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Your way or the High way

May 27, 2023 Gaspar Anastasi
0 Comment
God's love, Marriage

A lot of things can go wrong in marriage, but there is one sure solution to every problem we face: God’s love. It is the supernatural power of God that has been deposited in the heart of every born-again Christian. Then why are there so many divorces in the Church? Sad to say, but there are statistically as many divorces among us as there are among non-Christians. So what is the problem? 

God’s love sees only good

For one thing, many of us aren’t living out of our spirit where God’s power dwells. Instead, we act and react primarily out of our soul (feelings and emotions). We get offended easily and are quick to build walls between us. Many of our marriages have become like the Dead Sea in Israel: totally stagnant and lifeless. The Dead Sea lets water in, but not out. So every living thing in it dies. Likewise, many Christian couples received God’s love shed abroad in their heart the moment they accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. But they are not releasing His love to each other and, in many cases, their marriages are dying. 

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

—Isaiah 55:9

Let me define this all-powerful agape love, God’s love. Notice it’s, first of all, Father God’s love—not yours or mine. We don’t produce it, but we carry it in our born-again spirits. Secondly, it’s supernatural in the sense that it is unconditional and unlimited. That means it is not determined by your mate’s behavior, responses and mistakes. Agape love only sees the good in your spouse and their God-given value. Agape love can’t be turned off.

Worry Anxiety Workshop
Stressed? Worried? Register today for this great healing workshop led by Bishop Gaspar Anastasi! Call (239)244-3912.

God’s love heals

When released toward one another, agape love brings healing wherever needed. The word of God says His love, whenever applied, never fails to bring healing, unity, peace, forgiveness and wholeness to marriage. Remember, it can only flow from your born again spirit, which means we must be aware of living out our daily lives from our spirit not just our soul (feelings and emotions). 

This supernatural love is available to every Christian marriage. But, sadly, very few of us tap into it. One reason is that we don’t know we have it. But there is another more sinister reason we don’t love like God loves, and that’s selfishness. The husband and the wife each want their own way. We lose sight of God’s plan for us which is true oneness and unity, and which occur whenever we as a couple release God’s presence and power. However, many of us are willing to forgo this wonderful gift of unity just to have our own way. 

Many of us are willing to forgo this wonderful gift of unity just to have our own way.

God’s love is unbeatable

It does take crucifying our flesh, dying to our own ways and choosing God’s way. There is nothing that arises in your marriage that God’s love flowing through you can’t overcome. You must choose to be in touch with your spirit every day. And that can happen only by connecting with God by reading His word and praising Him daily. 

There is one other major factor to successfully walking in God’s agape love: Being baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who sheds God’s love in our heart, and it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to release His unconditional love to our mates every day. Loving someone unconditionally and continuously without the baptism of the Holy Spirit is like trying to put out a five-alarm fire with a bucket of water. By contrast, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is like a forceful stream of water from a high-powered hydrant. 

God’s love comes only from Him

You can’t produce the God-kind-of-love with your own willpower. Only the Holy Spirit can effectively release it through your life. You have it, but are you letting it flow every day? Or are you letting the little foxes spoil the vine of your marriage? Do you find that, instead of overcoming daily problems and enjoying each other, you’re steeped in bitterness… on the verge of separation… even divorce? 

Don’t live married single lives! Start tapping into God’s unconditional agape love. It will radically alter your attitude, behavior and even your desires when it comes to your marriage. It’s up to you, because God has given you the greatest power known to mankind, and that is His own love. Instead of fighting for your own way, choose HIS way.

Please leave a comment below. We love to hear from you!

…

Drama in the airport

April 23, 2022 Michele Anastasi
3 Comments
Anger management, God's love, Marriage

The rude couple

A couple of weeks ago we were in the airport waiting for a flight. I can’t help it, but I’m an incurable people-watcher. Sitting directly across from us was a couple, mid to late thirties.

The husband went to get something to eat and a coffee for his wife. As she placed the coffee on the floor near her bag, he started ravenously eating his food—seriously, like a man who hadn’t eaten in a week. Food was falling everywhere and splattered her pants. As she tried to clean the food off of her, he just kept munching away.

I couldn’t help myself and my mother instinct said, “You better say sorry, or the rest of your day isn’t going to go well.” He ignored me and, shifting his weight in his seat, kicked her coffee all over her feet. She jumped up and headed to either the ladies room or to call her attorney. Can you believe he just looked at the mess and continued eating!

I was so upset I started writing about it in my journal. I didn’t really think it would end up in this blog, but God knew.

It’s never too late (or too early) to make your marriage great! Call (239)244-3912 or visit our website.

Another passenger, also watching, went for some paper towel… Finally the husband got the hint, stopped eating and attended to what was left of the mess. Wow! Where has care, kindness and even simple manners gone in today’s marriages?

If this were an isolated incident I probably wouldn’t be writing this. But being a people-watcher and traveling a lot, I see such bad behavior and downright rudeness in couples. I was so upset I started writing about what happened in my journal. I didn’t really think it would end up in this blog, but God knew and He already had the ending planned out.

The desperate couple

Several days later, there we were in the airport again. The last thing you want to hear after two flights and a long trip is that your bags are on another plane, and there will be a slight delay. So back to people-watching… You’d think I would have learned my lesson by now.

I didn’t hear this couple say a word, but I knew they were Christians. We started talking about the delay, making small talk. They were returning from a trip to see a new grandbaby. Asked if we had been on vacation, Gaspar shared about the church and that we were away writing new material for our Sacred Marriage group. That’s when they shared their story.

Then, struck by a series of painful events and with nowhere else to turn, they turned to the Lord.

Up until a few years ago their marriage had been in deep trouble. They were going in separate directions, totally shut down to each other. Then, struck by a series of painful events with nowhere else to turn, they turned to the Lord. They leaned on Him, sought His will and, most of all, reconnected to Him as a couple. And in the process, Jesus transformed their troubled marriage into an awesome one.

What a different story from the other couple! I suddenly felt very sad that we hadn’t had the chance to tell them about the Lord. But since then, we’ve prayed for God to put believers in their path.

Every couple’s greatest need

The only way to have a healthy, thriving marriage is with Jesus. He is what every marriage needs at its center. If you let Him, God will give you the relationship you’ve always longed for. He will make a good marriage great; get a struggling marriage back on track; and bring a dead marriage back to life. He does what no one and nothing else can.

Marriages are hurting today more than ever. My husband and I feel the Lord leading us to take a slight detour with this blog and focus on marriage for awhile. We would love to hear your thoughts. Are marriages today changing? If so, why? Do you see changes in your own marriage? 

We love hearing from you! If this blog has been a blessing to you, please comment below.…

Your way or the High way

February 19, 2022 Gaspar Anastasi
2 Comments
God's love, Marriage

A lot of things can go wrong in marriage, but there is one sure solution to every problem we face: God’s love. It is the supernatural power of God that has been deposited in every born again Christian’s heart. Then why are there so many divorces in the Church? Sad to say, but there are statistically as many divorces among us as there are among non-Christians. So what is the problem? 

God’s love sees only good

For one thing, many of us aren’t living out of our spirit where God’s power dwells. Instead, we act and react primarily out of our soul (feelings and emotions). We get offended easily and are quick to build walls between us. Many of our marriages have become like the Dead Sea in Israel: totally stagnant and lifeless. The Dead Sea lets water in, but not out. So every living thing in it dies. Likewise, many Christian couples received God’s love shed abroad in their heart the moment they accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. But they are not releasing His love to each other, and in many cases their marriages are dying. 

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

—Isaiah 55:9

Let me define this all-powerful agape love, God’s love. Notice it’s, first of all, Father God’s love—not yours or mine. We don’t produce it, but we carry it in our born again spirits. Secondly, it’s supernatural in the sense that it is unconditional and unlimited. That means it is not determined by your mate’s behavior, responses and mistakes. Agape love only sees the good in your spouse and their God-given value. Agape love can’t be turned off.

Two become one
It’s never too late (or too early) to make your marriage great! Call (239)244-3912 or visit our website.

God’s love heals

When released toward one another, agape love brings healing wherever needed.  The word of God says His love, whenever applied, never fails to bring healing, unity, peace, forgiveness and wholeness to marriage. Remember, it can only flow from your born again spirit, which means we must be aware of living out our daily lives from our spirit not just our soul (feelings and emotions). 

This supernatural love is available to every Christian marriage. But, sadly, very few of us tap into it. One reason is that we don’t know we have it. But there is another more sinister reason we don’t love like God loves, and that’s selfishness. The husband and the wife each want their own way. We lose sight of God’s plan for us which is true oneness and unity, and which occur whenever we as a couple release God’s presence and power. However, many of us are willing to forgo this wonderful gift of unity just to have our own way. 

Many of us are willing to forgo this wonderful gift of unity just to have our own way.

God’s love is unbeatable

It does take crucifying our flesh, dying to our own ways and choosing God’s way. There is nothing that arises in your marriage that God’s love flowing through you can’t overcome. You must choose to be in touch with your spirit every day. And that can happen only by connecting with God by reading His word and praising Him daily. 

There is one other major factor to successfully walking in God’s agape love: Being baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who sheds God’s love in our heart, and it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to release His unconditional love to our mates every day. Loving someone unconditionally and continuously without the baptism of the Holy Spirit is like trying to put out a five-alarm fire with a bucket of water. By contrast, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is like a forceful stream of water from a high-powered hydrant. 

God’s love flows from the Holy Spirit

You can’t produce the God-kind-of-love with your own willpower. Only the Holy Spirit can effectively release it through your life. You have it, but are you letting it flow every day? Or are you letting the little foxes spoil the vine of your marriage? Do you find that, instead of overcoming daily problems and enjoying each other, you’re steeped in bitterness… on the verge of separation… even divorce? 

Don’t live married single lives! Start tapping into God’s unconditional agape love. It will radically alter your attitude, behavior and even your desires when it comes to your marriage. It’s up to you, because God has given you the greatest power known to mankind, and that is His own love. Instead of fighting for your own way, choose HIS way.

Please leave a comment below. We love to hear from you!

…

Every good marriage starts with one

January 15, 2022 Michele Anastasi
0 Comment
God's love, Marriage

Have you been waiting for your spouse to change? Praying for your spouse to change? Arguing with your spouse to change? Let me guess… you haven’t gotten anywhere. 

Maybe it’s time for a new strategy—a godly strategy. If you want your spouse to change, it’s a good idea to start by accepting them for who they are. When a person feels criticized and unappreciated, they dig their heels in and go into protection mode. 

Happiness is a choice

Instead of arguing with and criticizing your spouse to change them, remind yourself of their positive qualities, the things that made you fall in love with them in the first place. Believe it or not, they’re still that same person even if they’ve been hiding deep inside themself.

Old made new

Let Breaking Free Counseling help you get your marriage back on track! Call (239)244-3912 or visit our website.

In my last blog 2 weeks ago, I shared how changing your thinking has the power to change your marriage. When we improve our attitude and actions it makes all the difference in the world. Even when just one spouse alters their thinking and attitude, it can change their marriage for the better.

We look at the circumstances in our marriage and think they are what’s making us unhappy. The truth is it’s our attitude about the circumstances and how we choose to react to them that make us miserable. Happiness is a choice. Every day, you and I choose whether to focus on what we like or don’t like about our marriage.

Ball’s in your court

Really, it’s all a matter of how you see things. For instance, the wife can see all her problems as the husband’s fault. The husband would say he shuts her out because she constantly nags him. She says she nags him because he constantly shuts her out. With this kind of thinking, nothing ever changes.

Every marriage has its share of trials. All couples face difficult situations. Yet situations don’t determine the quality of your marriage. Your response does. The choice is yours. Choosing patience and understanding is always a better option than bitterness and despair.

You have the power to create an atmosphere of peace and acceptance, regardless of how your spouse acts. It takes two people to escalate any disagreement. And an environment of negativity and tension is difficult on the entire family. 

Be the one

Why not make the decision to step up and be the one to change? When you change the way you see things, the way you think, your attitudes, the way you respond will change for the better. You can do it. I know you can. Why not commit to making the following two changes in this coming New Year. Just between you and God. 

  1. Stop Complaining. It doesn’t change anything. Quite the opposite. Constant criticism destroys all feelings of love and affection between you. Instead, it provokes anger and defensiveness. A spouse who complains they aren’t getting what they want from their partner should stop and look at how often they disrespect and criticize their husband or wife. To see an immediate difference in your marriage, stop complaining and do the next thing.
  2. Be Grateful. Showing gratitude transcends all circumstances. When was the last time you told your spouse you appreciate them? Happily married couples aren’t happy because the don’t have problems. We all do. They aren’t happy because they don’t argue. All couples  do. What they do have is an attitude of gratitude for their spouse.

Couples with a positive outlook do much better than those who let negativity rule. We generally learn to be optimistic or pessimistic in childhood and carry it with us throughout life. You may not be able to change what happened in your past, but you can take steps to ensure a better tomorrow. You be the one to change.

If you need help, we offer help for troubled marriages. I invite you to contact us at the Breaking Free Wellness Center.

We love to hear from you! Why not take a moment to comment below?…

There’s no victory without a battle.

April 10, 2021 Gaspar Anastasi
1 Comment
God's love, Relationship with God, Success & victory

Who doesn’t like to be comfortable? Nobody. While most of us believe God will comfort us, the question is “How?” I have noticed that most of us have a misconception about that. We think that God’s comfort means that we can totally avoid uncomfortable issues we face. Or that He will remove us when we find ourselves in trouble. 

The God of comfort

Second Corinthians 1:3 & 4 says:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

The root of the word for comfort (parakaleo) in this New Testament scripture means “to call to one’s side; to encourage and to strengthen.” It never means to make it easy, take care of things for us or remove us from the struggle. 

When we read “God of all comfort”, it means that God wants to see a number of things accomplished in our life. He is committed to walk with us. And He encourages us in and through tests just like He did for Meshach, Shadrach, and Abed-Nego. When they went into the fiery furnace, they didn’t get burned. But they did get a greater revelation of who God is! 

The goal of trials

1. God wants us to know Him better and trust Him more. He uses the struggles we go through to accomplish that. Can you relate to that? I certainly can. 

2. Godly character is developed in our lives to increase our influence in the world we live in….many more people would be drawn to Jesus because of us. John 12:32, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

3. When we go through our fiery furnaces with God, we will be prepared to glorify Him as overcomers and be equipped to face our future struggles and battles…leading to future greater victories.

So we need to settle in our hearts that something great will be accomplished in and through the daily struggles we face. It’s time to stop asking God to comfort us according to our misconceived notion of comfort. Instead of asking Him to take us out of our struggles we will pray that He comfort us by being with us in the struggles.

Oh yes. I almost forgot to mention another thing. 

4. One way God promotes us in His kingdom is through the victories we win in battle.

Promotion on the way!

In other words, the struggle you face is proof that God is getting ready to promote you in His kingdom! The greater the struggle, the greater the promotion. Wow! That means some of us are on the verge of great promotions in God’s kingdom!

David proves my point. After he faced and killed his Goliath, he was promoted from shepherd boy to king over God’s people.

In conclusion, the struggle you face today is about the destiny of tomorrow. The bigger the struggle the more that’s at stake. The next time you ask God to comfort you, remember there’s no victory without a battle. Don’t circumvent your destiny by giving in to comfort.…

The Perfect Dad

June 20, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi
0 Comment
Faith, Finding significance in life, God's love, Relationship with God

This weekend, the world celebrates fathers. But I want to draw your attention to a Dad we seldom connect with Father’s Day. Yet, He’s the world’s only perfect Dad. He is the role model for all fathers.

Our God is the kind of Father Who will never turn His back on you, no matter what you do or don’t do. He’s the kind of Dad who longs to be loved, adored and cherished. He’s the kind of Father that, regardless of the time of day or night, yearns to hear your heart beat.

God is the kind of Father that, when everybody else has turned you off, waits patiently with open arms and an open heart for you to come to Him — knowing He was your last choice.

He’s a Father into whose lap you can crawl and on whose chest you can lay your head, knowing that His strong, always-willing arms will hold you tight. And with a voice full of strength and compassion He’ll comfort you with: “Everything will be alright.”

He’s the kind of Father that, not only gives sound advice and direction for your life, but much needed correction and gentle, but sure, instruction.

He’s the kind of Father that always has some special little gift for you. He delights in letting you go through His pockets to find that treat He has stored there just for you.

He’s a Father that you can’t help but love and respect as Father; but Whom you can also reach your arms out to and adore as Daddy.

Wow, that almost seems too good to be true! Yet, our God who created each of us, has made Himself to be all those things I just described.

Yes, God is a Father who would never reject His children. Yet He weeps over His many children who have rejected Him.

From the beginning, God has desperately wanted that kind of close Father/child relationship with us, His creation. But beginning with Adam and Eve, we have chosen the fatherhood of a lesser god called satan.

Instead of being lavished with love, compassion and blessings, we’ve been abused, molested and rejected. Satan steals from his own kids and denies them love because he has none to give.

Still others are spiritual orphans. That describes many Christians. They have rejected satan, accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but haven’t allowed His Father to be theirs.

God promises in II Corinthians 6:17-18: “… come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Turn your whole heart over to God right now and stop dabbling in sin. Our loving Father has a place on His lap reserved just for you.

He longs for your love. Don’t let anything delay your entering the warm embrace of your loving Father God today.…

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