An All Too Common Fear – Rejection

February 22, 2008 at 2:38 pm (Grace Insights)

Rejection – what an awful word.  We don’t like to talk about it, teach about it or even read it.  We don’t even like to readily admit that we all have experienced it in some form or another.  It is humiliating to our flesh to admit rejection.  I, like many others had suffered in silence from rejection and the awful fear that it creates.  I know in my own life that I have feared rejection because to be rejected would say to me that I was “worthless” or not “good enough” and I need to be loved and accepted by others in order to feel secure and significant.  What about you??  Do you fear rejection?  If so, ask yourself, “If I were rejected, what would that say about me?”  Chances are that you will discover your very own “False Belief” (as we like to call it).  So…what is the truth?  For myself – I found truth in I John 4.  I had read it many times and wondered about its full meaning.  I sensed in my spirit that there was much more there but I could not see it….Until….I read it in light of God’s wonderful grace.  In verse 7 John begins talking about loving one another and that love springs from God.  He goes on to explain the wonderful message of God sending his own Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Verse 12 then shares a unique truth.  He says that if we love one another God abides in us and His love is brought to completion in us.  Brought to completion means brought to its full maturity, runs its full course and is perfected in us.  If you go on a few verses you find verse 18 that says “there is no fear in love, but full grown love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror.  For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and so he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love” (Amplified Bible) – meaning he is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection.  I believe what Father wanted me to understand is that when I receive and embrace God’s full love for me; He meets all my needs for security and significance.  This in turn frees me to allow Christ to love and serve others through me because I don’t need anything in return from them – I am free.  When I seek to get those needs of security and significance met by others I am not free but I am bound to them.  If they do not reciprocate in like fashion I end up hurt and feeling rejected.  Thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ – I don’t have to live this way anymore!  Isn’t it great that God IS our New Life Design!!

Dana

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Prayer & Praise Update

February 15, 2008 at 2:59 pm (Prayer & Praise)

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for your prayer support for NLD.  The last two weeks have been very busy and we are so thankful.  We added a new client, have another considering going through the process and another prospective client coming in the first of next week.  If you have read the previous blog you know that I had a speaking engagement yesterday and got a chance to share Truth with a wonderful group of women here in Douglasville.  God is at work and we are amazed at every turn.  As I was wrapping up a session with one lady this week I was just overwhelmed with such a sense of privilege and gratitude to be used by Father to help others find life and freedom in Christ.

This next week will be a busy week of appointments, study and prep and then the next week I am going with Tony to Las Vegas to a trade show to demo a product that DATO Technologies has been able to help create.  While he is “wheeling & dealing” at the trade show (not at the casinos ha-ha), I will be held up in the hotel room studying a resource and going through training Cd’s in hopes to incorporate this into our coaching process.  Please pray that Father will give me a clear mind ready to learn and discernment as to how this could help minister to many who are dealing with deep wounds. 

Some additional resources that I will be studying has to do with how to protect your ministry.  As you know, the Enemy does not like that we are sharing the Truth that liberates with many who have struggled and many who have been bound up in so much emotional and spiritual bondage.  As my Pastor, Mike Woods, whom I had the chance to serve under at FBC Powder Springs, would often remind us as a staff that “hurting people hurt people”.  Our Enemy, the Devil would like no more than to use one of these precious ones that we are helping to try to attack us and destroy us.  So, we must be “wise as serpents and as innocent as doves”.  Pray that Father would provide much wisdom and insight through these resources.

I Peter 5:8-9 (NLT) “Be careful!  Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.  Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith.  Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.”

Dana

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Our Spiritual Inheritance In Christ Jesus

February 15, 2008 at 1:50 pm (Identity)

      I thought I would post this on our NLD Blog.  I had the wonderful opportunity to share this message with a women’s group in Douglasville on Valentine’s Day.  They were so warm and receptive and I appreciated the opportunity to share some time with them for the sake of the Kingdom of God.  Check out the five teaching points below entitled “Our Spiritual Inheritance In Christ Jesus”. 

1.        In Christ, you are spiritually one with Him –

I Corinthians 6:17 says, “But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”  Not only did Christ die for you, but you died with Christ. 

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him…”  Romans 6:6; Cf. Gal. 2:20

In fact, you were also buried with Him, raised with Him, and have even ascended with Him.  Romans 6:4; Ephesians 2:5-6  This has radical implication for your spiritual life!

 2.       In Christ, you are free from the authority of sin –

The old man is now out of the picture:  “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin”  Praise the Lord – We don’t have to sin anymore – there is complete freedom in Christ!  Romans 6:6 

What liberating truth.  John 8:32 “And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.” 

3.       In Christ, you are a partaker of His resurrection life –

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, he lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:8; 10-11.  Does a dead man talk?  Does a dead man interact with life and friends?  NO…HE’S DEAD!  We are to consider ourselves DEAD to sin!  This resurrection life is our resource for living victoriously Ephesians 1:16-21. 

4.       In Christ, you have a new identity –

Although you still have a relative identity based on your gender, race, personality, family status, etc., these are now secondary:  “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew, nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus “ Galatians 3:26-28.  Since your essential identity is based on spiritual rebirth, you are called a believer, a royal priesthood, a fellow citizen with the saints, a member of God’s house hold, an ambassador for Christ, and His workmanship!  I Peter 2:9; Ephesians 2:9-10, 2 Cor. 5:20.  “How great a love that the Father has lavished on us that we should be called Children of God and that is what we are.”  I John 3:1.  When our mind is renewed with Truth this inspires us to dignified words and actions that adorn the doctrine of the grace of God.

 5.       In Christ, you have a new nature –

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons.  They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone.  A new life has begun!” As Paul testified, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man” Romans 7:22.  Living righteously corresponds with the real you. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His (God’s) seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” I John 3:9.  Since a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, sinful desires are attributed to the flesh.  This carnal aspect of the soul is in us, but it is not us.  Does this sound like theological hair-splitting?  Apparently not to the apostle Paul.  According to Romans 7:20, he specified: “Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” Romans 7:20.  Of course, this does not excuse our responsibility for our actions.  Yet, it is reassuring to know that your essential nature (spirit) is holy and completely on God’s side.  When the believer is born again, God’s DNA (so to speak) is placed into his human spirit.  To use Peter’s phrase, we have been made “partakers of the divine nature” 2 Peter 1:4.

Isn’t this great news that enables glorious living!!  It literally is a “NEW LIFE DESIGN”!!  Praise the Lord – He changes the way we think in order to change the way we feel in order to change the way we behave.

Dana

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6 Month Ministry Update

February 1, 2008 at 3:17 pm (Prayer & Praise)

Thank you for your prayers for New Life Design.  I can’t believe that we have been going now for 6 months and things are looking wonderful!  My faith has been stretched and thankfully God has supplied the courage to take the steps needed to match the stretching.   At this time exactly one year ago I was very discouraged with where I was at AND at the same time very much afraid of where God was calling me to.  As I say, a war had ensued in my mind and emotions.  Just to give you a window into my soul, here is the wide gamut of emotions that I was experiencing:  I was so burdened over the vision that God had planted, scared to raise support, curious about what this new vision would turn into, worried about finances, excited about a new dream and experiencing an odd mix of being “miserably comfortable” with a weekly pay check at the last assignment that God had given.   Very quickly I began to realize that God was saying it is time to embark on a new vision.  Although I have read books and literature on Vision and Leadership, I have never really considered myself as a “visionary” type person until God planted the vision.  I completely attest to the fact that God calls the ordinary person to do the extra-ordinary for Him.  In the process, we grow and are challenged to allow Christ to express His very life in and through us – that, by the way, is the secret to the extra-ordinary living!!

News About Where We Are:
Many of you know that we were given rent free office space for the first 6 months.  That means as of today (Feb. 1) we began paying rent.  I am so excited to tell you that the check has been sent and all is well with the budget!  It was so wonderful last night to lay my head on the pillow and know that all was well because God has so faithfully provided for us.  Many of you know that Tony, Rebecca and myself are big Dave Ramsey – Financial Peace fans.  We have been conducting our ministry budget based on those principles including operating debt free and God has blessed our obedience.  Praise the Lord for what He has done!!

More News….
I was looking over some info earlier this week getting ready for our Board Meeting this past Tuesday night and it was exciting to look at the numbers.  I must say, for once this Baptist girl enjoyed looking at numbers!  Ha-Ha!!  In almost 6 months we have had the opportunity to share Christ with 26 people and out of the 26 – 22 have decided to go through the process and be discipled!!   Also, 1 out the 22 realized that she was not saved and has prayed to receive Christ and is being discipled.  Now that is some news that I can get pumped about.  What awesome prospects of sending 22 people back to their churches healed, discipled and ready to serve!  This number also includes several who are participating in the Marital Coaching and we are seeing God begin to put marriages back together and transform the individuals.  Wow…now for me….that’s ministry!! 

We are excited to see what God has in store for the rest of 2008 and into 2009.  I know there may be some “faith challenges” ahead but I know my God is trustworthy and faithful!  If you had told me February 1st a year ago that all this would be a reality, I am not so sure I would have believed you.  But look at what God has done!  This very point is what kept me focused during some intense planning we did this week concerning the future of the ministry.  We mapped out where we think God may be taking us from February 08 to February 09.  I had a tendency to get a little apprehensive but I am reminded that this whole deal was God’s idea in the first place and He can do as He pleases with it.  Please keep praying for us and for God to intervene in the lives of these individuals.  Without Christ, we can do nothing, but with Him….all things are possible! – John 15:5 & Matt. 19:26.

Running To Win – Dana
P.S.  While I was typing this Blog I booked another new client!!  As you can see….God is sending them….we need you praying!!!  Please, stop right now a voice a prayer to Father to minister, heal and transform our clients!  We love you!!

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