Romans 8:1 NIV Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Not guilty! You are acquitted of all charges! You are free to go! These are words any person being held as a prisoner would desire to hear! But don’t be so quick to think this message doesn’t apply to you. True you may not be sitting in front of a judge at a courthouse or in a cell waiting on your freedom but many of us are indeed prisoners. Prisoners of our past, our minds, thoughts, and actions and so many of us want to be free but we don’t feel worthy. We feel too far gone to be loved by anyone let alone God. We feel ashamed, embarrassed, angry, confused…unfit for kingdom use and unfit for life. Let me tell you all that God is a God of love! When he sent his Son to die on the cross for our sins it covered all sins! The deepest darkest secret in your memory bank to the thing you are willing to do in public even though convicted because it is socially acceptable. God covered all that. If I could be honest no matter how free I get from certain things self-condemnation often rises up in me. “God I know this was wrong I did it anyway, I don’t deserve to be used”, “I’m unworthy”, “God has to be mad at me for this so I won’t ask him to forgive me again”. Condemnation is a beast! A trick of the enemy to make someone feel they are guilty and unfit for productive kingdom use because of the wrong they may have done. He wants to keep you there because as long as you are bound in the condemnation of past events (anything that happened more than 1 second ago) you will not go forward in your calling, you will avoid your purpose, and you will not be used at your fullness. If you are a believer of Jesus Christ, sisters and brothers you are free! Free from condemnation! Free from guilt! You have been acquitted of all charges! You are free to go! Keep walking on the road towards righteousness. Understand you will make mistakes it’s apart of the human’s life. But also understand your past has no control over your present and it doesn’t define who you are! Use it! Stop letting it use you! Take time to go to God in candid honesty. Tell him your angry, scared, hurt, embarrassed, feel unloved, unworthy, guilty in the highest power and let him begin the work of freeing and releasing you from it all. It’s already been done in the spirit realm! Jesus put in real work for you! Now receive it! There is now NO condemnation for those in Christ Jesus! THIS FRIDAY! May 30, 2014 at Calvary Tabernacle in Lakewood! Will you be there? I'd love to see your face! It's a youth service so make sure to bring your pre-teens, teens, and your grown self too ;) Allow the Spirit of the Lord to release you from all you've been holding on to on this night! A few weeks ago there was a small earthquake. As I laid in bed prior to the shaking I had several things I needed to do including pray and complete my devotion for the night. Instead, I went to Instagram and found myself on the page of some girl I figured out is from one of these ratchet reality shows some of yall love so much lol. (No judgment lol) The story of how I ended up on her profile isn’t long but not worth the explanation so I’ll just leave it alone. The whole time I was scrolling all I could think is Mel be productive you have people to pray for and sermons to prepare…be productive. But it was too late I was drawn into someone else’s life that had nothing to do with me. I had the “be productive” thought about 3 more times before the house started to move and had me like... Automatically I thought if I had been seriously injured or killed (I know the quake was small but follow me) is that really how I would have wanted things to end? With the Holy Spirit telling me to pray and read my word but I’m stuck on this woman’s page I don’t even know? The point of this blog is to tell myself and anyone else to make sure you immediately listen to the Holy Spirit and his convictions…ALWAYS. You never know what they’re keeping you from or preparing you for. Isn’t it just like a Californian to want to get an earthquake kit ready after the earthquake has already hit? Late preparation will not help you in this case! The Lord is speaking to many of you and you are ignoring him boldly. He is only going to give us so many chances before he allows the “earthquake” to come and rattle our lives in order to get our attention. You don’t have to let it get to that point! Whatever he is asking you to do, my suggestion is for you to do it now! That! That thing that just popped up in your mental…do THAT now! God bless! Please don’t wait until the earthquake comes! Mel Will you be there? I'd love to see your face! The last Friday of this month! May 30, 2014 at Calvary Tabernacle in Lakewood! It's a youth service so make sure to bring your pre-teens, teens, and your grown self too ;) Abandoned, alone, by oneself, comfortless, companionless, isolated, forsaken, outcast, rejected, secluded, single, withdrawn… These are all synonyms for being lonely. It’s true that life’s journey can be extremely lonely, especially when you are walking on a path towards better. One may feel alone in a crowded place, which is a horrible feeling, and others may actually physically be alone left with no other soul on earth in their corner at the moment (I’m sorry if you’re in that place). Moments of feeling forsaken are bound to come up. Especially on this faith walk that many of us Christians are on but you don’t have to add to the hermit like feeling. A hermit is a person who has withdrawn to a solitary place, someone who is living in seclusion. While there are times that God does remove us from certain jobs, churches, friends, or even from family members, there are many times we remove ourselves and blame God for our loneliness. In either situation I want to encourage you to reach out in 3 ways! 1. Reach out to (positive) others! Invite a platonic friend over to watch a movie or eat. If one person says no, don’t take it personal ask someone else! We are adults and people have way more complicated lives than we did at age 6! If you have no friends make a plan to reach out to that person you have been considering making your friend. Yea it’s awkward at first but some of my most awesome friends came out of my most awkward moments of “will you be my friend” type approaches! (Shout out to “Cokez” my first friend at USC) 2. Reach out to God Should I have put this first? Of course I should have, God should always be the first option but the reality is most of us will reach out to a friend before we pray to God. That’s why it’s important we have some godly friends that will always point us back to him! (IJS, that’s something for you to think about) The word says that God will never leave us or forsake us (Deut 31:6; Heb 13:5). So this means that he is always present and ready for us to speak to him through prayer and through reading the word. While you’re at it, ask him why you have been feeling so lonely. Guarantee you he will answer you in some way. In the past as I sought answers to this question I would figure out that I was depressed, I chose to isolate myself from everyone for a particular reason, and even finding out that my friends were going through tough times and feeling lonely too and I needed to reach out to them. The point, get to the root of your loneliness problem. Connecting with God is the best way to begin that process. 3. Reach out to yourself Does that make sense? Yes! At some point in your life you are going to have to be okay with chillin with yourself. And I mean like really be okay with it. Like go to the mall, grab a bite to eat (without getting on your phone to check social networks), go see a movie or a show, chillin with yourself. And not just once a year, being able to do it all the time if you had to! When it comes down to it, you’re the only human that is going to be there 24/7, rain or shine, whether you like it or not. It would be very helpful to not hate spending that quality alone time with yourself. Get comfortable with yourself, hold on to God, and reach out to the people that you have chosen as friends! Lonely seasons will come up but they don’t have to remain! Reach out!!! Nothing deep, just obvious points that if you follow will bring less stress and save your body, mind, and spirit much turmoil! 1) If you’re tired—Rest! What’s the point of running yourself into the ground? Do what you need to do to rest (physically, mentally, and/or spiritually)! This reminds me of a scripture I read earlier this week: Psalm 127: 1-2 If God doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks. If God doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? 2. Listen to the Holy Spirit. God has been laying it on you thick to take care of a particular thing or situation or to do something but you keep putting it off. You better make it happen before it’s too late or things become worse. Did you read this blog already? 3. If it’s not bringing you joy, you’re only doing something out of obligation and not desire or pure love for God please check your motives. Why are you doing it? What would you rather be doing? Is that lined up with God’s will for your life? If so, why haven’t you made the switch and what are your plans to make it happen? Some things are simple in thought but difficult in action. If you can act on the 3 things above you’ll live in peace, joy, and harmony with yourself and others! Have a happy May! Will you be there? I'd love to see your face! The last Friday of this month! May 30, 2014 at Calvary Tabernacle in Lakewood! Want to subscribe to the free newsletter to get updates, special notes, and access to the free eBook "5 Reminders of Your Truth"? Sign up now! Did I mention, it's free =) http://www.truththrutruth.com/t3-ministries-newsletter.html Hey everyone, If you are a subscriber to the Truth Thru Truth newsletter please check your emails because I have sent you guys a special letter with what I feel is something that is happening to many children of God, but specifically a great number of my subscribers, right now. I pray it blesses your spirit and encourages you to keep moving forward in peace! This week I decided to reroute you back to last week’s blog post "What are you waiting for?" Not because I didn’t have anything to write but because I think there is someone else out there that needs to read it. Have a blessed week! Please go read last week's post if you haven’t already by clicking on the picture below.
“Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying: ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it. And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’ -Deuteronomy 20:5-7 NKJV In this scripture the officials were preparing the Israelites for Holy war yet in doing so they were more than likely sending a great number of their able bodied men back home! Can you notice the theme? It's time to take care of home! Stop putting off what needs to happen today! Why? Because your next moment is not promised and not everything and everybody is gonna wait on you to get it together! I don't know what your home is right now but I have some questions for you... What are you waiting for? It's time to do it already! What task are you trying to avoid? Please take care of it "lest another man complete it". Has God told you to fix a relationship by forgiving or some other action? Take care of it lest you miss your opportunity altogether! The consequences may not be worth it! Has God asked you to come to him in prayer and through consistent reading of his word? Handle that lest you face persecution or a trial ill equipped! Has God told you to stop sleeping with that person? Take heed lest you find yourself with an incurable and/or deadly disease! Has God told you to stop sleeping with that married individual? Be obedient lest you find yourself on the newest episode of Snapped...as the deceased. Has God told you, you need to get to work on time? You better make it happen lest you miss out on that promotion he's been trying to set up for you. Has God told you to use your free time to finish that book, patent that idea, start that program or business? You better make it happen lest another man complete it and you no longer have the rights! What's my point??? Make it happen lest you lose the opportunity God is laying in your lap! We're totally in this together so let's get to work! What are you waiting for?! ;) When there's no translator God still communicates! On Sunday night I attended a funeral service. (Please pray for their family and friends to make it through this difficult time) There were quite a few differences compared to services I normally go to, the main one being it was a Spanish speaking service. Although there wasn’t a whole lot I could understand I did know that something amazing was taking place in the sanctuary. The Spirit of The Lord was resting in that house. As praises went up it didn't matter what I could or couldn't understand because God's Spirit has no boundaries and neither does his love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8; 1Corin 13:4-8). What he needed me to understand regarding the hearts of the people was clear. What he needed me to gain from the experience was also clear. Here are some reminders I was able to take away even with the language barrier: When I tell you that perfect love casts out fear I am only speaking the truth! (1 John 4:18) Today I want to encourage all of you who are followers of Christ to go deeper! Go beyond what you have been doing and sacrifice to give God just a little bit more of you today than you did yesterday! (That thing that's been on your heart to do...do it now) One thing I’ve noticed in the last month is that with every step I’ve taken in obedience God has revealed himself in a new way (1 Samuel 15:22). As he reveals I sense his love and fall deeper in love with him. The more I love him the more I want to move in him, for him, and the less fear dictates my actions. <That last part is huge for me! Because of this love I've literally felt, I have been able to do things the last 2 weeks I haven't been able to do in years Keep Your Eyes On the Cloud and Make Sure to Follow The Fire Today’s Video Blog (Vlog) is for all of you who have emailed me or contacted me through the site regarding depression and anxiety. The video is a little lengthy but I figure those of you who need it will watch it! You’ll get a tip in how to handle both anxiety and depression. But if you feel that you need more help you are more than welcome to check out my next Depression Management Workshop! God Bless! Stand Strong and as always, I’m praying for you! Have you downloaded the newest eGuide Moving Past R.E.G.R.E.T. yet? If you are having trouble moving past certain issues or circumstances in your life this eGuide can help. Go get it now! http://www.truththrutruth.com/regrettheeguide.html Fear is a crazy emotion. On one hand it can save your life. When your mind announces that something isn't right it puts your senses on alert and you are able to act accordingly. On the other hand it can cause one to desire to take another's life. This could be literal or the killing of one's character, integrity--their good name. In Proverbs 22 it tells us that a good name is better than riches. This direct attack on someone's livelihood stems from their fear of the greatness that lies within the other person. Let me give you 3 examples: |
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