Dear Friends,
Too many of us today are living in a perpetual cycle of mental and emotional pain, bitterness, anxiety, and depression. It can look like this, picture someone inside an industrial-sized dryer. Day after day they tumble, repeatedly banging their head on the steel drum, sustaining bruises, broken bones, and burns as they are battered by life.
Their minds play and replay sad, depressing scenes and angry conversations keeping them enslaved in a perpetual state of weighty disappointment. The never-ending cycle of pain continues and there is no reprieve, no rest, no peace. Trapped in this dryer, they are overheated and exhausted in life, unsure of how to escape.
The GOOD NEWS is this, Jesus not only opened our dryer door—He REMOVED IT altogether! Our FREEDOM from the torments in the mind as well as HEALING for our emotional wounds have been purchased by Jesus. The door is GONE FOREVER, never to be reattached!
This freedom is not for one day when we get to heaven. No! Jesus did this so that we could live in His abundant liberty, peace, and JOY today!! We are not destined to live going from one disappointment to the next. We were created for something far greater!! In Christ, we were meant to live a worry-free, successful, and satisfying life of PURPOSE!!
And that is the focus of this Newsletter. In the following pages, we will talk about what Jesus accomplished on the Cross—what He purchased for us with His own blood and how you can now CHOOSE to step out of the dryer into a life of freedom from the devil’s torment. On the other side of the Cross, you will discover a new life of purpose and fulfillment. So, let’s get started!!
In His Loving Name,
Life With Father Ministries
THE OPEN DOOR
“Happy are those who listen to me, watching at my door every day, waiting at my open doorway.” (Proverbs 8:34 NCV)
I want you to notice something specific in this verse. I want you to know that God’s door is NOT SHUT! The Lord has left His door wide-open for us! Today, NOTHING is standing in the way of approaching our loving heavenly Father—no more sacrifices for sin—no more penance! The guilt and shame of our sins have now been removed as far as the East is from the West! (Psalm 103:12) What this means is that the door of our hellish dryer has been completely blasted away! We don’t have to remain in that horrifying place of worry and frustration for one more minute! By RETURNING TO JESUS through repentance and confession of sin, we can be forgiven and released from the things that enslave the soul!
Hebrews 10:19-23 greatly encourages us…“And now we are brothers and sisters in God’s family because of the blood of Jesus, and he welcomes us to come into the most holy sanctuary in the heavenly realm—boldly and without hesitation. For he has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach God. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to him… …And since we now have a magnificent High Priest to welcome us into God’s house, we come closer to God and approach him with an open heart, fully convinced that nothing will keep us at a distance from him. For our hearts have been sprinkled with blood to remove impurity, and we have been freed from an accusing conscience. Now we are clean, unstained, and presentable to God inside and out! So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promise!” (TPT)
What an incredible passage of TRUTH and HOPE! Now that Jesus opened the doorway, we are encouraged to approach and connect with Him through heartfelt, sincere prayer. Notice the word “NOW” used in the passage above. Our dryer door was opened and REMOVED when Jesus died on the Cross. TODAY IT REMAINS OPEN FOR US!!
I want to encourage you to feel very sure that you can come before God’s throne today and speak freely as Hebrews 4:16 states, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (NLT) The word “boldly” used in this verse is the Greek word “Parrhesia” meaning: freedom in speaking, openly, and frankly, i.e., without concealment, without the use of figures and comparisons, free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, and assurance. In all sincerity and truth, through faith, you may speak to Him from your heart freely and candidly. He is someone who is well acquainted with your pain and grief and can restore your life! No matter what you are facing, the Lord can calm your inner fears and bring you assurance (peace) that He is working things out on your behalf. YOU decide when your torturous dryer cycle ends!! Let it end TODAY! Decide to trust Him and let Him direct you into a new path that is both full and fulfilling!
RETURN TO ME
‘I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.’ Isaiah 44:22 (NLT)
Can you just hear the emotional plea of the Lord here? He uses the word “Oh” in an expression of passionate longing, calling us to return to Him! Jesus scattered our sins as well as the punishment for them when He died on the Cross, ultimately stating “It is finished!” (John 19:28-30)
Isaiah 55:67 says, “So you should look for the Lord before it is too late; you should call to him while he is near. The wicked should stop doing wrong, and they should stop their evil thoughts. They should return to the Lord so he may have mercy on them. They should come to our God, because he will freely forgive.” (NCV)
Now, you might think, “If Jesus removed the door and paid for my freedom then why am I still in this miserable dryer??” GOOD QUESTION!! It’s a matter of CHOICE! You are the one who decides when you’ve had enough of living in that tumultuous place!
The Lord said in Isaiah 30:15, ‘Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me—The very thing you’ve been unwilling to do.’” Isaiah 30:15 (MSG)
To return means: “to give an answer.” The Lord is simply asking you to answer His call! The correct response would be to move away from what is harming you and RETURN TO HIM who is calling you to a life of wholeness, wellness, and peace!
Romans 6:12-14 says it this way…Sin is a dethroned monarch; so you must no longer give it an opportunity to rule over your life, controlling how you live and compelling you to obey its desires and cravings. So then, refuse to answer its call to surrender your body as a tool for wickedness. Instead, passionately answer God’s call to keep yielding your body to him as one who has now experienced resurrection life! You live now for his pleasure, ready to be used for his noble purpose. Remember this: sin will not conquer you, for God already has! You are not governed by law but governed by the reign of the grace of God. (TPT)
The bottom line is that Jesus paved the way for us to live a life free from the torments of worry, FEAR of every kind, depression, anxiety, anger, bitterness, resentment, disappointment, and frustration. But it’s still your CHOICE. You decide when you will turn away from what is hurting and harming you and RETURN to Jesus who freely forgives and restores your life!
HE HEALS THE BROKEN-HEARTED
“The Sovereign Lord has filled me with his Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to announce release to captives…” Isaiah 61:1 (GNT)
One thing all of us have in common is that at some point in our lives, we’ve been hurt by someone or by some unfortunate situation. These wounds can cut so deep that they can shift our life’s viewpoint. It can cause us to see everything through the lens of our pain. But Jesus’s specific mission was to preach “Good News”, and that includes healing the BROKEN-HEARTED!
Many of us realize we’ve been wounded but don’t know that it’s possible to be healed from the pain of it! We attempt to ease our pain through various types of vices. The problem is that addictive behaviors NEVER heal the wounds of our past—they only momentarily distract us from feeling it. Once the anesthesia wears off, the pain not only returns but intensifies, thus the (dryer) cycle continues and we find ourselves further from relief than ever before!
So, if we really want to heal, we must stop running and return to Him so that He can make us whole again! In Jeremiah 3:22 He said, “‘My wayward children,’” says the LORD, ‘come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.’” (NLT)
Wayward deeds proceed from a wayward heart and that is what God wants to change! Humility agrees that the heart has withdrawn itself from its Creator while repentance surrenders the manmade band-aid (vice) to the Lord allowing Him access to our souls so that we can be restored.
In Isaiah 1:18-19 God pleads with us saying, “‘Come now, let us argue this out,’” says the LORD. “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.’” (NLT)
The Lord calls to you today, extending an open invitation to “come” and talk about those things that are squeezing the very life out of you. Like the death grip of a python snake, it can seem like with every breath you take, twisted memories along with current stress continually press in on you! Let the Lord cut the head off that snake once and for all! Confess your mental and emotional pain. Bring it out in the open and release it to Jesus, asking Him to begin the inner healing process for you!
“CONFESS your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be HEALED.” James 5:16 (NLT)
BEAUTY FOR ASHES
“To all who mourn in Israel, che will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.” (Isaiah 61:3 NLT)
When Nehemiah began his work of restoring the demolished and burned wall around Jerusalem (the book of Nehemiah) he didn’t go out and obtain new materials but used the stones that were lying among the ashes. Burned and charred as they were, the stones were still usable. And so, it is with us! There are many things in our life that God wants to recover and reuse. He wants to repair and fortify the weak areas in our lives so that we can become stronger than ever before!
In Romans 8:28 it says, “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” (AMP)
Pain is evident in this life but what we do with that pain can be the difference between a life of misery or a life of great reward. What am I talking about? I’m talking about allowing Jesus to transform our pain into something good and productive by means of His Cross.
Picture a recycling conveyor belt in your mind. At one end of the belt, all kinds of trash are dumped on it. Further down the line workers sort through the trash for recyclable items like paper and plastic. As the paper and plastic bins get full, they go off to be melted down or compressed to eventually become something completely different and usable.
This is similar to what the Cross of Christ does for us. It takes the bitter and painful events in our lives and transforms them into something beautiful and useful. The Lord uses our pain to move us to the Cross where we find Him! And in finding Him we find healing and divine transformation. Then we can turn around to help those who are going through the same thing we went through. And this is all part of the healing process.
Today, let the Lord begin to rebuild your life HIS WAY! Let Him give you beauty for those ashes and oil of joy for your mourning and despair. Let Him do for you what you cannot do for yourself! If you are still carrying around inner wounds from your past, then don’t carry it another minute of another day before you bring these things to the Lord in prayer! If you need help, professional or otherwise, then I encourage you to seek it earnestly! Let the Lord transform your pain into something powerful! Then you can turn and help those with the same issues you have struggled with and when you do you will be stronger for it!
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)
THE POWER OF PURITY
“Come near to God, and God will come near to you. You sinners, clean sin out of your lives. You who are trying to follow God and the world at the same time, make your thinking pure.” James 4:8 (NCV)
I have heard people quote the first part of this scripture “Come near to God, and God will come near to you,” leaving out the rest of the verse. And yet it is impossible to approach a holy God without first being cleansed. So, I want you to notice that in “drawing near to God”, there must be repentance (a turning away from selfishness and ungodliness) and confessing or acknowledging our wrongs.
King David prayed this way in Psalm 51:7-12, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” (NLT)
A powerful life is a purified life! In order to live powerfully, we must first be cleansed through the confession of sin—agreeing with God that it is wrong and asking for forgiveness and strength to turn away from it. 1 John 1:8-9 states, “…if we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, he will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and he will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The Passion Translation notes give us a deeper understanding of this passage and the power that comes from confession and cleansing of the conscience! “Confession of sin is the way to find restoration and unbroken fellowship with God. It cleanses the conscience and removes every obstacle from communion with Christ. Confession does not gain God’s acceptance, for that was won for us forever by the sacrifice of Christ. God will always be faithful to restore our first love and passion for him. All of our sins were paid for on the cross and we can do nothing to remove them, but confession acknowledges God’s faithfulness to restore our intimacy with him.”
If your life isn’t working, then why not stop and make some needful changes? Remember, the opening scripture tells us that as we move closer to God, He moves closer to us! He longs to move closer to you so that you can experience a unique and divine relationship with Him. Getting closer to Him, you gain an understanding of His divine person, becoming like Him in your thinking and behavior!
Today why don’t you begin the healing process through confession and cleansing! Once you have been bathed in His righteousness, you can enjoy a life and future that is far better for you than what you have chosen for yourself!
KEEP COMING TO HIM
1 Peter 2:4-5 says, “So keep coming to him who is the Living Stone—though he was rejected and discarded by men but chosen by God and is priceless in God’s sight. Come and be his “living stones” who are continually being assembled into a sanctuary for God…” (TPT)
Jesus was rejected and discarded by men so if anyone knows how it feels to be hurt, it’s Jesus. Let me provide a more detailed description of what Jesus suffered while He was here on earth. Taken from Isaiah 53:2-6:
There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us… it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him. (MSG)
In times when we feel like our life is irreparable, we have to remember that God is in the business of resurrecting and restoring what we think is dead and gone! If you take away only one thing from this publication, hear this… “…keep coming to Him.” This is the most important thing you can do, especially when you find yourself in trouble! He is your lifeline and your source of help and hope!
Allow the Holy Spirit to wash and reinforce your mind by coming to Him daily… even hourly if needed. Freely offer yourself to Him, asking Him to cleanse you and give you a fresh start in life! And read and think about God’s Word—memorize those verses that speak to your situation! The Scriptures have a supernatural ability to wash away the lies, depression, and anxiety from our minds and restore a passion for LIFE!
Listen, if you need healing, you must present yourself to the Healer! Who would attempt to perform surgery on themself? No, you must submit yourself to the surgeon! And who would try to tell the surgeon how to do his job? No, you would have to trust that the surgeon knows what he’s doing! In the same way, you must relinquish control of your life to the One who created you to begin with! There is no one more worthy of your trust than the One who loves you unconditionally and desires the very best for you!
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP)
SURRENDERING ALL TO JESUS
There are some of you reading these devotionals who agree with the TRUTH but are unwilling to fully surrender your life. To you I say, don’t be afraid to give your life completely to Christ. Don’t worry about what other people think—that peer pressure will fade soon enough. The more you live for Christ the more you will want to live for Christ! Living the Christian life is actually the most thrilling and exciting life there is! So, if you want to really “live” then you’re going to have to abandon your fears and apprehensions. Some of you are afraid you’ll have to lay down some things you are not willing to give up, and that’s quite possible. But God’s powerful grace helps with that—He gives you the desire and strength to do those things that are pleasing to Him!
So why don’t you make the courageous decision to return to the Lord by simply surrendering your heart to Jesus today? I can’t guarantee all your problems will disappear but what will appear is His steady strength to help you get through life successfully.
If you are not sure where you will spend eternity (and by the way there are only TWO places of eternal residency—with Jesus or without Him!) Today, without putting it off another minute, why don’t you make your future certain and secure? With all sincerity of heart, you can pray the following prayer and be assured of eternal salvation. Also, get into a good church as soon as possible that will help you grow spiritually (this is also non-negotiable if you want to mature in your faith.)
PRAYER FOR SALVATION
Dear Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. (Romans 6:23 NIV) Jesus, you took my place and died on the Cross. Lord, I want to be free from the torments that plague my mind daily. I take your hand today and I trust that you will lead me out into a safe and serene place where I can begin to enjoy life again! Today, as I ask for forgiveness, I also forgive and release all those who have wounded me. Jesus, I accept your gift of sacrifice on the Cross as payment for my sins. I ask you to come into my heart, make me a new person, and give me eternal life. I ask you to be my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord, for giving me newness of life! Amen.