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.

Intimacy in Communion: The Broken Body of Christ

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Matthew 26:26 NIV

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The Lord showed up in an intimate and powerful way at last month’s Restored Hope Network annual conference. It was a beautiful time of worship, equipping, and celebrating testimonies from men and women who have overcome same-sex attraction and gender confusion. God is still in the business of redemption and transformation!

I was honored to lead the communion service towards the end of the conference. Most of us have heard the communion story in 1 Corinthians 11 countless times throughout our lives as we celebrate communion at church. Usually we focus on how Jesus offered the bread and wine, representing His body and blood. We celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection and so much more. We may even talk about examining our hearts and the importance of forgiveness and repentance. These things are truly important; however, the Holy Spirit gripped my heart with the depth of intimacy that Jesus shared with the disciples during the Last Supper. It brought an even deeper understanding of Jesus’ offering.

We can see more of the depth of intimacy in the Last Supper as we read through the account in John, Chapters 13 through 17. Jesus knows the hour of his death has come and he, the faithful rabbi, begins to share the most important thoughts on his heart with his beloved disciples. He begins by washing their feet (13:4-12). He then shares many of the concepts that we hold dear to this day. He tells them that the hour has come for him to be glorified and prepares them for his betrayal. The intimacy between the group was so strong that Peter knew that John was the one who could ask Jesus who the betrayer was and receive an answer (13:22-26). Jesus gives them a new commandment to love one another and he has loved them (13:34). He tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them (14:3), and is sending them the Holy Spirit (14:16-17). He tells them that he is the vine and they are the branches (15:5). He reiterates his love for them as he says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (15:13) He warns them of the persecution to come and says a time is coming when “anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God,” (16:2b) and lets them know that he is preparing them to withstand the persecution (16:4). He assures them that even though they will be suffering sorrow like a woman in labor, their sorrow will be turned to joy (16:21-22). Jesus tells them to ask the Father for anything they need in his name and the Father will grant it (16:23). Jesus finishes up his last teaching session with his High Priestly Prayer in John 17. This is my favorite prayer in the Bible. Jesus shares his heart even more intently as he prays to be glorified, prays for his disciples, and prays for all who will ever believe in him. As soon as he finished this prayer, he and the disciples crossed the Kidron Valley and entered the Garden of Gethsemane where he would be betrayed (18:1).

The Lord gripped my heart with the most beautiful thoughts of intimacy as Jesus offered his body in Matthew 26:26. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’” The Lord showed me a contrast that was pretty blunt, but at a conference for men and women overcoming LGBTQ struggles, it fit. Jesus offers us his body in a holy, pure way. The Lord reminded me of the men who had offered me their bodies in a sinful way. Their offering did nothing but fuel my insatiable desire for sin. Their offering plunged me deeper into bondage and despair. Jesus’ offering of his body brings life. He offers redemption and transformation. Cleansing and freedom. He offers eternal life. There’s no comparison.

Freedom March Minnesota 2019

I pray that you know the love and intimacy that Jesus shared with his disciples at the Last Supper deeply in your soul. May you joyously receive Jesus’ beautiful offering of love, redemption, and transformation. May you live according to your true identity in Christ every minute of every day. May you experience Jesus’ offering to the fullest.

 

If you or someone you love is struggling to live according to your true identity in Christ, Reconciliation Ministries can help. Call us today at 586.739.5114. We would be glad to walk with you to Jesus, the one who offers you beauty for ashes. You can give him your mess, and he will give you his hope.

Videos for HOPE 2022 will be posted soon.

You can watch the conference videos from previous years conferences at https://www.youtube.com/c/RestoredHopeNetwork/playlists

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.

Jesus Can Unlock Your Heart

I saw this lock as I was walking through the neighborhood today. It reminded me of how we can have pain, discouragement, trauma and struggles locked deep inside our hearts. Sometimes we don’t even know where we lost the key or how to get healing. It is during times like this that we need to cry out to Jesus and ask for help. When we don’t even have the strength to cry out, we can look toward Him and merely think, “Help.” He always hears. He is always there. He may not answer in the way we expect, but He will always answer. He knows where the key is.