Collegiate Week in Glorieta

Man do I underestimate our Lord. I learned and grew so much at Glorieta. Shame on me for trying to limit the Lord and for having small expectations from Him. There is much I could say but I'll just share the biggest way the Lord worked in my life this past week. Here is what I wrote Wednesday night:

Breakout sessions. Mike Satterfield. David Platt. All of them have helped me find the freedom I have in Christ. The freedom from sin. Freedom from shame.

Peace From the Past: Learning How to Be Set Free From the Grip of Shame. Psalm 51: 1-12. v. 12 "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Mike Satterfield. Be Free! 1 Corinthians 6:9-11"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Which I associated with Ephesians 2:1-10 . "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (That's only through v.5)

Mike again. Ephesians 5:1-20. v.8 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."

David Platt. Isaiah 43:24-25. v. 25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

Then in community group we went to the prayer garden. We read Isaiah again. We got alone and prayed. And wrote down what was stopping us from trusting the Lord, causing us to sin. We wrote these down and laid them down at the foot of the cross. What a sweet release. I could not help but cry then. I let go of this sin, no longer to partake in it already but still held onto the shame and felt like dirt. I finally understand the beauty in these verses. I have been saved. I have asked forgiveness. These sins are in my past. I don't need to hold on to them. Let them go.

As these verses say that is what I was (were), at one time. But look what comes after the "but" in all these. The good news. Washed. Sanctified. Justified. God. Mercy. Grace. Light. Blots out my transgressions. Remembers my sins no more. Praise be to God. Thank you Lord. Thank you. His grace is sufficient for me. In my weakness His power is made perfect.

And now. Now I have the joy of salvation again. Psalm 51:12. With what I've gone through spiritually in the past 5ish months I am overwhelmed with the freedom I now have from this sin. The joy I now can have.

And I do want to share this with others. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. I do want to boast in my weakness and tell others. Tell how with Christ these weaknesses are overcome.

And I am so thankful. Thankful for what Christ has done. Thankful for the friends, 2 particular, who have helped me through this. Thankful for their prayers. Their hearts, hearts for the Lord, their listening, help, encouragement, and wanting to see me grow and be happy in the Lord again. Thankful for my prayers that God has answered. The prayers to understand and it make sense. That I don't have to have this shame anymore.

I am free from the sin and free from the shame.

Thank you Lord. Thank you.