Unshackled Moments ~ April 17, 2018 ~ Falling Is Not Failing

When it comes to recovery and discipleship, failure is not an option. In recovery failure is not an option because it leads to death. Failure is not an option in discipleship, because no one, not even us, can steal us from the hands of Christ, nothing and no one, not even us can separate us from Daddy's love, and because God is able and faithful to complete the work He has begun in us. So, we ultimately can not fail. The idea of failure leading to death in recovery and being impossible in discipleship may seem contradictory. But it's not.

First, we strive for progress rather than claiming perfection, and while  we try, by grace, to practice the spiritual principles that lead to life and freedom in all our affairs, we will not obtain perfection in our walk on this side of eternity. Therefore falling short of perfection is not failure. Not even relapse is failure. That means that if we fall we don't have to become so overcome with guilt, shame and condemnation that we spiral further down and wallow in the muck and mire we fell into. John told the recipients of his letter we call 1 John that he was writing the letter so that they would not sin, making it clear that grace is not the freedom to sin and that we should not continue in sin, but if we do sin we have an advocate (1 John 2:1).

If we are running through the rain and fall in the mud, we don't become so down on ourselves for falling that we just lay there in the mud. We get up and finish our journey to refuge as quickly as possible so that we can get dry, clean and care for any wounds. We when we fall in life, we don't through up our hands and quick. We cry out to Daddy, trusting in the work of Christ for our immediate forgiveness and the power of the Spirit to lift us back up and bring us to refuge and healing. We don't strive for less than perfection, not do we allow sin in our lives just because we know that we don't have the power on our own not to sin. When we walk in the power of the Spirit, we have the freedom not to sin. We have the power to say no to the old nature and to see the way of escape for temptation. That's grace. But when we fall short, it isn't failure.

It doesn't disqualify us. If we are still breathing, the race is not yet done.  Success or failure is at the end of the race, not in the middle. Success is hearing well done good and faithful servant, and that does not come from being determined and obedient. That comes from surrendering to the Spirit and believing in the work that Jesus did. We can not succeed or fail once we become His. It is all His work, and He doesn't fail. But to surrender to the old nature rather than the Spirit, will lead to destruction and areas of death in our lives. It doesn't make us a failure, and there is no reason to stay in that place. We need to run to Daddy like the prodigal returning home so that we can be restored and healed and brought closer to God.

Falling short does not effect or change our identity. We are not failures. We are children of the King, sealed by the Spirit. If, when we fall, let us not change our identity, consider ourselves failures or losers or hopeless. Let us not just spiral into further destruction by remaining in the muck. Let us remember that we are children of a loving and forgiving Daddy who has the power to heal us and restore us and to clean and heal us. Let us be quick to run to Him, not run from Him. Let us see our falling as an indicator of areas and ways where we need to let the Spirit work in us. We do not need to give up or just go with the flow of destruction because we don't have the power to overcome. The Spirit within us has the power and it is always available to us, if we will surrender to Him.


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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 16, 2018 ~ Reflecting Awesome

The above photo is of Laguna Colorada in Bolivia. The lake came up on my screen when I turned on my computer. I must admit that one of the things I like about Windows 10 is the gallery of images that come up on the lock screen. I love images like these, where the landscape above the horizon is reflected almost perfectly in the water below the horizon line. I hope that you agree with me that the scene above is beautiful.  There is almost no difference between the image of the mountain and the reflection. The reflection is slightly less sharply in focus and the bright blue sky doesn't reflect in the water. But the images are so close that if the photo were cropped without the above horizon line view, one could still describe the mountain from the image.

The image to the right is the same lake from a different angle. The reflection of the mountain doesn't show, and it becomes obvious why the sky doesn't show in the reflection. The water is blood red. It's nasty. At least it looks nasty to me. Cool, but nasty. I don't think I would want to swim in it. When the focus is on the water, the resulting image is not nearly as attractive.

As I meditated on the image for a moment, it occurred to me how awesome an illustration this  is for us. We are not yet made perfect, and the result of still being in the process of having our life transformed to match our new, purified insides is that we are not quite clean. Sometimes we may look cool or interesting, but if the focus is on us, it won't take a hard look to see the nasty. But when we redirect the focus, change the angle so that the attention is not on us but on the image of Daddy we are reflecting, then His glory is displayed in our lives. Not only do we look better, but others can see Him in us. Our lives, even though we're not pure and perfect, can be beautiful, and the fact that such a lovely image can be reflected in the nasty water of our lives speaks to God's awesome power and glory, not to any special qualities in us. I have seen beautiful reflections in some nasty ponds and lakes. It's never about the beautiful water. It's about the glory of the light. When we let the light do it's work in and on us, it causes the majesty of God to be shown, overpowering the impurity of the water of our lives. It is only when we pull the attention back on us that the trash and death floating in the polluted pond looks putrid.

Today, let us remember that there is no beauty or glory in our water. Let us be quick to redirect the light to reflect the One who makes us glorious and purifies our lives and makes us new so that others can see the glory of God in us and know that they too can be made new.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Turning To Jesus When Facing Evil

We need to be able to recognize evil when we see it. Evil doesn't always come as we would expect it, but God can make us aware of what we are facing as well as the victory we have in Christ. Wally Flynt shares on how wonderful it is to let the Lord do His work in us. The message, "Turning To Jesus When Facing Evil," is about 5 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, April 15, 2018. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Echo ~ April 14, 2018 ~ Drop The Mask

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

February 27, 2015.

Sometimes it feels like there are no such things as second chances, that God may forgive but the rest of the world never forgives or forgets. We may feel like we have a scarlet letter that others may not be able to see, but can somehow sense. It flashes: beware, don't trust, worthless, loser, screw up, or whatever (just insert your own feeling of inadequacy and failure here) to those we encounter, and they respond accordingly. Conventional wisdom is that this phenomena is a result of poor self-image and low self-esteem that we project to the world. The answer, according to said CW is to project self-confidence, to focus on your strengths, put your best foot forward, to act like the you that you want others to see, etc.

So come on, let's all grab our masks, use our positive thinking about who we are and what we can be to cover up the blemishes of our failures and fears like we're putting on makeup so the world can't see what really look like underneath the face we show. But maybe there's a better solution. I think there is.  We can be washed clean of the past. I can stand clean before the Lord, and not one blemish does He see. If I believe that God doesn't see any blemishes, then why should I be afraid of what the world sees?

Well, duh, Dalyn. Because it's the people of the world who do the hiring, dating, marrying, etc., the accepting or rejecting that is necessary for me to live in this world and get what I need and want. Oh the Great Lie that so easily distracts us from trusting God like a toddler trusts Daddy into a People Pleasing Beast, seeking the approval and acceptance of others by projecting an image of ourselves that not even we believe ourselves, even after staring in the mirror and repeating the lie for 30 minutes to begin our day.

No matter how many times we post on social media that we may have done whatever but we're really something besides that, we may look like blank but underneath we're a better blank, they may think this meanness or horror but I don't care what they think because I know better about myself, and so on and so forth; no matter how we spin and twist the past for our resume; no matter what illusions we attempt to present for our first impressions, trying to control people's response, reactions and or acceptance of us is not the answer. Manipulating and controlling self-image doesn't make us feel better about ourselves for long, and when the towers we build on this shifting sand begin to fail, we end up hurting worse and worse before each rebuild. Some of us give up and don't even try to rebuild anymore, or reach the place where we simply can't.

And that's a good place to start a new building on a solid foundation. Giving up the fight of trying to look good, of trying to fix our sell our broken flesh. Clean before the Lord. I'm not a repaired creation, I am a new creation. Why so downcast oh my soul? Put your confidence and trust in the God who loves, accepts and died for you. God shall supply my needs. Don't look to man who is fickle and fails, but put your hope in the God of love and deliverance. Let God part the sea, break down the walls, slay the giant keeping you from reaching what you need, and let Him do it without wearing makeup, so the world will know it wasn't you that accomplished this but Him. And what He has done for you, and for me, He wants to do for them as well.

We don't need religious or spiritual plastic surgery, especially not from the shaky hands of our own self-improvement. Our value doesn't come from who we are, or even who we can be. Our true value, worth, and esteem is found in who He is and His great love for us. That image doesn't crumble when the makeup gets smudged or wiped away, it doesn't crumble apart in the light, and it isn't shaken. Find yourself by losing yourself to Him and in Him, and then you can have a you that is truly lovable, even by you, and a life worth living, job or no job, relationship or no relationship, (fill in the blank) or no (fill in the blank).

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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 13, 2018 ~ Free To Choose

We like to talk about the free gift of grace, grace that saves, grace that sets us free from bondage, grace that makes us able to love God and love others as we should and obey Daddy. And that grace is indeed free in the sense that Jesus did all that is required and there is nothing we can add to it or take away from His finished work. But I have to laugh a little when I see people trying to follow some Christ-inspired spirituality/philosophy without following Jesus Himself.

It's just not possible, because Jesus is not a spiritual teacher or even a prophet. Either He is exactly who and what He claimed to be or He was a liar or a madman. Jesus doesn't require us to be moral or to do our best. He demands everything, all of us. And sometimes that is hard for us to accept. We decide to surrender our will and lives to God's care, but does it really mean giving up the right to have rights, to control our own lives, to have our way? Yes, yes it does. And for those of us with addiction issues this is especially difficult. Selfishness and self-centeredness is the root of our problems. That same root has no desire to deny itself, take up the death of our will and lay all our life on the altar of sacrifice.

We like to think  that freedom means getting to do what we want, to have our will rule our lives. But that is not freedom. In that sense, none of us are free. We all serve something, either by choice or by force. We are born slaves to sin, and while  we might resist, sooner or later we all obey that master's demands. The freedom we have in Christ is the freedom to choose for once who we will serve. But the good news is that when we choose Christ, we are not made merely servants. We become brothers and sisters of the Lord, co-heirs with Him, the adopted children of Daddy, sealed by His Spirit, with all the rights and privileges that go with that. We may still be called to serve, and we have to submit our will to His, but what He wants for us is better than anything we could come up with on our own, His will and way lead to more satisfaction and contentment than we can have outside His will, even if we manage to get all we think we want. We may have to give up our life, but we gain a life worth living in exchange. Let us remember this truth when anything else calls to us with the idea that there could be anything better and more fulfilling than following Jesus.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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 12, 2018 ~ Mercy

Driving down the road today in a borrowed truck I noticed the vehicle behind me happened to be a police officer. He stayed behind  me for about a mile and two red lights. The first thing I felt was relief that I had been using cruise control and knew I wasn't speeding. Then I thought about how good it was not to have to worry about such things anymore. There was a time when the mere presence of an officer near me would cause fear because more times than not I had something  with me I shouldn't have legally and or was under the influence. One of the many blessings of recovery is no longer having to be afraid of the consequences of being pulled over.

When we reached the third red light, he moved over into the turning lane and pulled up beside me. After a minute I glanced that direction, trying to gauge by the traffic on that side if the light was about to change. The officer signaled for me to roll down my window. I turned the radio down and hit the button to lower the window. When I did, he said, your right brake light is out. I thanked him, raised the window as the light turned green and began to drive and turn the radio back up.

I felt grateful for the mercy and kindness shown to me. But then it occurred to me that  I had felt I had no need to worry because I was legal, I was doing right. But I  was wrong. No, I had no need to fear any serious consequences, but the officer would have been well within his rights to pull me over and write me a ticket, which I seriously can't afford right now. My brake light isn't even anything easily checked by myself. I had to find something to wedge against the brake to double check what the officer told me when I reached my destination.

And this incident is like what can happen in our spiritual lives. It's great to reach a place where we no longer need fear condemnation and judgment and where we know we are not walking the wrong way on the wrong road. But knowing we are OK in the major things does not mean we are OK in everything. Sometimes we may be off in ways that are near impossible to see in and for ourselves. But we don't need to fear God about these. The Spirit is not a bully cop waiting for us to mess up so that he can write us a ticket or use the misdemeanor as an excuse to harass us and try to come up with a more serious charge.  He longs to protect and serve, and His warnings, which He will graciously give us, are for the safety of us and others.

Today, let us not be afraid to look in the direction of the Spirit. Let us be quick to open up communication with Him and heed His warnings, so that our peace will remain, our joy will be full and our lives will be even more worth living.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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 11, 2018 ~ Facing Injustice

Whether it comes from turning on the news or scrolling through social media and seeing the horrors happening in the world, finding health failing or receiving a frightening diagnosis, losing a job when your performance was good, being taken advantage of or someone lying about you, or being judged by past mistakes instead of present success, or something else, injustice is all around us. Life isn't fair, and it often just isn't right.This truth can often lead to heartache and fear and make it difficult to trust Daddy. It can make us cry out like the Psalmist, how long Oh Lord will you let them prevail against me, let them mock me and slander me, let the evil prosper and the righteous despair? How do we handle injustice?

One thing I know is that I have done some evil things in my life. I have harmed others and brought destruction into the lives of friends and foes and strangers alike. I have done grievous wrongs for which I will never face judgment or the King's justice for because Jesus took my place of punishment and bore the condemnation of my sin. When we realize the great grace by which we have been spared what we deserve it settles the question of whether or not God cares about the injustice in our life. But that doesn't always take away the pain, the fear or the urge to rise up and defend or retaliate. There are ways that we can handle injustice in a Godly manner though, and Jesus, who experienced injustice in a way that we never will, gave us the model as He went through the last days of His life under the weight or horrible unfairness and attack.

The first way to handle injustice, from the example of Jesus, is to let others speak in your defense. Don't try to defend yourself. It usually just makes things worse. When being questioned by law enforcement people are encouraged to get a lawyer, especially when innocent, because  fear, anger and emotion can cause those trying to explain and defend themselves to look even more guilty and  things can be twisted. Emotion and righteous anger can cause us to lash out in retaliation, making us fall into evil ourselves and only exasperate and escalate the problem. What started as a small thing no one believed in the first place can quickly become a destructive feud damaging many. Jesus didn't defend Himself. When questioned Jesus said I have done what I have done openly, if you want to know what I said and what I did and who follows me, ask them. And what if others don't rise to your defense?

How I love you, Lord! You are my defender. The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe. I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord! The danger of death was all around me; the waves of destruction rolled over me. The danger of death was around me, and the grave set its trap for me. In my trouble I called to the Lord; I called to my God for help. In his temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.

- Psalm 18:1-6

Yes, Jesus seemed undefended as He faced the slander and false testimony, but in the end He was given victory over their lies and over all the tried to do to Him, even death. And while we don't resist evil with evil, and we don't have to retaliate, we can and should set boundaries. We should let the Spirit guide us about how much injustice we accept and when we say this is not acceptable. But even when the line is reached, we don't  have to retaliate. When Jesus is physically struck during questioning, He doesn't do what we might expect from His teaching. He doesn't turn His head and offer the other cheek. But He also doesn't use His power to retaliate. The man who hit Him doesn't drop dead for daring to strike God. Jesus says if I spoke wrong, tell me my wrong, but  if I didn't, then why do you hit Me? There may be times when we have to say enough. If this continues I can't work here anymore. I can't participate in this any longer, or talk about this any more. I can't remain in this situation, so I need to step back from this relationship as long as this is continuing. It's not responding in anger or in kind, but it is setting boundaries about what we will participate in.

Often the best response is no response. Silent endurance under control of the Spirit. We don't have to answer every text, respond to every voice mail, blaze back on social media, argue back against every rant or accusation. Let others rant and rail and look the fool. give them their say and let it sit. It may be that they come to their senses later and realize they were wrong, and when you have remained under the control of the Spirit, your lack of response may be what displays grace and love that draws them to Daddy. It may be that our refusal to engage allows the Spirit to take us where we need to go so that God's purpose may ultimately be fulfilled. When Pilate asked about the charges against Jesus, the Pharisees answered and Jesus silently endured. Pilate found no fault in Him, and although He still went through the ringer of the cross, He was victorious and vindicated in the end, and God's purpose was fulfilled. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself (Proverbs 26:4).

Understand the source of the issue. Get to the bottom of what is going on. When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews, Jesus asked if He wanted to know for himself or was he just repeating what he heard. Do you really think I am not doing my job or are you listening to what someone else is saying? Do you really think this is true about me or are you trusting a questionable source?

Focus on the eternal not on the moment. Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world or my followers would rise up. Remember that what is happening now is not forever. Injustice today does  not mean injustice for always. Does what is going on now effect me on an eternal scale or does it fall under what will all be made right in the end? I'm not going to fight over this. What is happening now is not what matters. What matters is my relationship with Daddy and what will happen in the eternal realm.

Finally, remember your true identity. Our identity is not defined by what others say or  think about you or how people perceive or treat you. It is based on who you are in Jesus and who Daddy says you are. Your boss or someone mistreats you and acts like you are worthless. It doesn't have to be defended because it doesn't change who  you really are. Someone's lies about you don't change your value or define you. You are a child of God, so valued that Jesus died for you and the Spirit sealed you to God. Nothing anyone does or says, not even you, can separate you from Daddy's love, so  there is no reason to fear the injustice you are facing.

Today, when we face injustice let us not be afraid. Let us not respond in kind. But let us submit to the will and control of the Spirit and let God be our refuge and our strength. When we do this, we don't have to worry about being taken back into bondage and slipping back into our old, natural ways, only escalating the problem and increasing the damage. Instead we can be brought closer to Daddy, and His power, glory, and way of life can shine brightly.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.