Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/10/2018

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

Daily Scripture 1/10/2018

Daily Scripture

 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. ~ Matthew 5:7

Study

Obtain – get, acquire, or secure (something).

Obtain, was adopted into English in the 15th century, coming to us via Anglo-French from the Latin obtinēre, meaning “to take hold of.” “Obtinēre” was formed by the combination of ob, meaning “in the way,” and the verb tenēre, meaning “to hold.”

Mercy – Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.  lenient or compassionate treatment; a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion.

—–

To be merciful is to show forgiveness and compassion to those in need. Jesus frequently spoke of this trait. In the Lord’s Prayer, He says “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) In Matthew 9:13 Jesus instructs the Pharisees, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Jesus often showed mercy to those He came across.  Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 4:1 that his ministry was given to him by God’s mercy. (Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not). He also saw his salvation as an act of God’s mercy: Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Our salvation is called an act of God’s mercy in Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. And as Peter said in 1 Peter 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

We too, as God’s children, have received and should reflect His mercy to those that cross our paths. When we are merciful, we look like Jesus and are blessed.

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He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? – Micah 6:8

He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. – Proverbs 21:21

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new very morning: great is thy faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23

Meditation

Before I was saved, I could not understand the meanings of grace and mercy, no matter how many times it was explained. Finally, after I was filled with the Spirit, the Holy Ghost taught me and finally…I got it!

  • Grace = Receiving something that you DON’T deserve.
  • Mercy = NOT receiving something that you DO deserve. (punishment, condemnation, etc.)
  • God’s mercy is shown by His withholding of my just punishment.
  • As a child of God, I should be a reflection of Him, giving others the same mercy He extends daily to me.

Prayer

Father, I thank You today for Your Word which feeds me, encourages me, and corrects me. I thank You for your mercies and that they are new every morning. I thank You that Your compassions do not fail. EVER. Lord, I come to you today in need of help here. My heart and mind are troubled, and I know that is not You will. So I need to let my heart focus on good things when I am at rest, and I need my mind to line up with Your Word.  It is not easy.  My world and people around me sometimes give great reason to be frustrated, but I know that is a response to my flesh.  I want Your heart for people and the issues they bring.  I want Your heart that loves and loves mercy. I want to follow after it and release mercy and blessing to people in every situation.  Strengthen my heart today to be merciful in not only my deeds and my words but also in my heart and mind when I am at rest. Thank you, Father, that I have no doubt it is done, and I only need surrender because I know it is Your will that I am merciful and that Your mercy is my first and natural reaction. Help me to surrender…In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/9/2018

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

My Daily Scripture - 1/9/2018

There is so much I don’t know, but I know this…when you spend time in the presence of God, you become more aware of your own sin and shortcomings.

Daily Scripture

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ~ Matthew 5:6

Study

Hunger: a strong or compelling desire or craving or need; the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need for food; a feeling of pain, emptiness or weakness induced by lack of food.

Thirst: a sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat caused by the need of liquid; to have a strong desire; desire or need to drink; eager longing, craving, or yearning.

Righteousness: the condition of being acceptable to God as made possible by God. God’s standard is what defines true righteousness. His power is what enables it. No amount of man-made effort will result in righteousness.

We pursue righteousness when we pursue the character of Christ and desire holiness more than fleshly indulgence. We avoid the temptation to become self-righteous when we understand that true righteousness begins with humility remembering that Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Meditation

Hungering and thirsting is a powerful illustration. We hunger and thirst not only for food and water but for satisfaction in life. We search in different areas and all kinds of ways to be filled, but worldly ways always fall short. That is because our satisfaction cannot be met in the things of this world. Our satisfaction can only be met by Jesus Christ. He is the only One that can truly fill.

What are you hungering and thirsting after in your life?

Prayer

Father, I thank You today for Your Word that is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. I ask You today to give me hunger and give me thirst for You and Your righteousness. I want to be filled, Lord. Change me, from the inside out in radical ways…I pray! Help me to let go of the wounds that linger. I cast those wounds on You and I surrender the pain, Lord. Thank You for cleaning and covering my wounds with Your precious blood and thanks Jesus for Your healing. I praise and thank You. I love you, Jesus! Now, Father, I ask that You help me focus today on nothing but YOU and living this life in Christ Jesus. Help me to die again today to my own ways and my own thoughts, imaginations, ideas, and plans. If I begin to stumble bring this to my mind and my heart. Thanks for Your hunger and Your thirst that abide in me. May I yield with every breath and You be glorified through it all. I ask this in Jesus precious and holy Name! Amen!!

Quotes I came across along the way:

“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ Not only do the followers of Jesus renounce their rights, they renounce their own righteousness too. They get no praise for their achievements or sacrifices. They cannot have righteousness except by hungering and thirsting for it (this applies equally to their own righteousness and to the righteousness of God on Earth), always they look forward to the future righteousness of God, but they cannot establish it for themselves. Those who follow Jesus grow hungry and thirsty on the way.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“To be hungry is not enough; I must be really starving to know what is in His heart towards me. When the prodigal son was hungry he went to feed upon husks, but when he was starving, he turned to his father.” ~ Martin Lloyd Jones

“If this verse is to you one of the most blessed statements of the whole of Scripture, you can be quite certain you are a Christian. If it is not, then you had better examine the foundations again.” ~ Martin Lloyd Jones

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/8/2018

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

meek

What Does it Mean to be Meek?

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. ~ Matthew 5:5

So what does it mean?

Definitions of Meek:

  1. Humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.
  2. Overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.
  3. Obsolete. Gentle; kind.

I love words and love to know the meanings. I especially like to look up words that I think I already know because quite often I don’t know as much as I thought. This was the case for the word, “meek.”  Now, when I saw all of the definitions, I was initially put off by it. Why would I strive to be spiritless or obsolete (no longer in use; fallen into disuse; to be discarded). But then I looked up the definition of docile and there it was… “teachable” and “yielding!”

I do want to be a yielded and teachable person. But then why would I want to be spiritless? Immediately I thought of –

Galatians 2:20 – I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

and the following –

Mark 8:35 – For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

In 1 Corinthians 15:31 Paul said, “I die daily ” and he said in Philippians 1:21 – For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Prayer:  Help me today, Lord to be truly meek. Meek as You would define meekness. Help me to keep my eyes focused only on You. Help me to take my eyes off others unless you direct my gaze there. Help me to concentrate only You and encourage myself in You and not what others do or don’t do, plan or don’t plan, say or don’t say, think or don’t think. Help me to seek meekness because it is pleasing to you and not because of the inheritance. Help me to have clean hands and a pure heart. A pure heart…You know my heart better than even I do Lord and I ask you to show me the areas that I have not crucified and then help me to yield to all your plans starting with this death…daily, hourly, or minute by minute. Help me to be meek, Lord. I ask this in Jesus Name. Amen!!!

Posted in Journal

The Four Dreams Of December

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

I have been praying that God would give me dreams again like He gave when I first entered the prayer ministry. I had so many dreams and visions back then. Well I asked and He gave me not one but four last month. So interesting to look at them as a whole and see what God is saying. Also, that three of them involved one particular young adult woman.

12/11/2017 – We were in church and there was a newborn baby…a little girl in pink. I was walking across the sanctuary and she stood to her feet, grabbed my hand, and started walking alongside me. Everyone was looking and applauding. I was intrigued by it but I felt very disturbed. Not because she stood and grabbed my hand and walked so much but because as far as I knew newborn babies were just not supposed to walk immediately and I wondered if it was bad for her development to skip so many stages of development.

Dream of 12/26. I was brought before a board of three people of different ages. I knew two of them (a man in his 30s and a girl in her 20s and the third was older and unknown to me though I felt I had heard of her). At their request, I brought to the meeting this big book containing all of my writing and the journal of my thoughts, ideas, and dreams. The man sitting across from me reached over gently and took the book. He said I must take this away and you must leave immediately. I asked why…? And he said there is a spirit that has attached itself to you and seeks to steal what is written here. He said it steals by weaving words of doubt and bitterness and fear amongst your dreams and ideas. So until you are free nothing in this book is safe. The other two shook their heads in agreement and I walked out of the room….leaving it all behind for safe keeping. I woke up and was very troubled and fell on my knees crying out to God for deliverance from this spirit. It was a spirit of negativity.

Two dreams 12/30/2017…in one i was on a train with my church family and I was sitting next to a young adult girl from my church. We all fell asleep because it was a long journey. When we reached our destination the train conductor woke us up and told us to disembark (they use that wording on cruises). When I tried I could not get off because my new white tennis shoes were gone. Were they stolen? Not sure, but the ground outside was so jagged that I couldn’t step foot off without shoes. The train conductor led me to a pit of old shoes but I couldn’t find any my size and my new white ones were not there. He directed me to stay on the train and I returned to my seat.

2nd one I went to a concert in the middle of a poor neighborhood. Everyone there was dressed in black. As we drove to park our car, I thought i have black on too but I knew I would not blend in with this crowd. I knew I would Blend better with the poor neighbors. We went to park and one of the young adult girls from my church was the parking attendant. She showed me where to park. I said the rules I was sent say I should go to the space ahead of me. She said no you have to park here so you can depart quickly if things became dangerous. So I did.

Posted in Uncategorized

A Man of Intercession

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

2 Corinthians 1:20 – For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Mark 11:24 – Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.    Mark 11:20-24

Rees Howells was a minister of the Gospel, missionary to Africa and a man called to intercession. He prayed until he prayed through…for people, for families, for cities, and for nations. God used him mightily during WWII to pray. I heard a story this week that I feel led to read to you. This is a story in his own words. I know some people turn their minds off when someone is reading something to them, but I am going to ask you to turn your mind on for just a minute to receive what the Lord is saying through this.

—

There is always a tendency to keep the money, so as to get out of God’s testings and we tried our best to do it this time! Anyway, we had to spend the money, and all the people of the place thought we were well supplied. So, we were, up to that week, and we thought money would be sure to come the day before we were to leave for London; but the last post came, and no money and our train was leaving before the post next morning.

Next morning, we felt sure that it would come o the station platform, but no, the time came for the train to leave. What were we to do? There was only one thing possible. We still had ten shillings, and we must go as far as we could with it; then our (desperate need) would be God’s opportunity. We had to change trains at Llanelly Station, about 20 miles from our home, and wait there a couple of hours; so without letting anyone know, we only booked as far as that.

There were many people at our home station wishing us all the good things, but what we needed was money to go to London! Many also came as far as Llanelly, singing all the way. The thought that came to me was, “I’d sing better if I had the money!”

We went out to breakfast with some friends as Llanelly, and then walked back to the station still not delivered; and now the time for the train had come. The Spirit then spoke to me and said, “If you had money, what would you do?”

“Take my place in the queue at the booking office,” I said.

“Well, are you not preaching that My promises are equal to current coin? (are they not ‘yes and amen’) You had better take your place in the queue.” So, there was nothing I could do except obey.

There was about a dozen people before me. There they were passing by the booking office one by one. The devil kept telling me, “Now you have only a few people in front of you, and when your turn comes, you will have to walk through. You have preached much about Moses with the Red Sea in front and the Egyptians behind, but now you are the one who is shut in.”

“Yes, shut in,” I answered, “but like Moses, I’ll be gloriously led out!”

When there were only two before me, a man stepped out of the crowd and said, “I’m sorry I can’t wait any longer, but I must open my shop.” He said good-bye and put 30 shillings in my hand! It was most glorious, and only a foretaste of what the Lord would do in Africa, if we would obey. After I had the tickets, the people who came with us to the train began to give gifts to us, but the Lord had held them back until we had been tested. We were singing all the way to London!

—

On arrival we had breakfast with Mr. Head. He then told them that he had 50 pounds for them, but he failed to post it.

“Thank God, you didn’t,” I said, “I wouldn’t have been without the test in the queue for anything.”

Mr. and Mrs. Howells were set to go to Africa and at that point they had need of only three things – a watch, a fountain pen, and a raincoat for each. They never mentioned these things to anyone but the Lord. During breakfast that day Mr. Head gave them watches from his son. He gave them a good raincoat each because he wanted them prepared for the rainy season in Africa. And he gave them each a fountain pen. The three things they had named to the Lord, he gave to them!

It was then that Mr. Howells told Mr. Head the story of the Lord’s provision for the trip and the three things he had given. “I prefer this to 1,000 pounds,” said Mr. Head, “to know that the Lord can guide me like this in my giving.”

So, they left England on July 10, 1915, after a glorious victory, knowing that the One who had called them into this life was able to deliver in all circumstances.

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REES HOWELLS (and really Mr. Head too) learned great lessons in obedience and testing.  Because of testing they each had a knowing that God would not only guide every step of the way but also that He would sustain them all the rest of the days of their life.  I am here to tell you today that just as God tested and delivered Mr. Howells, He is testing some of you with His heart set on your deliverance. He wants to use you to get to the place in your testing where you say…Thank God for this trial. I wouldn’t have been without the testing for anything.

If you read the stories of these men of God, you will see over and over where they were used. They prayed, they believed, and they obeyed, and they received provision…deliverance…healings…fruit. God did amazing things for them and through them and still is using their witness to this day.

God wants to use you. As a giver; as an intercessor; as one that goes out. Whatever He has called you to – walk with Him through the test – Keep yourself in His Word.  Keep your eyes on Him and follow Him.