← Integrity or the Lack Thereof! by Pam Sheppard
“Why Deliverance Counseling?” by Pam Sheppard →
I receive my share of emails that either have “help me” in the title, or they end with “help me.” No other info provided.
My style of coaching is to help folk to “help themselves.” My goal is to cause those I help to become bold, independent and strong, just like I am.
So to ask me for help in a desperate sounding way tells me that the seeker is looking for all the work to come entirely from me. A passive Christian perceives a pastor as one jumps out like superwoman, whip out my “anointing” to miraculously set them free while they just passively lay back and do nothing. The truth is that the answers to your captivity are within your own souls. As coach, my job is to uncover and discover where your own anointing lies.
My thoughts are, “you got into this. I will help you but you have to follow my lead and help yourself to get out of this mess.
So when you call me and report that you are living in sin, that you are STILL going to church or watching mega preachers on TV, that you are still following indigenous customs of your ancestors and culture, the way to help yourself is to cease and desist from these actions BEFOE I can help.
Check out these crucial words from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew. 12:29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
My take on this scripture is that if a person is strong, the enemy can’t spoil his house unless he first renders him helpless by tying him up. It is my job to make you stronger.
The institutional church has wrongly referred to Satan as the strongman, in spite of the clarity of the Lord’s words in Matthew 12:29. The strongman is US, not the enemy. We are strong until we permit the enemy to tie us up.
When the Lord spoke these words, no one was yet born again. So I perceive it safe to assume that this scripture applies to any strong-willed person. it’s a natural fact. We will all fight for what is ours unless a thief threatens our lives with a deadly weapon. Only under such dire circumstances will we allow ourselves to sit in a chair and passively let an intruder wrap us around with a rope and tightly tie it to completely immobilize us. Even when tied up, our minds will search around the room for something sharp to untie ourselves when we get a chance.
From a spiritual perspective, whenever The Lord used the word “house,” he was symbolically referring to our souls. The enemy is the one who binds our souls with invisible chains and cords.. Since the soul consists of the mind, the emotions, the will power, and the personality, if our souls our bound, then we are certainly rendered helpless.
So my job as both pastor and coach is to help you unwind yourself. Yes, I have the power to cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Yet if you are not unbound within your belief system and your personality, the enemy will bind you AGAIN.
So if you want my help, the best effort I can give to you is to build your strength so that once you are free, you have the capacity to remain free and even set others free!!!
Here are resources that will also help.
Spiritual Warfare Library of PSM 
Thanks Pastor Pam. I’ll check out the FaceBook page and I’ll let you know which course I want.
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I am a bit amazed to hear you say that we are the strongman and that we are strong until we allow the enemy to tie us up. Even though I acknowledge my false conversion, I do recall a time when my mind was stronger than usual. Over time however, that changed. Being married and listening to the advice of people in the church to submit to your husband even though you were not in agreement was what I think really broke me down over time. I have always been independent and so this “two become one” doctrine that to me basically dictates that you should submit despite of really did a number on me. Eventually, I felt robbed of my identity and psychologically messed up as I tried to make myself agree with things I did not agree with. It felt like the torment described in the “toxic religion” post. I’m trying to love you but if I disagree and you keep telling me I have to submit then I become resentful and rebellious which then leads to guilt and remorse then depression because I felt like I’d be betraying myself every time I did that. Now that I am no longer in that relationship, I do feel like I am a stronger person than I was before but there is still alot that I have to work on. It tells me that we should not submit to the enemy and his bullying tactics (in whatever form) that will lead to us being tied up.
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I love your insight, Ricia. You are a regular donator to this ministry. You could be getting a free course every month. Also, if you have a FB account, drop by and join our group at http://facebook.com/groups/rescue
Look at the courses on the home page, pick one of them, let me know which one you want, and i will send it to you personally. You don’t have to register.
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