Merlin Gonzales

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Merlin founded Faith Hope and Love Intl., which collaborates with churches crossing denominational lines. He has developed the concept of “Mission Trips in Your Own Backyard” to unify the Body of Christ by bringing the love of God into the community. Merlin’s messages and teachings are about raising up a generation passionate for God to build a legacy of transformation. He is an Advisory Council Member for the State of Indiana Office of the Faith-based and a co-host for Religion in the News. Merlin speaks at churches, businesses, government, educational institutions and faith based organizations to encourage people to live out their faith. He is a church consultant helping pastors reach out in their communities to raise and train leaders. Merlin and his wife Annie live in Noblesville, Ind.

Living in synchronicity

Living in synchronicity

March 22, 2018 Merlin Gonzales

“‘Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.‘” John 5:19

A Vision

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!”  was the focus of my meditation this morning. 

A plethora of angels filled the sanctuary, hovering in the room. An angel placed a glistening golden crown on my head. As soon as it touched my head, a regeneration process started.

The glow from the golden crown slowly flowed from the top of my head down to my feet. Another team of angels came from the right side with glorious intense bright light in front of them. The glory moves as the angels move closer. The glory in front of the angels reached me. 

Suddenly, I was consumed by the light and became one with the light. The light was so bright; all I could see was intense brilliance. I sensed the angels continued to move and the glory filled the entire sanctuary. Gradually, my eyes were transformed to see through the brilliance that filled the room. I saw multitudes of people receiving their golden crowns from legions of angels. They were all transformed as well. My vision became so vivid and saw everything surrounding me. Beautiful multi-colored flowers, tall trees that reach the blue sky above, mighty mountains and below me were liquid golden streets.

A new creature

The transformation that happened made me a new creature in Christ. The regeneration grace that flowed within me changed the wiring of my brain, my veins and arteries were cleaned as well as my stomach and intestines. My joints were lubricated and my skin was renewed. An overhaul of my soul, spirit and physical body revolutionized the way I experience my existence. Not only my eyesight had changed but my perception as well; my entire experience of the world shifted to another dimension. My internal processor was reconstructed and I became a new creature.

Dual reality

Somehow, I saw a glimpse when Jesus said that He only do what He sees the Father does and only say what He hears the Father says. Jesus lived in two different and opposing reality simultaneously. He acted on things based on what God is doing. Is this because He and the Father are one? The Scripture indicates that He is not the Father. Jesus had intimate relationship with God. His obedience made it impossible for Him to do anything separate from the Father. He was acquainted with the ways of the Father. He lived here on earth as the Father lives in heaven.

As new creature, would it be possible for us to concurrently live in two worlds, spiritual and physical? Could we exist in the heavenly and earthly dimension at the same time? Jesus said that we have the same Spirit who lived within Him. He also said in Ephesians 2:18 that we have access to the Father by one spirit. He also said in John 14:12 whoever believes in Him will do the works He had been doing and do even greater things because He is going to the Father.

Back to work

My experience that morning lingered throughout that day. On my way to my office, I had an exhilarating drive, smiling to everyone and noticed that my vision was much clearer – not so much about my eyesight but the perception of my surroundings. I felt light, content and joyful. At lunch my taste buds were more sensitive; the food was so incredibly delicious. I felt releasing love and receiving love from everyone in the office.

Could this be just my imagination or was the transformation that happened in the morning meditation was real? How can I be in perpetual awareness to my new self as a new creature and experience the dual reality at the same time? The opposing world – heaven and earth lived synchronized in the present.

Merlin GonzalesLiving in synchronicity
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A good place to start

A good place to start

December 30, 2017 Merlin Gonzales

You – yes – what’s inside of you is the starting point.

What you have inside will manifest outwardly. Our relationship with ourselves reflects our relationship with God. The Apostle John recorded what Jesus said about this: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4). If what’s inside of us is detached from the source of Life, we will whither and not produce fruit. Our lives will reflect what’s inside of us.

The first Old Testament verse that Jesus quoted was Deuteronomy 8:3 when He said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.‘” (Matt.4:4). What we consume is cast back out.

Let’s take a look at some of the things we consume – things that influence us. We have heard the teaching, “The eyes are a window to the soul.” 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ” – Matt. 6:22-23. Are we full of light or are we in great darkness?

It is hard to hide what’s inside of us. Jesus said in Matt. 23:27, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”

This coming year will not be different than this year if what’s inside of us remain the same. We can change the way we clothe ourselves, we can change jobs and we can change relationships, but if we continue to consume the same things (physical and spiritual), we will produce the same fruit. Unless we remain in Jesus and unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we cannot expect different fruits.

It’s not to late to plan (or change your plan) for 2018. This coming year could be the best year ever. What would you like in 2018? Here’s a promise – from God, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matt. 6:33  

Have a joyful 2018

What’s inside of you is the starting point in 2018.

HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR!

 

Merlin GonzalesA good place to start
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Gracious Carelessness

Gracious Carelessness

October 19, 2016 Merlin Gonzales

Something is wrong!

My heart is beating harder these past 2 days. My shoulder is tense. What’s wrong with my body? I noticed that anxiety is trying to creep in. This couldn’t be. Last week was wonderful! We had a great leaders’ prayer meeting, stocked the food pantry with healthy food and provided food to dozens of people, the collaboration meeting that I facilitated went very well and the annual fundraiser at the end of the week was a success. Everything was good last week…except the way I put pressure on myself.

Why worry

This morning while waiting for a lab technician to draw blood from my arm for some test, my wife sent me a message about the Verse of the day: Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – NIV

Care-less could be a good thing!

Care-less could be a good thing!

Gracious carelessness

I like the phrase that Matthew Henry, my favorite Bible commentator said, “Gracious Carelessness” for the morrow. The thoughts of being a good leader and to perform well in everything I do afflicted my thoughts and crept in my entire being. I allowed myself to focus on the stuff that disturbed my joy in the Spirit. My thoughts were dominated by the things I need to do next, plan for the coming events and try to solve things while laying down in my bed – things that keep my mind in suspense of what’s going to happen next.

God commanded us not to worry about tomorrow to repress us from polluting our minds about the things of this earth and may lead to distrusting Him. Instead of spending our thoughts on the troubles that may not happen anyway, we should put our trust in Christ. He reminds us not to conform with the cares of the world but rather be consumed by the thoughts of the Kingdom.

God knows our needs better than ourselves. He also know that there are troubles in this world but we should not lust in trying to go ahead of ourselves and even worse, go ahead of God’s timing and plan. This is gracious carelessness – knowing that God got our backs. He reminded us that as He provides for all the creatures of the earth, He would care for us better than we care for ourselves.

The reminder

Today, I will try to remind myself that it is foolish to dwell in the things of tomorrow’s trouble that may not come anyway. I will remind myself not to lust on solving the troubles of the morrow. I will remind myself to deal with the troubles of just this day since my brain and emotion can only handle limited amount of stuff. I will not be foolish to take on the troubles of tomorrow today. I will not pull myself altogether at once because I was not created that way. I will not be my own tormentor by going through the dark alleys of my mind and by allowing the offensive emotions come into my heart. I will focus on praying when my mind says otherwise, to keep my joy in the Spirit by applying the gracious carelessness.

Merlin GonzalesGracious Carelessness
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