illuminate is here!

Almighty Father,

You are so good.  Thank you for all of your wonderful blessings.  Thank you as well for the trials that you allow to enter into my life.  I know that you are using them to grow me and to draw me closer to you.  Your ways are far above my ways.  I look forward to serving you each and every day.  Guide me today I pray.

Amen

Within the past month or so illuminate has been in action!  What is it exactly?  I'll tell you.  Illuminate is a group of people who are transitioning from going to church to being the church.  We are banding together to spread God's unconditional love into the local communities.  Each gathering consists of unhinged worship, prayer, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.  Everyone on staff is energized by the holy spirit and is ready to serve at any opportunity.  Anyone is welcome to attend a gathering and worship along side of us in any way they choose to.

I am so excited to be involved in what God is doing in our area of the map.  It is such a blessing to be furthering God's Kingdom in a tangible, practical way.  Also, I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends whom I consider family.  They mean so much to me and I am honored to be in relationship with them.  God has placed us all together for a specific reason and purpose.  We are bringing Heaven to Earth and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us where He wants us to go. 

Right now we are in four locations throughout Lorain county and will be spreading and reaching out further beyond those walls soon here in 2012!  By God's goodness, Sarrah (my beautiful wife) and I have the opportunity of leading the Avon location and coordinating the staff to make sure everything is rolling smoothly at each gathering.  All of us are looking forward to where God is going to lead us in the near future.  Thank you to everyone who is volunteering and putting so much time and effort into this vision.  We are illuminating our cities, our states, and eventually the entire world!

All praise, honor, and glory be to God forever and ever.  Amen.

Life Group

Lord,

Your majesty reaches beyond the scope of human language.  Your glory outshines the sun.  Your radiance is more beautiful than the brightest beams of light.  Allow me to simply bask in your presence.  I love you.

Amen

For those of you who do not already know, I am part of a bible based life group that meets every Friday evening.  For last nights' meeting I was asked to lead discussion over 1 Peter chapter 2.  I readily agreed to this and began preparations for it a couple days previous.  As I began going over the material though, I felt an uneasy feeling deep within me.  I wasn't sure why this was happening (perhaps it was the enemy shaking me up) so I called my best bud Jake and talked about some different matters concerning the upcoming discussion.

Wouldn't you know it, like he always does, he set my heart straight with words of kindness and encouragement.  After speaking with him and praying with him I continued researching and studying the passage.  Like a lot of situations where I am not completely sure of the outcome, I felt a bit anxious leading up to discussion.  Fortunately it was more of an excited anxious than a nervous one.  Then...the time came, and something incredible happened.

The Holy Spirit was moving and the whole meeting ended up being an amazing blessing for everyone who was there!  It was not simply a mediocre gathering, but it was a powerful, mind-blowing experience as we prayed, studied the Word, and praised God for His goodness in our lives.  The meeting went way better than I expected.  It is wonderful to hear different people's perspectives on a particular passage that hasn't been heard before.  God is doing great things and has great plans for our life group.

I am thankful for each and every one of the guys involved.  I am so blessed to have such a strong group of brothers working together in order to further God's Kingdom and to lift each other up when we are down.  Josiah, Mark, and Stevan, you three are a wonderful addition to our group.  We hope that you continue to meet with us and share your hearts with us. 

I love you all. (Jake, Tim, Gary, Kevin, Josiah, Mark, Stevan, Bob, Dan, John)  

The Man God Uses

Father God,

I cannot imagine serving anyone or anything besides you.  You are amazingly awesome in every way and nothing even comes close to your majesty and power.  Please guide me as I write this post.  May your words be written.

Amen

This weekend my life group and I attended a conference at Open Door church called "The Man God Uses".  It was POWERFUL to say the least.  My favorite part of it was when we all stood up together as one body of Christ and sang praises to the Lord.  The room was filled with over 100 men as we lifted up our hands and gave all glory to God for who he is.  It was an incredible sight to see and was worth every penny spent to go there.  The Holy Spirit was alive and well as we sang songs, raised our hands, listened to guest speakers, drank coffee, ate food, etc. 

Dr. Henry and Tom Blackaby headed up the speaking for both Friday and Saturday sessions.  They spoke about topics such as the power of prayer, praying for the family, building spiritual walls for protection, modeling the Christian life daily, having a personal relationship with God, waiting on God, and many more topics.  Even though a lot of men who attended were a bit older than we were, it didn't matter to me.  God called us there for a reason and He has a divine plan to use us for His good and perfect will.

I have never seen so many men in one place praising God and surrendering their lives to Him.  There were multiple men, including myself, who got down on their knees to praise and pray to the God of the universe.  It was absolutely surreal and I am so grateful and joy-filled that I was able to join them in celebration.  It reminded me of what eternity will be like in Heaven, worshiping our Father with all of who we are forever and ever.

Myself, as well as the many other men involved in this conference are charged up now for serving in God's Kingdom.  I know that He has big plans and I cannot wait to be a part of them.  I want my life to continue the trend for generations after me.  I want to rise up with other believers to accomplish the plans that God has set forth from the beginning of time.  Here I am Lord, send me.  Allow me to join my brothers and sisters in defeating evil and ushering your Kingdom into this world.  May your will be done.

I am the man god uses.    

Unfiltered

God,

You are beautiful.  Not only are you beautiful, but you are beauty itself.  I set all of my cares and worries, hopes and fears, dreams and admiration on you and you alone.  All that I am and all that I have is because you gave it all to me.  I praise you and love you always and forever.

Your servant, Kenneth Dean Melendez

Amen

Filtered -- according to dictionary.com is:  to slow or partially obstruct the passage of something.

Unfiltered -- according to dictionary.com is:  not having been toned down, censored, or edited. ex: unfiltered news sources

I suppose that this notion has been in my thoughts and in my heart for quite some time now.  Yet yesterday (9/10/11) a word popped into my head to wrap the idea up in three syllables...unfiltered.  I believe this is what God has in store not only for myself, but for other believers as well.  

We live in a world that is surrounded by influences.  From newspaper to television to internet to culture to peer groups to family members to work places and even to churches.  We have a certain way of acting and going about our daily lives according to the influences surrounding our environment.  Of course our own personality traits do indeed come into play here as well but that is not my main focus at this time.

Here are my questions though.  What if all of this was put behind us?  What if we could possibly break through these 'barriers' that may keep us from being our true selves?  Sometimes I worry about what someone else is going to think about a particular action that I perform.  What if that was gone?  What if we could say what was truly on our minds instead of not saying anything or making up some sort of lie?  

My most prominent question would be...what if we could live unfiltered for Jesus Christ, obeying Him with all of who we are?  I do not want to reach the end of my life and know that I could have done more for God if I just would have lived an unfiltered life of complete surrender to His will. God calls each and every one of us to follow Him and that means that we lay down our pride down at the door and walk with Him.  Unfiltered even means stepping out of our comfort zone (which I know is uncomfortable) and making a difference by shining the light of Christ in people's lives through our example.

The same day this word came to me I also jotted down characteristics that I feel are extremely important and that run along the same lines.  The words are:  honesty, integrity, humbleness, truthfulness, love, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, wisdom, other-centeredness, beauty, and leadership.  I'm sure there are others but I feel that these traits can be found in a person who is truly unfiltered and is always seeking after God. 

I realize that today marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attack on our country.  I remember and honor the fallen and their families.  Lets live our days for Christ and in remembrance of those who suffered on that tragic day in history.  May we be a people who rise up and take a stand for all truth and justice on this earth.

Remove the filter, break down the barriers, and devote yourself completely to Him.  This is how we live life to the fullest.  The way God intended it from the very beginning of creation. 

 

A Strange Encounter

Father,

Ignite my soul.  Fill me with your presence and your love today.  I need your guidance and direction each day of my life.  I pray that others' spirits would be awakened by the messages relayed through my posts.  I love you.

Amen

So yesterday as I was driving home from class I noticed a man walking down the sidewalk with his right leg turned sideways and a cane to hold him up.  He seemed to be in his 30's and I felt compassion welling up inside me to help him out.  I wanted to give him a ride to wherever he was heading to.  So, after my car had already been turned off, I started it up again and drove over to speak with him.  He accepted the invitation and hopped into my car.

I asked him where he lives and he said it's about a mile or two away and that he'll direct me there.  The first part of our conversation was your average small talk conversation.  But then about midway through I asked him what he does for a living.  He said that he is religious.  I said oh yeah, what religion are you?  He goes...Satanic.  Oh, I replied.  The rest of the conversation was pretty much him directing me to his place.  After I parked and unlocked the door for him to get out, he was laughing a bit for some reason.  He said thanks for the ride and 'until next time'.  I thought to myself, will there be a next time?  Maybe there will be.

Anyways, the whole experience kind of shook me because I have never encountered someone 'who keeps the dark side happy'.  That was something he brought up as well.  I got home and told Sarrah about it.  When we went to bed I kept thinking about that drive and how strange it was.  I definitely felt something spiritual being stirred up inside of me.  I decided that I wanted to say a prayer for this man and also for me because my spirit was restless and needed peace that only God can give.

I pray that the ride I gave this man planted a seed in his heart and that God draws him to the light.  Lord you are all powerful.  I pray that you would please do a work in him like he's never seen before and that you'd use him for your Kindom's purposes.  Amen.

The Cross

Dear Lord,

You are more amazing than words can express.  I am not worthy of your love but yet you love me anyways.  Even when I mess up and allow sin to creep in, you are always right there waiting for me to return to you.  Thank you for your faithfulness and truth.  I am surrounded by your matchless grace and peace.  I love you.

Amen

The Cross.  What does it signify?  What does it stand for as it hangs from our necks and our rear-view mirrors?  Why do we look at it, studying it like we do?

In all reality, the crosses back in Jesus' day were big, heavy pieces of wood that people were literally nailed to until they suffocated and died.  They were ugly, nasty places of torment and disgust.  A place where people suffered who were accused of wrong doing and breaking the law.  It was an excruciatingly painful and humiliating way to die.

Even though the above may be true, the cross, for Christians, is also a place of forgiveness, love, salvation, and pure sacrifice.  For Christ followers, we see the cross and remember what Jesus did for us 2000 years ago.  He gave up His life so that we may have a right relationship with God once again.  He loves us so much that He gave up His LIFE for us!

For believers, Jesus' death was just the beginning.  He rose from the dead three days later!  He is alive and well now and forever!  We are in relationship with Him by accepting Him into our hearts while repenting of our old, sinful ways.  He longs to be connected with us, to speak with us, and to live daily in our hearts guiding our steps.

So what does the cross signify in a word?  Love.  God defines love.  He is love.  He showed us how much He loves us on that dirty, filthy, painful cross 2000 years ago.  Now it is our turn to show Him how much we love Him.  Lets live lives that are pleasing to Him, obeying His commands. May all glory and honor be to God forever and ever.  Amen.

Anxious Feeling

Lord,

Today is the day that you have made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it.  I remember singing those words back when I was younger but now they have so much more meaning to me.  Thank you for this day and every day that you allow me to live here on Earth.  I love you.

Amen

This morning as I'm drinking my hot tea and eating some oatmeal raisin cookies, I found myself in a state of worry and doubt.  I was reminded of how many tasks I need to complete this week and how little time I have to finish them.  After about ten minutes of shuffling around and thoughts impulsing through my brain, a specific verse from scripture popped into my mind.  "Be still, and know that I am God".  Immediately I stopped what I was doing and just stayed still.  The thoughts in my mind slowed way down.  I knew that God was speaking to me.

After sitting there for a minute or two, I began to think to myself, 'Why am I freaking out like this?  God is in control and I just need to focus on Him.'  So I did.  I sat right at my desk and prayed to the Lord about what was on my mind.  At the same time I was doing that I remembered Philippians chapter 4 where Paul says to not worry about anything and instead pray about everything.  I felt so much better after focusing my mind on God.  I even opened my Bible after praying and read a couple chapters out of it.

Not only did I feel better, but God put it in my heart to inspire others with His Word.  So, I wrote a verse on Facebook and also went on to write this blog.  God took a hold of me in the midst of my troubles and said, 'Ken, it's alright.  Just take a step back and see that I am your God.  You have nothing to be anxious or worried about.  I am in control so that you don't have to be.'

Spending time with God before the day starts is so crucial to how the rest of my day will turn out.  I need Him to build me up and strengthen my mind and spirit.  I do not want to let anything in this world rank more important than my relationship with the Lord.

Thank you God for intercepting my anxiety and replacing it with peace. 

Incredible Love

Savior,

Thank you for blessing me even though I don't deserve it.  I am sinful yet you still care about me and you want the best for me.  I know that I can trust you through any and every circumstance whether good or bad.  You are worthy of all my praises.  I love you.

Amen

Every human on the planet is born with free will.  This means that regardless of what life throws our way, it is up to us what choices we make.  God did not create us to be like robots and force us to act in a certain manner.  Instead, he gave us free will because love is not really love unless we voluntarily choose it.  In other words, love is not genuine if we have no choice in the matter.

With that being said, I would like to camp out on the concept of love and explain just how powerful it truly is.  We as human beings can choose to either love someone or not love someone.  Allow me to contrast the two and see which one is worthy of choosing.  To begin, not loving someone would involve not caring and simply having no sympathy for others whatsoever.  What would this then create?  A world that is very cold, selfish, ugly, and bitter.  A world in which sin would run rampant and destruction its ultimate destiny.

On the flip side of the coin there is love.  God himself is love.  He is the very definition of all that is good and loving in existence.  He sent His one and only Son to die for us.  There is no greater love than when a person gives their life up for another.  What did Jesus' love create?  A world of redemption, of hope, of a bright and shining future that will be spent with Him for all of eternity.  When people model this type of sacrificial love, this warm, passionate, Christ-like love, it positively and profoundly impacts those around them.

If I offer to help an elderly woman out to her car and help load her groceries, that is an example of love.  If a life group volunteers at a homeless shelter, that is love.  If someone donates money to help put an end to abortion, that is love.  The more we show it, the better this world is going to become.  Christ set the best example that anyone could ever set.  He sacrificed his life so that we could live for Him and for the good of others.

See what some may not understand is that love is an action.  If I say that I love someone but then turn my back when they need my help then I do not love them.  If God said that He loves us but then lets us all live sinful, hopeless lives headed straight for destruction, He would not truly love us.  If love were simply an emotion, well...you and I both know that emotions change depending on circumstance.  True, Christ-like love does not change and is other-centered while revolving around the well-being of other people.  It is something you DO and not something simply felt, said, or thought about.  

We are capable of such incredible love with the help of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  We can change the world one act at a time.  God's love will overflow from our hearts and into the lives of others if we allow it to.

So which one is worthy of choosing?  To love or not to love.  That is the question. 

Frankly, I would go with the former.   

Happiness

Lord Jesus,

You fill me with your love each and every day.  Thank you for your strong desire to be in relationship with me.  I long to know you more and to become more like you every moment of my life.  I love you.

Amen

Work went really well today.  Most of the people I came in contact with were very nice and a lot of them smiled as they entered the store.  I saw many regulars who come in frequently, and I also met some new ones who were also friendly.  One event that made me smile was when a little kid came up to me with his mom and told me about a caterpillar that was sitting outside on the sidewalk.  He was so excited that he couldn't stop talking to me about it.  This small but significant event just made my morning.

Then I got to thinking about happiness and what the source of that happiness is.  I came to the conclusion that my happiness is not simply based on my circumstances or events that take place in a given day.  The source is my relationship with God and He is always good no matter what.  He is the solid rock in which I stand and I put all of my faith in Him.  As long as He is good, I am good.  It doesn't matter what I'm going through because I find joy even in the hard times.  I know that God is using the trial or difficulty to grow my relationship with Him.

Later in the day an elderly couple came into the store and they are usually rude and obnoxious.  I decided to be as kind as I could to them anyways.  The woman was impressed with me and said "you have a very nice disposition for a young man, your mother must have raised you right".  I told her that my mother did indeed raise me right.  Then I continued and said that it was also because of my relationship with God.  She liked the fact that I said those words and went on with her shopping trip. I was letting her know that my kindness is based on my relationship with God and from surrendering myself to His will.

Nothing in this world is going to strip me of my happiness and joy found only in the source of all that is good, Jesus Christ.  

Meeting Paul

Lord,

Ignite the Spirit within me to write about matters of your heart.  I long to do your will and help others along the path you have laid before them.  I pray for the lost that they may be drawn closer to you today.  This world is broken, and only you can fix it.  Use me however you see fit.  I love you.

Amen

What would it be like to meet and have a conversation with the Apostle Paul?  The one who basically wrote most of the New Testament.  What questions would we ask?  What would he look like?  How many amazing stories would he tell?

I can't imagine where the conversation would start.  Maybe it would go something like 'Hello Paul, I am one of your biggest fans...'  To some of us we may say 'Hi there, who are you again?'  (if that is you, please turn to Acts, Romans or Philippians and read up a little)  Another conversation might start with 'So, what was it like getting knocked off of that horse?'  There are multiple scenarios in which different words could be said.

As for me personally, I would start by thanking him for being such a strong follower of Christ.  No matter what, through thick and thin, he would always persevere and continue to spread the gospel.  I would then proceed to tell him what an enormous difference he has made in my life through his wise words and his humble, diligent character.

I do not know for sure what he would say back to me.  Yet, I do know that he wouldn't take the gratitude and encouragement on himself.  He would indeed say that it was all because of Jesus Christ that he accomplished his mission.  The Holy Spirit guided him through every situation, and he learned to be content with whatever he had or didn't have.  Paul would respond: 'I appreciate your kind words, I do what I can only through Christ who strengthens me.'  He'd most likely use scripture that he already wrote down hundreds of years ago.

Again, I don't know what he would say for certain, but after reading his books and seeing his personality in action, I can tell that he was an extremely devout Christian and that nothing would stand in his way.  Christians, we need to model this type of faith.  A faith that is unbreakable, immovable.  A faith that spreads like wildfire does through a forest.  Lets live a life that is passionate about Jesus' life and pass it on to people we come in contact with.  It is the greatest message that was ever and will ever be told in all of humanity.   

Everlasting Life

Father,

Thank you so much for allowing me to live another day.  I want to do your will even if it means stepping out of my comfort zone in order to reach someone in need.  Thank you for sending your Son Jesus into this world to pay the penalty for our sins and for giving us believers the gift of everlasting life in Heaven.  We are forever grateful.  I love you.

Amen

Have you ever stopped and wondered about what will happen to you after you pass away?  I have and I base my thinking on the truth of scripture when it speaks of there being a Heaven and a Hell.  They are real places and people will go to one of them depending on their decisions made here on Earth.

Jesus states in the book of John that He alone is the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Him.  It is through Jesus and Him alone that you will spend an eternity in Heaven.  See this is what happened in a few words:  Even though the human race is sinful, God still loves us and wants a relationship with us.  So, he sacrificed His One and only Son Jesus to come down to earth to die for our sins.  He did this so that we would be able to have a right relationship with Him once again.

How do we spend eternal life in Heaven with Jesus?  It is by turning from sin and believing in what He did for us 2000 years ago.  When we believe we accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts and we begin living our lives for God's glory because that is the reason why we are alive.

I don't know about you, but I am so excited to see my Savior face to face in Heaven.  It will be a place with no more pain, sorrow, hunger, rape, abortion, drunkenness, homelessness, etc.  Instead, it will be perfect in every way where love and joy will be abounding forever.  Being with God for eternity is the greatest thing my finite mind could ever imagine.

Every Knee Shall Bow

Dear King of Kings,

Today is a glorious day because you are on your thrown.  You always have and you always will be in charge of the universe.  I pray today that your name would be shouted and praised like never before all over the world.  You are worthy of every last breath I have left in my body.  Saturate your church with love and lead us to spread the gospel to those who are lost and can't find you.

Amen

I've been a church goer all my life.  I was raised going there on Sundays and singing along to each song that the band would play.  Usually I would go just because my parents were going and it was the thing to do.

Well, within the past five years or so I've been seeking God on my own and truly discovering what He is all about.  Now when I attend church and sing along to the songs, the words have so much meaning behind them.  It is clear to me the reasons why we are on this earth and what God is calling us as Christians to do with our lives.  In the process of seeking God on my own, He has revealed more of His character and also how he wants me to worship Him.

When the music comes on, the lights go dim, and the whole congregation starts singing and worshiping, I can feel the Holy Spirit moving through the room.  Instantly I hear a small voice inside of me saying something to the effect of 'kneel down'.  I think it is a combination of God seeing if I'll obey Him and me just wanting to show my Creator how much I love Him.  Whatever the reason is, I have this feeling that comes over me and I want to drop down on my knees and bow down before my King.

Why do I choose not to occasionally?  Truthfully because sometimes I'm worried about what others may think of me.  Wow, I've never written that out before.  I just realized that is a very silly reason not to drop on my knees whenever I feel led to do so.  I need to be concerned about what God thinks and not what others may think.

When you go to sing praises to God today or whatever time throughout the week, remember that in the end every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.  So my question is...why not start now?

26 Seconds

Lord,

You are beyond words amazing.  I love everything about you.  Thank you for creating me and giving me the gift of writing to further your Kingdom with.  Please let your words be said and not my own.  Guide my hands as they are being used for your glory. 

Amen

A couple weeks ago during church, Pastor Jim was speaking about evil and how it needs to be abolished in our hearts as well as in the world.  He says that we are to hate evil because God is holy and He absolutely cannot associate with it.  Evil is destructive and needs to be put to an end.

At the end of the sermon, he listed a few websites where the church can step in and get involved in abolishing evil in the world.  The first one listed was destinyrescue.org which is a child trafficking organization that removes kids from sex slavery and helps teach them skills to better their lifestyles.  I truly have a heart for helping these poor kids who are in slavery and have no other choice but to be thrown around by dirty men who use them as objects of their own disgusting, lustful desires.

Needless to say, my wife and I are now involved in helping these children get out of the sex trade industry and live free and healthy lives.  We donate a small amount each month so that this ministry can thrive and free as many kids as possible.  I am urging you, reader, to step up and visit this website.  Take the 26 Second Challenge and take action against sin and its effect on the lives of these innocent kids.

There is joy in living for others.  Jesus teaches us that loving others is one of the reasons we exist.  We need to take a stand against evil and put an end to the madness.  Lets stop sitting around saying "aww that's too bad", and actually DO SOMETHING.  Join my wife and I in the 26 Second Challenge.  You won't regret it.

www.destinyrescue.org/26seconds 

A New Beginning

I would like to start this series off with a prayer:

Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for being so wonderful and awesome in every way.  You are worthy of all my praises.  Nothing compares to your infinite wisdom and power.  I start each day acknowledging you as King over the entire universe.  My prayer this morning is that you would lead the words that are written in this series and that you would guide my heart towards furthering your Kingdom.  I want my writing to be all about you because you gave me this gift and I want to glorify you with it.  May everything I say and do be used to magnify your good and holy name.  I love you.

Amen

Thank you for tuning in to my new blog.  I am both humbled and honored to be writing about the Lord and all of His goodness.  This series is based on my life as a believer in Christ and my relationship with Him as I follow in His footsteps and truly live like we are commanded to in The Bible.  My hope is that you as the reader will gain some insight as to who God really is and join me on this journey of becoming more like Him every day.  That is why we are on this earth, to be in relationship with our Creator. 

Jesus says that the two greatest commandments are to love God above all else, and to love people.  Also, we are called to live a life of surrender to Him.  This means giving up our fleshly desires and obeying what the Lord has called us to do.  We don't have to do it in our own strength though, God has sent us the Holy Spirit to all who believe.  The Spirit will live inside of you and direct your steps to where He knows is best for you.  God doesn't make up rules and commands to make our lives miserable.  Quite the opposite.  He has given us these commands so that we may live life the way He intended from the beginning before there was any sin.  He wants us to live life to the fullest and the only way to do that is by following Jesus and obeying His commands.

I know that I am going to grow spiritually as I'm posting this series.  My hope is that you also will do the same as we embark on this adventure together.  I am speaking to Christians and non-Christians alike.  I feel it is important for EVERYONE to hear these messages.  They are far too important to have anyone left out.  If you'd like you can follow me through e-mail at the top of the page. 

Thanks again for joining me in this series.  I am excited to see where God will lead.