Healing in His Wings: A Comprehensive International Biblical Program for Those Wounded by Abuse: Sexual and Physical

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© 2016 L. EASTMAN, M.A. Sex Therapist. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/29/2016

ISBN: 978-1-4389-8406-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-3034-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009905141

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Table of Contents

PART I

Introduction

Instructions

In the Beginning

Vital Facts

The Lord’s Recovery

The Lord and Abuse

Three Significant Precepts

A New Song

Redemption

Liberation Power

Testimonies

About Abuse

Remember

God’s Plan for Sex & Relationships

Precious Promises

Who Is This Jesus?

The Basics

Memories

More Testimonies

For Women, Men Please Read

For Men, Women Please Read

PART II

Essential Healing Steps

A Note to the Abuser

In Conclusion

Appendix ~ Prayers That Avail Much

References

Ask and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives;

he who seeks finds; and he who knocks,

the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

Healing

In

His Wings

Jesus approached an ill man lying at the Pool of Bethesda,

who had been sick for 38 years.

Jesus asked him, Do you want to get well?

Today’s question is, Do you?¹

The Lord will meet us right where we are, at this very moment. He will extend His mercy and love, leading us into His tender healing loving arms of grace.

May the warmth and healing we have longed for be found in the confines of these pages and lead us into the mighty healing arms of love. If we apply the principles found within these pages, we will find hope, support and a positive pathway for change.

Embracing the Lord’s grace of truth enables us to release the hidden pain that we have tried to avoid.

I pray the Lord’s love will be revealed to all who read these pages, and that they find a new and wonderful way to live, and new hope, so that you will become free as others have.

Dedicated in Gratitude

Who can change a heart? Who can heal the brokenhearted and who can give sight to the blind. Who sets the captives free from the bondages of shame or pain?

There is only One. His name is above all others. His name is Jesus. He came to live upon this earth to minister to our souls. And today He continues to heal those who still seek Him.

"Thus says the LORD GOD,

Who created the heavens and stretched them out,

Who spread out the earth and its offspring,

Who gives breath to the people on it,

And spirit to those who walk in it,

"I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,

I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you,

And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people,

As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes,

To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.

I am the LORD, that is My name;

I will not give My glory to another,

Nor My praise to graven images.

Behold, the former things have come to pass,

Now I declare new things;

Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you."

Isaiah 42:5

Thank You, Lord God, above all others, for You continue to prove over and over again that You alone are the Supreme God, the Savior, Healer, Counselor, a Mighty Warrior, our Sun and Shield, a fortress divine and so much more. Lord God, You are the Creator and Redeemer of souls. Thank You, Lord, for taking me into Your ministry of love.

Some of us may be able to accept that the Lord God is all that the Bible says He is, but we may have wondered why God gave us the family we have, especially if someone within our family has abused us. Or we have wondered why He allowed our abuse. Shouldn’t a mighty God save and protect us from such things?

This workbook and program will look at these challenging questions and God’s answers.

Please note: Every person is given the gift of free-will to choose how they will live out their life. We make choices daily. We may have tried to struggle or deny our emotional wounds which have caused us to stumble again and again into the brambles of life. Rather than face ourselves and seek out help, we may have tried to ignore or pretend our abuse never happened. Unable to speak our truth, we were in a prison; a dungeon without hope.

The Lord God did not plan for our family member, friend, or whoever abused us to do so. The Lord has never given anyone that right! Yet, the heart of man can become so corrupt that he chooses unwisely, without thinking to harm those whom God has given them to nurture, protect and love. Some of us have been abused by strangers, but it is far more common that the abuser is someone we know, someone we trusted.

For those seeking a solution for recovery and healing from abuse, we will find comfort and help through this study. We will be given the opportunity to discover safety and a secure place to heal as we unpack our wounds together with the common bond that gives us entitlement to become whole.

It is also the Lord’s plan that we become cleansed from our own personal sin by the Savior’s blood that He shed for us at Calvary. All our sins and all our afflictions can be healed and forgiven forever.

God’s laws are as significant and real as gravity and everything we know about our solar system, all of which were and are designed in God’s love for us.

Thank you, Lord for that little coastal town by the bay in Central California. It was there I first started attending church. I am thankful for those who prayed for me while I was there in my time of healing. I learned Biblical truth, became discipled, first taught Sunday school and first began my personal journey and healing.

Thank You, Lord, for the courage that You gave to me for my restoration and the victory I have gained. Your mercy and power have helped me persevere through my healing.

I have learned to trust You, Lord, as much as possible while growing all the more each year. When I face my mountains of anxiety or uncertainty that try to engulf me, I know without a doubt that You, Lord, will help me through any challenging times that may come, as well.

Our secret wounds may be hidden from our view but our symptoms prevail and expose our pain. Addictions, hidden bitterness, doubt, fear of rejection, our dysfunctions and shortcomings have plagued us.

The Lord meets with those of us who call upon His name and He gives us His undivided attention. The Lord extends His vast love to those who seek Him.

Thank you, Lord, for Your divine deliverance from myself and my sin.

Emotional healing is not usually an instant experience. There is no quick fix or magic pill to make our experience go away. It’s more like unpacking and facing our issues and handing them over to Christ forever. The Lord guides and leads us through the process on the pathway to wholeness by His merciful love.

Thank you, Lord Jesus for those reading these words right now. May each person experience YOU, LORD, the Light of the World in a very intimate special way that reveals Your deep love for them. May Your power of abundant grace and mercy be poured out upon all who’ve been wounded by abuse at this very moment. Let this prayer bring glory to You, O merciful, gracious Lord God Almighty. Amen.

This book is dedicated to those all over the world who are still hurting from the effects of their abuse. Thank you, Lord, for everyone whom I have had the privilege to encounter who were willing to face their giants of their past and begin a new life in God’s wonderful grace and wholeness through Christ’s resurrection power.

Thank you, Lord, for opening the doors where I could minister to teens within the confines of two legal, therapeutic detainment centers where this ministry was birthed in 1988.

This book has been made possible only through God’s extraordinary, awesome wisdom, love and empowered guidance through His Holy Spirit. All credit is due to Him.

Thank You for my editors, Lauri, Marli and Dawn who helped me see my writing through their eyes and guided my way.

Thank You, LORD, for Santa Rosa, CA, where I personally witnessed the aftermath of the evil acts of violence and injustice finally change as righteous law enforcement and justice were restored. This satanic controlled city had to be overtaken by the military who worked alongside a few ethical peace officers, who together brought long overdue justice, following the discovery of the whereabouts of the fascist sodomites hideouts in May 2012. True justice was not established in Santa Rosa for several months following this date due to the depth of corruption within the sheriff and city police departments. This city’s people had not known true justice for at least two generations; perhaps longer. Until this time abuse stalked the streets of Santa Rosa on a continual basis and was the secret home site for the recently condemned and convicted ex-federal agents. These and their followers were the worst offenders of abuse this society has ever known and committed crimes of treason against the United States of America.

The Sodomite evil doers also created a huge world-wide scandal as well as the harm brought upon the Northern California area and elsewhere throughout the USA. The Middle East and Africa also became targets of their profound and cruel abuse.

Prayer and justice can change not only lives but put an end to the secrets of abuse that summon in a time of peace for all those who have been terrorized by these evil workers of inequity. Justice is still being carried out to resolve their hideous inhuman crimes.

May Santa Rosa, California have a long overdue spiritual revival and a peaceful time of healing for all the wounded survivors who lived in that county and state.

I pray that the Lord God will bring His powerful redemption of love and healing mercy to every survivor who has ever been abused by such criminals and all other survivors of abuse. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Healing in His Wings has chosen to use the masculine tense for God, which upholds conventional and traditional Biblical values. God’s design for the family remains constant but mankind’s view of the family has changed in our modern day.

The brokenness of sin in the world has brought an increase of abuse in the past few decades. We serve an awesome God who accepts us despite our sins, and restores us to bring glory to Him. The Lord God is our Holy Father ~ the ideal dad we have always longed for and may have wished we had, as compared to our personal experiences that may have been far from ideal.

Except where noted, Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,

© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.

Introduction

The Lord God designed and established a plan for our lives, long before our birth. God’s plans were established for you before He created the foundations of heaven and earth. This may sound unbelievable to some. Amazing and incredible is our God, and true to His Word.

The truth is, God will heal and restore us when we are hurting, broken, or afflicted. The Lord God continually extends His never-ending mercy to all who seek Him. We may not have been seeking God when we cried out for help or healing, but the Lord God heard our cries and our many heartfelt prayers. He is always nearby waiting to extend His love to us.

Unfortunately, some of us believed God caused or allowed our abuse to happen. This is not true!

All too often we forfeit the greatest gift awaiting us due to our own mistrust, our self-sufficiency, independence, doubt and fear.

God’s love is revealed to us through the Scriptures, through God’s Son Jesus Christ, and through His answers to our prayers. Although it may seem it is overdue when the Lord God brings His answer in love, His timing is always right on time and perfect in every way.

Through the examples of answered prayers that came to God’s people, whom we read about in the Bible, we learn God’s timing is what it is for a reason.

Sometimes it takes time to co-ordinate all the necessary aspects to answer our prayer because God uses people to bring about the best outcome.

Some of us may have reservations about God’s vast love for us because their abuse occurred at the hands of individuals of a church who called itself Christian or Believers in God.

There is nothing more powerful than the wrath of God against such acts and upon those who commit such crimes!

Be assured, the Lord God hates abuse of any kind, especially within the walls of a church!

Jesus never abused anyone. God brings justice and judgment to those who afflict the weak and the innocent. God’s judgment and wrath will definitely come against those who do.

We extend great sorrow, grief and apologies to all those wounded by abuse within the confines of a Church, or by those who call themselves Christians when in truth they are not.

The first followers of Christ were persecuted for their loving ways and faith in Christ while Pharisees who called themselves men of God sought to kill the innocent.

Persecution still exists today towards those who follow Christ. This doesn’t seem right. Yet, people still have the choice to do good or evil.

Satan hated Christ for starting His church with His many followers. There is no difference today. Satan still hates Christ and His Church.

Jesus came as a humbled servant who brought conviction to the Pharisees’ arrogant souls. Yet, Christ proved through His birth, His teachings, miracles, death and resurrection power that He was who He said He was, the Son of God. Through the power of the cross, Jesus opened up heaven for all to believe. His true power was revealed by His Resurrection. Christ’s sacrificial love and mercy are more powerful than any human capabilities.

Please note: The Lord God is not an abuser! Some say He allows abuse to happen. This is absolutely not true! Those who love to sin and hate the Lord and His teachings are the real abusers who commit such evil acts. They themselves allow their own cruel deeds then lie to cover themselves and lie about God. Such individuals are enticed to do evil by the devil and other evildoers. They are all the enemy of God. God’s judgment and justice will reign and be poured out on His enemies, our abusers as well.

Healing in His Wings does not condone or approve of any form of abuse. Healing in His Wings supports godly justice and is designed to help people overcome their abuse, our wounded past and move us into a healthy, happy, productive life.

Dear Lord God Almighty,

Christ prayed in John 17, for us to be as close to Him, as He is to the Holy Father.

Bring us, Lord, into the full knowledge of You and Your love. Surround each of us with Your protection.

May this study bring glory and honor to You and Your Kingdom, O Lord, and healing to every soul whose life it touches!

May Jesus Christ be our Salvation and Great Physician Who restores, heals, and forgives. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Some people prefer seeing a counselor, a social worker or pastor who has training in this area for their recovery from abuse. Yet, there is an advantage in small groups because we are social beings and are designed to need others in our lives in a way that is beneficial and blessed by companionship, especially during difficult times in life. We are able to learn a great deal more about ourselves through others while in small groups through a process that establishes a pathway to connect with others, as well as with God. A small group enables us to take down the walls built on pride and privacy that tend to isolate us. We are able to learn so much more through our sharing and listening though different we may be. Coming together in a small group allows us to bond with a common bond, our woundedness.

Let this be a new beginning—your new beginning. Try to find the courage and choose freedom from the deep wounds of our past, no matter how long ago or how recently our abuse occurred.

Whether you are male or female, the Lord God has been waiting for you, for this very special time. He’s been longing to reveal Himself to you and the vast love that He has just for you. God alone has the love for which we crave, to comfort and nurture us, as we have always desired. His ways are specifically and personally designed just for each of us. You are worthy of God’s love and grace, and please never forget it.

For those who still choose a more private venue for their healing, make the very best of this workbook with your counselor.

Please note—Some of us may have experienced both physical and sexual abuse. This study is designed for both.

If your abuse consisted of both offenses occurring together during a single event this wound is classified as violent sexual abuse. If they occurred separately they should be addressed separately.

This program examines several types of abuse and most chapters are designed to be relative to all forms but the primary focus is upon sexual and physical abuse.

It is suggested that the focus of a group be either one or the other if possible, to bring about continuity within the group.

It is allowed and advisable to discuss other forms of abuse endured within the small group or your counselor, but it is better to be primarily focused on one type of abuse at a time.

If you have health issues or concerns please take the time to see a physician and have a checkup before tackling your emotional healing, feeling free to share your situation.

Instructions

All aspects of this program within this manual call for and require prayer. May prayer surround those who enter into their healing journey through Healing in His Wings.

Prayer

The reason why prayer is so crucial in dealing with our past’s abuse issues is because the adversary of our souls has woven a variety of lies around these events; since he is the maker of all abuse, prayer is absolutely necessary. Plus, unknowingly we may have allowed satan’s lies to sway our thinking, creating doubt or fear, which can become interwoven into the fabric of our soul. Prayer in the name of Jesus creates a safe place where all lies can be torn down by His love. We want to cover everyone involved with prayer so the enemy is overthrown by the name of Jesus. Prayer is essential!

Leadership

This program is designed to be led by someone knowledgeable about abuse and the effects of abuse, and who has achieved significant recovery from abuse.

Leaders must read and work through this program themselves with a counselor, pastor or Biblical leader before they may lead a group. They need to feel comfortable with leading a group of same-gender individuals.

Someone who has discipleship experience within the church or a