All or Nothing: Breaking the Chains of Sin

By Becky S. Morgan and Howard K.

Have you wondered in a country like ours where there are churches on every corner why there arent more Christians changing the world and standing up for what is right? Have you ever felt trapped and helpless in changing your habits and sins that hold you captive? If you have you are not alone. Many want to live as Christ would have them but feel powerless to overcome the chains that hold them in sin. Howard Morgan takes you step by step through scripture and his own experiences and teaches the secrets to breaking the chains that enslave us and keeps us from becoming the people God intended.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781449709648

Becky S. Morgan

Howard Keith Morgan was born October 1954 and left this world April of 2007. He grew up in The Dominican Republic where his father was a missionary. He later attended the University of Florida and became a campus minister while studying Architecture and Theatre. He worked as a performer, motivational speaker, promoter and writer. He married at thirty-three and had two children Piper and Chandler. A few years later his marriage ended in divorce. As a ghost writer he had written over 70 published books for satisfied customers around the world. In 2003 he had one of his own personal books published called “True Convictions”. Since his death his second wife Becky has compiled his other books for publication called “The Mystery of Hillsdale Manor”, Welkins Warrior” and this book “All or Nothing”. Along with Howard it is the prayer of Becky that all who reads this book will be inspired and empowered by God through his Holy Spirit to live free from the bondage and chains of sin to become the people that God intended for His children. Howard’s wife Becky has been speaking and inspiring women’s groups for several years. She delights in seeing others encouraged and motivated through her messages of inspiration and hope. Becky knows suffering and loss and how God can bring a person through the hardest trials. For speaking engagements or information on Howard’s books contact Becky at: Morgan2Morgan.com.

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Contents

How This Book Came To Be

Chapter One

We’ve Been Sold a Lie

Chapter Two

A New Creation

Chapter Three

Working for God

Chapter Four

Coming Face to Face with God

Chapter Five

The Power of The Cross

Chapter Six

The Missing Link

Chapter Seven

Pseudo Christianity

Chapter Eight

Chains That Bind

Chapter Nine

Getting Ready to Change

Chapter Ten

Making The Change

Chapter Eleven

Breaking Chains

Chapter Twelve

Breaking Free

Chapter Thirteen

A Time To Think

Chapter Fourteen

Brutal Honesty

Chapter Fifteen

What To Expect

Chapter Sixteen

Living In The Light

The Power of Prayer

Prisoner of War

Poems Written By Howard

Howard’s Poem

For Becky

How This Book Came To Be

April 7, 2007, 10:22 A.M., Howard K. Morgan took his last breath.

Howard K. Morgan grew up in the Dominican Republic where his father was a missionary. He learned to swim the waters of the Caribbean and to speak Spanish fluently. It was his family that was held as the only American prisoners of war in the 1960’s. Howard remembered a captured American tank being pointed at him, his pregnant mother, his sister Lin, and his brother Dwight while standing on the balcony of the house where they were being held as prisoners and feeling the fear of that experience. But, remembers his mother calmly turning to all of her children that day saying; Don’t worry, if we die, I will see you all in heaven in a few moments. The tank would not fire and they were all spared. He also remembered their escape when his mother placed them all in the car and had them kneel down in the floor boards, telling Howard if she was shot to move her dead body over and start driving as fast as he could to the American Embassy. They were all able to escape unharmed and everyone knew that God had preformed a miracle that day. (You can read more about their imprisonment experiences at the end of this book).

Howard grew up and attended the University of Florida where he majored in Architecture and Theater. In his lifetime he had made over 150 television appearances as a performer, promoter, motivational speaker and writer. He had written for countless newspapers and magazines and as a ghost writer he had written over 70 published books for satisfied customers around the world including one book of his own published in 2003 called True Convictions, a book on knowing why and what you believe and standing on those convictions even if you are the only one left standing.

Howard lived and breathed in God every day. He was a brilliant man; loving father of two and the Godliest man his wife Becky had ever met. In his life through the many trials and tests during his early Christian life he learned and became a walking testimony of his faith and trust in an all knowing, loving God. He expresses and shares some of those experiences in this book All or Nothing.

At the time this book was written Howard had been incarcerated for fighting with the court system over the well being and custody of his children and child support issues. Howard believed he had done all that he could do to do what was right before God and for his children, but through it all God still allowed him to be jailed. Howard immediately while jailed knowing God must have allowed him to be there for a Godly purpose started Bible studies within the jail and ministering to fellow inmates who needed to know the God he knew and trusted, so when they were released they too could walk in complete freedom from the chains of sin that was holding them to their past life style. Howard hand wrote this book during his time in jail, just as Paul wrote many of his letters to us when he was in prison. While jailed Howard learned he had malignant melanoma cancer and was released from his three month sentence to seek medical attention. The doctors removed the cancer and Howard then went through radiation to make sure it was all gone. Almost a year later Howard and Becky were married but only after a month of marriage Howard was told his cancer was back and he had only three months to live. He lived three months and two weeks after being told.

Since his death his wife Becky has been compiling Howard’s many writings to complete and finish the five books he was working on at the time of his death. It is Becky’s prayer as she shares her husband’s writings and books that all those who read them will be inspired, encouraged and drawn closer to the Holy Spirit that was so alive in Howard’s life and each person will find the true freedom that only the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can give.

Look for Howard’s other books he wrote, True Convictions published in 2003, one for his daughter Piper written for her on her 14th birthday called The Mystery of Hillsdale Manor one written for his son Chandler on his 13th birthday after his baptism called Welkins Warrior, this book All or Nothing and a book called Till Death Do Us Part a book on the life and love of Howard and Becky and their devotion to serving their Lord as one and how others can have Godly relationship as well.

For more information on Howard’s life and works contact Becky Morgan at Morgan2Morgan.com.

Chapter One

We’ve Been Sold a Lie

It’s been about 2000 years since Christ walked on earth. Since that time, man has certainly tried to destroy his work. Armies have marched against Christian ethics and the likes of Freud and Darwin have certainly tried to undermine God’s authority. But one needs only to walk any street in America to see that Christianity is still alive and doing well. Or is it? Are we still a Christian nation? We certainly have enough churches in America, and they not only offer ready availability, but they also offer a wide range of diversity. There are churches that remind a participant of ancient ritual, while others seem to lose the message to modern music and multimedia shows that rival most rock concerts. There are churches that condemn all but the righteous and others that welcome any who would enter. There are churches led by gay and lesbian ministers while others condemn all but traditional heterosexual lifestyles. Some allow women to preach while others teach that women should submit to men in all things and all claim to be following the same Bible; a Bible they claim has no contradictions.

Something is terribly wrong with Christianity in America today. In fact, America itself stands as a testimony against Christianity. Originally started as a refuge for religious groups, there has never been a time in the history of America when the majority of Americans didn’t claim to be Christian. In a Democratic Republic where the majority decides what laws and trends are endorsed by our government, Christians must take the blame for having taken a stand, or remained silent while prayer was removed from our schools, abortion without parental consent made legal and God was removed from our court rooms.

And now 21st century America finds itself fighting an ironic war against a nation that believes we are exporting corruption to the rest of the world. We condemn their closed minded men for having their women wear barkas to keep others from lusting after them while we laugh as our sisters and mothers take their clothes off at strip joints. No, there’s very little that’s right about Jihad and suicide bombings, but it’s hard to stand with a clear conscience in the face of their accusations. Where were the Christians when mini skirts became the craze? In a nation where most of us are Christians, who’s paying to watch the very questionable television programs so prevalent on most channels, and who’s making pornography the number one business, by far, on the internet? What’s happened to the religion God sent his son to establish on earth? Are we still the light others can steer by?

How does American Christianity compare to the religion Christ started 2000 years ago? The most obvious resource for us to consider would be the Bible. Do we really measure up to the church described there? Let’s look at some sobering passages. Probably the best place to begin would be in Matthew 7:21-23 where we read:

Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!

Not everybody who says Lord, Lord. That certainly covers a wide range of people. Many churches out there teach that you don’t have to do anything to be a Christian. They’re quick to pull out Ephesians 2:8-9 where we read:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.

….and they’re right nothing we do can possibly earn us a place in heaven, but the next verse, Ephesians 2:10 reads:

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

From the beginning God expected action out of us. In fact, in the Matthew 7:21 passage we read that the ones who won’t be called evildoers are those who do the will of my father who is in heaven.

So in looking for first century Christianity, we need to begin by looking for an active church, a church that demands action of its members, a church that holds their members accountable for their actions. A church where members are willing to quote Matthew 7:21 to each other before they quote Matthew 7:1-2 where it reads:

Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Many are quick to tell us we shouldn’t judge, but they stop and don’t continue the rest of the chapter where it tells us to not be hypocritical when passing judgment where it tells us to watch out for false prophets, and it warns us that only those who do the will of God will make it.

A Godly church will take to heart Matthew 18:15-17 where Jesus himself tells us:

If your brother sins against you go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Unless we’re willing to stand up to sin in our churches and truly purge the problems, it’s just a matter of time before our tolerance will water down religion to a point that it’s unrecognizable when compared to the church of the New Testament.

I Corinthians 1:18-21 we read:

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

Just how foolish is the doctrine of the churches in America? Is there any part of our belief systems that don’t fit in comfortably with secular wisdom? The Bible tells us that God himself has made foolish the wisdom of the world. Has 21st century America managed to outsmart God? I Peter 1:12 tells us that even angels long to explore the mysteries reserved for those who believe.

This foolish wisdom is bound to draw a response from those around us. In a world where money, sex, status, and fleeting pleasure are all viable goals, where selfish ambition is a perfect description of the typical American lifestyle we are sure to touch hidden nerves when we suggest that love, joy, peace and self control are not commodities we can buy or get from our friends. Suggesting that only God can provide the fruit of the Spirit listed in ‘Galatians 5:22-23 flies right in the face of psychology, Dear Abby and Miss manners, and it’s sure to draw more than a few eyebrows. Christ himself warned us in John 3:19-21 that:

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

People don’t want to know they’re wrong. They much rather live in denial. And if in fact we chose to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth we’re sure to draw a few enemies. In fact, Jesus warns us in Matthew 10:21-22 that:

Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stand firm to the end will be saved.

All men will hate you is pretty inclusive. The pulpits of America regularly warn us against passing judgment on others. If nobody points out the sin in their lives, what chance do non Christians have to come to repentance? And if we can’t point out the sin in the lives of our brethren, what right do we have to judge others? We shouldn’t expect to be loved by all. We shouldn’t plan on being the nice guys down the street that help the homeless. Christ warned that his church would be hated by all men, that those willing to stand for righteousness would not be welcomed by the unrighteous. Has America become so righteous that it doesn’t feel threatened when the light is turned on? Are we so far from denial that we welcome exposure? Very much on the contrary, it is the average mainstream Christian church that leads the charge against judgment. Our preachers warn us against making waves and exposing sin. In fact, in most churches today a person with a problem, any problem, is usually referred to a psychologist, suggesting that Freud understood mankind better than God, a fact not substantiated by statistics.

Psychologist Gary Collins, in his 1988 book, Can You Trust Psychology? talks of a study done by researcher J. A. Durlack called Comparative Effectiveness of Paraprofessionals and Professional Helpers when he says:

(The research) reviewed forty two studies that compared professional counselors with untrained helpers. The findings were consistent and provocative. Paraprofessionals achieve clinical outcomes equal to or significantly better than those obtained by professionals…. The study, on the whole, lent no support to the major hypothesis that…the technical skills of professional psychotherapists produce measurably better therapeutic change.

Collins goes on to draw the conclusion that:

Clearly there is evidence that for most problems, laypeople can counsel as well as or better than the professionals.

And then there’s the alarming trend towards psychotropic drugs. It all began back in the 80’s with Valium and it’s now progressed to a long list of mood enhancing drugs being prescribed by psychologists. Mood enhancing drugs are nothing new as anybody who survived the 60’s will tell you. What’s new is our acceptance of drugs as a substitute for therapy. We used to tell the addicts that taking drugs was just an escape, which all the problems would still be there when they got over their high. Has that reality changed? Will a person find themselves cured of depression or anxiety when the drugs run out or is an addition being promoted by trained professionals who get a fee every time they sign a prescription?

Lucinda Bassett runs one of the most successful treatment centers in the country for anxiety and depression. Thousands are cured permanently every year by her in house and correspondence courses. A survivor of acute anxiety and depression herself she’s very familiar with the problem. She and her staff of therapist begin their treatment by making people get off all their psychotropic drugs. In fact, one of the first things they do in her treatment is gather together a group that sits around and tells horror stories about prescribed drugs. People talk about years of taking all kinds of drugs and still finding themselves trying to build up the courage to commit suicide. No, the drugs don’t work and the best a psychologist can offer is denial. They can’t forgive sins and they most certainly are incapable of controlling society, natural disaster, stock market crashes and all the other outside influences that lead to mental problems. So the best they can offer is denial about the past (oh it’s okay it wasn’t your fault) and lies about the future (whatever you can believe, you can achieve).

A Godly church will step up to the plate and offer the world real answers. It’ll show the world the path out of anger, hatred, drunkenness, discord, selfish ambition and