Tag: Bible

Tetelestai Recovery

Support System

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As we watch some of our fellow travelers go in a different direction, we fight against anxious thoughts that breed fear and insecurity. We must dismiss feelings of rejection or abandonment, choosing rather to be grateful for the support we received during the times we needed it most.

When Gideon was first called, he struggled with a sense of inadequacy and cowardice. God brought many soldier volunteers to his side, to bolster his courage and boost his confidence. That was their only purpose, and once Gideon was on board and ready, God removed those props, one by one, until only a few remained.

Not every soldier was destined to go into battle with Gideon. And like Gideon, we come to terms with the fact that some of the fellow travelers who join us at various times in our lives will be called away to another mission.

Not everyone can go where we are going. Every believer has their own call to follow. God brings many wonderful people into our lives, at various stages in our journey, to bolster our courage and strengthen our resolve. We are grateful for their support, and we must be gracious if the time comes for them to move on.

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A Date With Destiny

The Good Life

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Happy Birthday: October 28

A good person can look forward to happiness. Proverbs 10:28

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God is rewarding you with a life of adventure, suspense, and   joyful celebration. He also promises to bring you home to live with Him forever when your role as a human comes to an end.

As His child, you know that God is able to fulfill all the great and powerful promises He has given in His word.

He promises to never leave you or turn on you. He promises to love and be merciful to you. He promises to give you peace and rest, even in the midst of life’s storms.

The belief in God’s benevolence gives you a positive outlook on life and rewards you daily with a sense of gratitude.

You live your life with confidence, certain that God is managing the details of your life and successfully guiding you towards your destiny.

Eventually, your time on this planet will come to an end, and you will be released from the limitations of this physical realm.  Your eyes will be opened to the spirit realm.

There, in the  expanse of a dimension too immense to imagine, you will receive your ultimate reward as Jesus welcomes you home with open arms and a cheerful, “Well done!”

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A Date With Destiny

Spiritual Perception

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Then Jesus turned to His followers and whispered without anyone else hearing, “Happy are those who see what you see!” Luke 10:23

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You have a unique ability to visualize the insights which have come to you from Christ. Your imagination is the canvass on which He paints the portrait of your future.

You believe that God provides spiritual vision to those who seek His wisdom. This supernatural perception allows you to see clues and insights that you might otherwise have missed.

Through specific life events, your spiritual intuition has been fine-tuned. You enjoy insights and awareness which extend beyond natural human perception.

It is quite possible that many of the lives you touch and the wisdom you share will prove to alter the course of history for generations to come.

In detailed, methodical steps, God is bringing you to new levels of understanding. Each day, you gain clarity and vision into your divine destiny.

Little by little, you discover your true purpose and become more comfortable with your place in His Kingdom. You are learning that your position in His family comes with a deep sense of responsibility.

You see a hurting world around you, yet you also see the heart of God which seeks to deliver the light of His wisdom to anyone who is tired of stumbling through life in the dark.

Many of God’s children remain unable to walk in the light of God’s wisdom, but they can see His light shining through you. 

You see Jesus at work, even when you feel surrounded by darkness. You are confident that His light will always appear to guide and protect your path.

You see Jesus, loyal and devoted, taking care of your past, present, and future. 

You know He has appeared in some of your darkest hours, and you have no doubt He will always be there beside you, even when your vision of Him is obscured by conflict, anxiety, or confusion.

Jesus has always been there in your peripheral view. From early childhood, you have sensed a supernatural bond between yourself and the Divine.

Your spiritual perception becomes clearer as you peel back the layers of doubt. Through this process, you are beginning to see that Jesus’ vision of you is much more remarkable than anything you’ve seen in yourself.  And His vision for your future far exceeds anything you might have ever imagined for yourself.

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A Date With Destiny

Starry Night

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And now look at you; you look like the stars in the night skies. And your God did it! Deuteronomy 10:22

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You see the goodness of God as you gaze into the night sky. When surrounded by the wonders of the universe, you stand in awe of the Maker’s design.

You love to examine the night sky. You are are captivated by the phases of the moon and the marching constellations as they glide across the atmosphere.

It is in this upward glance that you gain perspective. When you look at the sky, the purpose for your earthbound existence become clear. 

It excites you to realize that you have been offered a divine destiny by the Creator of the Universe.

As you look at the vast expanse, you are in awe that God calls each star by name. This offers you great comfort, for it reveals how intimately and personally the Creator values what He has made.

It is in this realization that you find security. Your Maker designed you for a specific purpose, and like the stars, you light up when He calls your name.

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A Date With Destiny

Praise

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You should praise him. He is your God. He has done great and wonderful things for you. You have seen them with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21

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You have been called by God and down deep, you have always known it.

Your destiny will involve many different seasons. It will take on a variety of forms as you move through your allotted time on this planet.

Embedded in the foundation of your spiritual core is an interlocking system consisting of a perfect blend of praise and gratitude.

You are grateful for the peace that replaces discord in your thoughts. You remain ever mindful that gratitude and praise are powerful deterrents to discontentment.

Your gratitude for the things God has done for you is revealed by the enthusiastic way you talk about Him.

You love to get together with friends and family who have this same sense of appreciation for the work of God in their own lives as well.

You love to share stories of miracles and mercy. You openly tell of the times that God has showered you with comfort and compassion during times of great difficulty.

You also enjoy hearing others talk about what God is doing in their lives. You adore being surrounded by people who openly express their gratitude for the blessings of God. On the other hand, you find it tedious and exhausting to be around complainers. You know that a very high level of toxicity is contained within a complaint so you combat its effects with the purposeful practice of praise.

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A Date With Destiny

Spokesperson

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Matthew 10:20

It will not really be you speaking. The Spirit of God will be speaking through you.

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You are called to be the voice of Christ to some of God’s lost children who don’t seem to be able to hear Him for themselves. When you speak of God’s love and forgiveness, it is the Spirit of God speaking through you, infusing the atmosphere with hope and life.

There are specific souls you will be drawn to. This is a nudge from the Holy Spirit.

Due to your own life experiences and unique character qualities, the connections you make with those who are struggling will prove to alter their lives as well as your own.  You will be the one to help them find their way to the Father, and thus, find their way home.

As a representative of redemption, you find that the chosen ones are typically the most broken ones.

Your ability to connect with  troubled people in a non-judgmental approach makes you the ideal candidate to bring God’s message to those who cannot hear His voice for themselves.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Testing Time

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When caught up in a moment of testing, we must resist letting our feelings and circumstances serve as a litmus test of our faith. It is not healthy, nor is it accurate.

Tests are for the express purpose of developing patience. Whether the tests come from internal or external forces, they have a purpose. Some of the tests we face are due to our own weaknesses and might easily become our demise, but even then, God always has a better plan. Any test that activates patience is beneficial. Guilt and blame serve no purpose.

Patience tells us that tests are only temporary. Patience tells us that God is doing a good work in us, and He will complete it. Patience tells us not to judge our walk by one random stumble. Patience keeps us steady as we wait for the storm to pass.

It is patience that we lack when we throw up our hands and give up. It is patience that we lack when we question our progress. It is patience that will get us to the finish line. It is patience that will help us be gentle with ourselves.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Be Patient With Yourself

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As we release our addictions with the words of Jesus, “It is finished!” and settle comfortably into our new normal, we feel gratitude beyond words. The dysfunctions we struggled with in the past are fading in the distance. We are on firm footing and making solid progress.

Sometimes we make really good progress and are pleased with the distance we cover in such a short time. We feel that our relationship with God is in great shape, and we are motivated by our sense of accomplishment.

At other times, however, we feel as if we were trudging through mud, putting one foot in front of the other, lacking any drive or inspiration. We feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and disinterested. During these times, we don’t feel so great about our relationship with God. We assume He is disappointed with our lack of energy and enthusiasm.

These times are rare, but they happen often enough to make us question our stability and resolve. We wonder if one of these periods might last so long that we will just give in and give up.

We don’t want to lose what we have gained, and we don’t want to miss the joy of the journey, so the thought of trudging through the marshy swampland of doubt, discouragement, and disagreement feels very threatening.

We love the mountaintops and the flowery meadows, but we must face the fact that dry deserts and muddy bogs are also part of the expedition. We must make peace with both if we want to get where we are going.

When the roads are easy, we feel joy in looking back to see how far we’ve come. When the roads are difficult, we seem to take one step forward, two steps back. Sometimes we slip and fall. Sometimes we just stand still and shrug. Even when we do finally get on firm footing again and start to move forward, we scold ourselves for not being stronger, more resilient, or more determined.

Chapter 4, Be Patient With Yourself

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Tetelestai Recovery

It Is Finished

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We noticed that Jesus’ final word tetelestai, translated into the English phrase, it is finished, seemed to imply a sense of giving up. We found this to be an unfortunate language barrier. As it turned out, in the original Greek language of the New Testament, this word tetelestai is a declaration of victory, completion, and success.

Tetelestai is the comment an artist might whisper after completing his final brush stroke on a masterpiece.

Tetelestai is the report a soldier would bring to his commanding officer when a battle was over, and victory had been secured.

We believe our Savior used His final breath on the cross to declare for all time, to all creation, in every dimension, that there is nothing left undone: It is finished; Tetelestai.

There is no more drudgery to sobriety and no more anguish to recovery. There is no self-effort which must be added to what has been declared, Tetelestai.

IT IS FINISHED

In matters of our recovery from substance addiction and the mental dysfunction which accompanied it, we were completely helpless. We had no thoughts that could heal our thoughts. We had no disclosure that could remove our secret shame. We had no detour that would lead us out of the darkness. We were lost. We were alone. We were afraid.

But suddenly, in a random, unexplainable moment, the gift of Tetelestai was revealed. We had run out of options, yet in that barren wasteland of emptiness, we stumbled upon a treasure trove of truth.

Chapter 1 – Out of Options

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A Date With Destiny

HAND MADE BY GOD

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You formed me inside my mother. You put skin and flesh on me like clothing. You knit me together with bones and muscles.

Job 10:10-11

In a world of competition and comparisons, you sometimes wonder if your value is measured by what you do, rather than by who you are.

This is a concern for many human beings. Some struggle to do more, or to be better in order to feel significant.  Others think that money, talent, or fame will make them feel important. Sadly, these endeavors prove to be worthless.

Knowing that you are handmade by the Creator of the universe assures you of your value.  Since you are so special to God, He designed you in a unique and wonderful way. Before your mother even knew you existed, God was already weaving together the strands of your DNA.

Imagine His excitement as He selected your eye color, your voice tone, and your sense of humor! He gave you a passion for family, friendship, and community. He infused you with a high level of curiosity and creativity.

He placed within you specific gifts and talents which you are just beginning to discover. Your value is far beyond what you do or say. You are much more important than your achievements or your awards. You are a person with a destiny; designed by the God of the galaxies.

You play an important role in the future of humanity. Each day you spend on this planet becomes a significant part of history.

God knows the value of your unique human spirit. He knows that your heart is filled with compassion, determination, and enthusiasm. He has given you the mind, body, and temperaments which will are ideal for your journey.

Long before anyone knew you, God was sketching out a plan; designing you perfectly for the destiny which will be yours. He chose you as His own, and He has promised to be your God forever.

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