Amazing that we are almost at the end of 2008. Of course we know that 2009 is the year of turning and change. We have to be willing to let go of the old to receive the new. It is a year of challenges, where we often will not be able to see the wonderful thing waiting for us on the other side of the fire. But we cross the fire in faith and that creates the turning point in our life.

 

For many it will be a year of great losses, may I encourage you if that turns out to be you, (we never see it coming), remember this word and that on the other side of the fire something wonderful, that you would never have expected is waiting for you.

 

The beginning of the year is a test, the middle of the year is a test and the end of the year is a test. But in between reap the rewards of the faithful. And in the end be ushered into a place called completion. 2009 is a bridge to 2010 and though that may sound simple, it is a serious bridge. There are many bandits along the way to rob us, but we must ignore them and march on. We may want to fight them, but that gives them strength in this instance. Ignoring them weakens their weapons against us. Though that is not always the case, this time it works like that. The bridge is narrow and those who try to leave it will fall to the depths below. Ignore and go on, is the command that will see you through to the end. Those who make it to the end will enter into the year of completion, the year of fullness and the year of entering into the reward. It’s worth it. March on.

 

The end of December, I will be going to Ohio to minister for a few weeks. Then the Lord has called several of us to a 40-day fast for the upcoming trip. This trip will be to India and we will be gone March 6^th to March 30^th.  This trip is going to be extreme. Please if the Lord has you join us, even for one meal a day, stand with us in prayer. The fast will be January 15^th through February 23^rd.

 

It looks like some of the battle will be in Tibet. That may not sound important to some of you but Tibet is like demon capital of the world. It is intense and we need your prayers. Also we need your support. I never like to say much about support, regardless of what we face, just let the Lord deal with you and do whatever He says.

 

The area we may go in Tibet, even the plains start at 12,000 feet above sea level. So prayer for warmth and to be able to breath well, safety in and out is important. Needless to say, that the battles in many ways have already begun. There are 4 battles that must be won on the India side, before we go to Tibet. The political problems in India and Nepal and the surrounding areas have really intensified. Many tourists have been targeted. Please keep that in prayer as well.

 

I know I can depend on your prayers and I am grateful for that.

 

Many people talk about anger. Basically they simply say don’t be angry. But how do we stop. We need a plan. This teaching will give you a plan straight from the Lord. The Lord pulled me aside and said, “I want to tell you a story. This is My story and it is important to Me.” Well needless to say I was all ears. I truly enjoy His stories and how they teach and prepare us and even give us insight into His nature. People talk about my stories as though I’d done something wonderful. My stories… Please, may I never say so. I listen and write and even that is by His grace. They are His stories.

 

Don’t mistake this for a children’s story, unless you realize we are all the children of God. The Lord told me this story for me to share from Him. I think everyone will know someone who needs to hear this. And there is something in this story for everyone. Come sit on the Father’s lap and listen to His story and learn.

 

 

It was a very rainy day. One of those dark gloomy days, when it was so dark with clouds that it almost seemed to be nighttime, no sun in sight. As the gloom settled in, one pair of eyes watched sadly from the window, sometimes going to the door, waiting for the gloom to lift. “Aw man.” Said Emmanuel. “This is miserable. It’s getting worse, not better.”

 

Emmanuel, who everyone called Manny, was a rabbit. He lived in a tall hallowed out tree at the edge of the meadow. He loved to be outside, away from his family. At night he went to sleep just waiting for the morning, so he could go outside. “Family, sheesh.” Manny thought. “Nothing but trouble.” He had several sisters who lived just to get him in trouble. They twisted every word and move he made, so that it would seem punishable. He only waited for the day that he would be old enough to leave.

 

His mom and dad never believed him or gave him a chance to tell his side of what happened; which was usually very creative, to say the least. Manny hated it. They always assumed he was guilty, if he couldn’t prove his innocence. Usually it was his word against his sisters’ shrill, whining word. Now he was trapped by the gloom in a house full of tormenting sisters, and parents, who didn’t seem to care.

 

His dad was reading the newspaper and his mom was in the kitchen. The girls were quiet for now coloring or reading. Manny sighed, “I don’t mind getting a little wet. I could stay in the bushes until it stops raining.” He said.

 

“No!” His parents said in unison.

 

“Aw man!” Manny said angrily, “It’s just not fair.” Contrary to what Manny thought, his parents really did care about him. They were always trying to find ways to include Manny in family activities, but if his sisters were involved, Manny wouldn’t participate. Manny was sure they would just find some way to get him in trouble, so he would rather just leave them alone. His parents were exasperated. They wanted to be one family, undivided; all they could see was that with their many children, only Manny didn’t cooperate. They viewed him as the troublemaker, the one to protect the other children from, which didn’t help.

 

To Manny’s surprise, his mother’s voice boomed out, “Why don’t you just go. If you get wet, you deal with it. I’m tired of your constant complaining and accusations.” Dad gave her one of those looks like, ‘What did you just say?’ But he didn’t interfere. Mom looked at the other children playing happy and quiet and again saw Manny as the only problem child.

 

Manny didn’t wait for them to change their minds; he quickly grabbed his hooded jacket and ran into the rain, heading for the far bushes. His mother was instantly sorry she had let him go, “What kind of parent am I?” she moaned. “Tired.” Her husband said from his newspaper, but not wanting another long discussion about their son’s problems, he kept the paper held high. She sighed and went back to work in the kitchen, praying while she worked, that the Lord would take good care of Manny and keep him from harm and give him some common sense.

 

Manny decided not to go to these bushes after all. He had a taste of freedom and he didn’t want to go where his parents could see him from the window. “Let them worry, if they really care like they say they do.”

 

Every time Manny stopped something fed his rebellion and pushed him to go further. But because of his mom’s prayers, God was guiding all of the enemy’s pushes. He was further than he knew existed. Being a kid, his world was limited and small.

 

His mind had walls and he never thought beyond them. His walls were mirrors, so all Manny really saw was himself. (We’re like that sometimes as well.) He finally came to a fence with a rotten hole near the bottom. Manny shuddered – humans. “I don’t care.” He told himself as he squeezed through a hole in the fence. “I want to see what’s on the other side and I can if I want to.”

 

Instantly the rain stopped. “Cool,” he thought but then he noticed the porch roof that blocked it. “An outdoor house,” Manny thought, “That is cool.” Keeping hidden behind boxes and chairs Manny worked his way along the cluttered porch. “Interesting stuff,” he said twisting his head sideways to look at a box of broken toys, with a lop eared, one eyed, stuffed rabbit stuck on top.

 

Then he saw the grass. “Short grass.” Manny thought, “Wonder what they eat?” He looked through the screen door and saw a boy about eight years old, sitting at a table eating a bowl of cereal, while looking at a comic book. He looked glum and ate little. “Can I go now?” he whined.

 

“Please.” His mom interjected.

 

“Yeah right, please.” He said harshly.

 

“Okay.” His mom sighed. He ran off to play video games in his room upstairs. The house was a cluttered mess. The mom had to work two jobs just to survive. It wasn’t what she wanted to do, but her son didn’t know that. The dad was gone and she was often overwhelmed. Chad was her only child, a bitter sullen little boy, who lived for video games and T.V. 

 

His mom sat down and put her head in her hands. “I’m doing the best I can Lord.” She sobbed, “It’s not easy working and taking care of everything by myself. I don’t know how to help him. Please don’t let him hate me.” Then came a torrent of tears.

 

“What a jerk.” Manny thought. “How could he be so heartless? Couldn’t he see what he was doing to his mom?” Manny found himself edging closer until he had wedged his nose through a crack in the screen door and squeezed in. Soon he had inched his way forward and was standing by her feet. He wished he could help her.

 

Suddenly she stopped and looked down at him. “Yikes! What had he done? A human was right there staring at him.” Manny froze. Only his little nose twitched nervously, but otherwise he was very still. Slowly, gently, she reached down and picked him up. She held him close but not too tight. She smelled good. “This wasn’t so bad.” Manny thought. She scratched behind his ears and soon Manny forgot that all humans are bad.

 

“God sent me a bunny rabbit to comfort me.” She said. “Oh thank You Lord. You are so good to me. I know now everything will be okay. This is Your sign to me. I’m going to call him Fluffy.” She studied him a moment, “No, I should call him Promise, because he reminds me of God’s promise to help me and Chad. “Promise.” She said again as she snuggled him close.

 

“Oh well.” Manny thought, “It could be worse. Fluffy is definitely a girl’s name.” It hadn’t sunk in yet that she intended to keep him. She went to the garage and emptied a tall box. She put a soft blanket in it and then she put Promise in the box, with a bit of lettuce, carrots and some water. Promise instantly panicked, running all over the box trying to get out. He knocked the water over and walked on the food.

 

She thought he would like it, but he didn’t. Then she had a better idea. She put some wide boards together to form a short fence. She put part of it in the yard and part of it on the porch. That way he could run around some. She turned the box over so Promise could hide in it. She cut a hole for him to go in and out and put the blanket inside. Then she put the food and water to one side of that. It was better but not like freedom.

 

“Oh my, the time.” She said. “I have to go to work. Chad,” she yelled, “I’m leaving. Are you okay? Mrs. Martin next door said you could call her if you need anything. Her phone number is by the phone.”

 

“Yeah Okay.” Chad said sullenly. “Just go.”

 

His mother sighed and then glanced at the bunny and smiled. “We’ll be okay.” She said and then she left. But she never knew that, Chad always ran downstairs to peek through the curtains to watch her leave. He often wondered if she would come back. His dad didn’t come back. His mom couldn’t afford daycare, so Mrs. Martin her elderly neighbor kept an eye on things from her house.

 

Chad slumped down on a footstool dejected. “Why does she always have to leave me?” he said, thinking no one was there to hear. “I hate her.” He said sobbing. “She doesn’t want me, well I don’t care; I don’t want her either.”

 

“That’s not true.” A voice said. Chad didn’t see anyone around. Then the voice spoke again. “I just saw her crying because she loves you so much, she’s so worried about you. She doesn’t want to go to work. She has to go to work. It hurts her more than it hurts you. I heard her crying and saying, ‘I don’t know what to do, please don’t let him hate me.’” Then the voice was silent.

 

Chad had listened. “Is it true?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“She loves me and she cried because she has to leave me to go to work?” Chad asked.

 

“Very much so.” Said the voice.

 

“Poor mommy. Poor, poor mommy. Why didn’t she tell me?” Chad asked.

 

“Because she was so busy dealing with your anger and bad attitude, that she couldn’t get through to you.” Said the voice.

 

“Oh yeah.” Chad sat a long time. He didn’t play games or watch T.V. He thought of how hard he had been on his mom and how tired and sad she always seemed lately. She lost daddy too. “I’m going to change.” Chad said quietly. “She needs me, she really needs – me.”

 

He looked around at the messy house, and then he began to put things away. It wasn’t spotless when he was done but it was uncluttered. His mom came home on her lunch hour to check on him, like she always does. She saw him sitting quietly in the living room and it was reasonably clean. “What happened?” his mother was in shock.

 

“I cleaned up for you.” Chad said quietly. She looked at him as though she were seeing him for the first time.

 

“Why?” she asked.

 

“Because I love you, and you need me.” He whispered. He had not said that he loved her for a very long time. Tears filled her eyes, she dropped to her knees and held out her arms and he ran into them. All the protective anger and hardness melted away, and they loved.

 

“You didn’t have to clean.” She said.

 

“I know. I wouldn’t want to do it if I had to. But I want to help. It’s my home and my family too. I want to be part it and help wherever I can.” Chad said.

 

“Praise God.” His mother said. “Thank you Jesus.”

 

“I made you a sandwich,” he said. “You can eat it on your way back to work.” It was just cheese and bread, but to her it was great. “Don’t worry about me mom. I’m fine. I love you.” He said as he herded her out the door. She was still amazed and happy. “Don’t be late for work.”

 

With her gone Chad was going to clean some more. It felt good to be a part of the solution and not the problem. He went to put the broom on the back porch and saw the bunny. To Chad the bunny looked very sad about being a prisoner. “No prisoners today.” Chad announced happily, lifting one of the boards. Manny ran like lightning for the hole in the fence and scurried through it, never looking back.

 

It had stopped raining but Manny didn’t care, he ran straight for home. He stopped in the bushes thinking of all that had happened.

 

“Manny!”

 

“What?” he said, looking around but he knew it was God.

 

“What is Manny short for?” The Lord asked.

 

“You know, it is short for Emmanuel.” Manny said

 

“And what does Emmanuel mean?” The Lord asked.

 

“God with us.” Manny recited.

 

“But I couldn’t be with you could I?” the Lord asked.

 

“Why not?” Manny asked.

 

“Because I couldn’t get past the wall your anger built against Me.” The Lord said softly.

 

“Against You Lord?” Manny asked.

 

“Yes, anger is always against Me, and it always blocks Me. It is the nature of all anger.” The Lord said.

 

“Oh,” Manny said, “I don’t want to be angry, but I can’t stop.” Manny said sadly.

 

“I know.” The Lord replied, “But I can help you past that wall. It has become your prison. I can help you if you let Me. When your angry, all you see are the walls and what’s wrong. You never see the world around you, the reasons behind the situations or how it affects others involved. Chad had walls and you helped him see past them, didn’t you?” Manny nodded.

 

“Can’t I train you to see past your walls.” The Lord said. “When you become aware of what is beyond the walls, the walls disappear and then you will be free of them. Let Me help you see beyond your angry walls.”

 

“I would like that Lord.” Manny whispered.

 

“When you go home Emmanuel,” the Lord said, “don’t go inside. Go listen at the opened window.”

 

“Okay.” Manny said. Manny stood by the edge of the window. He saw his mom crying. His dad was holding her, trying to comfort her. She was crying just like Chad’s mom. “Oh Lord, I don’t know how to help him. He seems so angry. No matter what I do, he’s angry. Please don’t let him hate me.”

 

“What?” he made his mom feel like just like Chad’s mom. How had he never realized that? Then one of his sisters piped up, “I’m going to pinch him so hard.” “Yeah.” Said another, “I’m going to pull his hair.” His sisters were mean to him because they felt so bad about how he made his mom feel.

 

Then his dad spoke wisely, “Don’t pinch him, we love him. Let’s bow our heads and pray for him and forgive him. It is our love that will move the hand of God for him, not our anger. Anger never stops anger, it only builds more.” Then they began to pray for Manny.

 

Manny felt terrible. “I’ve hurt my entire family but no more.” He said determined. He went inside and apologized. He told his mom he loved her and would try to help her. He would try to understand. “The Lord will help me.” He said confidently. He even apologized to his sisters and his dad. They were all so happy.

 

But Manny knew; because God told him, that anger is addictive. It is addictive because it makes you feel protected and strong. He was going to need the Lord’s help to see beyond the walls that anger was always trying to build in him. The Lord assured Manny that daily He would be waiting to help him when he called on Him.

 

Is this the end of the story, well that would be nice, but Manny had a behavior pattern that took constant prayer and awareness to overcome. He had to become reactive, not to others but to the anger itself that rose inside of him. He had to douse out the fire of anger with the water of repentance and forgiveness every time it reared its ugly attitude. Anger is addictive and Manny was a burn victim, still addicted to the fire.

 

His parents and his pastor helped him rebuke and remove the spirit of anger that always twisted his perception and enticed him to play with the fire of anger. Unlike others, it was never okay for Manny to be really angry. Just like it is never okay for a delivered alcoholic to have even one drink. Addicts have to stay away from the fire they are addicted to, especially in their thoughts where the fire usually starts.

 

Manny set up a warning system, certain dangerous thoughts and words that let him know he was starting to play with fire. The family also set up a warning system. If they thought Manny ‘might’ be getting angry, they tapped their nose. This was not an accusation but a loving warning to check your attitudes, because only you know for sure if you are starting to get angry. If you are, then repent of your anger and forgive the person it was aimed at.

 

The family, even his sisters, realized they had a responsibility not to needlessly push Manny to anger during this transition time. If Manny touched the side of his nose, it meant he was feeling unnecessarily pushed, please back off. Often Manny would go sit in a special chair, that was only for him. It was his calm down chair. He would go sit there if he was feeling upset, when he calmed down, he would go back and try to conversation or activity again.

 

Fortunately, the entire family took Manny’s addiction seriously, and without condemnation worked out a plan of action, that included not only being watchful but also prayer and positive input. If the family knew that Manny would normally have reacted with anger but didn’t, they log it in a book, when the page was full, Manny got a small reward. In this way the entire family worked to retrain Manny, because even though the spirit of anger was now gone, Manny’s flesh needed to be retrained to react differently.

 

Manny was fortunate to have such a loving, willing family. How about you? Perhaps you live alone, or your family is not cooperative, but you have a bigger family that that, your church. They are your brothers and sisters and of course Father God, He’s the best, the most loving and the most diligent. Isn’t it great that He has a plan of action for you?

 

Perhaps in your life it’s not anger but fantasy, worry, fear or other things. Take it to the Father God and to your family, the church and start a plan of action. God wants you free and free is not running away; free is being happy with who you are in the Lord and being free to be the person God created you to be inside.