Tag: Hope

Tetelestai Recovery

Unlocking Miracles: The Spiritual Meaning of Tetelestai

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Tetelestai is recorded in the original Greek text describing what Jesus said from the cross in His final moments of mortality. The English translation, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), is the basis for this program.

We believe that Jesus’ words hold miraculous power. We speak these words into our own lives and into the lives of others. We are confident that a spiritual principle is set in play when our statements come into alignment with the words of God.

So also, will be the words that I speak: it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do. Isaiah 55:11

Since Jesus gave witness on the cross, “It is finished,” we align with Him in calling an end to our addictions and dysfunctional behaviors. We testify in agreement with Jesus and thus, the matter is resolved. 

Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.   
2 Corinthians 13:1
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A Date With Destiny

Finding Strength in Solitude: A Spiritual Journey

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Hebrews 12:12
So take a new grip with your tired hands. Stand firm on your shaky legs.

While it is true that there is strength in numbers, there is another type of strength which is required when you must stand alone.

Your path is not always the one of least resistance. You are often led across barren deserts and through dense forests. These are times which try your soul and require strength beyond a human support system.

These are the times when you must force yourself to fulfill your duties, even when you feel too tired or too weak for the task at hand. You do what is required, relying on the power of the Spirit to keep you strong and steady.

Excerpt from: A Date With Destiny – December 12

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Unmet Emotional Needs: A Spiritual Approach

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Considering this list of our emotional needs, we realize how unfair it would be to expect another human to meet them. We think about all the times that we scroll through texts on our phones, looking for reassurance that we are worthy, needed, loved, approved, or any number of the other emotional needs we have at the time.

Ironically, it seems a bit ridiculous that we place more hope in a text on our phone than in Sacred Text filled with the love of God. One connects us to other flawed humans; the other connects us to the Creator of the Universe who loves us dearly. 

As we evaluate our unmet emotional needs and identify the ones which cause us the most pain, we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to our truth.

  • Have you ever been pressured to meet someone else’s emotional needs? How did that make you feel? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  • Have you ever pressured someone else to meet your emotional needs? How did that work out?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  • Name some specific emotional needs you have. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  • What are some scriptures you can claim over them?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Excerpt from: Tetelestai Recovery 3 – Leveling Up; Chapter 2: No Need

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Emotional Needs: A Path to Healing

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When we pull away from relationships because the emotional cost is too great, we feel like a bad person. We want to follow the leadership of Jesus. We want to be the kind of person who turns the other cheek and goes the extra mile. But being that person takes its toll on our sense of well-being. Our trust turns into suspicion. Our self-sacrifice turns into self-defense and self-preservation. We become discouraged and frustrated. Our personal investments don’t always pay off and it seems pointless to throw any more emotional currency toward relationships that are bankrupting us.

With our emotional center depleted, it is easy to just shut down and go dark. For some of us, the darkness is called depression, and we struggle with thoughts of self-harm. For some of us, the darkness is shoved aside with distractions. We bury ourselves in work, entertainment, shopping, or anything else that will keep us from dealing with our unmet emotional needs.

These needs keep us running from one relationship to another; one career path to another; one church to another; one substance to another. We play the blame game, accusing our parents, our partners, or our culture. We know we have unmet emotional needs, so we are naturally drawn toward people and situations that promise to meet them. Of course, it is only a matter of time before they fail us. No human can fully meet our deep emotional needs. It is a painful lesson we have to learn time and time again, until we begin to understand what it means to level up…

Excerpt from Tetelestai Recovery 3 – Leveling Up; Chapter 2: No Need

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A Date With Destiny

The Safety Zone

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Proverbs 12:3
Doing evil brings a person no safety at all.
But a good person has safety and security.

The Spirit of God’s goodness resides within you and around you. This creates a protective force-field of safety and security.

As you encounter the icy chill of societal norms, that applaud greed, aggression, and ego, you are warmed from within by the Spirit’s flame.

Like a crackling fire on a cold winter night, the presence of divine light permeates the atmosphere and brings comfort.

Your soul is at rest and your mind is at peace because you know the power of your position in the universe. 

Since God is on your side, and has promised to defend you, there is no need to defend yourself. You have an army of angels on standby, ready to assist as you stand your ground.

You know that the forces of darkness cannot take what is yours.  God has given you a divine destiny and therefore, you live in safety, knowing that your future is protected.

Along the way, you may encounter opposition in the forms of sabotage, jealousy, or misunderstanding.

Some of these battles are critical and require the strategic planning of you and your Creator. Yet other battles are not worthy of your time or attention. You refuse to be drawn into petty disputes because they waste time and slow you down.

The Divine Spirit gives you the unique ability to maneuver safely through confrontation and conflict without losing ground or losing your peace.

You play a vital role in the next great awakening. You have been given gifts and talents to lay the groundwork for God to reveal new insights and unleash greater power on His people.

You have been chosen by the Creator of the Universe for specific assignments that will change the course of history. You have a divine destiny which is protected and promoted by the Commander of Angel Armies. Nothing can harm you. No one can stop you.  Your steps have been ordered by the Lord and nothing can stand in your way.

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A Date With Destiny

Empowered by God: Discovering Your Path to Success

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Genesis 12:2
I will bless you. I will make you famous and you will be a blessing to others.

Having been blessed by God, you are empowered to succeed.

The fear of failure may occasionally drift through your thoughts when you take on a project that you feel inadequate to manage, but knowing that you have been empowered to succeed by the Creator of the Universe, you set aside fearful feelings, and face each challenge head-on.

Being blessed by God, you see His supernatural power at work in all of your efforts. You realize that He is able and willing to make a success out of anything – even things you thought were failures.

Sometimes your successes do not appear all that successful at first. There are times that your initial attempts at success look a lot like failures. But, you live by faith, not by sight. You do not view failure as the end, but rather, the beginning of a new approach.

Empowered to succeed, you rise each day with a purpose and a plan. However, you also remain open to the possibility that an unexpected divine assignment may pop up along the way. If it does, you are willing to change course at a moment’s notice in order to fulfill it.

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The Power of Redemption: Becoming a New Creation in Christ

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If you have a coupon you wish to redeem at the grocery store, you are trading a worthless slip of paper for its cash value from the manufacturer. In other words, the real value of the coupon didn’t exist until it was redeemed.

We are not defined by our history, we are remade and redeemed by it. Our true value is revealed through redemption. Our history brings us into an even deeper relationship with our Maker. God takes our past and weaves a new narrative which brings new life and a DEEPER life with Christ as our advocate and example.

In 2nd Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Through faith in Christ, we are made new. This verse reminds us that when we are in a relationship with Jesus, our past no longer defines us. We are transformed into new creations, with a fresh start and a renewed purpose.

Regardless of our past mistakes, failures, or regrets, God’s grace and forgiveness are available to us. In Christ, we can leave our old ways behind and embrace the new life that He offers.

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The Power of Gratitude in All Circumstances

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In Thessalonians 5:18, we are instructed to give thanks in all circumstances because this is the will of God for us.

The writer is not saying that we should thank God FOR everything, but IN everything. Evil does not come from God, so we don’t thank Him for that, but we can thank Him for His presence during that evil, AND for the GOOD He will accomplish through the distress.

In other words, our attitude of gratitude must not be dependent on our circumstances or feelings, but rather on the confidence that God is making all things work together for good.

Remaining thankful in all circumstances places us at the center of God’s will. It creates a spiritual atmosphere that is welcoming to His Presence. Gratitude invites the power of God to alter our perspectives and halt the trajectory of our spiraling thoughts.

You inhabit the praises of your people. Psalm 22:3

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Why Gratitude Matters

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Be thankful in all circumstances, for this the will of God concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

As we prepare for the holiday of Thanksgiving, with all of the planning to gather with family, friends, and loved ones, we get anxious, don’t we? We often worry about shopping, cooking, relationship challenges, or maybe how past holidays turned out.

These are legitimate reservations that we need to listen to, but also realize that we can be thankful for these feelings. All of these holiday anxieties show us that we cherish these relationships regardless of past interactions that may have left us distanced from others.

We have reason to be thankful every day of the year. But Thanksgiving Day is special. A full day dedicated to gratitude is a gift – one we should not take lightly.

Giving thanks is a spiritual discipline, and a day dedicated to developing this life-giving habit with people we’re close to is a luxury and a gift. Giving thanks in everything is the way to achieve the utmost satisfaction in life. God made us and He knows how our brains work best.

Staying thankful is the best way to live our best lives. Being thankful is the way to remain in the center of God’s will, trusting that He is managing the details of our lives.

Tetelestai Recovery

The Last Word

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As part of an ongoing prison ministry at Lansing Correctional Facility behind the razor wire, we discussed Tetelestai (It is finished) with the inmates. Together, we explored the truth and finality of the power of Jesus’ words which delivered complete healing, grace, and forgiveness to all of mankind.

Not only did it call an end to addiction, dysfunction, and criminal behaviors, but it created a starting point for the beginning of something new, powerful, and unexpected. On the third floor of an old stone prison chapel, we embarked on a weekly tour of Jesus words and works.  We explored, discovered, and embraced the expansive impact of His words, “It is finished!” into other areas of our lives where we still struggled.

There we found freedom, commitment, courage, grace, love, compassion, fulfillment, and the desire to face our ailments and our addictions head on and in a permanent manner. Christ’s grace and what he did on the cross cannot be undone and neither can his words “It is finished.”

We documented what we discovered in that old prison Chapel. We wanted to preserve for others the testimony of our experience with the power of Tetelestai.  Jesus’ word had enabled us to move out of a lifestyle of relapse, despair, hopelessness, and criminal behaviors. We were able to move into something life-changing, and life-preserving, just like Christ’s work on the cross. We were excited to share how Jesus made us each a new creation.

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