Unshackled Moments ~ April 7, 2017 ~ David And Goliath

I never know where the inspiration for the Unshackled Moments, or my sermons for that matter, will come from. It's my hope, of course, that the Holy Spirit will be the force and the source behind the messages, but even when that is so, the way the Spirit gives me the idea varies. Before my last sermon, From Jonah To Jesus, I just happened to notice a verse for the first time, though I had read it around 40 times before, that from the belly of the fish that had swallowed him, Jonah began his prayer with the claim that he cried out to God and was answered. He declared that he was answered before he even asked for help. Immediately I remembered Jesus saying something similar, that He knew the Father always heard Him when He prayed. From that a 30 minute sermon comparing and contrasting Jonah and Jesus grew.

Sometimes it's a line from a song, or even a piece of dialogue from a show or movie. Sometimes it's something I see or hear as I go about my day that catches my attention and begins peculating in my mind for a day or so until the brew is done and ready to be poured out as a message. Sometimes as I pray or am dealing with something myself I get ideas that can not only help me but can help others. I try to be ever listening and observant for seeing things in a way that I never noticed before, because I put out six to seven messages a week, and I pray for them to be something that will help people, will be a fresh perspective or new way to see what pretty much all my messages are. Because, in case you, Dear Reader, haven't noticed, I only have three messages that get redone over and over in, hopefully, different ways. God loves you, as you are and not as you should be, but He loves you enough not to leave you the broken mess that you are without Him. The second is that Daddy desires an ever deeper and closer relationship between us and Him, and that no matter who you are, what your mess is, or what you may have done, or how often you fail, that is His desire, and He has done and will do whatever needs to be done to repair and enable relationship with us because, well, refer to the first message. Finally, while we are all called to be a unique reflection of the love and glory and power of God, with individual gifts, talents and areas of service, we are all called to the same foundation calling of loving God and loving others. We can't do this right or well, but God enables us, gives us the power, to walk with Him in loving service and complete our calling. God's grace gives us the ability to do what we were created to do.

Sometimes, things are good and the ideas flow. I can actually feel almost overwhelmed as I have several ideas at once. But other times it is a fight, one I dread. I have nothing, or feel I have nothing, to give. I am poured out and haven't  been refilled. The blank screen is like a giant mocking me, preparing to destroy me if I attempt to face it and attempt to overcome it. And it's not just  the ministry and preparing the messages where this happens. You may be able to relate to the idea that there are times that the day itself or some responsibility or need is a giant we simply can not face. That is how I felt this morning. I didn't want to get out of bed, but I didn't want to go back to sleep and risk returning to the dreams that I had been having either. I had no thoughts or ideas on what I could share that might be of use to anyone, much less myself. I have this long list of things that I need to do, a shortening deadline in which to get them done and no energy and little desire to do them, never mind not knowing how I can get it all done even with energy and desire. With so much to do, including today's Unshackled Moment, and no inspiration, energy or confidence to do do it, what I really wanted to do was step outside of everything. Rather than face the giants, I wanted to take a break, to not do anything. I cried out  to God for help, and not only did He answer me, but I saw that He answered me before I got out of bed and asked for help.

Leah got up before me, which she often does during the week. During her morning routine she came across something and shared it with me by sending me the link to a TedTalk about David and Goliath. It was waiting for me when I sat down to begin my day, hoping something would occur to me to write about. I owe her a debt of gratitude for listening to that still small voice that told her to share this 15 minute talk with me. I, like the person giving the talk, am very familiar with the story of David and Goliath. I hadn't really seen David as the underdog before, but as he spoke, I realized the speaker was right in saying that David as the weaker of the two is how we approach the story.

I realized that I too had always thought wrong about the story. I reread the tale from I Samuel 17 this morning, and saw that my assumption had been wrong. I never saw David as the underdog, because I came from the perspective that God told David to face Goliath, and since he was being obedient, he was assured victory. But scripture doesn't say anything about God telling  David to fight the giant. David simply knew and understood that this foe was an enemy of God's people, found him and the situation offensive and understood that he could take Goliath, not because of what God told him to do but because of the skills God had given him. He also knew that God was with him and would be as long as he remained within the will of Daddy. When he spent his days in prayer and praise guarding his father's flock, God had been with him and enabled him to defeat the lions and wolves and bears that came to kill the sheep. It was not God's will for the Philistine army to subjugate Israel and therefore it would be within the will of God for David to use his God-given skills in service and defeat Goliath.

I did know about the slingers. Those guys were awesome, and David had the upper hand in weaponry for that battle. I was unaware of the the shortcomings of Goliath though, and did some research this morning to realize that the speaker of the talk Leah sent me was right. Goliath never had a chance. And there was the message that I needed this morning, both to hear myself and to share with you. Yes, there are times when what we are facing is what God has specifically called us to do, like, for me, writing these Unshackled Moments. And when we are stepping out onto the battlefield to obey, the Lord is with us, and we can know that He will help us. The giant can be defeated.

But there are giants that we face simply because of life. Giants that perhaps God has not specifically called us to fight but are there in front of us nevertheless. It may feel like the whole world is looking at the situation and thinking we're screwed. There is no way we can defeat this giant. But, like David, we can remember that we are not always the underdog just because people see us as such, even if we see ourselves as such. The giant may be big and bad and have strengths that we can't overcome if we go into the situation on its terms and as expected. But if we remember instead why we are facing what we are facing, the gifts and skills that God has given us that have helped us in the past, and stay true to who we are and the way God uses us instead of trying to do face what we have to face as others would do it (David refused Saul's armor and didn't fight Goliath hand-to-hand as everyone expected), we just may find that what seems to be the giant's strength is also its weakness.

I hope that you aren't facing any giants today. But, if you are, remember that when we are His and in His will, even when the giants come against us screaming that we have no chance, that we should despair and surrender to depression and that they are stronger than us and are not things that God has said go and fight this, we can know that He is still with us. The giants do have weaknesses. God has given us what we need to be able to do all that we need to do. And what we don't need to do can be let go or wait until another day. Staying within the role that He has created us to fill and using the gifts and skills that He has given us can give us the wisdom and understanding to approach each giant we face in a way that keeps us out of reach of its strength and exposes all its vulnerability.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. 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 and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend 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 ~ April 6, 2017 ~ The Essence Of Humility

There are a lot of different ways we look at what it means to be humble. Humility is remaining teachable. Humility is being right sized. Humility is not thinking too much (highly) or too little (lowly) of yourself. But I think my favorite is that humility realizes there is a God, and you're not it.

Only the humble can let God be God. Jesus said that we need to have the faith of the child. That doesn't mean we are gullible. It surely doesn't mean that we don't question. Children can pester you to death with questions. They desire to understand. But children also understand that there are things that they simply are not big enough or powerful enough to do. And when those things need to be done, they do not have a problem saying Mom, Dad, Somebody, help me!

Humility means we obey God because His way is better than ours. Humility means we listen to His guidance and surrender our will to His because we understand and trust that what He plans for us always works out better, with more contentment, joy, peace, etc. than the quick pleasure seeking selfishness of our own will. Humility means that we get out of the way and stop trying to do for ourselves, by ourselves, what only God is able to do, but instead are quick to say Daddy help me. Humility lets God be God.

Jesus, God wrapped in flesh, humbled Himself as a human. He came and lived as one of us, facing the temptations and fears we face, and then suffering for us, letting the Father have complete control. He only did what He saw the Father do. He only spoke what He heard the Father speak. And He loved those that the Father loved. We can't see Daddy, but we can see Jesus. Jesus said if we've seen Him, we've seen Daddy. And if we want to boil it down to the very essentials of how to act and what to do, then to walk humbly is to love who Jesus loves, the way Jesus loves them. And that simply means to love God and love others and lay down your life in service to both. That is the essence of not running things yourself and letting God be God. It is the essence of humility.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. 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 and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend 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.

From Jonah To Jesus

Dalyn Woodard shares a message looking at the sign that Jesus declared would be what showed who He is, then digs a little deeper into the comparison and contrast of Jesus and the sign of Jonah. The message,  "From Jonah To Jesus," is about 30 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. 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, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. 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 and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend 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 ~ April 5, 2017 ~ Are You There God?

For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.

- Job 33:14

There is a God. He is alive. He will guide and direct and teach and comfort us. But what He most longs to do is draw us deeper into relationship with Him, to communicate to us His love. He speaks, but we can't always hear. There are times when God wants to make sure that He has someone's attention, that He will make Himself and His voice impossible to ignore, but that is rare.

Why? God can make Himself heard. Why be subtle? I think it's part of that whole free will thing. I have a feeling that God has one of those voices that if He doesn't turn the volume way down or filter His voice, when it's heard, things move. Like when He said let there be light and Lazarus, come forth. I don't think free will can exist within earshot of the unfiltered voice of God. And then there's God's desire to be desired.

Really, do you want the people who love you to listen to what you're saying because they care about you and want to hear you or because you get too loud to ignore? God wants us to want Him and to desire His voice. He wants us to seek awareness of His presence. That's one of the ways we're made in His image. It makes me happy that Leah wants to spend time with me. That being in my presence and just hanging out with me isn't a chore or a duty or something to do because she can't go do whatever it is that she'd rather be doing. She wants to spend time with me, and I want to spend time with her. That's what we long for in relationship, to be with someone who actually wants to be with us and who we want to be with. So why should it surprise us that God would prefer we spend time with Him because we want to instead of have to, need to or don't have anything better to do?

So in one sense, God is quiet, speaking in the whisper. He is subtle. If you don't want to look for Him, if you don't want to hear His voice, He will allow Himself to be ignored. Because He wants love, real love, and not to overwhelm us into giving Him a little of our precious time. But if you have a desire to see Him, seriously, you'll wonder how you ever missed the signs of His existence, presence and love for you. When we desire Him and delight in our relationship with Him, He will show Himself and make Himself known.

It's like listening to a favorite radio station. It's playing all the time. But I can't hear it. I have to turn on the radio, I have to want to hear something more than my own thoughts. But just turning on the radio won't necessarily make me able to hear the station. I have to tune it to the correct frequency. Though the signal is constantly there, if I don't tune in, I'll never hear it. Hearing God is similar to that. First I have to get out of self enough to hear anyone above the noise of my own thoughts. Turning my attention off of myself is like turning on the radio. It makes it possible to hear. It's step 1. But we don't want to just hear anything. We want to hear God. We want to be aware of His presence and love and be sensitive to His guidance and direction.

God doesn't speak to us all the same way. How He speaks to you may be different to how He speaks to me. He even speaks to us in more than one way. That's not strange. I can  tell Leah I love her with a touch of my hand, with a look, with a kiss, with my voice, with a text, by making the bed, and more. God is infinitely more creative and versatile than we, so He finds different ways to tell us He loves us.

That can be frustrating if we just want Him to shout and be done with it. Why does He make it hard? But what if it being hard is just a matter of perspective? What if instead of thinking about it as difficult we see it as keeping it interesting and being creative? Then instead of being upset by the subtlety of God, we eagerly go through our day looking to see how many different ways and different times we can see and hear Him saying I love you to us. He may be subtle, but He's not silent. If we seek Him,  we will find Him. If we desire to hear His voice and become willing to have Him speak to us as we need and as He wants instead of insisting that He can only speak to us at certain times,  in certain places and certain ways will be amazed at how often and in how many ways we see His guiding hand, His providence, and, most of all, hear His message of love.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. 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 and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend 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 ~ April 4, 2017 ~ To Whom Are We Called To Serve?

Having had a spiritual experience as the result of this course of action, we tried to carry this message to others, especially alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

- Step 12

There may be some who think I've made a mistake or misquoted the 12th Step here, but I haven't. The above is how the 12th Step appeared in the original manuscript of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. It was later changed to the more familiar:

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Or maybe you're an addict and you can relate more to the version used by Narcotics Anonymous:

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Sex Addict?

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other sex addicts and to practice these principles in our lives.

Gambler? Overeater? I won't post all the options. The point is the original changed, and then when others saw that the spiritual process that provided a solution to the spiritual problem that had as its symptom a powerlessness to control alcohol consumption would also work when the symptom was something else we tried to fill the God-shaped hole in our lives with, they adapted the steps to make it relate to their problem and issue. And there's nothing wrong with that. The steps work precisely because they are not about alcohol....or drugs, or food, or sex, or irresponsible spending, or.....

They are a process by which we have easy, step by step process to teach us how to let God enable us to deny self and serve Him. This brings recovery from a hopeless state of body, mind and spirit and heals the real disease, which is a spiritual one.  Having had a spiritual experience that causes an awakening as a result of the steps or the course of action.... I love that. And I love that it hasn't changed that much. The point, the objective, is to become alive and awake spiritually. It doesn't say having gotten sober, clean, or whatever sobriety looks like or is called by whatever segment is using the steps for a particular issue. for at least x amount of days... One thing all 12 Step recovery programs have in common is that by this point, there should be a spiritual awakening that is causing us to practice the principles of surrender to God and service to Him and others in all our life and in all our affairs. Not just in our problem area or preferred cause.

And that's why I still prefer the original. It is natural that alcoholics want to help alcoholics that still suffer, and addicts want to help addicts, and over eaters want to help.... You get the idea. First, it's where you can empathize more. Your heart is naturally bent toward those who  hurt in the same ways and areas that you hurt. It's also where you can most often be the most effective, because you have been in the same pit that the person you are hoping to help has been in and can say I've been where you are, and I know the way out. But while that may be the main area of focus, or what's easiest and most natural, it is most certainly not our exclusive duty. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to heal the broken hearted and set the captive free. He did exactly that, and He Himself was not lost, was not broken, was not captive.

The purpose of the spiritual program of recovery that utilizes the steps, according to the first book that used them, is to show people how to make connection with and have a relationship with God. The purpose of the steps is to wake us up spiritually so that we can be free of self and of maximum service to God and others. The purpose of Christ's coming is so that we could be given the power to become sons and daughters of God and to have relationship with Daddy. The calling is to love God and love others, laying down our lives in service as Christ did. We do not only turn over the area of our life where we see the most obvious problem. We do not admit that our issue is unmanageable, but rather that our life is. We don't see that we need God to help us quit doing whatever it is we can't quit doing. We see that we need God to restore us to sanity, to right thinking. We give Him our life and will, not our problem.

The sobriety is the sign that the healing is beginning, because the addiction is a symptom, but if that is the only symptom that is dealt with, we are still quite sick. It's the disease of self that we are truly fighting against, and that manifests in so many ways and causes so much hopelessness and misery in the world. Once we have been reborn and awakened spiritually, we, like Jesus, loving God and loving others as our guiding everything, carry the good news of hope and an answer to those who still suffer. All those who still suffer. Yes, especially to those we can be the most empathetic towards and the most help to because we've traveled their road, but also to those who we relate to only in that we know what it feels like to be hopeless without relationship with Daddy.

Today, let us not say I was only sent to the alcoholic, or the addict, or the homeless, or...... Let us remember that the message of love and relationship that fills the emptiness and brings recovery to the hopeless is for all we encounter, the broken who have found God and are not yet whole and the lost who have not yet seen the light at all. We are called to love our brothers and sisters and our enemy. We are called to serve God and others. Like Jesus, we minister to those we come across or who the Father brings into our path, not simply one particular group or another, although we may have an emphasis. Let our heart be focused on love and not on a cause.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. 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 and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend 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 ~ April 3 ~ God Doing For Us

I can't walk with God. You can't walk with God. I can't free myself from the things that have enslaved me or the things that I have sold myself into indentured servitude to, from my own bad habits, character defects or sins. Neither, by the way, can you. I can not breathe life into the dust of my existence or manufacture true joy, peace or love. Yeah, that would be another thing that you can't do either. We have so much in common.

Something else we have in common is that we all have a calling. We like to think of a calling as a single thing, like the description of a job that we do for God. But first, our service to God is not a job. If it feels like one, even if it's what we do for a living, then our heart is not right. Secondly, our calling is never a single thing. There are multiple parts.

The first part of every calling of God on our lives is simply the call of the Spirit to come. The disciples were called to come years before they were told to go into the world and tell. No matter what follows, we must first come or there will never be a fulfilling of God's purpose and calling. He loves us. He really does. First He created us, and when the curse destroyed our life and gave us death, He died in our place to redeem us, to purchase us from death and judgment and sin and self. The Spirit says come, become the sons and daughters of the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth and of you. The Spirit says that He who made you, loves you as you are, not as you should be, so even though you can't earn the right to be free, and though you can never be good enough on your own to make up for the wrong and pay off your debt, you can come and be made whole, clean, right and empowered. Some hear that call, drop their nets, deny their self and follow Him. Others of us have to hurt first. We have to wait until we sunk the boat, shredded the nets and are about to drown. But no matter what happened before we said yes, Lord, I surrender myself to You, for You too build with me and do with me whatever You want, for Your glory and to demonstrate Your power, love and way of life, we must all reach that point before true life, life worth living, can be birthed in us.

Then, once we've said Yes, Your will not mine today and every day, then we are given a purpose, some call it a law, and it is part two of the calling we all have, The law is love. Unselfish, motivated for what can be given and not for what is received, laying down our lives in service, love. Love God, and love others. It's that's simple. There's nothing more to the spiritual life than that. There's no need to complicate it. Do things that will bring you deeper into relationship with Daddy. Don't do what will cause distance. Do things that help others and show them Daddy's love for them. Don't do things that will hurt them or drive them from Daddy. Simple. And it's also impossible. But that's our high calling, our primary purpose. To love God and others, to show the light and love of God to those who are hurting and captive and dying.

We all have those aspects of the calling in common, and then the rest is just details. Some are called to do those things, to daily say no to self, yes to Jesus, and to love God and love others while pushing a broom, some while standing in a pulpit, some with a certain group of people or segment of society, some....well, you get the idea. God has some of us in ministry, some in secular situations, some working with specific causes and groups, but all of us are to deny and die to self so we can surrender to and live for God, loving Him and loving others. And none of us can do that.

We are all called to do the impossible. To do what we are called to do takes a miracle, a true transformation of our core. This is where God does for us what we can never do for ourselves. God empowers us to be like Him, to love like Him. He frees us from the bondage of self. He gives us the grace to love and lay down our lives in service unselfishly. But He doesn't rob us of our will. He doesn't take our surrender and place us under His power. We do not become possessed and unable to control our decisions. Our will becomes more important than it ever has been before.

Before we become God's, our free will is an illusion. We say we have free will, and we like to believe we do, but we don't have the power to say no to the things that bring death and destruction, we don't have the power to love unselfishly and choose right, and we don't have the power make any real and lasting changes in our nature. Therefore, we say we are free, and then we live as slaves. But with God, we say we are servants and slaves, but we live free. Because for the first time, our will really matters. We get to choose whom we will serve. We get to choose to take up our cross and follow Him. We get to choose to bow the knee in surrender or to try to do things our way, to be the prodigal or come home. Every day, each moment, with every act of love and service we are called to do, the Spirit is saying come, receive My love and respond with love and service. We have the freedom to say yes, though we don't have the ability and power to do what we agree to do. Once we say yes, God gives us the power to do what we say yes to. God doing for us what we can not do for ourselves is not God overriding our will, but simply the grace to do what brings life to us and others instead of death. He makes it possible for us to complete the yes, and all that comes after, but the yes or no to the core of the call to come and receive freely His love for us, is up to us. Today, let us say yes.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. 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 and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend 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 Echo ~ April 1, 2017 ~ No Joke

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

April 1, 2015 as No Joke.

Welcome  to April Fool's Day. Some love this "holiday," while others hate it with a passion. Either way, there is no going on with life as though it isn't a factor. Whether we participate in the foolishness of pranks and tricks that accompany this day or not, we must go through the day with our guard fully up. It can be exhausting. Every Facebook post must be questioned, every statement by a friend or coworker must be carefully evaluated. We even have to be wary of newspaper and radio/TV news reports. If we don't want to be duped we must beware and approach every  bit of information and every situation as though it's bogus or about to blow up.

When I look at myself, the truth of who I am, especially in those hard to reach dark corners of my mind and heart that I can never seem to clean well and try to hide from the guests of my life, it's hard to believe that anyone could, much less would, love me as I am. I have trouble liking myself sometimes. Then here comes Jesus saying that He loves me so much He'll die for me, even if I never accept it or appreciate it, if I never change for the better, if I stay a selfish, rebellious fool who lives like there is no God, His love for me never decreases. He loves me as I am, not as I should be. And He loves you the same way.

And if you're anything like me, that's where we start treating the message of who Jesus is and what He did as though it's all God's spiritual April Fool's prank. Surely it must be a horrible, cruel hoax. Could it really be true that we could be loved like that? We can't love ourselves that much. We're not that accepting of ourselves, no matter what mask of pride we show the world. How could a holy God accept us as we are?

I don't know  how. I know that it has something to do with a love so great and perfect that we can't really comprehend it on this side of eternity. And I know it's real. I've seen it. I've seen the miracles it brings and the lives it has changed. I promise that on spiritual April 2, the first day of eternity, when all of this is over and done with, it won't be those who listened to the call of love who will realize with shame and sadness  that they have been tricked. There is a trickster out there trying to get us to believe news that isn't true. Sadly though, his pranks are far from harmless.

Today the Ultimate Love is calling you, desiring relationship. Just as you are, with all your flaws and imperfections, He is totally, hands and heels nailed to a tree, in love with you. It's not a joke. You don't have to qualify. Just say, "I want that." Relationship with your Creator is not only possible, but it's the missing piece that makes everything else in life on this floating rock fall into place. Don't let fear of looking foolish in the eyes of others today keep you from the love of eternity. The foolishness of the cross is not God's prank. It is His promise of acceptance to those who embrace His gift.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. 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 and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend 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.