Shame

SHAME

by

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (December 7, 2015)

“For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them” (Isaiah 61:7, King James Version [Blessings of the faithful]).

Greetings In The Holy Name Of Jesus,

My brothers and sisters, there is no shame in the love you have in your hearts for God wanting to be acceptable in all that you do, in the Name Of Jesus. There are times we find ourselves up against stiff competition to do our best in spite of the odds stacked against us and the poor conditions of our circumstances but the love of God tested and true you serve as a witness to all---pulled you through brought you from a mighty long way pushed back the disbelief and heralded in the saving grace of Christ Jesus to save you in order to save all of us for we are the one body of Christ Jesus with the spirit of the Lord GOD upon us. Let us not be dismayed rather be encouraged knowing and believing the anointing upon you from the LORD is powerful, indeed, able to “bind the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, open the prisons for those bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, the day of vengeance of our God, and to comfort all that mourn...” (Isaiah 61:1-2, KJV [Blessings of the faithful]). There are many folks who claim Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior who will put you to open shame and debase you just because, yes, I tell you no lie, just because you believe in God and you believe in His Son, Christ Jesus, loving them undeniably unto death do you part---all the days of your life “walking in the light, beautiful light that shines all around you by day and by night.” However, there are times when we put our own selves to shame not in the strength of Christ unable to accept that “sin lies at our door, counting our offering to God unacceptable as was the case with Cain, in so much shame until he killed his own brother, Abel whom God deemed presented an acceptable offering:” (Genesis 4:7-8, KJV [Murder of Abel]).

Most importantly, how many times do you think to yourself, intimately attracted to your own indulgences---that you have put Christ Jesus to an open shame, in your sins, crucifying him again and again in your hearts and minds and if you should fall away from the Word of God, Christ Jesus, do you feel a need to renew yourselves again unto repentance” (Hebrews 6:6, KJV [The priesthood of Christ]). Is it possible for you to be on the right side in your imagination---can you phantom enlightenment or gain a clue that Christ Jesus died for you but why did Abel have to die? Abel's offering was found acceptable by God and for that he was murdered by his own brother. Suppose that Cain was able to bear the shame of an unacceptable offering and repent of his apparent sin do you think he would have been any less of a child of God to have suffered through the darkness of his sin or do you think he would have become a greater man to bear the iniquity of his soul to witness to his brother and to Adam and Eve, his parents, his journey back to God? Did not his parents Adam and Eve suffer through their fall----the fall of man?

Moreover, do you remember those who shamed you or the situation that poured shame upon your face and how you lived through the shame and made it back to the light of Christ Jesus? How low were you debased in the darkness of doubt and disbelief and how far did you have to climb up and out come out from under the disgrace of the shame to renew your spirit---the spirit of the LORD God that is in you to feel acceptable once again by God not tarnished by the stench of sin---uncleanness? I am asking you, “Do you despise the sin?” Does it feel like many layers of dirt and grime on your skin so much so you know you need to be cleansed of the heavy burden that you bear because of the sin and you can no longer hide the truth from yourself, surely not from Christ Jesus who saved you and most definitely not from the LORD God? Are you, 'Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy

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that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2, KJV [The worthy fruits of faith]).