Tag: Spiritual Awakening

Tetelestai Recovery

Upside Down Perspective

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The upside-down declarations of a fallen world rang out loud and clear:

  • Trauma causes permanent damage.
  • Don’t get your hopes up or you will be disappointed.
  • Nothing gets better; everything is getting worse.
  • Life will kick you down.
  • You are growing more weak, frail, and overwhelmed.
  • The world’s message was abrupt and hopeless: The end result of life is death.   

The inauguration of triumph within Christ’s victory cheer, “Tetelestai!” turned these statements right side up. Much like the development of a photograph from negative filmstrip, black became white, white became black, and color emerged, as the world was submerged in the bright red solution of Jesus’ blood.

The law was fulfilled, the curtain was torn, and the New Covenant eliminated the curse, opening the floodgates of blessing for all. The responsibility of the covenant rested solely on the finished work of Jesus. No more sacrifice could outperform the one which announced, “It is finished!” His declaration broke the curse and banished the old covenant of law. Blessings became contingent on Christ’s obedience rather than our own. We found within that realm of grace, the script was flipped, and hope was born.

For forty years, from the time Peter watched his Savior and friend leave this world, airlifted by a fanfare of angels, he had been on a journey of enlightenment. He had become painfully aware of just how upside-down this natural world really was. He had learned, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to walk in a supernatural existence, free from natural limitations. He personally encountered events in which prison led to freedom, death led to life, and sickness led to health. An angel had walked him out of a maximum-security prison. People were raised from the dead on his watch. Some were healed when his shadow passed over them. When Jesus told Peter he would be doing greater miracles that the ones he had seen his Teacher do, He wasn’t exaggerating!

Peter recognized this world for what it was: an upside-down creation waiting to be turned right-side-up. Peter walked upright for many years, against the grain, in an upside-down world where most people just didn’t get it.

We wondered if Peter realized the significance of his choice to die upside-down. From that perspective, looking out on his crowd of accusers, who appeared to be hanging by their feet to a dusty sky, he was given a glimpse of how distorted one’s viewpoint could be, when looking at things upside-down.

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Tetelestai Recovery – Chapter 4 – Our New Perspective

Tetelestai Recovery

Water Walkers

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When Jesus was spotted by His friends, coming toward the boat, they first thought He was a ghost. He knew what they were thinking. Although they should have been relieved to see Him, they were, in fact, terrified instead. He saw the horror in their eyes and realized they weren’t recognizing Him for who He was.

We recall times when we were unaware that Jesus was approaching, and we became frightened by our own misperceptions. We saw death approaching, but in the end, it proved to be the Author of Life. The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost. And much like those young men, we too become afraid of what He represents. Some fear He will leave them. Others fear He will prohibit their self-expression. Some fear He will demand too much or create too much controversy. Many of us encountered a fear of Jesus, not fully understanding who He was or why He’d come.

 Jesus comes to us in different forms. Sometimes He comes in the supernatural realm as an unmistakable tingle of the Great Spirit. Other times He approaches through the Presence of other addicts and inmates whom we fondly refer to as our cell-siblings. Addiction, incarceration, disease, and anxiety were some of the worst storms in our lives, and we were sure some of these issues would be the death of us. Yet, in the midst of these storms, Jesus appeared and offered the opportunity to take a leap of faith and join Him in the supernatural.

In the Sacred Text account, one of the men in the boat, named Peter, asked Jesus to let him come out and walk on the water alongside Him. Jesus of course said, “Sure! Come on out. The water’s fine.” Peter lunged toward the side of the boat as it was rocking and lurching, climbed cautiously over the edge, and slowly lowered his weight onto the swirling liquid. If Jesus was a fraud, the next few seconds would have been the moment of truth. In former miracles, the people who were healed and delivered could have been in cahoots with Him on some elaborate hoax. However, walking on top of water, and inviting another human being to join Him would have been impossible to pull off, had it been a ruse.

The interesting part of this story is when it is taught as an object lesson in some churches, the point always seems to hover over the fact that for a split-second Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink below the surface of the waves. Many preachers belabor the point that Peter lacked faith. We disagree!

There were 11 other men in the boat who didn’t even ask if they could come out onto the water. Peter had faith! Whether he was completely successful in his faith walk or not, he was the only one with the intuition to ask if he could get out of the boat. He was the one who believed in Jesus’ ability to empower him to do it. He knew that in the midst of the storm, the safest place to be was with Jesus. In that moment of clarity, Peter suddenly received a divine revelation. Through this text, we receive the same revelation in our storms. We need not remain powerless and desperate. We are called to function alongside our King, even when natural laws dictate otherwise. Believers can overpower the Natural with the Supernatural.

The power in the spirit realm is faith, and Peter’s faith was increasing exponentially with every risk. His faith account was small, but it was growing. When Jesus asked him “Oh you have such little faith, why did you doubt me?” He was simply letting Peter know that as his faith increased, so would his ability to maintain his position of power in the Spirit realm. Pointing out that Peter had ‘little’ faith was not a reprimand but rather, an encouragement that when his faith grew bigger, it would become more reliable, enabling him to fulfill his call.

Chapter 12 – Water Walkers

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Tetelestai Recovery

Use Your Words

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This is a word created universe, and we have been given the authority of Christ to create our world with His words. What we believe, we speak, and the manifestation takes place.

Sometimes it is instantaneous, like a light switch. Other times it is a gradual process, like a dimmer switch.

We saw in the passage in Mark 11 that the tree took some time to die. Therefore, we were faced with the challenge to first believe, then speak, and then wait. We noticed that Jesus didn’t stand there waiting for the tree to die. He went on about His business and allowed His words to do the work.

In the same mindset, we learned it was best not to examine our progress, but only to believe and continue on our path. Days, months, and even years later, when encountering humiliating experiences, or running into old acquaintances, we were surprised to see that our emotional responses were no longer rooted in shame, but rather in strength. We found those mountains which loomed in our future had disappeared and our paths were leveled.   

 As we learned about words creating the world we desire, we understood that our words could destroy our root of shame. Once the root was dead, no one else, including ourselves, would be subjected to the fruit that grew from it.

Those mountains which needed to move would not be moved by exertion or self-effort. We could not uproot our shame any more than we could move a mountain. Both were subject to the same force, the spoken word. Knowing that the only energy that travels from the natural realm to the spiritual realm are our words, we speak to our shame and command it to bear no fruit. We speak to our mountains, and they disappear into the sea.

We declared the words of Jesus, “It is finished!” to our roots of shame and our mountain of amends.

As our mountains dropped into the sea, a tsunami of opportunities flooded into our lives. Wave upon wave of amazing possibilities washed over us.

Chapter 11 – Roots and Mountains

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A Date With Destiny

Freedom Fighter

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Deuteronomy 6:21

We were slaves to the king of Egypt, but the Lord brought us out by His great power.

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In this Exodus story, Pharaoh was a powerful oppressor of the Hebrew slaves. Moses was tasked with the assignment to secure freedom for a group of people who could not speak for themselves.

Detachment from an oppressor can be filled with chaos, conflict, and self-doubt. Moses encountered all this, yet remained firm in his commitment to secure freedom for God’s people.

Regardless of the century or the civilization, oppression is present whenever the powerful and the vulnerable co-exist.

Without excuse or explanation, you decisively detach from groups or organizations who exhibit little concern for social injustice or the negative impact it has on society.

You do not join those who belittle or diminish another’s worth. You remove yourself from environments which are darkened by oppression, hate, disrespect, or intolerance.

You speak for those who have no voice. You use the Lord’s words to bring freedom to those in bondage, healing to those in pain, and deliverance to those in despair.

Like Moses, you have been called by God for a special mission.  In spite of countless questions about what to say or how to fulfill your role, you choose to simply respond, “Here I am,” and then wait for God to reveal His plan, one step at a time.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Hold That Thought

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Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

We had been healed and delivered by the final words of Jesus from the cross, “It is finished,” so we knew there was significance in last words.  We understood that enormous effort goes into choosing the right words to say goodbye, finish a letter, conclude a speech, or summarize a presentation. Final words are important. They leave a lasting impact and have far reaching effects.

What began with the word finally, impacted us so deeply, we were never the same.

Our cognitive distortions and faulty thought patterns were measured against the 8 descriptive words in Philippians 4:8.  With these eight guardrails in place, we could choose which thoughts to keep and which ones to set aside.  Using the acronym, PREPLANT, we could check ourselves regularly throughout the day to make sure the thoughts running through our heads lined up with at least one on the list.

PURE – RIGHT – EXCELLENT PRAISEWORTHY – LOVELY – ADMIRABLE NOBLE – TRUE

If a thought did not meet the criteria, it was deemed unhealthy and carried the potential to make us sick.  We could not level up until we let go of the thoughts that didn’t measure up.

A Date With Destiny

Highest Heavens

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2 Chronicles 6:18

But God, can you really live here on earth with people? Not even the highest of heavens can hold you.

You see the expansive nature 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 just like the stars, you light up when He calls your name.

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A Date With Destiny

Connected to Christ

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1 Corinthians 6:17

But they who join themselves to the Lord become spiritually one with Him.

Your physical body is aging, but your spirit is timeless and eternal.

Because of your connection to Jesus and the power of His resurrection, you have become one with Him. The Spirit of Christ lives in you and lifts you to new levels of enlightenment.

Springing up with Living Water, your spirit rushes like a river, creating the current which propels your physical form to each new assignment from God.

In union with the Spirit of Christ, you are able to generate supernatural energy.

This effect infuses the atmosphere surrounding you with a positive charge. This is why you are known as one who lights up the room wherever you go.

In this way, you are living inside-out, using the power produced by the Spirit to transform your human experience into an eternal, supernatural adventure.

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Tetelestai Recovery

The Revolution

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As we opened our minds to sacred text, the revolution began.  

We discovered new parameters for our belief system.

I Corinthians 2:16 stated, “We understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ,” so we released our mental constraints and became aware of our new understanding.

2 Corinthians 5:17 told us that “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Therefore, we resisted the temptation to dwell on the past. We had become a new creation in Christ, so there was no past to lament.

We believed that our feelings were fickle and could not be the focal point of our attention. We did not regard our feelings as a reliable source of information. The Word of God became our compass, and we only said of ourselves what we would say of Christ. We professed that we were in Christ and have inherited the privilege to participate in a life of His perfection. We were the righteousness of God, even when we felt like we had failed. The cross inverted all our wrongs and made them right. Thus, the rightness of Jesus outweighed the wrongness of our misdeeds.

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  • We began to thank God for His provision, even when we felt needy.  

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

  • We praised God for deliverance, even while feeling imprisoned by the past:

The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

  • We believed God for His righteousness, even when we felt wrong.
  • We believed in ourselves as new creations, even when we felt damaged.
  • We stopped living in regret, even when we felt as if we should.

We no longer identified with who we were, but rather, we identified ourselves as who we became at the moment, we received our tetelestai revelation. We had come to know love which we had never known before. We had received a personal pardon from the King of Kings and according to Ephesians 3:19, we were becoming filled with the fullness of God, which was gradually squeezing out our tendency to be full of ourselves.

Tetelestai Recovery – Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, “It is Finished!”

Chapter 3 – The Revolution

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A Date With Destiny

Deliver Us From Evil

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Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13

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 true.

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 brutal 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. The evil that grieves you, is the evil that grieves Him too.

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A Date With Destiny

ANGELS AMONG US

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The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Judges 6:12

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You have extraordinary vision. You are able to detect the presence of angelic beings.

You have been given a special ability to see things of great significance that hold deep spiritual value. 

You have Kingdom vision and catch glimpses of angels. You watch for miracles, and find them often.

You witness angelic rescue missions, both for yourself and for others. You watch as captives are liberated and destinies are discovered.

You see angels in places where no one else would think to look.  You see them surrounding grocery store clerks and school children. You see angels in hospital waiting rooms and homeless shelters.

You see their light, even when you feel surrounded by darkness. You are confident that the illumination provided by angels will always appear to guide and protect your path.

You know that they have appeared in some of your darkest hours.

You have no doubt they will always be there beside you, even though your vision of them may sometimes become obscured by conflict, anxiety, or confusion.

Angels have always been in your peripheral view. From early childhood, you have sensed their presence and seen them in many forms.

Sometimes they are obvious in appearance as celestial beings, but other times they show up in more subtle forms; as helpful strangers or loyal pets.

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