Zebra Ministries: December 2012

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas

John 14:31a (NIV84)

but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

Good morning Zebras,

Today we celebrate the birth of Christ and the beginning of his thirty-plus year missionary journey in obedience to His Father. And although to us it is a great day; a day of celebration, this year, for the first time I have wondered how Jesus felt on this day so long ago as He voluntarily left His home in heaven and came to dwell among sinful men.

Dear Jesus, Thank you for your perseverance, obedience, endurance and love. For giving up Your life for the lives of Your people, not only on the cross, but every day as you died to your own desires and chose to live a sinless life so that You could be our atoning sacrifice.

And I pray this year will be the year Your Spirit pours down upon Your people allowing us to live up to what You have done for us and awakening in us the true heart of Christ, a heart of love and obedience to the Father and of compassion and love for the lost.

Merry Christmas little Zebras,

Love,

Jill

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Just a Sinner?

Psalm 32:1–2 (NIV)

“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

Good morning Zebras,

People say they don’t go to church because it’s full of hypocrites, recently I heard someone respond, “That’s true and if you come, there will be one more.” But Biblically that is scary and wrong.

A hypocrite as defined in the Bible is someone who is pretending, an actor, someone whose heart is not enlightened to the truth of Jesus Christ but likes to act as if it is. And according to Nave’s Topical Bible it is who Paul was referring to when he wrote:

2 Timothy 3:1–5 (ESV) But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Hopefully that doesn’t describe the church, or us.

Struggling with sin and failing doesn’t make a person a hypocrite. It makes them a sinful human saved by grace who often falls short of the mark of perfection God has set for His people. A mark set to show us that we will never be perfect and to remind us that we are sinners in need of a savior. It should also make us warm and loving to others who are struggling.

People came to Jesus to be healed. Now they should be able to come to His church.

None of us are perfect, everyone stumbles over something but God’s grace covers it, enabling us to forgive others and ourselves.

Love,

Jill

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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