Ep 53 - God’s Grace Is Real—But So Are the Consequences

In today’s episode of Messy But Motivated, we’re having an uncomfortable conversation about what we’re putting our faith in.

I’m talking about crystals, “the universe,” and why we can’t expect to hear clearly from God while continuing to look elsewhere for our guidance, protection, peace, and answers. If we say we follow Jesus, He has to be more than an option we turn to when everything else fails.

I’m also addressing something I’ve heard from people who feel like I talk more about the consequences of our choices than I do about God’s grace.

And here’s the truth: God’s grace is incredible—but grace doesn’t mean our actions have no consequences.

There are plenty of people in ministry who will make everything sound comfortable, soften the hard truths, and tell you exactly what you want to hear. I’m not here to butter it up for you. I’m here to point you back to Scripture—even when the truth steps on our toes.

This episode is about conviction, obedience, repentance, grace, and remembering who we are actually putting our trust in.

If this message challenges you, maybe that’s exactly what it was supposed to do. ❤️‍🔥

Messy But Motivated — because following Jesus isn’t always comfortable, but it is always worth it.

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Melinda@mrsmotivated.com

Thanks for being a listener, stay blessed friends. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to Messy But Motivated. I am your host, Melinda. Welcome in, you guys. If this is your first time listening to me, I am just here doing all the things. This podcast originally started as I was kind of like just being funny and I didn't know I wanted a podcast, you know. Kind of you just do what God tells you to do, basically. And he said to start a podcast. Um, and we've you guys have been with me. I think we're on episode 52, 53 now. And really, God's just been working on me, and you guys have got to see it, and it's so crazy. Like, if you go back to like the beginning episodes, um it it's absolutely crazy the growth and just all the work he's put in. Like, it's not me. I want everybody to realize that that is not me. It is all God. Um, he is using me to show you guys that he can make something dirty clean again. Because I was messy. I was just, you know, it was life, uh, just so many things. If you want to hear my testimony, I believe it's episode six. Please just go over there and listen to it. Um, maybe it's not gonna be as polished as these episodes because you get better as you go. But hey, I grabbed the mic, I told my testimony, and here we are today. So, not giving up. That is one thing about me. I will never give up. I I just keep pushing forward and doing all the things. How is everybody? I know I didn't take a breath, did I? Um I, you know, we finally got sun here in Florida. Yes, finally. It had been a whole week of yes, and supposedly we're having sun this whole week, and I I listen, I'm gonna take full advantage, okay? Now, yesterday was a homework day. Um, I'm in seminary for those of you that don't know, so and I'm getting close to the end, so it's really intense right now. Um, yesterday I had to do a an essay about Esther, so fascinating. I'll probably do a whole episode on that, but wow. Good one. Really good. If you haven't read Esther, I highly encourage you to. I learned something. Do you know that God is not mentioned in Esther? I listen, that blew my mind too. But I actually wrote a paper on how influential it still was, even though he wasn't mentioned in it. I know, I know, I know. Okay, I won't go down that rabbit hole, but maybe in another another episode I will. Um, so yes, seminary's been rough, but hey, yeah I just a lot of praying. Just a lot of praying, you guys. That's that's all I can really a lot of praying, a lot of a lot of writing. Um, and here we are. I I truly appreciated though the you know, that's the thing. Sometimes people are like, oh, it rained. What did you do with it that time that we were in the house? I got done stuff that I needed to get done, okay? I got done a lot of stuff that needed to get done. Um, so yeah, yesterday I cleaned my house, that was nice. Came home from church, cleaned. You know, sometimes, ooh, I don't know about y'all, but I just put my headset on and I worship music. Ooh, let me tell you, and I will just go. I will just start cleaning. Oh my word. And my house is so clean right now. It is so clean. So that's what I did yesterday. And then I did homework, and and here we are today. Got some good rest. I oh, I know what I wanted to tell you guys. TMI, if you're a guy and you're like, I don't want to hear this. I started laser hair removal. Listen, living in Florida, I'm like, okay, I'm so tired of shaving. Like, I am so tired, and I was waxy, like, all the I'm I'm tired of it. Like, I'm so tired of it. So I started laser hair removal and yeah, I had my first session. It wasn't bad at all. See, I'm I'm excited. I'm listening I'm real excited. She said, after 10 sessions, I won't be nothing no more. And I like got that lifetime one, so like if a patch comes up, I can go back. Oh, listen, y'all can't tell me nothing. Nothing. Listen, one thing I can't stand doing is shaving. Okay, and I got that thick hair, that Italian, Mexican, not Italian, why'd I say Italian? That Mexican Puerto Rican hair. Yes, I'm used to saying my kids are Mexican, Italian, but no, and that's that thick hair, and I can't stand it. Oh, I can't stand it. So we're gonna kill those little hair follicles off and be done with it. I'm done with it. I don't want to do it no more. I'm washing my hands of it. I know people are gonna be like, that's not biblical. Mind your biz. Okay, mind your biz. Alright, God knows my heart. Also, with the nice weather, Mike is how what a blessing. Let's let's just go there. Mike lives closer to his brother, so they're meeting halfway today and they're going fishing. They they do that, and it's so fun. Listen, my son and my husband have been fishing a lot, and like it's their new thing. They watch videos all the time. They, you know, they're doing all the things, and it's just like it makes my heart so happy. It really does. And I don't know if it's because I didn't have that when I was younger, like me and my dad, but just seeing them and how excited they both get, and like, oh my gosh, it is just my heart is just like overflowing. So, and it also gives me and Chloe time to do things, so that's great too. Me and her, you know what we do. We go shopping, we go to Hobby Lobby, or we do like, we just do our thing. Sometimes we just lay in bed and scroll, or sometimes we just watch some TV. Like, listen, we do what we want, we do what we want around here. Uh, homeschool starts, pray for us. No, I'm not starting right now, okay? But we're preparing. I know a lot of people have started school already, a lot of these kids. I'm not starting until we get back from vacation. Um, not vacation, my family reunion back in Illinois, and when we get back, we'll be full force. But I am ordering all the stuff and getting all the things. Carson, it's both I listen. I'm not even gonna talk about it until we get into that. Right now, it's one step at a time. One step at a time. And today I just want to talk to you guys about something that's really like came up lately to me a lot. And it had me thinking, I was laying in bed and I'm like, man, that person, why would that like because people come to me and they're like, I don't hear the Lord like you're hearing the Lord. I've been praying, I've been doing this, and I just don't feel connected. I don't want to open my Bible. Like it sits there, I don't want to do this, I don't want to do that. Like, I almost feel like it's just it's heavy. Like, and then I feel at the end of the day, man, I didn't read my Bible, or you know, I see Melinda reading her Bible all the time, and you know, my friends doing this. And I want you to understand something because I I laid there and I'm like, God, tell me why some of these people aren't feeling you. Like, what is it? Do you guys want to know what came to my mind almost instantly? So there was a time at the beginning of my faith journey where I felt like that. I felt like it. And it was, it was, I mean, it was a lot. And my my pastor can actually speak on this if he wanted to with me. Um, which I think I might have him in on an episode. He'll be here soon, I think at the end of the month. But I had got a hold of him and I said, you know, I feel this way or whatever. And he asked me about some some things that I have, like, and what had come up was crystals. I still had my crystals. I did. I still had my crystals, and he was like, I would get rid of them. And I remember what h like when he told me that, you guys, oh, because I had a huge collection of crystals. I was the girl that was like, I need this crystal because it brings you money. I need this crystal because of this, and I want this one, and I just had a whole collection of crystals, beautiful crystals, and he said, You need to get rid of them. And I was like, No. And you guys don't even like I have a video of it that I haven't even showed before because it's it was still like it was too much for me. Like, my intention was taking a video of it and like telling people, oh, throw your throw your crystals away. And that was however long ago, almost a year ago, and I still haven't posted it. It just it was a lot. I ended up getting a box, and he says, You have to pray over them and just tell the Lord you're sorry for having those idols, you're sorry for even having them in your house, all the things. I prayed over them, my husband prayed over them, and then we threw them out. And I had put them all in this box, like a huge box. And at first I was like, Do I like give them? And he's like, No, you don't pass them on, you you you get rid of them. So we ended up putting them in the dumpster at my husband's work at the time, but I that was heavy for me. Oh, it was hard, it was so hard for me. And I remember like that night though, things started because I prayed on it. I'm like, Lord, I just gave up something that I was attached to. You know, my heart with them. Whether it was spiritual or whether it was just I loved them, like I collected, like I even got my kids involved in it. Like my son had a collection of crystals, like all the things we threw every crystal out. It wasn't just mine. Like we went through every room together as a family and got all the crystals, threw them in a box and then pitched them. And it wasn't a few days later that I felt lighter. I felt lighter. I did you guys. I don't know what it was. I don't know if it was just giving up that idol or if those crystals had something on them with them attached to them. I don't know what it was, but man, I felt lighter. And things started to be a little bit clearer too. I was praying for things and I could hear him a little bit clearer. And I think it was a lot to do with that. So I was like, I feel like I needed to make an episode on sometimes we have to give up the things that we think, hey, it's not a big deal to us, but to him it is. To him, I was praying to the universe before I was praying to him. I was praying, thank you, universe, for this upfront parking spot. Thank you. I got that lucky girl syndrome, that's what I used to call it. I got the lucky girl syndrome, thank you, Lord. Because all these good things were happening to me. And he's like, What? I did that. What you mean? Lucky girl, what do you mean? It's never luck, it's me. Stop calling it lucky girl syndrome, Melinda. Too many people are watching you right now. I need you to correct yourself. It ain't it ain't lucky girl syndrome, it ain't a crystal, it's me. And once I finally said, you know what, Lord, you're right. I I what was I doing? And now you guys looking back, I'm like, why did I have these crystals? I had my Bible, I was praying in my Bible, and then right across from me would be my crystals. Incense would be there, sage, sage. Oh, I'm in a no, no, absolutely not. So some of you need to hear this right now, and I know it's it's not gonna be easy, okay? And I what the hardest part is you're not gonna pass them off to somebody. Don't pass them off to anybody. They hold energy. You throw them away, you get rid of them. You spent lots of money. Guess what? We did too. I had the pretty box that my husband got made for me. All of it. I had it all. And I pitched them. And I do feel things got clearer. I want to go back, because I never want you guys to hear this and be like, okay, but where does it say that in the Bible? I so I so I want to go back to the biblical part of why we're why we're doing that. First of all, you should never worship any other God. And if you're worshiping a crystal, if you're saying, thank you, universe, or thank you, no, immediately no. He is the only one that you should be worshiping. That is it. So that goes back to the Bible. But I want to give you this uh reference in the Bible, okay? And because a lot of you, it's not just the crystals. It's you're still going to mediums, you've got the psychics, you've got this, you've got that. You're like, oh, it's fine, it's fine. I'm a Christian, it's fine. I still want to hear from my uncle who died three years ago in a car accident. I want you to understand that because that was me. I went to, I went to the mediums, okay? Me and my mom, all of us, we we've been to the mediums. Here is what I want to tell you about that. Jesus told us when he walked this earth that let me read it to you. I don't want to twist the words, so I'm just gonna read you what Jesus said when he walked this earth, okay? Give me a second. Jesus said in Luke 10, 18, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. He saw Satan. Jesus claimed, if you believe in Jesus, you right now, listening to me. If you believe in Jesus and you believe that he was, he died on the cross, he was resurrected on the third day, then you believe what he's saying, that he saw Satan be cast out of heaven. He said that he's seen him be cast out. Why was he cast out? Let's go back because a lot of you don't read your Bible, and I I I I I want to tell you what the Bible says. And I never want you to just take my word. Open your Bible, read about it. God created angels for specific reasons. A lot of you know the most popular one, Saint Michael, for protection. He created Lucifer. Lucifer was supposed to be in charge of worship. Okay, he even made him out of, I believe this is in Ezekiel. He he made him out of uh instruments, beautiful instruments. Okay, uh Lucifer was beautiful, he was beautiful, but what happened? What happened? Lucifer found himself looking at himself, and he's like, Oh, I am beautiful. I am beautiful. So then he started to go to all the other angels, and he's like, Hey, I am going to be better than God. And some of those angels, about one third of them, yeah, the Bible says about one third, believed in him. Believed, you know what? He is gonna be better than God. He is, and so then they started turning towards Lucifer, and they're like, Okay, well, then guess what happens? A war happens in heaven. Y'all, this ain't made up. This is coming from, this is in the Bible. A war happens. Gabriel and Michael cast out Lucifer. They cast him out. Jesus said, I saw him be cast out. He had no, there was no chance he was ever gonna survive there. Okay, so what happened? He cast him out. Guess who he took with him? One third of the angels. One third of the angels in heaven went with him. You're like, okay, what are you trying to tell me? Where are those angels today? Where are they? Do you think that they just went away? You think they just, oh, well, I'm cast out, I'm done. This is it, this is the end, put a stamp on it, I'm done. No. They are still here. The Bible says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. What we're wrestling against is Satan's army. That's what we're wrestling against. So when you go to that psychic and you're hearing about your future or your past, yes. Satan's been taking notes, honey. Him and his army's been taking notes about you forever. He knows what happened. He listen, he's smart. He was taking notes. So that psychic that you that medium you keep going to, and you're like, yeah, but she knows. She knows Melinda, she knows all that. You're right, she does know. I don't have anything. She knows. Absolutely. But do you think that that's from God? No! That is not from God. That is from Satan's army, is what it is. There are so many of you that that keep saying, I can't hear from God, I can't hear from him. But then at the end of the day, you aren't opening your Bible. Instead, you're scrolling, and then you're going to that psychic, you're getting your palm read, and and and you have the crystals over in the corner of the room, and you're doing all these things, and you say, I just can't hear from what do you think? You're not gonna hear from him. Because he's saying, What are you doing? You know the word. If you're in the word, you know. You should have no other idol. I should be it. That's including yourself. Stop making yourself an idol. And you guys, I'm only preaching this because I am guilty of it. I was my own idol. It took a lot of pruning. Oh my gosh, a lot of tears. A lot of, he broke me down to build me up. A lot of, man, am I doing this for me? Or am I doing this for money? Or am I doing this for the Lord? What am I doing this for? There was a moment of silence. I was moving in silence. I was still posting, you guys know, but lately I'm I'm I'm finally posting a lot. And you're probably like, whoa, what happened? Well, because I had to get right with myself. The Lord had to start sculpting me and saying, hey, hey, hey, hey, why are we? Are you actually learning the scripture or are you just teaching it? Are you consuming it or are you just teaching it? Are you getting up every morning? You're telling them to do it. Are you doing it? Look in the mirror, Melinda, and then, and then once you get yourself right, then we'll move on to helping others get right. And it took a lot of work. I'm still in progress. I am still in progress. I I there are days I do not want to open my Bible. There are days I do not want to go to church. Yesterday I did not want to go to church. I couldn't sleep the night before. I didn't want to go to church. But I know what that is. That is Satan's army saying, Oh girl, stay in bed. It's so comfy here. It's raining now. Girl, stay here. In this bed comfortable. You're fine. You don't need the word today. You don't need community either. It's fine. You're good, girl. You're good. Stay, stay in bed. You're fine. How do I know that? Because I read my Bible. Because I know I'm not fighting against flesh and blood. I am fighting against the spiritual realm. And once you understand that, everything starts to shift. You're like, hold on a minute. Hold on a minute. I notice I'm hanging out with her all the time, and all she does is talk bad about people. Huh. And then I'm starting to do that. I'm starting to do that. Every time I'm with her, all we do is talk sh about people. That's all we do. Maybe. Maybe the Bible's right. Maybe all those people who say they have great wisdom from the Lord and they're telling us we shouldn't be hanging out with people like that, maybe they're right. Maybe I need to find a new group of people. Maybe I need to find people that uh I hang out with that believe in the Lord or at least have the same beliefs as me, or you know, they're whenever we get together, we ain't talking about other people. Because if you understand that, because the Bible does say us speaking negatively about other people, that's a sin. And you're gonna feel that on yourself. You're gonna say, dang, why do I feel like oh, it's heavy. Oh, because I still every now and then I get in it. Oh, I get in it, you guys. There's days where somebody will be talking, and then I'm in it. I'm like, oh yeah, oh yeah. And then I'm like, oh and then at the end of the night, I'm heavy. Oh, I'm heavy. I'm praying to the Lord and I'm like, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You know me though. You fix me, help me, guide me, be with me. When they're starting to talk about people, please give me the courage to just stand up and walk away. Help me keep my mouth shut, help me just not dive into what they are consuming and feed into it, and let me sit back and just observe. Let me be the good example. Let me be the person over there that's not saying anything, and then she sees I'm not saying anything, and she's like, Oh, it's so crazy. Every time we all start talking about something, Melinda gets quiet. Melinda don't talk about people. Be the example. I'm so So all the time I'm praying for that. I'm like, God, please help me. Help me. Help me, Jesus. Because it is a battle, y'all. It's a battle. Oh, it's a battle. But you have to understand, none of us are perfect. And he knows that. As long as you're praying on it and you're saying, hey, I need help with this, he's gonna help you. But if you're not asking for help and you're just, man, I don't understand why I can't hear him. And he told you to get rid of your crystals, he told you to be in your Bible more, and you're still not doing it. What do you expect? What about him showing up for you big time? You were like, that had to have been God. That had to have been God. And then you tell yourself, oh, I gotta get my Bible more. You said it, but you didn't do it. And then the next time you need him to show up, you're like, oh, he didn't show up for me. And uh, is there even a God? Like, I don't, you know, and then your faith is starting to wither. And he's like, I yes, I've shown up for you many times, honey. But I I'm doing my part. Are you doing yours? I can't do it all. You say you have faith in me, but yet every time I don't show up for you, you question me. Now, if you read your Bible, you would understand why why I'm being silent at this at this time in your life. But you're not opening your Bible, so you don't know. Instead, you think, I'm playing favorites over here. I'm showing up for him and not you. When in reality, he's obedient. He's not gossiping, he don't go to a medium, he don't have crystals. He goes to church on Sunday. He's the hands and feet for me. His neighbors needed their lawnmowed and they were on vacation, and he just went and did it. He didn't ask for money. His wife wasn't feeling well, and the dishes were stacking up. And usually she's the one that doesn't, but you know what he did? He just went down there and did them. He didn't even talk about it. Because they're a team. He and he didn't pester her and say, Oh, I had to go do the dishes. Mm-mm. He's being the hands and feet for me. He's being the good example for his kid. He stopped cursing. He stopped drinking. All the things. But you wouldn't understand that if you don't open your Bible. I love Proverbs 3. If y'all ever get a chance, go read Proverbs 3. Oh, I love it. I could read it a million times over. Just go read it. If you ever are like, I'm I promise you, and I'm not just being, if you ever have this, man. Is there something I'm holding on to? Go read Proverbs 3. After reading it, you're gonna be like, oh, maybe I do that. I need to calm down. Alright, alright. I hear you, I see you. Alright, fine. Just go read. That's one of my favorites. Proverbs 3 is one of my favorites. I will die on that hill. I love it. But the point I'm trying to make, you guys, is I'm not trying to make you feel because that's another thing. So many people are like in my comments, and they're like, you're scaring people. You're because I want you to understand something. I was telling my husband this this morning. I said, I've prayed on it. I've asked the Lord, is this the way you want me to go? Or do you want me to be more gentle? Like, what do you want me to do? And you know what I get every time? I'm doing exactly what he wants me to do. Exactly. Because when I'm when before my podcast, I say, God, let these be your words and not mine. Let this podcast get to somebody who needs to hear it. So if you're listening to this right now, it's because you're the one who needs to hear it. Take something from it. I believe that we have way too many pastors, ministry leaders out here that are being so gentle. Oh, like I'm I love Joel Osteen. I've been to one of his sermons and I loved it. It was great. Me and my mom and my uncle went. I love Joel Osteen, but he's gentle. He's gonna lay it down for you real nice and gentle. He says, God loves you. And don't get me wrong, some people need that. Preach to them. God does love you, all the things. But what about all the other things? What about all that? What about the truth? That we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, and we're wrestling against a spiritual realm. When who's telling them that? Because now I look like this mean person. I know, like Anthony Mitchell, people talk about him all the time. Oh, he's doing it all wrong. Obviously, he's doing it all right because he's got a packed room. I think he's doing it all right. Maybe God says, you know what, we need more people like him. We need more people to sit out here and say, hey, I understand, yes, I do love you. I love you. I gave my only son for you. I obviously love you. But hold on a minute. You need to realize there's more to it. There's these things called the Ten Commandments. Are you following them? Do you know anything that Jesus said when he walked the earth? Do you know what the Bible says about marriage? Do you there's so many things. So when I come on here and I say, hey, this is about crystals, this is hard. This is hard. But I need you to hear it. It's from him. That ain't me. Sometimes truth hurts. I will not stop delivering the message however the Lord wants me to deliver it. Because, like I said, I ask him, this is how it comes out. Because some of you, he knows who follows me, he knows who listens to my podcast. He's like, this is the way they need it. Now, if you need it gentle, you're gonna be over to all those other people. And I'm not against that. Go be with them. You need it laid out gentle for you, and that is fine. We all, just like when I said I went to that uh that church and he was stomping around and he was yelling and he was doing that's for other people. That ain't for me. Maybe I'm not for you, and that is okay. Just because my ministry isn't talking to you in the way that you want it to talk doesn't mean it's not gonna help somebody else. Okay, so I have to tell myself that all the time. I'll hear a sermon, I'm like, ooh, that was harsh. Why do you even is it harsh because it's true? Or is it harsh because it was harsh, it was heavy. Like he he he gave it in a way that he shouldn't have done that. But guess what? I guarantee it talks to somebody. I guarantee it needed to talk to that hard head. That person that's like, I'm tired of the foo foo. I'm tired of the Jesus loves you. Yes, he does. We know that. We know that. But tell me the other things. Tell me that I shouldn't have premarital sex. Tell me that I shouldn't be getting drunk. Tell me I shouldn't have the crystals, tell me I shouldn't have the sage going. Tell me what I'm supposed to be teaching my children. So many of you just want it on a cake platter and you want it to say, hey, God loves you. And that's it. That's it. Keep doing you, boo-boo. He loves you. You're not getting that over here. I'm sorry. You're not getting that over here. Uh-uh. I'm gonna be the girl that says, listen, listen, Becky. Ooh. I know you don't want to hear it, but girl, I didn't either. But here we are. And I promise, oh my gosh, I pray on this all the time. I say, God, when I get up there, my oh, I can't. First off, I know I this lit, I know a lot of you are like, man, that's kind of rude. I can't wait to go get up there. I can't. There's a lot of reasons. One, obviously, to meet my maker, but two, I just want to look around and him say, these are the people you brought to Christ. These are the people you led to me. And I just want to look around and be like, wow, really? Because it's gonna be, I will put money on it. I will put money on it. It will be a lot of people I didn't even know watched me. A lot of people I didn't even know listened to me. People I've never seen before. But I guarantee he's gonna say yes. Because you you know what happened? You were obedient and you just kept going. I know you wanted to stop at episode 22 because it was just nobody's listening. I know you didn't want to post anymore, but guess what? You kept going. And because of that, look where we are today. Look where we are, look at all these people that are up here right now, and look at all the people that are gonna come because of you. Because you were obedient, your daughter seen that, and now your daughter and your son are in the church and they're teaching the same thing. And it went for generations and generations. So I'm not gonna be gentle. I'm not gonna lay it all on a platter for you, make it pretty with pink frosting. I'm gonna lay it down how he tells me to lay it down. And unfortunately, if that isn't for you, I'm sorry. I'm not for you. I also want to touch on this, and this is this is how I'm gonna leave because it's been so heavy on me. Oh, it's been so heavy on me. And I I this is actually me just talking because I didn't know I was gonna talk about this. It's not even on my notes. I want y'all to know, not on my notes. Um, I feel so heavy to say this. And Lord, please, I want this to come out as your words and not my own. Please, please say it in a way that you want me to tell them. We have so many people who are like, Melinda, I love how you just do your everyday life and then you sprinkle in some something about the Lord or whatever on your social media. I wish I could do that. We have pastors in churches, we have people that are leading ministries, and a lot of them will watch our stuff on social media, they'll watch our podcast, but they won't post. And I need you to understand this. Everybody's on social media. Papa's on girl on social media, mama's on social media, everybody's on social media. They might not know how to work it really well, but guess what? They know how to scroll. You don't have to show your face. I was cleaning and I said, you know what? I don't feel like posting. You know what I did? I did a video of me cleaning. I muted it and I put verses or I put a worship music in the back. It is that easy, guys. But I want, especially the people who are in ministry, the people who are like, you have felt it on you, and you're like, maybe I should start posting something. I want you to hear this. You're making it harder than it needs to be. Do you know that this morning I turned on the camera and just read Proverbs? That's it. Y'all, that's all I did. It was nothing crazy. I read Prov. I was already reading it, so I said, hey guys, drinking my coffee. Let me read this to you. Okay? I I want you to understand that it is so much easier than you think. And all you have to do is turn on the camera. Many of you are already up there preaching it, and guess what? You already have people taking videos of you. Post them. Share the gospel. I would hate, oh, I would hate it to get up there. And he says, Remember that time you were sitting on the couch, and I told you to tell the people something, and you were like, I'm gonna keep scrolling. And all you had to do was turn on social media and record yourself. But instead, you know what you did? A video of your coffee and and what you put in it that morning. When you could do the video of the coffee and you making the coffee, and then put the verse I was trying to tell you to tell them. But you didn't do that. I would hate that. I would hate to get up there and him say, Melinda, I knocked you down low, girl. You were at the lowest of the low. You almost took your life. You remember that? Back in May 2025. People are like, why are you missus motivated 2025? I'm like, oh. Because 2025 is the year I was reborn. That's the listen, all but all before that. Woo! Listen, we won't talk about it. But 2025, that's the year I was born. Mm-hmm. I seen something funny the other day. Uh a debt collector called this girl and she goes, uh, he goes, Yeah, you have a debt outstanding from like 2019, and she's like, What? She's like, I wasn't even alive yet. I was I wasn't even I'm like, oh, that's good, because it's true. I wasn't, uh-uh. I'll listen. So he's in there and he says, Hey, remember on in that back in May 2025 when I saved you, you were about to take your own life. Do you remember that? And and I told you keep recording. You didn't want to, and gosh, you guys, I did not want to record. Oh, but something told me you better turn on that camera, girl. You better turn on that camera and record and let these people see what's happening. I cried. I told you guys on the episode, I think it's episode six, five, whatever it is. I told you guys, and then the whole thing with Charlie Kirk happens, and it was a disaster. I think that's chapter, or chapter, I think that's uh episode 11. It was a lot, but all of it, that morning of his death, how I read Ezekiel, like that isn't coincidence. That is not coincidence, and I shared it with all of you. I remember opening my Bible, I said, God speaks to me. This is the morning of Charlie Kirk's death. I said, Lord, speak to me. I don't know where you want me to go. I'm just standing here and I'm ready to go. I have my armor on, I'm ready to fight, but I don't know where to go. Do you want me on a stage? Do you want me preaching on what where do you want me? And I didn't know what to do. And I cried out to him and I said, Lord, talk to me. And I opened my Bible to Ezekiel, and I want to show you because many of you are like, No, there's no way. I will show you exactly where he took me. Right here. I put a note in there, a sticky note, and it says, You are Ezekiel, warn others of God's judgment. I remember calling my sister. I said, I was bawling. My sister can testify to this. I I was bawling my eyes out. And she's like, What? What? I said, Londie, I just asked the Lord. I was praying to him and I said, Lord, I don't know where you want me. Where do you want me? I was I was crying out to him. I said, I don't know where you want me. I feel so lost because I feel like I'm standing here. I feel like I'm like, I got it all. Lord, tell me where to go. I'm here. I got all everything. And then you're just standing there and you're like, so where do you want me? And you're just standing there. Like, I don't know. And you know what he did? He opened me up to this. I read it, you guys, and I said, Ooh, I'm Ezekiel. He wants me to eat the scroll. Eat the scroll. I signed up for seminary right after that. He said, okay, I get what you're saying. You want me to take it all in? And Ezekiel didn't want to, guys. He didn't want to. And I find myself being like, okay, that was me. I didn't want to either. I remember being like, Lord, why me? Why me? Why did you save me? I hear about people dying of suicide all the time. Why did you save me? And it's because of this. He opened me here and said, This is why. You are Ezekiel. I need you to eat the scroll. Prepare yourself. I'm about to send you out. And you all have watched the process. And some of you are in that process right now. Some of you are, you're in it. You weren't, you were the old you before you were baptized, before you found the Lord is messy, just like me. And you're like, I don't want to show that, Melinda. I listen, I don't want to show it. And he says, why? That's what I need. That's who I came for. The messy. I didn't come for the people that already believed in me. I came for the people that were, I don't know if I believed in the Lord. I'm gonna go smoke that, smoke that weed. I'm gonna go do some coke. I'm gonna go get drunk every weekend. He says, I came for those people. So show them. Can you please do that for me? Can you show them? Can you show them the work that I've done in you? Because if they see me doing it in you, then they know I can do it for them too. Some of you up there pastoring, and you're like, uh, that's it. I'm done. Did it for my congregation? Maybe Lisa needs to hear it two states over. Maybe she needs to hear that message. Some of you in youth, in the youth at your church, youth programs, and and teaching youth all day, and you won't get on social media where everybody is and talk to that youth. Maybe that maybe that young Zachary who needs to hear what you had to say to your youth program. Maybe he needs to hear it. Maybe he needs to know Jesus loves him. You know how how easy it is to set up a camera when you're teaching somebody else? So easy. It's one of my favorite things to do when I'm talking to my pastor. I think when I'm speaking to them, y'all need to get the wisdom too. They got a lot of wisdom. A lot of them have been preaching for a long time. They've been in the Bible a long time. I've showed a few videos of me talking to my pastor. And it's been successful. Because all of you are like, man, that was good. Yes, it was. It's wisdom. It's like eating a little piece of cake each time, and I'm just handing it to you. You didn't buy it. I'm just handing it to you. I've been thinking about starting like a series on how I can start helping um pastors and people in ministry kind of get going on social media. It's been really heavy on me. I don't want no money. You know what I mean? Because a lot of people when I say that, they're like, oh, are you gonna start a course?

unknown 42:13

No.

SPEAKER_00 42:13

I don't want no money. The only time that y'all can ever donate to anything that I have is on social media. You can subscribe for $1.99 a month. Um, or you can go to my Buy Me a Coffee, and this is in the links below, and you can donate. But other than that, no. Sometimes when I approach pastors or anybody in ministry, they think I'm wanting their money. I don't want your money. Okay? I'm gonna I'm gonna give you what I've learned the last four years in social media because I believe wholeheartedly that we all need to be on social media. We need more people preaching, we need more people talking about the Bible. We need more people out there telling people that Jesus loves them. We need more people sitting here making sure that everybody understands what the Bible says about following the Lord. So, no, I don't want your money. I just want to tell you what I know so that you have the confidence to turn on your camera. When I went to my pastor, I said, Hey, I need you to start, you have you because every time I went to him, you guys, oh my gosh, he's just so smart. Like it's not smart. He's got so much wisdom. He's got so much, because he reads the books, he's in the Bible, he's done this for over 30 years. So when I go to him and I say, Hey, I have, you know, I what? Tell me about this. And just, man, what he would give me, I said, I need you to hear me, open your ears. Please, I'm begging you, get a social media account. Because I needed to hear that, and I have access to you, and I can come to your office, I can knock on the door and say, Hey, can you teach me this? Can you talk to me? Can you talk me off that ledge? And you do it. But what about the person who's not going to church? What about the person who doesn't have a Pastor Jason? What about that person? And you know what? He's got a social media now. He's got a social media now, and and I'm so like my heart, every time I see a video, is just so proud of him. Because not, it's not even because he listened to what I said, it's because he's obey he's being obedient to the Lord. Because I it wasn't me just coming up to him and saying, Hey, you need a social. That was the Lord speaking through me. That was the Lord saying, Hey, these people need to be on social media because everybody has time to scroll. Everybody's scrolling all the time. Everybody's got time to scroll, but nobody's got time to get in this. Nobody's got time to get in the Bible. So I need people like you. I need people who believe in me. I need an army because Satan's army is out there. I need mine. Start recruiting these people and say, get on here and tell people about me. Alright. Sorry guys. I love you guys so much. Um, those of you who text me afterwards, I love it. I love it. I guess I'll just listen, y'all will text me and be like, hey, I love that episode. Listen, there is nothing that excites me more than because some people need a pat on the back, y'all. Okay, because sometimes I'm like, did anybody even listen to that episode? But I have a few friends. Oh, I love them. I love them. And it's the people you least expect. You guys, it's the people you least expect. Like, it's one of my friends from boot camp, Hannah. I love you. She'll she'll text me and be like, I love that episode. Um, my friend Wynn, she'll text me. She'll she'll answer some of the questions too. She'll like text me and be like, hey, I know where you can find Gilmore girls, go to hear, hear. I'm like, oh, I love you. It's just like one of those things you guys, you have got to understand that we are all here to encourage one another. And I hope that this episode didn't scare you. I hope it encouraged you to say, you know what, Melinda, I am cleaning my house today. Let me set up a camera. Let me put a verse. I think I'm gonna start teaching it. I gotta, right? I think I'm gonna start another uh TikTok just based on that so I can start teaching all of you. I think that's important. I love you guys. I hope you have the best week. And I got so much to do, but man, this is the best, best day of the week for me. It really is. I'm busy all day because I gotta do the editing and the shorts and the blah blah blah. But I love it. I love it. So I hope you guys have a blessed week and I will see you here next week. Bye.