Tag: Purpose

A person with hands on face stands by a sunlit window while papers fly around.
Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding the ‘Suddenly’ Miracles: Lessons from Jesus

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A person with hands on face stands by a sunlit window while papers fly around.

As the believers waited in the upper room, the writer of Acts reported, “Suddenly, there was a sound like a mighty rushing wind…”

We see the word ‘suddenly’ and are reminded of those miracles we love so much. Jesus feeding the 5000 in a single afternoon; healing a blind man with mud; telling a dead girl to get up; and dozens of other stories set in a supernatural time warp, where the magic was instantaneous, and the desired results were immediate.

Obviously, Jesus was on a mission. He was out to prove that He was from God and to demonstrate the will of God by healing, delivering, feeding, and forgiving. If His miracles didn’t occur instantly, it would have been difficult for the onlookers to make the connection that Jesus was the one who had been the catalyst.

Additionally, while Jesus was in human form, the supernatural power of God did not have to travel through a flawed human to reach its destination. Perhaps His miracles were instantaneous because divine energy could flow freely through such a pure vessel. It didn’t get clogged up by the spiritual sediment and emotional toxins that the rest of us humans tend to carry. But, for whatever reason, miracles in Jesus’ day seem different than the miracles today. We rarely experience immediate, supernatural, instantaneous miracles and many of us struggle to hold onto our faith when we are waiting for our miracle to arrive…

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Swirling trails of blue, purple, and gold light against a dark, blurred backdrop.
Tetelestai Recovery

Embracing Movement: The Journey from Here to There

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Swirling trails of blue, purple, and gold light against a dark, blurred backdrop.

In our human condition, we seem to find ourselves here, trying to get there. Then, when we finally get there, it becomes here, and a new there looms on the horizon.

We are not made to be static or immobile. We are made to move. We are designed to set goals and achieve them. We are passionate about progress and driven by ambition. However, we are often annoyed by the process.

Waiting is exhausting. Waiting is painful. Waiting is a violation of our sense of urgency. Waiting disrespects the value of our time.

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Bright sunbeams radiating through gnarled tree branches in a moss-covered forest.
A Date With Destiny

Rejecting Violence: Embracing Integrity and Authenticity

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Happy Birthday March 31
Happy Birthday March 31

Proverbs 3:31

“Don’t be jealous of people who use violence and don’t choose to be like them.”

Knowing that evil comes in many forms, you trust the Spirit to guide your intuition.

Maintaining a firm sense of right and wrong, you reject the evil presence of hatred and prejudice. You shun pride and arrogance. You see through deception and prefer to surround yourself with people who are authentic.

You avoid paths that lead to drama and chaos. Your sense of self is deeply rooted in your desire to do the right thing. You live by a set of standards which are aligned with God’s will and your own personal integrity.

Without judgment, repulsion or excuse, you simply detach yourself from people who exhibit little concern for the pain they cause, or the negative impact they have on their fellow humans.

You do not join in with others who belittle or diminish another’s worth. You remove yourself from environments which are darkened by oppression, hate, prejudice, and intolerance.

Evil offends you deeply. You don’t understand why people are so cruel to each other.  In times of conflict, you seek God’s protection, so you don’t fall prey to this temptation yourself.

In quiet times, as you vent to God in heartfelt prayers, He hears and understands. This evil that grieves you, grieves Him too.

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A Date With Destiny

The Power of Forgiveness: Finding Strength in Mercy

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“I tell you the truth. All sins that people do can be forgiven.” Mark 3:28

Forgiveness is an attribute which comes easily for you. You have been blessed by both giving and receiving forgiveness. You understand the forgiveness of God because you have received it abundantly.

While you may sometimes fail to make the right choice, your decision to accept God’s forgiveness for the wrong ones, is always the right choice.

You are grateful for the opportunities to offer forgiveness to others.

While it is human nature to be concerned about the risks of being merciful, you believe there is a much greater risk to the human soul when one opts to become merciless.

You are grateful for the mercy of God which provides healing and restoration. Not only does He show mercy to the offender, but He also offers forgiveness for the wrong and cancelation of the debt.

Like your Creator, you do not keep score. The mercy and forgiveness you learned from Him, enables you to wipe the slate clean and give everyone a fresh start.

Your appreciation for the forgiveness you have received is best displayed by your willingness to offer it to others.

You are a merciful person and for that reason, as Jesus reported in the Sermon on the Mount, you are blessed and will receive mercy.

It has been said that the word blessed, could be best defined by the phrase, empowered to succeed.

You are successful because you show mercy and because mercy is shown to you.

Whether or not you do everything perfectly, is not what determines your success.

It is your gift of mercy which creates a firm foundation for successful relationships.  It is also the defining force of your Christian walk.

For only those who give and receive mercy will ever truly know the heart of God. 

A Date With Destiny

3/27 Be a Rebel: Embrace Your Inner Trailblazer

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Daniel 3:27: “When they came out, the fire had not harmed them. Their hair and clothes were not burned and they didn’t even smell like smoke.“

There are times when you are called upon to take a stand, just like the three Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel. You may be urged by the Spirit to go against the masses and follow your conscience, rather than the demands of a narcissistic bully.

As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the flames for following their divine direction, you too, will sometimes walk through fire as the result of your convictions.

In the same manner that Jesus appeared in the fiery furnace with those boys, He also appears to you when going through the fiery trials of your own faith.

Some will try to tell you what’s best, and condemn you for standing your ground. At times, you may be criticized for doing what you know is right, by those who are more comfortable taking the path of least resistance.

Lots of Hebrews bowed the knee to the golden statue because they were told to do so. Some of them were friends and family members of the three rebels who refused.

Those who bowed were not named. God did not reject them, or send fire from heaven to consume them. They simply bowed to the golden statue, and went on to live their lives of quiet desperation.

Those who bowed missed out on having a conversation with the Son of God in a fiery furnace. Those who bowed never had their names listed in Sacred Text. Those who bowed never became part of a story which would be told for thousands of years to come.

From this passage, you conclude there are two types of people: those who bow and those who stand.

Bowers are compliant. Standers are defiant. You have been called to be a stander.

Not everyone is called to be a rebel and a renegade. You are.

You go on high alert when you can right a wrong, stand up to a bully, or defend the defenseless.

You are a rebel at heart.  You are wild and adventurous. You do not take the path of least resistance. You find that path boring and dull.

You are a trailblazer. You create paths which never existed and inspire others to follow your lead.

Long after you are gone from this planet, your imprint will remain on those trails. Your courage will call to future generations, inviting them to join the rebel cause and reject the status quo. The echo of your voice from a faraway dimension will call to those select few, willing to risk it all for a chance to come up higher.

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A Date With Destiny

Living as a Citizen of Heaven: Embrace Your Dual Reality

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1 Peter 3:22…”Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God. All the angels and powers accept his authority.”

You are becoming more and more enlightened about who Jesus is, where He came from, and where He is now, preparing a place for you.

While it is true that your physical body is aging, your mind is being renewed every day. Each step of the way, the Holy Spirit is taking you to new heights of enlightenment.

Fueled by living water springing up from within you, your spirit rushes like a river, creating the power and energy needed to carry your physical form into each next heavenly assignment.

Partnered with the Spirit of God, supernatural energy is infusing you with a heavenly mindset.  As you focus your attention on heavenly pursuits, you are simultaneously improving the natural world in which you reside. 

In this way, you are living in two realms at once. You are a citizen of heaven, and an ambassador of Christ. Your heart is set on things above, and your days are filled with bringing heaven to earth.

Maintaining a heavenly focus creates melody in your mind and harmony in your heart. This music of heaven shifts your gaze away from your human struggles and toward the throne room of heaven.

Experiencing the power of Christ in this dual reality, His Kingdom is as real to you as the world in which you live.

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A Date With Destiny

3/21 Finding Freedom in God’s Grace: Letting Go of Guilt

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1 John 3:21…”Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.”

You lead a carefree life because you release your mistakes and weaknesses into the safe grace of God.

When regret or guilt trouble you, they immediately become the next topic of conversation with God. You talk with your Heavenly Father throughout the day about the issues which plague your thoughts. As you share your memories with God, you find a sense of release. Your thoughts are turned toward His forgiveness and mercy, rather than your own failures and remorse.

You receive clemency from Christ, which wipes the slate clean. You understand this is not a once-in-a-life-time free pass, but it is a gift of grace, providing you with a fresh start whenever you need one, throughout your entire life.

When you talk things out with God, regrets are resolved, and guilt is eliminated.

Knowing that Christ has liberated you from any past mistakes, you are overwhelmed with gratitude rather than guilt.

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A Date With Destiny

The Stability of Living in Christ’s Love

lastwordrecovery 
 Ephesians 3:19..."Christ’s love is greater than any person can ever know. But I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God."

You know the love of Christ in ways that are difficult for some people to comprehend. Your trust in His love creates a bond of confidence between you and your Lord.

While you may have difficulty trusting other people, there is no doubt in your mind that God can be trusted to guide and protect you, no matter what.

You understand that pure love is not an emotion.  It is a commitment. You see the way God’s love has supported you during some of the most difficult and wayward times of your life. You realize that this love is not fickle. He does not withdraw His love to manipulate or punish.

You enjoy living in the love of Christ and you seek to demonstrate that love to others.

This life of love is not an emotional roller-coaster of feelings, but rather, it is a higher level of stability.

The presence of Christ’s love in your life creates an atmosphere in which you are difficult to offend, easy to approach, and quick to forgive.

learn more about March 19

A Date With Destiny

Finding Divine Guidance for Life Success

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Proverbs 3:6…Seek God’s will in all that you do. And He will give you success.

Seeking and following the will of God empowers you to succeed.

The fear of failure may drift through your thoughts when you take on a project you feel inadequate to manage.

However, as you seek God’s will, and are gently led by His Spirit, you are empowered to succeed. Knowing that you are following the design for your life, set forth by the Creator of the universe, you reject fearful feelings and face each challenge head-on.

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

Empowered to succeed, you rise each morning with new energy, anxious to find your divine assignment for the day.

Sometimes your successes do not appear very 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.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Mastering Emotions That Control Us: A Biblical Perspective

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We know that our emotions can be a powerful force that affects us, body, mind, and soul. We also know that Jesus has made a way to escape being controlled by our feelings, which can range from pesky to obsessive or even frightening. We are told in the Word that we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. This flies in the face of feelings that indicate something is wrong with us. Our feelings are no match for the Word of God. If the Creator of the Universe says we are righteous, then our emotions have no right to dispute it.

We have been made right by the blood of Christ which was donated as a divine transfusion to heal us from the inside out. The emotions we feel, the sounds we hear, the words we say, and the images we see, must all defer to the words of our King who has decreed tetelestai over all that is wrong with us…

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