For God So loved the world

For God so Loved…

Focus: To tell people that salvation is more than going to heaven but being restore in the divine image of God here on Earth. Leading to the Healing and restoration and freedom.

That reminded me of the monkey bars. How I would hold on to one bar ever so tightly and wait until I had the courage and the momentum to move to the other bar. While I waited to move, I would notice my knuckles were turning white (and for mine to turn white, that is saying a lot.) I was focusing on holding tight I would easily get tired and barely make it to the bar or not even making it.

And I fear that is how we sometimes live out our Christian lives. Day by day, waking up and holding on tight to religion to not fall into temptation, holding on fast to not slip a bad word or two, holding on tight to continue convincing other we have it all together.

Jesus desires for us to see and experience God's freedom (glory). Ways to do it can be as simple as recognizing God’s creation to experience the impossible. To experience His glory is to be awaken and realize The God that we hear about is mighty, forgiving, omnipotent, powerful, Sovereign, He is patient, loving and He is ALIVE… Our God is all that is good in the world. And SUCH Beautiful being lives in us.

Today we are going to be reading from the book of John. Let me give you the background. Jesus had His last supper with his disciples. After enjoying the meal, He spends time talking to them about many things, from warnings to the Promise of the Holy Spirit. From encouraging to reminding them, they are not alone. Right after,,,,,Jesus is found alone praying to the Father. He is praying for the disciples, In a moment of what I think would be filled with anxiety and fear, I was amazed to find out that Jesus prays for me and you. Future believers

The prayer is found in today's Scripture in John17:20-26,

“20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

We read rhr Jesus is praying for us to see the Glory of God, and He is also praying that we may be one with God. This is all possible by the Holy Spirit, who was only able to descend upon us if it weren't for Jesus dying on the Cross, resurrecting and ascending to the father.

The Holy Spirit is the one who allows us to recognize the good around us and in us; he is the one that can help identify the handprints of God. He is also the one who can destroy the chains of pain, whether physical or emotional.

Growing up, all I knew Jesus to heal physical pain; it wasn't until a couple of years ago where I realized how much He desires to heal our emotional wounds….. I know some people complain about this generation focusing a lot on feelings. I want to clarify that feelings and emotions do impact our faith. However, that should not be the anchor that holds on to our believes. Sometimes we may not feel loved by God or even feel that He is present; however, GOD IS GOD Whether we feel like believing or not.

God cares just as much for those wounds as He does with physical wounds. The emotional wounds that I am referring to are usually caused by neglected parents, abusive relationships or simply being around broken people. In a class called "Theology of Practice in Healing," we read a book called “Wounds that Healed.” Written by my favorite professor Steve Seamands. And there is one phrase in the book that has stayed with me and that I cannot let go of….. "Let Jesus heal your wounds with His wounded hand." How does that look like?

One thing that the accuser likes to do is to tell us that we are the only ones that are struggling or that have doubts. If we listen to that lie we are led into solitude. And in isolation is where dangerous thoughts bombard us. Jesus cannot understand what I am going htorugh he sees it but does not understand it. He does know what we are going through and I am not only saying it becaue we believe He is an omniscient God. But Jesus himself experienced all type of emotional pain. During the road to the cross we can read all types of meotions that Jesus experience from feeling betrayed to humiliated.

He understands shame better than anyone else. He carried ALL our shame so that we do not have to. Yet we try to cvover our shame (guilt of who we are) with habits, with a title or even trying to be perfect all the time.

Let the wounds of shame that Christ has heal your wounds of shame. Let Him heal that area that when you think about it it brings hurt, anger. That area that for so long has unfortunately given you your identify.

Let us not accept the identity that hurt has given him. e let go and allowed God thourhg the Holy Spirit to show Him that Christ lives in Him. Jesus then became his identiy. I understand that accepting your new identity wont come eay. For so long we have believed the accusers lie about us that soemtiems we will need prayer, counseling and community. The best part of being one in a community of believers, like Christ desired for us to be, is that though you may have lost hope, let me have faith for you. When you do not believe things can get better, let me have faith in you. You and I are not meant to do life on our own we are meant to lean on each other's faith. And I know when I encounter a moment where I do not believe there is hope for me, there will be someone that will have hope for me.

You must be wondering is it really just that? By simply reminding me my worth and identity in Christ and that will set me free. After all the truth shall set you free right? But Personally, I do struggle and it seems that it is an everyday thing of me telling myself where my identity and worth comes from. However, I can see the Holy Spirit engraving that fact within my soul. And the more that I remind myself there is something that happens within my mind. My mentality changes and I am able to see clearer. It also helps to have a church family and to be in a community where we lift each other up and lead each other to Christ.

I do want ot talk about the hurt that sometimes is caused by the church buy other Christians which ultimately, we blame God for. We start believing that the hurt was caused by God himself. How then are we expected to trust Him.

Look into your heart…is that were your shame and hurt is coming from? Are you quietly disappointed in God?

Have you ever asked… Why did you allow this to happen? Why didn’t you care enough to… Why weren’t you there?

During those painful why’s” Christ is sitting there with you. In fact we read in the gospels that Christ Himself asked a “why” quesiotn. “My God My God why have you forsaken me?”

It was brought to my attention that Jesus changed from saying Father to God. In today’s scripture we read Jesus calling God “Father” How distanced must have God felt for Jesus.

We can identify with Jesus. And can we recognize that following such question, there was No anger nor punishment from the Father.

Jesus “why” ultimately represents all our why’s” We may not get the answer here on Earth but we can definitely get the healing we need here on Earth. Idols and wounds are uncovered. Let Jesus wounds heal your wounds. PAUSE

The resurrection means salvation…praise GOD FOR THAT!... but the resurrection can also heal pain and wounds. The healing might not look expect it to look just as the freedom will not look how we expected. This type of freedom is not to be explained yet to be experience.

We have gone to the cross, we are now discovering the victory and healing over our wounds. All through the empty tomb. Now it is time to go out and share the news that there is in healivng available to all. In the last 2 verse we read, “25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” Through Jesus in us God will be known.

We will live out the love shown by Him But in freedom and not fear of messing up or in fear that the identify form shame will creep. Christ is our new identify. He lives in Us. He who lives in us is good therefore we are good. You are not shame you are loved.

And now church For God so loved the worlos that He want us to be one with Him. So then go live in freedom of shame. knowing that you have been forgiven and are ever so loved. In the name of Our father, the son and The sweet Holy Spirit. Go in peace.