Forgetting what lies behind me

"Ah yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it."- Unknown

It is not easy to forget our painful past, but through God’s grace and meditating on His word we are able overcome condemnation due to those past experiences.

Just take a moment and think about the Apostle Paul trying to preach the gospel and these words he would hear daily,   “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”. Some of the believers even doubted his credentials; they could not imagine God anointing the persecutor of believers to proclaim the very same gospel he was trying to destroy.

The question is what is that is in your past that is holding you captive from becoming who God created you to be.

When you hear the enemy whispering condemnation in your ears, just proclaim these words over your life like the Apostle Paul:

·         Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Cor 5:17

·         Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, - Phil 3:13

·         I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Gal 2:20

Tell the Disciples and Peter

Tell the Disciples and Peter
Mark 16:1-7
The women were headed to the tomb with spices to embalm the body of Jesus, but they both had a question of great concern on their minds, As these women walked right into the tomb where they were astonished to see an angel that appeared to them as a young man dressed in white.

Note this important message of the angel, "Don't be afraid. I know you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the one they nailed on the cross. He's been raised up; He's here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is now empty. Now - on your way. Tell His disciples and Peter that He is going on ahead of you to Galilee.

This was a message for all followers, but also for Peter and anyone else who felt they were a failure. The women must be sure to tell Peter. Jesus of course knew of the torment Peter was experiencing, his sorrow for his sin of denying His master.

If the angel had only said, "Go tell His Disciples." Peter might have thought that the joy of this good news must not belong to him. Peter might have sighed and said to himself, "I doubt that I can look upon myself as one of His disciples. Three times I denied Him. I disowned Him and deserve to be disowned by Him."

As a woman today, there might be a man in your life that failed you, cheated on you, betrayed you, abused you, or you may know a man, a brother who had great dreams and visions. This man was called to accomplish great things for God, but he has gone astray. He now lives in a spiritual pig sty – shame, guilt and condemnation are destroying his confidence.

Like the women in Luke 16, God is giving you an assignment to let that man know that Jesus still loves him and wants to restore him. God wants you to forgive him... Go Tell His Disciples and Peter... The Peter in your life is waiting to hear this message today.
jesusforwomen@gmail.com

Sonship

Romans 8:15. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."

Friends we are no more slaves/orphans but we are sons and daughters of the most High God. Your father God loves you with an everlasting love.

Here are some characteristics of a son and a slave/orphan.

Son

See God as a loving Father

Rest and Peace

Totally accepted in God’s love, and justified by grace

Service that is motivated by a deep gratitude for being unconditionally loved and accepted by God

Slave

See God as Master

Insecure / Lack peace

Strive for the praise, approval, and acceptance of man

Seek to impress God and others or no motivation to serve at all.

"The Woman Who Was Forgiven Much"

... Luke 7:36-50
[36] Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. [37] When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, [38] and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.,

This morning i stumbled upon this heart breaking story of this young lady.

“I’m not yet 30 years old, from a middle class background, successful academically and never dreamed I’d end up in prostitution. Now here I am, 2 years after I exited it and still suffering its aftermath, every day.
It kills me inside when people talk about prostitution being a ‘choice’, or ‘empowering’, or ‘harmless fun’ for women. Those words don’t even belong in the same sentence. In my experience, prostitution was the end result of addiction, self hatred, and years of extreme physical and sexual abuse by my ex-partner which left me feeling I deserved nothing more.

If you’re cut off from other people and their perspectives, and told not to trust them, and forced to rely on the person who abuses you, and gives other men access to abuse you, so that the hand that hits you and hurts you is also the hand that feeds you, and mops you up (sometimes) you get confused, what you are told and what happens to you are two different things and you lose the language, the words, to ask for help.
You think you’re going mad.
2 years on, and the shame still gets in the way. 2 years on, and I still find it hard to verbalise what happened to me, what was done to me, and what I was made to do, because it makes me sick, and frankly, I’m scared that other people will feel the same. I do therapy, I’m clean and sober now, and its 2 years on and I still struggle.

This story reminded me of the woman in Luke 7:36-50 who some scholars believe she was a prostitute. It’s high likely that she was going through what the lady in the story above was going through. A reject in society, used and abused by men on daily basis. Condemnation, anger and blaming herself were the order of the day.
The bible says when this woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. This was her way of pouring all her anger, sorrow, condemnation at Jesus. Immediately all her sins were forgiven.
What is it that you going through today, that secret thing you are ashamed of, thinking how would people react if they knew what you did in the past. Are people judging you based on your past? I have good news for you, like the woman in Luke 7, Jesus is waiting for you with arms open wide. Just pour out all that is holding you captive, your sorrows, condemnation, and anger at his feet. He loves you so much that he died and paid for all your past, present and future sins. Jesus loves broken, downtrodden women.

Not Him , Not Her

Luke 15: 29 -30 - But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ but when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“I have been serving in this church for twenty years and the Pastor is not giving me a chance to preach, look at him/her, after only three years he/she is part of the church leadership”.

“I have been singing in the church choir for thirty years, this lady only joined the choir last year and she is already leading worship”

“He cannot be anointed, how can an ex-drug user be used of God?”

Are these statements familiar? The parable of the prodigal son helps us to learn some important lessons about the grace of God.

 The elder brother believes that, through his moral efforts and by following the rules, God owes him. But Jesus’ death on the cross teaches us that God doesn't owe us anything; instead, we owe God everything. Therefore, we should not look down on the poor and broken in our midst because we know that, apart from Christ, we are equally poor and broken.

Knowing what he did for us must drain us of our self-righteousness and our insecurity. We were so sinful he had to die for us. But we were so loved that he was glad to die for us. That takes away both the pride and the fear that makes us elder brothers.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this wealth in vessels of earth, so that it may be seen that the power comes not from us but from God;

God will often choose and use unlikely vessels in our midst. After all, God is no respecter of persons. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts far greater than our thoughts.

Thank You Mum, You made the right choice

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he said, “Hail, favoured one! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28b NASB).
This morning I called my precious mother for our usual morning chats when I am driving to work. One question I asked her was how she managed to go through pregnancy as a 24 year old single woman, and no husband to support her. I was the child she was carrying in her womb. I thanked her for not contemplating an abortion. Growing up in a conservative Christian church, she might have been excommunicated, ridiculed and shamed.
When pregnancy is such an intense stressor that the woman is contemplating abortion, she is making her decision under great stress. This means that she is likely to make a risky, premature, ill-thought-out decision based on what seems like the quickest way out of the immediate crisis.
There could be a young woman out there thinking of going the abortion route. We don’t know what she is going through and her state of affairs. However, there is a story in the bible of a young woman Mary who became the mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.
Part of the price Mary paid was the doubt, suspicion, and rejection she encountered because of her virgin conception. Neither Mary nor her fellow believers were expecting a virgin birth.
Despite all this, Mary persevered. Although she experienced times of sorrow and despair, she always trusted in the Lord. She never decided to give in. When something bad happened, she continued on because she knew it was all a part of God's plan.
There are situations in life that makes us want to abort our dreams, visions. The discouragement, condemnation creeps in and the future looks bleak. Don’t give up on that dream and vision. Don’t give up on that baby; you don’t know what God made him/her to become. God is able to forgive us for the sin committed, but remember the child is not a mistake.
Thank you mum, you made the right choice. Look what the Lord has done. I am still here by the grace of God.

One thing is needed, Don't worry about Many things

Luke 10:42  But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

In a world filled with distractions, the story of Mary and Martha can help you set your life in order.

Jesus and His disciples arrived at the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha about mealtime.An important lesson was recorded during that visit that should positively affect us.

Notice the exchange between Jesus and Martha: "She [Martha] had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken from her' " (Luke:10:39-42[39]And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.[40]But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.[41]And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:[42]But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.).

Martha type - women who live their lives outside - in

They worry about many things: How beautiful they look in the church. What people will say about them. Want to be seen in the church and enjoy attention. They like to be involved in the ministries where they will be seen. This type enjoys compliments from people even if God disapproves. The motive is always to gain acceptance from people . This type doesn't have any revelation of grace, to them you must do something to earn God favour. They are always busy organising events in the church but not available for the fellowship.These are always busy, busy, busy never have time for the closet with Jesus. They don't avail themselves to Him in secret but want to be used by Him public.

Mary type - women who live their lives inside - out

They know where they come from with the Lord. They understand grace, hence they can take time to sit at His feet to listen to Him. These are thirsty and hungry for righteousness and they are filled at the feet of the Master. This type is sold out to the Lord to the extent that they can anoint the feet of Jesus, that is where they live AT THE FEET OF THE MASTER.They enjoy prayer because the only way you can sit at the feet of Jesus is when you are bowed down

This one thing that worth being concerned about, cannot be taken away from you. Not even the devil can take it away. This ONE THING David describe it profoundly in Psalm 27:4..... "The one thing I ask the of the Lord - The thing I seek most - is live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in His Temple."

The Mary type enjoy the Presence of God and there is where they want to live. Come, The Master is waiting for you to nestle at His feet.

You are not alone: We all have issues

Luke 8: 43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44: Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

Have you ever felt like you could have stopped something from happening to you in the past? Or you could have done something different. This one thing haunts you day and night. Now you are sitting with a bag full of regret, guilt and shame.  You feel unworthy and useless, not deserving anything good.  Day by day you just go through life not expecting anything from God. This is how you feel “God is angry with me, I deserve this”

Imagine a girl gang raped after a night out with friends and there is no one to turn to for help. She blames herself for being out at night without the parents’ permission and all her adult life she keeps this to herself.  Another woman who had to do an abortion because her husband or boyfriend felt the baby was a mistake or unplanned. There is that woman, committed and faithful to her husband, only to be infected with an incurable disease by her unfaithful husband, now she cannot disclose to anyone for fear of rejection.  Imagine the shame on this woman labelled a “marriage breaker” after going out with this married man. 

 These women have one thing in common, they all have issues. The bible relates a story of one woman who also had an issue; hers was an issue of blood. This heart wrenching account of a woman who had spent all her means trying to be healed of haemoraging, is a story of terrible desperation and affliction. She had suffered with this condition twelve years and having spent all her money on physicians was no nearer healing than anytime before. She was according to the Mosaic law "unclean" and was an outcast of society, just the same as any leper.

So when she saw Jesus and reached out and touched the fringe of Jesus garment, she was doing something she wasn't allowed to do. Technically she had made Jesus unclean. That is why she was not quick to own up, when Jesus asked who touched me? She only admitted when Jesus insisted and then fell down before him trembling, she was clearly in fear of what might happen to her, because she had touched another and made Jesus unclean. When she fell before Jesus trembling she spoke of why she touched him and also declared to the crowd the mighty act which God had done for her in stopping the blood which had flowed continually for twelve years. Jesus response to her is not of rebuke and correction, rather he comforts her and tells her that her faith has made her whole and tells her to go in peace. Jesus wants to the same for every man or woman having issues. Just reach out and touch him and see what He can do for you.

Don’t despair, you are not alone: We all have issues.

Where are your accusers?

John 8:2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" ……Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."

It all started innocent. She was a maid in this house and she used to do all of the cleaning and cooking and looking after the young ones. The couple she was working for were in business and they often were away for nights at a time and sometimes his wife was away and he was left at home taking care of the business.

He was a smooth talker and he liked to sit down with a glass of wine after a meal and have a good chat. He did that with his wife most of the time when the children were in bed but on the few occasions she was away, On this particular day he came to the maids room and invited her down for a chat and a couple of wines.

She was young and didn't have the body of a lady that had given birth to three children. It was a summer's day, and he had laughed a few hearty laughs, and drank a few too many drinks when he grabbed her and began to kiss her. At first she was shocked but as he kissed her, she had to admit to herself that this was really her secret heart's desire. She responded and for a night she saw him very happy.

Of course in the morning it was hard for them to be civil with each other. With the sexual union, something had changed and there was tension in the air now as he made it clear that it was only the wine that had allowed him to make such a bad mistake.

It isn't very flattering for a girl to lose her virginity to a man that she loved, only to be told in the morning that it was all a mistake and that if it wasn't for the wine he would never have been so stupid. Soon she was reduced to a constant feeling of shame. The lady of the house suspected them from the first week but she was so busy and so driven she must have just put it to the side. But one day out the back when she was hanging the washing out she confronted her with it and in tears she made her confession. She promptly kicked her out with one week's income and she was homeless and heartbroken.

This could have been a woman caught in adultery and was brought to Jesus by the Pharisees. Under the Jewish Law She would have been stoned if she had not met Jesus that day. She was guilty of a bad sin and deserving of death and the hellfire. But thanks be to God that Jesus looks to the heart and could see that her sin was only a matter of bad circumstance on her part.

Like this woman there are a multitude of women who still live in condemnation and shame because of the sexual sin they committed in the past. You don't have to worry how big your sin seems to be. Jesus can free you of that sin if you would just let Him. He has the power and the anointing to heal you and you can be set free if you choose. So confess your sin and walk in freedom today. And in the words of Jesus I leave you. Where is your accuser dear friend? Therefore go and sin no more! –

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, – Roman 8:1

Rahab: From Harlot to Heroine

Joshua 2:1

¹ Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

Imagine a lady waking up one day needing some extra cash and having no way of getting it. There’s no food in the fridge, she has bills to pay, she has a job, but it doesn’t pay nearly enough for her costs and each breathe she takes is accompanied with the worry and the realization that she might not make it through another day. Getting an extra job is just a bandage on a situation that is getting worse, considering that because of her lack of education or networking skills she’ll most likely be stuck flipping burgers or asking some shopper at the super market if they are paying cash or credit. Or imagine for a minute she has been told from the time she was young that the only way for her to get out of the poverty is finding some guy with big pockets to pay for her needs. Having the idea entrenched in her psyche that her brains aren’t good enough to make it through, but rather low cut shorts and revealing outfits are an easier an more lucrative ticket out of a situation i.e. Prostitution

Rarely do we consider what a prostitute feels as she is being solicited by men, and or women, or what they feel as the encounters begins. Even more truthful is the fact that we don’t consider what a prostitutes feels when he or she is in the middle of a sexual act and how they feel at the end of it all when they are paid for their "services," and are dispatched into the night, as they prepare to do it again and again. This is a day in a life of a prostitute.  Jesus is the only one who is able to turn such lives around.

The book of Joshua introduces us to one of the most amazing and thought provoking women of the Old Testament. Rahab, the prostitute earned unique praise for her faith, and a place in the lineage of Christ. Certainly the faith this one woman revealed demonstrates the potential we all have; yet she also reminds us to not judge--how many of us would expect a great act of faith from a hooker? How many of us would not only have walked by her house, but crossed to the other-side of the street so as not to be contaminated. Yet, God blessed this woman by putting her in the lineage of Christ. It’s not how you start but how you finish that matters. God can use anyone irrespective of their past life.

Jabez's Mother

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 Jabez was more honourable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

Imagine the little Jabez (One who brings sorrow) playing around the house, happy and minding his own business. He is unaware of the pain that his mother is going through. Every time she looks at Jabez, she is reminded of the pain she had to go through for him to be born. What type of pain could Jabez had caused his mother at birth. Was he conceived as a result of rape or sexual assault?  Was the mother rejected by a boyfriend when he realised she was pregnant. Was the child fathered by a married man who when she fell pregnant, advised her to abort the child?

Now here she is all by herself trying to raise this child, no emotional, financial support from the child’s father. She could have opted to abort the child or to give the child away for adoption.  Today’s society is full of such women; rejection is the order of the day.

The answer to these women’s problem is found when we examine the way Jesus treated every woman He met. Instead of pigeonholing women the way society had, He looked at each woman as unique. No one ever heard Jesus trivialize one of their problems by calling it a” woman-thing.” He didn’t smooth-talk women, or flatters them to get their attention. And He didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear—He told them what they needed to know.

What’s more, He did not believe what many of the women thought about themselves, because so often their own view had been grossly distorted by others. What Jesus did was to focus His attention on each woman’s greatest need, and then He met that need—in ways they never expected. Jesus taught women to look beyond their outward appearance for acceptance. He showed them they were valuable when others said they were worthless. He challenged the rules that bound them and broke down the walls of prejudice that entrapped them.

Even when a woman was labelled a “failure,” He believed she could be more than her broken past. Most importantly, Jesus gave unconditional love to every woman no matter what her past history, present condition, or future prospects. He was a Man ahead of His time, a Renaissance Man who understood what loving a woman all was about. This is why the women stayed with Him. And the longer they stayed, the more they grew to love Him and to love themselves.

When you are accepted just the way you are, encouraged to reach your potential, and empowered to follow your dreams, don’t you feel loved? If you long for a love that restores your self-worth…gives you purpose…fills you to overflowing…and never lets you go, then I invite you to come meet The Man Who Loves Women - Jesus

The Woman at the Well

She could have been anyone’s sister, someone’s daughter. Growing up as a little girl she had big dreams and aspirations. She dreamed of becoming significant and imagined herself as history maker and a world changer. She might have been raised by loving parents,  or may have  been raised in a dysfunctional family. One thing that stood out was that she had big dreams. It was until the first man came into her life and all hell broke loose. He promised her things that he could not fulfill, he took what was precious to her,  he took her innocence away and left her broken. She would never be the same again, then was a vicious cycle of moving from one relationship to another. The emptiness grew inside her and at some point she had quite a number of men in her life. Some single and some married.

As the frustration grew and her dreams shattered, not knowing where to turn, she opted for a life of playing men. One day as she went to the well to fetch water, minding her own business and planning to mess at least one man for the day. She met a man who looked like an ordinary man she had encountered before. This could be her pawn for the day. But this was no ordinary man, His name was Jesus.

John 4 has a story of such a woman - the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. She was broken and had no hope, but this time around she met a man who could mend her brokenness and He surely did. After the encounter she left the well whole, healed and ready to dream again. Jesus loves broken women.

This story does not only apply to single women ; it can also apply to a married woman who is unable to deal with hurts and disappointments from past relationships. Please know that Jesus is still the same today as He was yesterday. He is standing with open arms to welcome the broken and He is willing to Heal, Restore and Renew.