Essential Affirmations: BUILDING UP WHAT WAS TORN DOWN

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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[Janet Easson Martin]

Essential Affirmations


BY ONE SACRIFICE JESUS HAS MADE ME PERFECT FOREVER.

IN MY PLACE JESUS WAS CONDEMNED.

GOD'S GRACE HEALS MY WAYWARD HEART.

GOD WILL LOVE ME FREELY BECAUSE HIS ANGER HAS TURNED AWAY FROM ME.

MY CONFIDENCE TO ENTER GOD'S PRESENCE IS BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

[Janet Easson Martin]

The Great Romance

Despite what many of us have been taught, God is not aloof toward us.  His emotions are moved with a single glance from us.  Our relationship to the Lord Jesus and the way he thinks of us is as his bride, individually and corporately.  His romance with us is THE SONG of Songs.  It is THE LOVE above all loves.  He is THE MOST GALLANT of HEROES.  He is clothed with the measure of his DESIRE for us - His...Own...Blood...  

We need not doubt the strength of His Passion.  He has assured us His Mercy is Unending.  He does not manipulate or force us, his bride, to respond.  He knocks and requests that we give him the opportunity to work in our circumstances, our problems, our attitudes, our pain, and even our emptiness.  He only asks that we trust Him who has exposed his heart and his soul to us. As a guarantee, He has left us his Sincerest Love Letter by His Own Spirit-Filled Pen; FULL of Descriptions of His Faithfulness and Promises He Longingly Wants to Fulfill for Us.  All we must do is glance at Him IN FAITH.



ESSENTIAL AFFIRMATION


I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE JESUS' BRIDE WITH WHOM HE LONGS TO SHOWER HIS LOVE.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Think About It

This is exactly what most of us believed when we first came to know Christ.  This is exactly what gave us our new sense of joy, our exultation in CHRIST!  This is exactly what we wanted to shout from the rooftops for others to experience.  This is exactly what put a song of thanksgiving on our lips.  This is exactly what put mercy and love in our hearts toward others.  And this is exactly what motivated us to really love Christ back.  When you read the short excerpt below from David Cook's Publishing "One-Way Love" by Tullian Tchividjian, really think about it.


"An identity based in the one-way love of God does not take into account public opinion or, thankfully, even personal opinion. It is a gift from Someone who is not you. As my friend Justin Buzzard wrote recently, “The gospel doesn’t just free you from what other people think about you, it frees you from what you think about yourself.”  In other words, you are not who others see you to be, and you are not who you see yourself to be; you are who God sees you to be—His beloved child, with whom He is well pleased.

I’ll say it again, because I need to hear it as much as anyone: the one-way love of God frees us from the oppressive pressure to perform, the slavish demand to “become.” God is not waiting for us to do or not do something in order to unlock His love. The Gospel declares that in Christ, we already are everything we need to be. His righteousness has been imputed to us, just as our sin was imputed to him..."


However, little by little this astonishing gift, this abounding GOOD NEWS, was deceptively chipped away at in GCx. Before long I was thinking and acting like a spiritual pauper, groveling to find favor with God. Those who looked down on me there not only put me in my lowly place, but served to keep me there. Below is a scripture God would continually highlight to me while in GCx, but I was blind to who and what was oppressing me.

"How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down--
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
They fully intend to topple him
from his lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
But in their hearts they curse.
                                                       Selah"

Psalm 62:3-4
(bold emphasis mine)

Essential Affirmation

I AM WHO GOD SEES ME TO BE, RATHER THAN WHO I OR OTHERS SEE.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Continual News of The Grace of Christ Controls Us

Receiving and believing the good news of the grace of Christ moment by moment has such an overpowering impact on our souls that it takes us to a supernatural level.  It controls our thinking and actions sort of like much wine does, but in a holy and gracious way.  

In the moments I meditated on this gospel truth (below) today, I was filled with gratitude especially toward Jesus.  I had a sensible opinion of myself (not inflated or deflated), a patient opinion of others, and a closer identification and appreciation for what Jesus did for me, personally.  I'll trust you'll find as much and more grace as you reflect on the extent of Jesus' love.



Essential Affirmation

JESUS TOOK AND BORE EVERY PUNISHMENT I DESERVED.



 

[Janet Easson Martin]

AM I GOOD ENOUGH?

I used to be haunted by this question in regard to my spiritual service to Christ.  Kind of nightmarish fear tormented me as I listened to GCX teach that Jesus would be very disappointed with me if I didn't sacrifice such and such.  We were taught over and over again the specific requirements God was expecting of us. To "disobey" those now would result in severe "heavenly" regret and embarrassment, we were told.  Most of us were new or naive believers.  We were frightened into staying inside GCx for our ENTIRE lives.  We were harassed into giving up our rights of personal choice in so many areas, to instead defer to our "mentor's" or "leaders'" choice.  All in the name of being good (spiritual) enough to please God.  Unless you had a very healthy understanding of your 'absolutely good enough' standing in Christ already, you caved, and gave into fear.  At least that's my experience and perspective on much of the manipulation.


Here is a brief video of an accurate and encouraging clip on this question:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/derwin-gray/2015/may/christ-becomes-our-good-enough.html

[Janet Easson Martin]

"It's OK"

Inspired by this season of The Olympics, here is a very candid video of a former Olympian's experience of being less than perfect; and what finally helped her get a "perfect" perspective.


http://www.godvine.com/Olympic-Gymnast-s-Testimony-Will-Wow-You-9394.html

[Janet Easson Martin]

Altogether  Beautiful

That is the way someone in love might describe the person of their affection.  It's actually what the Lover in The Song of Songs says of His beloved.

"You are altogether beautiful my darling, and there is no blemish in you."

Song of Songs 4:7

As I murmured this truth to my soul (a number of times) - this adoring description by Christ of His beloved, my nervous edge subsided, and my need for approval ceased.  Then a very young and innocent little girl ran past me to be with her father.  I felt God pointing her out to show me that she is how My Father in Heaven views me.  After that my focus became fixed on my Heavenly Father beside me and how he sees me as adorable and innocent, and needing his help.

My meditation on this state of grace caused me to rest securely in his care and to trust his Spirit to lead me.

[Janet Easson Martin]

 

Reflecting His Glory

Without the law we would not realize just how grungy we really are.  We compare ourselves to others and conclude we may not always be so bad.  But the one who made us gave us a perfect standard - The Law.  Too many times we know when we have blown it.  In fact, sometimes when we read the The Law we even become more depressed about just how depraved we are even as christians.  But, that's the point of the law - to make us aware of just how dark our thoughts and actions are!  

As believers, our failures should propel us to God to fervently thank him for shedding His blood to cleanse us from failure and condemnation.  Seeing how bad we really are, claiming Jesus' blood that purifies us, and praising God for how good he really has made us.

Contemplating the cleansing blood causes us to reflect His glory.  Our glorying in our forgiveness is the grace by which we are changed, from the inside out.  Erroneously contemplating our "condemnation" brings only shame and more defeat.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Are You Focused on Your Performance or Christ's?

"Live, constantly, exercising faith in the assurance that the blood...cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7); yield yourself to be sanctified and brought near to God through the blood; let it be your life-giving nourishment and power.  You will thus have an unbroken experience of victory over Satan and his temptations."

In GCx I learned over and over and over to focus nearly my entire Christian life on my performance.  After I left I had a long journey in putting my focus back on Christ.  Desperation to be free from a load of ever-increasing condemnation, especially concerning offenses toward those I loved the most, caused me to seek my God for a way out of habitually hurting them.  I was also looking for lasting peace to battle Satan's continual accusations.  

His amazing answer was delivered through some passages in Isaiah 52.  The more I applied and claimed his healing truth, the more I enjoyed continued peace and deliverance from habitual failures.  When my eyes idyled back to myself and my performance I began to slip again.  Within seconds of once again claiming this revealed truth I could then easily walk in victory.  The difference is where I put my focus - on myself and my performance OR on Jesus and his performance.

This teaching on the blood at the top is from Andrew Murray in The Power of the Blood and is similar to what God showed me. It describes what I found to be the most life-changing message of the Bible for the believer - the overflowing GRACE of God found in continually relying upon The Blood.

[Janet Easson Martin]

WHEN YOU PROUDLY WEAR THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS GOD GAVE YOU,
YOU WILL NOT BE PROUD AS YOU DO RIGHT.

[Janet Easson Martin]

AS ONE WHO HAS BEEN REDEEMED,
I HAVE THE RIGHT AND PURPOSE TO MAKE MY HOME IN GOD'S PRESENCE.

[Janet Easson Martin]

AS THE BLOOD OF JESUS WORKS POWERFULLY IN ME,
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A PUTTING TO DEATH OF THE FLESH (THROUGH FAITH).

[Janet Easson Martin]

THERE IS NO OFFERING THAT I CAN BRING MORE PLEASING TO GOD THAN
BELIEVING IN THE BLOOD FOR MY RIGHT STANDING.

[Janet Easson Martin]

I CAN ALWAYS SHARE IN HIS REST THROUGH FAITH IN HIS WORK FOR ME.

[Janet Easson Martin]

JESUS LIVES FOREVER AS GOD'S PERMANENT PRIEST TO SAVE ME FOREVER
BECAUSE HE FOREVER INTERCEDES FOR ME.



(Based on Hebrews 10:25)

[Janet Easson Martin]

"Do not fear for I am with you"

Teaching children the other evening about Jesus calming the storm, helped me also to ponder just who it was that caused the wind and waves to become still.  The One who made the sun, the moon, the stars.  Of course, I can completely place my trust in what he says.  I, too, need to be reminded of WHO Jesus is and the power he possesses.

So, next time consider who it is that is telling us not to fear.  Our Father, Our Rescuer, Our Comforter who made it all.

[Janet Easson Martin]

"Let it be done to you according to your faith"

These words of Jesus have been rolling through my mind of late.  They sound so broad and so unlimited.  But also a little humbling.  It does seem when I believe little, little happens.  It also seems when my eyes are on God and I am claiming (relying upon) His promises from His Word I see things happen that weren't humanly possible. Especially on my part.  I know well enough that I cannot truly love someone who has hurt me.  I know that I cannot have peace in certain situations.  I also know I cannot be thankful when problems abound.  But, MIRACULOUSLY GOD can - as he flows through me when I believe Him.

I'm sure as you think back, you also can recall miraculous outcomes when you trusted Him.  Take a few moments to search your memory.  We are assured in the scriptures that whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.

[Janet Easson Martin]

A Thirst for Forgiveness

What is the water Jesus gave the Samaritan woman to drink?  Would it not be FORGIVENESS?  God's love in the purest form - complete forgiveness.  This is what would satisfy her more than any other.  The potion that would restore her soul.  He would remove the guilt from her conscious so she could rest.  

This is something the children of God need often - knowledge of their forgiveness; because we still sin and the devil accuses us day and night about it.  Just like the sheep in Psalm 23 we need to be drawn to the quiet waters of forgiveness.  If we are deprived of this living water, we will loose our energy and strength. We become dried up and find it hard to minister to others.

I've seen first hand how hearing this message of forgiveness often (Jesus' blood blotting out sin and making atonement for us) delivers a believer out of spiritual dryness and paralysis.  As they keep drinking from the well of pure love in God's forgiveness for them they become not just satisfied but overflowing.  1 John 4 describes this forgiveness as God's love, which quenches our thirst.

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins...We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us."

[Janet Easson Martin]

SHAKE OFF YOUR SHAME

"Shake off your dust;
rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem."

Isaiah 52:2

When you look at the Interlinear and the Hebrew resources for the words in this verse.  They seem to paint a picture of someone sitting (sort of paralyzed) in ashes, in a perpetual state of shame as if they have become accustomed to it like a daily garment.  The Lord is commanding them to shake this contempt and disrespect of themselves off!  He starts one verse before saying WAKE UP, stop mindlessly and continually lowering your head in shame you aren't meant to wear.  Remember, I wore your shame.  So, it is taken away.  I have given you a new glorious garment for you to wear now - a robe of my righteousness.  Glory in it!  Then, get up, sit in your true spiritual position to reign in Christ.  Ask, act, expect and see grace and favor.  There is ministry waiting for you.  You ARE good enough in Jesus!

[Janet Easson Martin]

GOD LONGS TO EMPOWER YOU

Under the false teaching of GCx our true identity was subtly removed from us.  We were less and less an active part of our own families, friends, careers, studies, and passions.  Some of us, cut off completely from them. Most of all, we were less and less encourged in our own exulted identity in Christ.  We were punched in our gut and didn't really know it. Our God given dignity - our powerful righteousness and spirit-filling were crushed! We were persuaded instead that we just kept falling short.  We learned falsely we weren't good or "spiritual" ENOUGH yet! Insidiously told or implicated that we were too proud, not teachable, or not submissive enough.

Do you know the impact of those lies? It caused us to believe erroneously that we were less empowered to minister to others, and to hear the leading of the Spirit.  It condemned us to think we were less favored by God. Thus, it made us LESS EFFECTIVE for God's Kingdom.  It stole the joy of the purity imparted to us by the cross. It substituted mere men for the refreshing Holy Spirit, and a tiring church empire for God's fulfilling Kingdom. Tragically it substituted the authority of one evil man and his blind disciples for the authority of The Blood and it's empowerment.  It manipulated wearied servants by misguided men instead of what God intended - the empowerment of God's people to perform Spirit-led works for His Kingdom with the supernatural gifts He gave.



Essential Affirmations


GOD HIMSELF WILL UPHOLD & DEFEND ME.

GOD DELIGHTS IN ME BECAUSE HE CHOSE ME TO BE HIS SERVANT.


(Based on Isaiah 42:1)