Tag: You are righteous

Forgive Yourself As You Forgive Others

“Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others.”

(Matthew 6:12)

Jesus wants you to forgive others and forgive yourself.

Hi Beloved! I pray that you are having a blessed week! It’s October, yay! I really love the fall. The air is crisp, the leaves are so beautiful, and everything is pumpkin flavored (yum!). The fall season is also a time of reflection for me. For whatever reason, I start to reminisce about years past, initially with fondness, but somehow it always turned into regret. I got angry with myself for things I should have said, shouldn’t have said, should have done, shouldn’t have done.

Occasionally, it was regarding life choices, but mainly it was about relationships. Why was I so cold to this person? Why was I so self-absorbed that I didn’t see this person needed help? Why did I say such mean things to people? Why didn’t I care about others more?

Then the self-loathing would set in and I would start asking the questions, why am I such a loser? Why do I always say and do the wrong thing? Why can’t I be like (insert better person’s name here)? I would just wallow in regret.

Beloved, a lot of teachings focus on the forgiveness of others, but you need to focus on forgiving yourself just the same. Trust me, I know that it’s much easier said than done. When we make mistakes, we can be so hard on ourselves. We can let our guilt and regret consume us and take over. It can eventually have serious consequences. Self-loathing and self-hatred are behaviors that take years to develop and can take years to improve. They can lead to dangerous actions, such as cutting or self-mutilation and even suicide.

Beloved, I’m here to tell you that the Lord knows everything you have ever done in your life and He loves you! He even knows every bad thought that has entered your mind and He still loves you! He sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane and wore a crown of thorns, so that your mind can be free from anguish and pain.

We are all far from perfect. Thankfully, we don’t have to be, because Jesus is. He wants you to walk in divine forgiveness. The bible is full of stories of people making mistakes and wrong choices that hurt themselves or hurt others. Two of these stories include Jesus’ disciples. 

The first is Peter. In Matthew 26:34, Jesus spoke to Peter. “‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus declared, ‘this very night before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter replied, ‘Even if I must die with You, I will never deny You.'” After Jesus’ arrest, Peter did a complete 180. “Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, ‘This man also was with him.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ And a little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not.’  And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, ‘Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:54-62)

He was feeling guilty and angry with himself. He lied and betrayed someone he loved. What happens next, shows the love of Jesus. After Jesus rose from the grave, the angel said to the women, “‘Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here! See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.'” (Mark: 16:7) The angel saying this is very significant, “go tell His disciples and Peter”. Jesus wanted him specifically to know that He wasn’t angry with him. He still loved him. In a later meeting, He even asked Peter to watch over his people, even though he denied Him, even though he wasn’t perfect and Peter went on to become a very important figure to the early church.

The second is Judas. He betrayed Jesus for silver. “Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?’ And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.” (Matthew 26:14)  After his betrayal, when he saw what happened, he was overcome with guilt. “Judas saw that they had decided to kill Jesus. He was the one who had handed him over. When he saw what happened, he was very sorry for what he had done. So he took the 30 silver coins back to the priests and the older leaders.  Judas said, ‘I sinned. I handed over to you an innocent man to be killed.’ The Jewish leaders answered, ‘We don’t care! That’s a problem for you, not us.’ So Judas threw the money into the Temple. Then he went out from there and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:3) If he would have waited a few more hours, there was another that would have hung for him. I believe that if Judas were still alive, Jesus would have gone to him first to tell him that He still loved him and that he was forgiven. Sadly, he was so overcome with guilt and self-hatred that he was not there to receive forgiveness. 

Beloved, if there is something you’ve been carrying that is causing you to be consumed with guilt or regret, let it go, in Jesus’ name! At the cross, Jesus not only carried our sickness and diseases, but he also bore our shame, guilt, and regret. If you’ve wronged a loved one and the relationship is broken, the Lord can completely restore! If you’ve hurt others in your past, know that you are loved and completely forgiven! I understand it’s not easy. It has taken time for me to get to this place, but by the Grace of God, I’ve come a long way! Even when you decide to forgive yourself, Satan will try to come to you with negative thoughts, but rebuke him and focus on Jesus’ finished work at the cross. Every time you feel guilty, just repeat, I AM FORGIVEN! Remember that you are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and that you are deeply loved, richly blessed, and highly favored. Amen!

Jesus loves you,

Alexis

You Are Worthy and Loved

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Hi Beloved! I hope you are having a blessed week! I wasn’t actually planning to write today, but the Holy Spirit gave me a word that someone must need to read.

Beloved, if you are feeling depressed, feeling lonely, feeling rejected, feeling unlovable, or feeling worthless because of your past or recent failures, because of hurtful words someone said, because a relationship just ended, or because your life isn’t going as planned, let me tell you that YOU ARE VALUED! YOU ARE SPECIAL! YOU ARE LOVED!

YOU, reading this post right now, you mean everything to the Creator of the universe. He loves you so much that He sent His son to take your place and atone for your sins. In the Greek language, there are four major words for love: agápe, éros, philía, and storgē. They all have different meanings and are used in different situations. The bible says that the type of love the Lord has for us is agápe love. This is the deepest form of love, unconditional love, self-sacrificial love.

The bible also says that Satan is cunning. Sometimes he works from the outside to bring destruction to our lives, but one of his favorite tactics is to attack our minds. He knows this strategy is effective. If he can drop negative, self-sabotaging thoughts into our heads or bring people into our lives that treat us harshly, try to ruin our self-esteem, or make us feel worthless, we can feel so insignificant that we destroy ourselves. He’s always trying to separate us from our Father’s love. When we don’t believe we are loved, we more easily engage in destructive behavior and develop habits that are harmful to our mental, physical, and emotional health. But Beloved, don’t believe Satan’s lies. When bad thoughts creep in, you have the power to say, Satan, get behind me! Get away from me! I’m not going to believe your lies! The bible says that absolutely nothing can separate us from the Father’s love and He is always with us. Matthew 28:20 says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

When you are feeling low, isolated, unworthy, ashamed, or like a failure, remember that the truth is you are perfect, you are righteous, you are precious, you are worthy. You are a child of the most-high God. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, loves you so much that He sacrificed everything for you. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1) Beloved, because the world does not know him, they do not know your true worth. But don’t listen to what the world says about you. Meditate on the truth, declare the truth out loud and always remember that you are deeply loved, richly blessed, and highly favored. Amen!

Jesus loves you,

Alexis

Be Conscious of How Much You’re Loved

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.” (Isaiah 49:15)

Happy Saturday, Beloved! I hope you are having a blessed day! Last week was a very busy week (as most of them are) and I was feeling guilty because I didn’t read my bible enough, didn’t listen to many sermons, and didn’t spend enough time with the Lord in prayer. I kept saying, I will get to it, I will get to it, but then I didn’t get to it. I kept pushing Him to the back burner. Then, I was walking one morning and finally said, Lord, I am so sorry I’ve neglected you this week. You must be disappointed. I haven’t shown you much love.

But He said, I want to spend time with you, so that I can lavish my love on you. It’s all so you can be reminded of how much you mean to me, how special you are, and how much I care. I finally realized that the less time I spent with Him each day, the more stressed I became. All my tasks felt overwhelming and each day started and ended with difficulty.

Sometimes, we put spending time with Him on our calendar like it’s one more task that we must do, but it’s actually for our benefit. The more time we spend with Him, the more calm, collected, and at peace we feel. His word reminds us that he is always on our side and even as we go about our daily routines, He is there. Even when we neglect Him, He is there. He sees all of our efforts even when no one else does. He carries us through the valleys and sets us on the mountains. He will never forget us, leave us, or forsake us. It’s not about our love for Him, but about His love for us. Romans 8:37 says, “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Beloved, the Lord wants you to always be conscious of His love. That is the most important thing you can do each day. Meditate on how much Jesus loves you. Talk to Him, let Him know about your day. If you are struggling, worried, frustrated, tell Him. He cares about it all. Psalm 55:22 says, “Turn your burdens over to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble.”

The Lord wants to be your strength and to carry all your burdens. That is how much He loves you. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28)

Beloved, if you have any prayer requests, please reach out! I would love to hear from you. Until next time, remember that you are greatly blessed, highly favored and deeply loved!

Jesus loves you,

Alexis

The Lord’s Protection: Psalm 91

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. ” (Psalm 91: 1-2)

Beloved, I hope you are having a blessed day! Happy June! For this post, I want to focus on Psalm 91. It speaks about the Lord’s promises for protection and safety. I love to pray this over my children at night and meditate on these verses when I am worried about a difficult situation. Let’s take a look at this chapter, verse by verse.

91:1 – “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” The Lord’s shadow is a cover and provides protection from danger. It hides you from your enemies and provides comfort. When you remain in His shadow, you know that the source is close by. He is walking alongside you. When the Israelites were traveling through the desert, it was extremely hot during the day. The Lord always appeared as a pillar of cloud to shade them from the uncomfortable heat. At night, the desert would become very cold. Then, the Lord would appear as a pillar of fire to keep them warm and comforted. God’s people are always cared for and protected.

91:2 – “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” In the ancient world, each city had a stronghold or a fortress. It was packed with food, supplies, and ammunition and was a place the residents could find safety during an attack. They were built to withstand armies and some were inaccurately considered impenetrable. Many fortresses fell and their kingdoms along with it. Only the Lord is our true stronghold and our fortress. One that can never be destroyed or fail to protect us, no matter what attack the devil has planned.

91:3 – “Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.” I want to highlight the first word, surely. Surely, something that is for sure, for certain. We can absolutely count on the Lord to deliver us from the grasp of anything that is trying to harm us, mentally or physically. He will undoubtedly be there for you, when you call upon him. He never wavers.

91:4 – “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” The Lord often uses a mother hen as an example of how he protects us. In Luke 13:34, he says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” This is the ultimate picture of protection. Chicks are safe from all danger when under their mother’s wings. I’ve even heard stories of barn fires, where healthy chicks were found unharmed, under their mother’s feathers. He wants us to draw near and look to him for help through our difficult times. Also, his truth shall be our shield and buckler. A buckler is a type of shield that is worn on the body, instead of held by hand. This part is saying that his truth can be used as a weapon against our enemies. When Satan comes to you with condemnation, either through self-doubt or the words of others, if you know the truth (that you are loved, forgiven, righteous, and an heir to the kingdom of Heaven) you can use that truth as a weapon against him.

91:5-6 – “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.” In this fallen world, the devil works overtime to create dangers at every turn. He is always trying to bring destruction your way, but the Lord says, DO NOT BE AFRAID! You don’t have to worry. No matter what the circumstances are, the Lord is protecting you.

91:7 – “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” This is one of my favorite lines. Do not worry about the evils in the world around you. The devil is running rampant in these end times, but take heart! No matter what new disease, danger, or peril he has created, it will not come near you! Even if 10,000 fall right next to you, you are set apart. You are protected and will not be affected.

91:8-10 – “Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” The Lord tells us we will see the wicked get their punishment. He is on our side and will be sure evil-doers will reap what they sow. He also reminds us that no evil will prevail against us and no plague or curse shall come near our houses. The last plague that God sent to Egypt was the Angel of Death and it killed the first born child in each home. But, he told the Israelites to mark their door posts with the blood of a lamb that had been sacrificed. When the Angel saw the blood, it passed over the house because the price had already been paid. Jesus is our sacrificial lamb. As a believer in Christ, our door posts are forever marked by the blood that continually saves us.

91:11-12 – “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” The Lord’s angels are watching over us and he sends them out before us to clear a path. In our daily life, we can’t see everything ahead of us. We can’t anticipate all the possible, future dangers or mistakes we will make, but the Lord can and he does. If we are walking towards a stone and don’t see it, he’s given his angels the task of lifting us up, so that they carry us over the stone before we get hurt. The Lord designed us, so of course he knows that we are “only human”. We are not perfect, but we don’t have to be. He is perfect and goes before us to prepare the way and also watches our back as our rear guard. He wants to protect us from dashing our foot against a stone, so how much more will he protect us in times of peril.

91:13 – “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet.” The Lord’s people are given the power to conquer their foes, even the most difficult ones. The lion is often referred to in the bible as the most powerful animal. In Proverbs 30:29, it says, “There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk: a lion, mighty among the beasts, and refusing to retreat before anything.” In Judges 14:18, it says, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” The bible also calls the serpent, the most cunning animal. In Genesis 3:1, it says, “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made.” The bible uses these animals to specifically illustrate that no matter how much bigger, more powerful, more clever or cunning your enemy is, you will march upon them victoriously. They will be defeated.

91:14 -16 – “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” The Lord provides us with seven (which is the number of perfection in the bible) powerful promises in these verses. Beloved, the Lord is speaking to you.

  1. I will deliver you.
  2. I will set you on high.
  3. I will answer you.
  4. I will be with you in trouble.
  5. I will honor you.
  6. I will satisfy you with long life.
  7. I will shew you my salvation.

The Lord promises that he will come through in all the ways mentioned in this chapter and more! He is all that you need, even when it seems like the odds are stacked against you. Trust in the Lord. He will never forsake you. Amen!

Jesus loves you,

Alexis

The Lord Has Declared 2019, the Year of Manifestation

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceedingly great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)

Beloved, I hope you are having a blessed May! For a long time, I have been praying diligently for many areas of my life and the Lord spoke to me earlier this year, that 2019 is the year of manifestation! If you have been believing God for something in your life, this is the year it will come to pass! Stay the course and do not lose faith. The Lord asked me to pray differently for the blessings I want in my life. I was saying, “Lord, please bless my business; Lord, please heal my hands; Lord, please provide this opportunity.” However, he showed me that the blessings are already there. They are gathered over us, like water in the clouds, just waiting to be released like rain. So, I started to say, “Lord, I thank you that my hands are healed and that I will see the manifestation of that healing. Lord, I thank you for providing me with a prosperous business and that I will see the manifestation, this year.”

Beloved, the Lord wants us blessed and to enjoy the manifestation of our requests. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” God is a gracious rewarder. He wants to give you everything you are praying for and more! Just keep focused on him and thank him for the blessings you see and the blessings you are hoping for. Many times, it feels like the Lord is moving so slowly. I’ve definitely said, “Lord, what is the hold up? Why are you not answering my prayer? How long must I wait?” Especially, when you have been believing for something for a very long time, it’s easy to be discouraged. But take heart! The Lord is delighted when you keep looking to him for the reward. Don’t rely on self-efforts, which is sometimes difficult. I know that I’ve said, “Okay, if the Lord won’t help me, I will do it myself.” Only to find that it causes me to spin my wheels and never get anywhere. This is not to say we don’t take any action. However, in all that we do, we must trust the Lord and not worry. Worrying, so often hinders our blessing. I know that once I let it go and give it back to God, the Grace begins to flow.

Beloved, keep believing, even when it seems like things are getting worse instead of better. So many times, when my blessing is right on the horizon, Satan has come to me with discouragement. When I start feeling more hopeless than ever, I know to rebuke Satan and get ready for my prayer to be answered. When God answers a prayer, he over-answers. Ephesians 3:20, says that the Lord, “..is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Exceedingly and abundantly above what we ask or think. Are you believing God for a new job? Get ready to be blessed with a career! Are you believing God to be healed from a sickness? Get ready to be healthier than you’ve ever been before! Are you believing God for a baby? Get ready to receive the child of your dreams!

Abram, who became Abraham, was believing God for a child for 25 years. Not only did he receive his blessing, but the Lord answered his request for a child with these words. “Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” (Genesis 15:5) Sometimes, God has to prepare the blessing for us and sometimes, God has to prepare us for the blessing, but his timing is always perfect and in our best interest.

Believe that this will be the best year yet! Once the Lord put in my heart that this year would be the year of manifestation, I started hearing this in other places as well. Other pastors and leaders have said this is going to be the year when God rains down blessings and in particular, the things we’ve been waiting so long to see. Beloved, I know in my heart, 2019 will be a miraculous year. Just remember, you are so loved and that God is your shield and your exceedingly, great reward.

If you need prayer, please reach out. I want to stand in agreement with you for whatever you’ve been believing for! If you’ve already received your blessing, please share! As I’ve mentioned before, I have had severe eczema on my hands and I am so happy to report that my hands haven’t looked this good in nearly two years! Without all the bleeding and swelling, I can even get on my wedding rings again. I am trusting God that they are finally healed, once and for all! I expect to hear and share many more stories like this as the year progresses. Thank you Lord, for your faithfulness! Amen.

Jesus loves you,

Alexis


You Are The Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Beloved, I hope you are having a blessed day! As I discussed in my last post, the purpose of Jesus going to the cross was to end the separation between Man and God. Sin separates us from God because of his righteousness and holiness. God cannot be in the presence of sin. It is physically impossible. Sin will be overcome by his holiness and die. The bible says, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When sin occurs, blood must be shed as a payment. During Yom Kippur, the Jewish people would sacrifice unblemished animals and that blood would pay for their sins for one year. They always had a High Priest, who would perform the sacrifice and enter a sacred space in their temple, which was called the Holy of Holies. This is the place where God would physically dwell and only the High Priest was allowed to enter and only once per year.

This area was separated from the main part of the temple by an enormous veil. It was approximately 60 feet high, 20 feet wide, and four inches thick. The High Priest had to follow the sacrificial ritual exactly, in order to pay for the people’s sins and make it out alive. The High Priest’s clothing had bells that would jingle as he moved and the people on the outside would tie a rope around his waist to make sure they could pull him out, should he perish inside. Since they were sinners, they could not go in to get him. They would die in God’s presence. So, as long as the bells were ringing, they knew all was well. God would judge the High Priest based on the ritual he performed and if God accepted him, he also accepted everyone he represented. Everyone would rejoice once he emerged, as they knew they were accepted and forgiven by God for another year.

This was the process until our eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, sacrificed himself as a payment for sins, once and for all. God judged and accepted Jesus as our High Priest, so he also accepted everyone he represented. Beloved, that includes me and you! The best part is that the precious blood of Jesus covers our sin forevermore, not just for one year. The exact moment Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:50-51). God himself tore the veil and declared there is no more separation between Man and God! Sin cannot separate us because we are seen as righteous in the eyes of God.

Because of his son’s sacrifice, we are forgiven, we are worthy of all his blessings, and we are joint heirs with Jesus to the Kingdom of Heaven. Beloved, the Lord wants you to draw near to him. He will not judge you based on your actions, as he has already judged your High Priest. No matter what you’ve done, no matter what you will do in the future, you will never lose your righteous standing with God. His son’s sacrifice will always be bigger than your sin or mistakes. Jesus SO loves you and he wants you to take advantage of all the amazing blessings he paid for on the cross, in this life and the next. Beloved, I pray that as you read this blog, you will have a revelation of who Jesus truly is. Please feel free to reach out with prayer requests or questions. I would love to hear from you!

Jesus loves you,

Alexis