Into the Depths of the Sea

Into the Depths of the Sea

Oct. 8, 2016

Thank God for prayers partners. Rosanna Ek, her Mom and I rise early every morning at 6:15 to seek, praise and worship our God. We humble ourselves and come clean before Him as we make consecration to Him our first work every morning. It has been a glorious year of searching and drawing closer to God, and in later blogs I will share more with you about how God has moved powerfully in our little group of seekers.

Plans were set for us to write and release our God letters. What's that? Well, it's a letter to God of confession, realizing and acknowledging that we cannot do anything about our sins...that we all are in need of a Savior to set us free. The place would be Black Point Marina at the break of dawn next Sabbath morning.

Psalm 55:22 says "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." For surely I was "heavy laden and burdened, and so in need of rest." Matthew 11: 28. I had been carrying around feelings of anger, hurt, and resentment for so long and it was time to lay them all down. It is no wonder that this problem was now manifested right over my heart because I had not truly released my pain to God.

I spent much of Friday, Preparation Day, not only getting the household ready for the Sabbath day of rest, but more importantly in spiritual preparation for God's Holy day. I sought God as I wrote my God letter. He brought back to mind those things that had caused separation from Him, the hidden things, and even small things that I never even realized had bothered me. A few other family members were to come but it didn’t work out that way. I was disappointed, but I must surrender even the disappointments to God and trust that “all things work together for good to them who love God.” Romans 8:28.

The most beautiful Sabbath morning

Prayer Circle

It was the most beautiful, perfect morning as I, Tony, my sister Tanya, Rosanna and Roberto Ek, and Ms. Sylvia (Rosanna’s mother) arrived at Black Point Marina. The early birds joined in a chorus of worship of the Creator God. He had taught them to seek Him every morning, to lift up their voices in praise and thanksgiving. As we walked out to sea we beheld the majesty of God before us. The vast ocean spread its hues of blues around far and wide. The ever-changing colors on the horizon of purples, pinks, yellows and oranges lit our pathway. They seemed to be saying that a glorious deliverance awaited us. Surely it was. We finally made the 10-15 minute trek to the farthest point. We joined our voices in singing “I Surrender All,” prayed and read our daily Psalms 27 and 91. Then a few moments of contemplation as we privately read over our own God letters in sorrowful repentance for all we had done against our God who loves us so much that He gave His own Son to save us.

Rosanna sending off her God letter

We joined hands and lifted up our petitions in our prayer circle. It was time to give eviction notice to all the people who had been living in our minds rent-free for so long. The time had come to set our God letters out to sea as the sun emerged on the horizon in all its God-given glory. We set them on out to the ocean and released them to God, never to picked up or carried again.  “Sometimes you don’t feel the weight of something you’ve been carrying until you feel the weight of its release.” (Thanks Tracy for that FB post!)

To God be the glory! Sweet release! These things cannot and will not hurt us anymore. My friends, too many of us are carrying around burdens of guilt, shame, unforgiveness, anger, malice, jealousy, envy….whatever it may be. God never asked you to. There is no sin big enough that He cannot take care of. Trust me…I know! I am no angel as my past can testify. However, He wants to set the captives free. He wants to do so much in our lives but we keep carrying all this baggage. STOP! During the last year and a half  I have begun to realize the magnitude and depth of the restoration He wants to do in me. And He wants to do the same for you. Let it go and let God. Give Him the reins and let Him take control so He can do a good and mighty work in you. I strongly recommended every family, every group to write God letters and do as we did and set them out to sea and release to God. And when you do, DO NOT pick them up again. The weight has been lifted, and although I can’t afford to lose any more weight, I feel 10 pounds lighter!!! Praise God! I can breathe again……Glory to God!

He will again have compassion on us; He will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins in to the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19

Glorious!

Tanya sends off her God letter

Cheryl- I'm free of my burdens!

Hallelujah!

The heavens declare the glory of the Lord

Wilt thou be made whole?

I had been feeling as though the flu was coming on. Strange for me, because I usually don’t get sick, or if I do, I shake it after a day or so. That Thursday evening, I started getting chills. By that night I had fever and felt like I had been hit by a truck. Friday was no better so I stayed home. By Monday I was still sick so I scheduled an appointment with the doctor. My body was obviously fighting some mega virus here!

At the appointment, everything checked out fine… no major concerns until I told the doctor to check a lump I had found. Now this was a common thing for me as I have had a history of fibrocystic breasts- a harmful condition of cysts or lumps. By the look of Dr. N’s face I could tell she had concerns. She ordered immediate mammogram and ultrasound. We managed to get an appointment that very same day. After having my daylights literally pressed out of me during the mammogram, followed next by the ultrasound, I was told that I needed to do a biopsy to confirm. That was completed a few days after and was told I’d get the results in 5 days. As the days passed it seemed like an eternity of torture. After just two days my primary doctor called me to come in. Oh boy! Usually they would tell me the results over the phone. She called me to her office. I had never been in her office before. This was bad, very, very bad! She proceeded to tell me as gently as she could….the tests are positive, stage 3.

What! I was overwhelmed. How could this be happening to me?! I don’t want this cup Lord. Take it away from me!!! Some other way but not this…….but then, I hear Him saying to me “ I will never give you more than you can bear, but will with every trial provide a way for me to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13. We belong to Him and He will not allow any difficulty to come into our lives that we are not capable of bearing. God remains faithful and will provide a way to endure the test. And with that, I surrendered to His will and trust that He has a plan in all this even though  don't understand. I must trust His heart.

The drive home was long as it all started to sink in. I called Tony and told him the solemn news. He came home right away. Somehow, I felt a strength within me. There are moments like these when I am empowered to rise against all obstacles, and I can only attribute it to the power of the Holy Spirit. I wish I could remain in that state of mind at all times…….Tony took it hard. As he hugged me and sobbed God put words in my mouth to encourage him. I reminded him of how God had been doing a marvelous work in me, showing me how I was and doing a work of transformation in me. There had been many challenges, but through it all God had always delivered me. He wasn’t about to leave me now. God had a plan. We were both strengthened in that moment to feel God’s presence and know that He was with us, and together we knew we would beat this.

One may ask why? Why me? After all, I’ve been a vegetarian for about 20 years. Lately I had even become vegan, even eliminating sodium-loaded meat substitutes, canned food, sugar, and processed foods from my diet. Well, why not me? We live in a sin-ravaged world, and none are exempt from its effects. Several months ago, my prayer partners and I had been studying the health message and God’s healing methods. 1Thess. 5:23, 24 says “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” God’s healing is threefold- spiritual, physical, and mental. Without one, you cannot be truly healthy.  In the story of the paralytic in Matt. 9:1-8, Jesus says “Be of good courage (mental healing)…Thy sins be forgiven (spiritual healing)…..Take up thy bed and walk (physical healing).

“There are today thousands suffering from physical disease, who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, “Thy sins are forgiven.” The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can give would impart vigor to the mind, and health to the body.” (Desire of Ages, pg. 270.)

The Lord had been working in me spiritually over the past few years, and had been directing me to physical healing through the health message and taking care of my body. But one area that had been lacking was the mental/emotional side. Ultimately, negative emotions WILL affect one’s health and it had certainly done so with me. I had been carrying around a lot of baggage for a long time and the load was breaking me. These unresolved issues make us more susceptible to illnesses. I truly believe that my present condition resulted from unresolved issues from childhood, teenage years, and throughout my life. Nevertheless, the time had come to let it go. After all, He never asked me to carry it but said “cast all your cares on me.” As long as I kept carrying this baggage I would never have complete healing. Jesus said to me “Wilt thou be made whole?” Yes, I want to be made whole, for only to the degree that we are made whole will our lifestyle, our behavior and actions, our thoughts, our manner of living, and our relationships be wholesome.

Please watch the following video entitled "Wilt thou be made whole" by Dr. Thomas Jackson (www.meetministries.org). It was life changing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuYYLNl7dF0

My prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ to give us life more abundantly. Lord you know everything about us. We are as open books waiting for you to erase the mistakes of the past, and to engrave your ways in our hearts. Help us to fully understand what it means and what it takes to be made whole- physically, mentally, and spiritually. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 I can hardly wait to tell you in the next blog what God impressed me to do to be set free. Join me tomorrow for Part 3.  

My family and friends....hope you all are doing well. There is no easy way to say it except to say it. Recently, I was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma- breast cancer in the left breast, stage III. I know!!! Sorry to shock you like this…..and what is even more surprising is that I, a strong advocate for the health message is facing this. I can hardly believe this is happening to me. But it is. However, that is only part of the story. Come back with me a few years to understand that through all of this God is doing a marvelous work in me. As we journey back through my past experiences and move forward in the future, let me share with you what God has been doing. What He has done for me He surely wants to do for YOU.

One thing is clear, He wants me to share my story so others may know how much He wants to set the captives free and give us life abundantly. "Our confession of His faithfulness is heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world. That which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience. We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine. Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience differing essentially from theirs. God desires that our praise shall ascend to Him, marked by our individuality. These precious acknowledgements to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ-like life have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls." Desire of Ages, pg. 347

Like the people of Israel as they were taken out of Egypt into the desert, let us set up our stones of witness- our testimony- and inscribe upon them the precious story of what God has done in us and through us. I’m telling everyone please do not shed a tear for me, but to start singing my victory song!!! God is in Word has surely said that He “heals all your diseases“ Psalm 103:3; “ I am the Lord who heals you” Exodus 15: 26.  

 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” John 10:10.

My prayer: Dear God, I praise your name in the good times and in the bad. Blessed are You, Oh Lord whose ways are perfect, who order my days, and who give me the strength to overcome each trial through Your strength. For you will never give me more than I can bear, but will with every trial provide a way for me to endure. You have done it for me in the past and surely You will do it again. So I thank You in advance and in faith for what You are doing in me and through me.

In the beautiful name of Jesus. Amen.

And so here goes......my story. Come and see what the Lord has done.

Continued tomorrow………