O filho pródigo

O filho pródigo

 

O filho pródigo
By Toni Weisz/Abuse Recovery

Lucas 15:11-24, Jeremiah 31:3b-c, Lucas 15:10, II Corinthians 5:21uma, Efésios 2:1b, Lucas 15:10, Revelation 7:9, Romanos 8:15b-c, Revelation 19:9, and Romans 8:35

Lucas 15:11-24

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal (wasteful) living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

Some have called this, “The Running Father,” instead of, “The Prodigal Son,” because it’s the actions of the father in these scriptures that give a glimpse into the very heart of God, our heavenly Father, towards us, His children. I can imagine the father looking to the horizon every day for a glimpse of his son returning home. And every day, losing hope that he would return. Then one day, he spots his son and is filled with compassion for him. He girds up his loins (takes his robe from back to front between his legs and tucks it into his belt) and runs to his son. During Biblical times, a man of his stature in the community would not do such a thing in public, but he didn’t care what others thought. I read that the son could have been banned from the town or humiliated publicly, because he dishonored his father and their town with his sinful actions. This was another possible reason why the father ran to his son; he wanted to protect him from the humiliation and judgement of others.

Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the prodigal son. Didn’t we run away from the homes that God had given us in part due to the dysfunction, and/or we wanted to explore the world and live our lives our own ways? All the while, our heavenly Father is watching and looking for us to return home to Him. How it must have broken His heart to see the destructive, ungodly choices we made. And yet, He loves us with an everlasting love; He yearns for us to come home to Him (Jeremiah 31:3b-c). The angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents (Lucas 15:10).

God sent His Son to die for us so we could be set free from the judgment we deserved because of all our sins. I love the correlation between the prodigal son’s father and our heavenly Father. Jesus became sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21uma) and was naked, espancado, and crucified, and He died for us. He was humiliated and tortured for me and you. When I think of what Jesus did on the cross for me, I am overwhelmed with gratitude because I know I didn’t deserve it, but I humbly receive this precious gift of salvation that cost God the most precious thing He had, His Son.

Lastly, we too were once dead in our trespasses and sins against God, (Efésios 2:1b) but when we confessed our sins, like the prodigal son, we were welcomed into the family of God. There was a celebration in heaven the day you received Christ as your Savior (Lucas 15:10). God has clothed you in a beautiful white robe (Revelation 7:9), put a ring on your finger, and adopted you into His Holy Family (Romanos 8:15b-c). Um dia, we will all be together for the great feast in heaven, the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). Hallelujah! Obrigada, Jesus!

Obrigada, Father, for the gift of adoption into your family. I am no longer an orphan, a stranger, or an outcast; I am yours forever.

Note: To you precious ones who did not have good earthly fathers, it is hard to think of God as a good heavenly Father. Please know that God’s heart broke when he saw the abuse and neglect you suffered at the hands of your earthly fathers. God is not like your earthly fathers; He is kind, gentle, pure, sagrado, and faithful. He loves you with an everlasting love. Nothing can separate you from the love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romanos 8:35).

Perguntas:

What was your relationship like with your earthly father?

Do you see God as a good and kind Father? Se não, please explain.

Please reach out if you need to talk or you need prayer.

Você é amado,

Toni

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Quando eu era muito jovem, ainda dormindo em um berço, Eu já me senti inseguro. Meu irmão mais velho gostava de me provocar, o que continuou durante toda a minha infância. Era como se ele tivesse um demônio o guiando para me causar dor e medo! Enquanto a noite caía, ele viria para o meu berço, incline-se e chegue bem perto do meu rosto, me assustando tanto que tudo que pude fazer foi ficar ali com os olhos arregalados, olhando para ele, desejando que ele fosse embora! Este irmão continuou a me insultar de várias maneiras, ao longo dos anos, até que o abuso sexual ocorreu quando eu era 11. Ele conseguiu outro irmão para se juntar; Eu ainda estava com muito medo e guardei tudo para mim. Eu fui uma vítima para todos os efeitos; meus pais não eram educadores, então eu não fui até eles, acreditando que eles iriam me culpar. Houve uma grande vergonha associada ao que estava acontecendo. Criei um ressentimento e até um ódio pelos meus irmãos e pelos meus pais por não terem me protegido do tormento por tantos anos! Descobri mais tarde, na adolescência, que meu pai lia revistas pornográficas e essa era a principal fonte do mau funcionamento de meu irmão.. Além disso, ele estava molestando minhas irmãs mais velhas.

Na idade de 12, Fui atraída e estuprada por um homem da minha vizinhança que estava quase 10 anos mais velho. Foi de novo, assustador E doloroso. Depois daquele encontro, Comecei minha jornada de promiscuidade e abuso. Era muito raro eu me encontrar na companhia de um homem jovem ou mais velho respeitoso e atencioso. Era como se eu tivesse as palavras ‘USE E ABUSE DE MIM’ na minha testa! Eu odiava minha vida e acreditava que era feio e imperfeito.

Tendo saído de casa com a idade de 15, Eu tentei fazer isso sozinho. Mas descobri que o mundo é um lugar perigoso para uma jovem nas ruas. eu seria estuprada, molestado e abusado várias vezes, por vários conhecidos e estranhos na época em que eu estava 18. Entrei para a Força Aérea em 19 depois que um policial local tentou me molestar. Decidi que o exército seria um lugar seguro para descansar e fornecer refeições regulares. Mas minha disfunção me acompanhou enquanto eu continuava a fazer escolhas erradas com os homens. Eu estava sofrendo no fundo e me senti sem esperança. Lembro-me de ter sido enviado para aconselhamento no primeiro ano e do homem que estava lá para “me ajudar”, me fez pior! Ele me disse que eu era frágil e ele estava certo; Eu chorei com a menor coisa! então, para mostrar seu ponto, enquanto em aconselhamento, ele se aproximou de mim e gritou alto! Eu pulei e comecei a chorar. Ele parecia satisfeito por ter apresentado seu ponto de vista tão bem. Eu nunca voltei para ele! Os homens eram meus inimigos e a maioria das mulheres não era confiável.

Continuei ao longo dos anos com um senso extremamente prejudicial de mim mesmo e dos outros. No 24, Fiquei grávida de um homem que mal conhecia. Como tantos outros homens, eu me permiti ser usado por, ele mentiu para mim, disse que fez vasectomia e queria muito ficar comigo! Depois que ele terminou de conseguir o que queria, ele se foi e eu fiquei sozinho. Não tive tempo de me perguntar por que todas essas coisas terríveis continuavam acontecendo comigo; Eu precisava me ocupar e “resolver esse problema”! Esse foi o meu MO; Concluí que ninguém cuidaria de mim, eu tive que fazer isso sozinho!

No 25, aproximadamente 9 meses depois de abortar meu filho, o Senhor me mostrou Seu perdão e foi aí que minha jornada de cura e restauração começou! Naquele momento no tempo, quando me rendi a Sua Senhoria, Ele me deu uma nova identidade, um que Ele sempre pretendeu que eu tivesse! Passei de vítima espancada a preciosa, linda e amada filha do Rei! Agora eu estava seguro e sob o olhar atento de meu Pai celestial.

Salmo 34:18 “Perto está o Senhor dos que têm o coração quebrantado e salva os de espírito quebrantado.

Eu desenvolvi tantas cicatrizes ao longo dos anos que levaria algum tempo para superar toda a dor e os múltiplos níveis de mentiras e pensamentos distorcidos.. Comecei a frequentar uma pequena igreja e lá conheci um homem mais velho que me orientou na Palavra de Deus.. Ele era um modelo incrível de homem piedoso que me tratou com dignidade e respeito! Foi nesse ponto que comecei a me abrir para a possibilidade de que houvesse outros homens no mundo que não abusariam e se aproveitariam de mim, mas poderia ser respeitoso e realmente me amar sem segundas intenções.

Minha jornada de cura e restauração continua até hoje; Deus está derramando amorosamente em mim, gentilmente ensinando e trazendo outras pessoas para o meu mundo que me mostram Seu amor gracioso. E Ele também está me usando, precisely because of my wounds and suffering, to show other wounded souls that there is hope! My scars are no longer ugly to me but are, in the words of Shauna Neiquist, “holy places, reminders of the healer Himself.”

2 Cor 1:3-5 “Bendito seja o Deus e Pai de nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, que nos conforta em todas as nossas aflições, para que possamos confortar aqueles que estão em qualquer aflição, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Read below Como Deus mudou minha dor (Parte 2) por Luci

 

UMAônibus Rrecuperação Ssuporte Ggrupo ARSG

Como Deus mudou minha dor (Parte 2) por Luci

 

The enemy wants to keep us in a place of uncertainty, not trusting God but believing the lifelong lies that were told to us when we were so young and impressionable, before we were exposed to the truth! He wants to see us frozen with fear and unbelief, believing that we are not “good enough” for the love God has to offer. These lies are powerful but have no hold over us because we have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. God looks at us with pure and tender affection; He sees us as the cherished daughters we were always intended to be. Nothing can separate us from His love. We only have to embrace this truth.

The enemy has been hard at work since the dawn of man (God’s most beloved creation). My pastor shared something worth repeating:

“The devil never offers anything real, only imitations. He offers addiction as an imitation of peace, promiscuity as an imitation of love, hatred as an imitation of justice, greed as an imitation of security, isolation as an imitation of safety, entertainment as an imitation of meaning, self-righteousness as an imitation of forgiveness.” Pastor Michael Shockley

 

  1. Where are you in your process of healing from past abuse?

 

  1. What practical steps have you taken to achieve that goal?

 

  1. In what ways has God turned your pain of abuse around?

 

I cannot answer the age-old question as to why God allows certain things to happen in our lives. Notice I did not say causes? The sin of mankind causes brokenness and perversion, God allows these things for His reasons that are far beyond our understanding. But there are some passages that give us a glimpse of why He allows bad things to happen to us.

2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”

Rom 9:22-24 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”

Rom 8:18-22 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”

Humans have been sinning against one another since the very first family (Cain & Abel). And 2 Peter 3:9 tells us about God’s incredible patience toward the human race. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”

Hebrews 4:14-16 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

CS Lewis “We can ignore pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

 

Bênçãos,

Lúcia

Minha vida mudaria para sempre (Parte 4): Atormentado pela vergonha e pela culpa

April’s Story

Then I met the love of my life. That’s what I thought at 15 anos. And by age 16, I was pregnant. I wondered what I had gotten myself into; what was I going to do? I thought the only option was to have an abortion. At the time, my parents had taken in a single mother who funded my abortion. She thought it was ok because she had done it several times herself. I didn’t tell my parents about it. But recently told them. So here I was, broken from the kidnap and rape and now with child that was going to be aborted. I had the abortion and I cried for days. Not because I just took a life but because I was in pain. I had already been through so much pain, and this was just another thing to cover up. I put on my smiley face and tried to hide but deep down inside I was crying out for help but didn’t know who to turn to. The guilt was so heavy on my heart.

A year later I started to date another guy who was a virgin but I no longer was. I didn’t care that I stole his virginity. It’s like I ripped his innocence from him at his will. Shame and guilt were consuming me. I continued building on my guilt and shame. I wondered if this was ever going to end! I spent many nights partying and although there was lots of alcohol, I barely ever drank; the only drug I tried and didn’t like was marijuana.

I started driving to bars and modeling lingerie, bringing home a lot of cash. It was all about the money. I didn’t care that I was selling my body. Lingerie modeling lead to stripping. I found myself in a very vulnerable place. I was stripping in clubs, making twice as much as lingerie modeling. I thought I was living the life but there was the ever-growing guilt and shame that haunted me. I never had sexual relations with any man in the strip clubs. I never did drugs or drank when there. I longed for someone to pay attention to me. I didn’t know any other way. I watched women sell themselves to pay for their children to go to school and at the time I didn’t think about it that much; it’s sad to me now, what they were doing and their children probably knew. This was the only way to make thousands of dollars. Guilt and Shame were always with me. God was calling me but I wasn’t listening. I would go to nightclubs and enter bikini contests and win and thought it was so cool. But I was just selling my soul for acceptance.

PART 5 Click Here.