Unshackled Life Ministries

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Groaning For Glory

Dalyn Woodard returns to the study on Romans and shares on the groans for glory. How the very creation, we as believers and the Holy Spirit await the coming redemption and the implication of that wait. The message, "Groaning For Glory" is about 49 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, November 18, 2015. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

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Unshackled Moments ~ November 29 ~ Coming Attractions

"The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth -- the very thing the whole story has been about."

- C.S. Lewis

Did you know that there's a new Star Wars movie about to come out? I bet most of my dear readers know. Even people what are not fans of the film franchise and do not plan to see it have heard about it and seen the trailers. For those of us who are fans, well we're excited as a child on Christmas Eve. My wife and I bought tickets early and will be driving about four hours so we can see it opening day with her son. Half of the commercials on TV these days seem to in some way reference the upcoming movie or the series in some way. The trailers being viewed by such large numbers shut down servers the day they were released online.

What's that got to do with my walk with God? The Star Wars Advent Season began months ago, long before the first trailers. In fact, it began for most people shortly after the closing credits scrolled by on the screening of the last film, and began in earnest expectation when Disney bought the rights to Star Wars from George Lucas. Star Wars Advent? The word advent simply means "coming." But Advent, when capitalized and standing alone has long come to mean only one coming....the coming of our Lord Jesus and the celebration of Christmas.

That's what's so great about this time of year. Advent is like a preview of coming attractions. It's a celebration of what's coming and Who came to make it possible. The start of Advent is a celebration of waiting with hope and expectation. It really started in the Garden Of Eden. At the very moment Adam and Eve realized their world literally was coming undone and going to hell came the promise of One who would come to reverse the curse and bruise the head of the serpent. Since then, as the world has seen the sadness caused by the fall, there has been a promise that things can and will be better. The Old Testament is full of prophecies pointing to the birth of Christ, the sacrifice He would make and the restoration with the Father He would provide.

Since His birth, we remember that He came, but the reason that we celebrate that He came, that He was born, is because He died and rose. And the reason we celebrate that He died and rose is because He did it for us, to make a way for us to be restore to the Father. Advent may be focused on the birth of Christ, but it's all a preview, the event that stirs the excitement and speculation and eager anticipation of the main event to come, His triumphant return and an eternal celebration of love, peace, and joy unhindered by pain, sorrow or sin.

It's easy to get caught up in Christmas with the anticipation of the coming attractions of gifts, family, friends and food. But those things don't last, and even at their best don't fully satisfy the soul. We can all get swept up in the coming of something big, like Star Wars or the next block buster movie. But how often do the films fall short of the hype? The expectation becomes too high a standard to achieve. The trailer shows the best, funniest, most exciting parts of a two hour film in a minute and a half, so instead of the movie feeling greater than the coming attractions it is a bit of a let down. But Advent is the perfect Coming Attraction to which none other can compare. As miraculous and amazing an event that the birth of Jesus was, it will not outshine His return! It made the main event possible, so The Birth needs to be remembered with celebration and joy, but it is not the end of the story. It's Part I of the climatic turning point.

When we remember He came, why He came, and that He is coming again to take us with Him to the main event, which the entirety of time and creation has been preparing for, it's a time to be more excited than a Star Wars fan who has tickets for opening day. We who are Christians have tickets for the greatest banquet party that will ever happen to enjoy as we watch the unfolding of the most awesome sight ever, the creation of a new heaven and earth! Not a Christian? Well, tickets are still available! And they're free! That's reason to celebrate. But hurry and get yours today, because the reason those of us with tickets are so excited is because the wait is almost over. Jesus is coming soon!

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Unshackled Moments ~ November 28 ~ Freedom From Discontent

Don't compare your inside with other people's outside.

As we wrap up the month of Thanksgiving and enter the Advent and Christmas season it's easy to fall into the bondage of discontent. Some of us spent so much energy trying to manufacture gratefulness during the past month that falling into old habits of self-centeredness and envy almost feels like a release and relief. It's a time of preoccupation with wish lists and idealism. I wish I could afford to get my loved ones....I wish I could have.....All I want is this ideal and perfect holiday that makes me feel safe and warm and wonderful and....Look at them, their family is what I wish I had, they have the things I can't....and on and on it goes. Many parents spent the first day after giving thanks for what they have fighting each other over gifts to buy their children that won't last till spring. Some people have their entire sense of self worth and value wrapped up in what they receive from others or what they are able to give. The Christmas season can make the rat race feel like a leisurely stroll.

This idealized standard of special and miraculous perfection full of peace, love, family, friends and every wish fulfilled can make us crazy and sick. There's a valid reason for the increase in suicides at this time of year. But this bondage is part of why we celebrate the season. No, we're not celebrating the insanity that we, in our humanness, have turned Christmas into. We're celebrating the One who came to set the captives free, even the captives to envy and discontent and the pressure to live up to some fantastical standard or someone else's life. We don't have to surrender to that particular prison.

One key to freedom in this area is to stop comparing ourselves and our lives to the lives of others. We need to not measure what we feel about what we have or don't have by looking at what others have, or seem to have. It's impossible to be content while measuring ourselves against the appearances of others. If they seem to have more or better we burn with discontent and envy. If we feel we're on the upside of things we can slip into pride, haughtiness and the need to stay on top.

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

- James 3:14–16

The second key is to rejoice and celebrate with others over their blessings. Rather than being bitter about someone else receiving a blessing that you wish you had, rejoice for them. In order to do this, we have to actively engage ourselves in love and deny the instinct to focus on our self. Love and deny self. It sounds a lot like what Jesus said we had to do to follow Him, doesn't it?

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

-Romans 12:15

Finally we need to remember that our value and worth is not based on what we have, not even in the people we have or don't have in our life. Our worth and the value of our life is established by the great love of God for us and in our relationship with Him. Our ability to be content is rooted in our fellowship with our Creator, and not on our worldly relationships or possessions. We can celebrate this time of year and escape getting caught up in the lack trap by keeping our heart on the eternal and our riches that we have in Him. He came and died to be with us. That's our joy.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Unshackled Moments ~ November 27 ~ Kingdoms Toppled

Christmas time is here, at least for my family. Sometime after the turkey on Thursday and sunrise on Friday the Christmas season officially begins, and it has nothing to do with Black Friday sales or Cyber Monday sales. It begins after Thanksgiving, but as early as possible to enjoy each and every day possible with the tree and Christmas shows and music and family and more food and...But, even though I started a little early this year with the music, it's not about all that any more than it's about the sales and the gifts. The Christmas season, which officially kicks off in a couple of days on the First Advent Sunday, is a time to remember that Joy has come into the world and into our lives. Why are we joyful? Because the Lord has come!

But amidst all the hustle and bustle do we remember what that means? Lord means someone having power, authority, influence and mastery over someone. One who rules. And The Lord that has come is the Lord of lords, or the master and ruler of rulers. We're rejoicing because the King had come. We rejoice because we are no longer free to do as we please, because our revolution failed and we must bow the knee.

Do we get that? It's hard for us to grasp at times. America's vague concept of a king is based on Disney, usually a flawed father who makes unwise decisions or in some way fails to protect his daughter from well everything, and or the monarchy of England, which at this point is ceremonial and mostly powerless. England has a Queen, but not really. She can't step out on her balcony this morning and declare a decree that all in her realm must obey no matter what.

A real king does just that. He rules. It's not a democracy. We don't get a vote. Yes, God takes into account our needs and the desires of our heart, but that's because He's a good King, not because we have a right to our say or vote on the matter. We are called to submit our will to His will. That's religious speak for we can't always get what we want, but if we try to do what God wants, we'll find that we get what we need and what we get will also be what we want. Isn't that better than the philosophy of Mick Jagger?

Anyway, we celebrate because we have been invaded by a King who now has dominion, absolute authority and power, over our lives. This Lord who has come said repeatedly that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, that means it's being established in our lives. And He taught us to pray, Thy, as in the King's - God the Father's, kingdom come. We need to remember that praying that, by very definition of the the words kingdom and come, means that we are praying that our kingdom go! You can't have two kingdoms in one land. You can't have two real kings. One king must rule and everyone else, including any other "kings" must be ruled.

Let us not get confused and think this life is our own. We have the right to rule our life about as much as Herod was king of Israel. He had the title, and authority...as long as nothing he tried to do went against the authority and rule of the real ruler of the land, Caesar. And we have the right to make choices and decisions and rule our life. We are kings of our own little kingdom. But if we are Christians, that kingship is only valid as long as it is in submission to The King. Our kingdom has to go, to make room for His kingdom. We are rejoicing over our dependence, over coming under the rule of a King. It's the exact opposite of July the 4th. And life is so much better with the right King ruling over our lives, and that is why we have joy!

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Unshackled Moments ~ November 26 ~ Surviving Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving dear reader. Today can be a day of family, and food (and football) that is both wonderful and something that looks like homecoming at Arkham Asylum. For some Thanksgiving is a day when once a year we stop griping and complaining and pay attention to the blessings we have received. For some it's just stress and sadness. Some dread and some love the holiday. I happen to love it. Even the Arkham moments.

This is a holiday that is supposed to be about remembering the providence of God and the helping hands of humans reaching out in love to help one another. It's not exactly about remembering to be thankful in all things and at all times. It's not about the food, or family, or....even football. It's a remembering a time of such need and misery that it appeared that death was near and unavoidable. Things got so bad everyone involved thought they would die. Then, because of the providence of God and people helping when they had no reason other than goodness and mercy to do so, the people survived. It's not about feeling good and mushy about family or remembering how easy we have it.

It's actually about the hard times. The misery. The my life got this bad in this area and that area and I just knew I couldn't survive. I thought surely I would die. But God. But God and this person or that person helped me, and I am still here. I made it through the valley of the shadow of death. Spring is not fully here, there may be a few more cold spells and freezes (the first Thanksgivings were in February), but winter is fading, spring is coming, and I have hope.

Today let us not try to pretend that the darkness isn't there in the shadow, let us not try to manufacture wonder and gratitude at how good life is while deep inside feeling it hasn't been or isn't so grand. Let us acknowledge the truth of just how harsh the winter has been, how close to death we have come, and especially the But God. But God. We are still here. But God, there is hope for a better tomorrow. But God, we did not die and will not die yet. And let us remember that in order for God to use people to bless others, to be His hands, we need to be willing to be those hands.

Oh, one last thing, if this doesn't apply to you, and you haven't had those bleak and dark moments when you thought you would die or wished you would, then hallelujah. By all means rejoice for you have been truly and richly blessed. But those of us who have walked through, and lived in hell on earth, should have an even easier time realizing how much we have to be thankful for rather than a harder time. Doesn't the cool water feel more refreshing and wonderful after the struggle in and with the hear? Happy Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Unshackled Moments ~ November 25 ~ Put On Your Parka; It's Cold

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

- Philippians 4:11-13

Who or what do we serve? Serve means to perform duties or services for. That's what life is about. We all serve somebody or something. Contentment and a life worth living is found in pursuing the presence of God. But we can slip into a form of idolatry in the name of Christianity all too easily. To be a Christian means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, as in to be one of the ones who picks up a method of execution (i.e. a cross) and kills the self every day in order to follow Jesus.

That's what it's supposed to mean to be a Christian. But sometimes we rewrite the definition. Christianity becomes less about the pursuit of His presence and more about the pursuit of happiness, feeling good and self-fulfillment. And when that happens, Christianity becomes a twisted religion that is not truth, but rather just another form of idolatry and destruction. To pursue God only as an agent for happiness, is to make happiness and feeling good our god.

Serving happiness rather than God, will often put us in the position of trying to use and manipulate God into manufacturing that happiness for us. Maybe we seriously need to think that move through. In what plane of existence could trying to manipulate or use for our own purposes the Most Powerful Being that ever was, is or will be, The Creator Of All, including us, seem like a wise thing to do?

Don't get me wrong. It's not a bad thing to be happy. Happiness is a good thing. But before we start chasing it, let's do two things. First, we need to remember that happiness is a by-product, not the prize. The prize for which we steadfastly run the race is the presence of God. Secondly, we need to make sure we have the right definition of happiness.

We tend to make choices on what will bring the most happiness. We're all basically hedonists at heart, even those with martyr complexes who glory in their misery. But if we define happiness wrong, then the choices we make that should achieve it fail to do so. The right definition of happiness, and any other word or concept for that matter, is God's. And God's idea of happiness is better understood by the word contentment than the modern American term happiness.

To be content and therefore to be able to endure and go through any situation, good and bad is the message of Philippians 4:13. We sometimes quote that verse as if it were a promise that we can defeat any situation not to our liking, but that's not what it's about. We are so locked into self that even Christians all too often fail to topple that idol. It's shocking how whiny we can be when we get caught up in our pity parties. Circumstances and situations get us down and we moan and throw a fit because we don't get our way. Now, it's not good to pretend that we feel good when we don't. There is a time to weep, mourn and groan. And when we do, the Spirit is right there crying with us. But that place of mournful desolation is not a place where we have to dwell as believers. It's a valley we go through, a wasteland we cross. It is not where we are supposed to live. We can be content...a state of peaceful, satisfied joy, even in the worst of times and situations.

How? Like Paul, we have to tap into the source. We can go through any and all things, endure any and all things, including our own versions of the cross, through Christ who strengthens.

It's the Spirit of God that helps us choose love over self, to choose to serve others over serving ourselves. And in love and service to Him, in the path of His will over our will is where we find Him to be the provision for contentment and joy. God has promised to complete His work in our lives, and no matter how bleak life can look, we can trust that it's not the way it always will be.

Sometimes it feels like life is about enduring misery, and that's just how it is and always will be. Not so. There is something better coming. We may or may not experience much of it on this side of eternity, but it's well worth the crud we go through on the way. Seriously, we'll camp out in miserable weather surrounded by crowds of people we don't like to try to get a shot at a good sale, or tickets to Star Wars or great seats for a concert or the perfect hunting spot or fishing hole opening day or whatever you'd endure discomfort to achieve, but we throw a fit over a brief moment of pain and discomfort while waiting for the greatest event we'll ever have the chance to attend? The eternal celebration and joy filled presence of God is the don't miss event of eternity. And compared to eternity, our 80 or so years is less time than one night in the cold in line for the most desired tickets to the most desired event. One key to contentment is to get out of the moment and remember why we're in line in the first place. Yes, it's cold and hard at times, but what waits for us when we finally get to the front of the line is so worth it.

The second key to finding contentment in any and all circumstances is to through away the lie that is all to easy to believe, the one that says that our life is about us. The human experience is designed to be shared. Life is something we share with God and with others. It is not good for man to be alone is about a lot more than just marriage. We are not meant to go through life alone or for our self. And living for and doing things "just for me because I deserve it" is never going to create contentment. It may give brief happiness, but it will never bring joy or satisfaction with life. The Christian life is not one lived for our own convenience but rather in sacrificial service to others. The needs of the other outweigh the needs of the one self, to put a Christian perspective on a great sci-fi quote.. It seems contrary to what makes sense, but we actually will find more satisfaction and joy in service and laying down our will, self and life for others than we ever will in doing what seems or feels best for our own interests.

Today let us trade the pursuit of quickly achieved and even more quickly fading pleasure for the lasting joy to be found in the contentment of life God's way, on His terms, and with His definitions. It's not a fake happiness. It's not tricking yourself into being okay with a miserable life. It's about true joy and contentment making up a spiritual parka, in which we wrap our hearts in the face of very present and freezing winds of pain and need. Contentment designed by God is the greatest covering of any season of every year, and it keeps us warm and safe from exposure during the blizzards of life.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Unshackled Moments ~ November 24 ~ Trapping The Busy Bee

When things aren't going in a good way according to our perception or when we don't feel so blessed, it's all to easy to wander into a trap, the busy bee trap. We can suddenly get proactive about all things spiritual when we start feeling life trying to squeeze the honey out of us. It hurts too much to be still, so we move. Anywhere, anything, just keep busy, as long as it's spiritual. We pray more. We suddenly decide it's time to read through the Bible in 90 days (yes, it's possible), we volunteer at church, we......

The thing is that activity is not the answer to the difficulties of life, not even spiritual activity. If we are doing more "spiritual" activity in an attempt to mask or hide the fact that we are sick and tired and our faith is threatening to fail, it won't help. Mass doses of religion does not bolster the spiritual immune system or increase our faith like taking Vitamin C to stave off colds. In fact, it can have the opposite effect. And if our reaction to feeling not as blessed as we would like or to times being more difficult than we care for is to act like good little Christians and hope God will give us a treat, that's not good either. Yes, God rewards those who diligently seek Him. Seek Him are the two key words there. He's not all about rewarding those who diligently seek the blessing. Keeping busy distract ourselves from where the frustrations and fear take our minds is just another part of the trap.

These are all symptoms of the same trap. What makes it difficult to discern at times is that none of those things that we do to fall into the trap are bad. In fact some are exactly what we need to be doing. Wait? Then how is doing them falling into a trap? We look at the activity. Is it good or not good to do? God isn't looking at that. God is looking at our hearts. Why are we doing it? Sometimes what we need to be doing is getting quiet. Be still and know that I am God is the scripture that comes to mind. Sometimes we do need to get to work doing what we've already been told to do. If we know that we have been called to pray more, to serve more, to volunteer at a soup kitchen, whatever, then by all means obey. The best way to keep the great fish of life from swallowing us whole is to obey and not run from what we are told to do. To obey is better than sacrifice after all.

But whatever we are doing, God wants us to do it for and in His presence. It's all about the presence of God. The goal is not to distract from what feels bad, or to fix what's wrong or to appease or earn treats. The goal is to increase our time of awareness of God's presence. When our desire is to be in the presence of our Creator, that is something worth doing. That is never a trap. It might not always be easy to achieve. Sometimes we just have to refuse to move until He makes us aware of His presence and gives clear direction about when, where and how to do the moving.

Today, let us not get so caught up in the trap of what we need to do or should be doing that we miss out on the experience of His presence. Let us not get so busy that we can't hear Him speaking to our hearts. We need to be quick to obey, but let us also be quick to stop and wait, to renew our strength in the quiet times with God. In His presence is fullness of joy, which means running around without awareness of His presence...well, that is a lot less joyful.

Sometimes we're not going to be happy. Sometimes we're not going to get our way. Sometimes, we're just a hurting, broken mess. The answer is (as Tamela Mann puts it) to lay at the throne alone and gaze upon His glory, to pour ourselves out to Him as an offering. Sometimes life is grand. We feel good. Everything is working out in a way that makes us smile. It seems like things just couldn't get any better. While those times may seem fewer and farther between than the other, our response should be the same. That's where the life worth living is found, in His presence. It's not in the things we do. Getting caught up in the whats of life and spirituality instead of focusing on the Why of everything is a trap that can keep us from His presence rather than taking us to the King.