You were HIS first
The world has our attention at all times.
The world thinks they know us. Which is crazy because they see what we look at online and it puts advertisements on our socials that they know we will click on and consider purchasing based on what we have liked and posted, which is craziness to me.
Yet, we pay no mind to it, we don’t say, ‘wow, the world knows us too well. It knows what we like, what we want, where we want to go.’ But we forget that the Creator of the universe knows us far better than this world.
Today we begin in 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Do you know that you have been chosen by the God of the universe to be royal, to be holy, to be his, to proclaim his excellencies? Do you know that you have been created on purpose for his purposes, for the world to know Him, love him, live in Him, that we may walk hand in hand into our eternal rest?
WHY HAVE WE BEEN PURPOSED WITH THIS CALL?
This is why:
'Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was thrown out — the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.' — Revelation 12:7-9
The deceiver is here on earth. His desire to be number one threw him out of heaven. Now his goal is to get those who are not rooted in the love and grace of God, and rally them into his camp of slavery. So, we as children of God, have been chosen and called to go into the darkest of places and call them out into the marvelous light, that they may know that freedom is in Christ alone. The goal is to show them how he indeed is a thief, a murdered, and destroyer of all good and perfect. He wants no one to experience the goodness of God.
When was the moment that you experienced the goodness of God? The moment where you came to your senses and realized that it indeed is better to be in Christ than to be outside of Him. The moment where grace and mercy ran towards you and embraced you and all you can do was fall on your knees in surrender?
For me it took place when I was 21 years old. I was in a home for women that have been through it. The home was called, “Redeeming Love Home.”
I came from a big church in Fort Lauderdale, went to school there, graduated high school there and was there 24/7. To say I was engulfed in church, I was, but you may be engulfed but is it resonating, is it sticking, is it transforming me to act in such a way where those that come around me see Christ in me? Just no. It was not mirroring Jesus. It was mirroring anger, jealousy, bitterness, which all come from the father of lies, the prince of this world Satan himself. Nothing I was doing was truly representing Christ.
So, I go to college because I wanted to leave my house, and I get there and it was total shock as I no longer had to live under my mom’s roof, some bad choices were indeed made and some aftermath took place. I ended up getting suspended from college, came home quiet and ashamed and started living in a state of want. I was wanting attention. I wanted to be seen, loved, held. I saw my group bubble from college getting all that and I wanted the same, but thought I needed to look like them. Skinny, able to financially somewhat afford fun, have the car, and I thought that was all I needed to get the guy. As I write this I giggle because it just all sounds dumb, the world tells us, ‘you want the guy, do this and this, and get this. And boom here he is.’ Yeah no. I started eating less, working out like crazy, taking supplements that were silently and slowly killing me without me knowing, until one day my blood family stepped in and said no more, it was time to see a doctor, that said, ‘yeah, I don’t even need to test you, you have anorexia. You need to go into a treatment center and GET HELP.’
We went to a center that specializes in eating disorders, and left immediately as it was not affordable. Straight to the hospital we went. To be told, ‘how are you not dead? how have you not died in your sleep?’ Ask me if I cared? My body was in the room but my mental state was not. It was in the clouds. So, next step was too fill my body with nutrients again. As much as I did not want it, I didn’t want the 4 huge glasses of milk. But I had too. So two rounds of hospital stays and I finally said yes to going into Redeeming love home. I knew the lady that ran it at the time and called her and I got interviewed, accepted, and told to come that Friday. And I did. Grudgingly. I went, worked, read, wrote, prayed, cried, and got kicked out. Why? I was prideful, was not considerate, was self-minded, thought I was all that because I grew up in christian church and home, but was not even living it, just knew all the right things to say. Got kicked out, driven home, got a job, and then 3 months later my mentor called me with a message from the pastor over the ministry, “he told me to tell you, to come back and finish what you started.” Literally that morning I was reading Scripture and it said, “go back to what you were doing a year ago.” Yes! This verse semi has to do with money, but it all aligned as the Lord gave me a note through a friend with the same verse, to go back. So I said yes, after much tears, but could not be disobedient to the Lord.
I went back, I started from the beginning (it’s a year program, and I had to start over). So started over, but finished earlier, was the last girl my mentor graduated before she went on to her next journey with the lord, relationship was restored between her and I, and too this day I speak to her, see her, she knows my husband and all my babies and can’t be more thankful for her!
MONICA, you may be saying, what does this have to do with the Scripture. Well first of all, there is a TESTIMONY in story telling, the testimony of how the Lord drew me out of the pit and into his loving arms. And this is my testimony and I would love to hear yours and scream from the rooftops.
And it goes with 1 Peter 2:9 because the enemy was close to taking my life down with him. He was ready to rejoice. But God said, no this girl is mine, she may have strayed but she will remain with me, she has been forgiven and redeemed, her life will loudly speak of who I am, whether verbally or through action. I have chosen her to be a light for my glory to shine. You can’t have her. She will walk in my marvelous light and bring others with her.
'Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ' —1 Peter 2:10
How are you bringing people that come into your life into the story that God has written about you? How have you brought them to see the marvelous light? How have you showed them that they too can walk in the light and no longer in the darkness, no longer in confusion, no longer in depression, no longer in guilt and shame? We have mercy!
What is mercy?
Mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favor. In His mercy, God does not give us punishment we deserve, namely hell; while in His grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely heaven. Mercy and grace are the utmost attributes of love.
IF THAT IS NOT LOVING TO YOU I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS.
He could have let us just walk without hope here on earth.
He could have just chilled and not prepare a place for us to dwell with Him.
Jesus didn’t have to die the brutal death on the cross but he did because he loved us and wanted to see us live forever with him.
I am alive only because of God’s grace and mercy and the reason I choose to write to you and speak to others is because I want to make Christ love for you known and make heaven crowded. There is nothing better than winning souls for Christ.
“stop imitating them. it is all for show. all for the money.” -my uncle when he saw me skin and bones.
Romans 12:1-2 says, 'Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. '
Imitate Christ. When we imitate him all that will come from us is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:24-26 says, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited provoking one another, envying one another.” Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” Mark 10:35, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
IS YOUR LIFE IMITATING JESUS CHRIST, IS IT SHOWING THE LOVE OF THE FATHER, DOES IT SHOW THAT WE FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
WHAT COMES OUT OF YOU WILL SHOW THOSE AROUND YOU WHO YOU IMITATE.WHAT YOU LET ENGULF YOU IS WHAT OTHERS WILL SEE. WHAT DO YOU WANT OTHERS TO SEE?
For me it is simple, I want them to see the love of God. I want them to see that they are not too far gone. That there is still time to repent and believe if they are breathing, and enjoying life here. If he hasn’t returned for us his bride there IS STILL TIME, but it will run out once we hear the trumpet sound. Whatever it looks like for you and me to spread the good news of the Gospel do it swiftly, with truth and love.
There is no time to live for yourself here. We are called to go and make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is only time to Make His Great Name Known.
YOU ARE CHOSEN AND SET APART FOR HIS GLORY.
YOU ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD.
YOU ARE TO BE A GUIDE FOR THOSE ENSLAVED TO THIS WORLD TO FIND JOY IN FREEDOM IN CHRIST.
“His grace and mercy engulfed me and I’ll never turn back no matter what and it is why I will keep writing and speaking for all to listen and have the opportunity to fall into his arms and stay in his arms, there is no better place to be than in Him”
Go and share the mercy and joy God has given you, to those that come into your life, that their lives may be turned upside down and then they go into their sphere and do the same.
MAY WE SEE RIPPLES TAKE PLACE IN OUR GENERATION. RIPPLES OF GOD’S LOVE, GRACE AND MERCY INTO EVERY SPACE WE ENTER AND EVEN WATCH!
'You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. ' — Isaiah 9:2-3
