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LOCK AND LOAD!

By Anita Mondragon
 
Do you ever watch these crime movies where the good guy and the bad guy are shooting it out?  The bullets are flying, the good guys are winning…and then it happens.  The good guy’s gun is empty, and the bad guys are advancing from behind!  This scene reminds me of the Christian life.  
 
Sometimes we as Christians ‘go after’ the devil on our own.  We fail to call on the Lord for help.  We go off half cocked, and end up pointing an empty gun in the devil’s face.  He sneers as we stand in defeat and asks, “Where’s the magazine?”  The humiliation continues as he declares, “Your gun is empty!  You have no bullets!”  And his imps begin surrounding us on all sides.
 
Most Christians assume they are armed to the teeth, but be assured, the devil knows if there are bullets in your gun or not!
 
You see, we as Believers have access to the full armor of God, but rarely are we wearing all of it!   Those of us that are wearing it, still have no idea of how to use it.  Most of us have laid our armor down.  When the Christian life got hard, and trials came, we began to shed our armor.  Oh, we kept the helmet of Salvation because we want to go to heaven, but we have taken off the rest of the armor one piece at a time.  
 
With most of us, the Belt of Truth was the first to go.  The Bible says, “Thy Word is Truth…”, but most of our Bibles are collecting dust because they’re never opened.  
 
And the Breast Plate of Righteousness …well, that got tossed aside because we didn’t want to be known as,  ‘the do-gooder’,  ‘the Bible-thumper’, ‘Mr. perfect’…and the list of names go on.  Most of us don’t even go to church anymore.  We are AWOL…absent without leave! 
 
The Gospel of Peace got kicked to the curb because, after all…we have to stand up for ourselves…we have ‘rights’ too!  We can’t be door mats and allow folks to walk all over us!  Surely that’s not what Jesus meant when He said, the meek would inherit the earth!   
 
 We pick up the Shield of Faith sometimes, but only when it regards having faith for someone else.  It’s kind of like us having faith that Jesus will take us to heaven because we’ve asked Him to, but we can’t trust Him with our tithe….
 
We rarely pick up the Sword of the Spirit because we diminish the seriousness of the battle we are in.  We forget that we are soldiers in the army of God-fighting against satan!
 
Any soldier will tell you that you cannot go to war with an empty gun!  If you point a gun at the enemy, you better have it loaded and KNOW how to use it!
 
Be ready!  Be sober!  Be vigilant!  
 
WHY????
 
Because your adversary…your enemy, the devil goes about as a roaring lion and he’s seeking whom he may devour…gobble up…eat alive. (The Bible-I paraphrased)
 
If you don’t want to be the devils supper, pick up your Bible, walk in the Righteousness of God, proclaim the Gospel of Truth, keep your Faith in God, and keep ahold of your Sword-and fight with the power of the Spirit.  Remember, you are in the battle of the ages!  You’re in the fight for the souls of men! 
 
Now put on your armor and run to the fight!  Lock and Load!


THE SHACKLES OF UNFORGIVENESS

by Anita Mondragon
 
I admit it.  I take full ownership for my past deeds.  I AM GUILTY!
 
Sometimes these words to an offended one are not sufficient.  They can’t or won’t forgive the wrong done to them.  They hold it close to their heart like something dear.  They wallow in the bitterness it brings and refuse to let it go.  They are not only imprisoned by it, they are shackled to the wall of unforgiveness and cannot progress to another plane in life.  They carry it around like a ball and chain, peering through the prison bars, seeing what should have been, but never glimpsing what could be right now.
 
We’ve all been there, hopefully for only a short time.  But when you dwell on the wrongs done to you in life, you can hear the enemy whisper to you, and beckon you to enter that dark dungeon of despair and bitterness.  If you listen too long, you’ll find yourself in that deep, dark pit.  The enemy will convince you that you have experienced enough hurt so you belong there along with the other victims of abuse and betrayal.

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THE LAND OF THE FREE

By Anita Mondragon
 
I’ve lost many loved ones in the past.  I think about them often…but they have gone on to be with Jesus.  These thoughts are what inspired the following poem.

I still feel the pangs of loneliness from time to time, and, yes…even regret at things I failed to tell them while they were here; things that would have meant the world to them to hear.  Like, “I love you so much!” … or, “I’m sorry that I hurt you!”  I know they are in a wonderful place, and all the bad things, sad things that happened here on earth are far from their minds now.

I wrote this poem for those loved ones that I leave behind.  I don’t want them to be sad at what was said or not said…what was done, or not done.  I want them to know that I have gone on to be with Jesus.  I want them to know that they can see me again if they will just call on HIS name and ask for forgiveness.

I hope to see you there!

When you stand before my grave,

And hear birds in the trees nearby;

When the Spring morning shakes her rain-drenched hair above,


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KICKIN’ THE BUCKET

By Anita Mondragon
 
How many times in your life have you felt like ‘throwin in the sponge’, giving up, ‘kickin’ the bucket’?  I know I’ve been there many times in the past.  
 
Life is hard when you try to do it all on your own!  That’s why Jesus said to cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you!  He can do what we can’t do.  He can change an impossible situation into a beautiful thing!  He can bring joy into a sorrowful event.  He can comfort you when you are in despair.  

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EDEN

By Anita Mondragon

Genesis 3:14-15

The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

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This can’t be it!

It’s all too wrong!

This world’s gone topsy-turvey!

And when you voice that view out loud…

Folks think you’re being nervy!

But, read the paper if you dare…

Or listen to the news;

The things you hear will make you sick,

And maybe blow your fuse!


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THE BOOK

By Anita Mondragon
 

11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.…

Revelation 20: 11-13
 
 
When that Great Day comes, and You open all the books…

When You behold my deeds before You…will You give a long, sad look?

Will You see that I only thought of material things?

Like brand new cars, and diamond rings?


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TALK TO ME

by Anita Mondragon

I woke up this morning in need of a conversation with the Lord! This remote learning, keep your distance, mask wearing confinement is really starting to EmojiEmojiEmojiEmojiEmoji bug me!

I said, “Lord, I wish You would talk to me like You used to…” Not one second passed, and I heard Him say, “I’m always talking to you, but you rarely listen!”

As I pondered His answer, I had to admit that He was right. I’m always too busy…too many distractions in this life!


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HIGH AND LOW

By Anita Mondragon
 
I found myself deep in prayer a couple of nights ago.  Although I tried my hardest, sleep would not find me.
 
I was praying for a loved one.  I explained to God, (as if He needed me to) that I wanted this person to be brought back.  I, like Moses, entreated God to do whatever was necessary-but to please remember Mercy.  I said, “I don’t know where he is right now…but YOU do!”  I asked God to speak to him-to get through to him, even if he was drunk and higher than a kite.  Then I added, or if he’s at his lowest…deep in depression…in utter despair!

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THE ROCK OF AGES

by Anita Mondragon
 

Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”  1 Cor. 3:11

“When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.  On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand…” – Edward Mote, 1834 / William B. Bradbury, 1863

 
I sometimes tremble so faint of heart,

Though on the solid Rock I stand;

And while the tempest rages wild around me,

I’m held secure in the Father’s hand.


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DO YOU WANT HIS POWER?  OR… YOUR PEACE?

by Anita Mondragon
 
The other day, I was speaking with a friend of mine.  We were discussing anger and hate, and how we should strive to surrender it to God.  My friend, to my surprise, said, “I like my anger!  It makes me feel powerful.  I don’t want to give it up…I like it!”  I can relate to that, for I was once the same.  But, the problem with this attitude is that we forfeit God’s peace for our power!

Thomas Paine, the great English writer wrote the following words during the darkest days of the Revolutionary war: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The soldier and the patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country. But they that stand it now, deserve the love and thanks of men and women. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered. But the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph…”


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One Response to “Forgiven- A Daily Devotional”

  1. Anita says:

    What a great prayer! As Believers, this is the kind of stuff we should be seeking God for on a daily basis!
    Thanks for the reminder sister Francine!
    -anita

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