Deliverance and Healing from Trauma

 The Hebrews were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. It got worse and worse. Finally, their male babies were slaughtered by the Egyptians. Their fate was unbearable.

We could think of the refugees who sacrifice everything to escape the torment of tyranny in North Korea, much worse than in the old East Germany.

When I was in Australia in 1972, I studied psychology at university. I read that quite a few immigrants from Eastern Europe after the war had psychiatric disorders, especially paranoia, that is, delusions of persecution.

If you constantly feel threatened, you can internalise fear in such a way that you see threats where there is no threat.

Panic fear can become a habit. With this extreme fear then comes despair, depression, anger and hatred.

Persecuted slaves and prisoners are always afraid of betrayal because that is their life experience.

Trafficked prostitutes sometimes have the opportunity to report to the police, but they do not know whether a police officer is trustworthy or perhaps involved in the dirty tricks.

Recently we have been reading about children who have been sexually abused in churches or religious schools. Who can these children trust? Who would believe them?

I know a Christian woman who was cruelly controlled by her self-centred husband. At home he was arrogant and domineering, but at church he was a radiant Christian. When she left her husband, she was judged as the guilty one.

When people are broken, they not only need a deliverer to rescue them from captivity. They also need miraculous healing for their broken hearts.

In the story of Moses in Exodus, we see how God delivered the Hebrews through dramatic miracles. God punished the Egyptians with ten terrible plagues, but the Hebrews lived in another region, Goshen, and they were spared.

Then two million Hebrews were trapped in an ambush on the shores of the Red Sea. Pharaoh and his army chased after them. Without a miracle, they would have been as good as dead.

There are Christians today who claim that God ordained miracles only for Bible times, but no more, as if miracles were a special offer for then.

This religious idea is simply cruel, blasphemy. God is love. He does not change.

You don't need a miracle until you need a miracle.

There are so many broken and enslaved people today.

I know Christian women who visit brothels. In one year they discovered and freed four enslaved prostitutes.

Deliverance from slavery is absolutely necessary, but it is not enough. They need to find Jesus as their eternal liberator. Those who do not go to heaven by faith are eternally lost, whether they lived in a brothel or a palace.

But there are so many Christians who only know Jesus to some extent. They believe that their sins are forgiven and they hope to be in heaven after death.

But in the Bible we see Jesus as the healer and deliverer who completely transformed broken people.

You may have been set free from abuse, but the after-effects of the trauma are still agonising.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Ps 147:3 NIV

It is not enough to save people from sin. They need care and healing for the aftermath of sin, from their own sins and from the sins of others that have ruined them.

God's Peace in Wartime

 Valentin Silvestrov is a wonderful Ukrainian musician, a composer of classical music.

Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, his family urged him to flee the country, and he reluctantly agreed. Aged 84 he escaped with his daughter and granddaughter to Poland and then to Berlin, where he settled as a refugee.

As he fled to safety and freedom, he heard music in his mind, but he said he was surprised that it did not reflect the fear and trauma he left behind in Ky iv. It was heavenly peaceful music, lovely setting of the Lord’s Prayer.

Silvestrov describes Putin as a terrorist like Bin Laden but a thousand times more dangerous. Nevertheless, his music is not angry or nationalistic but rather peaceful and prayerful.

Jesus said to his disciples:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. Jn 14:27 NIVUK84

Victims Need Healing

 The Hebrews were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. Towards the end of this time, hardship became terrible agony. Finally their male babies were slaughtered by the Egyptians. Their life was unbearable and they cried out to God.

We could think of the refugees sacrificing everything to escape the agony of tyranny in North Korea, much worse than in the old East Germany.

When I was in Australia in 1972, I studied psychology at university. I read that quite a few immigrants from Eastern Europe after the war had psychiatric disorders, especially paranoia, that is, delusions of persecution.

When you feel threatened all the time, you can internalise fear in such a way that you see threats where there is no threat.

Panic can become a habit. With this extreme fear comes despair, depression, anger and hatred.

Persecuted slaves and captives are always afraid of betrayal because that is their life experience.

Trafficked prostitutes sometimes have the opportunity to report to the police, but they do not know whether a police officer is trustworthy or in league with the pimps.

We have read recently about children who were sexually abused in churches or religious schools. Who can these children trust? Who would they believe?

There are Christian women who are cruelly controlled by their narcissistic husbands. At home the abusers are arrogant and bossy, but at church they are radiant Christians.

When the wife leaves her husband, she is judged as the guilty one.

When people are broken, they not only need a deliverer to rescue them from captivity. They also need miraculous healing for their broken hearts.

In the story of Moses in Exodus, we see how God delivered the Hebrews through dramatic miracles. God punished the Egyptians with ten terrible plagues, but the Hebrews lived in another region, Goshen, and they were spared.

Then two million Hebrews were trapped in an ambush on the shore of the Red Sea. Pharaoh with his army had chased after them. Without a miracle, they were as good as dead.

There are Christians today who claim that God only ordained miracles for Bible times, but nor for us today, as if miracles were a special offer for a limited time only.

This religious idea is simply cruel, blasphemy. God is love. He does not change.

You don't need a miracle until you need a miracle.

There are so many broken and enslaved people today.

I know Christian women who visit brothels. In one year they discovered and freed four enslaved prostitutes.

Liberation from slavery is absolutely necessary, but it is not enough.

Where will you go after you die, heaven or hell? It makes no difference whether you lived in a brothel or a palace

But there are so many Christians who only know Jesus to some extent. They believe that their sins are forgiven and they hope to go to heaven after death.

But in the Bible we see Jesus as the healer and deliverer who completely transformed broken people. 

You may have been set free from abuse, but the aftermath of trauma is still a torment.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 ESV

It is not enough to save people from sin. They need care and healing for the aftermath of sin, from their own sins and from the sins of others who have tormented and broken them.