My hope for you all this Christmas is a grand celebration within your heart as you experience at greater depths the wondrous mystery of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
0 Comments
It seems as though everywhere I turn these days, I'm hearing about brokenness.
Yesterday's Streams in the Desert devotional: "It is not until a beautiful kernel of corn is buried and broken in the earth by DEATH that its inner heart sprouts, producing hundreds of other seeds or kernels. And so it has always been, down through the history of plants, people, and all of spiritual life -- God uses BROKEN THINGS." Pastor Bubba also spoke of it in his sermon on Nehemiah today (check it out here if you missed it). It reminded me of times in my recent past that I have been broken. It started with the emotional brokenness of coming to the end of my own strength and perfectionism at work. Then there was the time of physical brokenness when I was dealing with pain associated with a bulging disc in my back for months. Neither experience was one that I would have wished for, but both were blessings in my life. So much so that I can now say that I am incredibly thankful for those times of brokenness. My prayer for you is that you will also be able to embrace your brokenness and welcome these times for the blessings that they can be. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for us to miss out on the blessing because of unhealthy responses to brokenness. As Pastor Bubba pointed out today, the proper response to brokenness is fasting and prayer. I didn't know this at the time, but this is essentially what I did as I participated in the Freedom Ministry. Fasting involves giving up those things that we previously used to cope with life and instead during near to the Lord, our only hope and strength. The Christ-Centered 12 Steps of Recovery are a useful tool in guiding us through this process. Step 1 is the step of recognition. We admit that we are powerless over whatever addiction or issue we are facing and that our lives have become unmanageable. That sounds a lot like brokenness to me. Step 2 is the step of restoration. We come to believe that God, through Jesus Christ, can restore us to sanity. Where our situation formerly seemed hopeless and impossible, we now realize that there is hope and it is possible for God (Luke 18:27). Step 3 is the step of redirection or surrender. We make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to God through Jesus Christ. I can't do it. God can. I think I'll let Him. Step 4 is the step of reflection. We make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. As Nehemiah 4:10 states, "In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” As Pastor Bubba pointed out, God needs to remove the rubble of the past before doing a new work in us. Step 4 helps facilitate that process. This is just a brief introduction to the 12 Steps, but I hope that you will see how useful they can be for recovering from a variety of hurts, habits, and hang ups. God used them to help me break free from a lot of emotional baggage and redeemed my times of brokenness so that I didn't have to continue living a defeated life. He can do the same for you. If you want to learn more about the 12 steps and how the Freedom Ministry can help you find healing through a proper response to brokenness, please join us on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm in the Oasis Mission House. For more information, please contact Vicki at [email protected]. I've been reminded recently of the importance of not relying on feelings as we deal with life's challenges and difficulties. This is a particularly relevant topic as we pray through today's 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer objective: "That each of us would be enabled by God's grace to release our daily cares to Jesus and rest in the promise of His Spirit's strength." If we are a slave to our feelings, it is very difficult to release our worries to Jesus...and not take them up again as we face another dip on life's roller coaster. But we can choose to rest in the fact that God has promised to be our strength and our Rock, whether we feel it our not. "We must choose between facing toward our feelings and facing toward God's facts. Our feelings may be as uncertain as the sea or the shifting sands. God's facts are as certain as the Rock of Ages, even Christ Himself, who is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Streams in the Desert - September 26th devotional) If you struggle with looking past your fickle feelings to the facts about who God is and who you are in Christ, the Freedom ministry can help. Join us at 6:30 pm on Thursday evenings at the Oasis Mission House. Come immerse yourself in God's truth and get some tools to help you choose to live by God's facts, not by your feelings! I was reminded this week that Jesus is enough. The effects of sin and suffering in our lives leaves us with many unmet needs. Fortunately for us, Jesus is enough to meet all of those needs.
Isaiah 9:6 says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." The Recovery Devotional Bible includes the following life connection based on this verse: "These prophetic words point forward to the coming of Jesus Christ. A closer look at the names used for him reveals the very things we in recovery need to become whole again: positive guidance, power, a connection to God, a perfect parent-model who will always be there for us, and finally serenity." So whatever support you lack to keep growing and recovering from sin and shame in your life, go to Jesus. He is a Wonderful Counselor. He is a Mighty God. He is an Everlasting Father. And He is the Prince of Peace. If you are anything like me, you may have trouble seeing yourself as God's masterpiece. It's taken me a long time to begin to see myself as He sees me. I am a work in progress and God is chiseling away everything that doesn't belong. As I watched the skit below, there were so many reminders of how far God has brought me in my recovery. Here are a few quotes that resonated with me:
If you are tired of thinking that you are junk, please join us at Freedom at 6:30 pm on Thursdays at the Oasis Mission House. Find freedom from the lies and start seeing yourself as God's masterpiece! Let the chiseling begin and marvel as the Master does His work! Take a moment to ponder this passage:
Have you been stuck in a cycle of sin for a long time? Have you given up on the Holy Spirit and resigned yourself to thinking that He doesn't "work" or doesn't have the power to bring freedom, at least not in your life? If this is you, then maybe you have not internalized the reality that walking in the Spirit requires action on your part. (Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan) Does this describe you? If so, one action step that you can take in the new year is to stop believing lies and start grasping the truth of who you are in Christ. Freedom can help you work through your hurts, habits, and hang ups so that you can internalize God's grace and walk in the Spirit. Freedom is not a magic wand or pill that will suddenly transform your life. However, by attending the meetings and working through your issues in a small group, you will be cooperating with the Spirit. Freedom will provide you with useful tools to help you break free of your sin and pain. Don't delay another moment; "walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). Let us help you begin the journey of recovery today and unleash the joy in which God intends you to live! Freedom meets at the Oasis Mission House on Thursdays at 6:30 pm. Have you ever heard an old song as if you were listening to it for the first time? This happened to me recently with the Christmas carol, O Holy Night. I was driving down the road singing along to the radio as I often do, when the lyrics hit home in a new way. The line was "‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth."
The soul felt its worth. Let that sink in. We begin to feel our worth as we contemplate how much was sacrificed to send Jesus to Earth. God sent His only Son to us in such a humble form, so that He might show us how much we are worth to Him. So that He might provide a way for us to know Him. So that He might save us from our sin and from ourselves. The carol goes on to say, "A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn." No gift can match what God gave us the day He sent Jesus to Earth. In Him, we feel our worth and we have hope. But Christmas was just the beginning of the story. The glorious morn was the beginning of a day that offered freedom from sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hope, peace, joy, and love are waiting for all who accept the gift of salvation for which Jesus paid such a high price. Feel your worth and receive the freedom that Christ came to give! If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, click through this online slideshow to learn how you can receive the greatest gift the world has ever known. As Jason Gray shares in this video, it is often easy for Christians to camp out on those verses of the Bible that point out our sin and guilt. While those verses are key to drawing us to Jesus and the free gift of salvation, we are not intended to stay there. Because of what Christ did for us through his death and resurrection, there are many things that are true of us now as believers. We are chosen, holy, and dearly loved (Col. 3:12). We are without blemish and free of accusation (Col. 1:22). We are the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). We are new (2 Cor. 5:17). If you have trouble believing these truths, please don't continue to struggle alone. Join as at Freedom on Thursday nights at 6:30 pm. Together we can start believing the truth of who we already are, which can make a huge difference in how we handle life's everyday struggles. Hope, joy, and peace can be yours. Don't wait another day! For more information about Freedom, visit the Freedom Groups page. Last Sunday’s sermon by Pastor Jonathan was very fitting. As we celebrate Memorial Day, we are reminded of the cost of freedom and we give thanks for it. However, as important as physical freedom is, our spiritual freedom is even more essential. The good news is that we can experience an eternal freedom through the redemptive work of Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection. The bad news is that many of us have not been truly experiencing the freedom of Christ in our lives. We are still living as slaves to sin in many ways.
Pastor Jonathan presented 6 things that we can do to transition from slavery to experiencing freedom in Christ. As I look through these 6 points, I am reminded of how God is using the Freedom Ministry at Oasis to help people truly experience His freedom in their lives. My hope is that those who read this will be led by the Spirit into freedom, be it through the Freedom ministry or other routes. Remember, it is “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 Pray for humility Pride blinds us to our sin. Many who hear about Freedom think that it is for someone else. Their pride blinds them to the sin in their own lives as they spout off a list of the things they don’t do: I don’t do drugs, I’m not an alcoholic, I don’t sleep around, etc. I know because I was one of them. My pride prevented me from seeing that my perfectionism and independence were sins. The very traits that people praised in me were the sins that plagued my heart. My motivations were impure and I was enslaved to my fears. Pray that God will allow you to see your sin and give you courage to choose a different path. Join a Life Group community God created us for dependence; dependence on Him first and foremost. But He is a relational God and He designed us for community as well. In the context of community, He helps us to see our sin and gives us support to repent of it. Life groups are a great place to experience this community, but the Freedom ministry fulfills this role as well. Double up on the community in your life group and in Freedom, so that others may speak God’s truth into your life in love. Read and study the Scriptures The Freedom ministry is founded in God’s word. We learn how to recognize Satan’s lies and replace them with God’s truth. The key to experiencing freedom is the renewing of our minds. “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.” Romans 12:2 Confess, ask forgiveness, repent Working through a Christ-centered twelve step program is an effective way to uncover our sins, experience God’s forgiveness, and turn away from them. Break the cycle of sin in your life and learn how to walk more closely with Him. Be aware of the weights in your life The weights that so easily entangle are very deceptive at times. Things that are not inherently bad can become stumbling blocks in our walk with Him. Freedom helps you dig deeper and uncover the root cause of your sin. As a result, it becomes easier to recognize the weights and ask for God’s power to overcome them. Serve and think of others more than yourself So maybe you have found some freedom in your life. Maybe life isn’t as crazy or out of control as it used to be. This doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from attending Freedom. Furthermore, your participation in the group can be a great source of hope to those who are currently where you used to be. God uses our testimonies in mighty ways in the lives of others. Maybe He’s waiting to use yours to help struggling people move from slavery into freedom. If you are interested in learning more about the Freedom Ministry, check out the rest of this website or e-mail us at [email protected]. To listen to Pastor Jonathan’s message, visit http://www.oasischurchlive.com/#!sermons/ci3v and listen to the sermon titled “Christ the Liberator.” Today's sermon was full of many important points that can help us stand firm in the faith as we are being sanctified through Christ Jesus. I would encourage you to listen to the whole thing at Stand Firm! - Thess Series 15 - Brady Rose. While there was a lot preached today that is relevant for our recovery, one point in particular reminded me of one of the biggest obstacles for finding true freedom in Christ. Pastor Brady was speaking on how Satan loves to deceive us and how people who are deceived don't realize they are being deceived. How scary is that?! We are all vulnerable and so we must bathe our minds in God's truth continually and ask that He show us where we are off track. So are you deceived? I would suggest one way to begin to answer this question is to prayerfully and honestly read the truth card shown below: If you found that you agree with any of the statements on the left side, then you are being deceived. The truth about who you are in Christ is shown on the right. Many times as Christians we may grasp this truth intellectually, but we have a much harder time living as though we really believe it. So if you believe Satan's lies or you just aren't fully experiencing God's truth, Freedom ministry is here to help. Join us on Thursdays at 6:30 pm in the mission house or e-mail [email protected] for more information. God's truth has the power to transform lives and free us from a multitude of hurts, habits, and hang ups. Now is the time to stop the deception and start experiencing the abundant life.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 |
AuthorVicki Murillo is the Freedom Ministry Director at Oasis Church in Monroe, VA. Her passion is to help people find freedom from their hurts, habits, and hang ups so they can experience the fullness of joy promised in Christ. Archives
December 2016
Categories |