{"id":21168,"date":"2017-10-20T00:05:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T07:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lccredding.com\/lcc\/?p=11806"},"modified":"2017-10-25T12:18:28","modified_gmt":"2017-10-25T19:18:28","slug":"october-20-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2017\/10\/20\/october-20-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"October 20, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

HIS WORDS <\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, \u2018Loose him, and let him go.\u2019\u201d<\/em> John 11:44 <\/span><\/p>\n

Tripping Over Graveclothes <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

HIS EXAMPLE TO US <\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When Jesus resurrects a dead life, He asks us to help with the loosening of their graveclothes. <\/span><\/p>\n

MY STORY <\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

There were many \u201cwrappings\u201d and \u201ctrappings\u201d from my old life when Jesus saved me. I was not free of them all at once; it took a lot of time, patience, and untangling before I was separated from those things that had formerly bound me. Those \u201cgraveclothes\u201d tripped me up and kept me from living and moving freely in Christ. I was stuck in the past and didn\u2019t know I was free to move forward. With the love of caring friends and family, and the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, it all came loose and fell away. I\u2019m sure the stench was pretty bad\u2026 after all, I\u2019d already been dead all those years. <\/span><\/p>\n

MY RESPONSE <\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I want to do for others what was done for me. This \u201cloosening\u201d (or freeing) came not only through the love and intervention of friends, family, and co-workers who knew the Lord, but also through the women who attended the Women\u2019s Bible Study at my church. As I saw them live out the truths of Scripture, I began to see how a woman of God thinks and lives. <\/span><\/p>\n

When we befriend a younger woman or a new believer, we have this example from Jesus: \u201cLoose\u201d them. Help them to get free. Don\u2019t recoil from the stench of death as the layers come off. Pray for them. Share with them. Most importantly, love them enough to stick with them. <\/span><\/p>\n

MY PRAYER<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHeavenly Father, by Your grace may we be willing to get involved with loosening the graveclothes of others. Give us the wisdom to see what must be done, what must be said, what must be broken down and unwrapped. Bring new life to those who are dead and blind and miserable and poor. If they trip over what binds them, may we be there to help them up. Make us ready to step forward. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.\u201d<\/span> <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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