Author Archives: MEL

For You

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“Love….

           bears all things

                    believes all things

                               hopes all things

                                         endures all things. 

                                                   Love never fails.”  1Cor. 13:7

Most of the time when we read this scripture, we read it as an expectation of how God wants us to love others.  Today read it as and expectation of how God loves you.  He bears all things for you.  He believes all things for you.  He hopes all of the best things for you.  He endures all things for you.  His love for you has never and will never fail.  If God is for you then who can be against you?  He died for you and His love will never ever fail you.

Enough

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“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”   John 1:29

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,  having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”  Colossians 2:13-14

Sometimes we are looking for more.  More principles to apply, more steps to take, more penalties to pay, more works to work, guilt, shame, addictions, compulsions, etc.  to dull the pain……do I really believe that what He did for me is enough?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

Imagine for a minute a piece of paper and a cross-cut paper shredder.  Take the piece of paper and write down a list of everything that you have done that you believe is too big for God to forgive.  Especially those things that you believe are too bad, too unforgivable, too far gone, too shameful,  too weak, too weird and especially those things you know you must directly pay the price for yourself.   Walk over to the shredder, place the paper on the shredder and run it through.   Now, dump the contents of the shredder on the ground and begin to reassemble your sin into the original list.    So it is with God’s grace.  You see, there was a price to be paid for your sin.  God’s holiness required payment.  You were the one destined to pay for that sin, but Jesus took your place.  It became His destiny to carry it,  not yours!  

As this analogy shows, our sin is the paper.  It is full of guilt, shame, and a written code against us that we had to pay the price for.  Jesus is the shredder.  He came and paid the price for us.  When we accepted Him, our sin shredded and became unreadable, unrelatable, and unrecognizable.  Our sin condition was pulverized under His grace.  You see, forgiveness is more about a position than an event.  Events would be what were listed on the paper.  Did Jesus go through the list and decide, this is shreddable, this is shreddable, this one is not shreddable.  No!  Thank God!  He shredded the entire paper.  The condition has been dealt with in its entirety because of what Jesus did for each of us on the cross. 

Now, instead of imagining the exercise, this time do it.  Shred everything that is holding you back from freedom, release it to Him today.   Accept your forgiveness and then you can freely give it.   You can decide today that what Jesus did for you is enough.

Your Turn…..

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I read this excerpt from Stormie Omartian‘s book, “The Power of a Praying Wife” and I felt super impressed to share it today.

“You have to trust that what has swarmed over you, such as abuse, death of a child, infidelity, poverty, loss, catastrophic illness, or accident, can be relieved of its death grip.  You have to determine that everything consuming you and your [family], such as workaholism, alcoholism, drug abuse, or depression, can be destroyed.  You have to know that whatever has crept into your relationship so silently and stealthily as to not even be perceived as a threat until it is clearly present-such as making idols of your career, your dreams, your kids, or your selfish desires-can be removed.  You have to trust that God is big enough to accomplish all this and more.”  Stormie Omartian

 “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”Colossians 2:13-15

God has made His decision to relieve the death grip on your life, to destroy every yoke of slavery, remove the power of all idolatry, and so much more for you to be completely free.    Now it is your turn to trust Him, believe Him, agree with Him and obey Him!  You can, if you will!  What are you waiting for?  He has taken His turn, now it is yours….

My God, in Him I will trust!

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“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”  Psalm 20:7
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”  Psalm 91:1-2
 
God, I repent for putting my trust in man, in the things of this world, and in stuff.  Please forgive me for this and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.  Help me to say of You that You are my refuge and my fortress, in You I put my trust alone.  Help me to know Your voice clearer than any others and to know Your heart when Your voice seems dim.   Draw me and find me and restore unto me the joy of my salvation.  I need you, I want you,  I love you.  In Jesus Name.  Amen

Perspective is everything…..

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“Thomas Edison’s laboratory was virtually destroyed by fire in December, 1914. Although the damage exceeded $2 million, the buildings were only insured for $238,000 because they were made of concrete and thought to be fireproof.

Much of Edison’s life’s work went up in spectacular flames that December night. At the height of the fire, Edison’s 24-year old son, Charles, frantically searched for his father among the smoke and debris.

He finally found him, calmly watching the scene, his face glowing in the reflection.

“My heart ached for him,” said Charles.  He was 67 – no longer a young man – and everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, ‘Charles, where’s your mother?’  When I told him I didn’t know, he said, ‘Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long as she lives.'”

 The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”

Three weeks after the fire, Edison managed to deliver his first phonograph.”

If you are facing disaster today in any way in your life.  You can cry out to Jesus!  Cry out for his mercy….it is new every morning and with God you can always start anew!

Freedom is His choice….

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Today is a very important day to exercise choice.  As a part of the freedom of being a citizen of America, you have the right to choose local representation.  Keep in mind we are first citizens of Heaven and second citizens of Earth.  Please exercise your freedom and choose representation today that is a reflection of your Heavenly citizenship and its’ goals. 

While you are out exercising your freedom today, think about other freedoms that you have been afforded because of what Jesus did for you on the cross….. 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  Galatians 5:1

If the above scripture tells us to stand firm and do not allow ourselves to be burdened by a yoke of slavery, then I am hearing that it is not only a possibility, but a probability that our freedom will continually come under assault.  Stand firm in what Jesus died to give you and refuse to allow these yokes of burden to come upon you in Jesus Name!  Your freedom comes from Jesus.  He is Lord!

If you find yourself  burdened down by the yokes of this life, there is hope.  As Galatians 5 continues to say, we are not under the law but under God’s grace and we are to be led by the Spirit!  Follow Him my friends, His voice leads us beside quiet waters and restores our souls!  Listen for His voice today.  There are no strings attached to His freedom, it is free because of what He did for us on the cross.  His grace is enough for us and He alone knows how to destroy yokes.   He loves His people free! 

What a good God!

Press On! Take Hold!

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 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Phil. 3:10-12

This hit me like a ton of bricks this morning!  Hello Holy Spirit Monday! 

Am I taking hold of everything that Jesus died to take hold for me? Am I blaming Him or someone else for my lack?

 I sat and had a very inspiring conversation today with a new friend.  She said that I inspired her as one who had “risen from the dead” and she had similar aspirations for herself.  This really touched me and also brought to mind the above scripture. 

Jesus died to give me life.  He died to give me life to the full.  He has already died and resurrected so that I can apply His blood as a “free pass” of access into His promises and not feel guilty or nervous about it at all!  So, what am I waiting for?  Do I believe Him or not?  Press On!  Take Hold! 

How in the world do I press on ?  Take Hold?  One of the first steps I’m learning to do is simply by asking God to speak the truth to me in His Word.  I always ask God to give me 3 scriptures that I can cling to during crisis.  If you can’t think of any on your own, reach out to me and I will help you.  Read them, sing them, believe them until they become a part of you.  This is one way I am learning to Press On and Take Hold! 

Secondly, revive the vision that God has for you.  Go back to the place where your future excited you.  What did you envision yourself doing or being?  This is where God wants you!  He inspires us and then the obstacles of our circumstances deplete us.  Press On towards the vision so that inspiration from God is in the forefront of your life!

Thirdly,  Luke 10:19 says that I have been given all authority over the works of the Devil.  Stop, take a minute and exercise your authority.  Out of your mouth say, “I take authority over (blank, blank, or blank-i.e. sickness, poverty, hopelessness, etc.)  You will not dominate my thoughts, my body, my home, or my life any more.  I bind your power according to Matthew 18:18 “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” and I loose (the opposite…i.e. health, blessing, and hope) in Jesus Name.  I no longer give you the right to speak to me.  From this day forward, I will only receive my directions for my life from the Lord Jesus. ”  In Jesus Name, AMEN!!

Lastly, lighten  yourself up, get your mind off of yourself and enjoy each a every day for what it is!  Be grateful, pray for someone else worse off than you, praise God for something, play with a child, laugh on purpose……live in each and every moment.  We have to stop wishing each and every season of our lives away and learn what He is teaching us; making the most of our times!  Knowing that if I am not experiencing life to the “Full” right now, it doesn’t mean that I will not nor does it mean that God doesn’t want that for me.  He is getting you into position so that you can have “Full” no matter your circumstances because you have learned to…….

Press On!  and  Take Hold! of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me!  Bless you today!

I Have His Power

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“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  1Cor. 1:18

The power of God is active in my life today.  No matter what I am facing today or in my tomorrows I have the power of God with me and working through me!  I have power over all of the works of the enemy because of what Jesus did for me on the cross.  There is nothing on this earth that can ever take away that power from me, because it was a free gift.  No devil, no sickness, no devastation, no death, no friend,  and absolutely no foe can ever separate me from His great love for me.  I proclaim it today over all of my circumstances and over my own soul.  I declare that I will move forward in that power and that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world!  I receive the power of God for every area of my life and I believe it is mine. In Jesus Name!  Amen

Hope

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“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope:  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”  Romans 8:15

We are in the midst of a phenomenal process.  When we accept Jesus into our hearts, He exchanges our sin and deposits within us what the Bible calls the “first fruits of the Spirit”.  I have often wondered, if we are delivered from this bondage and possess these first fruits, then why do we suffer so at times?  I wish I could say with out a doubt exactly why, but the fact is, it is the “whys” of this life that puzzle me too and send me for a tailspin some days.  I really have had to learn over the years to silence the “whys” of this life in exchange for God’s heart towards me and His ultimate purpose and will for my life.  The comforting principle this scripture has shown me is the piece that says, “but because of Him who subjected it in hope.”   This tells me that He sees a bigger picture and that He sometimes subjects us to things that will be very difficult, but His reasoning is not like my reasoning.  He sees the end.  He sees the hope!   This passage goes on to say, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”    I think of having a baby.  If you think about it, we subject our babies to this same hope, does that mean that we don’t love them or want them to be harmed?  I think not!  Envision you are pregnant or someone pregnant with your child.  Everything tells us there is a baby in the mommy’s tummy, but we haven’t seen it with our own eyes yet!  And even with the invention of the ultrasound, we are fortunate to see the baby’s image captured from the sound waves, but nothing can ever take the place of the hope of waiting to see it with your own eyes.  What if we decided to never subject our babies to the birth process?  Would that baby magically appear without our participation?  No way!  Whether through C-section or vaginal delivery, we have subjected our precious little ones in HOPE for their reveal! 

No matter what you are going through today, you have the promise that you are apart of a much larger picture.  No matter how difficult the challenge you are facing you can be certain that God sees the big picture, He has subjected you to this ” phenomenal birth process” in Hope, you can choose to move forward in victory and you will WIN!!  Press forward today in this hope and meditate on His goodness towards you.  It is not that you see the big picture, not that you understand why all of these things are happening, but you believe that He sees the beginning and the end, He has subjected you to this process in HOPE and that He would not have subjected you to anything to be cruel, to abandon you, or to harm you in any way.   He sees the glory that shall be revealed in you and through you. 

He is your way of peace today.  Spend time with Him and let Him know exactly how you feel about what is going on.  The birth canal is not comfortable!  Read Romans chapter 8 and let His mindset get into  yours and see His heart of love for you today.  Ask God to help you understand how He sees things and ask Him to teach you a new way to look at your situation.    He loves you more than you’ll ever know and His HOPE is in your reveal!  Bless you today!

Awaken My Soul!

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Psalm 57

” Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me. 3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; “Selah” God sends his love and his faithfulness. 4 I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts– men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 6 They spread a net for my feet— I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path– but they have fallen into it themselves. “Selah” 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. 10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” 

When difficult times are upon us, we have legitimate choices to make.  The choice to follow after our extremely influential feelings, our logic, opinions of others, etc.  We also have a slightly narrower path  that the scripture above refers to.  It involves taking refuge in the shadow of His wings.  I know this sounds crazy, especially when it doesn’t involve doing anything remotely practical to the crisis, but I did say the narrower path!  Imagine for a moment those wings covering you, embracing you, shielding you and ultimately protecting you from the harm on the other side.  That is exactly what God is demonstrating here.  Yes, there is a disaster, and yes, there is a place of refuge I have provided for you to wait upon My salvation, he declares over you today!  He goes on to instruct us to not only hide out in that place, but to AWAKEN ourselves and praise Him while we await His mercy.

CHOOSE to believe with me today that God is for you and that His mercy is big enough to cover all of our disasters and use this time as an opportunity to AWAKEN parts of yourself deadened by the world…..sing songs to Him (yes, even if the only song you know is Jesus Loves Me!)  Open your mouth and sing it like you mean it!  Because, He does!!!  Let’s choose life today my friends, together!