment

In marriage people make a "commitment" to one another before God and friends that they are going to be loyal, faithful, loving, submissive to one another.  Many take the vows of matrimony only as being an outward appearance of agreement of the flesh and not a covenant promise of faith and loyality of trust and truth as well as obedience. A commitment requires work to support and to care for what is of great value. As a Christian, our christian life should exemplify the same tenancity of commitment to God even the more. 

What if Jesus had not been committed to do the will of the Father? What if Jesus had not been committed to laying down His life for us so that we may gain eternal life and be reconciled back to the Father through the repentance and forgiveness for our sins?  What if God had not loved us enough, to sacrifice His ONLY begotten Son?  

No matter how we mess up, Jesus is there committed to saving us (if we want to be saved.....it is a choice that we must make if we want it).  Just because He loves us that much, yet He will not force Himself on us. God is so committed to us that He is not willing that any of us should perish, be lost or left behind. God is committed to leading us on the right paths that will bring glory and honor to Him and to teach others about reconciliation to the Father through the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus was deeply devoted determined and committed to fulfill the will of the Father, that when He was spat upon, mocked at, reviled, persecuted and beatened, He never forfeited His commitment to obey The Father's will.  Jesus became the propitiation for our sins through His atoning death.  When are we following the things and pleasures of of this world, we are committing spiritual adultery and are unequally yoked.  However, the commitment of our Father to show mercy and grace to us beyond measure is one of  unconditional love.  In the flesh we want to put restraints and restrictions on being committed.  Jesus does not do that to us.  He is committed to loving us even when we don't love him and ignore him. 

A greater "commitment" that we are charged with, is a willingness to submit our life to Jesus as Lord.  We are the bride of Christ and if we are committed to Jesus, that means we pledge a promise of loyality to serve, live and obey the Word of God.  We will go the distance and get dressed up in the things of appearance for to be seen by the world at the marriage ceremony, yet forsaking our covenant commitment.  Our spiritual garment should radiate the embodiment nature of Christ. The earthly wedding dress and tuxedo will parish.  Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering should be an important part of our attire.

We vow before people at the ceremony that we will love, honor and obey and to be committed to that person till death do us part......yet, we fail to come into the same marriage of surrending our life and will to God as our Father.  Learning of Him and knowing Him personally. This is intimacy at the highest, because of the love that God has for us. 

We can tell each other in the flesh all day, how much we love one another. For some, those are just words to appease the flesh.  The Love that God has toward us is one of steadfastness, unchangable, and nothing and no person can change His mind about loving us, it is beyond our flesh, it is to our soul.

Anything that we love in the natural we will go the distance to protect it.  We have to do the same when it comes to our commitment to God. It starts with accepting Jesus into our hearts and allowing Him to make us into a new creation.

When Jesus went to cross He commended Himself towards us that although we didn't know Him or love Him, He still loved us and drew us to Him. His pledge was that He gave His life for us.  His loyaty was to our Father to bring us back into right standing with God.  Jesus never walked away from His obligation to take everyone of our sins to the cross and willingly suffered the shame and death that we deserve on the cross.....why because of a "Commitment of LOVE....

Webster Dictionary defines as: 

                      A promise to do or give something. A promise to be loyal to someone or something. The attitude of someone who works very hard to do or support something.  An Act of committing to a charge of trust. An agreement or pledge to do something in the future.  The state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled.

What are you committed to?

"NO Fainting"

Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  

Many times we lack strength or power to go through the weight of any adversity, affliction, or trial.  When we are immediately faced with these challenges, we want to give up, throw in the towel and hide or quit.  This is especially true when it relates to living with HIVorAIDS. We would rather pretend that it does not exist or that it will just go away.  We become coward, fearful, powerless and weak in body as well as spirit.  Webster's dictionary defines FAINT as being: lacking courage and spirit: Cowardly (faint of heart); lacking strength or vigor: performed, offered, or accomplished weakly or (languidly <meaning>: drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion: weak. sluggish in character or disposition: listless; lacking forces or quickness of movement: Slow)

2 Timothy 1:7 says: God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love; and of a sound mind.  People are walking and existing in a spirit of fear, shaken by false images in the creativity of their mind on what they believe will happen once they have been diagnosed with HIV.  We allow our minds to run rampant and to take us on journeys which never even manifest.  We tend to  cower down and hide from the pain, the shame and humiliation that it can cause.  We must learn to stand strong in the LORD!  God is our power and a very present help in the time of our trouble.  God has  given us the ability to take authority over every situation to the glory of Him in our life.  We are more than conquerors ...why? Because Christ is our FIRM FOUNDATION!  If we build on His Character and follow Him as our example then we find that we are an overcomers becaused he has purposed it for the good of His will for our life.

God does not desire for us to run from our problems, but to face them head on courageously.  We are not to give ear to worry or frustration concerning it nor become anxious.  Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he (it is) that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  God is always right there with us through the good and bad.  He never changes. Stop operating in timidity!  Jesus died on the cross for everyone one of our sins, and there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. Nothing, nothing, nothing.........  This is not the time to quit now and give up.  But recogize that God has equipped you with His power and strenght to live a strong, whole and faithful life of purpose.  Everyday, God loving gives us new mercies for us to rejoice in our life and to embrace life. This earthly Life as we know it is not about living here on this earth for our benefit and pleasure. But it is preordained of God for service unto our neighbor through love and service to one another.

God tells us that if we ask anything in His name and believe that we have it according unto our faith that it shall be done. We must make sure that when we ask, that we ask with right motives from a right perspective and not just for fleshly gain. God will not fall for manipulation tactics to give us our healing that we may forfeit it perversely.  we must be willing to surrender our lives unto God and to walk in fellowship and obedience,  determined to live a consecrated life of holiness unto the Lord.  Let go of your  old life so that you can receive  the New Life which is far better than what you you have now. God says,  that if we have faith the gain of a mustard seed that we can speak to our  mountain (situations) and tell it to move, and it has to obey.The strength of God produces a fortitude within us which enables us to push forward and walk victoriously no matter what we encounter in our daily living.

God's word also, says to us as he said to Lazarus, that this "sickness" is not unto death, but onto the glorying of God. Learn to speak over your life and to speak healing to your body.  There is NOTHING TO HARD for God!  Just as Jesus healed many of various sickness and diseases as he came in contact with them, He is still THE HEALER today.  Nothing has changed!  God is still God!  Matthew 15:30-31 And great multitudes came unto him, having wit them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: 31) Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God Israel.  Jesus is STILL healing people today of cancers, HIV, AIDS, tumors, and other types of malignicies.  Nothing has changed.  God will take the impossible of man's ability and make it possible by His Power. 

Remove the Doubter's from your life they create fear through their non-belief.  Do not entertain any type of negativity.  It is destructive to your spiritual walk with Christ and fleshly.  Our flesh will never be able to comprehend what the Holy Spirit is doing within our lives.  Our flesh is frail and subject to weakness because of our sin nature.
God is a compassionate and loving Father who cares for His children.  We must learn to trust in Him more and more daily. As we do He will enables us to overcome even the greatest of our fears. He gives us the courage to endure hardness as a good soldier and to learn to fight and war in the spirit. The temperance of our patience begins to develop. Then soon we come to the understanding that on Christ the SOLID ROCK we stand and that all other groud is sinking sand. Always surround yourself with strong encouraging people who will pray for you, encourage you, love and PUSH YOU. And if they should make you angry while  PUSHING you beyond your comfort zone, then, that is good!!!! Let it be your motivation to make you get up and to move forward and live!

It is time out for settling with the fear of defeat and discouragement.  Our Pastor, spoke a word of truth a few days ago, concerning "discouragement".  It cannot dwell in your presence.  You have to call that spirit out and tell it that it cannot live in you or your presence any longer.  It has to DIE and return back to the abyss from whence it came. It is of the Devil.  He has no residence in your life and he has no power unless you give it to him.  Fear and Faith cannot dwell together.  One has to dominate.  Which one will you operate in today? 

On the wings of His loves, He lifts us up high above our storms and helps us to soar to heights above the clouds. As you grow in strenght and faith of God, just know that there are others out there living with HIV or AIDS that will need you to show them and help them along in this journey. 

Trust in God and He will increase you in HIS STRENGTH!

WHY ME.....HIV?....What Do I Do Now?

      Why did God let this happen to me and how could He? Why didn't God stop it from happening? You even asked how could God love someone like me?  I should have been more careful, how could I have been so stupid?  Surely, this won't happen to me?  God I am angry with you! You failed me......why did everyone lie to me.........What I'm I suppose to do now?  My family won't talk to me, they are scared they will be infected if I sit at the table with them?  Lord I have no one to turn to and I just don't understand? WHY, WHY WHY......ME?  WHAT DO I DO NOW!!!!

Then your mind shifts again and your wondering about if the man ever really loved you as he said he did?  Did he know that he was HIV positive and why didn't he tell me he was HIV Positive?  I trusted him! How long did he know?  I am so ashamed.  Nobody will ever love me again? I don't want to go through this alone? I might as well die?  I was raped, why should I be punished for what He did to me....it was only one date. I thought I was careful and they didn't look like they were infected, because they come from a wealthy family or Ivy league school, Why should I continue to live? I don't want to take this medication for the rest of my life? Who can I talk to about this in confidence? How long do I have to live? How do I live with HIV as a Christian? Will the Church except me? And so on, and so on.....etc?

These are just some of the primary questions that people living with HIV experience once they have received a diagnosis of HIV. 

Initially when you first learn of your diagnosis, you are flooded and overwhelmed with questions, doubts, worries, and fears.

You find yourself feeling and thinking you are alone. That there is no one else on this earth going through what you are going through.  Trying to grasp all of the medical and clinical genre of language relating to the understanding of test results, CD4 Counts, Viral Load etc.

While this seems overwhelming, it is not the end. You now just have learn to live LIFE differently. This is a NEW BEGINNING in VICTORIOUS WAY.

Second,  you are angry with everyone around you because they do not have it, and then you become angry and even bitter with your ownself for allowing it to happen.  Our flesh is weak and constantly needs to be brought under control and the only way that this can happen is to know who God is in your life and to walk daily with Him seeking His guidance in ALL things.  We have to learn also that we do not belong to ourself as we think we do.  We are connected to the Body of Christ. We are accountable and responsible for every choice that we make. There are consequences to our actions that we have to accept. 
 
This is not the time to rely on our emotions because they can push us into the pit of  making us bitter on the inside and towards others. This causes a greater bondage to manifest inclusive of self-willed isolatation from people.  This opens portals of spiritual warfare in our minds and bodies and is a very deceptive device of the enemy to keep you paralyzed and immobile unable receive your real healing, freedom and peace through JESUS CHRIST. Learn to see yourself though God's eyes. 

Third, Prayer is a powerful key in unlocking the situations which have demonic control of our lives to help bring us into reconciliation to God and making available the receipt of HIS help in our lives.  Most people will never know that you are HIV Positive unless you tell them, Once you find your confidence in disclosure of your status it is o.k. eventhough many may not agree with you on this, you decide.  There are legal laws of counsel that have been set up for to protect you from unnecessary prejudices pretaining to your HIV Status.   

Jesus loosed the woman who had been bowed down for 18 years due to an infirmity.  She had an infirmity caused by a spirit (a demon of sickness) according to the Amplified Bible.  She was bent completely forward and was unable to straighten herself up or to look up. JESUS saw her and would not allow her to remain in that state.  Therefore, God will not ALLOW you to remain in that mindset of defeat and discouragement. Listen for His voice for He is calling to you to come to Him and to receive your healing.   JESUS is the HEALER, it does not matter what it looks like to others or the doubters.  You have been redeemed and set free from the curse of HIV.   

JESUS is LIFE.  We live and move and have our being in Him.  Everyday that we wake up, He gives us brand new mercies and grace.  We just have to operate in them and claim them.  Learn how to speak to HIV and to put it in it's proper place.  It has no power over your life.  God is greater than any sickness or disease. YES, YES, YES even HIV.....Claim your VICTORY through CHRIST JESUS of being made WHOLE and HEAL.

As for people believing whether you are a Christian or not, it does not matter what they think.  If you have repented for your sins and turned away from your sins, sought His forgiveness and accepted it....then it is settled!  He blots out our transgressions from as far as the East is from the West never to remember them again.  Only, people will keep reminding you of your past!  Let them bring it up.....When they do, tell them it's ok if they want to remain there, but, you don't live there anymore and have now moved forward to what God's plans are for your life.

One of the most crippling lies ever told to people living with HIV is that, God can never save you because you are HIV infected.  That is a lie from the pit of Hell.  Jesus does not condemn us.  He came to save us.  Now, what we will received is conviction for our sins, which helps to bring us to correction and that equals protection from the enemy.Conviction gets us back on to the right track and to live our life for Christ and to embrace our salvation.  You can never loose your salvation.  You may experience the lost of "joy" of  your salvation as David did in the Psalm 51.  Once He repented God restored back to him the Joy of his salvation and God will do the same for you.



                        Now you know the "WHY'S" and WHAT TO DO!
                         NOW YOU JUST HAVE TO "LIVE LIFE ON PURPOSE and VICTORIOUSLY!!!!




                                                              ELAINE

STIGMA.....

Webster's Dictionary definition of " Stigma" is:

*A set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something.
*A mark of shame or discredit: STAIN; example: bore the "stigma" of cowardice.
*An identifying mark or characteristic; specifically: A specific diagnostic sign of a disease.

Stigmata plural: Bodily marks or pains resembling the wounds of the crucified Jesus and sometimes accompanying religious ecstasy.

Jesus knew the depth of the "suffering and shame" that he was going to hath to bare on the cross in order to save us from our sins.  Yet He was willing to leave His deity and to come to this Earth and to be born of a virgin, and to take on human flesh in order to fulfill the will of His Father in Heaven. 

Words are very powerful and can change or challenge the perception of someone's character and nature if not wrapped in truth of God. They have the ability to coerce people into making judgmental statements that are irreverent and degrading of who God has called a person to be in spite of past sickness, disease or sin.

The word "stigma" can foster the weight of negative connotations of shame and discredit for a person.  This is especially true as listed in the definition above relating to a diagnostic sign of a disease, for example: HIV.  Many people term it as being "death" or "contagious" even after 30 years and mass improvements of longevity of life, people still struggle with the real truth and do not want to acknowledge that Jesus died for even someone who is HIV Positive. The Bible clearly states that Jesus healed many people, as many as believed on Him. And He is still healing people today of HIV and AIDS.

As Jesus hung on the cross for our sins, the crowd that watched Him hang there began to mock and shame Jesus and doubt who He was as well and even considered Him to be a coward all because he chose not to save His own self and to come down off the cross. Had He done so, we would never have been able to find the hope of having eternal life and to escape the penalty of death.  His mission and purpose was not for to be seen and accepted of men, but to be obedient to the will of the Father to restore us back into fellowship and to provide us a way of escape from eternal death due to us for our own sins and sin nature. The Father's love for us was far greater than our issues.   Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed, demonstrates just how precious You and I are to the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God. Jesus suffering was our example of how to bear our cross.  We must understand that we are not bearing it alone.  He is bearing it right along with us. We just have to walk in faith and let Him show us the way. 

Do not allow anybody to place the "stigma" on you because of HIV or discredit you with the guilt of judgment. You are not an outcast, persecuted, or rejected by God because of a disease. Your Heavenly Father has loving accepted you and you are no longer bound by the association to a sickness that was never your name to start with.   You have been stripped and cleansed of that guilt.  Understand and know that Jesus took care of it on the cross before you even knew about it.  Jesus did not stop for one minute to consider how humiliating or how humiliated he was going to be mocked to have to suffer for the sins of this world.  Why?  Because His love for us far out weighed what he was going to have to face and obedience to God was more important.  His atonement took care of it and He is your advocate, even when others will not believe in God says you are.

Understand and accept that you are more than a conqueror and have been equipped by our Father in Heaven.  Stand on the truth of  His Word that Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.  John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17) For God sent not his Son in to the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son fo God.


                                                    And for this ........You Are Living "Life" On Purpose !!!