Unshackled Moments ~ November 4 ~ Snake Bit

Yesterday we looked at dealing with crisis and how to survive the storm. So we made it safely through. Now what? Paul and the sailors written of in Acts 27 survived the storm that wrecked their ship. That's the wonderful ending of chapter 27. You can see the screen dim and the credits begin to roll. The movie is over. The ship is in a million pieces but everybody has made it ashore on the island of Malta. But it's not the end of the story. It never is. Any storm we survive has a next chapter.

So what happens when we reach shore, exhausted, starved, soaked and miserable but elated? It's all wonderful afterwards right? Surviving the storm is the hard part/ Wrong. The hard part has really only just begun. Now comes the time to get up and deal with the aftermath. We have to accept our losses and go on without them or work on restoring or replacing what we no longer have that we need. We have to get to the task of meeting the needs of the now rather than rest and recover. We may be exhausted and wounded but have to help others, because we rarely go through storms alone, no matter what it feels like.

Paul survived his shipwreck and his obedience and boldness to share the word of God saved the crew and everyone else. He is praised and told to relax while everyone took care of him. Perhaps that what should have happened, But it's not. By verse three of chapter 28, Paul is gathering wood and building a fire. He went to work. Often that's the way it is. We may feel we need and deserve rest as a reward for making it to shore, but no. Then to top it off, everyone is watching us to see what happens next.

There are always superstitious natives watching. You know them. You just sailed through a hurricane that in no way was your fault and here comes someone looking at you like you should be on the bottom of the sea. Storms happen for a reason, and the reason is god's punishment for some infraction. Yes, I know that was a little "g." Because those folks are so busy worshiping and attempting to appease a false god that tolerates them at best and is out to get them at worst that they fail to see the provision and grace of a loving God that saved everyone on the sinking ship. So you make it through and everyone is trying to figure out what you did to cause the storm, whispering ideas behind your back while they stare. Sheesh. I thought things were supposed to be better when the rain stopped.

Suddenly as you go about meeting the needs the storm has caused and helping to care for the other survivors the worst thing imaginable happens. You think the worst is over now that you reached shore and instead the storm turns out to be the act 1 little conflict before the climaxing crisis of act 2 makes it look like nothing. We're supposed to be safe and sound. We're working and helping, doing the next right thing and not being selfish. That means things have to improve, doesn't it? Well Paul went to work in verse three, and in verse 4 he's standing by the fire with a viper hanging from his hand. How often has it happened that we overcome something just in time to get hit with worse. Life really can be like the movies where something along the lines of a pedestrian nearly getting run over by a bicyclist. He narrowly escapes being hit, takes a breath, smiles and is promptly smashed by a truck.

We survive shipwreck and make it safely to shore. We haven't ever finished thanking God for saving us from the sea as we build a fire to warm and dry everyone. Snake bit. Seriously? Seriously God!? Did You save me from drowning to die from venom instead? With the Israelites it was "God did You save us from slavery in Egypt to die in the desert? God did You save me from death by overdose so I could go to prison before the gave? It's so natural and easy to cry out in fear and despair at this point. To feel that God has deserted us. After all, we're still wet and there's a freaking snake hanging from our hand. It just went from bad to worse.

Don't forget the superstitious natives. Now they're talking in front of you like you're already dead. Not even worrying about you knowing or hiding behind your back anymore. See, I told you Paul was not only a prisoner but someone evil, evil, evil like a murderer. He might have survived the storm, but he won't escape god's wrath and judgement. He's dead, as it should be. Paul's natives. See, some have said after storms, Dalyn talks a good game, but if he were really walking with God such and such disaster wouldn't have happened. So much for Unshackled Life Ministries. He can't keep preaching after this. He must have done something to make that snake crawl out of the sticks and bite his hand. Blah, blah, blah. You've had it done to you. And you, like me, may also be guilty of not only doing it to others but joining the chorus in claiming that this new disaster is what you deserve. It's difficult to avoid self-pity when there's a snake hanging from your hand. I know, I've been there.

But Paul did what we should all do at that point. He stayed calm and trusted God. He didn't see the snake bite as God turning on him but rather as something to show once and for all that it wasn't luck that saved them from the storm but the provision of a loving Father. We see the snake bite as worse than the storm because it is more deadly and happens before we've even caught our breath. Severity and timing make the second crisis worse than the first. Yet, we have an entire chapter devoted to the storm and the ship breaking apart. The snake gets three verses. Turns out the truck really is less dangerous than the bicycle despite how it looks and feels. Paul stayed calm and trusted God and simply shook the serpent into the flames. He reacted like the viper was about the same minor annoyance as a mosquito. He  continued handling his responsibilities and doing what he was supposed to do. He didn't get distracted from his duty or his service.

We want to sit down and cry when we get snake bit while trying to warm and dry ourselves and others after our storms. We may even despair to the point of saying good, I've been snake bit. Maybe I can finally die and the crazy journey of bad to worse that is my life will be over. Instead we need to remember that God doesn't toy with anyone, not even enemies. If He saves someone it's to bring them closer to Him, to display His provision and power. It's never because He decided the storm wasn't bad enough and wants to kill them more creatively. Like Paul, we need to shake it off and continue to do as we should. If we remember who brought us to shore and why, we don't have to fear the venom. And now those superstitious natives are really paying attention.

The only problem is they still don't get it. Now they see Paul as a god for surviving the viper. Anyone might get lucky enough to swim ashore after shipwreck, or even float in hanging to pieces from the destruction. But no one survives the venom! He must be special. And that attitude from the natives was far more dangerous and deadly for Paul than the snake. In all the letters he wrote he never mentioned a fear or problem with snakes, but his ego was an issue that could distract him from the truth. The same is true for us. The danger isn't in whatever snake we find hanging from our hand. The danger comes in getting the praise and credit for not getting dead. Like we  saved ourselves. I have to remember this one when I receive praise for overcoming addiction;. I didn't. I didn't beat drugs. They defeated me repeatedly. God set me free. Like Paul I just didn't die, and that was totally about God, not some special antivenom in the bloodstream.

Paul redirected the praise to God and got to minister to a leader of the island.  We need to be quick to do the same, to transform the dangerous ego venom into praise for God. We have an opportunity at the point the snake hits the fire and dies instead of us to bring the natives out of superstition and into relation with the Real God. It might even open doors to further service for God.

Sometimes life does go from bad to worse. We're not doing anything wrong, in fact, we're doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing and the storm rages, the ship breaks apart, and just when it should be finally getting better we get snake bit. People are judging and criticizing and blaming us. They're also using what we're going through to bolster and confirm their false ideas about the Father. Just keep trusting Daddy and keep doing what you're doing. Shake the snake off and enjoy the miracle. But remember that even that isn't the end. When people cheer, make sure they're cheering for the One who deserves it, and watch the doors that you would never have seen, much less be able to walk through open up. Our storms and snakes may feel like disasters, but they're just the set up for us to be able to show the truth of the love of God for us and for the superstitious onlookers. Don't give up. Don't despair. Don't react negatively to the critical audience, and don't fall prey to ego when the miracles of your life takes them from judging you to praising you. Point them to Jesus.

One final thought about that last paragraph. Also don't forget that we can be our own worse superstitious native. Remember the truth that it is the love, provision and grace of God that got you through the storms of the past. The snake hanging from your hand isn't God out to get you, it isn't about you at all. It's about superstitious god worshipers getting a glimpse of who God really is. And when you stay calm and shake the snake into the blaze, beware the big head. It's nothing special about you that made you immune to the venom. When the self praise and self assurance comes redirect it even faster if possible than the praise of others. The siren's call of self reliance and pride can pull you back into the sea to drown. No, trust God. Uses everything, even the disasters to seek a glimpse of who God really is and how miraculous He's acted on your behalf, shake off the snake. Give God the glory, and then continue on in service to God and others as doors you never knew existed open to you.

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

Unshackled Moments ~ November 3 ~ Surviving The Storms

And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment. So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”

But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon. So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.

And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands. Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

- Acts 27 1-2,9-10,18-25

Crisis and disaster are a part of life unfortunately. The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, the good and the bad, and sometimes the storm's a hurricane. People like to say that there is a purpose for everything that happens or that nothing happens outside of God's will. This idea designed to help us feel better or make it easier to accept that the sea is threatening to send us to the bottom is not always true and not Biblical. Now it is true that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is the world is a messed up place that has not yet been redeemed from the curse and evil has not yet been banished.  Sometimes it's because stuff happens, didn't ask for it, don't deserve it, didn't cause it, but boom...there's thunder on the horizon and the storm is about to blow in. And yes, sometimes the reason we're stuck in the storm is because we made poor decisions that got us there.

As far as nothing happens outside of God's will goes, I do things, think things, say things outside the will of God every single day. So do you. So does everyone either of us has ever met or will meet. Sometimes those things contrary to the will of God just darken the clouds a little, sometimes they are the flapping wings of the butterfly that cause a Tsunami and bring destruction to our lives and the lives of others. It is true that everything that happens can teach us something, but that doesn't always mean it happened for that purpose or any purpose. And while God can use anything, even Tsunamis that leave us with PTSD, to ultimately bring good to our lives, there's plenty that happens in this world that is most certainly not His will or the way that He would have it.  It's the unavoidable result of free will.

But when the storms come and the ship of our lives is tossed about and destruction is imminent, what do we do? And what should we do? Because even if we walk right, the storms are coming, just ask Noah, who survived the worst storm in history, but I seriously doubt it was a fun sail, and the sun didn't shine for a very long time.

The first thing that we often do is let the storm take us wherever it happens to. We may fight some, but we eventually get driven off course and drift. This happened to the experienced sailors in Acts 27, and it has happened to us at times. The winds of crisis come up, and we lose sight of the things that guide us, we find ourselves powerless to steer over the influence of the situation. Stop fighting the storm. Wind and rain have moved mountains and forged canyons. Mother Nature is more powerful than we are, and so are many of the storms that blow into the situations of our lives. Don't drift aimlessly. Throw your anchor into the sea and let it catch on the Solid Rock of Christ. Hold still until the wind dies down, or until you get a clear glimpse of the Guiding Light of the Holy Spirit and the power of His Wind to take you safely through the storm on course. Don't drift away, hold.

The next thing we do is start discarding things. Sometimes this is either good or at least not bad. To get rid of unnecessary junk from our ship and lighten the load won't hurt. But it won't always help, especially if the purpose is some superstitious hope of appeasing God. Sometimes though when the storm is really bad, we act like the sailors in Acts and start throwing over needed tackle. The very things that the ship must have to sail safely and with any control we begin to junk with our own hands. Even if the storm passes, we have now stranded our life in a busted, broken vessel. Our faith, our trust in God, family, employment, dreams, callings, and so much more are all examples of tack, things we have that we need now or in the future that it can get tempting to trash wind the wind howls and the waves crash. Storm at work? Discard. Hurricane in the home? Trash it and run or maybe stay but isolate and cut everyone out. Faith? Forget it. God let the storm come so toss trust. I won't drive the point any further. I'm sure you get it. Don't do that. Don't discard in panic. Keep what you need and what you have been given, from faith to whatever, until you get clear direction from the Captain to do otherwise. By the way, if you ever get clear direction to stop trusting God, that's not the Captain speaking.

Finally, we give up hope. I dare say not a one of us has escaped this result of storms. The sailors despaired and gave up all hope of being saved. We can relate, because it happens to the best of us. Don't. Just make sure that you hope in and for the right thing. Our hope is in Christ and the love of God for us, nothing more and nothing less. And out hope is that He will not abandon us and will always bring us closer to Him if we let Him. Our hope is that ultimately He will heal and restore. But if we hope that He'll save our ship, or save us on our schedule in our way, or make the sun come out instantly and remove the hurricane...well that's an expectation that can lead to sickness of heart, because there's no promise that the storms will ever stop sooner or that the damage won't occur. The promise and our hope is that we don't go through it alone, that we can have peace during it and that we can be healed from the brokenness and damage. Not even the perfect Son was spared the cross.

Finally, not all storms are a result of our mistakes, and obeying and following God won't prevent the rain from falling. But staying in the will of God can make the difference in where we are in the storm and how it effects the ship of our lives. God knows the hurricane is coming. He can guide us around it, or through it or tell us when to sit and wait for it to pass. If we listen and heed the warnings of the Holy Spirit when we're told the storm is coming, we can miss some of them, and there will be a way of escape or protection from the rest. Don't be like the sailors who let their own understanding of the sea and their own plans make them ignore the warning not to sail. Not every storm will blow harmlessly by, but you'll miss more than you'll even realize and be spared the destruction of others by properly preparing for the ones that can't be avoided. Stay calm. Keep your eyes on the Captain and listen to instruction. You can weather the storm.

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.

Grace And The Standard Of Sainthood

Dalyn Woodard shares an All Saints Day message, expounding on our calling to be saints, recognizing what it means to be a saint of God and seeing ourselves as such and on celebrating and being grateful for the saints before us that paved the way for us to come to the cross of Christ. The message, "Grace And The Standard Of Sainthood" is about 47 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, November 1, 2015. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

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

Even The Dogs

Dalyn Woodard shares on the heart of the Father, His amazing patience with us and acceptance of us. God doesn't see us as worthless, regardless of where we've been r what we've done or how the world or we see us. The message, "Even The Dogs" is about 41 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, October 28, 2015. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

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

The Past And Perfume

Dalyn Woodard shares on the difference between covering up the past verses being cleansed and covered by grace. The message, "The Past And Perfume" is about 39 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, October 21, 2015. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

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

Unshackled Moments ~ November 2 ~ More Filling, Tastes Great

Yesterday, November 1, marked the beginning of 30 Days of Thankfulness for many in the United States. For the last few years I have participated in this time of extra focus on the things to be thankful for and making the spiritual principle behind Thanksgiving stand out more than just being one day of turkey and football. So I posted my first thing that I am thankful for this year, which was that I have a wonderful God who let me see that His plans for my life are indeed better, more satisfying and fulfilling than my own plans by allowing me, like the Prodigal, to choose to walk away and patiently calling me back home. The basic idea behind my post was that working for my Daddy turned out to be a better plan than pursuing my own dreams and goals. When I allowed my dreams to conform to His will for my life, my life got so much better.

That was my attitude last night moments before I crawled into bed. Then the alarm went off horribly early this morning. I needed to get up in order to do my devotional reading and quiet time and to have time to write this before leaving for my work that is not my calling but provides a paycheck. I didn't want to get up, and if I am honest right now as I weight for the coffee I've been drinking to kick in, I still don't want to be up. I want to go back to bed. But even as I began to grumble and complain about having to get up early so I can do the calling duties before making tents while others get paid to preach, God reminded me of my statements just hours ago.

His way is better. I said I learned that. I said I was thankful for Him and for learning that. Why was I whining in my spirit about not getting to do what I want or do what He wants my way? Why was I being ungrateful for the life I claimed last night was so much better than my goals and dreams this morning and crying, "But Daddy! I want what THEY'RE having!"

I actually like my job and it has been a great blessing to me and help to the ministry to which I have been called. And for the parts that make it less desirable, like the manual labor part that makes my back ache so much? Well that's where I get to learn more and more the truth that His grace is sufficient. I only grumbled this morning because I am not naturally an early morning riser, and getting up early isn't on my agenda if I get my way. Then God says that's exactly what He wants and what I need. Grumbling obedience is better than disobedience, but to obey with a grateful heart is so much better. So the question arises, do I really want to abandon my will and desires for His? Or is that something I just say when it's not costing anything or to sound spiritual?

The Israelites asked God for food, rejoiced and wrote songs of praise when He provided it, and then began grumbling and complaining about that same miracle bread. This is still a huge miracle, and it is everything we need and shows Your love oh God, but we want something else! We're tired of Your miracles. We want You to do it our way!

If you're anything like me, you often see this kind of thing in the Old Testament and think "what a bunch of ungrateful brats." Petulant people! Don't they see the awesome and miraculous provision of God and His love? Why on earth would they demand their own way or dream about returning to slavery, much less threaten to actually go back to the place they were crying out for deliverance from just a little while ago? Idiots. Then Daddy gently points out the ways I am doing the same exact thing. Thanks for the delicious honey bread, but I'm craving cold cereal this morning instead.

Today as we go about our day one rotation closer to the day we will declare our thankfulness for what we have and what God has given rather than clamor for more, let's do so with a grateful heart. It really is true that Daddy knows best. He may even get us our favorite cereal one day. But if He doesn't it'll be because His oatmeal actually tastes better or that it turns out the cereal causes spiritual cancer and we didn't know. He knows all the dangers we can't see about our desires and dreams. He knows the ones we shouldn't have, the ones we're not ready for and the ones that don't even come close to the tasty goodness of His will. Let us not be quick to forget that. Let us lay aside our petulance and our whining and complaining. Do everything as unto Him with a joyful heart. It tastes better that way.

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

Unshackled Moments ~ November 1 ~ Press On Ye Saints

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

- Hebrews 12:1

Good day to you, Saints. Yeah, Saints. Yeah you. That greeting may be difficult for some of my dear readers to accept. Those who have a familiarity with the view of the saints in the catholic and liturgical protestant churches might squirm some at being called a saint. There are protestants who really only have a vague idea from secular sources of what those churches mean by saints who would squirm even more. Those in various recovery programs often declare, sometimes with a little pride (sometimes with a lot) that "we are not saints." Some are right, but some are both right and wrong. As the world and some religious folk understand the word saint, we who have been broken and bruised and bound but who have now been unshackled and set free by the sacrifice of Christ and the Spirit of adoption are indeed not saints. What I quoted above goes on to see that "we claim spiritual progress, not perfection." The idea that many have of who and what qualifies as a saint is someone so perfect, holy and powerful that they almost don't need grace. They appear to be perfect, faultless and flawless. There are statues and everything. But I am not perfect, and while I strive (sometimes with more diligence than at other times) for the goal of perfect righteousness, I understand that I will never attain in on this side of eternity.

No, if being a saint means perfection, then I can truthfully say that I am not a saint. So can you. Oh, and by the way, so can the saints of the past. St. Augustine, St. Peter, St. John (the one who under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote that those who abide in Christ do not sin), and any other folks with St. in front of their name in religious and history books - none of them - were not saints. Not if perfection and being so righteous they don't need help are what makes a saint.

But those great cloud of witnesses that have lived before us and written words we study and grow closer of God through, like St. John, St. Peter, St. Augustine, as well as the folks in our spiritual family tree who, although they may have never written anything spiritual or preached a day in their life, walked with Jesus, found themselves free and shared that solution and freedom through word and deed with us or with someone who eventually shared it with us, they were saints. Saint Ma Woody who walked the floor at night praying for my father directly lead to the message being brought to me. And St. Thomas showed me through example that even a murderer could find freedom, a life worth living and a reason to smile by accepting forgiveness and loving God before someone else took his life was indeed a saint. There are many more in my life and in yours. Some we know. Some we don't. Everyone one of us has a genealogy that goes back to one or more of the original crew that met with Jesus.  Someone had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ that led to others meeting Him all the way down to you and me.  Some of those saints were martyred. Some are still alive, sharing their relationship with Jesus with us, encouraging and guiding us closer to God.

And yes, dear reader, I am one of them, and so are you, if you trust in Christ for your salvation. The Bible doesn't say that we are to pray to saints(Matthew 6:6), or through them (I Timothy 2:5), but it does say that those who were in Rome at the time of Paul, and, by implication, those who followed them and accept the rest of that epistle to be for us are called to be saints in Romans 1:7. Saints, defined by dictionaries as those people recognized as holy and righteous.

That's not me. That's not you either, At least not if we look at our record or our ability. I don't recognize myself as holy or righteous, not me, not on my own anyway. And no one else would be recognized either. No one who has ever followed Jesus has been able to do so on their own strength or power. We are all powerless over our sin and our sin nature. But calls us to be saints, and he calls us saints by definition as well, for the perfection and righteousness of Jesus has been placed on us to cover and replace our own righteousness, which is as filthy rags.

The church has traditionally said that in order to be a saint one must have either been martyred, killed for Christ, lived an exemplary life of goodness and virtue worthy of imitation or undergone a major conversion of heart where a previous immoral life is abandoned and replaced by one of outstanding holiness In addition to one or more of the three things just listed, there must be two verified miracles performed by that person, which really means performed by God through that person. A miracle, by the way, is something so contrary to the course of nature that only God's intervention could account for it. The church doesn't say perfect or sinless. The requirements are actually so simple that any Christian should be able to qualify. In fact, all Christians do.

First the miracles. Is your life different now that you've surrendered your life to Jesus? Those things that you used to be powerless to do, do you now find yourself doing them less and less or even not at all? Well, developing power over things that we are powerless over is about as natural as a leopard changing its spots. Doesn't happen in any lasting way without the intervention of God. Miracle. Do you find yourself loving God and desiring to be with and around Him? Miracle. It's totally against our sinful and selfish nature to have any desire to fellowship with and submit ourselves to God. Our natural state is to be enemies of righteousness. Now no one reading this has been martyred as of yet, although we are to die to ourselves daily in the following of Jesus, but those of us who are Christians fit the rest. A life that was immoral, as all were without God (some of us just hid it a lot less than others) has been replaced with the outstanding and perfect holiness of Christ Himself and it is the love of God that gives us the grace and power to live a life of love, virtue and goodness that is worthy of imitation. It is our life that is the light of Christ to the world, the way we love.

If that last part doesn't feel like "you" rest assured that it doesn't always feel like me either. We fall shot. We fail. We even quit trying to live righteously at times. Examining where you are now. If it doesn't seem you should qualify by living a life worth imitating, then ask for forgiveness and grace and rejoice knowing that it is yours. He is faithful to forgive all of our sins. And He gives us grace, which is the power we need to do what we can not do, walk righteously with Him. If it is the past that seems to disqualify, then remember that same forgiveness. The past is gone, old things have passed away and Christ has made us new. Now, with that understanding of forgiveness and grace let us press on toward the goal of walking rightly with God and pursuing Him in all we do, and let us not forget the great cloud of witnesses, the saints that have gone on before us, that have been our example, our help, our inspiration and who have paved the way for us to find the cross.

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.