July 2009 Newsletter

Greetings in Jesus name,

I’ve been preaching out of Genesis of late, and discovered a few helpful insights pertaining to the men and women we serve.  Here they are:

Adam and Eve’s eyes were "opened"!--and they “knew”! -- But what an eye-opening, and what a knowing! “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked."

That historic event marked the end of innocence. Now appeared "shame." “And they sewed fig leaves together-- and made themselves coverings."

These are changes that happened within, but there was also a tragic change without. In Romans 8:3, it says that Jesus came "in the likeness of sinful flesh." Of course, Jesus’ human nature was not in any way affected by sin. Although Jesus was absolutely sinless, He in His humanity, no longer had about Him the pristine glory--the original glory surrounding unfallen man. Bathing in the glory-light of God's own glory, they must have glowed!

But immediately after sinning, that glory departed and "they knew that they were naked." Now there came a war within their hearts--where there had only been peace and joy before. A new, awful feeling, settled in-- "fear," energized by the faculty of "conscience."

As I reflect upon the Residents/ at His Mansion, I've come to the place where, rather than seeing shame as a negative feeling, I thank God for it. There is a God-given shame that has kept many of us from going from bad to worse. Of course, there is a contaminated form of shame that is a sharp weapon used by the enemy. Spiritual discernment is required to differentiate.

Something that has become very evident at His Mansion is that when a person has clearly entered into fellowship with Christ, the onset of acute conscience sets in. Sin, past and present, looms clearer and uglier. The typical response is "fear." Certainly punishment and judgment must follow, but instead comes grace and mercy.

This is the beginning of sanctification and that process is what thrills and blesses those of us who serve here. The glory-glow manifests as they walk closer to Him. Praise God for His desire to make us new -- and thank you, Father, for the very great cost!

Graduate’s Testimony

This month I'd like to feature a graduate who wonderfully illustrates the above principles.  His name is Jeremy:

“As many do, my steps began as normal as any other. I had very loving parents and two brothers. I loved school having such a passion for those things I did not yet know. As a young boy I yearned to be one of the great painters like Picasso or Dali. Everything felt so perfect… untouchable. At 9 years old I discovered my mother had been diagnosed with cancer. I was crushed to find out that this might inevitably take her life. I loved my mother and it felt wrong to picture my life without her. My greatest fears were soon realized; two years later my mother passed away. I found myself gripped with a pain, and I could not find release. Rather than reaching out to God for the comfort I needed, I instead chose to blame Him for the darkness that had become so real. At the age of 11, I had the understanding of a child. Guided by feelings, in the absence of intellect, my pain only grew. In time it grew to be far more than I could handle.

“In the years that followed I took many attempts toward my own life, and with each failure I only hated myself more and more. I had grown to be a man, but inside I was empty. My bout with life had left me with a heart void of hope. I no longer had passion to be anything more than I already was. I found contentment in my solitude. There would be no one to disappoint, no one to hurt. It was simpler that way.  I hid my pain well; my sadness only showed through my eyes which gave window to the hurt child I was inside the prison I had become.

As an adult I no longer found comfort in only me. I found solace in bottles labeled in various colors. Alcohol gave me a numbness that I found, in its season, to be quite amazing. I was free from the anxiety and racing images that coursed through my mind. It did not give me happiness, though it did conceal my pain. As with all seasons, it was only time before the leaves fell from the trees or the snow had melted.  All seasons have their end and the same became true with my health.

“Alone, penniless, and with pains in my belly, I found myself resident at a homeless shelter, wondering how my life could have led to this. I found rest in my dwindling health. If I were dying then I would no longer have to try, I could just wait and allow nature to take its course. Sometimes, however, a spot like this can be the best thing that has ever happened to us. I spent so much time fighting my own life that I didn’t even notice when it slipped away from my grip. I needed a miracle to survive. The irony was that it wasn’t until I stopped looking that I actually found one. With much reluctance, I began to attend some bible studies hosted by the shelter. I was not completely convinced, though it was enough to prepare my heart for an introduction that was not so far away in my future.

“November 8th, 2006 I took residency at a ministry in New Hampshire (His Mansion Ministries), in the hope that I might find some kind of relief from the struggles that I could no longer fight in my own power. It was there that I found the witness I needed. It was not a witness of bible scriptures or threats that had been presented to me so often in the past.  They simply extended their love. No qualifications, no prerequisites, just simple, undeniable love given without any expectation of compensation. It was through those people that Christ was able to show me that I still had a chance. November 15th of that same year I gave my heart to Christ, and I haven’t looked back since.

“If you were to have asked me three years ago what my life might look like in a few years, this would not have been my answer. I was a very broken man, trying to live out dreams that had long surpassed. God has a way of molding our dreams to fit something much greater than we can understand. He’ll do better than give you a dream… He’ll give you a reality. Are you willing to take the chance of giving Him the dreams that you want so that He might be able to bless you with a life that is so much better? There will come a time when He will lay something upon your heart. When that time comes you need to make a choice. Hopes’ biggest weakness is a voice unwilling to speak. There are struggling hearts all over the world who could believe, should there be a voice willing to share with them the truth. What kind of person would we be if we knew the way out and didn’t share it out of the risk that it may become our burden?

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth so we will be confident when we stand before God.--1 John 3:18-19.

“A person can spend so much time living within their dreams that they miss out on the life that has always been there. I find it a great blessing to be a voice that might help others to find theirs. We each have a story to tell. That story is one of great struggle, some proud triumphs, some painful tears and even some very joyful smiles. With each time we share that story we inspire in someone else the courage to speak their own story.  –Jeremy

Swallowtails at the Azalea

When I saw them all feeding, I forgot that I too was hungry, or tired, or spent in any other fashion that locked me in agendas.

It was almost a performance, each one dancing in turn while others rested on fuchsia seats slowly clapping their wings.

Did they know that when they opened and were still, their colors were more brilliant?

I wondered – were they restless as I had been, making up for time spent crawling the ground lifetimes ago?

I’d like to think the wind played a song they simply moved to – not for the sake of beauty but because they knew nothing else.

Because they did the only thing they were created to do and in that were closer to God than any man grasping with both his fervent hands.

By Laura Zube (graduating from the program this month)

God’s Redeeming Love

It has been a prosperous month as it relates to eternal matters. Two residents have accepted Jesus, and several have had life-changing encounters adding to the army of men and women experiencing God’s Grace.

On June 24th we celebrated Bob and Ada Lanoue’s, 20th His Mansion anniversary. In 1989, the Lanoues, who had retired in Florida, heard about His Mansion at a church outreach. The next year they made their first "volunteer" work trip. The year after, the stay lasted two weeks, and it's been the better part of every summer since!

Ada, served as a relief receptionist, and Bob repaired, built, and designed everything else. Their love and huge hugs are sought out by all. Hopefully, they'll return again, but if not, what a wonderful friendship the Mansion family has. Thank you Bob and Ada.

The June HCC class graduated twenty-six candidates - three stayed on to serve for the next year. The next HCC is scheduled for October 10-16th. This will be another full house, so register early.

Board of Directors Update

A new member was added to His Mansion's Board of Directors at the last meeting. Mark Bartlett, of Michigan, brings a level of financial and business expertise that we all welcome. Mark is CFO of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan. His wife, Deb (Mayes), served God at His Mansion in 2007. Her experience at His Mansion, and as a practicing Therapist in Michigan, will further enrich Mark's portfolio.

We are hanging in there financially. God is providing! It's my joy to share once again that all our bills are paid, and we have no outstanding debt. Thank you for your faithful partnering with us. We love and appreciate you.

Joyful and His Service,

Stan Farmer; CEO

His Mansion Ministries, Inc.