Shame (Part 11)
A young man named Elisha received this double portion from God. Elisha yearned to minister under the same prophetic anointing as his master, Elijah. When Elijah was supernaturally transported to Heaven in a chariot of fire, his cloak, which symbolized the anointing of God, fell upon Elisha. He picked up the mantle and began to minister like Elijah, but with double the power and impact according to 2 Kings 2:1-14.
God is raising up men and women with the spirit and power of Elijah who will do things in the unconventional way- God's way. These people will not seek reputation and position because they have nothing to prove. They know who they are in God. They will deliver God's message fearlessly because they cannot be shamed by the enemy's accusations. You, by a decisive choice, can be one of those people.
In the Revelation 3:18, God addresses shame one final time as He appeals:
“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”
When the shackles of shame were broken in your life, a new mantle descended upon you, even as that which was passed from Elijah to Elisha. God wants to break the shackles of shame in your life, but He has an even greater purpose for you.
God wants you to pick up this mantle and share it with others. You come in contact with people every day who are suffering from shame. You work by them, you live by them, you shop in their places of business, and even go to church with them. Some who are reading this are actually imprisoned, surrounded by fellow-inmates who are consumed by shame.
These people are at the crossroads of shame. They are at a point of decision that will determine their final destiny. Before them stands two trees. On one twisted, gnarled tree there dangles a hangman's noose. The other tree is stained by the blood of Jesus Christ. These people are caught in a crisis of shame. Like Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, shame torments them as they trudge alone through the dense darkness.
Two men betrayed the Lord at the time of His arrest and death. These men had both heard the same teaching from Jesus. Both of them walked, talked, and lived with Him. Peter repented of his shame-producing behavior, was freed from shame, and restored to ministry. Judas hung himself. You now have a powerful message from God to share with those at the crossroads of their shame:
"You do not have to die in your shame."
Monday, August 27, 2018
Shame (Part 10)
Shame (Part 10)
From the opening pages of Genesis to the closing book of Revelation, the issue of shame tarnishes the lives of numerous Biblical figures. Some of them rise up from their humiliation and overcome it while others die in their shame.
The Prophet Jeremiah summarized the extensive effects of shame on God's people, Israel, In Jeremiah 3:24, 25:
"For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth--Their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame and our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God."
Shame plagued God's people from their youth. It marked the lives of their sons and daughters and affected their livelihood (flocks and herds). They were continually tormented by shame. It was with them when they laid down at night and when they rose up in the morning.
Captives of the spiral of shame, God's people gladly received a powerful word from the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 61:7 "Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs."
This tremendous revelation concerning the double portion is actually found in an Old Testament law that requires double restitution for what an enemy steals from you in Exodus 22:4,7, and 9. God declares that His people will receive double honor for their shame and that instead of confusion there will be peace and everlasting joy.
Think of the impact of this tremendous Word from God! God will take the very thing that has bound you and use it to achieve your deliverance:
-Has shame caused depression and discouragement? You will receive double joy and happiness.
-Has shame robbed you of income because of a lack of confidence that you are able to achieve? Then God will restore your abilities so you can recover twice as much as you lost.
-Everything you lost through shame will be restored double to you!
Here is God's Word for you in Isaiah 54:4:
"Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame and will not remember the reproach anymore. "
You will not be ashamed or disgraced anymore! God will even heal the memories of your shameful experiences! In Zechariah, God returns to this theme to reiterate:
Zechariah 9:12 "Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you."
Instead of being a prisoner of shame, you are now a prisoner of hope! You do not need to be concerned about the years spent trapped in shame's downward spiral, for God declares in Joel 2:25:
"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust..."
From the opening pages of Genesis to the closing book of Revelation, the issue of shame tarnishes the lives of numerous Biblical figures. Some of them rise up from their humiliation and overcome it while others die in their shame.
The Prophet Jeremiah summarized the extensive effects of shame on God's people, Israel, In Jeremiah 3:24, 25:
"For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth--Their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame and our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God."
Shame plagued God's people from their youth. It marked the lives of their sons and daughters and affected their livelihood (flocks and herds). They were continually tormented by shame. It was with them when they laid down at night and when they rose up in the morning.
Captives of the spiral of shame, God's people gladly received a powerful word from the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 61:7 "Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs."
This tremendous revelation concerning the double portion is actually found in an Old Testament law that requires double restitution for what an enemy steals from you in Exodus 22:4,7, and 9. God declares that His people will receive double honor for their shame and that instead of confusion there will be peace and everlasting joy.
Think of the impact of this tremendous Word from God! God will take the very thing that has bound you and use it to achieve your deliverance:
-Has shame caused depression and discouragement? You will receive double joy and happiness.
-Has shame robbed you of income because of a lack of confidence that you are able to achieve? Then God will restore your abilities so you can recover twice as much as you lost.
-Everything you lost through shame will be restored double to you!
Here is God's Word for you in Isaiah 54:4:
"Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame and will not remember the reproach anymore. "
You will not be ashamed or disgraced anymore! God will even heal the memories of your shameful experiences! In Zechariah, God returns to this theme to reiterate:
Zechariah 9:12 "Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you."
Instead of being a prisoner of shame, you are now a prisoner of hope! You do not need to be concerned about the years spent trapped in shame's downward spiral, for God declares in Joel 2:25:
"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust..."
Shame crawls, chews, and consumes, but God says, "I will restore double what shame destroyed in your life." He declares in Isaiah 54:4 NLT:
"Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth...will be remembered no more..."
Finisher (Part 4)
Finisher (Part 4)
Never forget that you live in a war zone. Peter instructs us to get serious about this spiritual battle and adopt a wartime mentality:
1 Peter 5:8, 9 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith."
The days are past when we can take a causal attitude toward the enemy. The devil is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking to devour so don't be surprised when he roars at you.
Matthew 12:43 indicates that when an unclean spirit is cast out, a void results and it must be filled or Satan will return with even greater force. Guilt and shame are unclean spirits and when you cast them out of your life it leaves a void which you must fill with the Holy Spirit.
Did you know that a good, guilt-free conscience is actually a spiritual weapon? Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 1:18, 19 "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck."
Never forget that you live in a war zone. Peter instructs us to get serious about this spiritual battle and adopt a wartime mentality:
1 Peter 5:8, 9 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith."
The days are past when we can take a causal attitude toward the enemy. The devil is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking to devour so don't be surprised when he roars at you.
Matthew 12:43 indicates that when an unclean spirit is cast out, a void results and it must be filled or Satan will return with even greater force. Guilt and shame are unclean spirits and when you cast them out of your life it leaves a void which you must fill with the Holy Spirit.
Did you know that a good, guilt-free conscience is actually a spiritual weapon? Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 1:18, 19 "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck."
You are effective in spiritual warfare when you have faith and a good conscience.
-Do you want to wage effective warfare?
-Do you want to be preserved from spiritual shipwreck?
Then keep your faith strong and your conscience free from guilt.
Put on the whole armor of God every day to protect yourself from Satan's shaming accusations. Ephesians 6:11-18 declares for you to clothe yourself with truth and righteousness. Put on the helmet of salvation. Lift up your shield of faith to divert the enemy's fiery darts of shame. When Satan tries to bind you with shame again, use the sword of the Spirit of God's Word to resist his attacks and stand fast in the freedom you have received!
Finish the race that is set before you. You can do by God's grace!
Finisher (Part 1)
Finisher (Part 1)
God is a finisher and He wants you to finish!
-He instituted His purposes from the foundation of the world.
-He is constantly at work bringing all things to pass on the basis of His will.
-He declared in the book of Revelation that His plan will be completed.
Jesus had a passion to finish what God gave Him to do. This fervor transcended even His natural desires, enabling Him to proclaim in John 4:34, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." Finishing was what motivated Jesus and kept Him going in the difficult times. His final words on the cross in John 19:30 were, "It is finished."
Victory over the enemy comes through finishing, not just beginning or trying. When they put the first nail in Christ's hand He might have said, "That's it...I'm out of here!" and called for the angels to deliver Him. But Jesus knew if He did this He would not fulfill God's purpose. It was when He finished the sacrifice on Calvary that the rewards of salvation, healing, and deliverance became realities.
God determined before you were born what He wants to accomplish in your life. The Bible declares that you are God's workmanship "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" in Ephesians 2:10. God ordained the path you are to walk, but the enemy comes through the guilt of your past circumstances, failures, and sins to declare that you will not be able to finish your course.
The Bible describes four attributes of a finisher that will empower you to fulfill your destiny. These are identified in 1 Peter 5:5-10:
"Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."
God is a finisher and He wants you to finish!
-He instituted His purposes from the foundation of the world.
-He is constantly at work bringing all things to pass on the basis of His will.
-He declared in the book of Revelation that His plan will be completed.
Jesus had a passion to finish what God gave Him to do. This fervor transcended even His natural desires, enabling Him to proclaim in John 4:34, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." Finishing was what motivated Jesus and kept Him going in the difficult times. His final words on the cross in John 19:30 were, "It is finished."
Victory over the enemy comes through finishing, not just beginning or trying. When they put the first nail in Christ's hand He might have said, "That's it...I'm out of here!" and called for the angels to deliver Him. But Jesus knew if He did this He would not fulfill God's purpose. It was when He finished the sacrifice on Calvary that the rewards of salvation, healing, and deliverance became realities.
God determined before you were born what He wants to accomplish in your life. The Bible declares that you are God's workmanship "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" in Ephesians 2:10. God ordained the path you are to walk, but the enemy comes through the guilt of your past circumstances, failures, and sins to declare that you will not be able to finish your course.
The Bible describes four attributes of a finisher that will empower you to fulfill your destiny. These are identified in 1 Peter 5:5-10:
"Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."
Finisher (Part 2)
Finisher (Part 2)
Total commitment to God as Lord of your life is the first attribute of a finisher. You must humble yourself before God.
-A sinful tax collector named Zacchaeus was willing to make this commitment and submit to God in Luke 19:1-9. However, the rich young ruler was not in Mark 10:17-22.
The Apostle Paul compares this commitment to crucifixion, explaining:
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
Acknowledging Jesus as Lord of your life requires:
-A total change of heart, purpose, perspective, and priorities.
-Exchanging life in this world for life in Jesus and the riches of this world for the treasures of heaven.
The first mark of a person who has the "spirit of a finisher" is this quality of submission to God the Father and the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Secondly, your ability to finish is enhanced by submission to the covering of a local church. Peter exhorts in 1 Peter 5:5 to "submit yourself to your elders" and the Amplified Version further identifies "elders" as the ministers and spiritual leaders of the church.
It is in the church, where two or more are gathered in His name, that Jesus is present to work signs and wonders and where you will find comfort and help in times of crisis. There, you will find fellowship with other believers who have put the guilt of their past behind them and are moving on to fulfill God's purposes for their lives
Total commitment to God as Lord of your life is the first attribute of a finisher. You must humble yourself before God.
-A sinful tax collector named Zacchaeus was willing to make this commitment and submit to God in Luke 19:1-9. However, the rich young ruler was not in Mark 10:17-22.
The Apostle Paul compares this commitment to crucifixion, explaining:
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
Acknowledging Jesus as Lord of your life requires:
-A total change of heart, purpose, perspective, and priorities.
-Exchanging life in this world for life in Jesus and the riches of this world for the treasures of heaven.
The first mark of a person who has the "spirit of a finisher" is this quality of submission to God the Father and the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Secondly, your ability to finish is enhanced by submission to the covering of a local church. Peter exhorts in 1 Peter 5:5 to "submit yourself to your elders" and the Amplified Version further identifies "elders" as the ministers and spiritual leaders of the church.
It is in the church, where two or more are gathered in His name, that Jesus is present to work signs and wonders and where you will find comfort and help in times of crisis. There, you will find fellowship with other believers who have put the guilt of their past behind them and are moving on to fulfill God's purposes for their lives
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Silencing The Accuser (Part 4)
Silencing The Accuser (Part 4)
The first lie of the accuser is doubt. The second lie of the accuser concerns your destiny. If you stand victoriously against these first two attacks, Satan markets his third accusation, denunciation, which means criticizing and condemning. He wants to make you an accuser instead of an intercessor. He wants you to impose guilt on others by criticism and condemnation.
It is true that there are plenty of failures around to target with our denunciations. There are many believers and great leaders who have lied, deceived, and committed immorality. This was true in Bible times also for the Scriptures detail several "great men of God" who experienced tremendous spiritual defeat:
-Moses was a murderer who fled into exile to escape Pharaoh, yet called of God to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
-David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, yet this man is called a "man after God's heart."
-Jonah was commissioned by God to evangelize the city of Ninevah, he deliberately headed the other direction. Yet God restored him and he preached the greatest revival in history and the whole city repented.
-Peter denied the Lord, turned his back on his calling, and returned to his previous lifestyle. Yet this man became one of the greatest leaders in the early church.
Many denominations today would never welcome these men back into the church fellowship. The spirit of accusation says to these people:
-"You committed adultery. You cannot return to leadership."
-"You took another man's life. This disqualifies you for Christian service."
-"You turned your back on God's call. You are a deserter and not worthy to be a minister."
Medical science used to declare about cripples, "If they are lame, let them stay lame. Don't waste time trying to rehabilitate them." The problem with that approach was that eventually the cripple's limbs began to atrophy.
Too often this has been the attitude of the church. We make offenders withdraw and their "limbs" become atrophied. Yes, there should be a time of rehabilitation, but there should also be the opportunity to be used of God again. We should be like Peter and John at the temple gate saying to those who are spiritually and emotionally crippled by shame, "Rise up and walk!" The Scripture says in Hebrews 12:12, 13:
"Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed."
We should strengthen those who are feeble and whose hands are weak in the battle. We should make paths for the feet of these errant ones, humbled and repentant yet still bound by shame. We should encourage them to rise up and walk again!
After the incident with Bathsheba and Uriah, King David sought and received forgiveness. He cried out to God:
Psalms 51:7-12 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow...Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit."
After David acknowledged his sinand repented, he received a new passion for God. Immediately he began to minister to others:
Psalm 51:13 "Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You."
David said "then", but when was “then”? Immediately after he was forgiven and restored. It was "then" that he began to teach sinners and they were converted to God.
We often brand offenders with the "scarlet letter," so to speak, and they are marked for life, but the Apostle Paul details how we should deal with repentant, fallen believers:
Galatians 6:1 "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."
When believers fall we are to restore them. The word "restore" in the original Greek means "setting of a broken bone." Restoration does not mean glossing over the sin, treating it lightly, or pretending it did not happen. Instead, like a doctor dealing with a broken bone, you deal directly with the injury. Amputation is not the solution for a broken bone!
The first lie of the accuser is doubt. The second lie of the accuser concerns your destiny. If you stand victoriously against these first two attacks, Satan markets his third accusation, denunciation, which means criticizing and condemning. He wants to make you an accuser instead of an intercessor. He wants you to impose guilt on others by criticism and condemnation.
It is true that there are plenty of failures around to target with our denunciations. There are many believers and great leaders who have lied, deceived, and committed immorality. This was true in Bible times also for the Scriptures detail several "great men of God" who experienced tremendous spiritual defeat:
-Moses was a murderer who fled into exile to escape Pharaoh, yet called of God to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
-David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, yet this man is called a "man after God's heart."
-Jonah was commissioned by God to evangelize the city of Ninevah, he deliberately headed the other direction. Yet God restored him and he preached the greatest revival in history and the whole city repented.
-Peter denied the Lord, turned his back on his calling, and returned to his previous lifestyle. Yet this man became one of the greatest leaders in the early church.
Many denominations today would never welcome these men back into the church fellowship. The spirit of accusation says to these people:
-"You committed adultery. You cannot return to leadership."
-"You took another man's life. This disqualifies you for Christian service."
-"You turned your back on God's call. You are a deserter and not worthy to be a minister."
Medical science used to declare about cripples, "If they are lame, let them stay lame. Don't waste time trying to rehabilitate them." The problem with that approach was that eventually the cripple's limbs began to atrophy.
Too often this has been the attitude of the church. We make offenders withdraw and their "limbs" become atrophied. Yes, there should be a time of rehabilitation, but there should also be the opportunity to be used of God again. We should be like Peter and John at the temple gate saying to those who are spiritually and emotionally crippled by shame, "Rise up and walk!" The Scripture says in Hebrews 12:12, 13:
"Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed."
We should strengthen those who are feeble and whose hands are weak in the battle. We should make paths for the feet of these errant ones, humbled and repentant yet still bound by shame. We should encourage them to rise up and walk again!
After the incident with Bathsheba and Uriah, King David sought and received forgiveness. He cried out to God:
Psalms 51:7-12 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow...Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit."
After David acknowledged his sinand repented, he received a new passion for God. Immediately he began to minister to others:
Psalm 51:13 "Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You."
David said "then", but when was “then”? Immediately after he was forgiven and restored. It was "then" that he began to teach sinners and they were converted to God.
We often brand offenders with the "scarlet letter," so to speak, and they are marked for life, but the Apostle Paul details how we should deal with repentant, fallen believers:
Galatians 6:1 "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."
When believers fall we are to restore them. The word "restore" in the original Greek means "setting of a broken bone." Restoration does not mean glossing over the sin, treating it lightly, or pretending it did not happen. Instead, like a doctor dealing with a broken bone, you deal directly with the injury. Amputation is not the solution for a broken bone!
Silencing The Accuser (Part 3)
Silencing The Accuser (Part 3)
The second lie propagated by the accuser concerns your destiny. Satan says, "You won't be able to reach your full potential. You will not be able to complete God's plan for you. You will fall short of your destiny." He will always bring up your failures, the times you've fallen short of reaching your goals, and the areas where your confidence in your God-given abilities are questionable. These all stem from shame-based thinking that limits your destiny. Breaking free from these things brings the revelation that "God ain't thru with us yet!"
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10:
"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
God has already determined what He wants to accomplish in and through you. This was decided before you were born. God ordained the path you are to walk for His glory. Yet the enemy comes through your circumstances, your failures, your age, and your doubt to declare that you will not be able to fulfill your destiny.
But one day Moses' soul was ignited by words spoken from a burning bush. God said in Exodus 3:10:
"Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Moses had listened to the accuser for too many years. He had a whole list of excuses prepared:
-"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and deliver Israel?"
-"What shall I say to them?"
-"Suppose they say, `The Lord has not appeared to you.' Then what will I do?"
-"You know I am not eloquent, but slow of speech and tongue."
However, God answered Moses and said:
Exodus 4:11, 12 "...Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."
God knows your abilities and He knows your disabilities. He is the One who created and called you and He is the One who will empower you, in spite of your weaknesses, to fulfill your destiny. Don't let the accuser talk you out of it!
The second lie propagated by the accuser concerns your destiny. Satan says, "You won't be able to reach your full potential. You will not be able to complete God's plan for you. You will fall short of your destiny." He will always bring up your failures, the times you've fallen short of reaching your goals, and the areas where your confidence in your God-given abilities are questionable. These all stem from shame-based thinking that limits your destiny. Breaking free from these things brings the revelation that "God ain't thru with us yet!"
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10:
"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
God has already determined what He wants to accomplish in and through you. This was decided before you were born. God ordained the path you are to walk for His glory. Yet the enemy comes through your circumstances, your failures, your age, and your doubt to declare that you will not be able to fulfill your destiny.
-The accuser says, "You are too young and immature":
Mary was a teen-ager when God chose her to mother His Son Jesus. David was 17 or younger when he faced Goliath and most of the great revivals in the history of the church were birthed through children or young people.
-The accuser says, "You are too old. You missed your destiny."
Moses undoubtedly battled these lies of the accuser. Supernaturally preserved by God at birth and having received the finest education possible, Moses was commissioned to deliver Israel from slavery. But Moses killed an Egyptian in anger and fled to the wilderness for refuge from Pharaoh's judgment. There he remained for 40 years. Day after day the accuser taunted, "You missed your destiny. You can't return to Egypt, for Pharaoh will kill you. You are getting too old. It just won't happen."
But one day Moses' soul was ignited by words spoken from a burning bush. God said in Exodus 3:10:
"Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Moses had listened to the accuser for too many years. He had a whole list of excuses prepared:
-"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and deliver Israel?"
-"What shall I say to them?"
-"Suppose they say, `The Lord has not appeared to you.' Then what will I do?"
-"You know I am not eloquent, but slow of speech and tongue."
However, God answered Moses and said:
Exodus 4:11, 12 "...Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."
God knows your abilities and He knows your disabilities. He is the One who created and called you and He is the One who will empower you, in spite of your weaknesses, to fulfill your destiny. Don't let the accuser talk you out of it!
Silencing The Accuser (Part 2)
Silencing The Accuser (Part 2)
Doubt is a satanic strategy that dates back to man's original sin. Satan's first temptation centered on creating uncertainty when he said to Eve three things:
-"Has God indeed said?"
-You will not surely die."
-"If you eat of this fruit, you will be like God."
Eve should have said to Satan, "I am already like God. I am created in His image." But the accuser sowed seeds of doubt and all of mankind reaped a bitter harvest.
-"If you are a child of God, then why doesn't He help you?"
-"If God loves you, then you wouldn't have this problem."
-"There is no way you will make Heaven. You just aren't good enough."
Jesus stands against every accusation of doubt and proclaims, "You are my child. I am a present help in time of need. You are loved. If you serve Me, then your eternal destiny is assured!" God looks at you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and says, "You have all the rights to the inheritance of My Son. You are My child and Heaven is your eternal home."
The Bible declares you are assured acceptance by God through the blood of Jesus:
Hebrew 10"22, 23 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
When the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses your conscience, your acceptance by God is assured.
The Apostle John repeatedly uses the phrase "that you may know" in his epistles, finally concluding with this explanation:
1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
The accuser uses your past life to perpetuate doubt. When you break the shackles of sins, you will no longer be defeated by them because their power will be rendered impotent in your life. You will be assured of your salvation, your acceptance by God, and your eternal future.
Doubt is a satanic strategy that dates back to man's original sin. Satan's first temptation centered on creating uncertainty when he said to Eve three things:
-"Has God indeed said?"
-You will not surely die."
-"If you eat of this fruit, you will be like God."
Eve should have said to Satan, "I am already like God. I am created in His image." But the accuser sowed seeds of doubt and all of mankind reaped a bitter harvest.
Satan employed a similar strategy in the temptation of Christ. Immediately after His baptism with its powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit and God's audible voice, Jesus faced the wilderness temptation. Each of Satan's attacks centered on doubt as he questioned three times, "If you are the Son of God." Right up to the time when Jesus died the accuser continued this strategy through those observing His agony who said:
Matthew 27:40 "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
Satan will also bring similar accusations against you:
-"If you are a child of God, then why doesn't He help you?"
-"If God loves you, then you wouldn't have this problem."
-"There is no way you will make Heaven. You just aren't good enough."
Jesus stands against every accusation of doubt and proclaims, "You are my child. I am a present help in time of need. You are loved. If you serve Me, then your eternal destiny is assured!" God looks at you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and says, "You have all the rights to the inheritance of My Son. You are My child and Heaven is your eternal home."
The Bible declares you are assured acceptance by God through the blood of Jesus:
Hebrew 10"22, 23 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
When the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses your conscience, your acceptance by God is assured.
The Apostle John repeatedly uses the phrase "that you may know" in his epistles, finally concluding with this explanation:
1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
The accuser uses your past life to perpetuate doubt. When you break the shackles of sins, you will no longer be defeated by them because their power will be rendered impotent in your life. You will be assured of your salvation, your acceptance by God, and your eternal future.
Silencing The Accuser (Part 1)
Silencing The Accuser (Part 1)
These two forces are constantly operative in the universe and you will conform to the spirit of either one or the other in your personal relationships, your attitude toward others, and by the words of your mouth. One writer said:
"In actual fact, we are all, not by turns but at the same time, accused and accusers, condemners and condemned...the persecuted became persecutors. We are accusers because we are accused, and accused because we are accusers."
Jesus silenced the voice of the accuser when He died on the cross because He bore the sin and shame of the whole world. When you accept Christ's sacrifice for your sin and shame, you no longer stand accused. The only way the spirit of accusation operates now is when you allow Satan to malign you or use you to malign others through unforgiving words, feelings, and actions, which often are a cover-up for shame. One pastor preached recently in a message:
"Although we try to disguise our judgments as `constructive criticism' or `Christian concern', our hidden attitude may be very different. By focusing on the faults of others, we can manage to avoid looking at ourselves. Sometimes we're even guilty of the very acts we criticize in others."
Our accuser, Satan, constantly perpetuates three major lies, which doubt, destiny, and denunciation. Thankfully God gives us a way to silence our accuser through His Word. Praise God, we can shut the devil up!
There are two forces at work in the universe which are operative both in Heaven and here on earth. One is that of Satan, an "accuser of the brethren," who continually accuses God's people, seeking their destruction according to Revelation 12:10. The other force is that of the intercessor Jesus Christ who intercedes in behalf of our deliverance.
These two forces are constantly operative in the universe and you will conform to the spirit of either one or the other in your personal relationships, your attitude toward others, and by the words of your mouth. One writer said:
"In actual fact, we are all, not by turns but at the same time, accused and accusers, condemners and condemned...the persecuted became persecutors. We are accusers because we are accused, and accused because we are accusers."
Jesus silenced the voice of the accuser when He died on the cross because He bore the sin and shame of the whole world. When you accept Christ's sacrifice for your sin and shame, you no longer stand accused. The only way the spirit of accusation operates now is when you allow Satan to malign you or use you to malign others through unforgiving words, feelings, and actions, which often are a cover-up for shame. One pastor preached recently in a message:
"Although we try to disguise our judgments as `constructive criticism' or `Christian concern', our hidden attitude may be very different. By focusing on the faults of others, we can manage to avoid looking at ourselves. Sometimes we're even guilty of the very acts we criticize in others."
-The spirit of accusation says "You have a right to be mad. Look what they did to you!"
-The spirit of intercession, however, responds as Jesus did when He hung on the cross.
Jesus had every right to accuse those around Him, for He knew their sins and He was suffering terrible agony at their hands. Jesus chose to intercede in their behalf, however, praying, "Father, forgive them."
Christ continually demonstrated the spirit of intercession.
-To the woman caught in adultery, He said, "Where are your accusers? Go your way and sin no more."
-He aligned Himself with an unpopular tax collector named Zacheus, dined at the home of a Pharisee, and intervened when the disciples wanted to call judgment down through fire from heaven.
-When Satan planned to sift Peter "as wheat," Jesus interceded in his behalf.
Our accuser, Satan, constantly perpetuates three major lies, which doubt, destiny, and denunciation. Thankfully God gives us a way to silence our accuser through His Word. Praise God, we can shut the devil up!
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 9)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 9)
After you acknowledge your shame, act against it, and address it, ask God to give you a passion for Him once again. The only way you will get out from under shame's dominion is through a renewed, intimate relationship with God.
When Jesus was led away to be crucified, all of His disciples turned and fled, including Peter who subsequently denied Christ three times. After Peter repented, Jesus asked him three times with increasing levels of intensity, "Do you love me?" Peter responded each time, "You know I love you, Lord!" Then Jesus commissioned him, "Feed my sheep."
To paraphrase, Jesus said to Peter, "You failed me, but you have repented and are forgiven. Now all you need to qualify you to feed my sheep is an intimate relationship with me." The new, vital union Peter developed with Jesus enabled him to become one of the greatest leaders in the early church, a man so anointed of God that the mere shadow of his body resulted in miracles of healing according to Acts 5:15.
-When Paul was delivered from his inherited shame, his impassioned cry was "That I might know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering."
-When the woman caught in adultery broke her shackles of imposed shame, she received a passion for God that enabled her to live a new life.
-After institutional shame was shattered in Rahab's life, she developed such a passionate relationship with God that she was included in the hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 11.
Many people let the shame of their sins and failures prevent them from fulfilling their God-given destiny. Often, denominational regulations propagate this when we refuse
to restore leaders to ministry after they fall into sin. But we serve the God of a second chance.
"You, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
Let Jesus have your shame. It's not ever going to do you good!
After you acknowledge your shame, act against it, and address it, ask God to give you a passion for Him once again. The only way you will get out from under shame's dominion is through a renewed, intimate relationship with God.
When Jesus was led away to be crucified, all of His disciples turned and fled, including Peter who subsequently denied Christ three times. After Peter repented, Jesus asked him three times with increasing levels of intensity, "Do you love me?" Peter responded each time, "You know I love you, Lord!" Then Jesus commissioned him, "Feed my sheep."
To paraphrase, Jesus said to Peter, "You failed me, but you have repented and are forgiven. Now all you need to qualify you to feed my sheep is an intimate relationship with me." The new, vital union Peter developed with Jesus enabled him to become one of the greatest leaders in the early church, a man so anointed of God that the mere shadow of his body resulted in miracles of healing according to Acts 5:15.
-When Paul was delivered from his inherited shame, his impassioned cry was "That I might know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering."
-When David was forgiven of his individual shame, David prayed in Psalm 51:
"Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation...Open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise."
-When the woman caught in adultery broke her shackles of imposed shame, she received a passion for God that enabled her to live a new life.
-After institutional shame was shattered in Rahab's life, she developed such a passionate relationship with God that she was included in the hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 11.
Many people let the shame of their sins and failures prevent them from fulfilling their God-given destiny. Often, denominational regulations propagate this when we refuse
to restore leaders to ministry after they fall into sin. But we serve the God of a second chance.
Individuals have a choice. They can be hostages to the shame of their past or refuse to let shame control and dictate their future. When you break the shackles of shame, you come to the realization that what Paul wrote to the people in Colossians 2:13, 14 is true:
"You, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
Let Jesus have your shame. It's not ever going to do you good!
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 8)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 8)
Next, you must abandon your shame.
You have the knowledge of the Lord to repent of your shameful behavior of the past or present. You know what to do if Satan returns to torment you with shameful thoughts. But this next step is of vital importance: You must abandon the sins that caused your shame.
It is better that you never heard this message than for you to hear it and then return to shame-causing behavior. The Bible warns in 2 Peter 2:20-22:
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."
You must abandon the sinful behaviors that caused your shame and do as Paul said:
Galatians 5:1 NKJV "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
Next, you must abandon your shame.
You have the knowledge of the Lord to repent of your shameful behavior of the past or present. You know what to do if Satan returns to torment you with shameful thoughts. But this next step is of vital importance: You must abandon the sins that caused your shame.
The Bible gives a graphic picture of those who repeat their sinful behavior:
Proverbs 26:11 NKJV "As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly."
It is better that you never heard this message than for you to hear it and then return to shame-causing behavior. The Bible warns in 2 Peter 2:20-22:
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."
You must abandon the sinful behaviors that caused your shame and do as Paul said:
Galatians 5:1 NKJV "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
The Apostle Paul, David, the woman caught in adultery, and Rahab all abandoned the shame-producing behavior of their past. The "Go and sin no more" command of Jesus is what we need to remember and stop the behavior that is bringing the shame.
Before you let shame destroy you ask yourself these three questions:
(1) Is my questionable behavior right in the sight of God?
In other words, as the Bible says in James 4:17:
"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
(2) If I get caught doing this thing that has and is causing me shame who will it affect the most?
The Bible again says:
Exodus 20:5 “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.”
Exodus 34:6-7 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
The shame of a fallen minister, a disgraced father, or a mother's failure can bring pain upon a family that shame will always remember. Think before you do something that allows shame to manhandle you!
(3) Is bearing the shame of my failure going to affect my future?
It will-unless you ask forgiveness for your sin and walk circumspectly before God and man. The only way to defeat shame is to forsake what put you there in the first place and prove yourself before the Lord by living a repentant lifestyle and letting others see the change in you. Don't let shame tell you "it doesn't matter what others think" and fall back into it's trap again.
If you abandon shames hold on you and prove yourself as a transformed individual God will restore what the shame stole from you.
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 8)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 8)
Thirdly, you must address your shame.
After acknowledging your shame and acting against it, you must address your shame. David did this. He spoke positive words to counteract the lingering accusations of shame. He said:
Psalm 32:5 "I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." And you forgave the iniquity of my sin."
Jesus bore your shame on the cross so that you do not have to bear it, but even after you repent of shame-producing voice of the accuser will continue to sound off in your soul. You have reinforced your shame-based thoughts for years and now you must learn how to reprogram that inner voice.
You may have been caught in the very act of adultery, as the woman in New Testament times, but you must make a decision that you will not listen to the voice of shame once you have repented of your sin. The accuser says, "She is guilty. Stone her!" The intercessor says, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more." Ask yourself, "Is the end result of the voice I am listening to death or life?" This question will help you distinguish between the voice of shame and that of mercy.
The Bible teaches that confession is instrumental to experiencing salvation. We gain other spiritual victories, as well, by confession:
-Paul declared regarding his inherited shame, "There is no condemnation."
-Rahab broke the power of institutional shame over her life through her confession of faith symbolized by the scarlet cord in her window.
When you hear the voice of shame speak to you, address it instead of ignoring it. When the accuser says, "Shame on you," respond by declaring, "I do not receive that. Jesus, who knew no sin, bore my sin and shame so that I stand righteous before God through Him."
When you really grasp the true meaning of God's forgiveness, it will be easy to address shame. This is not self-improvement or building self-esteem to dissipate shameful emotions. It is a divine act of God's forgiveness that totally obliterates your shame.
Speak to shame just like you would address a man standing there with stones ready to kill you. Answer the accusations of shame with God’s Word. If you surrender to shame, it will have the same effect on you as it did Judas after he betrayed Christ. Tormented by his betrayal and alone in the darkness of night, Judas died in his shame. You do not have to die in your shame because Jesus already died on the cross bearing your shame.
Thirdly, you must address your shame.
After acknowledging your shame and acting against it, you must address your shame. David did this. He spoke positive words to counteract the lingering accusations of shame. He said:
Psalm 32:5 "I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." And you forgave the iniquity of my sin."
Jesus bore your shame on the cross so that you do not have to bear it, but even after you repent of shame-producing voice of the accuser will continue to sound off in your soul. You have reinforced your shame-based thoughts for years and now you must learn how to reprogram that inner voice.
You may have been caught in the very act of adultery, as the woman in New Testament times, but you must make a decision that you will not listen to the voice of shame once you have repented of your sin. The accuser says, "She is guilty. Stone her!" The intercessor says, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more." Ask yourself, "Is the end result of the voice I am listening to death or life?" This question will help you distinguish between the voice of shame and that of mercy.
The Bible teaches that confession is instrumental to experiencing salvation. We gain other spiritual victories, as well, by confession:
-Paul declared regarding his inherited shame, "There is no condemnation."
-David confessed his individual shame and declared, "You forgave the iniquity of my sin!"
-The woman caught in adultery confessed regarding her imposed shame, "No man has accused me."
-Rahab broke the power of institutional shame over her life through her confession of faith symbolized by the scarlet cord in her window.
When you hear the voice of shame speak to you, address it instead of ignoring it. When the accuser says, "Shame on you," respond by declaring, "I do not receive that. Jesus, who knew no sin, bore my sin and shame so that I stand righteous before God through Him."
When you really grasp the true meaning of God's forgiveness, it will be easy to address shame. This is not self-improvement or building self-esteem to dissipate shameful emotions. It is a divine act of God's forgiveness that totally obliterates your shame.
Even if you are guilty like the woman caught in adultery, don't listen to shame's voice. Listen instead to your Savior who speaks conviction, never condemnation. The scribes and Pharisees declared of the adulterous woman, "She must die," but Jesus said in John 8:11, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more."
John also declared in 1 John 1:9 and 2:1, 2:
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
"If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world..."
Speak to shame just like you would address a man standing there with stones ready to kill you. Answer the accusations of shame with God’s Word. If you surrender to shame, it will have the same effect on you as it did Judas after he betrayed Christ. Tormented by his betrayal and alone in the darkness of night, Judas died in his shame. You do not have to die in your shame because Jesus already died on the cross bearing your shame.
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 7)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 7)
Secondly, you must act against your shame.
Acting against your shame means you must repent of everything that produces it. True repentance is an inward decision that results in the outward act of turning away from sin. David said in Psalm 38:18:
"I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin."
He asked God to search his heart, know his thoughts and ways, and cleanse him from secret sins in Psalm 139:23, 24:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
When you act against shame by repenting of the sin that breeds it, you take an important step in shattering the shackles of shame.
-The Apostle Paul confronted his inherited shame, came out from under condemnation, and became the greatest advocate of God's grace in New Testament times.
-David acknowledged his individual sin and repented.
-The incessant shame passed on to David’s sons was reversed and from his bloodline came our Lord Jesus Christ.
-The woman caught in adultery dealt with her imposed shame by seeking forgiveness and changing her lifestyle. Jesus didn't deny her shame, but forgave the sin that generated it.
-Rahab acted against the institutional shame of her harlotry when she acknowledged the God of Israel.
Continue to act against your shame by refusing to engage in shame-producing conduct. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to, "Go and sin no more." 1 Peter 2:16 says you should live "as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God."
Your shame will control your mind, body, and spirit unless you go to war against it. Take your authority over it by declaring that you are more than a conqueror in Jesus Christ. Your will to win through Christ will be greater than your shame!
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 6)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 6)
God has a strategy for shattering the shackles of shame in your life and it's not psychology, self-improvement, or group therapy. It is divine revelation based on His Word. You will break your shackles if you follow His word regardless of the reason for your shame, the type of shame you bear, or the length of time which you have been held captive by its force.
First, you must acknowledge your shame.
You do not effectively deal with shame by denying or ignoring it. You must boldly admit your shame. You cannot blame your inherited sin nature for your shame. You cannot blame another person or your rotten circumstances. If you do this, shame will continue to characterize your life, responses, and relationships. You must fearlessly confront shame before you can act against the negative force it exerts over your life. Shame is a signal that something is wrong.
Psalm 32:3, 4 "While I kept silent, my bones grew old, Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me. My vitality was turned into the drought of summer."
You may think you get away with sin, but you really don't, and as long as you do not acknowledge and deal with your sin you will never be free from its associated shame. God used the Prophet Nathan to confront David with his unconfessed sin he told a moving story of a poor man's lamb that was slain by a rich man when a traveler came to visit. The parable stirred David's anger in 2 Samuel 12:7 and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!" A poignant hush fell over the throne room as Nathan said to David, "You are the man!"
When David heard these words he did not try to justify or deny his transgressions, but immediately acted against them. "I have sinned against the Lord," he said. Psalm 51:1-4 reflects his response as he prayed:
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight...”
When David repented, Nathan immediately responded, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Jesus dealt with shame at the cross, for the Bible says in Hebrews 12:2 that He endured the cross and the hostility of sinners, "despising the shame." Isaiah declared of Jesus in Isaiah 50:6:
"I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame."
The cross is more powerful than your shame. Because Jesus took your shame to the cross, you no longer must live imprisoned by inherited, individual, incessant, imposed, or institutional shame. Remember the Old Testament scapegoat which symbolically carried the sins of Israel into the wilderness? Jesus is the "scapegoat" for your sin and shame. Spiritually, you can watch your scapegoat being led into the wilderness and there goes your sin and your shame! You no longer have to bear it, because when you accept Jesus as your Savior, He bore it!
Romans 10:1 NKJV "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
God wants the shackles of shame broken in your life so you will never again be condemned in this world or the world to come, but in order for this to happen you must honestly acknowledge your shame. If the end result of what you are doing is shameful, then it is from Satan and he is using it to destroy you. Acknowledge your sin and its associated shame before God and break the shackles!
God has a strategy for shattering the shackles of shame in your life and it's not psychology, self-improvement, or group therapy. It is divine revelation based on His Word. You will break your shackles if you follow His word regardless of the reason for your shame, the type of shame you bear, or the length of time which you have been held captive by its force.
First, you must acknowledge your shame.
You do not effectively deal with shame by denying or ignoring it. You must boldly admit your shame. You cannot blame your inherited sin nature for your shame. You cannot blame another person or your rotten circumstances. If you do this, shame will continue to characterize your life, responses, and relationships. You must fearlessly confront shame before you can act against the negative force it exerts over your life. Shame is a signal that something is wrong.
King David, whose shame resulted from his sin of adultery and murder, suffered personal damage while he remained in an unrepentant state. He said:
Psalm 32:3, 4 "While I kept silent, my bones grew old, Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me. My vitality was turned into the drought of summer."
You may think you get away with sin, but you really don't, and as long as you do not acknowledge and deal with your sin you will never be free from its associated shame. God used the Prophet Nathan to confront David with his unconfessed sin he told a moving story of a poor man's lamb that was slain by a rich man when a traveler came to visit. The parable stirred David's anger in 2 Samuel 12:7 and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!" A poignant hush fell over the throne room as Nathan said to David, "You are the man!"
When David heard these words he did not try to justify or deny his transgressions, but immediately acted against them. "I have sinned against the Lord," he said. Psalm 51:1-4 reflects his response as he prayed:
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight...”
When David repented, Nathan immediately responded, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Jesus dealt with shame at the cross, for the Bible says in Hebrews 12:2 that He endured the cross and the hostility of sinners, "despising the shame." Isaiah declared of Jesus in Isaiah 50:6:
"I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame."
The cross is more powerful than your shame. Because Jesus took your shame to the cross, you no longer must live imprisoned by inherited, individual, incessant, imposed, or institutional shame. Remember the Old Testament scapegoat which symbolically carried the sins of Israel into the wilderness? Jesus is the "scapegoat" for your sin and shame. Spiritually, you can watch your scapegoat being led into the wilderness and there goes your sin and your shame! You no longer have to bear it, because when you accept Jesus as your Savior, He bore it!
Romans 10:1 NKJV "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
God wants the shackles of shame broken in your life so you will never again be condemned in this world or the world to come, but in order for this to happen you must honestly acknowledge your shame. If the end result of what you are doing is shameful, then it is from Satan and he is using it to destroy you. Acknowledge your sin and its associated shame before God and break the shackles!
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 5)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 5)
Shame affects us all.
-It motivates the perfectionist.
-Fuels the aggressor.
-Entombs the alienated in emotional isolation.
People try many ways to escape shame, but shame-based thinking and responses are like a bandage covering a festering, infected sore. The bandage has no healing power and, if the wound is not treated, gangrene will eventually spread its toxic poison throughout the entire system.
The power of shame is manifested in five areas in our lives:
-You will never be able to put the past behind you and as long as you live in the past you will never have a future.
-You will never rise up to fulfill your destiny in God.
-Secondly, individual shame results from sins you personally commit.
If you do not deal with your shame, you pass it on to your children and they will pass it to their children. Shame then becomes multi-generational, meaning it is firmly entrenched within the family and passed from one generation to the next.
Shame results in a lack of intimacy in marriage because it is difficult to maintain close relationships when you feel defective and flawed.
Shame affects us all.
-It motivates the perfectionist.
-Fuels the aggressor.
-Entombs the alienated in emotional isolation.
People try many ways to escape shame, but shame-based thinking and responses are like a bandage covering a festering, infected sore. The bandage has no healing power and, if the wound is not treated, gangrene will eventually spread its toxic poison throughout the entire system.
The power of shame is manifested in five areas in our lives:
-The levels of shame that surround us are multilayered. The first level of shame with which you must deal with is inherited shame and how to overcome it.
Inherited shame results from the basic sin nature which we all receive at birth due to the original transgression of man in the Garden of Eden. Satan will tell you:
-You will never feel good enough to approach God in prayer.
-You will never be able to put the past behind you and as long as you live in the past you will never have a future.
-You will never rise up to fulfill your destiny in God.
-Secondly, individual shame results from sins you personally commit.
The Bible itemizes specific shame-generators including pride (Proverbs 11:2), refusing correction (Proverbs 13:18), lack of discipline (Proverbs 19:26), hasty, uninformed decisions (Proverbs 18:13), forsaking God (Jeremiah 17:13), and iniquity (Ezekiel 43:10; Proverbs 13:5)--the latter of which is inclusive of all sinful acts. The guilt and condemnation generated by such sins result in shame if there is no resolution through confession and repentance. Shame alienates you from God, others, and self. Individual shame is the most difficult type of shame to deal with, for it is hard to forgive yourself for sins, mistakes, and bad decisions.
-Incessant shame refers to the continuous cycle of shame manifested from generation to generation. If you do not deal with shame successfully, then you pass it on to your children and they duplicate it by passing it on to the next generation.
Psychologists have come to realize that shame-based parents act shamelessly and pass their shame on to their children because "there is no way to teach self-value if one does not value oneself."
If you do not deal with your shame, you pass it on to your children and they will pass it to their children. Shame then becomes multi-generational, meaning it is firmly entrenched within the family and passed from one generation to the next.
Shame results in a lack of intimacy in marriage because it is difficult to maintain close relationships when you feel defective and flawed.
-Imposed shame is inflicted upon you by others who put you down and tell you that you are stupid or not good enough. It also results from things like abuse, incest, molestation, and rape. You are innocent, but you feel ashamed because of what others have said about or done to you.
Unresolved inherited, individual, and incessant shame are the foundations of imposed shame which is a shame inflicted upon you by others who put you down, tell you that you are stupid, or say you are not good enough. Imposed shame says, "You have let us down. You are a bad person."
People imposed shame on Jesus, for the Bible says He was "despised and rejected by men" in Isaiah 53:3.
The seeds of imposed shame are planted in childhood through circumstances that reinforce feelings of worthlessness. These experiences may include religion, identification with shame-based models of shame, shameful accusations, abandonment, and abuse.
People imposed shame on Jesus, for the Bible says He was "despised and rejected by men" in Isaiah 53:3.
The seeds of imposed shame are planted in childhood through circumstances that reinforce feelings of worthlessness. These experiences may include religion, identification with shame-based models of shame, shameful accusations, abandonment, and abuse.
-Institutional shame comes through the institutions of society.
Institutional shame is a type of shame that is based on concepts of what is considered right and wrong, acceptable or unacceptable by others. It results when we are rejected by the group or when our group is rejected by another or our culture at large. You may be shamed because of the color of your skin, your family background, or the city or nation in which you live. Institutional shame belittles you because of your personal background, your family, where you live, or the way you dress.
God wants you to learn how to shatter these shackles in your life and the lives of those to whom you minister. I hope to share these hopeful words over the next few days.Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 4)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 4)
Shame-based reactions are implemented to avoid dealing with the root issue of shame. We disguise and distort our shame and cloak it in new vocabulary until we often do not recognize these responses as protective devices designed to avoid self-confrontation. This list shares some common reactions to shame:
-The term "scapegoating" comes from an Old Testament practice involving the blood sacrifice for sin. Leviticus 16 describes how the High Priest of Israel selected and sacrificed animals for the sin offering. At the climax of the ceremony he laid his hands on the head of a live goat, confessed all the iniquities of Israel over it, and the animal was then led away into the wilderness symbolically bearing the sins of the people. Through this practice the word "scapegoating" entered our vocabulary as a method of avoiding shame or guilt by projecting it onto someone or something else.
Blame is a cover up for shame and a way to pass it on to others. You reduce your own feelings of shame by putting down and criticizing someone else. Adam blamed his sin on "the woman You gave me" in Genesis 3:12. In blaming our God-given circumstances, environment, or relationships, we are in reality saying that the blame rests with God. Couples blame affairs on the lack of attention of one for the other. In doing so they attempt to justify their wrongdoing through blame.
-Because shame portrays you as inferior, you may constantly attempt to prove your worth by being a perfectionist. You must always be right, you cover up your own errors, and critically shame others who blunder.
Perfectionism goes beyond simple excellence or pride in performance. It is a driving, controlling force and no matter how hard you try you never quite measure up to the standards you set. Because of this predisposition to failure, perfectionism fosters additional shame and leads to judging, moralizing, and criticizing others who fall short of your arbitrary standards.
You can become so preoccupied with perfectionism that you miss the positive benefits generated by mistakes. Remember, mistakes are a form of feedback. Every error tells you what you need to correct. You can become so preoccupied with defending yourself against the inner critical voices that you miss the opportunity to heed the warning of the mistake.
-There is a long history of people who mutilated their bodies, committed suicide, or punished themselves in other ways to atone for their shame.
Self-punishment is the voice of shame saying, "You don't deserve to be happy." In its acute stage, self-punishment ends in suicide when the internal voice of shame becomes so loud that all voices of hope are drowned out and the only answer to your pain is to end it all. Self-punishment stemming from shame actually causes neurotic illness. In fact, when guilt has been pushed into the distorted forms of repressed memory (such as shame), it may return through the disguised as asthma, migraine headaches, peptic ulcers, and other psychosomatic illnesses. We punish ourselves, so to speak, with physical pain.
-Defensive people are extremely sensitive to criticism or the suggestion of personal blame. They are argumentative, and always must be right. Shame-based people interpret criticism of what they do into a judgment of who they are. They confuse their "do" with their "who".
A defensive person tries to exonerate himself because if he cannot do so then he is forced to admit his own inadequacies. Instead of confronting his shame and dealing with it, he constantly defends his actions, position, and reasoning.
-A shame-based person attempts to control other people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions to insure that no one can ever shame him again. In many families this control results in suppression of true feelings. There is no honest feedback, emotional growth is hindered, and shame is further perpetrated.
In its extreme form, such control results in physical and emotional abuse, for if you are an abuser then those you abuse have no power to shame you. This may be one reason many who are abused as children later become abusive parents.
-Arrogance also is a psychological cover-up for shame. The arrogant, self-righteous person hides his true self from others and in so doing, hides from himself.
The Old Testament story of Abner and Saul's son, Ishbosheth, illustrates this arrogant, self-righteous, self-justifying, shame-based response. Abner initially took King Saul's side in the conflict with David, and after his death supported his son Ishbosheth.
As circumstances deteriorated in the conflict with David, Ishbosheth, confronted Abner regarding his conduct with one of his concubines. The scripture does not say whether Abner was guilty or not, but by his response against Ishbosheth Abner was trying to justify his own sinful conduct. He had joined Ishbosheth in rebellion against David, who he knew to be God's choice for king.
The Pharisees and Sadducees of New Testament times exemplified similar self-righteousness. They gave, prayed, and fasted to be seen of men and demanded that others abide by their oppressive standards. "I thank you that I am not as this poor sinner," said one proud Pharisee who witnessed a poor sinner's prayer. His arrogance cloaked his own guilt and shame in a disguise of religious self-righteousness.
-Shame is the core and fuel for all addictive behavior. The content of the addiction, whether it be an ingestive or activity, is an attempt at an intimate relationship. Each addictive acting out creates life-damaging consequences which create more shame. The new shame fuels the cycle of addiction.
-A shame-based person does not value himself and he lacks respect for others. This leads to contempt, anger, retaliation, and rage. If a person with internalized aggression also acquires power, then it results in violence and criminal behavior.
-A shame-based person sometimes will alienate himself by self-imposed isolation. Such behavior may be disguised by explanations such as "I am very reserved" or "I am a private person." In reality, the withdrawal is an attempt to conceal shame. In its ultimate form, such alienation results in living life as a recluse from society.
In New Testament times the Pharisees and Sadducees learned they could not keep the law of God themselves, so they became self-righteous, demanding, critical leaders. They formulated hundreds of detailed rules which they tacked on to their religion. Their rituals emanated from the shame-base of their own failures as evidenced in the story of the woman caught in
adultery. They brought her to Jesus, quoting their law that prescribed she should die for her sin. We find them quietly slinking away when Jesus said, "Let him without sin cast the first stone."
The religious rituals of the Pharisees and Sadducees were attempts to conceal their own shame but, as God's Word declares, there are no gifts, sacrifices, or rituals that can rid the conscience of the shame of sin. Only the blood of Jesus can wipe away the consequences of shame.
Shame-based reactions are implemented to avoid dealing with the root issue of shame. We disguise and distort our shame and cloak it in new vocabulary until we often do not recognize these responses as protective devices designed to avoid self-confrontation. This list shares some common reactions to shame:
-The term "scapegoating" comes from an Old Testament practice involving the blood sacrifice for sin. Leviticus 16 describes how the High Priest of Israel selected and sacrificed animals for the sin offering. At the climax of the ceremony he laid his hands on the head of a live goat, confessed all the iniquities of Israel over it, and the animal was then led away into the wilderness symbolically bearing the sins of the people. Through this practice the word "scapegoating" entered our vocabulary as a method of avoiding shame or guilt by projecting it onto someone or something else.
Blame is a cover up for shame and a way to pass it on to others. You reduce your own feelings of shame by putting down and criticizing someone else. Adam blamed his sin on "the woman You gave me" in Genesis 3:12. In blaming our God-given circumstances, environment, or relationships, we are in reality saying that the blame rests with God. Couples blame affairs on the lack of attention of one for the other. In doing so they attempt to justify their wrongdoing through blame.
-Because shame portrays you as inferior, you may constantly attempt to prove your worth by being a perfectionist. You must always be right, you cover up your own errors, and critically shame others who blunder.
Perfectionism goes beyond simple excellence or pride in performance. It is a driving, controlling force and no matter how hard you try you never quite measure up to the standards you set. Because of this predisposition to failure, perfectionism fosters additional shame and leads to judging, moralizing, and criticizing others who fall short of your arbitrary standards.
You can become so preoccupied with perfectionism that you miss the positive benefits generated by mistakes. Remember, mistakes are a form of feedback. Every error tells you what you need to correct. You can become so preoccupied with defending yourself against the inner critical voices that you miss the opportunity to heed the warning of the mistake.
-There is a long history of people who mutilated their bodies, committed suicide, or punished themselves in other ways to atone for their shame.
Self-punishment is the voice of shame saying, "You don't deserve to be happy." In its acute stage, self-punishment ends in suicide when the internal voice of shame becomes so loud that all voices of hope are drowned out and the only answer to your pain is to end it all. Self-punishment stemming from shame actually causes neurotic illness. In fact, when guilt has been pushed into the distorted forms of repressed memory (such as shame), it may return through the disguised as asthma, migraine headaches, peptic ulcers, and other psychosomatic illnesses. We punish ourselves, so to speak, with physical pain.
-Defensive people are extremely sensitive to criticism or the suggestion of personal blame. They are argumentative, and always must be right. Shame-based people interpret criticism of what they do into a judgment of who they are. They confuse their "do" with their "who".
A defensive person tries to exonerate himself because if he cannot do so then he is forced to admit his own inadequacies. Instead of confronting his shame and dealing with it, he constantly defends his actions, position, and reasoning.
-Patronizing is a very subtle way of deferring your shame. On the surface, you seem to help another person by support and encouragement, but in reality you have a condescending attitude which defers your own shame by shaming them.
-A shame-based person attempts to control other people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions to insure that no one can ever shame him again. In many families this control results in suppression of true feelings. There is no honest feedback, emotional growth is hindered, and shame is further perpetrated.
In its extreme form, such control results in physical and emotional abuse, for if you are an abuser then those you abuse have no power to shame you. This may be one reason many who are abused as children later become abusive parents.
-Arrogance also is a psychological cover-up for shame. The arrogant, self-righteous person hides his true self from others and in so doing, hides from himself.
The Old Testament story of Abner and Saul's son, Ishbosheth, illustrates this arrogant, self-righteous, self-justifying, shame-based response. Abner initially took King Saul's side in the conflict with David, and after his death supported his son Ishbosheth.
As circumstances deteriorated in the conflict with David, Ishbosheth, confronted Abner regarding his conduct with one of his concubines. The scripture does not say whether Abner was guilty or not, but by his response against Ishbosheth Abner was trying to justify his own sinful conduct. He had joined Ishbosheth in rebellion against David, who he knew to be God's choice for king.
The Pharisees and Sadducees of New Testament times exemplified similar self-righteousness. They gave, prayed, and fasted to be seen of men and demanded that others abide by their oppressive standards. "I thank you that I am not as this poor sinner," said one proud Pharisee who witnessed a poor sinner's prayer. His arrogance cloaked his own guilt and shame in a disguise of religious self-righteousness.
-Shame is the core and fuel for all addictive behavior. The content of the addiction, whether it be an ingestive or activity, is an attempt at an intimate relationship. Each addictive acting out creates life-damaging consequences which create more shame. The new shame fuels the cycle of addiction.
-A shame-based person does not value himself and he lacks respect for others. This leads to contempt, anger, retaliation, and rage. If a person with internalized aggression also acquires power, then it results in violence and criminal behavior.
-A shame-based person sometimes will alienate himself by self-imposed isolation. Such behavior may be disguised by explanations such as "I am very reserved" or "I am a private person." In reality, the withdrawal is an attempt to conceal shame. In its ultimate form, such alienation results in living life as a recluse from society.
In New Testament times the Pharisees and Sadducees learned they could not keep the law of God themselves, so they became self-righteous, demanding, critical leaders. They formulated hundreds of detailed rules which they tacked on to their religion. Their rituals emanated from the shame-base of their own failures as evidenced in the story of the woman caught in
adultery. They brought her to Jesus, quoting their law that prescribed she should die for her sin. We find them quietly slinking away when Jesus said, "Let him without sin cast the first stone."
The religious rituals of the Pharisees and Sadducees were attempts to conceal their own shame but, as God's Word declares, there are no gifts, sacrifices, or rituals that can rid the conscience of the shame of sin. Only the blood of Jesus can wipe away the consequences of shame.
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 3)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 3)
When shame establishes control in your life, it programs your internal faculties to think in terms of "shame-based thinking." This distorted reasoning may include any or all of the following:
-Shame declares, "You can tell they don't like you. You don't fit in. They think you aren't good enough." This makes you paranoid constantly interpreting events as personally threatening. It also creates expectations of ultimate betrayal by friends.
-Shame distorts your thinking. One mistake means, "I'll never learn how to do this." Generalization leads to declarations such as "Why can't I ever get it right? No one cares about me." This results in "either/or" thinking. If you are not brilliant, then you must be stupid. There is no middle ground. Words like "all, everyone, no one, always" signal such shame-based generalization. Shame-based mentality views a simple misdemeanor as a capital offense.
-Another attempt to deal with shame is repressing or denying the incidents that produced it. King David learned that this doesn't work too well. He said:
Psalm 32:3, 4 “When I kept silent, my bones grew old, Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy upon me...”
Denial also leads to the submersion of terrible secrets.
-Shame's voice replays repeatedly in your mind like an old record stuck in a groove. It says, "You should have done this...You ought to have done that." Phrases like " I should have" and "if I'd only" are signals of shame's accusations.
Condemnation is different from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Conviction is specific, focusing on a particular sin and eliciting godly sorrow which leads to confession and repentance. Condemnation is generalized. It declares you convicted, censured, and hopeless without remedy. Jesus declared in John 3:17, 18:
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned.”
-Shame declares you a victim of circumstances. You view yourself as controlled by other people, your hopeless addictions, bad luck, or fate. You mentally surrender to this helplessness and accept a shamed existence as your destiny.
-Some people attempt to deal with shame by letting "their conscience be their guide," as the old saying goes. They allow themselves to be governed by a set of internal morals, principles, and standards. This is dangerous because your conscience is influenced by society, education, your parents, and peers and these influences can all be wrong. They may condone lying, stealing, cheating, and even killing, resulting in a conscience that is shameless. The forces of society, training, parents, and peers can also create a "shame- based" conscience by constantly reinforcing that you are a bad person.
You cannot trust an unregenerate conscience to "be your guide" because it is nourished by environment and experience instead of the Holy Spirit. Only through the blood of Jesus can a shameful conscience be absolved:
Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
When shame establishes control in your life, it programs your internal faculties to think in terms of "shame-based thinking." This distorted reasoning may include any or all of the following:
-Shame declares, "You can tell they don't like you. You don't fit in. They think you aren't good enough." This makes you paranoid constantly interpreting events as personally threatening. It also creates expectations of ultimate betrayal by friends.
-Shame-based people relate everything to themselves. When your mate says he is tired, shame says "Yeah...he is tired of you...that's the problem!" Shame causes you to constantly compare yourself to others and, when you seem to fall short, this generates more shame.
-Shame distorts your thinking. One mistake means, "I'll never learn how to do this." Generalization leads to declarations such as "Why can't I ever get it right? No one cares about me." This results in "either/or" thinking. If you are not brilliant, then you must be stupid. There is no middle ground. Words like "all, everyone, no one, always" signal such shame-based generalization. Shame-based mentality views a simple misdemeanor as a capital offense.
-A shame-based person constantly rationalizes their behavior. They excuse, explain, and justify so they do not have to deal with their shame. On the other hand, they may also do good works to try to neutralize their shame and rationalize that they aren’t such a bad person.
-Another attempt to deal with shame is repressing or denying the incidents that produced it. King David learned that this doesn't work too well. He said:
Psalm 32:3, 4 “When I kept silent, my bones grew old, Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy upon me...”
Denial also leads to the submersion of terrible secrets.
-Shame's voice replays repeatedly in your mind like an old record stuck in a groove. It says, "You should have done this...You ought to have done that." Phrases like " I should have" and "if I'd only" are signals of shame's accusations.
Condemnation is different from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Conviction is specific, focusing on a particular sin and eliciting godly sorrow which leads to confession and repentance. Condemnation is generalized. It declares you convicted, censured, and hopeless without remedy. Jesus declared in John 3:17, 18:
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned.”
-Shame declares you a victim of circumstances. You view yourself as controlled by other people, your hopeless addictions, bad luck, or fate. You mentally surrender to this helplessness and accept a shamed existence as your destiny.
-Some people attempt to deal with shame by letting "their conscience be their guide," as the old saying goes. They allow themselves to be governed by a set of internal morals, principles, and standards. This is dangerous because your conscience is influenced by society, education, your parents, and peers and these influences can all be wrong. They may condone lying, stealing, cheating, and even killing, resulting in a conscience that is shameless. The forces of society, training, parents, and peers can also create a "shame- based" conscience by constantly reinforcing that you are a bad person.
You cannot trust an unregenerate conscience to "be your guide" because it is nourished by environment and experience instead of the Holy Spirit. Only through the blood of Jesus can a shameful conscience be absolved:
Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 2)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 2)
Shame was not a natural emotion given to mankind by his Creator. God created Adam and Eve as innocent beings and placed them in the perfect environment of the Garden of Eden. They had abundant provision and access to all the trees and fruits of the garden except one. Adam and Eve were warned not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if they did they would die. The couple did not heed this admonition and their transgression resulted in a continuing cycle of sin being passed down through subsequent ages.
Man's first transgression stemmed from a desire to be other than God created us, or to be more than human. It is in the context of this original sin that men first encountered shame. When Adam and Eve were created, they were both naked and were not ashamed according to Genesis 2:25, but after they ate the forbidden fruit Genesis 3:7 says this:
"...the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings."
That evening when God came for His regular time of fellowship with the couple Genesis 3:8-11 says:
"And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked...?"
This record confirms what psychologists now recognize, that
"exposure of one’s self lies at the heart of shame. A shame-based person will guard against exposing his inner self to others, but more significantly, he will guard against exposing himself to himself."
Because of their cowering, hiding, and covering Adam and Eve experienced an emotion that was new to them: SHAME!
-They ran, but you cannot outrun the accusations of shame.
-They hid, but there is no refuge from shame.
-They created a covering of fig leaves,but there is no man-made covering that will conceal shame.
Shame was not a natural emotion given to mankind by his Creator. God created Adam and Eve as innocent beings and placed them in the perfect environment of the Garden of Eden. They had abundant provision and access to all the trees and fruits of the garden except one. Adam and Eve were warned not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if they did they would die. The couple did not heed this admonition and their transgression resulted in a continuing cycle of sin being passed down through subsequent ages.
Man's first transgression stemmed from a desire to be other than God created us, or to be more than human. It is in the context of this original sin that men first encountered shame. When Adam and Eve were created, they were both naked and were not ashamed according to Genesis 2:25, but after they ate the forbidden fruit Genesis 3:7 says this:
"...the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings."
That evening when God came for His regular time of fellowship with the couple Genesis 3:8-11 says:
"And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked...?"
This record confirms what psychologists now recognize, that
"exposure of one’s self lies at the heart of shame. A shame-based person will guard against exposing his inner self to others, but more significantly, he will guard against exposing himself to himself."
Because of their cowering, hiding, and covering Adam and Eve experienced an emotion that was new to them: SHAME!
-They ran, but you cannot outrun the accusations of shame.
-They hid, but there is no refuge from shame.
-They created a covering of fig leaves,but there is no man-made covering that will conceal shame.
Three basic human relationships were ripped apart through sin, creating the base from which all shame operates: The relationships of man with God, man with himself, and man with others. Adam and Eve were caught in the swirling spiral of shame because of their disobedience.
The shame that originated in the Garden of Eden has spiraled down through the centuries much like an uncontrolled disease Its continued revolutions generate a myriad of shame-based reactions which are triggered by words, sounds, feelings, and even tastes and smells. One noted psychologist wrote:
"The sensory perception is our first and most immediate way of knowing. Every thought we think was first perceived, seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled. When shame has become internalized, these images are often triggered and send the shame-based person into shame spirals."
A word, a smell, the lyrics of a song, and other sensory images can trigger the shame associated with painful memories, resulting in a downward spiral of shame-based thoughts and reactions.
"The sensory perception is our first and most immediate way of knowing. Every thought we think was first perceived, seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled. When shame has become internalized, these images are often triggered and send the shame-based person into shame spirals."
A word, a smell, the lyrics of a song, and other sensory images can trigger the shame associated with painful memories, resulting in a downward spiral of shame-based thoughts and reactions.
Here is what the Word of God says in James 1:12-16:
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren."
Shame, Shame Shame (Part 1)
Shame, Shame, Shame (Part 1)
What exactly is this potent force called shame? We find this word often linked with "guilt" and "guilt and shame" used as if they were one descriptive term. Both words derive from similar Old English roots, but there is a definite difference between the two.
Shame, on the other hand, means "to cover up and to envelop" and is concerned with being rather than doing. Shame says, "You are no good, you are bad, you are inadequate. Shame on you!"
Relentlessly, the internal interrogation continues. Guilt leads to godly sorrow which results in confessing and repenting of wrong doing. Paul explains that the Old Testament law was designed for this purpose in Romans 3:19, 20:
"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
James 2:10 explains that whoever keeps the whole law and yet offends in one point is guilty of all. Such overwhelming guilt was designed by God to direct us to Jesus Christ. Guilt produces godly sorrow which leads to repentance which results in salvation:
2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
However, shame is associated with the loss of respect by others and the eradication of self-respect. It prohibits intimacy with God because we feel unworthy. Unlike guilt, which is resolved by confession and repentance, shame becomes an identity.
Shame is the devil's strategy. For centuries, many have thought shame was the voice of God speaking to their conscience. But the Bible clearly identifies Satan as the accuser of believers and confirms that he is continually active in this mission in Revelation 12:10.
Godly sorrow leads to repentance, but shame produces misery, discouragement, and emotional pain. Constructive sorrow produces a positive change in behavior and once change is made by reconciliation with God and others, the constructive sorrow of guilt vanishes because its purpose is accomplished. The devil's shameful accusations remain, however, even after forgiveness has been sought and received. Such torment haunts the souls of some believers who have walked for 20, 30, or 40 years with the Lord. They simply cannot forget the shame of their past.
What exactly is this potent force called shame? We find this word often linked with "guilt" and "guilt and shame" used as if they were one descriptive term. Both words derive from similar Old English roots, but there is a definite difference between the two.
The biblical meaning of guilt is “responsibility”. It is an emotion that results from violating an accepted standard by a definite, voluntary act. It is concerned with doing or lack of doing, sins of commission or omission, or failing to do something right or doing something you know to be wrong. Guilt results in taking personal responsibility for such actions
Shame, on the other hand, means "to cover up and to envelop" and is concerned with being rather than doing. Shame says, "You are no good, you are bad, you are inadequate. Shame on you!"
Paul illustrates the difference between guilt and shame when he says in Romans 7:19, "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." That is guilt emanating from doing. Then Paul agonizes in Romans 7:24, "Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" This is a cry of a tormented soul experiencing the shame of being.
Shame is more than remorse for an act, regret, or a feeling of responsibility. It is internalized disgrace, humiliation, and degradation. Shame drives you on a hunting expedition into your past, scrutinizing everything you have done wrong and building a case against you like an aggressive prosecutor in a court of law. Many of you reading this can readily identify with this description because "court" is in session daily in your own mind.
Relentlessly, the internal interrogation continues. Guilt leads to godly sorrow which results in confessing and repenting of wrong doing. Paul explains that the Old Testament law was designed for this purpose in Romans 3:19, 20:
"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
James 2:10 explains that whoever keeps the whole law and yet offends in one point is guilty of all. Such overwhelming guilt was designed by God to direct us to Jesus Christ. Guilt produces godly sorrow which leads to repentance which results in salvation:
2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
However, shame is associated with the loss of respect by others and the eradication of self-respect. It prohibits intimacy with God because we feel unworthy. Unlike guilt, which is resolved by confession and repentance, shame becomes an identity.
Shame is the devil's strategy. For centuries, many have thought shame was the voice of God speaking to their conscience. But the Bible clearly identifies Satan as the accuser of believers and confirms that he is continually active in this mission in Revelation 12:10.
Godly sorrow leads to repentance, but shame produces misery, discouragement, and emotional pain. Constructive sorrow produces a positive change in behavior and once change is made by reconciliation with God and others, the constructive sorrow of guilt vanishes because its purpose is accomplished. The devil's shameful accusations remain, however, even after forgiveness has been sought and received. Such torment haunts the souls of some believers who have walked for 20, 30, or 40 years with the Lord. They simply cannot forget the shame of their past.
Shame torments you internally through your conscience and externally through condemnation by others. Shame moves into your life and establishes a base of operations resulting in what some psychologists call "a shame-based" personality, meaning that every facet of your person is affected by shame’s deadly poison. Only by God's grace can you deal with the shame of your past.
Friday, August 3, 2018
The Nobody Syndrome (Part 5)
The Nobody Syndrome (Part 5)
Psalm 139:17, 18 “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How
great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when
I awake, I am still with thee.”
David
says that the script for your life was already written by God. The Lord has
carefully mapped the details that will fill your days, ordaining what will and
will not happen. The Hebrew word the Holy Spirit has David use here indicates
that God has created each day of your life, tailoring circumstances, establishing
boundaries, and fashioning opportunities for His glory and your good. God Himself
says it in Jeremiah 29:11:
"For
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not
for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
God
doesn't just set a plan in motion and look the other way. His thoughts are on
you constantly. He greets you each morning with fresh mercy and new
opportunities, ready to go through the hours with you. He loves your company and
He has specific plans that you alone can fulfill.
-He
knows you.
-He
pursues you.
-He
made you with a purpose, and is ready to live out those plans with you each
day.
Can you still hear His still, small voice as He says, "I am so glad you are
my child. Take my hand. Let's run this race together."
Many
small church pastors feel like they've been stepped on, beat up, or kicked around.
They often feel unworthy, useless, or that their opinion doesn’t matter. Just
know this my friend, you matter to God and so does your opinion.
-Don't
let what another pastor or minister does good or bad define you.
-Don't draw conclusions
about yourself based on someone's opinion or the size of your church or ministry.
- Don't allow yourself to feel like a victim instead of getting the victory.
- Don't allow yourself to feel like a victim instead of getting the victory.
You are
not a “Nobody”! Look higher and you will find out how much you and your efforts
matter to God. You are somebody special to God in whatever place He puts you
in. If God is for you, then who can be against you?
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