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Intimidated by the past

All my adult life, I have been intimidated by choices I have made in the past. Often, these choices were made out of ignorance, naivete' or childishness, but they still haunted my present progress. Even though the issues seemed to be resolved and everyone else was OK with me, I would let false guilt and shame affect the choices I make today.

I was listening to Billy Graham on the radio as he emphasized that God has the ability to forget our past. We can't easily do that, but He can actually forget it. The seed of truth took root, as I wanted to walk in that freedom. I wasn't quite sure how to get that from my head to my unbelieving heart.

It was when I combined the Restoration Prayer Ministry with this truth, that I learned how to walk it out. I couldn't get rid of these thoughts with methods or by denial; I needed the Spirit of God to change my "believer." As I began to confess my own ungodly beliefs, I also began to see the enemy's plan, down through my ancestors, to set me up for unbelief and failure.

My anger and hurt had been directed at God and myself wrongly. I began to see that I had believed it was God that caused the messes in my life, while it was the enemy all along. Every day that I said ungodly things about myself, I locked into the troubled past. The ministry helped me identify exactly what those ungodly agreements were.

I began to believe that God has always been willing to forget everything I had confessed!!!! I suddenly felt like I had been resurrected from a grave of painful memories and lies, about God and myself. Lies were replaced by truth.........

Finally, I knew that I knew the fresh start that Jesus promised, was true for ME! I had wanted a fresh start very badly, but had continued to confess the lies of the past with my mouth. Now I realize how critical it is to speak the truth -- what God says about me!! Jesus has taken my old life and given me His life and His righteousness.......

" For He hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." lI Cor. 5:21

Me? I have authority??

For years, I have been told that I am gifted and should be ministering to others, but have not been sure that I have any authority from God to do so. I have been told that if I don't operate in my authority, the devil will take it away from me or even use it against me.....But did I have it?

I worked hard to develop character that God could trust and tried to live the revelation that He gave me. I was more interested in actually helping people than getting a position of authority. Operating in the Holy Spirit's power and gifts was important to me. I would travel hundreds of miles to get near the "anointing", but could not deal with my own doubts and unbelief. Why could I not move forward freely into believer's authority? The prayer ministry helped me discover a number of lies that I had long believed. These were used by the devil, as permission to oppose me:

Godly authority rarely includes confrontation.
People with spiritual gifts earned them by obedience.
Peacemakers seldom point out problems and sin.
The humble often "compromise" until God intervenes.
Only special Christians can operate in God given authority.
I cannot trust my discernment and judgment anyway.
I cannot have Godly authority without the approval of others.
Authority over me is not that interested in developing me.

Finally, with help and prayer, I began to see the false humility and I was operating in and began to believe truth. Real peacemakers do confront sin and strife. Gifts are "given" and we should not measure ourselves by them, but be faithful stewards. True humility is submitted to the Father's authority and his appointed leaders and does not live to please everyone. Deferring to the preferences of others can be good, but never compromise with evil. God given authority (not self-made) will be bold as God leads. I can trust God to give me leaders who truly care about me.....and He is! Thanks for your truth God, Taking my place and obeying orders! with authority!

GENERATIONAL ROOTS BLOCKING ME TODAY
Dear Carlotta,
As I mentioned to you on the phone yesterday, I received a deliverance just filling out the application for my prayer counseling sessions! I could not believe it! As I thought about my ancestors, I realized many of them, 20+, had died of heart problems. This past week, the Doctor diagnosed me with heart disease as well. I was born with a heart murmur, but it had never occurred to me that it was a generational curse. You would have thought that I would have known better seeing I am a pastor.

I am fully aware of the fact that generational curses exist, but I had not applied it to myself. You see, I have had a weight problem for many years. I blamed myself for the health problems thinking that I deserved what I got because I had not lost the weight the way I should have. I thought not losing it was the cause of my health problems. While filling out the application I suddenly knew it was not the cause! Of course, I know losing weight will help me a lot. But the real culprit here was the devil, he had done this dirty work all these years and blamed me for it.

Because of guilt, I bought and believed it was my fault. I was born with the heart murmur. In buying this lie, he had me going in a vicious circle. No wonder I was dizzy and not thinking properly. In thinking it my fault, I had an overwhelming desire for food so as to drown the guilt and shame. After eating here came more blame from you know who, from you know where! But Praise God, the evil one has been exposed. Now there is not a desire to overeat. It is gone. I am receiving treatment for the heart condition, plus I can hardly wait for us to loose all these generational curses from my forefathers and then I just know I will be well and fit as a fiddle!

May God Bless you. Keep up the good work. We are so blessed you chose to minister in our hometown of Tallahassee.
In Jesus Name,
Pastor J-

THOSE AREN'T MY THOUGHTS!
Hi Carlotta,
Just wanted to drop you a note of thanks, to let you know how much I appreciate all you've done! I thank God for bringing you into my life. He is teaching me so much! I cannot begin my mornings without quiet time with the Lord. I skipped it the other day and before I knew it, I was thinking ungodly beliefs and worrying about the future. But when I start each day anew with Him, and submit myself and my day totally to Him, He guides me and the Holy Spirit convicts me, and I find myself resting in the peace and assurance that God is in control. And boy, is that a great feeling. :-)

And when Satan tries to attack my thoughts, I simply say "Those thoughts aren't mine, and I chose to think on things that are true and real." Because the past is not "real" and the future is not "real" cause it hasn't even happened, only the present is real. So God is lovingly taking me one step at a time, one day at a time, one hour at a time!

Talk to you soon!
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. ~Thess. 3:16
I praise you, O Lord, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Ps.139:14

STUDENTS: Prayer Counseling Ministry School:

After being involved in several Christian counseling courses, I found this one to be the best. It is founded in Biblical truth and very unsightly about the human condition." Licensed Psychologist

"This course is solidifying for me many important truths in the process of healing. I am enjoying the rich teaching of John and Paula Sandford; The breadth of their knowledge is wonderfully enlightening. Annie Grace

"This course has helped me come to grips with my fear of starting a new relationship after having been divorced ...... to deal with my anger and resentment towards people who hurt me." Pastor

"God is still dealing with me to see the spiritual side of our lives and just how much our problems come from moments in time when we open ourselves up to demonic powers." Bonnie

"I took this course thinking it would better prepare me in the ministry of prayer counseling I discovered more: issues about me and my growth in the Lord. This course is a must take......" Atty

"Elijah House is outstanding. The Sandfords have truly found the key to integrating the insights of psychology and Christ centered prayer ministry. Carlotta is an excellent facilitator and gifted teacher in the Sandford approach."

Stress gone out of my work!
Once again, I want to thank you for the tremendous help I received through your counseling. As you know, I was having a great deal of trouble finishing my dissertation, before returning to work, in the fall of 2000. This was causing me a lot of stress.

Now that I have completed the counseling with you, I feel like a different person. The stress is gone, my writing is a pleasure instead of a dread and I feel a great joy in my heart because of my enhanced walk with God.

God Bless You

He in me, I in Him
I was shocked to discover how Old Testament I have been believing. Even though I knew I had invited Jesus to live inside me, I constantly lived as if He was not. I pray for Him to come help me, show up and to be with me. As I learned who I was in Christ, I discovered that He is with me much more than I thought.

There are 4 very different words for with in the Greek and they mean: parallel to, facing each other, wrapped around each other or.......exactly in the same place, like one inside the other. The last one means that you cannot tell two are there, because one is embedded into the other. Seeing one, we see the other and they cannot be seen separately.

Do I like Greek? No! but this tells me who I am. Every time the Bible uses the word with to describe my identity in Christ, it uses "sun", the last one. This means that I was with or actually embedded "in Him" when He died on the cross in Romans 6:6. My "old man" has been crucified just like it says. All I have to do now is agree or reckon it so. Gal2:20 says, "I have been crucified."

Rom. 6:4 says I have been buried with Him (Col.2:12). (Rom.6:5) I have been united with Him. (Rom.6:8, ll Tim.2:11) I will also live together with Him. I have been alive together with Him (Eph.2:5, Col.3:1,3). I sit together with Him (Eph.2:6). I am an equal heir together with Him (Rom.8:17).

Yes, I know my flesh still remembers my "old man" and was well trained by him, BUT I am a new creature, a new spirit that is one with His Spirit (l Cor.6:17). I am not able to crucify my old man but it has been done for me, past tense. I am a partaker of a new divine nature and will yield my self to it.

Rom 8:12 So then brethren, we don't owe a thing to our old nature (our past) that would require us to live according to our old nature (our past)…

Rom.7 starts out trying to tell me that a marriage to the old bride groom, the devil, can be broken if somebody dies -- Satan certainly isn't dead, so my "old spirit" had to die! Now new me was free to marry the bride groom, Jesus. YEA! I have to remember that I am Mrs. Jesus when my old groom comes to the door, and never identify with him or my past again.

Rom 8:9a But you, you do not identify with your old nature (your past) but with the Spirit (the new nature) … Jewish New Testament Translation

God chose "sun" so that I would know that when He looks at me, He sees me as one with Jesus Christ, embedded in Him. I choose to see myself that way too ...... united, never separate and a new creature walking out the truth of the cross!!

(insights from Ron Cohen's testimony)

I've come a long way, Jesus!!
At first, I felt overwhelmed as I learned how messed up I was and how badly I need restoration. Didn't know I had so many ungodly beliefs in my mind. Then I began to give credit to God for all the renewing He has done in me, as I began to agree with Him on the Godly beliefs that you helped me write:

I can believe God for healthier friends who believe in me (good one).
God will give me discernment of what authorities/mentors to choose.
I am accepted by God, whether I meet people's standards or not.
I can feel good about myself because of God's opinions/truth regarding me.
I have everything I need because Jesus is inside and one spirit with me.
God is replacing the pain of past trauma with healing and new meanings.
My weakest places are becoming my strengths and areas of ministry.
I can love my personality; it fits the dreams Father God has for me.
Fear WILL FLEE from me when I stand and resist it's illusions.

I want to climb the higher mountains now and see further into my destiny. They may be harder and longer, but God's best if waiting there for me. I am realizing how much it does matter what I say and think. There is a life for me after all and the door to it is agreeing with God's truth. There is so much power in agreeing with God and it feels good to have that power!!!
Gettin' a LIFE!