God Wants to Take Away your Shame

God loves you. He wants to encourage you today.

Have you messed up your life? Are you consumed by shame?

God wants to be your loving father, no matter how you've messed up.

God took your guilt and your punishment upon Himself by sending His Eternal Son to die on the cross.
 
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV) 


Imagine the trauma the Father God suffered when he saw his own Son tormented on the cross, how he felt the terrible pain and loneliness of his Son.

But Father God made all this happen, so that Jesus would bear your guilt and my guilt.

God is just. Crimes must never go unpunished, but Jesus took our punishment upon Himself.

But perhaps you suffer because you are a victim. So many children are sexually abused, sometimes by their own parents. Young women are lured by lies and forced to work as prostitutes.

Even if you see yourself as a victim, the shame is unbearable. Imagine you are a decent woman who is tricked and enslaved. The idea that you are or have been a prostitute is unthinkable.

There are also men or women who lose everything and go broke because of their own mistakes, or because of circumstances that were out of their control. Some are tempted to commit suicide.

When the mother of Jesus became pregnant, she was not yet married. Jesus had to endure the shame of a supposedly illegitimate child in a small town.

Then Jesus hung stark naked on the cross. He was despised. He bore your shame.

There are some Christians, some pastors and also some priests who want to help guilty or despised fellow human beings with genuine compassion and understanding, but many suffering people experience cruel rejection in churches.

A young woman wanted to attend a service, but she was not even allowed inside the church because she was wearing a miniskirt.

Some children are sexually abused by pastors or priests. When they later report the crime, they are often condemned by the church and treated badly.

But Jesus was not like these priests and corrupt church leaders.

The hypocritical religious leaders despised Jesus because he was kind to sinners and social outcasts.


The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."' Luke 7:34 (NIV)

Jesus lived as a human being, but he was also God. He died as a man, but he did not remain dead. Three days after his death he returned to his disciples.

Now Jesus is in heaven with Father God. He is the eternal Son of God, but he still remains human. He loves you with God's love, but also with the compassion and understanding of a fellow human being.

Jesus understands your guilt and your shame. He has carried all this so that you no longer have to carry this terrible burden.

As a man on earth, Jesus invited everyone to come to him.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NIV) 

Jesus lived a short time among men as a mortal man.

Now he is the risen Son of God. He has sent his Holy Spirit to activate God's love in your life.

Would you like to receive Jesus? He wants to comfort you with His love. He also wants to heal you with His unlimited power.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

He now stands as a priest before the eternal throne of Father God, pleading on your behalf.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV)

God's Healing for Damaged People

In Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, ATHELAS is a powerful healing herb. The true King is also a true healer, and he applies the herb ATHELAS to terrible wounds.
 
This is a Christian parable.

ATHELAS is the New Testament Greek word meaning TRUTH.
In the New Testament the true King is Jesus but his true identity is veiled, as Jesus lives an ordinary life amongst ordinary people, just like Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings.

In The Lord of the Rings, two heroic characters are stabbed with blades empowered by demonic witchcraft, that is Frodo and Eowyn. Aragorn, the King in exile, puts ATHELAS herb in hot steaming water and applies the medicine to the deadly wounds.

When people are traumatised by dark and terrible experiences, only truth can heal them.
 
Many Christians have some understanding of this but lack the deep wisdom and love to apply truth in a healing way.

In the Lord of the Rings, it is the King himself who applies the healing herb with gentleness and healing skill.

It is not enough to present traumatised people with the truth about the King. We must bring them gently into the presence of the King Himself.

Some badly damaged people can only tolerate medicine in very small doses. Sometimes we must administer very small doses of truth with a lot of love and patience.

In the New Testament, Jesus did not declare the full truth of who he is to the crowds when they came for healing. He healed the sick and he spoke in parables.

Timing is also vitally important. Even with his chosen twelve apostles, Jesus did not begin by telling them he was the eternal God come down from heaven. He waited for the Father to reveal it to them.

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  Mt 16:13-17 NKJ

A young woman goes to church looking for God. She was abused as a child and became a prostitute. She is traumatised and sees herself as a victim.

The pastor confronts the issue of her sin but shows little empathy for her as a suffering victim.

Timing!

We must know when and how to minister truth to damaged people.

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: Eccl 3:1 NKJ

Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won't be tempted too. Gal 6:1 CEB

Remember, truth must always come with love and mercy. Truth without love often makes wounds worse, not better.
 
Ultimately God will judge the world with truth and condemn everyone who rejected Jesus, but remember, you and I are not judges. Only God is the judge.

But what about strong preaching? Don’t we also need that?
Strong preaching is like surgery. Some people need life saving operations.

But even with surgery, we try to minimise the pain with anaesthetics, gentle after care and pain relief.
There are some preachers and some Christians who approach every situation like a surgeon.

Supposing a family doctor routinely and repeatedly sends all his patients to hospital for major operations. He will kill people and lose his license to practise medicine.

If you are an evangelist, you are gifted and called to confront sin, but don’t do this to the same people over and over again. Jesus was called the friend of sinners.

Truth without grace often does more harm than good.

You need the peace of God!

God's will for you is peace.

Peace in Hebrew is SHALOM. That includes safety, healing and complete well-being. This peace comes only from God. 

Herrmann Zaiss was a dedicated evangelist in Germany who was deeply hurt in spite of amazing success. He was full on charismatic. His ministry resulted in numerous conversions and healings, but in 1924 the resistance of the anti-charismatic Christians was much stronger than it is today.

The persecution by other Christians was very hard to take. His wife had a complete nervous breakdown and his marriage failed. His wife was apparently permanently psychotic in a psychiatric institution.

Herrmann Zaiss was a broken man despite his amazing faith.
How is that possible? In the Bible, Elijah became desperate and asked God to let him die.

Herrmann Zaiss could not take it any longer.

He did not want to have anything to do with God anymore. He still believed in God, but he did not want to live as a Christian. God could kill him, he knew that. He told God he could call him back after 20 years if He so willed. That was up to God.

Zaiss became a successful entrepreneur and married again.
In 1944 he was in Solingen and Germany was falling to pieces. In Solingen and elsewhere, allied bombs rained down day and night.

His wife told him that despite everything, he was a man of God. The time had come to re-activate his faith to encourage the suffering people around them.

Exactly twenty years after turning his back on God, he knelt with his wife, and they gave themselves completely to Jesus.

God forgave him and restored his miraculous ministry. His faith was stronger than ever.

One day they heard a bomber attack on Solingen from England was on their way. Herrmann Zaiss took to the streets and ordered the aircraft to return to England. Then they heard that the bombers had actually turned back.

His ministry increased. Hundreds of desperate Germans came to hear his message. Many were converted.

After the war, a businessman provided him with a bomb-damaged building.

People came from near and far, even from Holland. They saw amazing healings. Where despair reigned, new hope rose up.

Among the British occupation forces was a young soldier. His entire Jewish family in Germany had been wiped out by the Nazis. He was accepted as a refugee in England, and now as a British soldier he hated the Germans.

A Canadian officer was Christian and wanted to help the young Jew. He took the tormented you man to one of Herrmann Zaiss’s meetings. The broken-hearted young soldier heard the wonderful message and saw the amazing miracles. He felt the love of God and God gave him a new heart. Instead of blazing hatred, there was now a burning love.

At the same meetings there was an ex SS officer who had adored Hitler. He had been seriously wounded during the last days of the war, and he was cared for in an American hospital. He could not understand the love of American Christians, but Jesus also transformed his heart.

The young Jew and the no longer hate filled Nazi officer became close friends.

"I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "And I will heal him." Isaiah 57:19 (NKJV)

The God of Impossible Miracles

Without the love of God, faith does not work. Very often we see contentious debates about biblical teachings. Doctrines are important, but we can cling to beliefs with determination, but without loving and trusting God.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 

Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb
and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. Mk 16:1–4 NIV

The women wanted to anoint the body of their beloved Jesus. They just loved him. When people are moved by trust in God and pure love, we can see what faith really means.

They show their love for Jesus in a practical way. Real love always moves us to do something.

Love, faith and action are inseparable.
These women took the initiative.

We see no hint in the text that they were following instructions from the apostles. At that time, the apostles were intimidated and confused.

Once I was in a church which was planning a Christmas outreach in a shopping centre. I went to the shops with a young man from the church to pray for the Christmas celebration.

He asked me if I had the permission of the pastor. I was surprised. If you want to pray, do you need the permission of a pastor? Really?

When we are moved by the love of God, we will often take the initiative to bless our families, our neighbours or our colleagues.

But the women had a problem. The entrance of the tomb was blocked by an enormous stone.

But when you are deeply moved by love and trust in God, you can stare impossibilities in the face and not turn back.

One missionary was convinced that God had told him to go to China, but he had no money and no ticket. He obeyed and went to the airport. He was familiar with testimonies where missionaries in similar situations got a ticket from someone at the airport.

He had to go to the toilet and when he left the washroom, he was in China.

There are Christians who believe that God worked amazing miracles in biblical times, but if someone claims to have experienced extraordinary miracles in our own time, they dismiss it as unbiblical or worse.

In the Bible, I read that it is part of God's nature to do the impossible. God's nature is unchanging.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NIV

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Malachi 3:6

God’s mercy is part of His eternal character; so too is His supernatural way of working wonders.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 NIV

God Loves Rejected People

The Father gave His only son Jesus for all mankind. In return, the Father wants to give all mankind to Jesus. 

 

Why do not all come to Jesus? 

 

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37 (NKJV)  

 

Does God only draw some to Himself and to His Son?

• No, no, no.

Jesus said:

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12:32 (ESV) 

 

Jesus was lifted up from the earth on the cross, when He willingly died to pay the penalty for our sin, to receive the punishment for our rejection of our loving God because we chose to live as though He did not love and care for us.

 

Jesus died but He did not stay dead.

• After three days in the grave, He was bodily raised up from the grave by the Holy Spirit.

• He spent 40 days encouraging and teaching His followers before He was raised up from the earth again. 

While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. Luke 24:51 (ESV) 

 

The heart of the Father is to save every one of His lost children. 

• Without Jesus in your life, you are separated from God by your own choice because you have chosen not to live in the Father love of God. 

• You have lost your right to be called a son or daughter of God.

• God is the source and giver of all life and goodness. 

• If you die without Jesus, you will still exist and you will experience the darkness and emptiness of death for ever.

If you are not enjoying the love and forgiveness of God but you are reading these words, God is speaking to you calling you to come to Jesus.

• God sent His son into the world to restore everyone to Himself but He was rejected and put to death.

• It is the same today. 

• He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, John 1:10,12 (ESV) 

 

Why did God do this? Because God is Love. 

 

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NKJV) 

 

God’s plan is that you would find His love in a church but sadly this sometimes does not happen. 

 

• If you have not found the love of Jesus in a church, don’t give up on God. 

• If churches have rejected you, Jesus has not stopped loving you.

 

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37 (NKJV)  

 

If you come to Jesus by watching Christian TV or reading the Bible alone, God is loving you and not casting you out. If you are an isolated believer in Jesus, God wants something better for you.

 

And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Genesis 2:18 (NKJV) 

 

If you are a man or woman who is following Jesus alone, God is proud of you for not giving up on His Son but He wants you to have human companionship. 

 

Ask Him to lead you into Christian friendship. 

• This is more important than marriage. Marriage can be a blessing or a curse.
• This is more important than going to church or joining an organisation.
• Churches can be loving or they can destroy love.

But one great truth remains. 

Jesus is with you if you love Him and He is very powerfully present when two or three believers come together because they love Him.

• I pray that you will know the love of Jesus.

• I pray that you will find a loving church.

• I pray that you will enjoy loving family life.

• But even if you do not find a loving church or family, I pray that you will discover the blessing of believing friendship.

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)

DOING GREAT THINGS HUMBLY

When you step out in faith and act boldly with and for Jesus, you get bigger, not smaller. It is no longer you alone who is bigger but you and Jesus together who rise to the occasion.

Jesus said, without me you can do nothing but with God all things are possible.. 

• Notice not “All things are possible for God” which means God can do anything.. but “All things are possible with God."

  • That means you with God and God with you. God is looking for partners and co-workers.

This message was inspired by the following note pasted by Pastor Jeff Mills on Facebook.

"Wow! We never stop learning do we? I was reading a book today and the author said that many Christians take John the Baptist's prayer as a model, "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30. 

He goes on to say that this is actually not a legal prayer for us. John was closing out a season as the greatest OT prophet. He was passing the baton on to Jesus who would initiate the existence of the Kingdom of God on earth. 

The focus was shifting from John and the Law, to Jesus and the Kingdom. John had to decrease. Jesus had to increase. 

But when Jesus left the earth He didn't say we were to decrease. 

Instead He passed the same baton on to us with His name, power, and authority and commissioned us to continue in what He started. "As the Father has sent me, I also send you" John 20:21. What is needed is not less of us and more of Him. What is needed is all of us covered and filled by all of Him. "      

True humility does not require you to hide yourself or to castrate your unique God given personality.

You and I are called to be ambassadors for Christ, to represent Jesus and His Kingdom on Earth.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 2Co 5:20 (NKJV) 

An Ambassador must be humble, so that he does not promote his own interests or opinions but rather the interests of his country. 

• However, an Ambassador must exercise high authority in order to represent his President or King.

Is Paul here only speaking of himself as an Apostle and of his companions who are senior pastors and evangelists? He does not say so.

Just before He returned to His Father in Heaven, Jesus authorised all believers to exercise the full authority of heaven on earth.

Mk 16:17 (NIV)  And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

In obeying this command, there are some extremes we must avoid.

I must not promote my own miracle ministry in a way that draws honour to myself.

• I must act boldly in miracle faith and not hide my light but at the same time giving all the glory to Jesus and also honouring other believers and their ministries.

I must also follow the example of Randy Clark, an American pastor. 

God started to use him powerfully through the word of knowledge and miraculous healings. 

• However, when some of his church members started to be used in even more dramatic ways, he felt intimidated. 
• Then his wife correctly pointed out it was better for him not to be the number one star all the time. 
• He humbly accepted his wife’s counsel and publicly confessed his error and testified how his wife had corrected him.

God wants to give us great gifts so we can honour Him, bless others and also raise up others to do even greater things through the grace of God.

• When you help God to raise up others, you must also not expect God will give them exactly the same kind of gift and ministry that He has given you. 

  • Many leaders go wrong in that they try to teach their disciples to be like themselves.

Ro 12:10 (NKJV)  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another.

Why You Are Not Like Other People

For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 1Co 4:7 (NKJV)  

This text teaches us not to be proud.

You and I must not claim the credit for what God has called us to do because with the calling, 

• God also gives the inspiration, the wisdom, the faith, the love, the knowledge, the strength and the skill to fulfil His purpose in His way.

However, there are other lessons hidden in this text.

Firstly, we do differ from one another. Some of the differences are by God’s design.

• God did not call Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederick Handel to be preachers but to write some of the most glorious music ever heard on this earth.

• God did not call Billy Graham or Reinhard Bonnke to teach theology in a Bible college but to preach to great crowds to bring millions of lost men and women into the Kingdom of Heaven.

If God has gifted you to transform the lives of children, He may not have given you the gift of preaching to crowds of adults. 

One of the saddest things in churches is the low value we put on children and children’s ministry.

• Samuel was a child when he heard the voice of God and became a prophet.

• Mary was a young teenager when she conceived the Son of God.

• In Mozambique, Heidi Baker adopts abandoned children and raises them up to preach the Good News of Jesus to hostile Muslims and witchcraft workers. 

  • Little boys and girls open blind eyes and deaf ears and whole villages come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Children’s ministry can be a place of training for preachers to adults we should not only see children in this way.

• I often hear people speak of children as “the church of tomorrow.” I hate this saying. 

  • Although it is partly true, it poisons the church with unbelief concerning the potential of children to be heroes of faith right now.

• In churches where these thoughts are accepted, the adults are often spiritual underachievers as well. God save our children from becoming mediocre unbelieving believers!

Another reason for differences between believers is simply that only some believers have learned the secret of receiving in order to give.

“For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive?”

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Lk 7:47 (NKJV)  

• The first thing we all need to receive is forgiveness for our sins. 

  • If we have a revelation of the wonderful goodness of God, we will see more and more how much we need His forgiveness and how great is His mercy and grace.

Some of us strive to be good but we are really trying to cover our weaknesses and faults.

• Paul wrote:

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2Co 12:9 (NLT)  

I love to hear preachers talk about their weaknesses and faults and how God has helped them overcome them. Unfortunately, few preaches dare to be so transparent.

There are other believers who depend on their knowledge and abilities instead of opening themselves to the wisdom and direction of God. 

• If you empty yourself and receive revelation, wisdom and direction from God, He will also use your knowledge and talents but your own ability must never be your starting point or the thing you rely on.

The Apostle Paul and John Wesley were both brilliant scholars but they laid down their lives to learn from the Holy Spirit. 

• God redirected their thinking and used their minds for His Kingdom.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1Co 1:21 (NKJV) 

• We must also not go to the other extreme by despising intellect. 

  • We would not have bibles and study resources without highly educated believers. 

  • We also need believing doctors, teachers, writers and politicians.