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.
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 elseโs 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
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 didnโt 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, โTherefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!โ
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, Godโs grace and forgiveness are available to us. In Christ, we can leave our old ways behind and embrace the new life that He offers.
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 Jesusโ 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, โIt is finished!โ 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 โIt is finished.โ
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. Jesusโ 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.
As we level up, we begin to realize how unproductive it is to spend time analyzing controversial topics or arguing over the meaning of obscure scriptures. We avoid the debaters and instigators. We steer clear of the loud, sweaty preachers yelling about sin and eternal damnation.
We choose rather to participate in worship services, recovery groups, and Bible studies that are surging with positivity and hope. Our fellowship gatherings serve as a recharging station where we plug into the power and become energized for the work ahead. We focus on encouraging the gifts and talents of fellow believers.
We remain open to new opportunities, even though we feel awkward outside of our comfort zones. We understand that fear of the unknown is an obstacle everyone encounters, but it need not hold us back. We stay open to change and ready to pivot at a momentโs notice, in response to the Spiritโs directives. ย
We believed we were no longer damaged, dysfunctional, disease-ridden plagues on society. We sensed that our bodies, souls, and spirits were coming into harmony with our divine destiny. As light seeped in where the darkness had been, we saw things weโd never seen before. We understood spiritual concepts which had seemed confusing in the past.
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 which 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‘ (it is finished) over all that is wrong with us.
Psalm 11:4 The Lord is in His holy house. The Lordโs throne is in heaven.
You are the dwelling place of God on this earth. You serve as His hands, eyes, ears, and heart while you journey through time.
Since God is a Spirit, His impact on the physical realm can only be supported by those who coordinate their efforts with His.
Knowing that the Creator of the Universe has entrusted you with His Spirit and made His home within you gives you purpose and direction.
You know that none of the daily tasks of life are insignificant.
You recognize that each conversation you have with another human being is a sacred connection.
You know that each impulse of compassion, mercy, kindness, or strength is a signal for action from the Spirit of God which leads you to your next assignment.
As the temple of God, you keep your mind and body healthy and strong.
You offer your physical presence to God as a living space where He can function through you to bring light and life to the people you meet on the paths you walk.
Tetelestai Recovery – Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, “It is Finished!”
Within the pages of this book you will learn how to move out of your addiction and into your destiny. Through their personal journey of recovery, the authors present indisputable evidence that total healing and release from the disease of addiction can be found through the final declaration of Christ, “It is finished!”
Whether you are a suffering addict; an exhausted 12-stepper; a chronic relapser; or a person who loves one, Tetelestai Recovery will open your eyes to the possibility of permanent sobriety without the struggle. This revolutionary concept is bringing radical changes to the recovery community. You are here for a reason and itโs time to find out why.
Exodus 11:3 The Lord made the Egyptians respect His people. Even the officials and all the people considered Moses to be a very great man.
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God has caused you to be respected by those who are naturally inclined to disregard you because of race, religion, culture, or economic status. You have gained the favor of those in power because God has placed you in a position to serve them.
You are kind, trustworthy, and compassionate. You are loyal and dependable. You are confident and comfortable in your own skin. Your submission to Godโs authority has caught the attention of human authority figures and caused them to admire you.
You are respected wherever you go. You maintain a wide circle of influence and are surrounded by powerful people who are inspired by your call and willing to help you on your journey.