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Restored and Reunited through True Freedom
Written by Mimi Massengill
John 3:17 Resident, Graduating July 14, 2019
It’s a Saturday morning at a rural church in Remmel, Arkansas... as the membership begins to arrive, something heavenly happens. It’s 10am, and Poppie’s Bible Study has dismissed. In the foyer of the church, we find husbands and children waiting for their wives and moms. We find mothers and fathers waiting for their daughters. We find families patiently waiting for their loved ones.
As the forty extraordinary women of John 3:17 Ministry file into the sanctuary, the love of our Holy Father begins to fill the room. The church members offer hugs and encouragement to each lady as they cross paths. We get to witness this magnificent gift from our Lord. These women received a redemption they could not afford. They come from all over: Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida—all seeking a cure for their lives of addiction and sin. John 3:17 and the Remmel Church provide a safe environment for women, filled with the Holy Spirit.
Birdy is just coming out of her 30-day “Black-Out.” She hasn’t seen or spoken to her children since she came for her interview. At breakfast that morning, she exclaims to me across the room that her daughter is coming this morning! As we all walk into the foyer, I see Birdy’s family as she runs to hug her two-year-old daughter, Mary Lou. She is accompanied by her Aunt Janna, cousin, Hunter, sister, Daisy, and Miss Stacy.
The tears begin to flow from everyone who witnesses this sweet reunion. The family enjoyed their visit playing outside, and by the time the visit was over, Birdy felt a supernatural sense of strength and peace. She knew the Lord was carrying her and her family.
Stories like Birdy’s take place all the time at John 3:17. God doesn’t just restore families here though. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He restores our spiritual gifts and allows us to be vessels for His great purpose. Any one of the residents could tell you a story about how Satan controlled their lives, but God picked them up from out of the pit and set their feet on a firm foundation.
And from that firm foundation, we find rest. We have been running from Satan for so long, and finally surrendered our lives and wills to Jesus Christ. It’s by the power of His resurrection that we find the strength to keep going. We thank God for His great work in and through John 3:17 Ministry. He clocks in for work and He never clocks out! May the Lord bless and keep you all!
Mimi Massengill
John 3:17 Ministry is a Homeless/Recovery Center for women in Jackson County, Arkansas.
Description from John 3:17 Website: The scripture from John 3:17 describes the goal of this ministry, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Neither do we condemn you. Every person working with this ministry has either suffered personally with an addiction or has a close family member who has. We have witnessed God through Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit to set individuals free.
We also know that addictions cause confusion and disorder. But God came to bring order out of chaos, and He will use John317 as one avenue through which individuals can get the help and deliverance they need.
#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #John317ministry
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Written by Ximena Ramirez, Christian sister in Montevideo, Uruguay
In this world, we are in the midst of various cultures, each with their own rules and customs. In general, we work day-to-day to survive and each day we pile on even more: things, responsibilities, and worries. In today’s world, time seems to pass even more quickly than before—running from one side to another in order to get what we want. In spite of it all, if we were asked if we are free, the majority of us would respond, “Yes.”
From a political and legal perspective, we consider ourselves free; we have the freedom to do what we want and to go where we choose without someone prohibiting it. Throughout the course of human history, we have fought in order to obtain that freedom. In other countries, they continue to fight to obtain that freedom or to reclaim it. We also long for the freedom of expression and thought. Without doubt, each of these freedoms are important, but do we truly feel free? Are our thoughts and expressions truly free?
We all know, deep down, that we are not totally free. As human beings, we have created our own limitations without realizing it. The amount of money we have or don’t, our jobs, our families, our commitments, our goals, our prejudices—anything that hinders us from flying free like a bird—make us less free. Don’t you think?
Now, if we were to stop a minute and think from the Christian perspective, we should remember that our Teacher and Shepherd clearly said that,
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
But what kind of freedom is Jesus talking about? The Jews with whom He was speaking didn’t understand that He was speaking of a different kind of freedom.
The freedom Jesus spoke of was spiritual, mental, and true freedom, because it is what frees us from sin, and we know that this world is immersed in sin. This is why our freedom does not depend on any human limitations—we have already been set free! (Gal. 5:1)
When we don’t feel free, we may feel powerless, useless, overwhelmed, or depressed. Stress and depression are the two most common illnesses in modern day health.
Followers of Christ should remember daily that we no longer belong to this world, even though we live in it (2 Cor. 10:3) and that we have access to true freedom through the Truth that He taught us. The mission of Jesus was to show us the way to that freedom we lost in the beginning and lead us to the transformation of our minds and thoughts, which lead to a different way of acting and living (2 Cor. 10:5). That freedom is found within us but is reflected externally. We can free ourselves from all the evil that overwhelms us if we follow the teachings of Jesus and His Word (James 1:25).
What is the Truth we will come to know as disciples of Jesus? I remember a TV series from the 1990’s, The X Files, that always closed with the line, “The truth is out there.” And in a way, the truth is out there because we can see it through His creation, in how perfect the universe is, yet the Truth is Jesus Himself—in His Word and within us if we are in Him (John 14:6). Knowing, understanding, and practicing what we learn from Jesus and His words allow us to live truly free.
This Truth can seem mysterious, but if we look to Jesus and what He teaches, we will see that it is actually simpler than we think. As His followers, we should try to do what He says and we will realize that our lives are fuller, more loving, more peaceful, and freer.
Free like Paul said, “To live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). We will be free from our worries and sadness if we claim our true purpose and abandon the drive to have more, to be successful in our careers, to have a beautiful family, to have a child, to travel to far-off lands, to feel happy, etc.
Our new purpose is to be free from the limitations that we face as humans. The purpose we now have is greater and goes beyond those limitations, which, in turn, allows us to realize the changes within ourselves toward freedom (Gal. 2:20).
Paul, in his letter to the Philippians recommends what we should think on (Phil. 4:8), practical advice, especially for the days in which we find it difficult to clear our minds of negative thoughts. We are bombarded by news of world tragedies, economic crises, and injustices. It is a challenge to not dwell on these things and not allow them to influence how we live our lives. However, we can focus our thoughts on things above that will allow us to act and react differently, to have a better attitude, knowing that we have a Savior that has already freed us, and that now calls us to follow Him and live as free disciples.
The Freedom in which we live is here and the only way to get to it is in Jesus. Seek Him, His word, and His example in order to put into practice what we learn from Him.
Our Teacher leads us to salvation and eternal life, but He also serves as a guide for life here on earth—a life filled with peace that leads us to do good things, think good things, and live by the Spirit. Our mind and our heart are free because we allow Jesus to rule in our lives.
#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #guestwriter