33. No More Back Pain 11.26.19

33. It’s been a trying week. I had been dealing with a ton of lower back pain (that is now gone), a cold, and what I’m thinking is starting to be an ear infection. I’ve felt pretty crappy lately, not going to lie. I’ll start by talking a little about my weekend, a conversation that I had with a friend and I’ll tell you all about a nice old man I met in church this week for the first time. He gifted me those hand written cards along with that born again handout. I really like the God based connections I’ve been making lately. It keeps me motivated.

Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Romans 1:12 - That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

Why do you do this Ash? Why do you continue to write here in hopes that people will have a change of heart? Why waste your time, no one reads these? Well Nay Sayer, I say to you that probably 80% of my friends list doesn’t attend a church at all. This could be the only word they get. 90% of my friends list thinks I’m full of it and are watching me, waiting like hawks on a carcass for me to fail. I’d say that’s motivation enough to keep going. Planting seeds any way that I can. I try to lay pride aside but in all honesty I am a little happy and excited for the changes that The Lord has made in me over the last few months of this year. I think it’s ok to feel a little accomplished in the sense of being a changed person from the inside out through Jesus.

Joshua 1:9
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Lamentations 3:21-23
21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Saturday night we headed to McKeesport for church. The entire way there I was complaining about my lower back. It’s been all jacked up since I had Nash in 2018. When you drive yourself to the hospital in active labor and get there at an 8 and they can’t get your IV in at all, you know you’re in for fun. Then you get told no pain meds because he’s coming too fast. There was no doctor in the room, just me and the nurse, and the nurse looks at me, then to the monitor and says man you don’t even get a rest between contractions this baby is coming. It was a nightmare. They barely got the IV in and gave me half of some shot right before the midwife showed up and Nash made his appearance an hour after I had pulled into that parking lot. I love that boy but I felt my back twist, I felt my spine crush, I felt my disks herniate as I had this baby. I ended up seeing a chiropractor earlier this year that did x-rays and confirmed that I had scoliosis in my spine, a short leg and herniated disks. My hip and back had been giving me problems for over a year. If you remember, my hip and leg pain went away with my ocean baptism healing but the stupid scoliosis didn’t. Sometimes the back pain would still drive me crazy. Saturday it was at a 6 the whole way to McKeesport.

When we got there I mentioned it to Kevin and he brought me up to pray for it. With scoliosis there’s always that twist of the spine where one leg is shorter than the other. As usual, The Lord helped me out with my leg growing out almost half an inch in Jesus name. Erik saw it with his own two eyes. I know people can say that’s a trick or google it and show how it’s fake, but no one can tell me that I didn’t feel it in my hip joint and my right leg in the bone. I felt my leg sort of pop into my hip the right way and felt the bone stretch from the inside out. You can tell me I’m full of it all you want but I felt my bones, you didn’t. Then I stood up and I felt weird. My legs felt straight and my knees lined up when I put my legs together again. I still had some pain but that pain was gone by the time Kevin was done praying for my back. I jumped a few times and kept wiggling my hips when I went back to my seat to sit down. No pain. It’s Tuesday and yesterday at work I swept the floors, mopped and lifted some things to move them to clean under them and still pain was at a zero! Praise Jesus once again for helping me.

Matthew 10:1 - And when he had called unto [him] his twelve disciples, he gave them power [against] unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

We are all called to be disciples of Christ, we all have the power of prayer, deliverance and healing.

John 8:31-32 - Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;

Jeremiah 17:14 - Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou [art] my praise.

The worship during service was amazing. I love traveling to these services because the presence of the Holy Spirit radiates the entire church no matter where we are. I’m beyond blessed to have this ministry team to look up to. The worship leader Nicole did a wonderful job, I can’t begin to put into words the way the atmosphere of that room felt. The Holy Spirit is amazing. The presence feels so light, warm, loving, nurturing, peaceful and pure. It’s amazing. I’d drive three hours to experience that presence for 30 mins. It’s always worth it.

The message was amazing. One of honesty and one that shared the importance of being transparent in your sins to be forgiven and to be healed. At some point we are all the adulterer that’s laid naked at the feet of Jesus with the entire world screaming to stone her. It doesn’t matter what your sin is. However, laying naked at the feet of Jesus with everything exposed, repenting and asking for forgiveness is always the answer.

John 8:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

John 8:10-11
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Go and sin no more. That’s what repentance is. It’s turning away from your sins in a 180 degree turn, hating the sin and not going back to it. Jesus didn’t say go about your business, I love you, do what makes you happy and repent again later. He said “go and sin no more.”

Luke 13:3 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

The conversation that I had with a friend was one where she basically told me that I’m being a jerk to people and not sharing the message of the love and forgiveness of Jesus enough. That I’m being so hard on everyone and it will turn them away from the Lord. She said I need to preach more on Grace and look up that definition. My answer to that comes in scripture.

Hebrews 12:28 King James Version (KJV)
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

I can preach the grace of the Lord and his forgiveness. I can preach how he died on the cross for everyone to be loved and accepted as they are but that’s not my message. I’m not changing what the Lord is putting on my heart to share. I share the harsh truth because no one else is. I share the harsh truth because I’ve seen heaven and hell. (Scroll back to number 25 from November 6th) I preach the hard truth because a lot of people are thinking they’re right when they’re wrong and I was one of those people for 36 years. Then the Lord opened my eyes and showed me the truth. That’s why I have to share the truth which is the need to serve The Lord God Almighty acceptably with reverential fear and awe.

2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

I’d be lying if I said that I don’t have days where I feel like I’m losing more than I’m gaining. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t get discouraged. This Sunday I woke up feeling sick and my flesh didn’t want to go to church. As always that usually means the message will be amazing and the Lord will show up. I reluctantly got in my car and went to church, head pounding. Bible study was really good. We were waiting to start worship and this older man came in and sat in my row. I’d never seen him before. I’m not social in my flesh so I said a polite hello. He asked me what our pastors name was, I told him and worship started. The worship was good, the presence of the Holy Spirit was there. I went up to help pray for people (I’m getting better at that). I still get super nervous being in large crowds. I just do it afraid when I can’t get over fear. Fear is an emotion not a defining factor of your personal character. You are not afraid, you feel fear. There’s a difference.

Proverbs 29:25 - The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

During the service the older man next to me spoke out with a testimony and you could tell he was very eager to share his love of the Lord with people. The message that Pastor Harry spoke, moved me to tears. I don’t think people realize how close we are and how much the Lords heart is broken for the way the world is living, turning their back to Him. The altar call was moving to say the least. Then I went back to my seat.

The older man began a conversation with me. His name was Art and he travels to different churches in the area. He mentioned how he enjoyed the message and that he would surely visit again. He began to hand me these small cards, asking about my relationship with the Lord. I was teary eyed. I’d always wanted my family to take me to church. I know my mom took me when I was very small, but I didn’t grow up in a church. My grandma loved church but it wasn’t like she would write out scriptures and hand them out or anything...until she did, through Art on Sunday. I looked at that cursive shaky hand writing and it brought me to tears. It felt like these were hand written for me. I can’t explain the love I felt coming from his eyes as he spoke to me. The Lord sent him to me on Sunday and I will forever be grateful for small reminders like these that keep me on my path. He didn’t have to sit in my row, he didn’t have to have a conversation with me. As we were getting ready to leave Art mentioned that he walks a lot and that he has arthritis in his feet. I told him to sit down and that I’d pray for his feet if he would like. He sat down and I laid hands on his feet casting out the arthritis pain in Jesus name. He stood up and said he knows that the Lord is a healer. He said that I was bold. I don’t know about that one, I normally feel like a dog with my tail between my legs, but it felt good to hear. We said a nice goodbye and he went on his way. I do hope to see you again Art. Thank you for your kind words and your part in my journey and my confidence.

Hebrews 10:35 - Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

2 Peter 1:10-11 - Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall

Mark 16:20 - And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

James 2:5 - Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

1 Corinthians 7:17 - But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.