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A mother who lost her teenage son to suicide once said, “It’s hard to heal the wounds you cannot see!” Truer words have never been spoken. This ministry is dedicated to bringing hope and healing to those who struggle in silence. Perhaps you are one of those people. I was for too long. Please read more.
Today marks the 600th edition of 4th Day Letters. My writing began with a nudge from the Holy Spirit in 2011. I had no idea that these weekly messages would achieve a worldwide readership. None of this could have been possible without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
This ministry was birthed when God gave me these words to share, “If you want to be healed, you have to tell someone you are broken.” I have tried to remain faithful to writing and speaking about this message ever since. The underlying focus of this ministry is grounded in this passage from Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”
Let’s face it, we are all sinners, and we have all been wounded in some way by this broken world. Roman 3:23 tells us, “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.” In John 3:17 it is written, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” Despite the Bible telling us “Fear not” and “Be not afraid,” we remain scared that others will discover our faults, wounds, and scars. Fear and shame work in concert, telling us we will be humiliated and embarrassed if others discover our hidden brokenness.
In 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul states, “Of all sinners, I am the worst!” In Romans 7:24 he goes on to say, “Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?” I suspect many of us share Paul’s sentiments. We often feel as though we are the worst of all sinners, and we know we need to be saved. Knowing we were sinners, Jesus came to save us. In John 3:16 it is written, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone.” We no longer need to live in fear. We need to acknowledge our sins, place our trust in Jesus Christ, and we need to live out our faith in community with others. Jesus calls us to “Repent and be changed!” Repentance comes easier than change. We get trapped in cycles of recurring sin. True lasting change requires us to acknowledge our shortcomings. We all need to become vulnerable and willing to live transparent, shared lives.
Proverbs 28:13 states, “Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, but those who confess and forsake them obtain mercy.” Just like the paralytic in Luke’s Gospel, we often need the help of others to carry us to God.
Over the years, thousands of readers have written to me, and hundreds of people have come up to me at retreats to share their personal stories and secrets. For the first time in their life, they find the strength to break down their wall of shame. In doing so, they experience liberation and restoration through Jesus Christ.
This ministry is different than most others. Most ministries serve the important visible needs of mankind. This ministry does not. Therefore it doesn’t have the appeal that some ministries do. It does not have the face of a starving child to touch your heartstrings. It does not have war torn images to draw in your financial support. It does not have images of wounded police officers and/or wounded members of the military to enlist your contributions. No, our mission is quite different! Through Broken Door Ministries and 4th Day Letters, we hope to bring healing to the HIDDEN WOUNDS and HIDDEN PAINS of all people! Too many people are hurting alone!
God taught me that in order to be effective in ministry, I first needed to acknowledge I was broken and needed to be healed. Now I am sharing this message with everyone. When we open up, we allow God’s grace to reach the dark, hidden areas inside. After having a personal encounter with the mercy of Christ, we can go forth to joyfully share this good news with others.
Before I conclude, allow me to ask you a few questions. How are you broken by sin? How have you been wounded by the world? What recurring sin has you captive? Does anyone other than you know about these sins and wounds? If not, why not? What keeps you silent? When we open up and share our struggles, healing is possible!
Please help me get the message out. Will you help me share each week’s 4th Day Letter with your friends and on your social media? Will you tell others about our weekly podcast? Will you consider giving a copy of Blessed Broken and Scared and/or The Broken Door to someone who is hurting? Will you invite me to your church to put on a retreat. (I do not charge a fee. Call or write me today to discuss how easy this can be.) Will you prayerfully consider offering financial support? You can click here to donate. I believe this is only the 2nd time since 2011 that I have asked for financial assistance. Will you pray for me and for this ministry? And finally, will you write to me and let me know if the Holy Spirit has worked through this ministry to touch or heal your brokenness and wounds?
Thank you for your continued readership. May God’s blessing be with you. Remember to always be the door, no matter how broken you might be, through which others can enter to encounter Christ.
Heavenly Father, I am humbled that you have called me, a broken door, to spread the news of your Son’s mercy and love. The world is filled with hurting people. Grant me the strength to never grow weary and the perseverance to never give up. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!
AMDG
As always, I love to hear from you. You can email by clicking here. To share your thoughts with other readers, please use the comment section below.
Please take a couple minutes to watch the video about my new book. The book is available on this website and on Amazon.com. It is also NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH. Please be sure to like the video and to leave a review of the book on Amazon after you have read it. Thank you!
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Dear Brother in Christ,
Please know that I am praying for your health and courage that you give to all of us who feel a stir with every listening of your weekly 4th Day Letter and 600 is Biblical in proportion in my admiring opinion. And please know just hearing your voice quality and the comfort knowing that your research is God inspired and thus has never skipped a beat in more than 12 years. God is using you mightily as you and so many recognize. May God protect and bless you and dear Mary Beth. I know Donna shares and more.
Thank you for your very kind words.
Brian
All praise and honor to God, and thanksgiving to His holy Spirit for sustaining you and giving you wisdom to share in these messages. As at the close of your letters – AMDG
Hey Brian,
A great message…I just shared it with the men I served on the recent Christ Renews His Parish team. I see that other faithful fans have made you aware of the paypal issue…Dee and I will be happy to contribute to your ministry once the problem is fixed!
Brian,
Mike & I so appreciate your ministry. You have definately changed our lives. People at Holy Family still comment on your retreat here. I too had a problem with the donate button. I just went to your web page and that worked. Congratualtiobs on you 600th edition!
Maybe it is time for me to come back for a visit and another retreat.
Brian
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your inspiring words. I pray God will continue to strengthen you to do this important ministry. I tried to click on the link to give and received an error message. If I went to pay pal directly do I just put in your name to donate?
Geri
Thank you for the kind words. I will look into the problem with the donate button.
Brian.
Brian,
Congratulations on an amazing and continuing run of wonderful weekly letters and retreats!
Thank you for your efforts and for always being a channel of inspiration in my life.
May God continue to bless you and your family and fulfill you in this special calling!
Peace!
Bob Davis
Bob
Thank you for your very kind remarks!
Brian