Resurrection Gives Us Hope

 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
1 Thess 4:13-18


What wonderful news! Christians are people who have hope. Yes, we grieve, but not without hope. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we believe that all those who have died, and all who will die, will also rise from the dead.
Recently, a christian woman asked me some questions about what happens to those who have died. She thought that they were in some type of waiting room, waiting until the final return of Christ when their bodies would be resurrected to go to heaven, or that they were just sleeping until the final resurrection. She wondered if the living need to "let go" of their dead loved ones so that they could go on in peace, that posssibly our holding on to our loved ones keep their spirits held to the earth. I have also been asked if people become angels after they die. There are so many confusing ideas circulating about what happens when a person dies. The Bible is clear that, for believers in Jesus, when we die, we go to be with Him.

The Bible often speaks of death as a sleep. In fact, that Biblical description of death is comforting and consoling to the believer.  Jesus said to His disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up." The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!" They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. John 11:11-13
Of the martyrdom and death of Stephen, we read: “He fell asleep” (Acts 7:60). When the Apostle Paul was yet alive, he said that of the five hundred brethren who had seen Christ alive after His Resurrection, “some are fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6). The Apostle Peter, speaking of Old Testament saints, said: “The fathers fell asleep” (2 Peter 3:4).

That description applies to the body only and never to the soul. This temporary suspension of the activities of the body does not mean that the spirit of man is asleep. The body is the dwelling place of the person part of man. Upon the death of the body, the soul and spirit of a believer goes to be with God, closing the senses of the body until the day of its resurrection.

Philippians 1:21-23For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

Luke 23:42-43And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.

"Depart and be with Christ." "Today you shall be with Me." No question about where a believer goes after death.

So, when we die, our inner person goes to be with God. Our bodies "sleep" until the end time when Jesus returns and resurrects them. At that time, Jesus will change our bodies into a body that is like His body in resurrection.

In heaven, we will have a literal body just as real as the one we have now,

Phil 3:20-21
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

God will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his.
The word “change” means to transfigure. It has been suggested that we have here the thought of metamorphosis which is a remarkable change in the form and structure of a living body. When our Lord took Peter, James, and John up into the Holy Mountain, we read that “He was transfigured before them” (Matthew 17:2). Christ appeared during that brief period of time in His glorified body. He was transfigured (or metamorphosed) before them. It was a body like His post-resurrection body when He appeared to His disciples behind shut doors (John 20:19).
1 John 3:2
2 Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Paul describes what our bodies will be like.

1 Cor 15:35-48
35 But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

So, according to Paul, our bodies will be changed:


From perishable to imperishable.
When I hear the word perishable, I always think of food. Produce is perishable because it doesn't last long.
Death is written on the face of all that is alive. The moment we begin to live we begin to die. I know that my body is not like it used to be! Our resurrection bodies will be imperishable. More lasting than food that we call imperishable of course. They will be imperishable in an absolute sense..eternal, immortal. 

From Dishonour to GloryThe word dishonor also means disgrace. Our bodies are born in with shame because of the fall of man.
The word translated glory actually indicates glory that is revealed, made apparent.
I think of Genesis, when Adam and Eve were naked and were not ashamed. After they sinned, they hid because they were naked. Before sin, they had bodies with glory. After sin, they had bodies that were in dishonor. 
Resurrected bodies will not be affected by sin, so there will be no shame, but only glory. 

From Weakness to PowerIt is sown in weakness; it is raised in power (1 Corinthians 15:43).Weak bodies have their limitations. We just cannot do the work that we want to do. I know that for me, my spirit is stirred by many things, and I have the desire to share the gospel around the world, to feed the hungry, to help free those who are enslaved...but, I am just so limited by physical restraints. I set a schedule based on things that I want to do, but realize that I cannot possibly do everything on my list because I run our of energy. But in Heaven we shall know nothing of physical weakness.Here on earth we find that the spirit sometimes is willing, but the flesh is weak. So many people have the desire to serve, but cannot as much as attend a church service because of bodily affliction, but in Heaven all will have strong bodies. The limitations of earth are not known in Heaven. What a glorious change that will be! Raised in power! 
The new body will be a habitation from God, incorruptible, immortal, and powerful.

From the Natural to the SpiritualIt is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44).
When the resurrection body is called “a spiritual body,” it is not meant that it will be composed of intangible substance. Robert S. Candlish has said: “The words natural and spiritual, as applied to the body, have respect not so much to the nature of the substance of which the body is composed, as to the uses or purposes which it is intended to serve.” On earth we are occupied to a greater degree with the natural body, while in Heaven in our resurrection bodies we will be occupied with all that pertains to God and godliness. The spiritual life of man will prevail.The word translated "spiritual" comes from the Greek "pneuma." But the word is pneumatikosGreek adjectives that end in -kos do not describe the substance out of which something is made. They describe the force that is animating the thing in question. It's the difference between saying on the one hand, "Is this a wooden ship or a steel ship?" and saying on the other hand, "Is this a nuclear-powered ship or a steam-powered ship?" And the sort of adjective it is of the latter type, it's a spirit-powered body.

Natural is actually psuchikón from the word psuche, which means soul, with the ending kos, meanins powered by.Our body now is powered by the soul, by our emotions, our mentality, our will. The body we will have in resurrection will be powered by our spirit, which is indwelt by the spirit of God.


Isn't that just the best thing to think about!

For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Cor 5:1-9

Finally, as Paul said "So encourage each other with these words."

Resurrection brings Forgiveness

Jesus death on the cross means nothing without resurrection.

Jesus told his disciples in Luke 24:45-47, Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

In Jesus own teaching, he spoke of his death and resurrection together. His death is not preached without the resurrection. The fact that Jesus died is not good news. It is only when you add the resurrection that you have good news.

The resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is God. That is exactly what God the Father wanted to communicate to us, as we read in Romans 1:4."and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,"

Jesus was born as the Son of God, but his resurrection declared it, proclaimed it, affirmed the fact. The Jews crucified Jesus Christ because, to them, he was blaspheming when he said that he was the Son of God, equal to the Father. The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates the truth that he is who he said he was.
Our salvation depends on our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Romans 10:9, we are told how to be saved. It says that "if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 This means that you cannot be a Christian unless you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The resurrection of Jesus Christ secured our justification. "Christ died for our sins and he was raised for our justification,” Paul says in Romans 4:25.
Jesus died as the sacrifice for our sins, but it applied to us by His resurrection. Without resurrection, HIs sacrifice would be meaningless. 

The Resurrection proved Christ's power to forgive sin. 1 Corinthians 15:17 asserts, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins"By rising from the dead, Jesus proved His authority and power to break the bonds of sin and to assure forgiveness and eternal life to all who accept His gift of salvation.

J

Resurrection means Victory

Today, I am continuing to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and look at the impact that has on our lives today. 

The resurrection means that Jesus is victorious, and we are victorious.  

I.             HIS VICTORY OVER SIN

From the very beginning in the garden of Eden, man has been engaged in a battle against sin. Because we are descendants of Adam, we have inherited from him a tendency to do the things we know are wrong: 

Rom. 5:12 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned." 

Sometimes we don’t even want to sin, because we know it is harmful to our well-being; and yet we can’t seem to get the victory, because its influence over us is so strong! Paul describes this conflict in Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 24 "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do....For I know that in me (that is, in my sinful nature) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice....O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" 
The answer to Paul’s question is this: Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin by His resurrection! He and He alone can deliver us! (v. 25 "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!")

By His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ provided a way by which our sin can be removed; by His resurrection, we are empowered to live in victory over sin in our DAILY lives. 

God told Cain to watch out because sin is crouching at the door, but he should rule over it. Cain could have, but he did not have the living, victorious Christ living in him to empower him to be victorious. We do. We can rule over sin because Jesus has already won the victory, now he lives in us to empower us.

II.           HIS VICTORY OVER SATAN

When Christ was crucified on Calvary, Satan thought he had finally accomplished his life-long purpose - to destroy God’s plan of salvation. He had been trying for centuries! God told the serpent that he put enmity between him and the woman and her offspring…they became enemies, and that he would bruise his head. Since that time, Satan tried to destroy the offspring of the woman, always fighting to end the descendants of promise. 

-He caused CAIN to kill righteous Abel 
(but God gave Seth!)

-He caused ABRAHAM in unbelief to bear Ishmael 
(but God miraculously gave Isaac.)

-He caused JOSEPH’s BROTHERS to sell him as a slave to Egypt 
(but God saved his whole family from starvation through Joseph’s faithfulness!)

-He caused DAVID to sin a sin worthy of death 
(but God gave him a repentant heart.)

-He caused HEROD to kill all the babies two years old and under 
(but God directed Joseph to take baby Jesus to Egypt.)

Then he caused Judas to betray Christ, leading to the crucifixion of Jesus - and there was the triumph Satan had waited for - 5000 years of diabolical planning had paid off, and for three days Satan and his demons had a victory party! I can imagine to celebration in hell during those hours.  But early on the third morning, Christ rose from the dead, and Satan was defeated! 

1 Peter 3:21-22 "...through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers [have] been made subject to Him."
1 John 3:8 "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
Col. 2:14-15 "having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." 

Satan is a defeated enemy - he cannot have control over us, as long as we are controlled by the living Christ! 

1 John 4:4 "Greater is He that is in you [the living Christ] than he that is in the world [Satan]." Jesus will deliver you from bondage, if you will yield that particular area of your life to HIM!

Praise God, Jesus Christ has won the victory over Satan by His resurrection!

III.         HIS VICTORY OVER THE SECOND DEATH 

We, as followers of Jesus Christ, have no need to fear physical death, because we know that we cannot die spiritually. Jesus said to Martha in John 11:25-26  ’I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’" 

Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, physical death to us is actually a new beginning.                                                                         Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:8 "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." and                Phil. 1:21-23 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain....For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." 

Paul said that the burial of our physical body is the same as the planting of a see.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."

Therefore Paul concludes 

1     Cor 15:54-57: "So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ’Death is swallowed up in victory.’ O Death, where is your sting? O Grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

So, for those of us who have received Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, the second death, or eternal separation from God, is not possible.
Rev. 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." (and then for all eternity! Rev. 21+22)

MAX LUCADO, in his book, Six Hours One Friday, tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily. 
A hospital was not too terribly far away- across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed it was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water would mean certain death. The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. They were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He punched a triumphant fist intobthe air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke out into a cheer and followed him across.

That’s exactly what Jesus did! He told the people of His day that they need not fear the river of death, but they wouldn’t believe. He touched a dead boy and called him back to life. They still didn’t believe. He whispered life into the body of a dead girl and got the same result. He let a dead man spend 4 days in a tomb and then called him out and the people still didn’t believe Him. Finally, He entered the river of death and came out on the other side.

Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ has won the victory over the second death by His resurrection!

Conclusion: The same VICTORY Christ has won over sin, Satan and the second death- can be ours as well through Him!

Resurrection means Power for us today

This week is a special week for Christians, as we prepare for Easter, the day we celebrate the fact the Jesus rose from the dead. 

Jesus resurrection is a crucial element of our faith. The actual, historical resurrection of Jesus is an objective fact. We know that Jesus died for our sins, taking the penalty of death that we deserved, and making the payment of the debt we owed. And, we know, that on the third day, God raised Him from the grave. His resurrection is the second part of the step for our salvation.

The resurrection also has subjective impact on our lives.

The first impact of the resurrection is power.

In the resurrection of Jesus Christ we see the clear demonstration of the power of the true God. The power for our Christian life in the present is the power of his resurrection. 

Ephesians 1:19-20 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

The immeasurable greatness of God’s power is seen when he raised Christ from the dead.

With modern telescopes and the means of apparently probing farther into space than ever before, David's words in Psalm 19 take on deeper meaning: "The heavens declare the glory of God...." Creation is the greatest visible expression of power, and we bow in awe and worship when we think of the infinite God behind all that we can see. But Paul says that is nothing in comparison to the power displayed in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and this is the great power that Paul desired for the Ephesians to experience in their daily lives.

The weight of all the sin, rebellion, treason of every person was put on Christ when He went to the cross, and was on Him in the grave. The weight of that sin was on Him in the grave, would have held Him. God’s greatest demonstration of power was when he empowered throw the load of sin off, and Jesus to raise up from the grip of death, the penalty of that sin. 

THAT is the power that is ours today. We can live our lives today in victory, with peace and joy because of that power.

Paul spoke of knowing this power in a very subjective way in Philippians 3:7-11

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul said that he was striving to know, to experience everything of Christ, including the power of his resurrection.

So, getting practical, how do we experience this great power of God?

1.Make relationship your priority. Doing good things, holding to correct doctrines, performing religious rituals, living up to church expectations cannot give you power. They are good things, needful things, but not empowering. Place your hope in a dynamic relationship with Jesus. As you live for Him, relying on His resurrection power at work in your life, you’ll experience the fulfillment of all God’s good purposes for you. Instead of focusing on what you can do for God, focus on what God can do through you.

2. Line up your priorities. Ask God to help you see your life from His perspective. Look beyond the world’s values (which are only temporary) to what has eternal value. Base your decisions – for all aspects of your life – on what matters most in eternity. Make the most of your time here on earth, keeping in mind that it will soon be over and you’ll be accountable to God for how you used your time here.

3. Die to self. WHAT???  Remember that death must always precede resurrection. We want to have the resurrection power, but often do not want to experience the death of the old self. Be willing to sacrifice whatever selfish desires and agendas you have that conflict with God’s purposes for your life. Decide to crucify your selfish attitudes and behaviors, so God will raise you to new life by transforming your attitudes and behaviors into healthy ones that will help you grow to be more like Jesus.

4. Expect the impossible. Just as the resurrection itself was impossible for anyone but God, the power behind the resurrection will take you into situations that are impossible for you to deal successfully with on your own. Expect God to challenge your faith when you ask for His resurrection power in your life, but know that if you trust Him, you’ll experience greater adventures than you can imagine.

5. Lay hold of the power by faith. Ephesians 1:19-20... the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead. This power is to those who believe. We believe that Jesus died for our sins. We believe that he rose from the dead. We believe that He is now living in us. We believe that He is empowering us to follow Him, to choose His way, to obey His voice. 1 John 5:4 And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.

Cookies for Easter

It is that time again, time to tramp all around our community giving cookies away.
Easter is next Sunday, March 31, so we have big plans for next week, plans to cover our whole area.
You see, when we gave cookies out at Christmas, there was a man who was very touched, and came to Cottonwood to find out more. That man gave his life to Christ. He was baptized a few weeks ago, and invited all of his neighbors to come to see the event. Several people have commented on this man's prior life, that if this man could be saved, anyone could, that the change in him was dramatic and testifies of the great mercy and grace of God.

WHOOPPEEE! Now, we are so fired up. When we give cookies out, we don't really know what impact they have, but we trust that God put it on my heart to do it, and there was quick from others, so we just do it.

Also, after our Christmas give away, we received two thank you notes, expressing appreciation for the cookies, and, more importantly, appreciation for our reaching out with God's love.

That was also encouraging. So, we have had two baking days, and have 850 packs of cookies (we put two cookies in a zip lock bag to give away). Plus, several women are baking extra at home. We have learned that we never have enough cookies. We always run out of cookies before we run out of people.
Here is the card that we attach to the baggie.

If anyone would like to join us, here is the schedule for next week.

DeLeon: Monday, March 25, meet at Two or More Coffee Shop at 10am; we hope to run over to Comanche after we have lunch together in DeLeon.

Dublin, Tuesday, March 26; meet at Cottonwood at 1:00pm

Hico, Thursday, March 28; meet at LaDonne and Kevin Wenzels home at 1:00pm

Stephenville: Friday, March 29; meet at Bosque River shopping center, in front of Bealls at 10:00am

If you have seen pictures of this event before, you know that we have a great time doing this. Almost no one turns down cookies. Sometimes, we are offered money, and it is such a surprise to people when we refuse to accept. Something FREE?

What a wonderful opportunity to reach out to people, to encourage, and to just share the love of Christ in a very simple way.

What has God put in your heart?

In the book of Nehemiah, we see a man who was willing to leave a life of comfort and luxury to pursue a dream that God had put in his heart. He left a palace in Persia to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the broken down walls and the temple that was in ruins. It would be difficult, with much opposition, but he knew that God had put it in his heart. God provided everything he needed to do the work, gave him the strength and determination to do it.

In 1 Chronicles 17, David had it on his heart to build a temple for God. He said that it was not right that he lived in a cedar palace while God's dwelling was a tent.
God told him that he was not the one to build the temple, that his son would do that. David was a man of war, called by God to lead the nation of Israel to be free of the subjugation of other nations they were under. God said that because he was a man of war and had shed much blood, he was not the man to build the temple. He would have a son who would be king during a time of peace, and he would build the temple. God was not punishing David. David did not do anything wrong, and he was not lacking in skills or character. He simply was not the man God called to build. David did gather the materials. He set aside gold, silver, jewels from his treasury to be used for the temple, and he sent workers to bring timber. Before his death, David gathered everything Solomon would need to build a magnificent temple.

These two situations have been in my mind today. There are times when I have something on my heart, and God says, "Go ahead. I am with you, do what you are feeling." But there are times when I feel very burdened in my heart, but there does not seem any way to do it.

I have in my heart to see the world come to Christ, but God has not opened a way for me to serve long term in an international ministry. I have in my heart to minister to orphans, and to the very poor women and children in the poorest nations, but God has not sent me there, either. I also have in my heart to fight slavery, and be an advocate for women caught in sex trade, both here and abroad. I have not been able to be involved in those issues, either.

I don't want to feel guilty or lazy for not doing everything that is in my heart. I can, like David, help provide resources for those God has called to do the ministry. I can pray for them, and provide spiritual and emotional support for them.

On the other hand, there are things that are on my heart that God is saying yes to. God has put it in my heart to use creative ways to reach out to the community where I live, to share the love of Christ. I always have that in mind, looking for opportunities, and trying. God has put it in my heart to encourage women to live an abundant life of freedom, pursuing a wildly passionate relationship with Jesus. That is a dream that I am giving my life to.

I want to pursue with abandon those things that God says YES to. And, I want to be content to be a behind the scenes support when God says, not yet.

May God help me to know the difference!

Three things we all need

These are my final thoughts from the retreat, concerning being free from shame, from lessons shared by Cheri Cochran.

There are three things that we all need.

1. We need a lamb

Guilt is the natural response when we know we have missed the mark. Guilt is a real alarm that tells you there is a real problem.

David asked in Psalm 25:11 pardon my guilt, for it is great.

The voice of guilt can only be silenced by payment or pardon. Jesus made the payment so that we can be pardoned.

Isa 53:6

 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;  and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

1 Peter 2:24  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Eph 1:7-8

7  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Jesus made the payment. All we are required to do is receive his payment. Because of pride, we often try to pay our own debt. We cannot do it. We have to humble ourselves and accept that Jesus has paid the debt for us. 

2. We need a goat.

In Leviticus 6, Aaron is told to take two goats; one he is to sacrifice for the sins of the people, the other would be the scapegoat, which would be led away into the wilderness, thereby removing the shame of the people.  One goat to pay the price for sin, the second goat to remove the shame.

We need a sacrifice for our sin, and we also need a scapegoat to bear our shame.  If our sins are forgiven, but we are shamed, we will look for another scapegoat. We can’t bear our shame, so we transfer it. We use another person to put our shame on.

We can be a scapegoat for another person. When someone abuses, hurts, or wounds us, their shame is transferred to us.  

We cannot bear our shame. We look for a scapegoat. God has provided one. 

3. We all need a savior.

Heb 10:11-24

 11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,

 16 "This is the new covenant I will make

with my people on that day, says the Lord:

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds."

17 Then he says, 

"I will never again remember

their sins and lawless deeds."

 18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.  23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Jesus is the reality of the lamb. He took the penalty, became the sacrifice and paid the price for our sins. He is also the reality of the goat, the scapegoat, who took the shame and reproach upon Himself and took it away.  

Heb 4:16

16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Because Jesus is our savior, we can come to God boldly, with confidence; no guilt, no shame.

Rom 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Draw Near

More thoughts from the Cottonwood retreat last weekend, from the teaching of Cheri Cochran. 

James 4:8  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

We understand that God is good and going to Him is good, but we often hold back. Why? Maybe because of shame.

What is shame?

Shame is the painful feeling that rises from the consciousness of something dishonorable that I have done, or that was done to me.

Shame is lingering sorrow.

Shame tells us we are not good enough. It tells me I need to be fixed before I can be accepted.

Shame attacks our person. We know when we have done something wrong. We should hear the voice of God, or the voice of our conscience that says, “You were angry and you lost your temper. That behavior was wrong.” Or  “The words your just spoke were not true. You just lied. The lie was wrong behavior.”

The voice of shame says, “You are a bad mother, a bad person. You are a failure.” Shame says, “You are a liar, a bad person a failure.”

Do you see the difference? God convicts of the behavior. Shame attacks the person.

Shame tells me, “I am flawed” “I am no good”.

The voice of shame is a false alarm. Like the smoke detector in our house that goes off when the toast gets too brown. The alarm says there is a fire, an emergency, and I need to take action.  There really is no emergency. It is a false alarm. That is the way shame works. We feel shame and think we need to do something. We think there is a problem we need to take care of.

Shame looks at your behavior and accuses your person; judges your value based on what you  do. Shame is an important tool used by our enemy to hold us down. 

John 10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Satan’s main weapon is deception. Jesus called him the “father of lies”.   He comes to us and causes us to question the truth. That is where the cycle begins.

When a person does not receive the love and acceptance she needs, she concludes she is lacking something.  Satan twists the messages. If a child is not loved and nurtured, the child will believe it is because she is unlovable, that there is something wrong with her. That is the message that Satan sends, and the message that shame perpetuates.

Shame is felt when a person does not receive love, or when love or attention is withheld or given based on performance. Shame is often the result of bullying or being teased during childhood. Shame may be the result of poor choices or sinful acts. Sometimes, it results 

when a person is abandoned or abused.

There are many ways that we try to stop the shame, coping skills that we use.

These are signs that you may deal with shame.

Perfectionism.  “I have to achieve, be perfect so I can’t be shamed

Super volunteerism. No boundaries, volunteer for everything so no one will complain.

Comparison, competition. Always trying to be better than someone, do better, looking at other people.

Extreme defensiveness.

Hyper sensitive; easily hurt, upset…have arguments, plan what you would say, all in your mind.

Labeling yourself. “ I’m the life of the party", or "I'm a nerd". Then you behave according to the label.

Achieve in one area. Work hard to excel  in one area so that you can always hold on to that achievement.  Let that one area cover shame in any other area.

Victim mentality. Shame tells you you are defective, so you shift blame to anyone, tell yourself nothing is your fault.

Over value others. Our shame causes us to think too highly of other people.

Self deprecating. Never accept a compliment. “Oh, I could have done better.” “I’m sure someone else would have done it better.” “It really isn’t that great.”

Having self worth contingent on someone else’s opinion.

How do you fight shame?

1.       Begin to think about what you think about.  When you see signs of distress such as fear, anger, anxiety, ask yourself, “Where did that come from?”

2 Cor 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

When you follow the signs, and find the thought that is behind, remind yourself, “Hold on, what am I thinking?” It is my responsibility to stop the condemning, shaming thoughts.

2.       Invite the light of the truth. “Holy Spirit, teach me, lead me to the light and truth.”

Ask God to show you what the truth is about yourself, and about the situation.

3.       Repent and receive.

Repent means to change your mind. It doesn’t mean you have been bad. If you have believed a lie, you repent to God, “I am sorry I agreed with the enemies lie.”

Reject the lie.

God extends mercy, grace, and truth. We have to receive it.

We are on a journey to freedom. God’s spirit is moving, and we have to cooperate. Our part in the process is to recognize the lies, the voice of shame; to reject the lie and repent for believing it; to receive the truth that God gives. 

Retreat Responses

I asked a few women to write about something that touched them from the retreat last weekend, so that I can post them. (Anyone, if you were at the retreat and would like to write something to post, please email me at maxwells2565@embarqmail.com.

This response is from Carolyn Ross

The Ladies Retreat was super fantastic. The presentation by Cheri Cochran was so well presented and Spirit filled. Each session just got better and better. She was such a wonderful inspiration to each of us and so well prepared. I hung on to every word and tried to take notes but that was nearly impossible because just as she would finish one thought (and before I could write the main idea) she was already presenting the next part and I had to listen to that one so I'd lose that first idea and move to the next. My notes do not make good sense; I tried unsuccessfully. Are there CD's to buy? I don't have a photographic memory (or much of any other kind?!!!). The best Retreat!

And this is a word from Carole Griggs

The message dealing with shame allowed some of our boxes of undealt with shame and guilt to be opened and be cast upon our Scapegoat "Jesus" and helped prepare us to open more as we are made aware of them. Also, the comparison, with hilarity of how God's intense love towards us is like when we look at our children and squeal with delight.

Replacing Shame with Confidence

The Cottonwood Ladies Retreat was last weekend. Our speaker, Cheri Cochran, gave us great insight, as well as hope and encouragement to step out of shame and regret to walk in confidence before God.
In the next few posts, I hope to share my impressions from the weekend to encourage any reader in the way we were encouraged. I have also asked women who attended to write some of their impressions, so that I can post those also.
These are taken from my notes from the first session.

Hebrews 4:16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God tells us that He wants us to come to Him with confidence.

The Greek word translated confidence is parrhesia (par-rhay-see'-ah);  out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, publicity; by implication, assurance:  bold, confidence, freely, openly, plainly (-ness)  to be frank in utterance, or confident in spirit and demeanor:

That describes the way we are to come to God.

Just before this,  Hebrews 4:13 says “ And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Whew! Naked and exposed!

Our view is

Naked and exposed = shame

In God’s design, because Jesus is our high priest who understands us, sympathizes with our weakness, and offers the sacrifice for our sins…because of Jesus, while we are naked and exposed, we can be confident and bold.

We usually come to God apologetically, I’m so sorry. I hate to bother you with my problems.

Why do we not come to God with confidence? Lack of boldness is not an emotion problem that requires a change of feeling.  It is a belief problem that requires a change in what we believe.

People often say that you can’t trust emotions, that emotions lie. Emotions tell you the truth about  WHAT YOU BELIEVE. If you feel condemned, unloved, unacceptable, unworthy, you come to God hesitantly with fear.

At the fall, the serpent caused Eve to question God. She moved away from confident trust in God to a small doubt about God goodness.  We don’t have to fully believe a lie, but if we just question the truth a little, we will move away from God.  When Eve turned from God to another source; death, suspicion, deception, distrust entered.

When I don’t fully trust God, trust His goodness, His mercy, His grace, then I will draw back, move away from him. Or I may go toward him, but with such fear and shame that I don’t look up into His face.

Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law

Christ came and redeemed us, bought us back, restored us to a position that was ours before the curse.

Genesis 2:25  And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.  Man started out naked and exposed, but unashamed, confident.

In order to have boldness and confidence to come to God, we need to know and believe three things.

1.       God had chosen you.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you

Eph 1:3-4  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,

2.       God loves you. Agape love that is unconditional.

1 John 4:9-10  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

3.       God cherishes you.

Col 3:12 God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,

Eph 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

Jer 31:3 I have loved you with an everlasting love;

God doesn’t love you because He has to. God adores you. God cherishes you.

Zeph 3:17  The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

Understand that. God rejoices over you. I picture a mother holding a child in her arms, singing over the child. Except this word does not indicate a soft lullaby. Hebrew word translated singing is

OT:7440 a creaking (or shrill sound), i.e. shout (of joy or grief):

So, it is actually, He rejoices over you with loud joyful singing. God is crazy about you.

If we understand these facts, and we receive them and believe them, our emotions will follow. When our beliefs line up with God’s truths, then we will have the confidence to go to God naked and exposed, but confident and bold.

Psalm 139 speaks to how much God thinks about us. David wrote this Psalm, as a prayer to God, expressing David’s realization about how involved God was in his life. I am going to rewrite this psalm with a slight change, changing it from third person to first person, so that we can read it as God telling us how much he thinks about us, how involved He is in our lives, and how close He is to us.

Psalm 139

My child, I have examined your heart and know everything about you. I know when you sit down or stand up. I know your thoughts even when your far away.  I see you  when you travel and when you rest at home. I know everything you do. I know what you are going to say even before you say it, Lord. I go before you and follow you. I place my hand of blessing on my head.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for you, too great for you to understand! You can never escape from my Spirit! You can never get away from my presence! If you go up to heaven, I am there; if you go down to the grave, I am there.  If you ride the wings of the morning, if you dwell by the farthest oceans, even there , my hand will guide you, and my strength will support you.  You could ask the darkness to hide you and the light around you to become night— but even in darkness you cannot hide from me. To me the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to me.

I made all the delicate, inner parts of your body and knit you together in your mother's womb. I made you  so wonderfully complex! My workmanship is marvelous—Understand that. I  watched you as you were  being formed in utter seclusion, as you were woven together in the dark of the womb. I saw you before you were born.  Every day of  your life was recorded in my book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are my thoughts about you, my child. They cannot be numbered!  You coudn’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when you wake up, I am still with you! 

Serving out of Security

These are a few quick thoughts from John 13. 

From John 13:2-5
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose…laid aside his outer garment, took a towel and tied it around his waist, began to wash the disciples feet.

Jesus was confident. He knew who he was, whose he was, where he came from and where he was going He could humble himself.

We sometimes can’t humble ourselves because of insecurity. We have a false front of pride because deep inside we are unsure of who we are.

True service comes from a place of confidence.

Sometimes we serve to gain love, acceptance, or affirmation.
Jesus did not serve to gain anything. He did not serve out of obligation, feeling that he had to. He didn’t do it because no one else did and he had to. He wanted to serve those he loved. He could serve well because he was secure in who He was.

The Secret Things

Last week, I read a verse that has really got hold of me. Deuteronomy 29:29 

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. 

God really spoke to me with that. There are secret things that belong to God. I don't need to know or understand those things. In those areas, those secret places, I just need to to trust Him. So many times, we desperately want to know WHY. When we have a loss, we think, "If I just knew why, it would be easier. If I knew my loss served a greater purpose, I could handle it." Sometimes, God shows us why. Sometimes, after some time passes, we see the good that comes from our loss. Sometimes, we don't ever find out. It is a secret that belongs to the Lord. 

But, God reveals things. Every day, God reveals things, and the things that he reveals BELONG to us. God opens eyes and shows me more of who He is every day. Those things are Mine. They belong to me. He often reveals things about me...sometimes things I don't like to see, sometimes sweet things concerning His love for me and the plans He has for me. Those things are mine. Often, God opens my eyes to see something new from His word. Those things are mine. 

The things that are revealed belong to me. I want to hold on to those things, to treasure them, to walk in them. 

God, help me to know the difference. Help me to not worry about, stress over, ponder too much about the secret things that belong only to you. Help me to grasp tightly the things revealed, those things that belong to me. Help me to walk in the revelation you have given me.