spark... (a blog)

By Niki Melton
Full Life Fellowship Church in Concord, NC
  • HOME
  • What to Expect
  • About
    • Leadership & Staff
    • CONTACT
    • FOURSQUARE?
  • MINISTRIES
    • YOUTH & Kids MINISTRIES >
      • NURSERY
      • KIDSLIFE
      • EXPLORERS
      • NAVIGATORS
      • HOMESCHOOL WORKSHOPS
      • MEN'S PACING GROUP
      • WOMEN'S PACING GROUP
      • LIFEGROUPS
    • MISSIONS
    • PRAYER
    • HOSPITALITY MINISTRIES
  • Media
    • MESSAGES
    • SPARK (A BLOG)
    • GracePoint (Vlog)
    • BIBLE READING
  • GIVING
  • Blog

Letters - by Niki Melton

12/31/2018

0 Comments

 
2 Cor 6:1-2
Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” For he says:
​At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.
See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!

Have you ever gotten a gift that you just didn’t feel like you could accept? Perhaps the giver was someone who you knew would hold the “good gift” over your head and remind you or expect something from you in the future. Sometimes you get a gift valued much higher than your offering to them. Or worse, they gave you something nice, and you didn’t get them anything… couldn’t afford to, completely forgot about them, or frankly don’t like them and thought they felt the same about you. Think of God’s gift of salvation… some of those same thoughts might apply, and sometimes they leave us insecure or unwilling to fully accept our new standing with him.

The Bible talks a lot about God’s grace, and the action of receiving it. It is stressed that we are a “new creation”, that the “old has passed away” - we are now “children of God”, and on our way to receive his “full inheritance” as such.

When Luke 18:17 (or Matt. 18:3) talks about the kingdom of God, Jesus tells us about becoming “like a child” …
“I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

So, what does that mean? Well, today, for me, it means this: If I am to put on my “robe of righteousness” and accept/claim my inheritance that Jesus died to pay for, I am going to have to take off my “filthy rags” and decide they are no longer mine. Literally, Hester Prynne style, throw down my Scarlet Letter (or letters, the devil loves to shame us), and no matter how much I feel like the Robe is undeserved sometimes, never pick up my old garment and put them on again. You see, we can’t wear both. Think of how stupid we look, trying to pin our old letters on top of Christ’s robe, as we go out as ambassadors for him.
My current problem? I can’t seem to let go of those letters. And there are lots of people (and some family) that really don’t appreciate me dropping them and keep trying to hand them back to me. But my epiphany this morning, came in the form of a movie line that really represented what the above verses were talking about. Now it’s been a minute since I’ve seen it, so I am slightly paraphrasing, but still.

​How come you never told me you lost Ben? - Stepmom
​You know why. - Ben’s Mother
​Well, Ben didn’t say anything. – Stepmom
​He doesn’t remember getting lost, he just remembers that I found him. – Ben’s Mother

Today, find you freedom from those letters. You have been found, and that’s what really matters.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    what is "spark"?

    Its a small thing - like the flash on a spark plug that hopefully ignites something bigger to propel you forward.

    Niki melton

    Niki is a wife and mother of 2 children.  She lives in Charlotte, NC where she enjoys everyday moments that ignite her relationship with our Lord and Savior.

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Location

What People Are Saying...

"Even when I have questions and doubts, I can come here and have honest conversations with God and about God. I come as I am and am always accepted as such. Plus great worship music." - Emily P.

"This is my church home and they are family to me!" - Heidi B.

"You know how people tend to head for the exits really fast after a church service is over? Well that doesn't happen here! People love to hang around after the meeting - and that's a sign of good stuff going on." ​- Terry C.

contact us

Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
  • HOME
  • What to Expect
  • About
    • Leadership & Staff
    • CONTACT
    • FOURSQUARE?
  • MINISTRIES
    • YOUTH & Kids MINISTRIES >
      • NURSERY
      • KIDSLIFE
      • EXPLORERS
      • NAVIGATORS
      • HOMESCHOOL WORKSHOPS
      • MEN'S PACING GROUP
      • WOMEN'S PACING GROUP
      • LIFEGROUPS
    • MISSIONS
    • PRAYER
    • HOSPITALITY MINISTRIES
  • Media
    • MESSAGES
    • SPARK (A BLOG)
    • GracePoint (Vlog)
    • BIBLE READING
  • GIVING
  • Blog