Why would I want to attend a SOZO session at Bethel Redding, California?
Sozo is not a counseling session but a time of interacting with Father, Son
and Holy Spirit for wholeness and pursuing of your destiny. http://www.ibethel.org/sozo-overview
SOZO is the Greek word translated “saved,
healed, delivered.” Sozo ministry is a unique inner healing and deliverance
ministry aimed to get to the root of things hindering your personal connection
with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. With a healed connection, you can walk in
the destiny to which you have been called.
My daughter Judie, encouraged
me to come with her to Redding
The following is a brief
outline of my meeting and it is edited.
The lady asked
how does God speak to you? Is it a
voice, pictures, or dreams?
I told her I have never heard
an audible voice, but God speaks to my spirit, as I pointed to my chest. Of course He speaks to me through His word.
Why are you here
and what are you asking Jesus to reveal to you?
Briefly I shared how a door
of ministry had been shut for me and that I was seeking direction for making
new decisions for 2015.
I explained that my roots are
Pentecostal/Charismatic but I have been attending a formal Denominational church
for 5 years. Similar to Episcopal,
Catholic, Lutheran.
Why did you
leave your Pentecostal roots?
I explained how God revealed
to me there was a misuse of funds, and the Pastor and I had a
disagreement. He told me to leave and
not come back. I admit I was angry and
decided to find an established church that was NOT Charismatic and take a rest.
Why do you now
want to leave the formal church?
Each service has a time to
express “Joys and Concerns,” so each month (for 5 years) I have been sharing a short
devotional at the “Joy time.” My last
sharing was considered too long and unknown to me a meeting of the council was
held as some had complained to the Pastor that they did not like me
sharing. Pastor wrote me a letter explaining
their feelings and stating from now on, we are requesting that you NOT share
verbally, but you can print out your story or sermon and leave it on the table
in the fellowship hall.
How did that
make you feel?
Actually there has been a
stirring in my spirit and the letter was a sign, that the door of ministry has
been shut for me in this church. I love
them and pray God’s best for them.
The lady led me in a prayer
of forgiveness for the Charismatic Pastor and a release and cutting of all ties
to him and that church.
Then she led me in a prayer
of forgiveness for those who have criticized my sharing, and a cutting of all
soul ties to the Denomination church.
She suggested that I take all
that is mine, and leave all that is theirs and sever the church relationship.
She suggested I find a
“closet” or special place to daily pray and seek God’s guidance.
She prayed and asked Jesus to
show me what He wants me to do next.
She asked if Jesus
was telling me anything at this time.
 |
| Be Still and Know that I am God |
I told her no, but I feel at
peace.
5 comments:
That's great Mom!
Thank you Judie for taking me there to Redding
I can feel the distress! It's no fun to lose a church home. Feeling displaced for no fault of our own is hard. Randy and I felt led to have a meeting with a certain pastor and his wife over the fact that they were allowing his son and live-in girlfriend "teach" the teen class. Another issue surrounded a different couple who were also living toether and struggling with substance abuse. Thes two were teaching the children. ,For me, especially, God kept dealing with me for about a year. Our whole family was active in various parts of the ministry and had been re-united this way. When we talked with the pastor, he basically told us that if we didn't like it, we could leave. Both of them rationalized what they were allowing. I was extremely surprised because I knew this man and his solid walk from a church years before. My heart broke. We left and it put a big hole in everyone's heart. In fact, to this day, it has left me feeling a little scattered and sad. God gave me these words...."You may have lost your coat, but you kept your character" ( Like Joseph). The Church we began attending wouldn't allow us to serve in any capacity because we didn't want to sign their statement of faith. My husband - a former catholic -had several meetings with the Pastors to have them explain some things and answer some of his questions. One Pastor ended things by saying....I see you have some very valid points, but I don't want to change my thinking. I've been a member of this church too long. So there we were again. Just going to church but having no part. I used the time in my seat to pray for those around me. One sermon the pastor gave was very harsh against what he called "Faith people" He said " You are going to die of whatever you had last". I said, "Not me" inside. Last I heard, he was battling cancer.
You and I have much more in common than I'd ever guessed. I was dropped into the charismatic piece when I was 21. And I sure didn't know anything of it, and, just with friends visiting a church in Seattle, that was taken by Dennis Bennett...an Episcopal church, none of which I knew, "miraculously" I was poured with the "tongues" and never wanted it then. In California, at a Presbyterian church, it was dropped on me again, and then, 2-1/2 years later from the Seattle situation, it truly hit me. Now, for all these years, I have been in a variety of churches. In my present one, I would not be accepted by 99.9% of them re: my prayers, BUT the Lord uses me to pray quietly around and about there and other places. I've been in many different churches in these many years and many locations. Some of very pentecostal/charismatic and some are not. Charismatic Lutheran churches have been great! Baptist, AoG, Non-Denominational, or others the Lord has laid me and my husband on them. It's a way to spread His Word around and about and to be helpful users. There are so many churches now... even ones I'd never have guessed... who are turning to our present-day world sinfulness. I can go to only one that doesn't go that direction. To have heard that a Baptist church in our area approved of the same-sex marriage, and I'd never have thought that would happen. Our world is filled with so much sinfulness and many of us are filled with sorrowfulness.
I DO have the Lord/Spirit speaking to me nearly every day now. Planning for heaven, planning to help and take care of people in the meantime, being encouraged how to go around and about. All I can do. Hope this wording isn't too crazy, but, if nothing else, you sure know reality. Bless you much. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Hazel, only just came across this post tonight and thought you might be interested in reading up some more about what can happen through this sozo ministry. https://closingstages.net/2012/07/31/victims-of-johnsons-sozo-ministry-speak-out/
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