WHEN SHAME MEETS GRACE

“Jesus said to her, everyone who drinks from this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman said to him, sir give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” - John 4: 13
It was a quick rest stop. Sitting by the well, Jesus waits as His disciples run into town to find lunch. That’s when she arrives. A woman from the nearby town come to draw water. At this time of day, in this heat, most avoid the well. But, for this woman, she prefers it this way. Quiet. Alone. No one to condemn and no one around to judge. You see, she is well known around town – but not in a good way. Her reputation and her story are full of shame.

Pretty soon we discover that this woman is thirsty, but not just for water – something more. Deep down she feels empty, unsatisfied. We learn that she’s been searching for satisfaction in others – in relationships. Over and over again, she’s tried to find what she believes will satisfy her heart and soul – but it’s all turned up empty. Her story is full of broken dreams and shattered hopes, baggage and pain.

To Jesus, this comes as no surprise. He knows her story and He lays it all out. Five husbands and the man she now lives with is not her husband. Nothing is hidden from Jesus. There are no secrets here. And what does she do when she realizes Jesus knows her story? Does she run or hide? Just the opposite. She’s excited. She wants to know more. It’s as if she’s somehow been set free.
But, how can this be? How is it possible that revealing all of her baggage before Jesus could possibly lead to feeling satisfied and filled? One word – Grace. Instead of being judged or condemned, she is loved. And that right there is the Gospel of Jesus Christ – grace covering sin and love replacing shame. Only when we experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ will our hearts and souls be truly satisfied. No longer will we need to run and hide, because all that we’ve done has been covered by all that Jesus did. Finally, the deepest longings of our hearts can be filled.
If shame is the driving force of your life, you will never be satisfied. If you’re struggling with shame and unworthiness because of your story, stop running. Come before Jesus with your story and see what happens when your shame meets His grace. This is the satisfaction and joy our souls long for. This is the good news of the Gospel!

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MY PRAYER FOR YOU

On this day I pray that the Lord would protect
you and your family from every sickness, disease or outbreak of
infirmity in Jesus Name.
I pray that today God would draw a Bloodline
around your home and family that no power of the evil one can penetrate.
I declare that because you dwell in the secret place of the Most High God,nothing from the Kingdom of darkness shall touch you or hinder the flow of God's blessing in your life.
I cancel all the plans of the enemy over your life today.
I decree that only with your eyes shall you see the destruction of the wicked but you shall be inaccessible to it all even as you abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. 

Today I pray on ur behalf again that. you shall make much of your
redemption and the Blood of the Lamb. I bless you in Jesus Name.

PstSteveOmodecx

WHERE IS YOUR HOPE?

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18
It doesn’t take long to become fearful and hopeless looking at the current state of the world. Wars, economic collapse, terrorism – it seems to be unending. In light of it all, Paul’s statement about current suffering paling when compared to God’s glory seems almost – naïve. Counter intuitive? Absolutely. Certainly this is counter cultural when held up to world headlines today. So what do we do with such a radical statement?

Let me start by saying, I believe with all my heart that the Gospel is the greatest message of hope anyone could ever encounter. To understand the hope of the Gospel, we must look beyond our current life and circumstance. This requires viewing life through the lens of faith. And Paul’s statement of hope requires faith.
This is the question each of us must answer: Where do you place your hope? When the sufferings and groanings of the world appear too much, where do we find hope? If our hope is in this life, we will find ourselves stuck in hopelessness and despair. If our hope is in this life, Christians should be pitied above all others because the foundation of our faith is built upon an eternal Savior who is coming to make all things new- a hope bigger than this world.

But, if our hope is in the One who is eternal, if our hope is in the One who is coming to make all things new, we can confidently say in any circumstance: “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later!”
Life’s struggles invite us to discover where we place our hope. What about you? Where is your hope? No matter how miserable present circumstances appear, you really can believe the best is yet to come. Jesus Christ offers you this hope. You just have to believe it.
Your Hope is your treasure, if you despise who you are you can't discover it...Find jesus find Hope!

SEEKING GOD IN SUFFERING? IT IS NOT PERMANENT

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
The apostle Paul was very familiar with suffering. In fact, he wrote four New Testament letters from a prison cell. Paul suffered greatly during his lifetime; yet somehow he was able to point us to the hope and glory found in Jesus Christ. How in the world is that possible? It seems counter intuitive that it was through suffering that drove Paul to God. But, it was pain that allowed Paul to reach this conclusion: Nothing in this world can take away what God has given.

You see, Paul understood that on his own he was far worse than he ever dared to imagine. On his own he had no hope of ever earning his way to God. He knew he could never DO enough to become GOOD enough. His only hope was found in the good and perfect work of Jesus Christ on his behalf.
Through Jesus, Paul discovered a lasting hope no matter the circumstances. You see, this hope wasn’t built on the things of this world; things that change, disappoint, and fade away. Things that are here today and gone tomorrow. Paul’s hope was built on things unseen, things eternal. This is a hope that lasts.
Look at the world around you. The world is broken and crying out for hope. Every disaster and violent outburst reminds us of our need for redemption, for a Savior. Every headline highlights the devastating power of sin; how a perfect, flawless world was broken. Paul understood that control and comfort are just temporary illusions. We can chase them, but eventually they will slip through our fingers. Life will trip us up. Then what will you do? When suffering hits, there’s one choice: run towards God or run away. Paul chose Christ, and he found hope. What will you choose?

#RFTH