Unshackled Moments ~ December 5 ~ O Uncomfortable Night

Sometimes things simply do not go our way. It seems like nothing goes right. As Christmas approaches it can feel overwhelming as the perfect gift for that loved one gets harder and harder to find and the supply of money and time melt away like snow in East Texas refusing to stick.  The store is sold out of the secret ingredient that makes your dish special, and there isn't an unbroken pie crust to be bought in town. You're so blasted with work and doing those "have to" things, that you haven't had a chance to go shopping, and if a miracle doesn't take place soon, your wife is going to end up getting a Christmas present from a gas station. But just because things aren't falling into place doesn't mean that God is not with you or that you are out of line with His will.

I imagine Joseph must have thought that first Christmas was a lot more stressing than blessing. Here's a man, don't really know how old he is, but he's grown, finally getting the wife he's hoped for and the chance to continue his line with a son. Now the girl turns up pregnant with a story about an angel. It's too much to take. It's unbelievable. But he loves her, so he's going to put her away quietly. Then he has a dream, and the angel tells him Mary's story is true, go through with the wedding, raise that boy. So he goes ahead and marries the girl, but waits on the honeymoon until after the birth of the child. But I would bet he still had his doubts from time to time until that little boy grew to be so righteous that he made the nicest kids in the neighborhood look like whiny brats. So here is Joseph, finally married with all the responsibility and a baby on the way, and suddenly he has to travel?

Can you almost imagine Joseph getting the notice of the census demand to return to his hometown and asking Really? Now" She's due any day. What else could go wrong!? Never ask that question. What else could go wrong? There could be no place to stay in a small town when everyone has to return at the same time. Bethlehem gets a lot of grief over having no room in the inn... the inn, as to give the impression that in the little town of Bethlehem there was only one inn. Try getting a hotel room in Nacogdoches on the weekend of the SFA Homecoming game without booking it a year in advance. It's not easy, and there are quite a few hotels here. Now, surely if the inn keeper had known that Mary carried the Messiah he would have kicked someone out and made room, but really, would the Word that took on flesh to live a life of service and give His life for the world put someone out so He could have a bed? I don't think so. I think Jesus would have felt grateful for the barn and given God the Father thanks and praise.

But Joseph probably wasn't all that happy. Now they're in the barn, miles from home and family and friends that would normally be right by Mary's side to help aren't there. This is a special child and the conditions for His birth surely couldn't seem ideal, and Joseph was a carpenter, not even a shepherd. It's hard to imagine that he had a lot of experience helping with births. Oh God, how are we going to make it through this? How am I going to get it all done? Help me not make a mistake that ruins everything, please. 

But Jesus came, And the angels rejoiced, and the shepherds dropped in. Mary survived and so did the baby. The night became one that the whole world would celebrate and call holy, as though everything went perfectly. But for Joseph it was a hectic evening where he couldn't provide for his wife the way he would want. It was cold, dirty, and the best he could do for a delivery room was a cattle stall that he had to clean out himself. God was there. The night was blessed. It was indeed a holy and special night. But it most certainly was not a comfortable night, a convenient night or a perfect night.

The story of how Jesus entered the word brings us hope, hope that we can have relationship with the Father and that Jesus is coming again as the triumphant King, but it also gives us hope that God can bless the most messed up, out of control circumstances and situations and use them for His glory. Life doesn't have to go as planned, or our way, or perfectly, or comfortably, or conveniently in order to go wonderfully and blessed. So today and this season, as the things happen that always seem to that increase the stress and diminish the appearance of blessings on the season, remember that the most blessed and wonderful day of Christ's birth didn't go so smoothly either. Don't give  up hope. Rejoice! For God is with us.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 4 ~ Immigration

"Shout for joy and be glad, for I am coming to dwell among you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and become My people.

- Zachariah 2:10-11

Did you know that if we had to be vetted in order to be received into the kingdom of heaven that none of us would make the cut? I can see the angels picketing and demanding the borders of Heaven to be closed. We, every single one of us, were, after all. the enemies of God, the ruler of Heaven and Earth. We lived lives that destroyed holiness at every turn, filled with misery and terror, leaving destruction and broken lives in our wake. If Heaven examined our life to decide friend or foe we'd be declared dangerous and refused entry.

No, God the Father could not declare a single person who ever lived to be an ally of righteousness, holiness and goodness. So the Creator of all created an immigration loop hole. He made a way for His enemies to become His adopted children. The sons and daughters of the King don't have to prove themselves to become citizens. They are citizens by right of their relationship to the King. For all who wanted to become one of His children, He granted the power to do just that, and He ended the war between us and Him, declaring a peace between us. He forgave every act of aggression against Him and His cause. He sent His only begotten Son to pay the penalty of death that the law demanded for our crimes. He sent His Spirit to live within us to teach us and to give us the ability to live as citizens of righteousness and that power to forsake the life we lived when we were enemies.

This is why we rejoice. This is why we celebrate. Christmas is the time to remember when God the Father put forth His plan to end the war between us and Him. Easter is the ratification of the treaty. The King sent His Son to live among us and to bring us to the Father as brothers and sister . He cut through all the red tape of the law and made us the people of God. Instead of picketing our immigration the angels of Heaven rejoice over our adoption. This is the hope of Christmas, and we eagerly await His return to take us to our new home.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 3 ~ Christmas Magic

As little children, we would dream of Christmas morn and all the gifts and toys we knew we'd find.

- David Meece

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.

- Clement Clarke Moore

The Christmas season is a time filled with wishes and dreams. Christmas is a fabled time of magic where dreams come true. But the reality often falls very short of the fable. Dreams often don't come true, this time of year or any other for that matter. Sometimes we do get what we wish for only to discover that it doesn't fill the need or satisfy the soul. Family and friends return to their homes and visits end. The food is eaten and gone. Gifts lose their newness, break or even work just as they should and last a lifetime and still don't provide true joy, inner peace or the love that we so desperately need.

Magic is defined as the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces. So, in one sense the idea of Christmas magic is very real. In another, it is not. A supernatural force, actually The Supernatural Force, the Creator of all, has eternally altered the course of events. But there's nothing as simple as "apparently." Creation has been altered, really and truly altered. And the alteration is continuing it's process toward full and complete restoration to what it was all supposed to be. There is a magic of Christmas available to us all this time of year and every day throughout the year.  The magic is the power of God that was started with the birth of Christ and finished with His death and resurrection that alters the course of our lives so that we can access the very throne of the Father, receive the power to become His children and have the Spirit of Christmas, which is the Spirit of Grace and Adoption known as the Holy Spirit, to come and make His home within us and give us the power to do what we could never do before, walk with God and have relationship with Him. When our dreams are to have peace, joy and love in our lives despite what's going on in our lives and the world, when we dream of, wish for, long for a closer relationship with God and the time when we will spend eternity with Him, we can know that those Christmas dreams will come true. Not only will they come true someday, sometime in the future, but we can receive glimpses and tastes of them now. A tasty treat of the eternity to come that is better than all the sugar plums, gifts and toys of childhood dreams.

So today let us open our hearts and our lives to the truth of Christmas magic, the gift of grace wrapped in love that came with the birth of Jesus.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 2 ~ The Naughty List

You better watch out 

You better not cry 

Better not pout 

I'm telling you why 

Santa Claus is coming to town.

So begins what has to be a terrifying song for those who have any self awareness combined with a belief in Santa. There's one good reason to outgrow belief. The truth is that the idea of good ol' Saint Nick isn't so great if we really stop and think about it. It that's what Christmas were truly about we'd all be in big trouble wouldn't we? The next verse tells us about that list that Santa has to check twice for some reason. I never knew why. Maybe he does it because he just wants to find someone to put on the good side.

As I write this, I am wearing a T-shirt that reads IF YOU'RE NAUGHTY I WON'T TELL SANTA. I'm no snitch, but really, who are we kidding? Unless you lower the standard of good to much lower than the perfect standard of holiness there's no one good, no not one. Not on our own anyway. Even grading on a serious bell curve won't help. That's what's so depressing about the idea behind Santa. The Santa story expresses what we all know to be true, that we should be good. But nothing in the song or in any of the Santa stories tells us how to manage that. We can't do it.

So the time of year when Santa is coming would be about as much to look forward to as the Boogeyman being on his way, if it were true. Here comes yet another person to point out where we don't and can't measure up, if we're honest. Be good for goodness sake. But we can't. Not if good is to be perfectly loving and caring and kind and.......We just hope that we might be a little more good than we are bad, as though being 51% good is enough. And if we try to say it is, let's get a second opinion from one out of the many that each of us has damaged or hurt in some way while living during the 49% not good time.

But thankfully we're not eagerly awaiting the coming of Santa but Jesus. Jesus didn't say be good for goodness sake. Jesus said be perfect, even as God the Father is perfect. He said you have to be good, and realize that good is pure holiness, because anything less isn't really good. But He didn't say do that or get a lump of coal, achieve perfection or wish you had when the consequences arrive. Instead He said this is the standard, but since we can't do it, He'll pay off our shortcomings with His very life. Then comes the Spirit to give us the grace and the power to do what we can never do on our own, walk righteously.

We can look forward to the coming of the King, because it's not about a list of who's been good or bad but who is His. He gives us the power to belong to God as one of His children and to walk in goodness. He doesn't set the standard and leave us on our own to reach it or maintain it. That's wonderful news, since none of us can. We can rejoice in hope this Christmas and every day because the great gift of grace promised and fulfilled in the birth of Christ sets us free from the weight of the Naughty List. O Come O Come Emanuel and set us free.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 1 ~ Sappy Christmas Movie Truth

"No one wants to get hurt, but our wounds are where the light gets in."

I have a confession to make. I am a fan of Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. I know they're sappy, cheesy, and predictable with soap opera level acting at best for the most part, but yes, I love them. The good, the bad and the ugly I could watch them all. Or almost all anyway. I don't watch that many each year, because I love Christmas music as much, probably more, and it's one or the other. Since my wonderful wife also enjoys Christmas music and has better sense than I do when it comes to Christmas shows... I try not to make her suffer through too many bad movies and too much football this time of year. Yes, I love her that much.

But a couple of days ago, I turned on the Christmas movies to watch while unfolding the branches and putting up our main tree. We watched about a movie and a half. The second one, by far the better of the two in my opinion but still a B- quality flick at best, almost got bumped up to a B+ by having the line in it that I quoted above. Still, one great line does not a great book or movie make, and it already gets graded on the curve just for being Christmas themed.

This time of year can be more painful than any other as we involuntarily hold our life up against the standard of peace, joy and love surrounded by perfect and happy relationships with all mankind, especially family and those in our immediate locale. It's easy to see that our lives aren't perfect and even harder to ignore than usual as we prepare to act happy to be with people we don't want to be around or feel won't be happy to be around us. The loneliness that can hurt so much all year long can magnify to unbearable. Rejection and loss can weigh more than we can carry. What is supposed to be a time of celebration and joy can simply point out all the reasons we have not to rejoice, every little hurt intensifies and excuses our instinct to hide in a corner licking our wounds rather than sing for joy.

People who feel more miserable at Christmas than less tend to start dreading this holiday about two seconds after the first sales start, sometime in October. But the glaring imperfections of our lives during the season can be a blessing. Sometimes the pain and problems are as impossible to ignore as a string of lights that just won't shine. And that's a good thing. If one bulb is out, we might can ignore it. Perhaps it's on the back side of the tree and we fail to even notice. But when an entire string goes out, something has to be done.

Our wounds are what cause us to realize that we are still in need of a Savior. Our lack and our pain and our inability to do it all and fulfill our own lives or the lives of those we love make us feel the need for Emanuel, for God to be with us. And because of the King born in Bethlehem, we have access to Daddy and help. We can cry out to Him and hope with a secure assurance that we will be visited by The Comforter.  If there is an area, in our lives that doesn't measure up, let us use it to drive us to the manger to bow the knee to our Savior, rejoicing with the understanding that healing, restoration and glory are coming and that we can look forward to the time when there will be no more need, no more lack and no more brokenness. Until that time arrives, let us reach out to others in love and not be afraid of the wounds that have showed us that we need a Healer. Without them, we'd be dying and lost in the dark without being able to receive the hope that seeing the Star in the night brings.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ November 30 ~ Making Room

The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

- Luke 10:41-42

'Tis the season of distractions and have to get dones. We have a list of things to do, so much that we'll probably fail to complete it. This is an every day, all year situation, but even more so as Christmas approaches. There are events and gatherings to prepare for or just be able to get to. There are decorations to put up, gifts to buy, food to prepare. And all the work that goes in before getting started on those things are even possible. There are also deeds of service and charity that increase this time of year. Traveling and work conflict and both demand our time and attention. None of these things are wrong or bad or need to be neglected.

But Jesus wants us to come sit with Him and spend time with Him. Martha was busy and worried about many tasks, all of which were probably necessary. There was a house full of guests, one of whom was THE LORD. They needed to be fed and cared for. Social dictates demanded a certain level of hospitality, never mind the actual physical needs. Martha was concerned about her responsibilities, and blowing off responsibilities is never a spiritual calling. But while we are to be responsible, that is not the priority of life. The need to do and have to do lists should always take a back seat to the need to spend time with the Savior. Our life is found in relationship with Him, and we maintain that life by maintaining our time at His feet being like the Mary we don't usually hear about this time of year.

Mary had the right idea. This needs to be done, but Jesus is more important. I'll get to the other, but I need to be with Him first. Don't let the distractions of what needs to be done crowd Christ out of your schedule. Make room for Him in the inn of your heart and minds. He is not an after thought. He gets the throne of our lives. He's not waiting out in the barn.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Great Expectations ~ First Sunday of Advent

Dalyn Woodard shares an Advent message on the first Sunday of Advent. hope, expectation and waiting do not have to have the negative connotations that we sometimes attribute to them. They can be a source of great joy and peace.The message, "Great Expectations" is about 21 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, November 29, 2015. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.