Embracing Faith and Identity in Christ through Holy Habits with Londa Lundstrom

Join us on Marlena Teach Jesus as we welcome Londa Lundstrom from Burnsville, MN! Londa, alongside her husband and their blended family of 7 kids, is a master-level leader, evangelist, disciple-maker, speaker, author, worship leader, teacher, motivator, songwriter, award-winning composer, and producer. Her family’s mission, "To reach the lost for Christ," began in 1957 with the founding of Lowell Lundstrom Ministries by Londa's parents and continues through her ministry today. From leading her family's worship band at age ten to becoming a celebrated songwriter and worship leader, Londa's talents have touched lives globally through her albums and compositions. Her inspirational book "SAY YES… How One Word Can Change Your World" has motivated countless readers. As a pastor and evangelist, Londa is dedicated to empowering others to embrace their God-given destinies. Tune in and be empowered to break free from all limitations to achieve your God-given destiny.

Transcript

Embracing Faith and Identity in Christ through Holy Habits with Londa Lundstrom

​[00:00:00] 

Welcome to the Marlena Teach Jesus Podcast. Today you're in for a treat as we introduce Marlena Hollis, a prophetic Christian ministry speaker, coach, and author who is dedicated to uplifting you in your faith journey. Marlena is here to inspire you, encourage your growth, and help you connect with a community of believers who share your heart for God. Get ready to explore meaningful insights and find your place to call home in this vibrant faith community. Let's jump in.

Marlena Hollis: Hello and happy Wednesday, my family. I'm Marlena Hollis, and this is our Wednesday Marlena Teach Jesus live podcast. We take this live here, and then we move this into our other platforms. If you're on, please do share this with your viewing audience, because I believe today that we [00:01:00] have a word that is a fresh word from God for you.

 Without further ado, I want to introduce you to today's guest. Her name is Londa Lundstrom. She is a beautiful woman of God. She is an evangelist. She has a family history of ministry and she has been poured into, and she pours out beautifully to her congregation, and also she is an author. And so today I've invited her to share what is going on in ministry with Londa Lundstrom and just all things about what Jesus is doing in her life. And if you stay tuned, I just guarantee you're gonna be so inspired, so share this, and I'm going to bring her on now.

Londa Lundstrom: Hi Marlena! Hi everybody!!

Thanks, come on in, come on in, have a seat, get a coffee. My kids call me Dean Martin because I always have a hot drink and a cold drink close by, [00:02:00] both. I have to have my hot, hot and my cold, cold, but I'm so excited to be on your program. I'm honored to be your guest today and we're going to have a fun conversation. You can know it! 

Marlena Hollis: Yes. You know, when we've got to know one another through our mutual friend, mama, mentor, all the things, apostle Jana Alcorn, whom I've been so blessed to have her in my life, just really for the short amount of time it seems that she's poured in a lifetime of knowledge already into my life.

I'm so grateful, but you Miss Londa, you've actually known her for many, many years 

Londa Lundstrom: I have, and boy, there's just those people. She is absolutely a reach up for me. And I know for you too. And so I know at some point Jana will watch this, Jana, thank you for being a Kingdom connector. You will love, she's an apostle among apostles and just, is really a close friend, someone that I call when I need like [00:03:00] emergency prayer or emergency wisdom. And just I'm always thankful for those, I call them my personal board of directors. Those people that you can just go to bat, you know, they'll stop everything, and answer you, get to you. So praise God for people like Jana Alcorn.

Jana. I love you. She's going to be my guest here for our 10th anniversary of our church this September. So I'm super excited that she's going to come. And so I get to personally hang out with her, not just on the phone. 

Marlena Hollis: Not just on the phone. Yeah. So tell us, where are you, speaking of? 

Londa Lundstrom: Yeah, thank you. I was born and raised in Sisseton, South Dakota.

That's where I was born. The hospital bill was $68, I think. Or was it $86 when I was born? So that's a while ago. That's where my family was planted. But my father was born in Minneapolis here and his brother. So I live in just a suburb South of Minneapolis right now, but I didn't really live in Sisson in [00:04:00] South Dakota.

I am the daughter of evangelists, Lowell and Connie Lundstrom and Larry and Gloria, my aunt and uncle. They're still powerful evangelists. My parents went to heaven, 12 and 12 and 13 years ago my parents passed away seven months and seven days apart. That was a devastating, just my heroes.

And I'm so thankful for heroes that, and they taught me how to love Jesus and love books and love to pray and love people. And I'm grateful for them. And that's actually the roots of how I know Jana. Jana's husband, who's gone to be with the Lord a long time ago, she's one of those incredible gold star wives and families.

He found Christ at one of my father's meetings crusades decades ago. So we kind of been tied together by the Spirit and in faith because of that honor and love and now we get to be girlfriends too, but I I've been here now for 30, 40 years. So I lived in Minneapolis. [00:05:00] Yeah. So Minneapolis is kind of home for me.

I'm just a few minutes from the mall of America and the airport. So you can zoom and get anywhere you need to be in the world. Yeah. And I do love, I always say my husband and I love anything with wheels, planes, trains, automobiles, buses, RVs put me on something with wheels and I'm a happy, happy girl.

Marlena Hollis: Yeah. Well, that's so cool. Yeah. 

Londa Lundstrom: I wanted to mention this. Our family, my evangelist family, from the time I was born, before I was born, traveled over 300 days a year. So when I say, oh my gosh, traveling evangelist, I mean, traveling evangelist. 

Marlena Hollis: That's for real. Yeah. That's like you didn't have time to grow roots, in South Dakota, you said, correct? You really didn't have time to grow roots there because you were, y'all were moving and planting seeds everywhere. 

Londa Lundstrom: That's where my grandparents were. Praise God for grandparents. I'm so thankful for grandparents. I love coming home to them. But [00:06:00] yes, our life has been spent and just telling people about Jesus.

I'm a Jesus girl. I'm a Bible girl. I'm so thankful for just since I was young. People have asked me, how have you gotten through some of the challenging things you've gone through? And I go, I have, I attribute it to loving the word of God since I was a child. I'm not kidding. My parents say that since I was very, very young, I'd read my Bible every night, even before I remember that.

I always loved the word of God. And I'm so thankful that those Holy habits of God, I call them Holy Habits. 

Marlena Hollis: That's good. Holy Habits. 

Londa Lundstrom: Holy Habits. Yeah. It's a class I teach in our Royal School of Ministry called Holy Habits, but those Holy Habits in life hold you through the storms. So those disciplines, the fasting, prayer, Bible reading just whatever, those things hold us. Those are the anchor of my heart. And so I am grateful that the Word [00:07:00] of God is strong and it holds us. Crazy times we're in, girlfriend. 

Marlena Hollis: Yes, it really is. And when I think about Minneapolis, I was there, but it's been some years ago, I was there doing training with a celebrity hairstylist at the Scruples Academy.

And I got the privilege to go to the mall of America. That was an experience. So a friend of mine, she had been one of my former students, we took off and went and did some hairstyling training. Yeah, a lot of my audience I'm grateful they know me as Pastor Marlena or, as the one, bringing the word out here.

But yeah, that's my history was there. So I would've loved to have come and hung out with you though, Londa, truthfully. 

Londa Lundstrom: Yeah. Well come, come hang out with us. Yes we'll talk about that later. And actually, I have a great friend who was a trainer at that Scruples Academy. I bet, you know, we'll talk about that off mic.

Marlena Hollis: Oh, that's so cool. 

Wow. That's so fun. Yeah. Cause that was a great experience for me, but it was also a moment where I had a moment of choice. I believe that, when you have a call of God [00:08:00] on your life, there is a point where, I talk about it so much as where Elijah, dropped that mantle on Elisha.

And now Elisha had a choice. He had his hand to a plow. He was a busy guy. He had inheritance and, he didn't lack something to do. It's just, it was a moment of choice for him to say yes to the plan, the purpose, and that call of God to take that mantle, but he had to let go of the other, and that's where God led me, Londa.

I had to let go of my plow and I had to slaughter those oxen and I loved what I did and I was great at it. I was getting promoted all the time in what I did, but there was a time where I had to say yes to the call. Now you have parents that, you know, you were born in ministry. I wasn't born into ministry.

I have a heritage that has some deep roots that I believe the prayers of my grandmother are the reason that I'm here. But you had this, you were born into this, kind of like my kids. My kids don't know anything else besides mom [00:09:00] ministering and dad being like yes and praying over me and us doing things like this.

What? What does it look like though? Whenever you're born into this, but it doesn't mean you have to choose. It doesn't mean that that's just a shoe in. At some point in time, you had a moment with the Lord where you felt this drawing, this call of God, that you had a moment of choice to say yes. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Londa Lundstrom: I would love to. Yes. 

What's the line? God doesn't have any grandkids. No grandkids in the kingdom, only kids, only children. So yes, those important moments where God calls you out of something comfortable and that come walk on the water with me, take a risk, take a chance. That's called living by faith, which is the name of my podcast, Living by Faith, because faith makes no sense in the natural.

And so we are always at war between the flesh and the Spirit. Every one of us, you, you're watching me. [00:10:00] Let me be clear. You might not be dressed in battle fatigues today, but do not miss, that you are at war every single day of your life, 24/7. And most believers are walking around naked. I'm talking about believers now.

People who are children of God. What do I mean by naked? They are only wearing the helmet of salvation. I said the prayer. I went to the altar. I'm saved. I'm going to heaven. Good. Now I'm just gonna kind of hang out. No, no, no, no, no. We need all of the armor of God and especially the one that usually isn't mentioned, which is prayer, which is in Ephesians 6.

We must be fully dressed and we must run to the fight, not from it. That's why there's a breastplate, but there's nothing on our backside. That's good. God's needing warriors, warriors, like with a warrior cry in our Spirit, passion, love the Lord thy God, that's the [00:11:00] Shema that our Hebrew family and friends say every day, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

That is strength, with all, it's all of this equals passion. So my favorite people to hang out with, which is why I love you, you hot redhead, you! I told you someday when I'm bolded up, I'm gonna get my hair colored. Your color. I love it. 

Marlena Hollis: I was thinking a little flat, but 

Londa Lundstrom: I like it, but you're a firebrand and that red hair represents a red-hot heart for Jesus .

Yes. And I'm telling you, this is not the moment to be weak in your faith. I gave my life to Jesus when I was three and a half years old in a tent meeting in Lorain, Ohio. Three and a half. I've had people tell me over the years, how on earth could you know what you're doing at three and a half? I knew exactly what I was doing.

Never. That's why I love children's ministry. I love it. Yeah. Yes, I love children. Those pure decisions. I remember being at that tent. My daddy was preaching. Of [00:12:00] course, I'd heard him preach since before I was out of the womb every night, but that day I knew exactly where I was sitting. There were two little girls beside me, but that night when my dad gave the invitation, I came forward.

I have a picture of people laying hands on me and praying for me, but I know that's when I first said yes to God, but let me be clear, every single day, we must say yes again. Yes. So there's no single prayer at one single altar. It's all, I always say we're all on the wheel of God. 

He is the Potter. I am the clay. I'm on the wheel. God is still taking Londa out of Londa. There's every day I got to choose like you do, to stay on the cross. Yes. To not just get on the cross one time when you say a prayer, but to stay on the cross, to crucify our flesh. To pursue old timey words that a lot of people don't like these days, but I tend to love them and the older I get, the more I love them.

Holiness, 

Marlena Hollis: holiness, [00:13:00] sanctification, 

Londa Lundstrom: sanctification, embracing the process of God. While God doesn't have any grandkids, you know, I'm the only of my four siblings that are in full time ministry. So yes, I absolutely. From the time I was young though, Marlena, I just, I explained it like this and I explained it like this decades ago.

I knew from a young age that my life was not my own. All I can say is that I've always lived with a knowing that my life belongs to God and that I was set apart to do his work. 

But let me be clear to everyone watching. You go, well, that's great for you, Londa. You had this great family. You know, I had a sucky family, they were horrible and I've been through chaos and divorce and loss of everything, and well good for you, you have a ministry call and you're a pastor and no no, no, but hold on, hold on, hold on.

[00:14:00] Please understand, that you are called, you are called. I might be called vocationally to receive an income from working full time in the ministry, but every single believer is called. Yes. If you are a follower of Christ, you, walk in a calling. 

Marlena Hollis: That's right. 

Londa Lundstrom: And I would like to point out one of my, it's actually our school theme verse 1 Peter 2:9. 1 Peter 2:9 is a foundational verse for what I teach, what I live, and it says this, it says, "But you are" I like to know when the Bible says, "but you are" what happens after that is a very important thing.

Marlena Hollis: Mm-Hmm. . 

Londa Lundstrom: But I, I wanna just focus on this because there's someone watching today that you're confused about your future. You're confused right now even about your current ministry because I know there's many ministry leaders that were watching as well [00:15:00] I wrote in the front of one of my Bibles: I refuse to be confused.

That's right I think that's where you're repeating I refuse to be confused because if I don't know something right now, who I know is the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit tells us many places, he will teach us, what, not some things, all things. So all I need to do if I am not clear on a decision at this moment, at this exact time, that just tells me: ding, ding, ding, ding!

I got to get alone with God. I got to pull away. I got to fast for a day. I've got to say, Holy Spirit, I'm listening now. I'm going to stop talking and I'm going to listen to your voice. And that Holy Spirit, green light, red light will say, stop, caution, no, yes, don't, not now. He's so wonderful. I love the person of the Holy Spirit.

What would I do without the Holy Spirit. But I want to be clear with you, whoever's watching, that you're called. You are a minister. [00:16:00] You might not make your living vocationally that way. You could be a hairdresser like Marlena used to be. I was a music producer for years. When I was first married, when I was young and I was a waitress at several different places, but I was no less called as a waitress, then I am today as an evangelist and pastor. 

Now you got to get this 1st Peter 2:9 is so pivotal, and I need you to see this. Here's what you are. This is what the Bible says you are. This is what God says you are. Here it is. "But you are a chosen race". You're chosen. So I don't care if you were adopted or didn't have the best parents.

You're chosen by your Heavenly Father. That's number one. You're a royal priesthood. You're royal. You were no less when Queen Elizabeth was alive. Do you think she hung her head? No, she knew she was royalty. You need to [00:17:00] walk around like the royal son or daughter of God that you are head high, shoulders back.

You walk in a room knowing I belong to God and I am his kid. So you're chosen, you're royal, you're a Holy nation. God is the one, his righteousness, his blood makes us Holy, his own special people. Maybe you've been rejected. Maybe you've been hurt by a pastor or a priest or a former spouse or a best friend.

I've had all those things happen to me. Okay. But listen to me. Your identity. Here's the point. This first half of this verse is your identity. These are the things that identify who you are. You're chosen, you're royal, you are Holy, and you are special. That's your identity. Now, the second half of 1 Peter 2:9 is the most fun thing, and this is our purpose.

What is it Rick warren said? "The purpose of life is a life of [00:18:00] purpose". So if you are discouraged today, if you are disappointed with yourself or with life or just the things that have happened, Marlena and I are here to encourage you today. Get this focus. As you think in your heart, so you will be. You must get your mind right.

These are the things you are, not what your parents told you you are. Not what your employer tells you you are, not even what you say you are. God says, if you have placed your faith and trust in me and you belong to me, this is what you are. You're chosen. You're Royal. You're Holy. You're special. God created you, knows the amount of hairs on your head, knows everything about you. He sees it all. He knows it all. He made you with your personality. He puts you in your family. He puts you at your place of employment. He puts you in your city, in your church. You are exactly where God wants you to be. [00:19:00] So understand, this gives you a anchor of identity.

But here's the fun part. Our identity now pulls us to our purpose. And here it is. You are those four things. Why? Here's the second half of 1 Peter 2:9, "That you may proclaim". Please say that word with me. Proclaim. That means speak. "That you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light". 

There's your purpose. I don't care if you're a CEO, or homeschooling your little kids at home, or a plumber, or a hairdresser, or a teacher, whatever you are. This is who you are and this is what we are all called to do: to praise God, to know God and to make him known to the world, to be a messenger, to be salt in light. Because our world is dark and it's getting darker, but God's people are the light and the salt of this world.

You are. [00:20:00] God has placed you right where he wants you, but you've got to get your mind right. And you've got to get over yourself, because self pity will hurt you. I lived in a lot of self pity for a while, Marlena. I've had a, I've honestly had a really, really challenging decade, okay? Decade. The last decade since my parents died, and a lot of things that I'm not going to go into, cbecause it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what the trial and tribulation is. The enemy will design all kinds of things to try to get you off base, get you to quit. 

Marlena Hollis: Yes. 

Londa Lundstrom: Get you to quit your life, get you to quit on your dreams. Get you to quit on that identity of knowing who you are and what you're called to do.

It's been a rough decade for me, but let me tell you, I couldn't be more excited about the power of God's word. 

Marlena Hollis: Yeah. 

Londa Lundstrom: The power, you gotta know it. 

Marlena Hollis: It's got such power. Yes. 

Londa Lundstrom: It has such power. And Marlena you've been through some difficult things. How is the word of God, let me throw it back at you.

Marlena Hollis: Yeah. 

Londa Lundstrom: I'm not you. I'm gonna interview you. Tell [00:21:00] me about the word of God. How do you make that Holy habit active in your everyday life? 

Marlena Hollis: I think the biggest thing is not just reading it quietly, but to proclaim it loudly over you. And I think, I posted here, it's been a couple, maybe it's been a week ago and I felt so strongly that someone needed to hear, Londa, that they don't need to just sit back without using their words appropriately for them. We wait on a word. We look for a word. We scroll on Facebook looking for, a minister. And I'm grateful for those who watch what we put online. You have things online. We're grateful for those and they're helpful, but it cannot be my true one and only source. I've got to have that word, and I've got to speak it out loud. 

Because out loud because it's not just it's not just speaking it to me. What I'm speaking to is the supernatural [00:22:00] atmosphere around me. And I am saying to this atmosphere: this is where I stand, on Christ the solid rock is where I stand, and I'm not sinking, this isn't sand, and we aren't backing down. And the we is Christ in me. We aren't backing down and I'm proclaiming that to Marlena, Spirit man, I'm uplifting myself. I'm edifying myself. I'm building myself up in the most. You know, I get the Holy Ghost stirred up when you start proclaiming the word. But I'm doing that out loud in order that I'm built up, but I am putting the word around me as the shield. And proclaiming something in the atmosphere and it has to come to pass. 

Londa Lundstrom: This last Sunday, and my message at the Father's House here in Burnsville, one of my points was, you will see what you say. You will see what you say. In Genesis. [00:23:00] Genesis, the Lord, what does it say? "In the beginning, God". Those are the first four words you need to anchor your life in. And I always use the illustration, how many times have we gone to put a blouse on, or a shirt on, and that first button gets off, right?

Yes. If the first button is off, Marlena, everything after that will never go right. Ladies and gentlemen, sometimes you got to go back to the beginning, "In, the beginning God". But what does it say? "And God said, let there be light". You will see what you say. Your proclaim means to speak. This is our purpose to proclaim.

Then of course, Mark 9:23, "When you say to this mountain, be thou removed and cast into the sea and do not doubt in your heart, but believe that those things which you say , it shall be done". Whoever's listening to this, start walking around. This is my kitchen here in Burnsville.

And [00:24:00] man, the first person you need to be talking to in the morning is you in the mirror. I am chosen. I am called. I'm royalty. Thank you, Jesus, that your power is inside of me and today, I'm going to have divine appointments. Today, I'm going to walk in favor. Today. You gotta preach yourself happy. Yes. Preach meaning, say it! 

Because identify, that's another thing. This has been on me a lot. Marlena is just, identify the joy stealers in your life, the joy stealers. Identify the joy stealers. You know what one of the greatest joy stealers in life is? Comparison. Yes. Comparison steals your joy. 

Well, so and so graduated high school with me and look what she's got. Look how she's going flying somewhere every week, and little me. Comparison. Hey, hey, hey. [00:25:00] Let yourself off the torture ramp. Stop. Stop. Hit your bow. 

These are my reading glasses and they magnify these words, right? Because I'm just where I need reading glasses now and then. I want to tell you this.

What you magnify, what is the actual definition of magnify? It gets bigger, right? What you magnify gets bigger. So let me give you a tip that will help change every day after this day. If you magnify your bills, your trouble, your challenges, and if this is what's coming out of your mouth every day, guess what?

It's going to get bigger. But as always, the Bible gives us the solution. You know what the Bible says, this is God's success manual. You don't have to buy another book at Barnes and Noble as long as you live. [00:26:00] Right here, this contained every tip for everything in life, how to be successful financially, successful in your relationship, successful as a parent, successful as a business owner, right here.

Here's what the Bible says. The antidote to magnifying down here, which just keeps us on the crazy train. Yes, we can. We're prophesying our own doom if we talk about the trouble in the world, "Oh I can't believe what so and so said to me and did you see what they said on Facebook"? Look at all this little junk. Listen, here's the answer. Oh magnify the Lord with me. Yes Let us exalt his name together.

And this is what we're doing right now. The reason you're encouraged, the reason you're staying tuned on this broadcast, the reason you're going to share this podcast with your friends is why? Because we're magnifying the Lord, we're talking about God's solutions and answers. Not about everything in the world, but why God is [00:27:00] bigger than any challenge that you have.

So I have given my life to, and I've had to practice this myself, Marlena. I am not a super woman. I have flaws and challenges and crazy train things that want to take me out and down, and they've been working hard this last decade, but I am convinced. I am convinced.. I've got to keep my sails straight.

What is my sails straight? I cannot look to the left or right and go, "Oh, this person has got this, and you've just got a little church. And who do you think you are? And your best days are behind you". All that junk that the enemy, the lying-liar-who-lies, the lying liar, who lies. Turkman 24/7. Shut him down.

Yes. Shut him down. Turn that channel. That's a joy stealer. You got to know where those thoughts are coming from. Those aren't your thoughts. That's the enemy trying to just throw arrows at you and tell you that you're nothing. You're never going to be anything. You're never going to have that dream.

You're never going to have that child that God promised you. Hey, shut his voice [00:28:00] down. Turn on God's promises of God. Proclaim those promises of God. And literally, the pneuma, the Spirit of God. Just like, I go to Dollar Tree and I get balloons and I go, that balloon is as flat as a pancake when I buy it, right?

It's flat. They walk over to that tank and they hook it up. And that air comes in that balloon and all of a sudden that balloon becomes what it was made for. And I was made to be filled with the presence, the power, the pnuema Holy Spirit of God to lift us out of those pits and to keep us focused. 

But you gotta be careful what you're magnifying. Proclaim God's promises, proclaim truth over yourself. And talk to yourself because you need, I'm my biggest problem. 

Marlena Hollis: Yeah. 

Londa Lundstrom: I have to keep myself. I can't lead anybody or anything unless, I'm [00:29:00] doing it myself. I'm just like my dad used to say, I'm just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

Marlena Hollis: That's so good. Yep. 

Londa Lundstrom: God, there's no other answer, and there's no other faith or religion. I mean, our culture today tells us: you believe in your god, I'll believe in my god, we'll all see each other at the end. That's a diabolical lie from the pit of hell. Yes, it is. There's only one way to Jesus. 

I'm an evangelist. And I want to tell you, if you, maybe you just came across this by accident. Maybe you don't even know who Marlena is, or I am. Here's the message. Here is the gospel, which is good news. Jesus came, he lived, he died. He loves you. He's got a magnificent plan for your life, a plan to prosper, Jeremiah 29, to prosper and be in good health, and as your soul prospers. But you got to know this God. Do you know this Jesus?

 Maybe you used to walk with him and maybe you used to go to church and all that, but life, I always say life gets lifey. [00:30:00] Life gets lifey, trouble happens, disappointments come, but I want to remind you that God is the good guy. He's a good, good Father. Maybe it's time to reconnect, to recommit your life to Christ, to say yes again.

Maybe you said yes a long time ago, but you kind of got off track and you've been in the weeds. Today can be a brand new set, a data reset. To recalibrate, to recommit, to walk with God. You can't do this casually, because there's nothing worse. As my daddy always used to say, there's nothing worse than a half-filled Christian trying to overflow.

You can't fake this. You got to be all in. Marlena, do I have your blessing to just say a prayer with people right now? 

Marlena Hollis: Yes, absolutely. Yes. 

Londa Lundstrom: Thank you. And I love that. DM Marlena because she and her team will reach out to you. But if you've been discouraged, friend, if you've been just, [00:31:00] you know about God, but you are not really walking in that intimacy, that closeness of an all-in relationship with him.

I'd love the privilege to pray with you. I'd love you just to pray this with me. And if you said this prayer, please put in the comments, put in the chat: I said this prayer. And Marlena and her team will get you some helpful literature, but this is where it begins, friends. This is it. And it's the greatest, simplest prayer.

And so please, wherever you are, just stop what you're doing right now. And if you want to begin to live this all in committed way, proclaiming the good news over yourself and to the world, this is it. This is the reset. 

So pray this after me. Say, "Heavenly Father, I love you. And today I make a fresh commitment. I repent of my sin. I'm sorry I've gotten distracted and I pushed you away. Today I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I believe [00:32:00] in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. And so according to Romans 9, I am saved. And today and every day forward. I will live knowing that I'm a child of God. I'll read my Bible. I'll embrace these Holy habits. I'll find a Bible believing church and I will fulfill, please say it with me, I will fulfill the purpose for which I was born in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen". 

That's where it starts right there. That's bedrock. And that's why I'm a messenger to remind you of Jesus and to tell you how amazing you are.

Put in the notes if you said that prayer so we can get back to you and get you some literature or help you find a church, whatever we need. Marlena and her team will be happy to help you do that. 

Marlena Hollis: Amen. Amen. If you prayed that prayer with Londa, if you're listening to this on the [00:33:00] podcast and you pulled this up, it is not by accident.

We prayed for you before you started listening. We've been praying about this moment and we prayed that whomever is supposed to hear this message has heard exactly what God had for them to hear. And if you prayed that prayer, it's so simple. It's why it's called the simple Gospel, because you don't have to complicate that.

You just became a child of God. You are a part of this beautiful family. You just got born again. Do you know there is rejoicing? We're rejoicing, okay. Like I know someone did because I felt it in the Spirit, Londa, that there are those who prayed that prayer. I felt it in the Spirit that there are those who heard that, received that, prayed that.

It was so beautiful. There is a rejoicing going on and it's not just on earth. It's in [00:34:00] heaven. If we could see the picture of heaven, we see Father God and Jesus having a Holy Ghost party because what just happened was that a child of God has come home. There is rejoicing in the presence of angels and they are in the presence of angels rejoicing because you just prayed that prayer.

That's a really big deal. We do not take that at all lightly. It's the most important thing that Londa does as a pastor, as a daughter of the King as someone on this earth, that's the most important thing that I do is when I get the privilege of sharing the beautiful, simple gospel that King Jesus came to this earth for sinners like us, so that we are no longer sinners, but we are his righteousness of God. That chosen, the chosen generation. We are before him blameless because of that blood. That's a beautiful picture. That's a beautiful place. That's a new identity in [00:35:00] Christ. It's so good.

Londa Lundstrom: Do we have a little more time? 

Marlena Hollis: Yes, you sure do. Yes. 

Londa Lundstrom: Okay, good. I want to just I want to encourage you to do a couple of other things, whoever's listening. This is for everybody. Everybody needs a Spiritual family. Everybody. Yes. Covid did not do us any favors. There's a lot of people that have not, they've just disconnected from church.

Let me tell you, church can be messy, and I know because there's people there, like me and you. There's so many, "I don't want to go to church with hypocrites". Well, where should hypocrites be? Isn't church a really good idea that they're there? 100%. But listen, you need to be connected to a body of Christ.

I don't want you to be running around here just like a missing limb somewhere. You will never step into the purpose for which you were called unless you find a Bible believing church. And let me say that clearly it must be a Holy Spirit empowered Bible believing church, not a dead [00:36:00] denomination that embraces things that are so off the map and ungodly and unholy.

And you know what I'm talking about. You cannot say. I belong to God and then proclaim things that God says are a sin and are wrong. We can't do that. It's God's way. Or if it's our way, then we're god, and that's not going to work out good for us. Yeah. So submit and surrender to God's plan. Find a great Bible believing church.

That's the number one thing I wanted to say, because you have gifts inside of you that can only really be unleashed as you come together with the vision of that pastor to help serve. See, the first thing Jesus was, which differentiates him from every other world leader, Jesus said, I did not come to be served, but to serve.

Yes. And let me tell you, the Bible says in Proverbs, "He who refreshes others, will himself be refreshed". And I'm speaking to somebody today that [00:37:00] feels really dry. You're alone, you're isolated. You don't have a lot of close friends, and you're just you're really angry at everybody and everything right now, and I get it.

But let me tell you God's answer. Get in a group of people like minded, serve, do what Jesus did. If you want to be and have the impact that Jesus did, do what Jesus did. He served, he found a place of service. We do random acts of kindness here out of our ministry and church and it's just such a blessing to get in a van and let the Holy Spirit lead you to go pray and bless. Man, go into a hospital lobby and just say "Hey, how can I pray for you? I'm just, I'm Sally and I just want to bless you today. How can I pray for you?"

People are hurting everywhere. So don't buy the lie that, "Oh, I can just. My pastor is Joel Olsteen." Well, good for you. I love Joel Olsteen. I love all kinds of pastors that encourage me. But, Joel Olsteen ain't coming to see you when you're sick in the hospital. Nope. [00:38:00] You need a spiritual family. 

I really felt prompted to tell you that because you're cutting yourself off from the best life that God has for you. And then, as I mentioned earlier, the last thing I will talk about, and then we can talk about whatever you want to Marlena, and that is just identify those joy stealers.

Yes. Identify, but this is my first book I wrote. It's called living with a yes in your heart. But my second book, which I co authored with my close friend, Sandy, is about to come out in the next month or two. It's called God Friends. How to be one and how to find one is the subtitle. God Friends.

Identify the joy stealers. Maybe it's friendships or relationships that really need to go because they're constantly draining you. Maybe it's a habit or an addiction or, and when I say addiction, I don't mean just drugs and alcohol. It could be food. It could be shopping. It could be YouTube. Netflixing your life away on the sofa is not going to help you.[00:39:00] 

It's not useful. Identify those things that are stealing your joy, stealing your peace. And man, minimize those. Well, you're like wait a second. My husband's stealing my joy and I can't just walk away from him. Well, that's, I understand. But you can get help. You can go to counseling. Don't stay stuck. I call it: don't stay stuck in yuck. 

Identify the things that are stuck in your life and go, you know what? The last six months of this year are going to be the best six months of my life, and I'm going to move. I'm going to change some stuff. I'm going to get in a group. I'm going to start a small group. I'm going to start exercising.

I'm going to stop eating sugar all the time, so you feel horrible. Whatever the joy stealers are, identify it and then move, because God wants to take you higher. He wants to elevate your impact. Elevate your impact so that you can have the influence that God wants you to have [00:40:00] in your family, in your neighborhood, in your community, at your workplace.

And that's really what I wanted to, what I fell on my heart to share with you with those things today. And that's what Marlena does. Subscribe to her YouTube. Marlena is committed to empower you, to help you go higher and farther with God. So she's my friend and I've liked everything, but subscribe to her podcast, subscribe to her YouTube and share this video.

Somebody else in your world needs to hear what we've been talking about today. So hit that little share button. It's a way you can be in, have an impact because somebody needs this encouragement. And when that when the Lord brings that person to mind, just share that with them, copy the link and send it in a text message, whatever you do, but let's be the light.

Let's be the answer. God created you to solve a problem. You were born to solve a problem. I've just been talking with Marlena [00:41:00] before we got on this podcast about different rooms that God is leading her into and different spaces she never thought she'd be in. But see, God knew that and she's saying yes.

So just like the title of this book, it says how one word can change your world. The word is yes. That's faith. That's faith. It says, yes, God. And say yes ahead of time. Don't wait. Oh I'll pray about it. I'll think about it. No, say yes to God ahead of time. 

We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I'd rather learn from somebody else's mistakes than my own, okay? So learn from the greats of God. Yeah. When they said yes to God ahead of time, every time they said "yes" to the Lord and to his commands, things go better. When we say "no", they don't go so good. So I pray just a powerful next few weeks and months for you as you embrace this, as you reset. Many of you who said yes to Christ today for the first time, or a [00:42:00] rededication. But if you're already a believer to just identify those joy stealers and annihilate them. 

Marlena Hollis: That's right Guys, this has been so power packed and so good.

This is definitely a share and share again. Londa has just poured out to you guys. I knew when we were in the back room, I knew that God had just put something in her today to bring to this audience. I said, I want you to take, I pretty much told her, I want you to just take over, because I knew that there was something right within this woman of God that she was to bring forth and to deliver to you today.

So you've heard this word, you've received this. You guys, I see you in the comments. You are jumping in there. They're loving just this inspiration that the Lord is doing. I'm so grateful. Aren't we thankful for the body of Christ? When Londa was speaking about getting involved, it's not coincidence.

I was just having some coffee. She was having tea, but I [00:43:00] was having some coffee this morning at coffee shop with my friend, Karen. And she told me, Londa, she pretty much thought she was lost. Wound up in the middle of someone's vineyard. It said it was a detour road. She winds up on someone's property, and she was between two rows of these grapevines in this vineyard, and she said it was so close that when she looked over and she noticed that the vines were all entangled with one another.

Yet ,there were some vines that were not entangled, that were on the ground withering away. That just spoke when you said that, because guys, that looks like a mess. That vineyard with all that great produce that was on it. All those ripe, beautiful grapes, looks like a jumbled mess. But the key to it is each one of those vines, they were holding one another up.

The ones that were not [00:44:00] entangled with that vine were the ones on the ground without the fruit that were withering away and dying. God is speaking to you today saying, get in the middle of the mess because God has a message in it. It is life for you. And I also felt to say this, there's at least one person you can find in a church that you love.

 You can find if it's one person, let it start there and let it be enough to motivate you to stay grafted, and to stay connected, and stay intertwined in the system, in that body of Christ. It's just, worth it guys. It's worth the jumble. It's worth the mess because in the end that is going to hold you up and keep you from being on the ground and easy target for little foxes.

Londa Lundstrom: That's a great picture. Great picture. 

Don't be afraid of the mess. Because relationships are messy. [00:45:00] And you're right. It won't be messy if you stay home by yourself, but you will never you'll be withered and shriveled and small. Your life and your impact will be small and insignificant. You want to be significant and bust forth with flavor and fruit.

You've got to get in it. You got to get in it with others and dream and pray together, pray together, grow together, laugh together, cry together. I agree. 

Marlena Hollis: Amen. Amen. All right, guys. Well, it has been awesome. We're going to jump off here. Have a great rest of your week. This is the best way to, to have hump day, right?

This is like, not even, this ain't a slump day either. This is a total step on the mountain and get a great new perspective today. You guys just did that listening to us. So embrace that, apply it to your life, and we will catch you again on the Marlena Teach Jesus podcast. We're going to say goodbye to you and we will catch you.

God bless you. We love you. Bye [00:46:00] bye.

Thank you for listening to the Marlena, Teach Jesus podcast. We hope you found today's episode uplifting and enriching. Please share this message with a friend so they can be encouraged by it too. If you're looking to deepen your faith and connect with a supportive community, be sure to follow Marlena Hollis on social media and visit Marlenahollisministries.com for the latest updates and events. Don't forget, you can also click the link in the notes to discover Marlena's book: "That's mine a 14 day journey of declaring and decreeing, the peace of God over your life". Remember, you have a place to call home here. Until next time, keep growing and shining the light of Christ.