Shame Faced

When we decide to commit our lives to the service of the Lord, the enemy will always try to hinder us. The easiest way for us to stumble is usually over things that are already an internal battle for us. If the enemy can get the message into our minds and remind us of who we once were, what we once did, and where we came from, we will be afraid to succeed in ministry. As we obtain notariety in the places that we labor, there will be those who are standing on the sidelines ready to assail us with rumors and accusation. Some of these are those we call friends.

When we prepare ourselves to dance freely before our Lord and King, we must remember that we are in great company. If there are any shameful things we may have done in the past that we are running from, we must face them and turn it around as a testimony declaring the Resurrection Power of Jesus. Noah was a drunkard. Abraham was a liar. David was an adulterer and murderer. Rahab was a prostitute. Paul once persecuted the church. These seemingly shameful blemishes on their records were used to the glory of God.

In the church realm, we see what is on the outside. Perfectly neat clothing, groomed appearances, and great grammar do not equal salvation. Beautiful dance garments and precise choreography do not make a dancer a "minister" of dance. The Lord Himself has set us free to worship Him liberally. Let us embrace what the Lord has brought us out of, and dance with authority. We refuse to let anyone hinder us, including ourselves. We know that we are more than conquerors. Since we have been made new in Him, we can minister deliverance to others with the truth of our own personal encounters with God and His power to save.

Psalm 41:9 (NKJV)
"Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me."

Zechariah 13:6 (NKJV)
"And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’"

Luke 12:4-5 (NKJV)
"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"

Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."