And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” – John 8:11 NKJV

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So often, those in the church who are struggling with sexual sin are afraid to go to the church for help. Just like the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, they’re afraid the church leaders will drag them to Jesus and ask Him to stone them. Jesus is different. Instead of condemnation, as we reach out to Him, we experience His love. He offers redemption, cleanses hearts, and empowers us to “go and sin no more”.

Much like the woman at the well in John 4:4-42, transformed lives don’t stop with the one who was directly impacted by Jesus. Historically, it is believed that she came to the well alone during the heat of the day to avoid the rejection and scorn of the other women in the village. They knew her dirty little secrets. Instead of contempt, Jesus looked beyond her sin. He spoke directly to the needs of her heart. When He told her to go and get her husband, she tried to change the subject to something more spiritual. He offered her living water; the only thing that could truly fill the void in her heart. She accepted His offer and her life was transformed forever. The healing didn’t stop there. She went on to evangelize the entire village and introduced them to the Messiah. The impact of a changed life goes far beyond the one who is changed and empowered to “comfort with the comfort that we’ve been comforted with” [2 Corinthians 1:4].

You can walk with brothers and sisters in need. You can help them get past the crowds and obstacles and find healing at the feet of Jesus. You help lower them through the roof to the feet of Jesus [Mark 2:1-12]. You matter. If you’ve already received healing, we at Reconciliation Ministries encourage you to share the healing you’ve already received from Jesus with whomever He puts in your path. If you need healing, reach out to us at 586.739.5114 and ask how we can walk with you to Jesus. If you’re not in our area, we can help you find trustworthy Christians who can help wherever you live. In Christ there is hope. In Christ, you can have a future free of sexual sin. In Christ, you can have an eternal impact.

Jesus Forgives Abortion

“I tell you, her sins – and they are many – have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 7:47-48 NIV

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Are you surrounded by a dark cloud of condemnation because of something you’ve done? Do you hate yourself because of your past and feel like the shame of it will be on you forever? Luke 4 tells us the story of a sinful woman who crashed a dinner party given in Jesus’ honor. The woman wept as she anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears and a jar of expensive perfume. Surely the woman wasn’t clueless about the judgmental attitudes of the “spiritual” people at the party. Nevertheless, she threw herself at Jesus’ mercy. When Jesus noticed that some of the people there were getting an attitude that He was letting this sinful woman touch Him so intimately, He decided to show them how deep His forgiveness runs. The self-righteous people didn’t accept her, but Jesus did. In recognizing the severity of her sin, she was empowered to experience the depths of Jesus’ mercy. In experiencing the depths of His mercy, she was able to understand the fullness of His love.

One of the sins that causes the most shame is abortion. The shame and condemnation can be debilitating for the woman who had an abortion. Some women are coerced into having an abortion by abusive men who use violence and threats to force the woman to take the life of her own child. Sometimes family members pour shame upon an unwed mother. The woman, afraid of losing any shred of support, may agree to have an abortion rather than being abandoned by the few people in her life who feign acceptance as long as there is compliance. Some men were heartbroken as they stood opposed to the abortion, but powerless to stop it. Abortion is devastating. Truly it is a grievous sin, but we have a merciful Savior who allowed wicked, evil men to torture and kill Him so that he could take the punishment that we deserve for our sin. Jesus not only offers to take the punishment that we deserve, He offers to carry our devastation and grief. He died to set us free, cleanse us of our sins, and transform our hearts to become more like His. He offers to forgive us of much, so that we can be free to love and be loved much.

If you or someone you love is suffering from the heartache of abortion, Reconciliation Ministries is here for you. We have compassionate caregivers who can hear your heart and walk with you to Jesus. Call us at 586.739.5114. You can experience the deep forgiveness that Jesus has to offer and know the power of His deep love. You can read how Jesus touched Cassie’s heart and brought her healing from the devastation of two abortions by clicking here. Jesus offers hope and healing to everyone who comes to Him. Even you.

Who Identifies You?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

How confident are you with your identity in Christ? Are you secure in Him, no matter what others think about you? A while ago, it seemed like someone I value and respect threw a negative label at me. To be honest, it really bothered me. None of us like having a negative label put on us. Those labels can sting even more if they come from someone we trust. It brought up memories of other times people threw a negative label at me and I found myself going down a frustrated, angry rabbit hole. I took some time to pray, and the Lord spoke to my heart and asked me who I wanted to be defined by. Do I want to be defined by those who dislike me? Do I want to be defined by those who think I’m a pretty nice guy? In reality, we shouldn’t be defined by either of those choices. Those definitions can be pretty inaccurate and fleeting at best. We should seek to be defined by the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13) and who calls us by our true name (Isaiah 43:1). We should be defined by our Heavenly Father. The more secure we are in Him, and who He declares us to be, the better we can navigate through the challenges and accusations thrown at us by those who don’t see us as God does. As we rest in our true identity in Christ we have peace no matter what others think about us. We have more confidence to make the changes He calls us to make, embrace His transformation process, and grow to be more and more like Him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16 NIV

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I’m sure you’re very familiar with John 3:16. It was likely one of the first verses that you ever learned. It’s also a verse we need to be reminded of frequently. We might know this verse in our brains, but it’s important to know this verse in our hearts. God loves us. It doesn’t get am simpler than that. He also made a way for our salvation and transformation. These truths are among the important foundations of our faith. However, we are all very much a work in progress. We are constantly walking in the tension between who God declares that we are, and who we see when we look in the mirror. It is during our times of struggle that we need to remind ourselves of some of the basic foundations of our faith.

• 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

• Hebrews 4:15-16 - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

• Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

May these verses penetrate your heart and transform the way you see yourself. God doesn’t identify us according to our past sin, or even our present failures. He sees us through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ who lives in us. May that truth give us the grace to live according to our true identity in Christ.

Thank you for partnering with Reconciliation Ministries to help others experience the transformational power of Jesus Christ. No one is beyond the power of the cross. No sin is more powerful than the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Your prayers and financial support help men, women, and adolescents find the love of Christ in their lowest moments of sin and abuse. You can change a life by making a tax-deductible donation to Reconciliation Ministries online at www.recmin.org/donate. You can make an eternal difference in the lives of others.