Zebra Ministries: We Have Hope

Thursday, October 25, 2012

We Have Hope

Romans 15:4 (NIV84)

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Good morning Zebras,

I am getting ready for the "We Have Hope" retreat in Simi Valley this weekend and I just wanted to share a little bit of what God has been teaching me.

As I began researching the idea of hope I found that hope comes from reading and understanding Scripture (today’s verse) from knowing and trusting God (Psalm 62:5), from believing in and accepting the sacrifice of Christ (1 Cor 15:19), and from walking in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). And when you think about it, it makes perfect sense.

Reading the Bible is where we have to start. It is in Scripture that God reveals Himself to His people. It is there we learn who He is and what He has done for us. Just like the lame man who was healed by Jesus in John 5, if we want to get well, we need to “Get up! Pick up our mat and walk.” And walking, for me, began with opening the Word and getting to know God.

Look at the men and women of the Old Testament who knew their God, especially David, who was promised the kingdom of Israel at fifteen but did not get it all until he was thirty-seven. Yet read David’s Psalms. David knew who God was and knowing that allowed him to wait, to stand up to the ridicule and attacks of others and obey God even when it was difficult, because his God was bigger than the problems around him. And when he failed, he threw himself on the mercy of God because he knew his God would forgive him.

Plus, people who have hope know Jesus Christ as savior and they understand that this world is not their home. They understand that we are passing through and our real home is in heaven. They know that they will be rewarded for the good deeds that they have done in the body and are willing to make any sacrifice for Christ. They know that there is something better to come and they live with their eyes focused on that goal. They know what Paul knew-that everything is rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus.

Finally, those people who have hope understand the Holy Spirit that lives inside them. They know that they have the power to overcome because of that spirit. They know they can do all the things that God has given them to do because of His power. They know they are not alone in this world because God sent the counselor, the Spirit of Christ, to live in us and to be with us at all times. And they know the truth of who God is because His spirit has revealed it to them

I think what God is teaching me, and what I felt prompted to share, is that all of us can have hope if we know our God personally, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Love,

Jill

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Why Zebras?

In the summer of 2008 I was looking at a herd of zebras in a wild animal park and commented to my son that I didn’t understand why the lions didn’t just eat the zebras because their markings make them so obvious. He told me that the opposite was actually true. God has marked zebras so when they hang together in a herd, their stripes create the illusion they are one large animal and therefore too big to attack. It is the lone zebra that is usually eaten. The same is true of Christians; we must hang together and encourage each other to fight off the lions. The lone Christian is easy prey.

1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Therefore:

Zebras was started to encourage women who desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who want their lives to be transformed to honor God and who are willing to be “zebras” in a world of “horses”. Zebras exists to reassure you that you are not alone and that God has called you to be peculiar. As a peculiar person you should look different than the world

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pastor Endorsement

Jill Getchell speaks from her heart and from God’s word in a way that brings encouragement and hope to God’s people. I’ve been blessed to hear her at Awana conferences, a women’s retreat, and from the pulpit of our church. I am confident your people will be equally blessed by spending the day with Jill at We Have Hope...your church will be blessed as well.

Pastor Al Marks

First Baptist Church Vallejo

I have known Jill for many years now. She truly desires to encourage the churches in our community and to strengthen the believers that attend our churches. Her passion for Jesus comes out in her ability to speak, and her heart is to encourage all those that attend to go back into their churches and be a blessing.

Pastor Kelly Patchin

New Harbor Community Church, Benicia

I believe women are vital to the unity and health of the church. They bear the image of God and serve Him in a great way within His church. Zebras has the ability to unite and excite women to grow in their faith and in their relationships with each other. In John 17:20 Jesus says, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” One of Christ’s last prayers for His church is that they would be one as He is with the Father. And through our unity the world can come to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. Unity is essential for a healthy church and healthy relationships between women. Zebras can stimulate healthy growth in the spiritual lives of the women in your church too. It is a blessing at New Harbor and I believe it would be a blessing for any pastor to have in their church.

Kelly Patchin, Pastor
New Harbor Community Church

Testimonies

The Zebra herd has given me the opportunity to be myself. I think we all have a face we put on for others, especially on Sunday. We don’t want to let anyone see the pain or hurt we’re suffering because we feel that it’s a reflection on our walk with Christ. I now have a group of loving Christian women with whom to share the joys and sorrows equally… Without the Zebras, I’d still be wearing my Sunday face. ...............Dawn C.

The Zebra ministry has deepened my relationship with Christ and the women at my church beyond what I thought possible... Most importantly, it has given me a safe place to be very, very real… I have learned how to be transparent and allow my fellow Zebra sisters to support me in prayer and God to minister to the deepest part of my soul--the part that needed it the most.................... Jennifer H.

When I came to New Harbor Church I was so lonely. I knew I needed the fellowship of other Christian women but did not know if I could break out of my self-imposed isolation. I felt unworthy of anyone’s friendship, let alone" godly people"... But Zebras has made me feel the true acceptance of these wonderful women. I have slowly opened my heart to them, with their encouragement and love! I don't have that heavy ache of solitude anymore. ................Barbara B.

I was with you in the beginning meetings of the herd and watched it evolve into a place where we as sisters in Christ could share our burdens without judgment. Being a Zebra helped me through a very trying time- Leap of Faith– leaving a relationship, selling my home and trusting in God. It was encouraging to know that I was not alone and being a part of a group where women could feel understood, comforted, and lifted up spiritually. .................Tracy M.

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