Beauty for Ashes

•November 17, 2016 • 3 Comments

Natasha Mwangi

whem-art-display

There’s a song by Crystal Lewis and Ron Kenoly called Beauty for Ashes that states in its chorus:

“He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, peace for despair…”

This is exactly how I felt at my beloved Welcome Home Evangelistic Ministries 5th Anniversary Dinner where I was invited to share a brief testimony.

As I spoke with my dear friend, sister in Christ, mentor and Spiritual Mother, Reverend Winnie Manu, I felt choked up as we looked upon my art display. I had this mental imagery of the juxtaposition between my sales endeavours Pre and Post Christ.

Both endeavours being intimate and personal, however one was in bondage to Satan’s plans for my life – which weren’t really plans for life but to kill, steal and destroy my mind, body and soul…and the latter endeavour was/IS for the glory of the One True Living God – Jesus Christ – who is the author and giver of abundant life.

I remarked tearfully, “Look at this, I am still selling something of me – a God-given talent that He nurtured and developed in me in order to share his glory with others. I’m not selling a piece of my tail for money anymore and God would NEVER have me do that!”

He provides and has proven himself faithful over the past 19 years!  He has pulled me out of the mud and mire and has placed my feet upon a solid rock.  Thank you, Lord.

God is truly good. He is the One who redeems and heals with everlasting hope, true peace, and life giving purpose. He alone is truly able to create beauty from dirt, filth, shame, pain, hatred, guilt, betrayal and much more.

I strongly encourage anyone who’s experienced some kind of trauma, pain, betrayal or whatever you need that requires a miracle – a change of heart, a change of physical health, relational help, despair, anything – to try Jesus. Just try Him. You have nothing to lose.  I used to think this ‘God’ stuff was pure foolishness until I had a dynamic encounter with Him.  But that’s another story….

Before I met Jesus, I went through many types of counsellors in the past – nurse, social worker, crisis counsellor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist – and one even said I would never heal of sexual abuse but encouraged me that I would learn to cope with the pain. I disdainfully responded, “Whaaat?!  Then I may as well go home and just kill myself right now because I can’t do this for another 20 years.”  I had already had a number of suicide attempts under my belt by that young age in my early 20s.

But what that counsellor did not know was that – JESUS HEALS! – AND FOR FREE!!  (I will save for another time of how a demonic spirit of rejection swirled out of my body a week before I actually gave my life to Jesus!) Healing doesn’t usually happen overnight (though it can) – but with God, ALL things, ESPECIALLY HEALING, truly IS possible. He loves you more than you realize!

[And let me just say I am not discounting counsellors as I myself am still working on a Master of Divinity in Clinical Counselling.  I’m just saying true healing and freedom is in Christ Jesus alone.]

Check out the words to the song Beauty for Ashes. This really explains why I love Jesus. He has done so much for me and I yearn to share the hope of glory because I know what it feels like to not see any way out of darkness…

CHORUS:

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair (2x)

VERSE 1:

When sorrow seems to surround you
When suffering hangs heavy o’er your head
Know that tomorrow brings wholeness and healing
God knows your need, just believe what He said

(CHORUS)

VERSE 2:

When what you’ve done keeps you from moving on
When fear wants to make itself at home in your heart
Know that forgiveness brings wholeness and healing
God knows your need just believe what He said

(CHORUS)

I once was lost but God has found me
Though I was bound I’ve been set free
I’ve been made righteous in His sight
A display of His splendor all can see

I once was lost but God has found me
Though I was bound I’ve been set free
I’ve been made righteous in His sight
A display of His splendor all can see

(CHORUS 2x)

Songwriters
Crystal Lewis

Published by
Metro One (ASCAP)

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Welcome Home Evangelistic Ministries 5th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

•October 17, 2016 • Leave a Comment

https://m.facebook.com/events/326399281051839/?ti=as

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Christ’s Forgiveness and Healing

•June 9, 2016 • 1 Comment

Natasha Mwangi

So I was sitting at a church service a while back as my pastor preached a series on Forgiveness.  It was so timely as I had been seething with rage in my heart over a false accusation.  My truthful answers were not believed and so my rage inside escalated as I was therefore being called a liar.

Needless to say, the sermon was a timely orchestration by God.  The pastor spoke of forgiveness being difficult especially when we feel a grave injustice has been done to us.  He taught the wonderful reminder about extending Christ’s forgiveness to our offenders as Christ has forgiven us, because we will then be forgiven with the measure we use.

He was preaching to the choir as we say in church.  I knew all of this already, yet I was so overwhelmed by hurt and my voice not being heard, I just actually wanted to stay angry.  The anger somehow validated my feelings against the wrong done to me.  It doesn’t, of course, but I just felt that way at the time and that lie somehow gave me justice.

The Holy Spirit was working yet again, guiding into all truth.  I felt convicted regarding the resentment in my heart.  Pastor encouraged us to close our eyes and ask the Lord if there were people we needed to forgive and to pray for Christ to help us extend His forgiveness to these people as He has forgiven us…well, me.  So I prayed and a few people who have hurt me came to mind, mostly hurt pride issues and some spiritual abuse issues.

I prayed and the Lord softened my heart toward these people and I felt compassion.  As I continued to pray I said, “Lord, I believe there was something else in my life that was devastating or something, but I just can’t remember right now.”  I tried so hard to remember but I couldn’t.  So I said, “Lord, I guess it’s not that important if I can’t remember.  So help me to forgive those you bring to my heart right now.”

By the end of the church service, my heart felt clean and light and pure.  No rage, no resentment, no bitterness – just compassion and love.  And then it came to me!  I said, “Oh yeah, I was sexually abused!”  I literally chuckled to the Lord in delight.  Not that sexual abuse is a laughing matter. NO.  I had a laugh with the Lord because He is so wonderful!  The words of the Lord spoken through a dynamic woman of God 19 years ago was repeated to me by the Holy Spirit.  He said, “…You will be healed so gently that you will look up one day and wonder where the pain has gone…”

I smiled in awe of the Lord and what He has proven Himself able to do.  I used to think about my abuse every single day for decades at the forefront of my brain when I woke up in the morning!  I needed drugs to survive my mental and emotional anguish.  Now the Lord has healed me so much that I actually forgot about the sexual abuse!  How great is that?

All things are possible with Jesus Christ – the God of impossibilities!

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