While I get ready on Sunday mornings, I like to listen to Christian praise music to prepare my mind for worship. Today an interesting point was made that I heard. Christ has experienced every emotion we have and in some cases, more serious.
This is really good to think about in this season of Lent as we dwell on what Jesus has done, is doing and will do for us. Because of everything He has done, He has had to face hurt, anxiety, sadness and happiness.
Jesus faces hurt every time we choose to go against Him and He cries for us. But He rejoices in us when we repent from that sin and with His happiness He forgives and completely forgets.
Jesus cries over us. In John 11:35 all it says is "Jesus wept". He wept for His friend Lazarus. Even Jesus dealt with loss as many of us do.
In The Garden of Gethsemane, while Jesus prayed, He was so scared that He prayed to His Father that He might not have to give Himself up. 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Even on the days when we feel like Christ won't or doesn't understand how we feel and can't help us get better, remember that He has felt the same way as you have and He wants to give you His joy and peace every chance He gets!
Blessings to you on the star of another week
Melody :)
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Broken Become Stronger
Sometimes it's hard to understand why we go through hard times. Times that we feel like we will never be able to get through. We feel week and helpless and it just seems like Christ is standing on the sidelines.
I think most people have heard the saying "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me" or the famous song by Kelly Clarkson "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger". One of those sayings are true and the other isn't. Can you guess which one isn't? The "Sticks" one is false. Words can hurt us the most.
But Kelly actually has a good point. The struggles that we face day-to-day can really make us a stronger person, especially when we rely on the Lord to help us get through it and to heal us from the hurt. I heard a fact once that when you break a bone, it becomes stronger after it has healed. Isn't that amazing! We can think of us going through a time just like that. We break a little, but once we ask Christ to help us, He promises to not only heal us, but make us stronger in our faith and reliance on Him.
The Lord might let us go through some difficult times so we can break, but then heal again through Him. He calls us back to Him reminding us that we can't do life without Him. Christ does not make the bad things happen, He only allows them to happen to us.
So if you are going through a hard time right now, maybe think of it as Jesus saying "come on back to me! I love you <3"
Blessing to you this day!
Melody
I think most people have heard the saying "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me" or the famous song by Kelly Clarkson "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger". One of those sayings are true and the other isn't. Can you guess which one isn't? The "Sticks" one is false. Words can hurt us the most.
But Kelly actually has a good point. The struggles that we face day-to-day can really make us a stronger person, especially when we rely on the Lord to help us get through it and to heal us from the hurt. I heard a fact once that when you break a bone, it becomes stronger after it has healed. Isn't that amazing! We can think of us going through a time just like that. We break a little, but once we ask Christ to help us, He promises to not only heal us, but make us stronger in our faith and reliance on Him.
The Lord might let us go through some difficult times so we can break, but then heal again through Him. He calls us back to Him reminding us that we can't do life without Him. Christ does not make the bad things happen, He only allows them to happen to us.
So if you are going through a hard time right now, maybe think of it as Jesus saying "come on back to me! I love you <3"
Blessing to you this day!
Melody
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Our Father...
This past weekend I attended a youth retreat at my friend's church. It was a wonderful experience that I have been blessed to have for the third time now. It is filled with church services, morning noon and night. Bible studies, fellowship and classes. It was the spiritual refreshment I needed!
Because of being in worship lots over the weekend, I spoke the Lord's prayer many times. It's something that can be said so mindlessly because it is so often used in church or in the home. But have you ever really dug into it? It's the most beautiful thing! It's the prayer that the Lord asked of us to pray.
So I will break it down a little bit and share with you what it means to me.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven...
Just this in itself is beautiful! He asks us to call Him our Father! He is the ultimate Father to us even when we don't have a good earthly one. He provides for our needs and cares and loves us with all of Him, His life! Now if you are His children and He is the king of the Universe/Heaven, we are heirs to Heaven. Heaven in our eternal home. Not here.
Hallowed be Thy Name...
His name is holy, perfect and just. It is different then any other name. It is then name of our Savior. It describes who He is: Emmanuel-Savior of the World.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...
Earth is not forever. This is only the beginning. There is a whole eternity in Heaven to come. To praise, worship and thank the Lord for all He has done. In the mean time, we ask that only His will be done. We need to leave our lives up to Him. Let Him determine who you are. Don't let the sinful world or your sinful self do that. For heaven is holy and perfect. It is the Lord's home. Who wouldn't want it to be like heaven on earth?
Give us the day our daily bread...
This is my favorite part of the prayer. You know why? because it forces me to focus on THIS day, not the days ahead. To not worry about what will come of this day or any other. Jesus provides for the here and now and that's all we need to think about. We need to put our trust in the Lord's providence. Rely fully on Him and His perfect plan for our lives.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...
Daily we should come to the Lord with our confession and sins. He will never withhold forgiveness with repentance. He yearns to forgive us. He wants, so desperately for us to repent, turn away from our sins and start new again with Him at the center! Likewise we should not withhold forgiveness from others
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil...
The devil's goal is get us to believe his lies and to tear us apart from the Lord and His truth, for He IS truth. The only way. We can't fight the devil on our own and I have learned that the hard way. Only with Christ's name and power can the devil be defeated for us day after day. But that's just it: he is defeated. We don't just try. Christ succeeds. He is the Victor and we with Him.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever...
His kingdom never ends, it will never go away. His power and glory have been, are and will be never ending and always here. He will never leave us.
Amen.
Where I was this weekend: http://higherthings.org/
Because of being in worship lots over the weekend, I spoke the Lord's prayer many times. It's something that can be said so mindlessly because it is so often used in church or in the home. But have you ever really dug into it? It's the most beautiful thing! It's the prayer that the Lord asked of us to pray.
So I will break it down a little bit and share with you what it means to me.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven...
Just this in itself is beautiful! He asks us to call Him our Father! He is the ultimate Father to us even when we don't have a good earthly one. He provides for our needs and cares and loves us with all of Him, His life! Now if you are His children and He is the king of the Universe/Heaven, we are heirs to Heaven. Heaven in our eternal home. Not here.
Hallowed be Thy Name...
His name is holy, perfect and just. It is different then any other name. It is then name of our Savior. It describes who He is: Emmanuel-Savior of the World.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...
Earth is not forever. This is only the beginning. There is a whole eternity in Heaven to come. To praise, worship and thank the Lord for all He has done. In the mean time, we ask that only His will be done. We need to leave our lives up to Him. Let Him determine who you are. Don't let the sinful world or your sinful self do that. For heaven is holy and perfect. It is the Lord's home. Who wouldn't want it to be like heaven on earth?
Give us the day our daily bread...
This is my favorite part of the prayer. You know why? because it forces me to focus on THIS day, not the days ahead. To not worry about what will come of this day or any other. Jesus provides for the here and now and that's all we need to think about. We need to put our trust in the Lord's providence. Rely fully on Him and His perfect plan for our lives.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...
Daily we should come to the Lord with our confession and sins. He will never withhold forgiveness with repentance. He yearns to forgive us. He wants, so desperately for us to repent, turn away from our sins and start new again with Him at the center! Likewise we should not withhold forgiveness from others
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil...
The devil's goal is get us to believe his lies and to tear us apart from the Lord and His truth, for He IS truth. The only way. We can't fight the devil on our own and I have learned that the hard way. Only with Christ's name and power can the devil be defeated for us day after day. But that's just it: he is defeated. We don't just try. Christ succeeds. He is the Victor and we with Him.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever...
His kingdom never ends, it will never go away. His power and glory have been, are and will be never ending and always here. He will never leave us.
Amen.
Where I was this weekend: http://higherthings.org/
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Discerning and Ways Out
So a lot has gone on in my life since I last wrote and there are so many things that I could write about. But there have been two big lessons that I have been taught these last few days that I think would be very beneficial to you also.
I have been faced with some choices that were set before for me and there was a good choice and a bad choice. I knew the difference between the good and the bad, but my sinful self desired to do the bad. I was given the way out. I knew that what I wanted to do was not of God but of the devil and yet it's what I desired. Sadly to say I didn't take the way out.
We are faced with these choices everyday. Weather it be going to a party and having the pressure of drinking or not, or falling into the temptation of sex before marriage with that special someone. Even the little things like choosing the piece of fruit over the brownie. We need to be discerning about what is good and what is bad.
In Proverbs 10:13 it says: Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.
In being discerning about making the right choice, we are wise. Wisdom comes from God and so when we make the God pleasing choice, we receive a gift that God also holds. How cool is that?!
When you are faced with a choice between good and bad, figure out the way out of it, or be discerning and follow the right path which is the Lord's.
Blessings to you!
Melody :)
I have been faced with some choices that were set before for me and there was a good choice and a bad choice. I knew the difference between the good and the bad, but my sinful self desired to do the bad. I was given the way out. I knew that what I wanted to do was not of God but of the devil and yet it's what I desired. Sadly to say I didn't take the way out.
We are faced with these choices everyday. Weather it be going to a party and having the pressure of drinking or not, or falling into the temptation of sex before marriage with that special someone. Even the little things like choosing the piece of fruit over the brownie. We need to be discerning about what is good and what is bad.
In Proverbs 10:13 it says: Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.
In being discerning about making the right choice, we are wise. Wisdom comes from God and so when we make the God pleasing choice, we receive a gift that God also holds. How cool is that?!
When you are faced with a choice between good and bad, figure out the way out of it, or be discerning and follow the right path which is the Lord's.
Blessings to you!
Melody :)
Monday, February 1, 2016
Always Here
I just finished my Theology class and it spoke directly to me. Here is what it was all about:
Lately there have been a lot of tragedies near where I live, three children died in a house fire, a young college student died in a car crash and there have been many others dealing with sickness and disease. In class we watched a sermon from yesterday that asked the question: where is the Lord in all of this?
A lot of times when stuff like this happens that same question comes to mind: Why would Christ allow something so horrible to happen? He doesn't, it's all the devil and his scheming ways.
The pastor said that God has never not been at our side. If we reject Him, He will leave us on our own for a time. But when it comes to His people, you and me, He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. Pastor also remembered in Daniel chapter 4, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo were in the furnace. Who was with them? The Angel of the Lord was. They didn't even smell like smoke when they came out!
The fact of the matter is the devil and sin allows these things to happen to us to tear us far apart from our Lord and Savior. We need to be in the word, sing the Lord's praise and pray continuously. When we do that, the devil has no room to make a home.
Your sister in Christ,
Melody :)
Lately there have been a lot of tragedies near where I live, three children died in a house fire, a young college student died in a car crash and there have been many others dealing with sickness and disease. In class we watched a sermon from yesterday that asked the question: where is the Lord in all of this?
A lot of times when stuff like this happens that same question comes to mind: Why would Christ allow something so horrible to happen? He doesn't, it's all the devil and his scheming ways.
The pastor said that God has never not been at our side. If we reject Him, He will leave us on our own for a time. But when it comes to His people, you and me, He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. Pastor also remembered in Daniel chapter 4, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo were in the furnace. Who was with them? The Angel of the Lord was. They didn't even smell like smoke when they came out!
The fact of the matter is the devil and sin allows these things to happen to us to tear us far apart from our Lord and Savior. We need to be in the word, sing the Lord's praise and pray continuously. When we do that, the devil has no room to make a home.
Your sister in Christ,
Melody :)
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