COME THE MORNING

Posted on Nov 22, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: ,

It’s almost Thanksgiving, so thought I’d share a poem I wrote back in 2015. Even though times are difficult now, we need to give Jesus ALL the praise, and be thankful for all He’s done for us!  There’s a verse in Jeremiah 3:22-23 that says this:  “It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning.  Great is Thy faithfulness!”  THANK YOU LORD!
By Anita Mondragon
 
 
COME THE MORNING
 
Come rain, or come shine,
Or frost on his wings,
With voice lifted up,
To the Creator he sings;
 
“All praise be to Him,
Who lives on High…
Who gave me wings,
To soar and to fly!”
 
He frets not the ‘morrow,
‘Nor what it may bring…
He leaves that to Jesus;
He just wants to sing!
 
For singing he knows,
Will make lighter his load,
And the path be made clear,
When weary the road.
 
Though the future’s unknown,
Or the road of tomorrow…
From this present sunshine,
He knows he can’t borrow.
 
For tomorrow may hold,
Skies, cold and gray;
But when he sings to Jesus,
Storm clouds roll away!
 
All things are temporal,
And hardships won’t last;
For when comes the morning,
Present sorrows will pass!
 
So sing in the morning,
And sing in the night,
For dawn will break soon
With the SON’S glorious light!
 
Learn from the Sparrow,
And heed his song’s yearning…
Just give ALL to Jesus,
For joy comes in the morning!

ONLY ONE LIFE…

Posted on Nov 17, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: ,

I have a plaque hanging in my house.  It says this…
 
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
 
“For me to live is Christ…”- Philippians 1:21
 
I’ve had that plaque for years.  I ‘see’ it every day.  But today, in my hectic morning routine, I REALLY saw it!  For the first time, in a long time, I let its meaning soak in.
 
All this stuff I do…all this running around…this busyness is useless in the BIG PICTURE of things.  Don’t get me wrong…everyday life and all of its time-consuming efforts are needed to survive in this world;  But what am I doing for the next world?  The eternal world to come?
 
I realized that my everyday duties are necessary, but I need to add Jesus to the things I do to make an impact on this world, and it will in turn make an impact on the world yet to come!
 
Be kind.  Be humble.  Be thoughtful.  Smile.  Share Jesus with someone today…
 
THERE’S ONLY ONE LIFE here!  TIME TO GET BUSY for the one to come!
ANITA MONDRAGON

ASHES TO ASHES

Posted on Nov 17, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: , , , , , ,

ASHES TO ASHES

 
By: Kevin Evans
Ashes to ashes,
dust to dust,
Life hurts, our hearts become hardened, tough, calloused,
We push back, block, medicate, stay numb, rather than feel emotional hurt and pain.
Our adversary stands by observing and steeped in the blackest of sin,
He hates, he waits,
To sell you a lie,
He strikes you down with words and false accusations,
Then proudly he appears as an angel of light,
Smooth talking, smiling, smirking and arrogant, possessing charisma and popular clout,
His whispering charms creep around and through you, grasping for your agreement, a place to hang out?
Whispering spewing his thoughts in your mind, to sew seeds of slanderous lies not truth, lustful thoughts, unrighteous fear, unholy doubt.
He will puff you up just like a balloon,
Flattering you to agree with his boasting and foolish pride,
His evil grin widens for he knows that soon,
You will fall and dive to the depths of disgrace,
Then he will clothe you with darkness, guilt and shame, to make you want to hide your face.
He will mock you and tell you
You are the worst of all beings,
He will steal away your innocence your beauty, youth and grace.
He’ll sour your taste and smell,
He never wants you smile, laugh, love, share, help another, offer light, or to give,
He wants to suck your soul dry,
He does it by getting you to believe his lies,
He wants to make you selfish, a victim, lying all the while, saying you deserve it all, just like him.
Remember he is the king of selfishness, pride, hate, and sin.

His justice is coming
And ours is coming too!

Our only salvation?
Believe the truth.
Believe that God loves us
Proven at the cross,

Jesus died for you, for me, and paid the absolute and final price for every person, every sin.
Once and for all.
And never again
There are no exclusions
Absolutely as none at all.

It’s not how good you are
Rather that you know how bad you have been.
Only can you know this
when In His light you stand
Then choose, change your mind, ask Him to change your heart.
Die to yourself
Let His Holy Spirit in.

A new creation, He shall make you
He calls being born again
You now become
One with the father, the Son, The Holy Spirit.
One with the Great I am.
Christ rose from the grave
And so shall you
Seated in heavenly places
Sealed by His Spirit
Made right by His perfect love and sacrifice

Oh what great mercy
How sweet is his Grace
That we could be forgiven
Washed by his blood🩸
All our sins erased.

So come my Lord Jesus
Now please I pray
may your Kingdom come
Forever, now and always
Your precious will be done

Restore me in your presence
Your child in love and awe
Your power, Your Kingdom, Your Glory
To you alone belong.

Amen


CONFUSING TIMES!

Posted on Nov 15, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: ,

CONFUSING TIMES!
 
 
These times we are living in are very confusing!  In the eyes of the World, you may do something today and it will be considered wonderful; but do it tomorrow…and it has become offensive overnight.  What used to be ‘right’ is now considered wrong, and vice versa.  Preachers used to put names to sin, but now sin is rarely talked about from the pulpit.  Shepherds are allowing wolves to come into the church through their unwillingness to speak the TRUTH!  Instead of chasing the wolves off with the truth of the Gospel, they’d rather pet them. They let the sheep be scattered and allow every wind of doctrine to enter the church to keep their numbers of attendance up.  Attendance and offerings…that’s what’s important now.  Forget the truth;  But Jesus said, “the TRUTH will set you free!  
 
I believe this is why professing Christians are hesitant to share the Gospel.  It’s been evident from the pulpit that this is a new world, and it’s ok to “soft pedal” things when it comes to the truth.  We must be tolerant of everything-even if it’s wrong.  We all know that it’s become dangerous-even fatal,  in other parts of the World for people to speak the truth.  Folks are dying for their beliefs.  
 
But Jesus said this:  “HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM SHALL NOT BE CONFOUNDED (confused).  -1 Peter 2:6  I pulled that promise out of my Promise Box last night.  Here’s the little poem that went along with it…
 
“The crowd of cares, the weightiest cross;
See, trifles less than light,
Earth looks so little and so low,
When faith shines full and bright.” -unknown
 
FAITH!  That’s what keeps these martyrs strong and willing to die for their beliefs in Christ!  THEY are NOT confused about what they believe in!  They KNOW what Jesus has done for them!  My question to all of us modern day Christians that stay quiet about the TRUTH while those around us die in their sins is this…
 
Do you remember what Jesus has done for you?  Do you BELIEVE on HIM?  Or are you confused?  Check your salvation.
 

 

Anita Mondragon

Your Faith In Me!

Posted on Nov 13, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: , ,

Luke 7:50 – Amplified Bible
     “Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith [in Me] has saved you; go in peace [free from the distress experienced because         of sin].””
 
 
Here we learn that Jesus has come to a Pharisee’s (religious people) home for dinner. A woman, a known sinner brought Jesus a gift and kissed His feet. The Pharisees prided themselves on keeping the commandments, rules, and rituals. This Pharisee was angry that Jesus would associate with this known sinner.
We don’t know if the Pharisee ever came to trust in Jesus, but we do know that the sinner did and it was her “faith” that saved her. Jesus forgave all her sins and saved her.
 
Perhaps you might think, There is too much wrong with my life now. When I am a little better, I will come to Jesus and trust in Him. Or maybe we are a little like the Pharisee, the religious people and trust in our own goodness, works, and rituals instead of trusting in Jesus and His sacrifice. Like Billy Graham would say “Jesus wants us to come as we are.” Until we trust in Jesus we will never get better.
No matter how seemingly good or bad we might be, we must now, turn from the ways we think are best, which in fact lead to hell (Proverbs 14:12), and trust in Jesus. We will then gain God’s great gift of eternal life in heaven.
Have you invited Jesus Christ into your heart, if not what’s stopping you. You can pray this simple yet sincere prayer inviting Jesus Christ into your heart.
 
Jesus, the door of my heart is open and like this sinning woman, I ask you to wash me clean from all my Sins and save me, I accept you as my Lord and Savior, in Jesus Mighty Name.
If you prayed that prayer I welcome you to the family of God.
If you need help message me and Together We Will Beat Up the Devil.
To God Be The Glory.
P.A

Love Does & Does Not

Posted on Nov 11, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: 

Love suffers long and Is Kind; Love Does Not envy; Love Does Not parade itself, is not puffed up; Does Not behave rudely, Does Not seek its own, is not provoked, Thinks No Evil; Does Not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
-1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJV)
 
The phrase thinks no evil. What does it really mean when Paul says that love “thinks no evil”? Good Question.
In the Greek New Testament, the word thinks is actually a bookkeeping term. It’s a word that means “to take into account” or “to write down as a permanent record.” Which is exactly what a good book keeper or accountant does. They write things down as a permanent record.
 
In accounting, keeping permanent records is vital. But in relationships, it’s deadly! If we’re going to know the love of Jesus Christ and live in the fullness of that love and grace, we need to delete those negative relational files we’ve collected over the years! Why you ask, because this is what Jesus has done for us (Romans 5:13).
The Bible says that God has not imputed sin to us. Aren’t you glad? When it came to settling the score Jesus took OUR SINS that were written down against us upon the Cross. Jesus died and rose again on the third day and because of what Jesus has done for us, God has forgiven and forgotten our sin. It is deleted…forever gone.
My grandfather Evangelist, Dr. Sainz told me I must keep short accounts of wrongs done to me and my family, then empty the trash of our brain, because love doesn’t keep score and love doesn’t settle the score. Love thinks no evil…but thinks the best.
 
Have you made the decision to follow Jesus Christ and have your sins deleted, if not what’s stopping you. You can pray this simple prayer inviting Jesus Christ into your heart. Jesus, I am a sinner, I believe you are the Son of God and I ask that you delete all of my sins and wash me clean, I accept you as my Lord and Savior, In Jesus Mighty Name.
If you prayed that prayer I rejoice with you and welcome you to the family of God.
If you need help message me and together we will beat up the Devil.
To God Be The Glory.
P.A.
 
 

A Poem of Thankfulness

Posted on Nov 9, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: 

UNTITLED
 
Love has come
Love has won
Because of Jesus
He laid down His life
To free us of the strife,
Of sin
The cost He paid,
So He could save,
Those who believe
He rose on that 3rd day,
Overcoming death and the grave,
Now death has no more sting
If you believe in Him,
You are freed from sin,
Set free,
Glory be
So don’t hesitate,
Embrace the Love He gave,
and gives to this day
I lift my hands and my voice,
I declare I made a choice,
A long time ago
To love and follow my Savior,
He is my strength,
I have seen and still need,
the length,
of His grace and mercy
My Savior is all,
I love Him in winter, spring, summer, and fall,
To Him I give my praise,
Every day
For His love has won the victory,
and to that I shout…GLORY!!

-Mark Hays


GOD HAS SHINED IN MY HEART…

Posted on Oct 27, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: , , ,

By Anita Mondragon
 
“God has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” -II Corinthians 4:6
 
To put things into perspective, here are a few verses from that passage…
 
“But if the gospel be hid, it is hidden to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who commanded the light to shine of of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
*******************
The first verse I shared with you really speaks to a conversation I had the other day with someone I love very, very much.  But you see, I can’t convince anyone that Jesus is real…that He IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  All I can do is tell them what He has done for me and ask Him to reveal Himself, so they will allow Him to do the same for them!
 
I drew that verse from my Promise Box.  It had this poem that went along with it:
“When all your mercies, O my God, my rising soul surveys, transported with the view, I’m lost in wonder, love and praise!” -unknown
 
God also said in John 14:27 – “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  You see, we must BELIEVE that when we witness and preach the Gospel and pray, God’s Word will not return void, but will accomplish what it was meant to do…and this is to bring mean to salvation!
 
I BELIEVE!  DO YOU?

I NEED JUST A HINT OF SON LIGHT…

Posted on Oct 25, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: , , ,

By Anita Mondragon
 
It’s amazing what just a hint of sunlight can do in changing our perspective of things!  Fall and winter are upon us here in Colorado.  Soon the heat and the sunny days will be few as the snow arrives.  It will be dark and cold, and gloomy as the rain and snow pass through.
 
At these times, I like to place my chair close to the fireplace, wrap myself in fleece and try to stay warm!  I’ve recently realized that sunlit days, long hours of daylight and warm Summer breezes are coming to an end.  When I crawl out of my warm blankets, I  find the house is chilly now.
 
I got up early this morning and saw light on the horizon.  Dark clouds were in the distance, but the brightness of the light seemed to over power them.  I thought about the dark, cold, gloomy days in my past; days when I could not seem to find the SON,  or feel His warm presence.  Days when I let my worries, anxieties, anxious thoughts and depression cloud my world.  If I could have just remembered in my hour of despair to fall on my knees in prayer…I would have found the SON, and felt His warmth!  
 
It’s cool today, but I’m thankful for the bit of light I see outside my window!  The sun has risen in the sky now.  It is behind one of those dark clouds, shinning through, making it silver.  I know God’s light can shine through my darkness and give my life silver linings!
 
The light and love of God can make anything beautiful!
 

THE LAND OF THE FREE

Posted on Oct 24, 2021 in Forgiven- A Daily Devotion | Tags: , , , ,

By Anita Mondragon
 
I wrote the following poem years ago while remembering the passing of my dad and my mother-in-law.  I think of them often…them, and other loved ones that have gone on to be with Jesus.  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.  IF I’d only said them!  Things 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, sad things that happened here on earth are far from their minds now.
 
I also wrote this poem for those loved ones that I will leave behind some day.  I don’t want them to be sad at what was said or not said, what was done or left undone.  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! -anita
***************
 
When you stand before my grave,
And hear birds in the trees nearby;
 
When the Spring morning shakes her rain-drenched hair above,
Don’t be sad!  Don’t weep!  Don’t cry!
 
I’m not really here in this dark, dank place.
I fly with the angels and I stare at the face…
 
The face of the ONE who died, just for me!
And I smile, and I marvel at all that I see!
 
If you could be here, and know what I know,
You’d wish it were YOU that had been called to go! 
 
So, get down on you knees, and ask that your sin
Be washed clean in HIS blood…then, I’ll see you again!
 
On this beautiful shore, where forever we’ll rest…
In the land of the free, and the home of the blest!

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »