Providing Help and Hope to the former Soviet Union

In September, Dan Strickland, President of Living Free, had the opportunity to train eight leaders in Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia, with a Living Free leadership seminar on September 21-24. According to Elena Kulogova, Living Free associate in Barnaul, there are more than eighty Living Free small groups going with more to come.

Accompanying Dan on the trip to Novosibirsk were Jerry and Aleta Nichols, who lead a Living Free ministry at James River Assembly in Ozark, Missouri. Jerry and Aleta made many new friends and were blessed by seeing the work of Living Free expanding in Russia.

While the training was going on in Russia, Greg Keylon trained thirty-five people in Kiev, Ukraine, with the Living Free seminar. There were more than 12 ministries represented, including Teen Challenge Ukraine, Coffee House ministries, and several churches. The people of Ukraine were so hungry for training and appreciated the opportunity.

One pastor witnessed of 130 people being added to his church as a result of using Living Free. Watch his testimony by clicking here.

How to Respond When People Hurt You

We generally live in a society that is easily offended. Just read today's newspaper and you will see many articles focused on someone being offended or hurt. That old saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me", is a lie.

Sure, pain comes in different ways and in differing degrees, but pain is pain. The pain can be physical or emotional. Often physical hurts heal much faster than emotional damage. The question that must be asked is how do we protect ourselves against the bitterness and rage that can follow the hurt? In the following article, Dave Batty with Global Teen Challenge shows us what Jesus recommends to us when we suffer hurts.

What comes to your mind in response to the questions, "Who has hurt you? Who has offended you? Who has lied about you? Who has betrayed you?"

How quickly can you make a short list of people who have caused you pain? And who were these people who hurt you? Family members? Your wife? Your husband? One of your parents? Your children? Or was it a person at work? Or a friend from church- perhaps better labeled "a former friend."

How many friendships have been shattered because their cruel words or actions left you feeling betrayed?

Hollywood makes blockbuster movies with a simple story line-the hero of the movie is hurt or a victim of injustice, and throughout the movie seeks to recover what is rightfully his or hers. And when they finally get to the end, we cheer the hero's revenge, "All right, go for it, that evil person deserves it!"

But how does God want us to respond to people who hurt us? Whether that person is a family member or an enemy, how should we react?

Hope saturated the Living Free International Conference as participants heard the story of how God worked through churches to transform the small town of Manchester, Kentucky. Pastor Doug Abner told the story of how this small town that was once filled with drug abuse, violence, and political corruption has been transformed into a beacon of light for Jesus Christ. Participants came away encouraged that God can do the same thing in their communities.

This community sparked the development of Lifeline Connection as they used the Living Free small groups to disciple those who left the drug culture.

Every workshop at the conference was dedicated to encouraging believers in coming together to make a godly impact on their communities.

Some of the comments from those who attended included the following:

“It was a real faith-builder and encouragement.”

“The most important strength was the presence of the Holy Spirit."

Based on the book Understanding the Times and Knowing What To Do, by Dr. Jimmy Ray Lee, the October 2011 Article of the month describes dysfunctional and functional families and how to survive as a Biblically based family in the 21st century.

The family has become so fragmented that it is difficult to describe a normal family in this addictive society. The traditional family was once the core foundation and stabilizing force of our society. Now, many special interest groups, sociology professors, and even marriage counselors who do not have a clue as to what "family values" mean are giving advice to families. According to University of Pennsylvania psychologist, Martin Seligman, "past generations were able to maintain hope through difficult times because they had three anchors of stability in all of their societies: faith in God, pride in one's country, and stability in the family" (Collins and Clinton, 51).

When we consider that almost every one out of every two marriages will end in divorce and the children will see this example of pain and failure, it is not surprising that today's baby boomers, busters, and Generation Xers have difficulty seeing marriage as a trust institution. Collins and Clinton in their work, Baby Boomer Blues, quote Neil Kalter: "There is mounting evidence now that a substantial number of children, perhaps as many as 30 to 50 percent, bear the painful and disruptive legacy of their parents' divorce for years" (62).

Do you take one step forward in your walk with God - only to fail two steps back?

You are not alone. Many believers find themselves stuck in their spiritual growth. They want to move forward . . . but don't know how. I believe the Lord led me to write the Free to Grow small group curriculum to help people who are experiencing this struggle.

In 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 Paul writes, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ.” None of us want to be spiritual infants for the rest of our lives, but before we can grow, we need to identify the roadblocks affecting us. Only then, with Christ’s help, can we begin to remove them and be free to grow. The apostle Paul encourages us to “grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).

God’s Provision Demonstrated during a Living Free Study

It seems that everywhere we look today there is bad financial news. It is amazing to watch the world markets fluctuate because of fears and unrealized expectations. With the unemployment rates rising, world governments that can’t agree on what to do, and political unrest on every continent, we need to hear from God more than ever before. God can and will provide when we get on our knees and cry out to him. One such story was told to us recently.

During a conference early this month, a gentleman came up to the Living Free display booth and told us of God’s faithfulness at Centro Cristiano Casablanca, a church he formally pastored in Little Havana, Miami, Florida. In late 2004, the church was struggling financially with unpaid bills stacking up to more than $19,000. Rev. Rivero had not been paid in three months. The situation was desperate, but the people kept on praying, believing, and giving to missions.

On Wednesday, January 19, 2005, the church was studying the names of God in the Living Free curriculum called Knowing God My Father

Associate pastor Tony Villasuso had just finished writing on the white board the fact that if you know God as your Father, He will certainly be your provider. After defining the words remembrance and provide, Pastor Tony wrote, “the LORD will provide Gen. 22:14.”

Codependent Relationships and How to Help

The September 2011 Living Free web article focuses on the trap of co-dependency. Often, as family members or friends, we desire to help relieve the pain and consequences that our loved-one is experiencing. Although our love drives us to rescue, we often become trapped in enabling verses letting our loved-one experience the pain that would motivate them to change. The following are signs of co-dependency. You will also notice tips on how to help your loved-one, who is trapped in his or her life-controlling problem, without becoming trapped yourself.

There are certain characteristics that develop in codependent relationships. According to Kathy Capell-Sowder, a person who has a love relationship with an addicted person will demonstrate certain symptoms: increase in tolerance, denial, compromise in value system, major-life areas decline, trapped in the victim's role, plans to escape, addictions develop in other areas (Capell-Sowder, 20-23).

Increase in tolerance. The excuses from the dependent person are increasingly accepted. The codependent individual experiences an increased loss of control over feelings, mood swings, acceptance of blame, and responses to the addicted person. There is a decline in his or her self-worth along with increased feelings of inadequacy. A wall of defenses designed to help the codependent and other family survive in the relationship to the dependent loved one is built.

Denial. Feeling the need to protect and cover up for the behavior of the dependent person, the co-addict joins the loved one in denial. Ignoring the problem and thinking things will get better when they are getting worse contribute to the numbing process of feelings. Codependent individuals deny their lifestyles are affected by a spouse's stronghold. They may deny their own needs because of their concern for the children. Losing touch with reality, they continue in denial resulting in distorted thinking which leads to a state of delusion.

The August 2011 Living Free website article of the month focuses on allowing God to help us with our thoughts. Every action begins with a thought. What are you doing to renew your mind so your thoughts will lead to right actions?

The Challenge of Renewing Your Mind

• How can a person renew their mind?
• What help can I expect from God in changing the way I think?
• What can I do to get rid of inappropriate thoughts in my mind?
• What role do your emotions have in determining what you think about?

Trevor became a Christian two months ago. He regularly attends church, making new friends-but he is still struggling with anger.

"I can't stop my outbursts. I get really irritated at the way people treat me," he states. "Every day I pray to God, but every day people still make me angry." He also confided that he is constantly struggling with lustful thoughts.

Harry, 67 years old, has been a Christian all his adult life. He grew up with a father who verbally abused him. "I can still hear my father saying-you'll never amount to anything! You're good for nothing!" And the damage still hangs on even though Harry is now a grandfather and loves God.

The struggles may not be identical, but many Christians are caught up in major battles in their mind. The promise of 2 Corinthians 5:17 sounds great, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (NIV) But where reality hits the road-we fall short- especially in our thought life.

The old way of thinking has not gone away. Many still struggle with temptations in their mind, bitterness, depression, fear, hopelessness, frustrations, problems, and putting it bluntly-evil thoughts.

To be a successful Christian means to follow Jesus, to obey His teachings, to love others, to grow spiritually. But this battle still rages in the mind.

God's solution to this battle is not simply to pray more. Prayer is important-but we need to do more than pray. Romans 12:2 goes to the heart of the problem and offers God's solution-"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)

The promise is powerful-if I renew my mind, God has some awesome benefits and rewards.

Living within God’s Boundaries

We are so excited here at Living Free to introduce the updated Living Free small group study called Ten Commandments by Dr. Jimmy Ray Lee.

We live in a world where more focus seems to be on murder trials and the lack of morality and integrity in our leaders. God wants us to have a good and abundant life. God knows everything about us and He is the only one who knows what is best for us. In Isaiah 55:9, God tells us that “for just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than you thoughts.”

You Can't Do It Alone

This month's article focuses on the need for one another. You have probably heard it said, "no man is an island" and this statement is so true. In Galatians 5:13, Paul explains that "you have been called to live in freedom...not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love."NLT Freedom comes in togetherness, not aloneness.

Most people think that they can overcome a life-controlling problem on their own. They believe enlisting the help of other people is a sign of weakness. They are wrong.

The dynamics of entrapment hold us tightly.  Self-deception blinds us to the truth. We cannot see ourselves as we truly are. We see things in extremes. We either excuse ourselves totally or swing to the other extreme and feel worthless and beyond help.

When people deceive themselves over a long period of time, they enter a state of delusion. This delusion makes people lose all perspective of reality.  And without a clear view of reality, it is difficult to change.

This is why we need others. We need their eyes to see us how we really are and we need their voices telling us what they see. We need honest friends to help us overcome our life-controlling problems. This is why it is so much better to approach our problems in a group of like-minded and loving people, or at the very least, with a trusted friend who is not afraid to tell us what they see.

Are you trapped? Looking for help?