Posted in Uncategorized

Freedom Is Not Free – and why I do the job I do!

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

I honor my dad, the late Gary Lynch Frazier, for his service to our country. My father served in the US Navy, had some mental health issues and was honorably discharged without treatment. He commited suicide years later and after a long battle with the government, the government took responsibility for his death because they failed to treat him though their doctors alone fully knew his condition. They then gave him the ultimate honor and they gave us survivor’s benefits.

My dad’s death was not in vain as that battle was groundbreaking and it laid the foundation of the current mental health system for our Vets and the military and families today. Before dad’s death and our family’s battle, mental health care for those suffering was non-existent. Freedom is not free.

Thanks dad from all of those that don’t even know your name… but that you are helping…especially in these days. Happy Veterans Day!

and for those that don’t know….this is why I do the job I do!!!!!

Posted in Uncategorized

Sacrifice of Praise

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

There are times when I am standing in worship and when I close my eyes I see the Cross.  What the Lord has done for me remains so fresh that it makes me want to cry. As we sing about the ‘”wonderful cross”  or the “Lamb of God'”, I am once again standing there confronted with my sin -broken again before Him.  When the worship team shifts to rejoicing and proclaiming our freedom and our victory because of what Jesus did on the Cross, as the beat starts, that my body automatically just wants to move. There isn’t much in me that is still because I hear His voice, whispering to my heart, “come and worship Me with a sacrifice of praise.”  I just feel then in my heart the desire to dance or to dance with a banner or to do something like a kind of run around the room (although I prefer to see it as floating…some of you who know me well have seen the float :). Not always of course, but sometimes. 

Although I’m naturally terrified of what others might think, what are my options??? – either honoring God or staying safe? Safety is such a snare. Safety has caused me to dismiss His Words. Safety has caused me to dance in the hallways or behind closed doors. Safety has caused me to be ashamed. Safety has caused me to allow others to intimidate me, to silence me.

My desires for my remaining days on this earth are anything but safe so I have to start a change somewhere. I truly do know that as I step out in faith, a wonderful thing happens; fear fades, people disappear at least for a time, and I am able to just dance before my God with all my might and to feel His pleasure.  There is deliverance in that same dance. There is power and authority.

Often I am reminded of Zephaniah 3:17 “…[I] will rejoice over you with singing” and I picture God singing over me as I overcome all obstacles and distractions.

It is not about me, or you, or any of the other people who may or may not be watching. It has nothing to do with my ability to dance. It has nothing to do with what song is being sung or played. It is joyous. It is reverent. It is as a prayer, a testimony, a praise, a sorrow, a song, a shout. It is like most things the Lord asks of me. His asking is definitely not dependent on my ability. He asks me to pray although I am not such a good pray-er. He asks me to sing although sometimes my voice cracks, if I can make a sound at all; He asks me to hide His Word in my heart although memorizing is such a task these days; He asks me to preach although honestly I don’t really know how or why He wants that; He asks me to pursue miracles of healing and deliverance although I see so much opposition and unbelief; He asks me to love although sometimes even my own heart seems very calloused from a life of seeing and hearing too much; He asks me to persevere in all He asks although some would call me crazy, legalistic, zealous. He asks me to persevere though change comes so slowly it seems; He asks me to run although many would never pull away from their seat; He asks me to dance although many feel it best to be still. Of these things He asks anyway! I respond. It is about a God who desires that we worship Him from an obedient, broken, and contrite heart.

Pressing on…

Posted in Uncategorized

Dream of 10/27/2012

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7

Earlier this week, I stated that I really wanted to eat from the tree of life. Yesterday I had a dream regarding that.

In the dream I was still at the beach house but it was so familiar as though I lived there as my residence. I was out and about trying to get to the Tree of Life but kept running into obstacles.

I came across a young girl (withholding name) that was taking many pictures of each of us there and many pictures of everything that we were doing. She wanted me to stand there and look at each and every picture that she had on her camera. We started through each one and it was tedious but we just stood there looking as she scrolled through them.

We had almost seen them all when overhead we saw a futuristic airplane that seemed to be propelled by a circular wheel type gadget on the very back of it. It looked like a missile but in my dream i knew it was for passengers. It flew very close over our heads. It was followed by a round oil tanker that was as an airplane. As the oil tanker flew over very bright and very hot blasts of flames came out of the top and bottom toward things on the earth. As different things moved it burned them completely and instantly up. We also had to dodge these flames.

My son had a lot of electronic things but electricity surged through them and they would not work. Someone came to tow our car and they loaded all of our things that we owned onto a trailer that was also attached to the tow truck. They were moving all of our things but we weren’t going with our things. I could see all of the electronic gadgets surrounding the perimeter of our other possesions. Even though none of the electronic gadgets worked because of the surge, I felt I had to go and retrieve all of those electronics. Nothing else. It was like a compulsion and I couldn’t not save those particular things.

We were very hungry so we went to Cracker Barrel to eat but got so consumed with the things in the store part of the restaurant that we neglected to eat. We were on a strict schedule and it was time for us to leave- we never did eat, even though we were hungry. We didn’t buy anything either. Just spent our time looking at the merchandise. We went to leave Cracker Barrel and to get out we had to go through a huge maze of tunnels and stairs to get out. When we finally got out I stood there…

Then I sort of half way woke up but I was still dreaming and my thought was…I never even got to see the Tree of Life and I didn’t get to eat of it. I was incredibly sad with a groaning sadness. Very deep! Sadness from the depths.

I had a heaviness on me and I felt urgency.

Still dreaming I felt awake but wanted to go back to sleep but I couldn’t because I felt the Lord wanted me to get up and write this all down and He wasn’t going to allow me go back to sleep until I did. His Word regarding this dream was “mandated” and when I heard that I knew in my spirit it was important and I must follow through.

I got myself awake enough to get into my office and I wrote it all down as it was in my dream quickly and in fractioned sentences all over a page.

Then I went and laid down on the couch and went back to sleep.

(Mandate: the formal notice of decision)

Posted in Uncategorized

A Hard Truth

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

Good morning! Hallelujah! Glory be to God!

The Holy Spirit has been speaking with me on a particular subject for a time. I may not get any “likes” on this one, but this is information that will set someone free. It is on areas of our lives that are huge stumbling blocks that you may not have considered. I know I hadn’t.

One of these blocks is dissension. Dissension is a disagreement or disapproval; a kind of rebellion. Dissension is a form of division that brings forth separation. One area of dissension God wants to deal with is misunderstandings and gossip. Sometimes calling friends or a co-laborer in Christ and constantly venting our heart about the same issue and/or the same person is a form of dissension. EVEN if what you see or experience or say is right there is a way to handle it. I fell into this so many times but the Lord has woken me up and the scales have been removed. Dissension occurs when we:

Gossip

Slander

Do not forgive

Falsely accuse

Misinterpret

Become offended

Become jealous

etc.

Dissension can happen in your home, your church, and your job. Dissension can happen when we insist that our opinion be heard and agreed upon. Dissension can open you up to curses if you aren’t careful. Sometimes we think it is the enemy, but in reality, it could be something you said about someone or what is in your heart that allowed the enemy to come in. There is always room for repentance and we all must in this critical hour learn to truly repent and then learn to take our thoughts captive so that what builds in our hearts and thus comes out of our mouths is pleasing to our Father.

And be careful because other people sowing dissension can also end up hindering YOU.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The Holy Ghost had me look up every one of these words to get an understanding of what each meant and to cast light on the dark areas of my heart. Wow! Some really hit hard when I looked at the meaning…seditions – dissensions, was one of them. I even wonder how many times I fostered dissension by being a listening ear to such.

Look them up and check your own heart because it says in this passage of the Bible that if we do any of these we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. That is hard truth! But someone once told me truth hurts before that same truth changes you to look more like Jesus.

If you didn’t know, now you know.

Posted in Uncategorized

My 9/11 Testimony

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

We all remember so many details and images of 9/11/01.

As I drove up the Colonial Parkway toward home that day, I wondered how it would forevermore feel to be one with a birthday on 9/11. How would those born on this day celebrate life in the midst of such death? God knows every thought or maybe He planted that thought in my mind, knowing I would revisit it many times in the coming years.

On 9/11/2006 at around 10:15am, the 5th anniversary of this Patriot Day, with the roll call of those that died playing in the distance, the supernatural power of God met the natural in my life. I found myself that morning alone. We had since moved from Virginia to NC and I was battling severe depression. This was not new, it had been going on for years but on this day I was tired of fighting each and every day to stay alive. Satan had me in a stronghold and I was almost convinced of my unworth. Almost, because for reasons that even I do not know, I said a desperate and heart felt prayer to Jesus, “HELP!”

And then….as in the days of the Apostle Paul, I encountered the Living God.

His magnificent and radiant Glory filled my office. His presence filled every crevice of that room including every part of me…I felt both incredible peace and holy fear. I fell onto the floor and for what seemed hours, I lay prostrate there under the weight of His Glory. I was as one of the dead in my physcial body though more alive than ever before within. On that day, the Almighty God allowed me to see just a glimpse of Himself, He held me in His arms and allowed me to see the “Missy” that He created me to be and showed me how satan had worked to destroy me even as he had destroyed my own dad. My Father spoke to me words that will forever be engraved in my heart, Words no one can ever take away or dismiss. Heavenly words! I spoke to Him words that I will forever live by. On that day, He healed me, delivered me and changed this life for all eternity. On that day, I repented of my sins, forgave all who I had been so unwilling to forgive and then He forgave me and I accepted His salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  On that day, I made Him Lord and King. After years of hiding the truth about myself and pretending to be saved because I had walked the aisle one time as a child, I was truly born again. Washed as white as snow. That was the greatest of miracles in my life.

My Father then baptized me with His Holy Spirit and I began to speak a language I didn’t know! A heavenly language that until that very moment I had never believed in. He promised to restore my life and that of my family. His promises are always true! It was a suddenly, parting of the red sea experience. I was changed in every way…physically, emotionally and spiritually. I came away with a burning love for Him and His Word and the desire to please Him in all I do.

So today is my real, true birthday. There will probably be no cake, no presents…I know no way to celebrate than this – to remain filled with a heart of gratitude and devotion and indescribable love for my Savior and those He created. To do His will as best as I can. To never forget…remind myself daily of Jesus’ sacrifice and His love for me that brought me out of the place of impending death and into this eternal life. Think about it…at a time when the pain and grief of an entire country was so much in the world’s focus…My Shepherd “left the ninety-nine” to come and rescue this sinner. The beautiful Lamb of God carried this lamb home…what a special gift to me! Thank you so much Jesus!!!!

And herein lies another truth….If He did all of this for me, He can and will do it for you too. He will reveal Himself to you. He will meet you or come after you. He will draw you to Himself or draw you closer. If you feel you are in a place that you can do nothing else, just say the only prayer I did….”HELP!”

I pray for the peace and love I feel to comfort you all and most especially those that are still in so much grief on this 9/11. I pray today that you know my Jesus!

________________________

The following is on my wall of this office right in front of where I sit. I will never forget 9/11:

Lord, I give myself to You;

I give my life to You.

I want to be your servant.   

I feel Your call;

I believe I was sent and saved

To do the will of my Father.

I will take orders from You.

I will submit to You.

I will let You break my will.

I will not seek for comfort

or high positions,

Nor to do what I want to do.

Mine is the humblest task,

Or the most dangerous task;

By the grace of God, I will do it.

I will go where You want me to go;

I will do what You give me to do.

If in this walk I seem to have nothing,

I will not complain.

At times when I find myself in a kind of prison, 

I will rejoice and I will praise You

Because You have been to prison for me.

I love You, Jesus;

I thank You for calling me,

And that You want me,

And that You can use me;

I thank You that You are there to guide every step

As I do my part to ready

Your Bride for Your return. 

And I say today with my whole heart, 

“Send the Fire

And burn up the sacrifice.

Fill me again and again with Thy Holy Spirit

And give me a double portion of Thine anointing.”

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Abiding: Thoughts, Prayers and the Word of God

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

The warfare has been so intense these last days so I have planted myself in the Word of God and put my focus on Jesus Christ. Over the last couple of days I have meditated on this word – ABIDE. I am sure this will go further because it just is the way I am, but decided to type this out. I have kind of used it like one of my prayer/scripture cards. Maybe all of this will help someone else too.

Abide: To wait for, await. To endure without yielding, withstand. To bear patiently, endure. To remain in one place.

Synonyms for “abide”: To stay, dwell, remain. To hand around, stick around. Tarry.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:4-5 (one of my favorite scriptures)

Prayers from God’s Word to help keep me in the place of abiding

-Lord, have mercy on me

Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Psalm 86:3

-Lord, impart Your thoughts to me

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.. Isaiah 55:8

-Lord, help me to take every thought captive to You

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5

-Lord, test and examine my ways

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40

I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:10

-Lord, make my desires Your desires

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalm 37:4

-Lord, help me to be faithful in small things

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10

-Lord, show me which way I should turn today

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.Isaiah 30:21

-Lord, keep me in Your dwelling place

How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! Psalm 84:1

-Lord, keep me on track today

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Phillippians 3:12-16

-Lord, give me Your mind

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

-Lord, help me to set my mind on things above

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2

-Lord, help my speech to be gracious

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.Colossians 4:6

-Lord, keep me in Your shelter and give me Your rest

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

-Lord, more of You and less of me

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

And when we have found our place of abiding with Christ, the fragrance of Christ is spread by us, for we are to God the aroma of Christ and we carry the fragrance of life to those around us.

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Hunger for the Word

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

I was just sitting here thinking about the greatest Bible study I was ever a part of. It was in the USA but with a Laotian community of believers. I was at a friend’s house for a Laotian birthday party. Suddenly right in the middle of it all, it seemed to come abruptly to an end because a majority of the people wanted to go and separate themselves to study the Bible. This majority was the Laotians. It would have never crossed my mind to study the Word at a party, I am sad to admit. I was invited by my friend to join them and very gladly accepted. We sat around a circle on the hard floor of an empty house that was being built next door. The Laotian minister gave each person a verse in a scripture passage that he had planned for their study that night. They came prepared to study the Word. They all had their Bibles. We prayed and then we went around the circle taking turns reading the scripture and then sharing what it meant to us. One interpreted so we could all understand. I believe we studied Ephesians. I don’t remember a lot about what was said that day but I remember the beauty in the hunger in these people and in their posture and reverence toward the Word of God. They didn’t take the freedom to study for granted. There was no hurrying. We sat there and studied for quite a while. I wonder that I have never seen that kind of hunger in any group of English speaking Christians that I have met. I have seen it in one or two people but never in such a large group. Surely it exists…I pray for that degree of hunger and that posture.

Posted in Uncategorized

“it will be as a memorial to you”

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

Today at 4pm I will go to another funeral. Yes, this week I have been dealing with the loss of another friend. A true servant of the Lord with a beautiful heart for Him and for those He loves. Although I know that my friend is in heaven and that is a much better place than this world, I once again had truly believed that the Lord was going to allow an earthly healing. When He didn’t, I found myself in a place of having another reaction of “what?” “what are you doing Lord?” “Help me understand, Father.” I have never been more expectant of  miracles than over these last months and never more (shocked…for lack of a better word).

A couple of days ago, I was reading my Bible and praying about this when I found myself stuck and meditating on 2 Samuel 23:14-17:

And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.  And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.  And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. 

I found this an odd scripture, almost unfinished and yet I know all scripture is God breathed and it is complete and whole whether I can understand it yet or not. When I read this passage I was reminded of the cross. In my mind I see Jesus on the cross dying as His blood and life was slowly being poured out on the ground.

I wonder how the disciples felt…you know, in those days before Jesus was resurrected. They knew what He had told them, but did they have a true understanding? Did they have moments of such confusion over what they had been called to and what their human eyes saw? I think from what we know from the Bible, they did. I wonder how these three mighty men felt. Did their traditions help them to understand what they saw and experienced?

I found the study notes in my Bible regarding this passage very interesting: David poured out the water as an offering to God b/c he was so moved by the sacrifice it represented. When Hebrews offered sacrifices, they never consumed the blood, it represented life. And they poured it out before God. David would not drink the water that represented the lives of his soldiers. Instead, he offered it to God.

Sometimes God does things or allows things that are so deep that we do not yet have a grid to understand. Our human minds just can’t comprehend. Sometimes we pour ourselves into something. We give it our all. We believe. We fast. We pray. We pray in agreement. We encourage ourselves. We praise in advance. We trust. We obey. We submit….but in the end nothing happens or even worse we seem to lose everything we poured in.

The person dies. The ministry shuts down or we are called from it. We lose our job. The business fails. We lose our investment. The marriage fails and on and on.

In Matthew 26 there is written the story of the time while Jesus walked the earth that a woman took everything she had and poured it on Jesus and the response of the disciples (the very closest to Jesus) was like our response so many times and like my response to the death of these precious saints that I had watch pass from this earth. Maybe we wouldn’t admit to such strong accusation but our hearts and our words say otherwise when we question at all God’s perfect sovereign plan. They asked “why the waste?” Here is the account in verses 8-13.

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.  When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.  Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. 

One verse seems to lead to another for me, so I thought of this verse from Revelation 14:13:

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. 

And as I meditated on these portions of scripture I heard the Lord saying to me, “There is no such thing as waste in My Kingdom.”

Nothing! No prayer. No calling. No ministry. No miscarriage. No death. No failure. No endeavor. NOTHING, absolutely nothing is wasted in the Lord.  All that has died, failed, ended or seems to come to an end is poured out to Him as we give it to Him….and it will be as a memorial of you. Yes, YOU!

Have a blessed day and may you be drawn closer to Him and find yourself always pressing on! in Jesus’ precious name. AMEN!

Posted in Uncategorized

Matthew

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

The first time I knew for sure that I had seen the face of Jesus was when I met a boy named Matthew at a Romanian Orphanage. I had been warned of the “horrors” and told that if I didn’t want to see him and others like him that I could stay outside of their special room. I had been warned to say nothing of the experience while still in Romania because it was illegal for me to even be allowed in this particular orphanage and to speak of it put their workers in danger. Internationals and especially Americans were no longer allowed to be in these places. They are not allowed to adopt these children. Americans are allowed in the mission organization orphanages but not the government run facilities. I just happened to be hosted by a wonderful woman that once worked there and she arranged for my visit after a few days of long conversation over morning coffee.

Nothing just happens. It was a part of a great plan.

The orphanages are dark, old, and ill equipped…but their workers love the children and do the best they can with what few resources they have and within what they are allowed by law to do. Many sacrifice food and other things we would consider necessity to supplement the milk and food of these that they have grown to love so.

As I arrived at the orphanage I prayed that the Lord would help me to be able to look into the face of anything and anyone with love and without flenching. I remembered past experiences with people that had been victims of accidents and crime and having a hard time looking into their eyes. I didn’t want that to be what I left with and what I left them with.

Matthew was a little boy with a head so big that he could not sit or stand and could only lay to the side. In America we would call that hydrocelphalus or water on the brain. In America we would have treatments and special hospitals and special therapy. In Romania these children are immediately deserted and put into orphanages where they will spend the rest of their lives or until their eighteenth birthday. In Romania even the mentally challenged are set aside and out of the orphanages to fend for themselves at the age of eighteen..unless a mission organization agrees to take them in.

Matthew lay in his little crib all day, every day. He could not speak and his eyesight was poor. His head was much to big and it caused everything to be much too unstable to allow for us to hold him. He was rotated from side to side every few hours but his head had grown and flattened. His head was twice as big as his little body that had not grown much at all. Matthew’s body look to be about 3 months old. Matthew was three years old.

I remember walking up to him and I all I wanted to do was touch his face…so I did. And he smiled. It was then I saw Him…it was the face of Jesus! I knew it, for sure. I didn’t cry then like I did for so many days afterward and as I do to this day when I think of his smile. His beautiful face. I had a hard time pulling myself away. He was by far the most beautiful child I have ever seen. I was not allowed to take pictures so in the moments I had with him, I memorized his face and his body. I can see him today as though it were yesterday.

I have often wondered why God would allow a little boy to just lay there but I kind of know. I pray that every day someone can see what I saw and I know that one day I will see him again.

Since that very moment I have been able to see the face of Jesus in so many people. God allows it. Sometimes I am in awe and kind of taken breathless and speechless. I wonder if they even know what I can see in them.

The Bible says of Jesus almost what I was told of little Matthew –  In Isaiah 53:2: “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”

Oh that I could go again and take you to that orphanage to see the face of Jesus in a little boy named Matthew!!! Since I can’t do that yet…I just look around.

Posted in Uncategorized

Monday Prayer

Posted on by Melissa Lynne

I was in prayer this morning and heard part of a song by Luke Wood:

I want to stand in Your counsel

And sit at Your table

And speak to You face to face as a friend…

Before I got past this first verse, I felt like crying.  It was such a necessary reminder of what I’m after and what I feel I have been left alive on this earth to do. Even as I labor in prayer and as I prepare to preach (there, I said it) and with everything else I have going on from day to day, this is the heart of who I am. In all my doing and all my ministry, if I haven’t stood in His counsel, it benefits me nothing. If I haven’t met God and heard His voice and had His own fire touch my heart, not only will my witness be that much less effective, but I will become dull on the inside. I desperately don’t want that to happen. I can’t afford it.

Life is too short to not really know God. The hour is too urgent to babble away with lofty sounding ideas that have nothing of the weight of heaven upon them. As exciting and glorious as it sounds to stand in the counsel of the Lord, it is more than that — it is a matter and life and death for those called to be His messengers. It is a matter of hearts being alive and our witness being powerful, or our hearts growing cold and our words falling to the ground. He is coming back soon, and we must know His voice in that hour.

This journey is a painful one. As other lyrics in the song go, “Let my heart be torn in two until Your will is mine.”

 I personally am hitting head-on the reality that in and of myself – I have nothing.  I’m nowhere near where I want to be as far as hearing God and then responding rightly when I do hear. But by the grace of God, I want to continue to say yes, continue to rise up and follow, once and for all to remove that garment of fear that the enemy keeps trying to fasten back on me.  No more! uh uh NO I will not cower to intimidation any longer and I will continue to cry out to hear His voice until the day I see Him face to face…

I want to stand in Your counsel

to sit at Your table

And speak to You face to face as  a  friend

I want to stand in Your  fire  wherever  Your  eyes  fall

May You find me  faithful  to Your  heart

Let me be  found…

With a heart  after  You

May Your eyes find this  heart  loyal  to  You

May You be all that’s on my mind  all  of  the  time

Let my heart be torn in two until  your  will  is  mine

Dearly Beloved of my  soul