Everything is sacred...

This is something else I wanted to share. It isn't something I wrote, but it's something that I got in an email from Sara Delight, who is in the band Inhabited. Most Houstonians that follow the Christian Rock scene have probably heard of them. If not, check them out at www.inhabitedtheband.com. So anyway, this is what Sara says....



Recently, more than ever before, I have been flooded with a ton of e-mails whose underlying message has been the same! Many young people in the church have hidden behind their religious masks for so long that they are scared to come out and be real. The secret sins they are battling are not only leaving them beaten up with guilt and regret, but opening the door to an overwhelming amount of hopelessness, fear, and isolation.

Maybe as you are reading this, you realize that I just described your pale existence. I pray that as you continue to read, you will begin to find freedom from whatever hidden sins may be robbing you of joy. You may have carried around the burden of shame and oppression for years, but I believe God’s power to begin restoration can become a reality today! We usually run from “today” hoping to start “tomorrow” yet somehow tomorrow never comes! The Bible says, “today is the day of salvation”. Don’t put it off anymore!

Remember this isn’t some magical formula that will transform you into some super saint, invincible to temptation or opposition, but these steps will help equip you for victory. You see, in our own strength we are utterly powerless in our ability to maintain a victorious Christian life.

I Peter 5:8 says Satan’s ultimate goal is to “steal, kill, and destroy” us completely. First of all we must realize that we are involved in a spiritual battle in which the weapons of the enemy are far more effective than our internal resources for combat. The very first step to victory lies in recognizing our desperate need for God’s divine intervention! (ps 40) If you have ever spent any length of time living in spiritual defeat, you have definitely kissed the face of despair. You know that after having tried endless times to disentangle yourself from sin’s web, that failure is inevitable! Isn’t it interesting though how we often long for freedom, yet cling to that which suffocates the faintest breath of hope of freedom in our life.

Our external enemies are enough to keep us busy fighting, but we also have to deal with out own natural FLESHLY appetites! Even our own desires seek to assault the work of the spirit in our lives!!! Jesus told his disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41 NIV). SO, realize when facing any temptation, there will be a fight, not only against spiritual forces but against your own flesh!

Jesus made it clear that PRAYER is one of our most powerful weapons! We must MEET WITH GOD, pray! Without this key ingredient, we will simply go through a lot of religious steps which will leave us more empty than before. So, we must first open up that communication with God-not through some rehearsed speeches or prayers, but by being REAL! He knows your every thought. He knows everything about you, so don’t get lost in a bunch of games with God which can become religious bondage in itself.

Allow yourself to move beyond the nice, cute little prayers and just BE YOURSELF!!! Tell God how you really feel, your struggles, your fears, your lack of faith, etc, and I believe that you will find yourself connecting with God far more than when you tried using a lot of empty religious jargon. Maybe you have never really prayed before and feel you don’t know how. All you have to do is talk to God like you would anyone else. Yes, we are to reverence him more than some casual acquaintance, but our method of communication isn’t based on some “thee’s and thou’s” Just start out by talking to Him or writing your prayers out to Him in a journal-I don’t think it matters, just open up that line of communication!

Then ask God to reunite your heart to fear Him! I love Ezekiel 11:19-20 which says, “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”

Our hearts often become callused after we continually refuse to listen to the voice of God but this type of transparency will begin to restore that trust and faith in God. There is NOTHING that compares to literally FEELING that distance from Him and it can be very overwhelming!

I think David understood the pain of separation, as well as the devastating effects of a heart driven by selfish motives. Having been crushed beneath the weight of his sin David cries out to God in complete humility and brokenness.

“Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:9-10

Even the fear of separation brought David to his knees. You see, he KNEW the joy of worship! He knew what it meant to let the world around him fade away and get lost in the presence of God! He knew what it meant to be knit to the heart of God. He sang, he danced, he FELT God’s presence, he loved God, trusted him, and worshipped without restraint. He had seen God demonstrate supernatural power upon him when he was a boy and felt God guide his every move as he slew a giant. David knew communion with God on a level far beyond what many “Christians” ever experience. Yet somewhere he began to stray, somewhere he aloud his heart to be overtaken by his own lusts and soon found himself so disconnected from God that it literally made him sick. Look at a few verses that describe exactly what David was feeling!

“For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long” Psalms 38:4-8

“My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me” Psalms 44:15

“WHEN I KEPT SILENCE, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For DAY and NIGHT thy hand was HEAVY upon me” (conviction) Psalms 32:3-4

“For INNUMERABLE evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have TAKEN HOLD UPON ME, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore MY HEAR FAILETH ME. Be pleased, O LORD, to DELIVER ME: O LORD, MAKE HASTE to HELP ME!!!.” Psalms 40:12-13

Do you find yourself feeling anything like that?
· heavily burdened
· troubled day and night
· confused
· dying silently
· feeling overtaken by hidden sin

REMEMBER! No matter how much you may be hurting right now, there is HEALING and HOPE!

You see, David was literally tormented because of his sin, but when he hit bottom, he cried out! He reached out and begged God for deliverance and restoration-“restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” ! You see, sin blinds! It carries you away to sink beneath the waters of false reality! It promises you pleasure but keeps you in torment! Yes, there is definitely “pleasure in sin for a season” and you may be aware of your need to repent but gratifying your own flesh may be first priority. It’s a WEIRD cycle! We want out, but we often fight to stay!

Part of me wants to fly
But I wont let go and fall
I want to live
But fight to die
I want to know truth without paying the cost
I want to touch freedom’s face
But I won’t kiss my own goodbye
I am nothing I want to be
And everything I hate
(Romans 7:15)

This is where honesty and transparency will work wonders. When praying, ask God for a pure heart and a change of heart! He loves it when his people cry out to Him in humility and honesty.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14

A certain level of healing begins to take place just by seeking! So, we must:
1. Acknowledge our desperate need for God’s intervention
2. Pray
3. Be real

There is more to this e-mail, but I won’t overload you with a 100K e-mail (if there is such thingJ )so I will send part 2 next week! J I have received so many e-mails from so many of you, especially this summer, who feel so completely LOST! Yes, lost even in the midst of church! Lost in the midst of Christian activities! I started out writing this after literally weeping over some of your e-mails, understanding your pain. There is NOTHING like that separation from God! NOTHING so devastating! But there is NOTHING AS LIBERTAING as RUNNING back into His arms and THROWING OFF the weight of sin! I encourage you to take off the smiley little mask and get real with God! You know you are TIRED and WEARY, don’t keep clinging to that pain!

I know some of you are struggling with an OVERWHELMING sense of guilt! You may have heard of or even talked about the unconditional love of Jesus a million times, but somehow you can’t let go and except His love. THAT WEIGHT (the heaviness David described) -is more than you can bear. Jesus carried the burden of our sin on the cross-that is something no human can bear for long before it destroys utterly you!!! LET GO!

Some of you are struggling with very deeply rooted, hidden sins! I encourage you to go to your youth pastor, someone in leadership, or someone you can trust. No, you don’t necessarily have to confess to anyone but God, but there is a great amount of freedom and support in accountability. That is a step you should consider taking to help you move towards COMPLETE FREEDOM! You see, ISOLATION is the most devastating place where Satan has complete advantage to hurl accusations, and keep you buried beneath hopelessness. I think it is often important to break the silence and allow others to help you and hold you accountable! YOU may feel no one would understand and you are ALONE! You would probably be surprised at the number of people that have gone through or are going through the same things you are! Everyone has seen their share of the mountain top and felt lost in the valley! So BREAK THE SILENCE!

Alright, I won’t drag this out anymore, but I pray that God has somehow spoken to you and that you will PRAY-NO MATTER HOW DISTANT YOU MAY FEEL- open up that connection with GOD! HE IS WAITING! There is NOTHING that you have done that can separate you from His love! NOTHING!!!!! His love is truly unconditional! As humans, it is difficult to grasp this concept, but realize HE IS WAITING, TODAY! I love you all so much and pray for you. I know many of you are hurting so badly and I pray that you will grab a hold of these simple truths and run to God!



This girl is absolutely incredible. She truly seeks God. When I get the second part, I will post it. If you want her to start sending them to you, just go to www.inhabitedtheband.com and sign up for the email list. I highly recommend it. Anointed band. Anointed people. Incredibly blessed music. Check them out.