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An Inspirational Story: “The Miraculous Power of Truth!”
By Pastor Tim Burt
In a quaint little town in the hills of Tennessee, there lived two sisters named Kathleen and Patricia. They were inseparable since childhood, sharing not only a strong bond as sisters but also a peculiar family trait. Their mother, Margaret, had grown up as a hypochondriac, constantly consumed by imaginary illnesses that had plagued her life. Unfortunately, this familial disposition had been passed down to Emma and Olivia, causing their marriages to suffer greatly.
Both Kathleen and Patricia had found loving husbands who cared deeply for them. However, their constant hypochondriac behaviors had begun to take a toll on their relationships. Kathleen’s husband, Frank, struggled to understand why his wife was always convinced she was on the brink of some dire illness. Patricia’s husband, Stu, felt helpless as he witnessed his wife’s decline into a world of perceived ailments.
The two sisters were trapped in a cycle of fear and anxiety, their minds consumed by an endless array of imaginary symptoms. They were convinced that they were genuinely ill, yet their doctors failed to find any evidence to support their claims. The frustration grew, and their husbands felt lost, unsure of how to help their wives when the medical community offered no solutions.
One fateful Sunday, Kathleen and Patricia found themselves attending a sermon by a guest minister who also happened to be a psychologist. Pastor Matthew had a powerful story to share. As he stood on the pulpit, he revealed that his own mother had once been a hypochondriac, destroying their home with her incessant sicknesses and worries.
Pastor Matthew continued to share how his mother had accepted and invitation to church and listened to a sermon by a wise pastor that changed her life forever. The sermon spoke of the power of the mind and the miraculous healing that could come from transforming one’s thoughts from worldly thinking to the wisdom found in the Scriptures. He quoted Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Pastor Matthew expounded on the power of false belief and how it could create a life shackled in lies. The reverend continued, sharing another verse from 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (KJV) “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 
The Pastor explained, The power of the lie is in the belief that it’s true. And the author of all lies is Satan himself, just as Jesus had proclaimed! Satan has no power but to get you to believe his lies, and when that happens, he’ll use them to destroy your mind and your life based on them. That was my mother’s life until she came to know and receive Jesus as her Savior. As she read and studied her Bible, she came to learn that Jesus broke the power of sin and sickness and healed countless people. She learned that it was His life’s work to destroy the works of the devil before giving His life for us on the cross! My mother became free and was a new mother to me. That is what led me to become a psychologist who preached the gospel!
As Kathleen and Patricia listened to Pastor Matthew’s words, they felt a stirring deep within their hearts. Each of them was questioning, “Could I be deceived in my mind about all this?” After the message, they talked. They realized they had been deceived trapped in a web of fear, deceit, and negativity. Their hypochondria had kept them captive for far too long, damaging their relationships and robbing them of joy.
Pastor Matthew had given them the answer to pursue to rid themselves of all they felt trapped in. He said, the roadmap to freedom, peace, and joy is Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Inspired by the sermon, Kathleen and Patricia approached Reverend Matthew after the service, tears streaming down their faces. They poured out their struggles, confessing how their hypochondriac behaviors had wreaked havoc on their marriages. Pastor Matthew listened intently, his own experience giving him a unique understanding of their pain.
With compassion in his eyes, Reverend Matthew offered them guidance and prayed for them. He reminded them of 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He explained that their hypochondriac behaviors were not a reflection of weakness but rather a battle for their minds, one that they could overcome through faith, God’s grace, and determination.
Kathleen and Patricia embarked on a transformative journey, guided by Pastor Matthew’s wisdom and the power of the Scriptures. They learned to guard their thoughts, replacing fear with faith, and anxiety with gratitude. They became accountability partners focusing together on the true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy aspects of life.
In less than one year’s time, Kathleen and Patricia’s lives were radically changing. They’d begun to resist every thought about sickness coming upon them; something they would have never thought about if not for the scriptures teaching them to do so. Because of their decision to work together and receive encouragement from each other, the thoughts became less and less frequent. At the same time, their mental strength became stronger and their new pursuit of healthy living in God and in their daily life became their new focus! Their lives were becoming peaceful and they were overflowing with thanksgiving for the work Jesus had done in them, and for bringing them joy and peace in their marriage, and a deeper love for their husbands they knew was possible!
In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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