Family First!

 

Far too often I hear men talking about how no one " looks out for them". This means nobody is sending them $ to buy essentials like hygiene stuff or extra food. It also means nobody is talking to them either. Their family has cut them out. One guy, he's been locked up for 30 years and has been denied parole twice, hasn't heard from his family since he was locked up. Now, this guy got denied again, but they did only "flop" him 5 years instead of 10 so there's hope for him now, that he can't share with any loved ones. Hope that he may be getting out. Yet he has no where to go. No family or friends. How does America expect people like that to stay OUT of prison!? You see, just because those on the outside of these razor topped fences turn their backs on incarcerated people, sure the heck don't mean we do the same! SURPRISE! We still love you! Being alone with no one to say I love you or no one to look forward to seeing once out, well that is a truly demeaning and horrendous feeling! Think about it. Say you've made one or two mistakes hurting the ones you love. You regret what you've done immensely. You feel shame and self hatred every day and especially when the lights go out at night. Yet, these ones you've hurt never speak to you again. They never forgive you. Now, some may say "Good! I hope those jerks suffer and burn in hell!" What does God say? Are we as mere humans above His will? Do we know better then the Creator Who made us!? NO! Forgive and you will be forgiven. Do not judge or you will be judged. Do those people who've turned their backs on the inmates know that these people are not forgotten by Father God and if they've repented & sought forgiveness they are new creatures and made righteous in the sight of God Almighty! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" I'm no Greek scholar, but I looked up that word " anyone" and get this...it means ANY. ONE! Wow right!? Murders. Rapist. Thieves. Adulterers. Addicts. Liar. Anyone! Glory to God! If Father God can forgive why can't you? Now, I understand how hard it is. Being hurt and abused. Lied to. It's not easy to forgive cuz we want justice dangit!! Being in prison, according to the laws of the land is supposed to be justice for victims. So why prolong and hold onto the hate and offense we feel from the perpetrators?! It hurts you too. These are your family! Learn how to forgive. Do it for yourself first, then for your family who's locked up behind bars. If it wasn't for knowing, truly knowing Jesus as their Lord, many of these men would have taken their own lives because of the shame and regret of the crime they committed and the extra weight of the family who've turned against them! Jesus is the way the truth and the life! Seek His face today. Dive into His Word. He will show you the way to freedom.

Are you Brokenhearted?

 Brokenness has been on my heart here lately. Having a broken heart , well, hurts! Many of us have felt this, or are currently living in the midst of this pain. Your loved one died, your spouse left you, the dog died, you had an abortion, you've done something very wrong/illegal. All these things can lead to a broken heart. Well, what can we do to be healed and restored from this affliction? The Bible says Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted. ( Isaiah 61:1) Psalms 147:3 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pain and their sorrows] People who are living with a broken heart may feel depressed, angry, or like the weight of the world is on them. This brokenness will affect their relationships with others and with God. They may lash out in anger. Or try to just ignore/pretend God or the person/thing that hurt them doesn't exist or never happened. Beloved friends, you don't have to live like that! Read and meditate on Psalms 145: 14-21. Father God IS near! For those who have called Jesus Lord and Savior, remember this; you have the Holy Spirit living inside you! The Comforter! The very same power that raised Jesus from the grave resides in you! Your body is the temple of God! The weight you're carrying can be lifted! You can be free from the anger and depression! The verse that started this ministry, Psalms 16:8, " I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand I will not be shaken". Reading on, David goes on to say, "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will You let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of Life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."( NIV) You see my friends, for those who are followers of Christ, the Maker of Heaven and Earth has promised you joy and peace and eternal rest! Yes, this verse is also speaking of eternity. When we as His children die, we won't see decay or death . Our spirit will go from our body and be with Jesus in Heaven immediately upon the last heartbeat! Give those burdens to Jesus! Forgive if it is needed. Whomever hurt you must be forgiven in order for you to be healed! Repent and seek forgiveness from God, and forgive yourself, if you've sinned or broken the law of the land. We here at Target Jesus Ministries want you to be free! We want you to live that abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10! The only way to do so is through Jesus Christ! Give Him your life and you can live in healing and freedom and peace!

My Prayer for you is Victory!

 Sitting here watching Hillsong Worship which I do often and let me just be real. I've done this for years, as I watch I hope that I see the faces of Jerri, Valerie, Natalie, and Cindy. I am praying while watching and listening to the Praise and Worship music. Praying that one day I see the faces of the one's I've hurt with upturned faces and lifted hands worshiping our Father God. Even my sister. I used to love watching her praise God in that little country church! Her face shining bright singing her little heart out. I long to see that again. See y'all, I know what it's like to live in the ruts and pits of your past. The shame and regret and anger. The bitterness you may feel every day you wake up. Thinking why did this happen to me!? Why did God let this happen!? I will never forgive whoever it was that hurt me! Beloved friends, it doesn't have to be that way! Why is it that I thank God for not only the salvation, but the victorious life in Christ that these women will live? It's because salvation saves your spirit, and the Word shows you how to live victoriously through Christ Jesus. If the preachers that preached in our church ever did a sermon on how to live victoriously, it never took with me I figure! So, now I'm here in prison, because of the physical and sexual abuse I went through and how it shaped my thought process . I am also now, able to show you the way to victory! I've lived through the pain. And I am stronger for it! Jesus IS the way! He is the way out of the darkness that threatens to consume you! He can ease the burdens you've carried for years! The abuse you endured is NOT your fault! You can let the past go. Forgive yourself ( I know I had to), for allowing it to happen to me and for me allowing myself to repeat it. " Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you, Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let it be fearful."(John 14:27) Forgiveness is good for you, period. Matthew 6:14-15 states;" For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." That abuser will no longer have sway over your thoughts or feelings. The betrayal you feel can be healed. The weight you carry will be lifted! That's why I pray to see these people worshiping God! He IS love! He IS peace! Put your trust in Him today and dive into His Word! Let it transform you and mold you into a Christ like mind! Do so today! No one knows how long they have left in earth and haven't you lived in pain long enough!?