Luke 6:36-37- Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (37) “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;


Well I called my mother today, as I have been struggling with forgiveness and needed to ask her to forgive me, I am trying to move closer to God and I believe that this was the one big obstacle in my way. I had been holding on to past hurts and mistakes, failures, just all those things that people had done that to me and the fleshly mind make perfect sense to be angry at or with, but I knew that one if I didn't let go of this that I would not move forward with God, and that I needed to not only give it all to him but leave it there, (leave the past in the past), I had done that but I needed to ask my mother who removed me from her life months back for her own reasons. So I had tried to call a few times before on different days, but there was no answer and I did not want to leave a message as it didn't seem appropriate. I had prayed to God for the strength to do what I knew I had to do in order to receive His forgiveness, and to protect me from myself and my fleshly reactions to her negativity if she did answer and act in the way she always had in the past ( which is cold, and emotionless). But I moved past that and with faith that He would be my portion of whatever I needed in this conversation, and after that, I dialed the number and there was no answer, I cried because I had a conversation with God or maybe myself just before I called and I said that if she answered that it would be in God's will for me to call, and if not then it wasn't, how ridiculous, it is always in God's will to forgive and ask for forgiveness, so I tried again.

"Hello", a groggily, heavy voice said on the other end of the phone, " Hello?, I said," "hello, ( it was my mom), " Hi mom, how are you? " "I'm sick today * cough cough*, ( she said in a short and blunt way), I took a few deep breaths and stopped myself from tearing up or pouring out, and continued on to what I had to do,
" what's up? " she said, "nothing everything is fine, the reason I am calling is because I wanted to tell you how much I love you, and to ask you for forgiveness for the pain I might have caused, and anything I have done wrong to you in the past", " oh yeah, she said, and then in a harsh manner, her voice changed and almost with bitter hatred, she said " I can forgive you Melissa, BUT ( oh how I detest buts, its like giving me a plate of delicious food and then as i got to taste you take it back) but you always do the same thing again"....I wanted so badly to ask what that was as if your not doing what she wants she puts you out, I knew that really she should have been asking me for forgiveness more than me( i did have my share of wrongs), but I just carried on and said "yes mom, and I'm sorry, we are human and that is what we do Make Mistakes,...I'm not asking you to be apart of my life if you don't want to, I just want your forgiveness" "umhum she mumbles" and then silence...my mind racing, disturbed by the fact that my own mother would not have her heart breaking for her child to be begging her for forgiveness, but rather she was rushing the conversation with no interest at all and even less emotion. " Well mom, again I hope you can truly forgive me, that is all I wanted to say" " yea", she said in a cold kind of way. " Well then, take care of yourself, I love you Mom."
" Yea, she said again." "bye mom" Bye. I hung up the phone my heart still on the other end, torn out, and I fell to my knees where I stood and asked God to forgive her, as all I could think of was the Lord's prayer "forgive me my trespasses, as I forgive those who trespass against me. ( If I only say I forgive but in my heart of heart can not then He wont forgive me) I know my mom doesn't forgive herself and that doesn't allow her to forgive others.

Then I argued a moment with the devil, as I knew he was just waiting in the midst to use my pain as an outlet to take my blessing of today away and toy with my emotions.

FORGIVENESS. What a wonder, what a great and marvelous thing, it liberates us when we can forgive. It along side Love is a staple to live, and in fact I believe that If you cant forgive you cant know love, the love that God gives.

Today I completed my test, I have completely let go of my past, as Paul says ...but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14.

I forgive my mother and accept God's forgiveness and I have also learned to forgive myself, without that I couldn't move forward. I am so thankful for the word of God, for His unconditional Love, and His continuous mercy, and His grace that keeps me. I am thankful, that I can find peace in Him, and know that He hears my prayers, and catches my tears and cries with me, He is my comfort, my strength, the very air I breath. Without Him I would be nothing, and go nowhere, I would never have been able to make that call and end so peacefully without His gentle guidance. And if it weren't for the one promise that he makes I wouldn't be able to accept the fact that in essence my mother has abandoned me. “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” (Psalm 27:1) His arm is not to short.

I feel so much lighter the weight lifted off and given to the only one who can and will take it from me. Thank you Lord thank you.

So in the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray that the Lord touch my mother and help her to change to forgive to love and to see Him, and to become as He is, as He is love.

“When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8)

A Vessel!

This morning I woke up and first thanked the Lord for the past day as it was victorious, and then moved on to thank Him for this day and ask the same thing as yesterday.

"...Lord help me to be more like you, to love like you love and if possible to love through you as I am so imperfect, to if in any situation I am in a difficult spot with someone, that I may see your face in them and thus make me aware of your presence and remind myself to love. For strength to endure whatever load I am given and joyfully carry it to whatever area it is needed. Then I went on to thank God for the privileges He has graciously given me, that for some can be overlooked. "Thank you Father, for allowing me to be a raising hand for these 8 children, for giving me this husband to love and support, the Sunday school teacher position, and best of all the opportunity to plant your seed of Love in someone Else's heart and life, that may not know you...".

Then I realized something, that wasn't quite clear before today, because I had just gone about my day as though not to see it as blessings but in a completely different light, a routine so to speak. A wife, A mother, A teacher, A cook, A cleaner, A Child of God, A daughter, A sister...

How do I do it, I take care of 10 people 8 being children 8 being men, cook, clean, making lunches, doing laundry, brushing hair, reading stories, shedding tears over beds while praying for them and look out for these beings, I take care of a house that I do my best to try to make and keep a Home ( because a house is not a Home without Jesus (LOVE), i spend hours a week on Sunday school lessons preparing the youth for what is in this world and teaching them about what only God can provide. I spend hours weekly praying for my family and friends that is lost, sending them messages and bible studies and verses with the hope that one might come to know GOD.

Really?

Am I that blessed, one to have all these privileges but also to still be sane after the weeks end. I can go to bed and not worry about what we will eat tomorrow, even if we live on a single income. In any trial, or situation God carries me through. I know that if i did not have God in my life, if I didn't do my best to follow His commands, and live out the life He has planned for me, then I would most definitely be in a very dark place. Only God gives the strength to endure such tasks. Who am I Lord, that you are mindful of me. At some point in all of these roles I complained about the heavy load it was, I grumbled about how long some things take, about how it took my "Me time", when really I was so wrong. Yes it is a Heavy load but not that heavy, but through all of this I was learning who the real "ME" was. I am a Vessel, "abide in me, and I in you" is what He says, to some degree I can almost say I am co-dependent upon Jesus ( I am addicted to pleasing HIM) Everything for His glory, THANK YOU LORD. I never will ask for anything less or different than that of what you have chosen me for and blessed me with. Some may not see it as a blessing but these some will not find you in there darkest hour either because they do not have you in their hearts or do not want to. I am with the peace God gives when you trust in Him to fulfill His promise.

I BELIEVE IN GOD AND BELIEVE GOD. HE WILL DO IT.

It truly is as simple as that.

What a great privilege it is to know that "Yet we were sinners, Christ died for us", I am in debt with Him, and so very thankful for all that He has done for me and for all He has brought me out of and for His light, His faithful and truthful Word, for His renewed mercies, and for His Abounding, overflowing Love. Thank you God.

"ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE TO BE THIS VESSEL OF LOVE FOR YOU OH LORD"

"I WILL WORSHIP YOU, WITHOUT ABANDON LORD, WITH ALL I AM AND ALL YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, WITHOUT ABANDON, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE".

Melissa Harris

A new Year with the Same God who Never Changes.!

It is so easy to focus on what we see rather than what we do not see. But with faith we see what is not seen. Faith is believing. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith is seeing beyond the reality of our situations. When situations come, and seem so overwhelming and out of control, so unbearable, what God expects us to do is to give them to Him, but most of the time, we struggle, and stumble, and weaken our faith, because we rely on our own strengths and capabilities rather than God's. Only He can do all things. But we know that He only gives us as much as we can handle with Him. Let's not take credit where credit is not due. The bible says " I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" not on my own because I am strong but through Christ.

God puts us in certain situations, and gives us certain experiences so that we will rely on Him, and what a pleasure to know that when all is ready to explode in your face and your world is about to come crashing down on you, God Say's step aside, this is not your battle it is mine. But we need to remember that He only takes us out of what we ask Him to. He will allow us to struggle, and faint in our troubles if we so choose but it is not what He chooses.

Jeremiah 29:11 explains it well - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.


Ephesians 6:10 declares, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

This text teaches some crucial truths: we can only be strong in the Lord’s power, it is God’s armor that protects us, and our battle is against spiritual forces of evil in the world.


So let's be more aware of God's presence and abilities and power and remember that we have an awesome Father who will not sit back and watch us drowned if we are calling out for Him to Reel us in to Him.


This is yes in deed a new year but not with a new God, He is a God from of Old, a God that never changes, He is the same as yesterday, Today and Forever..


May peace be with you as you go about your day, with God on your side. Wearing the Armor of God and protecting yourself with it.

Blessings.

New Covenant Provided by the Blood of Christ

This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you . . . knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (Luk_22:20 and 1Pe_1:18-19) The well-known Lord's Supper words from Luk_22:20 remind us that the glorious riches of grace found in the new covenant are all purchased by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, as He died on the cross for us. "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." Customarily, believers in Christ think of forgiveness of sins when they hear these words. Forgiveness is certainly included in the blessings secured by the death of our Lord. Notice, however, that Jesus did not say "this cup is forgiveness in My blood." He said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood." The new covenant is far more than forgiveness of sins. As previously indicated, the scriptures reveal that the new covenant has three basic areas of blessings. First is the forgiveness of sins. "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more" (Heb_8:12). Second is an intimate relationship with the Lord. "All shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them" (Heb_8:11). Third is an internal work of God producing an increasingly godly life in and through us. "I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts" (Heb_8:10). The word of God further confirms that all of these grand blessings depend upon God's provision, not our performance. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2Co_3:5). How can it be that such measureless spiritual abundance becomes ours through the new covenant of grace? Well, consider the amazing and effective redemption price paid to establish this new covenant. "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ." This new covenant was not purchased with limited earthly wealth, like silver and gold. Rather, it was paid for by infinite heavenly treasure, the blood of Christ. No wonder the new covenant provides such amazing and effective resources for all who depend upon the One who died for them. One final reflection — realizing all that the cup of the new covenant represents can turn the Lord's Supper from a "religious snack" into a "spiritual feast"!


Dear Heavenly Father, You have surely provided for me grace upon grace - - complete forgiveness, intimate relationship, divine enablement! Yet, how could any less be supplied by such a rich price! Lord Jesus, thank You for pouring out Your life's blood to make such irreplaceable necessities available to me. Father, please bring to my remembrance day by day the wondrous riches of the new covenant that You want me to draw upon by faith, through Christ, my Lord, Amen.