Unshackled Moments ~ April 30, 2018 ~ Picked To Play

For those who don't know, most likely because you don't care, the NFL Draft for 2018 took place last Thursday - Saturday. Don't worry, I'm not going to write about sports today. I am not sports fan elite enough to care about the draft. Perhaps at some point I will see on Twitter who the Texans and Saints picked up and if any of my favorite Red Raiders are going pro. But the idea of the Draft is a nightmare to me. Not because of what it may or may not mean to my favorite teams. I'm not talking about sports.

How is this not a nightmare? Everyone likens judgment day to a courtroom, and I get that, but I also imagine it being a lot like the NFL Draft. In a court room, there may be few watching the proceedings. But the Draft is televised. Most who care can watch. Reporters from all over watch and relay results and thoughts. Young men, most of whom are under the age of 23 and some of whom can't legally drink yet, are critiqued and discussed. Commentators begin evaluating their worth and value based on their triumphs and mistakes, strengths and weaknesses. Speculation abounds about who will want them, who should want them and who shouldn't. Then the choices are made in turn by the teams calling out who they want. Then comes the rush or reporters spouting their opinions as to the wisdom of the choice. One player is chosen too early; he's not good enough to rank so high. The team made a poor decision. Or it's a great choice. Perhaps a player is undervalued and overlooked. Regardless for the rest of his  career, commentators will include how high or low in the draft they were chosen as part of their description to those watching, listening to or reading about  games.

Some of us, whether we admit it or not, live with the idea that this is us. Or it's a horrible fear. Our value, our worth, is on display and determined by our performance and our strengths and weaknesses. He's fast, but he fumbles a lot.  He messed up when it really mattered repeatedly and his life has been a series of defeats and destruction. The idea that there will be judgment day when all of heaven watches as our stats are called out, x number of lies, y number of broken promises, near infinite number of wrong choices, bad decisions and failures. For some of us, we may not need to wait for that day. It may seem like the world already knows, the reporting has already been done, and we can't escape the mess and short comings of life so far. Even if we do great, meet every mark and goal from here on out, it won't be enough to balance the scale.

Who among us would truly be comfortable if our lives were on display and the world watched to see if anyone with all the information would want us or if we would be rejected and how we would compare to the guy beside us? The message of many may be that I'm OK and you're OK and we're all special and of value, but we all also know deep down that this isn't  true. The pressure to perform to prove our significance can be crushing. The feeling that it is impossible to outrun the mistakes and choices and failures of the past can be  devastating.

But here's the good news. Our creator doesn't draft on performance. Daddy loves you as you are, not as you should be, but He loves you enough not to leave you as you are. The best coach in the world can't take you beyond your innate ability and potential. But God can. He can take every fumble and failure and turn it into glory. He can make the agony of defeat the prelude to victory beyond imagining. His  power can enable us to do far above what we could ever do on our own. In this life, on this side of eternity, He can take the weakest of us, the biggest loses in life and make something wonderful and amazing with our lives. He loves to show that He can take all of us who would be picked last for the team, or only chosen at all because every kid has to make a team, and come out with nothing but champions.

And that judgment scene? It can look a lot different than our nightmares. As the accuser lists every reason that we are worthless and shouldn't be chosen, Jesus will step up and say, wait, I already chose this one. This one is special to me. This one is worth so much I died to get them on my team. I know he or she didn't have what it takes on their own, but when I gave them the power of My Spirit, they became overcomers. Jesus is for losers, and He makes  us victorious. He sets us free from the weight of performance and gives us the power to play the game of life differently, better. He frees us  from both the past and from the powerlessness that makes us doomed to repeat it. He's already picked us. All we have to do is say yes, I want that, I want to be on His team. Put me in coach, by the power of the Spirit, I'm ready to play.


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 Echo ~ April 28, 2018 ~ Bending God To Our Will

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 3, 2015, as  Bending God To Our Will.

When we come to Christ, we surrender our will and lives to His care, direction and will. We surrender our will, are considered crucified with Christ and become ruled by Him and His will, guided by the Holy Spirit. We must take care not to flip the coin.

All too often, we let the old nature of self rise up and try to control God. We pray and say that we're asking for God to help, or heal or direct or whatever. But in truth there is no request. We demand that God act. And not only must He act, but He is to do what we want Him to, in the timely manner we feel fits the situation and in the way we want. We want what we want and we want it now, exactly how we ordered it. We look at verses that say things like if you really believe you can ask anything of your Father and it will be given to you out of context and in a material, earthly manner rather than a spiritual one. We act as though faith or our good deeds mean God is obligated in some way to follow our lead and direction and do what we want.

But we've got it backwards. We were bought at a great price, the blood of Jesus shed for us on the cross. We didn't purchase God. He purchased us. He gets to do with us as He wills, not the other way around. That's how surrender works. We surrender unconditionally to Him, and in return He gives us forgiveness, a clean slate, power to walk rightly, freedom from the bondage to self and sin and anything and everything else that we want and or need freedom from. The best part of the deal is that He adopts us as His children and brings us into relationship with Him.

We hear people say, I've accepted Jesus. It would be far more accurate and life changing to realize that at the worst of our worst, at the point of our deepest secret shame, Jesus accepted us. We deny our self, bend our will to His and follow Him. We do not demand our desires and rights, bend His will to ours and take Him down our path. He is God. He is Master. He is Daddy. We are created by Him and for Him, and without Him we have no life, whether we acknowledge that truth or not. We are servant, and we will never know true joy and purpose until we step into the role. We are His children.

When we remember that, we begin to live according to His purpose and plan rather than get frustrated and disappointed that He doesn't seem all that interested in our plan. We find a life worth living rather than one soaked in fear and lit aflame with anger and bitterness. And when we need to do something in service to Him and to get to know Him better, we can trust that if we ask Daddy for that thing to be done, He will do it.

Abba, draw me closer to You today. Help me to live Your will and not mine be done, to really live it from the heart and not just say it. Help me to remember the truth in the paradox that if I will lay down my will and life for You, then I will have a life better than the best of my wildest dreams. Thank You for being Lord. Help me to stay right sized today and not try to bend Your will to mine. In Jesus' name, amen.

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 27, 2018 ~ Resentment Poisoning

Those who know me know that I am a barefoot and sandals kind of guy whenever possible. I wear dress boots when I need to dress nice, motorcycle boots when I ride my bike and one pair or the other when it gets too cold for sandals, which in East Texas is maybe a month and a half out of the year. I even preach barefoot when I am in a place where I won't offend people with my liberty. But sometimes going barefoot or wearing sandals isn't wise.

I had on sandals when I wrecked my motorcycle in 2012. I didn't hurt my feet at all, not even a scrape, but imagined images of my mangled foot pinned under the bike....well, let's just say I wear boots when I ride now. A couple of months ago I broke a toe when one of my father's goats stepped on it and I jerked my foot back. When the foot moves and the toe doesn't, bad things happen. And most recently while working on a shed for my father-in-law I had a piece of aluminum flay off a chunk of the top of my left foot. I didn't take any special measures to care for it after the initial cleaning of the wound. Even though the strap of my sandals went right across the spot where the metal had cut into my bare foot, I continued to wear my sandals as usual.

Days later, the sore became more painful than it had been at the time of the injury. It hurt so much I could barely stand it. Upon inspection, I saw it was red and inflamed and in the beginning stages of infection. For the next several nights I soaked my foot in hot water and Epsom salts. It wasn't pleasurable, in fact, it was quite painful, but it worked. The infection cleared and the wound healed. Then it began to itch.

Oh how it itched! It drove me nuts. I wanted to scratch it so much and pick at the scab. It took all the self control I had and some grace from God to leave it alone. I have learned from experience that itching wounds are healing and that picking at them causes set backs and prevents healing, at best. Picking at our wounds can actually cause serious infections and problems and while increasing the chances of scaring. So I left it alone, and now it is completely healed.

This is not surprising. We understand how to care for fleshly wounds. But we often have painful flaying of the heart. We may come to realize that the wounding is such that everyone we come in contact with rubs on it, like the strap of my sandal. Still, we may try to ignore or downplay the discomfort and continue with life as usual for as long as we can. But if we ignore the wounds of our heart, they don't simply heal and go away. They become infected with resentment.

Resentment is dangerous, especially when we allow it to remain because someone truly wronged us. It's bad when we had an equal or majority share in the problem that caused the person to retaliate against us and cause our wound. But when what was done was not instigated or deserved by us, when our anger truly seems justified, it can be more dangerous This is because it feels right. It's natural. They hurt me, and I'm supposed to be angry and upset about it. I have a right to be mad. But just because it is a natural and normal reaction doesn't mean it's good.

The infection in my foot was also a perfectly normal and natural reaction to the wound that hadn't been cared for properly. I cleaned it and went on as though that was all that was needed. It wasn't, and the pain of the infection let me know that more had to be done so that I would heal properly. Our pain from emotional and mental wounds is real, but it is there to say something isn't right. We aren't healed.  We need this wound cared for. Had I ignored the pain of the growing infection or said simply that it should hurt, it was a bad wound and embraced the pain, the infection would turn into blood poisoning. I could have lost my foot or even my life if I continued to refuse to treat the wound.

Don't embrace the resentment. Take it for what it is, a sign that the wound did not heal right, and get treatment. Don't push it away or ignore it. Allow yourself to feel the hurt. The treatment may hurt too. It may even hurt more than the resentment at first, but as the infection fades and the wound truly heals, the pain finally leaves for good. Take the wound to the Great Physician. Let Him do what is needed, even if it feels like salt in the wound. He always takes us to a place of healing and life. And when it begins to heal, don't pick at it. Don't keep scratching at the scab and replaying the injury mentally. Pray for the grace to leave it alone and to forgive so that we won't reopen the wound, renew the infection and prevent healing.


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.

Fear, Frustration And Faith

This world is full of corruption that leads to frustration and fear. How do we respond the problems and injustice that cause us distress? Dalyn Woodard shares on the different ways we handle the stress of a fallen world in an overview of the greatest little book on faith, Habakkuk. Habakkuk holds the answer to what can keep us going in the face of fear and frustration.The message, "Fear, Frustration And Faith," is about 1 hour long, and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

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 Moments ~ April 25, 2018 ~ Certain Steps

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

- 2 Kings 5:10-12

Naaman was a leper, and there weren't really any diseases that were worse. Lepers were unclean. Because of the contagiousness of the disease people lost family and friends. They couldn't work. In most ancient societies lepers were exiled or made to live in camps away from clean society. Naaman was rich and powerful enough in Syria to do better than most in his position, but it was still a horrible disease that eats away at the body. So it's easy to understand the desperation that took him to the prophet of Israel in hopes of being healed. If it's bad enough, who wouldn't try anything? Who knows how many others things he  had tried?

The prophet told him to go wash in the Jordan River seven times. That's it. He didn't have to give up riches. He didn't have to do something impossible or even difficult. But it wasn't what he expected or wanted. He wanted God to make a big show of His power. He wanted drama, wind machines and light effects, or at least a cleaner river to bathe in. He left in a huff, still sick. His servant talked him into just trying what was suggested. After all, it wasn't so horrible or hard. Naaman did as directed and was healed. You can read it all in 2 Kings 5:1-14, if you like.

Recovery is not nearly so horrible as leprosy, but it's up there. Addiction is a disease filled with destruction, loss and shame that leads to death. It can cost us everything, relationships and riches and health. There comes a point of desperation where we will try anything to be free of our bondage and to find healing and restoration. But will we?

Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it—then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not.

- from Chapter 5; How It Works, Alcoholics Anonymous

Seriously? At some of these certain steps we balked? No this isn't what I expected or wanted. There has to be another way, an easier, softer way, a way that lets me hold on to running my own life. I want freedom and recovery, but on my own terms. Sorry. To try to find that is just to work a solution that doesn't cure the problem. Our addictions are symptoms, not the disease. If the spiritual malady is not cured, it is only a matter of time before whatever we try to treat the symptoms will fail.

Let us not lose our desperation and become angry when facing a simple solution that is not what we wanted or expected. Let us not balk at surrendering our will and lives to the care of the God who created us and has the power to set us free and give us a life worth living. Try it His way. After all, Daddy knows best, and it is His delight to bring you into relationship with Him and set you free. There are no more certain steps that lead to life than those directed by Daddy.


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 24, 2018 ~ Rigorous Honesty

Honesty is the best policy. We've all heard it. We probably agree with it in principle and agree that it's not always so simple in practice. How It Works tells us that those who are unable to recover by the process of the 12 Steps are usually those who are incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. There are self help guides that promise transformation of our lives through radical honesty. Jesus said the truth will make you free, and we are told to be like our Heavenly Daddy and are also told that God does not lie. Obviously the truth is important to our spiritual life and our recovery. There is no addiction without lies, and there is no recovery without truth.

But when Alcoholics Anonymous mentioned rigorous honesty in chapter 5, How It Works, it is in the context of alcoholism and recovery. This is the program that all 12 Step recovery is based on, and the concept of rigorous honesty is the same, regardless of the type of recovery or if the steps are used for discipleship and spiritual growth rather than recovery. Let us also remember that when Christ was told what the greatest commandment is, He didn't say tell the truth or be honest. He said, love God and love others. We live under the law of love. Love is the rule for those who belong to Daddy, who have become His children and surrendered their will and lives to Him.

Now, I am not downplaying the truth. We should live honest lives. But our honesty  and truth must be tempered by love. Jesus never lied, but He also didn't great Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane by saying, I knew you were no good and that you would betray me. You're the son of perdition and you'll be dead before Me. All true, but what Jesus said was,  Friend, why have you come? He called Him friend. How honest was that, since Judas was there to betray Him? Honest enough, since Jesus didn't lie. He considered Judas a friend despite the betrayal, and He wasn't cruel with the truth. His truth also held His love.

We must be honest with ourselves and others that we have no control over our addictions and habitual sins. We need to be honest about the solution. We need to admit our wrongs without excuses or shifting blame, being honest about our part in them. In all these areas, we must be rigorously honest or recovery will fail. But we also must never neglect love first. We can not allow the concept of rigorous honesty or radical honesty to be an excuse for selfish cruelty and unloving actions. We can not gossip in the name of truth and honesty. There is nothing loving about walking up to someone and telling them how bad they look or in pointing out mistakes or shortcomings in an unloving and non-constructive way. Some truth doesn't need to be said. We should not allow fear of people's opinions to make us compromise truth, but we should always ask ourselves if what we are going to say is going to encourage, edify, strengthen or help the hearer. Is our truth going to bring people closer to Daddy or hurt them?

I'm not advocating lying. There is no such thing as a white lie. Falsehood is falsehood. But truth is pointless without love. We are to be of maximum service to God and others. Part of that means that we put others ahead of ourselves. Love is the law. If the truth can not be spoken in a loving way that helps it should not be spoken. Today, let us remember that honesty really is the best policy, as long as it is from a motive of love and delivered in love. Let us never shrink back from rigorous honesty about ourselves and our recovery. But let us also not use honesty as an excuse to be brutal.


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 23, 2018 ~ 24 Hour Reprieve

I have sarcoidosis. For  those who watched House, this may sound super scary because almost every time there is some mysterious illness killing someone the doctors would throw out sarcoidosis as a possible cause for the patient being on death's door. But that is fiction. In truth it's an inflammatory disease that does cause problems but is not nearly as serious as House would have us believe.

That said. it does cause problems. My eyes are the place where it does the most damage. It causes inflammation and fluid build up that produces painful bursting of blood vessels and light sensitivity and also greatly hinders my vision. It's been under control for a while with a daily regimen of steroids. But I ran out of my medication last week, and won't be able to get into the doctor for a refill until today. In two days my vision suffered greatly, my eyes tire easily and by the end of the second day without treatment my eyes were bloodshot and painful.

I'm not whining. This is a great example of a 24 hour reprieve based upon the maintenance of treatment. I really didn't think being out of meds  for a few days would do much damage. I never expected it to get so bad so quickly. But it did. I can barely see the screen to type and the time this is taking is already making me tear up. Three paragraphs have taken twenty minutes to write because I can only write for a minute and then have to stop to let my eyes recover for a few minutes. Now, when I get back on the steroids I will have to take a larger dosage until the inflammation goes back down, which increases the steroids side effects. Recovery takes more than maintenance.

It can be tempting in recovery to begin to let things slide. The daily steps we take to make sure we are practicing the spiritual principles that led to our freedom and awakening. Making sure we surrender our will and life to God and improving our conscious contact with Him. Being of maximum service to Him and others. And everything else that we do to maintain our freedom. Sometimes we get tired and want to let it all go, to slip into self just a tad and rest on our laurels. But taking even a little time off can be much more damaging than we might first believe. Even a little taste of selfishness and self-centeredness is a dangerous and deadly unleashing of disease that becomes symptomatic quickly. While we may not immediately relapse, we can have problems that cause damage. Alcoholics sometimes refer to these times as dry drunks, and it takes a lot more work and effort to repair the damage than it would have to simply maintain our spiritual condition.

Today, let us not be tempted to let our disease go untreated even for a short while. Let us stay as close to Daddy as possible and make sure not to take our will and life back so that we do not have to deal with the consequences of inflammation of self. But if we have let things get out of control, we don't have to lose hope. While it may take more time and effort, the solution is the same. More of Jesus. Less of self.


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.

The Only Constant

We have hard that the only constant is change. Sometimes change can be for the worse and difficult and frightening. Wally Flynt shares on our hope in the face of change and what is really more constant than everything changes.. The message, "The Only Constant," is about 4 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, April 22, 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 21, 2018 ~ The Gate

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 1, 2015, as The Gate In Our Fence.

"God has put a gate in the fence. His name is Jesus.

If you follow Jesus long enough and far enough, you'll eventually trespass into the impossible."

~ Mark Batterson

I opened my computer, still a bit groggy from dragging myself from the depths of my dreaming and out of bed, and got ready for my morning reading. The Facebook tab came up before the email tab where I have my links to my readings, and I glanced at the page while waiting for the others to load. A rodeo cowgirl I know posted a photo of a book page and mentioned that it talks about Jesus and some things she'd been teaching. I took a look at the photo. Someone had underlined the above quote, and I can see why.

I didn't take the time to read the rest of the page after the quote jumped out of me, but I did look up  the book and added it to my "to read" list. I'm surely taking it out of context, as I have no clue about the context, but this  is where the quote led my thoughts.

The statement is so very true. We all have walls and fences in our lives, fences between people and relationships,  fences built in the past that block where we can and cannot go today and in the future, fences that keep us in bondage to substances and or activities rather than roaming free on the thousand pastures our Daddy owns, and fences between where we are and where God wants us to go. If we try to tear down the fence, we may get some temporary freedom and movement, but the fence is usually rebuilt quickly and stronger. After the one who wants us fenced in sees we have an area of escape in our strength  and will, he adjusts his fence building to remove it.

Now we are even more fenced in. So, we can attempt to climb over the fence, but the fence gets built higher and higher, and each time the fall of failure to make it to freedom hurts more and more until we give up on going over to freedom and settle into captivity. Or we try to crawl under or through the fence and somehow just end up scratched and cut up from the barbs and covered in dirt and muck and stuck.

The simple fact is that the fence builder is more cunning than we are, and he just won't quit trying to fence us in. Freedom is fleeting, and failed escape attempts discourage continuing to try. But God made a gate in our fences that the fence builder can't touch. Not only did He make a gate, but He made it where even a child can open it. Jesus is indeed that gate, the Way, the Truth and the Life that leads to relationship with the Father and freedom. We can leave the pen of pain and bondage into the freedom of the Father's green pastures. 

The gate of Jesus leads to the impossible. That ruined relationship can be restored through Jesus. Barriers caused by who we've been and what we've done in the past no longer set the limits on us and how God can use as as the old is transformed into something new, a feat truly impossible for anyone other than He who created all in the first place. Bonds of addictions of all kinds that keep us miserable and trapped in selfishness slip away as we walk through the gate God made. 

And we who have been locked away behind the fence until  we're skinny from starvation and disease, worthless on the world's market, can feed on the green, living richness of relationship with God, which is greener and more plentiful on His side of the fence after all.   Suddenly, in Jesus the impossible is accomplished. But the trail through the gate starts the impossible journey of freedom and restoration, it doesn't end there. It gets bigger, more fantastic, more impossible. As we are restored, we grow healthier and realize our freedom through Christ, we become someone God can use to help others learn about The Gate, and we can help God build The Gate in the fences around the hearts, souls and lives of others.

Whatever mountains stand in the way God setting the captives free and healing the wounded can be leveled, razed and thrown into the sea by a word of faith. Nothing remains impossible. Our oceans between where we are and what God wants to accomplish split and move out of the way leaving a path of dry land through the barrier. Even death loses its sting as we find resurrection and life in The Gate. When we accept that God the Father provided The Gate for us, as we are, trapped, starving and sick, it opens for us. We can freely walk from held back and fenced in to freedom and power that makes the impossible possible.

Abba, thank You for The Gate of Jesus, made from love covered in precious blood. Help me to never take it for granted or be apathetic about the miracle of freedom and possibilities that has and continues to provide in my life. Thank You for the restoration and freedom and ability to serve I've already experienced, and thank You for that which is yet to come, which seems even more impossible than the miracles of yesterday. When the impossible of my life is overcome in the sight of others, may it bring You all glory and praise. In Jesus' name, amen. 

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 Echo ~ April 20, 2018 ~ Revered Daddy

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 1, 2015.

A couple of days ago, I finished the book Before Amen by Max Lucado, and when I added it to my Goodreads read shelf I decided to glance at a few of the reviews. The first review I read rated the book three stars, and the preacher's wife who wrote it explained that her main issue with the book came from the admonition to go to Our Heavenly Father and refer to Our Mighty God as Daddy. She and all the folks who replied to her review agreed that it felt wrong to do that, and that it didn't show God nearly enough reverence. I saw that word "reverence" repeatedly. So I thought about it for most of the rest of the day, and I came to the sad conclusion that these folks have missed t.

My initial response to the review and comments went along the lines that when Jesus taught us to pray and gave a model pray for His followers, He didn't say "Our Father." I'm not sure how that began being translated as such, but it's obviously hurt our image of  God some. I think because God as Father doesn't help much for the masses who've suffered devastation at the hands of broken, flawed and often absent men failing at the role of Father. No, Jesus didn't say "our Father." Address God as "Daddy in heaven." That's really what he said. Abba is the most intimate, childish version of Daddy in the Aramaic. He told us to come to God as little children, and He told us to pray to Daddy.

But, what about reverence? There are many examples of reverence, but the one we seem stuck on is that due a mighty king. So imagine with me a mighty but loving king on a glorious throne. His subjects enter His court, along with some visitors from foreign lands. They stop talking. No one speaks without being spoken to, They all bow the knee to this man and revere Him. They are there to seek help, because the enemies of the kingdom have gathered at the gates and threaten to destroy the kingdom and its inhabitants.

The queen, the king's bride, enters with a four-year old little boy in her arms. He squirms out of her arms and begins running across the court yelling, "Daddy! There's horses and men out the gates! They look mean!" The king scoops the young prince into his arms and whispers, "Shh. It's OK. Now be quiet. Daddy's busy."

The boy sits in his father's lap and listens as dignitaries and ambassadors come before the throne, bow and in eloquent and carefully chosen words both request the aid of the king and express their doubt that even all mighty king's men and horses will be able to handle this foe. The prince is obedient in his silence as long as he can be, but finally he's had enough. After one more person says, "Oh mighty King, defender of the helpless, ruler over us all, you surely must realize that the opposing ruler is as dangerous as he is vicious and evil, and we are in dire trouble!," the boy can stand it no longer.

"No, we're not in trouble! My Daddy can do anything! He can win this battle without even getting tired!" The king smiles and chuckles at the boy's confident faith. The onlookers gasp. And so do we as we think of the scenario.

But that's what we're supposed to do. Remember that we are the little princes and princesses, not barely tolerated subjects or visitors. Run to Him. Throw ourselves into His arms. Yes, He is mighty. Yes, He is King. But He's also our Daddy. My Daddy can fix anything! My Daddy can do anything! My Daddy's got this. Who in the above scene truly showed reverence, complete awe, worship and respect for the king? The boy. I'm not scared, my Daddy can beat this enemy, quiet this storm, supply.......

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.

Never Forsaken

Did God the Father forsake the Son? If so, can we truly trust the Father to never forsake us? Dalyn Woodard shares on how we can know that we can always trust Daddy and go to Him. Using the time of Jesus on the cross to show that God can be trusted, the view that leads to doubt is turned into a victory cry and a declaration from Jesus that He is indeed the Messiah. The message, "Never Forsaken," is about 47 minutes long, and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

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 18, 2018 ~ More Than A Feeling

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

February 28, 2015.

One of the men who trained my father to minister used to say that we don't go by our feelings, but it's nice to feel what you're going on. I love this statement. I've learned that I can't always trust my feelings, and if I wait on feeling God's love for me, on feeling faith to trust in Him, on feeling accepted, more times than not I'd never get out of bed. Today I feel these things almost as much as I don't, and it is indeed nice to feel what I'm going on. But I never, or almost never, felt any of this at the start of my journey into relationship with my Creator.

The truth is that knowing and feeling God comes from getting to know Him, and getting to know Him comes from saturating myself in His truth and from trusting and obeying before I feel it. The more I leap into His arms from the cliffs of my life, the more I can feel sure that He won't drop me, because my experience proves it out. He's never dropped me before. But if I never leave the ledge I'll never know for sure, I'll never feel, that He can and will catch me every time. 

So how do I let go and let God when I don't feel it? How do I trust enough to jump before I gain the experience of His faithfulness? One way is to exemplify spiritually the ad slogan Just Do It. I'm not being flippant or purposefully trying to frustrate by saying that you learn to do by doing. When I can't go on my feelings because I don't feel what I need to feel in order to go with God's way, I can ask myself, What would I do if I felt the love, faithfulness, might, etc. of God that I came to believe in? Well, if I believed in His power and love for me, I'd probably join Peter in climbing out of the boat and walking to Jesus right on top of the waves of this storm. So that's what I do. And the more I walk on the water flooding my life, the more I feel I can do whatever I need to do, can go through whatever is going on in my life through Christ Jesus. I learn to feel the truth as I learn to live in and by the power of the truth. 

Lord Jesus, all I feel is the winds of the storm threatening to demolish me, that is when I can feel anything at all, because the cold blasts have numbed me to the point where I sometimes don't feel even that. Help me to run to you, even if that means that I have to walk on water to do it. I know that I can, not because of who I am or my power, but because of who You are and Your power. Help me to remember and act on the understanding that truth doesn't rely on what I feel to be true. If I drop something it will fall, because gravity in this atmosphere is true, regardless of what I feel or believe about it, and You are the truth on which I can trust and stand, even more than the gravity that You put in place, regardless of what I feel or believe. Today let me walk by faith in the truth rather than by faith in feeling. Amen.

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 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.


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 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.