10\24\2008
Well this is my first blog...I wrote it few weeks back and couldn't figure out how to get it on here...and I work on computers for a living...I know right. Anyway, I'll just be dropping a few lines from time to time to share some of the things God deals with heart about. God bless.
Hosea 6:3-4 says this: Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord, His going forth is established as the morning, He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
“O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away.
It is a miracle to me how God is faithful even when we are weak and faithless. Even when we turn away from him, he never stops pursuing us. Though our faithfulness is like a cloud that fades away, he is like the morning, never failing to come even after the darkest nights.
I remember that for a time in my life, especially during my teenage years, that I struggled fiercely with a thing that many, many people, both young and old wrestle inwardly with. A thing, a feeling, a thought pattern that can and will absolutely become a destructive force in an individuals life if not recognized, understood, and dealt with. This…thing is deadly. It crushes hope, destroys dreams, it makes it impossible to know peace and worst of all it separates us from God. This thing is not an addiction. It is not some deviate sin. It is not something that most would even be able to recognize. It slips into the unwary hearts of our young people and grows up, stronger inside of them with every mistake, every sin, every failure; with every judgmental word and pointing finger…with every stone thrown from the unwitting hands of fathers, mothers, even brothers and sisters in Christ. This thing is self-condemnation, and it is not from Christ.
There is a distinct line between condemnation and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. God’s word tells us that He (Jesus) did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
One of the greatest advances in my relationship with Christ came in a moment when the Holy Spirit revealed to me the difference between self-condemnation and conviction and the reasons that self-condemnation is not from God, but instead is a tool used by Satan to trick God’s people into becoming self destructive and separating themselves from Christ.
This trickery works in a sly and devious way. It creeps into our minds when we sin and fall short of the glory of God and tells us that there is no hope. It whispers to our hearts to give up. It tells us that we can’t pray because we are not worthy. It says how dare you ask for forgiveness, you’re abusing his grace. It tells us we will never overcome, that we will always be bound by this sin.
I found that when I slipped up in some area of my life I would feel so bad, and be so hard on myself that I would literally distance myself from God. I would not pray or lift my hands in worship at church because I felt like a hypocrite. The more the guilt ate at me the further I felt from God until at times I fell into long periods of spiritual darkness…but when God showed me his grace…I mean when he gave me the understanding of his grace…what a miracle, what a change! Oh God thank you for your grace…for your word that says “For it is by grace we have been saved through faith and this not of ourselves, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, so that no man can boast.”
God has sent a word to break the bondage of condemnation upon his young people and open eyes to the deceptions of the enemy. He whispered a secret to my heart that he now whispers to you. When you fall get back up, keep pressing on. Say within your heart I will not let this keep me from pursing God. Pray all the harder, get into his word even deeper. This is a time to strengthen and renew your heart so that next time you may stand because you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Receive the Blessings!
Malachi 3:10 says...
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
As Christians, we are more than commanded by God to give back to him a tenth of our increase. We are invited to "test Him in this." God does not like to be tested. He wants us to believe in Him based on our faith and knowledge secured by His Word. But, here, when He speaks to us about giving of our tithes He specifally tells us that it's okay to test Him in this. He will gladly prove His word. Which means, if you are giving your tithes, you will see the blessings poured out so much that you will not have room enough for it! But, also means if you are not giving, He will still prove His word! So, be careful, when you test Him. He doesn't change His mind or His promises!
Now, about the blessings. Many Christians complain about not receiving blessings and the have been "tithing faithfully for years." What they fail to realize is that blessings come in many different forms...not just CASH! Therefore, we should always be on the lookout for these blessings and ready to receive them! They may be something as simple as a friend offering to pay for your drink or a meal. Maybe someone offers you something that you don't even realize you need at the time. The Bible tells us to "delight yourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." After I became a Christian and began to "delight myself in HIM" I realized that He had changed the desires of my heart too. I no longer desire to be rich and successful, but to go wherever He calls me to go and do whatever He calls me to do. Not only does He give me the desires of my heart, but He also puts those desires in there based on the plan He already had for my life from the beginning.
So, the moral of the story is to receive the blessings that are put right in front of you! Be on the lookout for them and THANK HIM for giving them to you! The cash will come when you NEED it! You can test Him in this. I have!
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
As Christians, we are more than commanded by God to give back to him a tenth of our increase. We are invited to "test Him in this." God does not like to be tested. He wants us to believe in Him based on our faith and knowledge secured by His Word. But, here, when He speaks to us about giving of our tithes He specifally tells us that it's okay to test Him in this. He will gladly prove His word. Which means, if you are giving your tithes, you will see the blessings poured out so much that you will not have room enough for it! But, also means if you are not giving, He will still prove His word! So, be careful, when you test Him. He doesn't change His mind or His promises!
Now, about the blessings. Many Christians complain about not receiving blessings and the have been "tithing faithfully for years." What they fail to realize is that blessings come in many different forms...not just CASH! Therefore, we should always be on the lookout for these blessings and ready to receive them! They may be something as simple as a friend offering to pay for your drink or a meal. Maybe someone offers you something that you don't even realize you need at the time. The Bible tells us to "delight yourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." After I became a Christian and began to "delight myself in HIM" I realized that He had changed the desires of my heart too. I no longer desire to be rich and successful, but to go wherever He calls me to go and do whatever He calls me to do. Not only does He give me the desires of my heart, but He also puts those desires in there based on the plan He already had for my life from the beginning.
So, the moral of the story is to receive the blessings that are put right in front of you! Be on the lookout for them and THANK HIM for giving them to you! The cash will come when you NEED it! You can test Him in this. I have!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Are you slow to anger?
James 1:18-20 speaks to us in a mighty way!
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
What does it take to set you off? I know, for me, sometimes it does not take much! It seems like satan always knows which "buttons to push" with me to make me slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger. But, the simple truth is that, as I grow in the Lord, I am able to recognize these temptations for what they are and who they come from. Then, I am able to work toward the ultimate goal of becoming CHRIST-like. Another thing worth noting is that it is easier to know God's truth when you study it more and become more familiar with this "Christ-likeness."
Jesus was angry at times, but He never sinned. He directed His anger at unrighteousness and sin. And we, as Christians, have the right to be angry under these circumstances. But, not at the person who hurt your feelings or is driving 20 miles per hour in front of us on the freeway!
Ask yourself, "Am I slow to anger?" Pray. Ask God to reveal to you the situations that need improvement and how to overcome them. You will notice that He is faithful and will do just that. Your angry actions will become shorter and shorter until finally you will notice that they no longer exist!
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
What does it take to set you off? I know, for me, sometimes it does not take much! It seems like satan always knows which "buttons to push" with me to make me slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger. But, the simple truth is that, as I grow in the Lord, I am able to recognize these temptations for what they are and who they come from. Then, I am able to work toward the ultimate goal of becoming CHRIST-like. Another thing worth noting is that it is easier to know God's truth when you study it more and become more familiar with this "Christ-likeness."
Jesus was angry at times, but He never sinned. He directed His anger at unrighteousness and sin. And we, as Christians, have the right to be angry under these circumstances. But, not at the person who hurt your feelings or is driving 20 miles per hour in front of us on the freeway!
Ask yourself, "Am I slow to anger?" Pray. Ask God to reveal to you the situations that need improvement and how to overcome them. You will notice that He is faithful and will do just that. Your angry actions will become shorter and shorter until finally you will notice that they no longer exist!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Holy Bible...old stories or NEW?
I am realizing more and more each day that things have not really changed that much since the days of the Bible! I can relate, or see relations, to many different people and circumstances that God put in the Bible for us to learn by. I was reading my friends blog, thirstyfortruth.typepad.com, this morning. She does different studies about the women of the Bible and today was part 2 of Eve in the garden.
We can relate to Eve so much! Satan came to her and presented sin to her in a way that she could not resist! He made is sound like she must partake in it to prove that it was okay because God would surely want her to have knowledge! Then, she not only sinned herself, but persuaded her husband, Adam, to go along with it as well. The thing to see here is that she (and Adam) justified their actions based on a little, tiny LIE that they heard. They knew that they weren't supposed to do it, because GOD commanded it of them, but somehow they justified in their own minds that it was okay and nothing would really happen to them if they did!
Is there something in YOUR life that you do, no matter how small or insignificant it seems, that you KNOW in your heart God has commanded you NOT TO DO, but you have justified it somehow, calling it a "gray area" of truth? I can think of a couple in my life! But, the tough part is figuring out how to stop! God wants us to seek HIS advice, and HIS leading in all situations! That's what I will do! HE will show me the way!
Let's pray... Heavenly Father, I come to you today with a new revelation in my heart. God, show me where I fail You and teach me how to "present myself as blameless and PURE!" I desire to be just like You and I know that You are the only One who can show me the way. Thank you for all that you have for me. I humbly repent and ask Your forgiveness. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
We can relate to Eve so much! Satan came to her and presented sin to her in a way that she could not resist! He made is sound like she must partake in it to prove that it was okay because God would surely want her to have knowledge! Then, she not only sinned herself, but persuaded her husband, Adam, to go along with it as well. The thing to see here is that she (and Adam) justified their actions based on a little, tiny LIE that they heard. They knew that they weren't supposed to do it, because GOD commanded it of them, but somehow they justified in their own minds that it was okay and nothing would really happen to them if they did!
Is there something in YOUR life that you do, no matter how small or insignificant it seems, that you KNOW in your heart God has commanded you NOT TO DO, but you have justified it somehow, calling it a "gray area" of truth? I can think of a couple in my life! But, the tough part is figuring out how to stop! God wants us to seek HIS advice, and HIS leading in all situations! That's what I will do! HE will show me the way!
Let's pray... Heavenly Father, I come to you today with a new revelation in my heart. God, show me where I fail You and teach me how to "present myself as blameless and PURE!" I desire to be just like You and I know that You are the only One who can show me the way. Thank you for all that you have for me. I humbly repent and ask Your forgiveness. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Pure Joy!
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds... James 1:2
PURE: "Straightforward; unaffected"
JOY: "State of happiness"
PURE JOY: STRAIGHTFORWARD, UNAFFECTED STATE OF HAPPINESS
We know that God works ALL things together for the good of those who love Him. Therefore, WHEN we face trials of many kinds, we are to "consider it PURE JOY." Which, by definition, is a straightforward, unaffected state of happiness! We all face trials of many kinds every day. From the smallest to the largest, we are to consider them all pure joy, not just the ones that are easy to be happy with. Sometimes, God allows us to see the outcome of the trial right away, making it easy for us to have joy in it. But, more often than not, we do not see the benefits of it and our human nature allows us to be angry, sad, frustrated, depressed, or any of the other emotions within us. As we seek a closer relationship with Christ, HIS Spirit living within us guides our emotions so that we can instantly realize that we should give every situation over to HIM and find UNAFFECTED HAPPINESS in it. We cannot let anything affect this happiness. Not other people, other situations, others outcome in the same situation...nothing!
God is bringing our family into "full time ministry" in our lives. Often, from a world view,
"full time ministry" sounds like "poverty!" But, HE is showing us every single day that, when we trust HIM, and give it all to HIM, nothing could be further from the truth! We have PURE JOY in this life that we are pre-destined to live. Not that we do not fail HIM occasionally! Believe that we are not perfect and certainly can, and do, fall for the lies of the enemy and fall short of His Glory. It is a constant effort on our part to "conform to HIS image" and not the ways of the world. We have to be constantly on the "lookout" for those fiery darts of the enemy and know where they come from and how to overlook them and look to HIM!
Let us all remember that Christ directs our lives and He is always in control, even when things are seemingly hopeless. He gives hope to the hopeless and strength to the weary.
Stay in HIS TRUTH! See... Isaiah 40:31, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 12:2
PURE: "Straightforward; unaffected"
JOY: "State of happiness"
PURE JOY: STRAIGHTFORWARD, UNAFFECTED STATE OF HAPPINESS
We know that God works ALL things together for the good of those who love Him. Therefore, WHEN we face trials of many kinds, we are to "consider it PURE JOY." Which, by definition, is a straightforward, unaffected state of happiness! We all face trials of many kinds every day. From the smallest to the largest, we are to consider them all pure joy, not just the ones that are easy to be happy with. Sometimes, God allows us to see the outcome of the trial right away, making it easy for us to have joy in it. But, more often than not, we do not see the benefits of it and our human nature allows us to be angry, sad, frustrated, depressed, or any of the other emotions within us. As we seek a closer relationship with Christ, HIS Spirit living within us guides our emotions so that we can instantly realize that we should give every situation over to HIM and find UNAFFECTED HAPPINESS in it. We cannot let anything affect this happiness. Not other people, other situations, others outcome in the same situation...nothing!
God is bringing our family into "full time ministry" in our lives. Often, from a world view,
"full time ministry" sounds like "poverty!" But, HE is showing us every single day that, when we trust HIM, and give it all to HIM, nothing could be further from the truth! We have PURE JOY in this life that we are pre-destined to live. Not that we do not fail HIM occasionally! Believe that we are not perfect and certainly can, and do, fall for the lies of the enemy and fall short of His Glory. It is a constant effort on our part to "conform to HIS image" and not the ways of the world. We have to be constantly on the "lookout" for those fiery darts of the enemy and know where they come from and how to overlook them and look to HIM!
Let us all remember that Christ directs our lives and He is always in control, even when things are seemingly hopeless. He gives hope to the hopeless and strength to the weary.
Stay in HIS TRUTH! See... Isaiah 40:31, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 12:2
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
God is in control!
As Christians, many of us may feel as though the fate of our nation has been somehow "changed" by the results of this year's election. But, let's remember, God knows things about our future that we do not. There is NEVER a time when He is not in complete control of everything! Sometimes, His way is not what we think it's going to be. I am thanking Him for our new president and, as His Word tells us...
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 13:1
Our authorities ARE ESTABLISHED BY GOD. So, now it is time to pray that our new authority hears and obeys God's truth! And, trust that he will. As long as we know that we are doing all that we are called to do...
we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
It is wonderful to know that God is in control and not me! I would mess it up every time!
Love you all,
Melanie
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 13:1
Our authorities ARE ESTABLISHED BY GOD. So, now it is time to pray that our new authority hears and obeys God's truth! And, trust that he will. As long as we know that we are doing all that we are called to do...
we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
It is wonderful to know that God is in control and not me! I would mess it up every time!
Love you all,
Melanie
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A Vision
Every ministry that comes from God begins with a vision. This vision represents the hope of glory given to God through the ministry. It represents the revelation that God will use the ministry to complete the task that has been given to those involved. It is a glance into the spiritual realm to foresee the outcome. God wants to use Purified Ministries to reach the souls of young people across the world! Our vision from God is simple... share the power of the Holy Spirit with those in our paths. God is real. He is alive. He created us to live out His parental dream for us. All we have to do is say "Yes, Lord! We will ride with You!" He will take care of the rest. And, through this act of submission to the Holy Spirit we will experience all that God has for us while here on this earth and, finally, spending an eternity basking in HIS GLORY!
Please pray for Purified Ministries, that we will have clear minds, open eyes, and open ears.
To GOD be the glory!!
Please pray for Purified Ministries, that we will have clear minds, open eyes, and open ears.
To GOD be the glory!!
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