Treasure Blog

Standing Invitation

2011-06-14T08:16:00.000-04:00

As long as you are on the earth, my invitation to enter the Most Holy Place, by the blood of Jesus, stands without reservation, without hesitation. Enter in freely, fully, often, even continuously.

Peace, rest, calm, quiet, release, surrender. This is my invasion of your soul. Invite my infiltration. Soak in my solace. Plunge into my powerful Presence. Receive.

Wait in expectation. Settle into my Presence. Sink down into the deep of Me while I raise you up to the heights of my love for you. Receive. Partake and feast. Be filled and satisfied.

Allow thankfulness and gratitude to rise from the depths of your innermost, because you know Me. Praise will surface. It floats upward from the deep.

Divine Addiction

2011-03-12T11:08:00.004-05:00

Don't be caged.

We are addictive people. I believe we've been created that way. You've heard the song from Plumb that says,

"There's a God-shaped hole in all of us
and the restless soul is searching.
There's a God-shaped hole in all of us,
and it's a void only He can fill."

Addiction to God will set us free.

Addiction to anything else will cage us.

It's from Acts 17:

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: "To an Unknown God." So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.

"God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being."

We will be addicted to something. Let it be the One who created you and knows you best, but loves you most! He gave the very life of his Son to set you free from every shackling addiction. Feed your God-addiction by listening to Him, watching how He works, inquiring of Him, dreaming of Him, thinking about Him, thanking Him, meditating on his words, trusting Him, responding to Him, submitting to Him, and clinging to Him. Fill the hole, and be whole!

God + me = a whole person.

Be Free!

Did You Say Your Joy's Been Stolen?

2011-03-03T11:20:00.001-05:00

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks. This is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thes. 5:16-18.

The will of God is a lifestyle, not a location. The Apostle Paul has defined it in these three compelling little verses.

If it seems your joy's been stolen, if you need wisdom, if you feel unloving or unlovable, if peace has been choked out and you're in the grip of worry, doubt, or confusion, practice the will of God in the way Paul has spelled it out.

Three little tips for doing this, from our Pastor Skip:

1. Celebrate God's Favor

If you are in Christ, God is always for you, and everything He has is for you. Remember the times you've watched his favor in action.

2. Celebrate God's Revelation

Meditate on the life-changing things, deeply personal things, and grippingly motivating things He has shown you -- about Himself, about you, and about life.

3. Celebrate God's Victory

Resurrection can only come after death. Think about the places in you where Christ has brought new life. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave himself for us.

And . . . keep asking to receive more favor, increased revelation, and greater victory. It's all yours in Christ. Pray into it. Live into it!

Joy is a divine inner quality of life that lives above circumstances; it comes from above and bubbles up from within. It's a fruit of the Spirit that has to be cultivated, by feeding it with the will of God. Feel like yours has been stolen? Take it back -- it's do-able!

Godsense

2011-02-11T11:58:00.004-05:00

Pick up all the stuff of your life: all your belongings, your projects, your home, your job, your spouse and children, all your relationships, your hopes, dreams, failures and fears. That’s right – get it all together in a huge pile. Drop it at the Lord’s feet. Then sit down - relax - collapse - be relieved of all the burdens. And say, “Lord, make sense out of all my nonsense.”

“But when Jesus was alone with his disciples, he explained everything.” - Mark 4:34

“When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.” - The Message

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” – Proverbs 16:9

If you will trust him, lean all of your weight on him, God will order your steps. He will untangle every knot. He will make real sense out of all the nonsense.

Lover of My Soul

2011-02-05T13:31:00.007-05:00

His love is unconditional.

His creation is magnificent.

His character is perfect.

His goodness is pure.

His humility is powerful.

His integrity is unprecedented.

His heart is redemption.

His tears are for the lost.

His intentions are life-saving.

His works are renewing.

His death is vicarious.

His anger was satisfied.

His enemies are defeated.

His opposition is annihilated.

His crucifixion was an overpayment.

His righteousness is imparted.

His resurrection is the centerpiece.

His life is indestructible.

His position is above all.

His rule is uncontested.

His presence is safety.

His home is security.

His steps are all-conquering.

His battles are won.

His honor is bestowed.

His leadership is tender.

His direction is triumphant.

His understanding is unimaginable.

His knowledge is available.

His wisdom is receivable.

His ways are unfathomable.

His paths are adventurous.

His ideas are infinite.

His strategies are flawless.

His plans are victorious.

His thoughts are transforming.

His mercies are refreshing.

His peace is core-penetrating.

His faithfulness is stability.

His shield is a fortress.

His protection is impenetrable.

His songs are deliverance.
His reach is limitless.

His eyes are full of light.

His countenance is shining.

His smile is infectious.

His laughter is life-giving.

His joy is hilarious.

His humor is medicinal.

His healing is miraculous.

His sacrifice is complete.

His expectation is fulfilled.

His justice has prevailed.

His forgiveness is free.

His passion is unbridled.

His truth is freedom.

His power is limitless.

His strength is cataclysmic.

His majesty is stunning.

His throne is approachable.

His grace is astonishing.

His favor is undeserved.

His embrace is empowering.
His resources are inexhaustible.

His provision is lavish.

His giving is good.

His gifts are nonreturnable.

His blessings are relentless.

His promises are everlasting.

His sayings are life-changing.

His word is delicious.

His law is fulfilled.

His discipline is freeing.

His touch is liberating.

His voice is exhilarating.

His kindness is unstoppable.

His patience is permanent.

His dominion is satisfying.

His desires for us are delectable.

His relationship is intimate.

His prophecies are revelation.

His vision is glorious.

His will is fantastic.

His invitation is amazing.

All of this – for you – purchased by the blood of Jesus.

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Promises

2011-01-19T13:32:00.005-05:00

We’re doing a ladies’ Bible study called, “Sweeter than Chocolate, an inductive study of Psalm 119.” Verse 103 says, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” In the 21st century, we can say that God’s word is sweeter than chocolate.

"All of your promises won’t let go of me" – from a great song by Desperation Band

So far, in the first 40 verses of Psalm 119, here are some of the benefits of God’s Word:

blessing

no wrong-doing

no shame

purity

rejoicing

treasure

great riches

delight

God’s goodness

open eyes

seeing wonders

no scorn or contempt

wise counsel

my life preserved

God hears me

God teaches me

conversation with God

strength

grace

freedom

steadfastness/endurance

understanding

right living

relationship with God

revival / vigorous life / health

walking in God’s ways

God’s word established in me

His promises fulfilled

reverence / worship of God

no reproach

good judgments from God

renewed life / revival

To what extent am I experiencing these things? It’s about God’s word. To the extent that I immerse myself in His word, to the extent that I hear the word, see the word, dream the word, think the word, believe it, pray it, speak it, follow it, cling to it, study it, meditate on it, walk in it, do it, and live it! This is how all these promises won’t let go of me. Let’s find more – Psalm 119 verse 41 . . .

A Year of Giving

2010-12-23T10:14:00.007-05:00

This kind of giving makes no human sense, but sure sounds like a God idea

. . . from AOL News: "Laid-Off American Gives Away $10 a Day for a Year"

Grace Again

2010-08-24T14:32:00.000-04:00

In his book, In the Grip of Grace, Max Lucado addresses the question of whether we can use up or run out of God’s grace and forgiveness with a tongue-in-cheek response letter from heaven:

“Dear Mrs. Smith:

I’m writing in response to this morning’s request for forgiveness. I’m sorry to inform you that you have reached your quota of sins. Our records show that, since employing our services, you have erred seven times in the area of greed, and your prayer life is substandard when compared to others of like age and circumstance.

“Further review reveals that your understanding of doctrine is in the lower 20 percentile and you have excessive tendencies to gossip. Because of your sins you are a high-risk candidate for heaven. You understand that grace has its limits. Jesus sends his regrets and kindest regards and hopes that you will find some other form of coverage.”

Will God refuse to listen to my prayers if I’m in a rotten mood, if have wronged someone without making amends, if I harbor resentment in my heart or have difficulty forgiving someone? What if I have a bad attitude or have offended God’s perfect laws and am not even yet aware of it? Will the Lord, who gave his life for me when I was his enemy, turn his face away from me because I have not come to a satisfactory level of repentance and true confession for every way, shape and form that I have not met his requirements of holiness?

On the contrary, He is waiting for me to come to Him in the middle of my unholy ways. The blood of Jesus cleanses me from all unrighteousness, continuously. I’ll be needing it as long as I am in this earthly body. It’s the righteousness of Jesus I am clothed with, as I receive again his forgiveness and grace. It’s a heart filled with gratitude that receives it, over and over. I bow at his feet, I lay my head on his shoulder, I yield to his unconditional embrace, and I am renewed again. And as I spend time in his presence, his grace enfolds me, and by association and impartation, through faith and the Word He speaks to me, I become a little more like Him again.

Over All These Things -- Love

2010-04-02T08:27:00.003-04:00

Oh, Love of God, be real in me.
Be seen in actions, words and thoughts that come
From your heart, oh, Lord, streaming out through mine.
Be the Lord of every partition of my life,
All my kingdoms now yours.
Show yourself strong, fountains of joy, floods of peace,
Flowing through me in Love.
Oh, Love of God, be my foundation.
Be the walls of my living and the ceiling of my existence
Yet traveling infinitely in every direction.
Burst through into every circumstance as I lift belly-born praise to You!

In this was manifested the love of God toward us: God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we dwell in him, and he in us: He has given us his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has toward us. God is love; and he that lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear involves punishment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:9-19

His love has made us “unpunishable,” if we receive it. It was the love of God that caused Jesus to receive all the punishment for all of our sin.

And because He has put His Spirit within us, we can love one another:

Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. – Romans 5:5

Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, “Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously”: So will we render the calves of our lips. – Hosea 14:2

Instead of bringing blood sacrifices, we now bring to God the praises of our lips, thanking Him forever for His perfect Sacrifice that took away the sin of the world.

The Great Divide

2010-04-01T09:08:00.005-04:00

Cleft of a Rock

The Cross of Jesus Christ is the Great Divide, a line in time and eternity that splits apart two eras: Law and Grace. In the Old Covenant from God, the Law was given, but in the New Covenant, Grace came - in the Person of Jesus Christ. Now we can be made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We could never keep the Law and be righteous. But now, in Christ, we are the righteousness of God -- a free gift from the Only Righteous One (2 Corinthians 5:21). Believe and receive, and you will be forever a new creation!

Now we see that all Scripture must be filtered through the Cross of Jesus. From the Law of Moses to Jesus' death and resurrection, people lived under the Old Covenant, B.C., otherwise known as the Law, the Ministry of Death. But now, those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, have been transferred from the Old into the New, the Covenant of Grace, the Law of the Spirit and life, the Covenant of Promise. Like our spiritual father, Abraham, we become righteous, through faith, by the power of God's saving grace. It has always been by faith in His grace, and the Law showed us how much we needed it. For there is none righteous, no not one, and there never will be -- except Jesus. It is His righteousness that we receive when we believe. We still cannot ever be righteous in ourselves, but we are no longer tied to the Law; we are captured by His Grace.

Changed Into His Likeness

2010-03-31T13:52:00.005-04:00

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. – 1 John 3:2-3

I am purified by focusing my hope on Jesus Christ. I cannot purify myself. He does it, when I focus my attention on Him. For as He is [now], so are we in this world – It is finished: He has done it! (1 John 4:17).

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. – Eph. 1:18-23; 2:5-7

This is where I am and who I am in Christ! He is the head, and I am part of His body, seated in the heavens at the right hand of God.

But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:15-18

I am transformed into His image as I turn to the Lord (away from the Law and trying to keep it) and by beholding the glory of the Lord. As I focus my gaze on Him, I am transformed in ever-increasing levels (from glory to glory).

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. – Hebrews 12:1-3

I can run the race with endurance, by laying aside (stop being conscious of) my sin, fixing my eyes on Jesus and considering Him. For He is the writer and the completer of my faith (not me!) It’s not my endurance that gets me through, but His. It’s not my righteousness that makes me walk blamelessly, but His. It’s not my perfect behavior that makes me pure, but His! Thank you, Jesus! This righteousness is imputed to me by the powerful finished work of His blood shed on the cross.

Be a Thermostat

2010-03-26T12:47:00.003-04:00

By His Spirit the Lord says:

Don't be a thermometer. Be a thermostat. Do not labor to regulate yourself according to the temperature of external things and people -- even the spiritual. Do not simply reflect the spiritual climate or mental/emotional mood that surrounds you. My Holy Spirit, indwelling, is your Regulator. You are a bringer of peace, joy and light.

You grow the fruits of My Spirit, for the nourishment of those who are hungry around you. You also hold inside you multiple gifts of My Spirit (in unlimited supply) to be distributed to others as needed. This is determined by the mind of Christ, not by the demands or cravings of people.

Let Me regulate you. Do not be regulated by the dictates of circumstances or people around you.

If I am regulating you, your life will grow in the fruits of My Spirit, and My power will be manifested through you to distribute My gifts as I will.

I do not always have the ability to withstand effects of words spoken or activity happening around me. Protection from other-conrol and power to overcome is activated by praying in the Spirit. Something comes at me (even a negative thought in my own mind). I can train myself to respond by grabbing every thought and taking it captive to Christ's obedience (what He accomplished for me on the cross).

Respond to negativity by praying in the Spirit. This is the flow of rivers of living water out of your belly (John 7:37-38). Open the floodgate. The Holy Spirit, then, is given the avenue to wash away all the muck and bring new life.

What is Lovingkindness?

2010-03-24T12:18:00.005-04:00

Here's something to meditate on. I found it in "Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words," of all places. I believe that, whenever I meditate on God's lovingkindness, turning it over and over in my mind and letting it sink into my innermost being, I am being changed into His likeness.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [be metamorphosed by the renovation of your understanding], so that you may discern what is the good [beneficial], acceptable [well-pleasing] and perfect [complete] will of God. – Romans 12:2

Here is the Vine's quote. It's lengthy, but worth the meditation:

Loving-kindness [Hebrew hesed] – “loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness; devotion.” The term is one of the most important in the vocabulary of Old Testament theology and ethics.

In general, one may identify three basic meanings of the word, which always interact: “strength” [Greek dunamis], “steadfastness” [from everlasting to everlasting], and “love” [Greek agape]. Any understanding of the word that fails to suggest all three inevitably loses some of its richness. [It appears to include God’s omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence.]

The word refers primarily to mutual and reciprocal rights and obligations between the parties of a relationship (especially Yahweh and Israel). But hesed is not only a matter of obligation; it is also of generosity. It is not only a matter of loyalty, but also of mercy. The weaker party seeks the protection and blessing of the patron and protector, but he may not lay absolute claim to it. The stronger party remains committed to his promise, but retains his freedom, especially with regard to the manner in which he will implement those promises. Hesed implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship beyond the rule of law.

“Devotion” is sometimes the single English word best capable of capturing the nuance of the original. Hebrew writers often underscored the element of steadfastness (or strength) by pairing hesed with emet (“truth; reliability”) and emunah (“faithfulness; certainty”).

The concrete content of the word is especially evident when it is used in the plural. God’s “mercies,” “kindnesses,” or “faithfulnesses” are His specific, concrete acts of redemption in fulfilment of His promise. An example appears in Isaiah 55:3: “. . . And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” [Clearly referring to Jesus!]

Hesed is God’s most central characteristic. God’s loving-kindness is offered to his people, who need redemption from sin, troubles, and enemies [the flesh, the world, the devil]. A recurrent refrain describing God’s nature is “abounding/plenteous in hesed” (Exo. 34:6; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 103.8; Jon. 4:2). The entire history of Yahweh’s covenantal relationship with Israel can be summarized in terms of hesed. It is the one permanent element in the flux of covenantal history. (Woohoo! Isn't God good?)

The association of hesed with ‘covenant” keeps it from being misunderstood as mere providence or love for all creatures; it applies primarily to God’s particular love for His chosen and covenanted people. “Covenant” also stresses the reciprocity of the relationship; but since God’s hesed is ultimately beyond the covenant, it will not ultimately be abandoned, even when the human partner is unfaithful and must be disciplined (Isa. 54:8, 10). Since its final triumph and implementation is eschatological [referring to the final destiny of all humankind], hesed can imply the goal and end of all salvation-history (Ps. 8:7, 10; 130:7; Mic. 7:20).

Say the Word . . .

2010-03-23T14:09:00.007-04:00

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as
perfume and incense -- Proverbs 27:9 [NLT]

Oh, Lord, when I am grieved in my spirit and my soul about the negativity of humanity around me, I run to you, my Hiding Place. Enlarge my tent, O Lord, and expand my intake of You. Please teach me how to NOT react out of the fleshiness of my soul and NOT to agree with the Accuser of the brethren. Please teach me and move me to respond out of my spirit, in agreement with Your Spirit, with prayer, with praise, with worship, with ministry in two or three or six (!) directions. One thing I do. I look to you. Teach me and move me to fix my gaze. Thank you, Lord, that you are bigger, you are greater, you are better.

With words from your mouth, you created everything we know, and how much more that we don’t know. With one word, You can completely change my life, calling things that are not, as though they were. And Bam! There they are! Teach me to say what You’re saying, Lord, to go where You’re going, to do what You’re doing – everywhere, every day, every way. All Your ways are good, and all Your paths are perfect. There is a good word to be said in response to any negativity. Put it in my mouth, Lord! Lead me on . . .

But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: Jesus! He is the Good Word. – from Romans 10:8

Madelynn and Julia -- BFF

The Trustworthy One

2010-03-21T08:47:00.002-04:00

We trust who we know is trustworthy. The better you know someone, the more you know how much you can trust that person.

It is the same way for us with God, with one great exception: He alone is altogether, completely, 100% trustworthy. He is the God of the universe all by Himself.

You may have one, two, or even more people in your inner circle that you trust. You might feel that you can tell them anything. If so, that's a good thing. But here's a greater thing: God never changes. He is always in a good mood. His love never fails. He is always for you, and never against you.

These are not just words recited from the Bible. This is the Person I know who is my Best Friend, my Counselor and Confidante, my most intitimate Partner and Guide through life. I can trust Him with my thoughts, my fears, worries, failures and weaknesses, my deepest desires and hopes, and with all the things I care about.

How? I quit working on building my faith a while ago. Now I just keep getting to know Him better, by talking with and listening to Him, every day. I keep discovering, in new ways all the time, that He is so much better than I ever thought before. He is The Trustworthy One.

Green Mountain Falls, Colorado

Flow

2010-03-20T10:31:00.003-04:00

By His Spirit, the Lord says:

Don’t restrict Me. Get into the Flow of Me, the Flow of living waters of My Spirit, coming up from within you. I am in you. Let Me flow through you and fill you and spill out of you. I am your everything. Let go of the riverbank and flow with Me. I will keep you completely safe. I will hold you up above all circumstances. I will transform you and enable you to walk on the waters of your life. I will sustain you and strengthen you to endure through every situation, always being at the top, the head and not the tail, over and never under. I am the One who calls you. I am the one who gives to you. I am the one who holds you securely. I am the one who keeps you fresh and young. I am the one who heals you. I am your provision. I am your solace, and your great pervading peace. I am your wealth and your blessing. I am the one who fills you to overflowing. I am the finisher of your faith. I am your faith. I am the life-giver, the completer and perfecter of everything that is about you. I am all about you. I have designed you for great and precious things, life-giving things, blessed things, and outpouring things. Trust Me. Flow with Me.

Grab Hold of Time

2010-03-18T13:33:00.002-04:00

This was posted on my Pastor's Blog. Some good, practical stuff!

Life in the Word

2010-03-18T10:32:00.002-04:00

“I find nothing in the Bible but holiness, and nothing in the world but worldliness. therefore, if I live in the world, I will become worldly; on the other hand, if I live in the Bible, I will become holy [like God].

“You cannot be strong in God unless you are diligently and constantly listening to what God has to say to you through His Word. You cannot know the power and the nature of God unless you partake of His inbreathed Word. Read it in the morning, in the evening, and at every opportunity you get. You will find that the more of God’s Word you hide in your heart, the easier it is to live a holy [power-filled!] life. As you receive God’s Word, your whole physical being will be given life, and you will be made strong. As you receive the Word engrafted, with humility [knowing you can’t make it happen] (James 1:21), you will find faith springing up within. You will have life through the Word.” – S. Wigglesworth

But what does it say? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Word of Christ. – Romans 10

Some people may read the Bible in Hebrew or Greek. Be the kind of person who reads it in the Holy Spirit. You can read with your mind, but by meditating, turning it over in your mind and speaking it out loud again and again, it will get into your spirit and become more and more a part of who you are. If you are a believer in Jesus, His Spirit lives within you. Ask Him to engraft the Word into your very being. Receive every Word that He speaks to you.

Grab hold of a little Word of power that gets lit up to you when you are reading. Repeat it out loud, and think about it. Ask the Lord to expand it to fill your heart and to be implanted in your being and bear fruit in your life. Hold onto that Word, and ask Holy Spirit to pivot you and spin you and wrap you around that Word, to see it from different angles. Ask Him to bring into your awareness other words in Scripture that hook up to that word and explode it into your understanding, and ask Him to make your life a fulfillment of the Word.

How Much Do You Love Me, God?

2010-03-17T13:09:00.004-04:00

Your Love Never Fails

Nothing can separate, even if I ran away –

Your love never fails!

I know I still make mistakes, but

You have new mercy for me every day

Your love never fails!

You stay the same through the ages.

Your love never changes.

There may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning!

And when the oceans rage, I don’t have to be afraid

Because I know that you love me.

Your love never fails!

Waiting for Daddy

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. – Roman 8:28

Every good gift and every perfect ( free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse]. – James 1:17 [AMP]

If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? – Romans 8:31-32

"For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the Lord who has compassion on you. “O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies , and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones. All your sons will be taught of the Lord; and the well-being of your sons will be great. In righteousness you will be established; you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear [for perfect love casts out fear]; and from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and brings out a weapon for its work; and I have created the destroyer to ruin. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me," declares the Lord. – Isaiah 54:10-17

Much about Muchness

2010-03-15T14:06:00.005-04:00

Alice's Wonderland Box, originally uploaded by Cher's Passion.

In the 2009 film, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter complains to Alice:

“You used to be much more . . . muchier. You’ve lost your muchness.”

This is easily the most written-about line from the film, not surprisingly. In this dark world, the “here and now,” it seems that everyone is looking for more – much more. Where is the muchness? Where is the more? There doesn’t always seem to be much love, much peace, much joy, much power for life and for living it. We want more. And we want to be much more. It seems that we’re looking for something supernatural, since the natural is so much less than what could be so much more.

But Ah! Frabjous Discovery: I’ve found the Muchness; I’ve found the More! –

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how MUCH MORE shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how MUCH MORE, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man [Adam], how MUCH MORE did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how MUCH MORE will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. [Ah, the Muchness!]

Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, GRACE INCREASED ALL THE MORE, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through (HIS) righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:6-11; 15-21 [NIV]

All the Muchness, all the More we need, is in the Person of Grace,

Jesus Christ the Righteous! Are you in?

Who Am I?

2010-03-06T17:03:00.004-05:00

Calvinist – No!

Arminian – No!

Baptist? Methodist? Wesleyan? Presbyterian? American Baptist? Southern Baptist? Lutheran? Anabaptist? Congregationalist? Episcopalian? Quaker? Moravian? Salvation Army? Dutch Reformed? Christian Reformed? Church of Christ? United Methodist? Evangelical? Pentecostal? Pentecostal Holiness? Church of God in Christ? Church of Christ in God? Church of the Holy Spirit? Church of the Holy Spirit in Christ in God? Apostolic Church? Four Square? Trinity Triangle? Free Evangelical? Free Methodist? Free Evangelical Pentecostal Church of God in Christ in the Holy Spirit? ? ? Menonite? Assembly of God? Congregation of God? Church of God?

No. (I mean no disrespect, but God is bigger than all of it -- than all of us.)

Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the Righteous Son of God, the Living One, Messiah, Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Redeemer, and Eternal, Sovereign Lord of all; Perfect Sacrifice and my Righteousness in God; Author and Finisher of my faith, Lover of my soul, Who is able to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, the Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Counselor, Comforter and Friend; King of kings and Lord of lords, the Faithful God of peace who calls me, sanctifies me wholly, preserving my whole spirit and soul and body blameless unto His coming – YES, YES, YES, a thousand times YES!

My identity is not in an affiliation with any organization or belief system or packaged list of doctrines; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. My identity is in Jesus Christ alone, the One Who saves me by His Grace. No matter how hard I try, I cannot fit Him into my doctrinal statements. HIS WORD is Truth.

Oh, Lord, unify Your church. Protect us by the power of your Name–the Name you gave Jesus–so that we may be one as you are one. Move us to listen to the words of Jesus so that we may have his full measure of joy within us. Protect us from the evil one. Sanctify us by your truth. Your Word is truth. May we be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent Jesus and have loved us even as you have loved your own Son. Continue to make Yourself known to us, Jesus, so that the love the Father has for You may be in us and that You Yourself may be in us fully – Christ in us, the hope of glory!

I am a child of God. And the greatest truth of all is this: God is Love.

Sweet Spring

2010-02-25T09:16:00.004-05:00

Did you know? Your voice is sweet and soothing to the Lord.

Song of Solomon 2:14-15 – So I went with Him, and when we were climbing the rocky steps up the hillside, my beloved shepherd said to me, “O my dove, while you are here in the seclusion of the clefts in the solid rock, in the sheltered and secret place of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”

My heart was touched and I fervently sang to Him my desire, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” [AMP/NASB]

Let your prayer time be a sweet communion with the Spirit of God, a time of soothing, of savoring, of breathing Him in and breathing out your praise. Let him carry you away into His Presence – hidden, sweet, refreshing, jubilant with life and power for great living. His Kingdom is upon you. Rise up into it and live as the prince or the princess He has designed you to be.

“My Lover-King has arrived and he's speaking to me! Get up, my dear friend, fair and beautiful lover—come to me! Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world's a choir—and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet arpeggios. Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover—come to me! Come, my shy and modest dove— leave your seclusion, come out in the open. Let me see your face, let me hear your voice. For your voice is soothing and your face is ravishing.”

“Then you must protect me from the foxes, foxes on the prowl, Foxes who would like nothing better than to get into our flowering garden. My lover is mine, and I am his. Nightly he strolls in our garden, delighting in the flowers.” – SOS 2:10-16 [The Message]

He’s the Bringer of the Spring. Rest in Him – and be surprised by His love!

Kingdom Core Values

2010-02-23T11:44:00.003-05:00

Just Us Princesses!

Love and mercy are the core values of the Kingdom.

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. -- 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19, 21

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. -- Hebrews 8:12

Under the New Covenant, we now look at God’s judgment through rose-colored glasses – colored by the blood of Jesus. “Since the Cross dealt with the issue of punishment, the judgment we experience in the Kingdom is judgment in our favor. It is accomplished as the enemy and his works are destroyed, and our Father, the Judge, restores to us that which he has stolen, killed, and destroyed in our lives. This is what judgment looks like in the New Covenant.” -- Kris Vallotton, Developing a Supernatural Lifestyle

If anyone is in Christ Jesus, that person is a new creation -- a child of the King -- a royal person!

In View of All This, How Then Should We Live?

2010-02-21T17:24:00.002-05:00

What are your core values? They are what you live by. We behave according to what we believe. So what exactly do you believe? I probably have a good idea of what my core values should be, but what are they, really? Take this challenge, if you haven’t already, and spend some time getting your core values down on paper. See how they line up with Scripture. As a matter of fact, they should come from Scripture! =P If you have them down on paper and get them rolling around in your mind, it will help you to focus your thoughts, words and actions. I came up with a list a while ago, and every so often I revisit it and see if it needs honing. I’ve read some lists of core values that other people have. Here are a few examples from some of these lists:

We are a special, holy, and royal people. This core value trains us to value others and ourselves as the precious possessions of God, for whom He sacrificed His only Son. It fosters a culture of honor in which we treat others as royalty because we are royalty. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

I will never act out of fear, fear any man or demon, or make decisions strictly to save my life. I will fear God only.

We have inherited the divine nature and grow in the fruit of the Spirit as we hang out with God. This core value trains us to embrace the journey of maturity as a process of yielding to the work of God within us and keeps us from a striving mentality. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2 Peter 1:4).

I will continue to choose to be saturated with, and ruled by, God’s Word. In this way, God will be glorified in everything I think, say and do. (Matt. 4:4; Romans 10:8-10, 17; Colossians 3:16-17)

I will rejoice always, be constant in prayer, and be thankful in everything. (1 Thes. 5:16-18)

Core values are life-governing principles. I think it’s important to know, in detail, what value system is governing my life. One of the best words of wisdom I’ve heard about how to discover your core values is to keep pressing in to know the Prince of the principles. Jesus will teach you what your core values are, personally ordered for you according to the place He has for you in His Kingdom, His church. Ask Him more about it sometime.

2010-02-20T19:01:00.007-05:00

I’ll Take You Through

The way is dusty, twisty, slippery, narrow.
You cling to the mountain’s edge,
And ruts, gouges, treacherous holes
Threaten to catch your feet and wrench your ankles.
The way is sidelined and ceilinged with poking, choking,
grabbing, thorny branches.
The way is steep, your motion heavy, dragging.
Your head is down – you cannot see.
But I know the way.
Hold on tight.
I’ll take you through.

I’ll strengthen your legs; I’ll measure your gait.
I’ll synchronize your steps with mine, sure-footed.
I am your hovering, surrounding, impenetrable armor,
The force-field that shields you
From every probing, piercing thing encroaching.
When you think you cannot walk, I'll give you strength.
Keep pressing on.
Hold on tight.
I’ll take you through.

When you cannot walk, I’ll carry you,
Papa holding his little one close to his heart,
Your head on my shoulder,
In complete relaxation and peaceful rest.
I know the way. I am the Way.

When you grow faint and claustrophobic,
Now stumbling, oppressed to the point of losing heart,
I'll lift you to My shoulders, to rest and ride.
You can see now, adventures and challenges,
Trial-ways ahead, each one leading to another place of triumph.
You can see a little better, but only I can see all.
I know the way. I am the Way.
Hold on tight.
I’ll take you through

A Greater Glimpse

2010-02-18T08:46:00.006-05:00

Seeing You
This is a time for seeing and singing
This is a time for breathing You in
And breathing out Your praise
Our hearts respond to Your revelation
All you are showing, all we have seen
Commands a life of praise

No one can sing of things they have not seen
God, open our eyes towards a greater glimpse
The glory of You, the glory of You
God, open our eyes towards a greater glimpse

Worship starts with seeing You
Worship starts with seeing You
Our hearts respond to Your revelation
Worship starts with seeing You
Worship starts with seeing You
Our hearts respond to Your revelation
– Matt Redman, Facedown CD

Whatever issue(s) you are facing in your life, the answer will always be found in a greater glimpse of Jesus. For in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (He IS the mystery of God – Colossians 2:2-3). Every answer to every difficulty is found in Him. How to get a “greater glimpse?” Look and listen. Read and pray. Ask and meditate. See and hear. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Listen to the Beloved Son; with Him the Father is well pleased! (Mark 9:7)

The Way to Up is Down

2008-10-10T09:16:00.005-04:00

Day 135
Humble yourself before Me. The way to up is down. If you want to exalt yourself, you will always be brought down. Don't do it. Keep yourself low. Always keep your gaze looking up at Me. Power for anything that is right and good all comes from Me.

Do not fear. Do not falter. Don't be frightened, worried, anxious or upset. I am able. I am the great burden-bearer. All power and all life originate in Me. I am Life. I am Light. I will give you sight. I will light your way.

Come to Me. Submit to Me. Bow down before Me. Relax in Me. Be at perfect peace and rest in Me. Trust in Me. Everything is up to Me.

You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. -- 2 Samuel 22:28 [NIV]

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. -- Psalm 25:9 [NIV]

The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden; He casts the wicked down to the ground. -- Psalm 147:6 [NIV]

For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. -- Psalm 149:4 [AMP]

He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. -- Proverbs 3:34 [NIV]

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. -- Matthew 11:29 [NIV]

All of the Above

2008-10-06T09:35:00.004-04:00

Day 134
One writer tells you that, in order to get somewhere with Me -- to get a breakthrough -- you've got to take risks, step out in faith. Someone else says to praise your way out of your doldrums and through your difficulty. Another author admonishes you to get into My presence for bigger blocks of time on a daily basis. One teacher says you must realize who you are in Chist, live as if you are seated in the heavenlies with Him right now -- live from heaven toward earth. Someone else tells you to discipline yourself, study and memorize my word, and cement more holy habits into your daily walk. Another preacher encourages you to spend greater amounts of time in quiet listening prayer, allow my Spirit to hover over you and minister to you. Others stress the great importance of praying in the Spirit, building yourself up on your most holy faith.

So what am I saying to you? Yes to all of the above! Deliberately come after Me with everything you've got. There is no end, there is no limit to Me. Run headlong, keep your shoulder to the grindstone, jump off the great cliff of certainty into my ocean of surprising grace. Keep your hand to the plow, laugh and sing and dance hilariously with Me in the heavens; sit on my lap, your head on my chest, and let Me sing you to sleep. Never stop pressing in to know Me more.

But even there, if you seek God, your God, you'll be able to find him if you're serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. -- Deuteronomy 4:29 [The Message]

And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. -- 1 Chronicles 28:9 [NLT]

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. -- Jeremiah 29:13 [NIV]

Are you Motivated?

2008-10-03T07:59:00.009-04:00

Day 133
What are your core values? What is the motivation for your actions? Is it about being comfortable in this world and being accepted and loved by people? Why do you do the things you do?

If you are compelled to do and say things in order to make a way for yourself in this world, that is what you will have: the temporary, decaying teasures of this world. Nothing of this world will last. It is fading away before your eyes -- you can't deny it. Every material thing will be used up.

The Last Clematis Blossom

Then what should you be spending your time and energy on? Watch for Me. I am pure love. My everlasting love transcends time, heals all wounds, brings joy to the oppressed, feeds the hungry, mends the broken, and makes all things new. Watch for Me. See where I am moving, and move with Me. You will be my partner in these things.

Is that good motivation?

People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. -- Matthew 6:32-33 [The Message]

The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace—a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—and to comfort all who mourn, to care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.

Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness" planted by God to display his glory. They'll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They'll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. You'll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields, but you'll have the title "Priests of God," honored as ministers of our God. You'll feast on the bounty of nations, you'll bask in their glory. "Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever. Because I, God, love fair dealing and hate thievery and crime, I'll pay your wages on time and in full, and establish my eternal covenant with you. Your descendants will become well-known all over. Your children in foreign countries Will be recognized at once as the people I have blessed."

I will sing for joy in God, explode in praise from deep in my soul! He dressed me up in a suit of salvation, he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo and a bride a jeweled tiara. For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, so the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations. -- Isaiah 61 [The Message]

Cold Weather -- Mum!

Infinity

2008-09-29T14:56:00.010-04:00

Day 132
Why do you think I gave you an imagination? So you can meditate on Me. With your finite mind, you cannot comprehend my thoughts. My ways of thinking are far beyond you. But if you give your imagination to Me, let my Spirit take the wheel and drive you into the deep of my heart, you will begin to experience more of Me.

What do you enjoy in my creation? Basking in a beautiful sunset at the ocean's shore? Riding the exhilerating white waters of a mighty river that splits through a formidible canyon? Resting in the peaceful quiet of the great redwood forest, sparking sunlight gently falling on your shoulders through the treetops? Reaching the peak of a Rocky mountaintop, sharing the eagle's view, miles of amazing beauty stretching out beneath my sky of blue? Staring into the black, star-speckled night, resting in perfect peace on a hilltop far away from every manmade thing? Walking through a beautiful garden, fragrant breezes flowing over flowers and grasses, hedges and shrubs of every pastel and brilliant color, size and shape?

Let these places be doorways of your imagination for my Spirit to take you into new discoveries of who I am and how I long to reveal myself to your heart. Fix your mind and heart on the immensity of Me.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. -- Psalm 42:7

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. -- Psalm 23:2

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. -- Revelation 21:10

For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, so the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations. -- Isaiah 61:11

The wall was jasper, the color of Glory, and the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. The foundations of the City walls were garnished with every precious gem imaginable: the first foundation jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate a single pearl. The main street of the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. -- Revelation 21:17-21

Limited?

2008-09-28T07:15:00.005-04:00

Day 131
What limitations have you placed on Me? Is the problem too big? Are the resources not available? Is there not enough time? Not enough money? Is the road too long? Are the people too resistant? Do they argue with you, mock you, persecute you? Have you endured for too long? Is the difficulty too deeply entrenched? Are things happening too quickly? Too slowly? Is there too much confusion? Is the pain too debilitating? Are you surrounded by people who doubt Me? People who don't understand? Have you already tried everything? Have you lost hope? Can you see no way of escape?

Okay. Now lift up your eyes and begin to focus on Me. I am above every limitation. It's only the direction of your gaze that keeps Me out of your picture.

Autumn Asters

I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won't let you stumble, your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel's Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God's your Guardian, right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now,
He guards you always. -- Psalm 121 [The Message]

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, but He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble.

"To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?" says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. -- Isaiah 40:21-31 [NASB]

Hiding Place

2008-09-24T09:44:00.006-04:00

Day 130
Have you found your hiding place? Do you know that no matter where in the world you find yourself, no matter what the climate is around you or what manner of people and circumstances surround you, night or day, your hiding place is intact, and I will always meet you there. You need to meet with Me there often, because everything else you meet with (even in your sleep) drains the life out of you. I am the only One who replenishes life within you. All through the day, you're giving life away, or people are taking life energy from you. It has to be replenished, or you will be overcome and eventually your life will be snuffed out.

Run to the hiding place and be refueled -- over and over and over again. Drink and be drenched in my eternal wellspring of life, or you will have nothing to give to those who are in need. When you are full of my life, empty people can find a connection with Me through you, and you can introduce them to their hiding place in Me.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. -- 1 Kings 17:2-6

The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. -- 1 Kings 19:11-12

As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. -- Exodus 33:9-11

Hear-Say

2008-09-19T09:16:00.005-04:00

Day 129
Like apples of gold in settings of silver -- these are the words I want to speak through you. I have many beautiful things to say to my children, those who will quiet their minds and humble their hearts to listen to Me.

Be a mouthpiece for Me. I want to speak words that will put courage into the timid ones. I want to speak words of comfort and soothing to those who are ovecome by sadness. I want to sing a song of joy to fill the heart of the person who is depressed. I want to whisper a word of profound wisdom to the one who is confused, a piece of brilliant insight to the one who lacks direction. I want to minister words of healing, flowing like water, into the innermost being of those who are being physically and emotionally oppressed. I want to teach stewardship, generosity and divine investment strategies to those who are struggling financially.

Will you be my mouthpiece for these things? All right. Then get into my word, come into my presence, and get your ears on . . .

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. -- Proverbs 25:11 [NIV]

Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances. [NASB]

A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver. [AMP]

Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket. [NLT]

The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry. [MSG]

He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. -- Psalm 107:20

When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons, and He drove out the spirits with a word and restored to health all who were sick. -- Matthew 8:16 [AMP]

Parts is Parts

2008-09-18T09:30:00.006-04:00

Day 128
Why do people just want little pieces of Me? They pick and choose the things about Me they think they want. Every one wants what every one wants. People will do exactly what they want to do. If they want to go after the riches of this world, they will. If they want to know Me, they will. If they want parts of Me, that's what they will get -- parts. This is why my church is fragmented. They all prefer different parts of Me.

Does it seem like your life is fragmented? Is there confusion? Look to Me. Lay everything else aside, and look only to me. Can you do this? Are you open to receive all I have to give and to do in your life? Or do you just want pieces? You want Me to replace the parts of this world that you're not happy with, but to hold onto the parts you like.

All I am is available to you. All of Me is what you need, but you are resisting Me in some ways. Check the first commandment again. More than a command, it's a promise to you. What you embrace will rule your life.

For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. -- 2 Peter 2:18-20

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. -- Exodus 20:2-4

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. -- Revelation 3:17-22

Higher

2008-09-17T08:57:00.005-04:00

Day 127

Keep following Me. Keep coming up higher. Why do you think I would just leave you sitting somewhere, overwhelmed by all your troubles? Get up! Get up and start walking again. My hand is reaching out to you. Take it! Be lifted up! Don't wallow. Don't gripe and murmur and mumble. Don't despair. Do not doubt Me! It is your doubt, and only your doubt, that limits Me.

Lift up your head. Look up. Take my hand. Take both of my hands. Look into my eyes. See me smile. I'm waiting to embrace you. Let Me pull you close and enfold you completely in my arms. Will you let Me take you? Come up.
Here we go . . . !

Lord, how they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are saying of me, "There is no help for him in God." But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. -- Psalm 3:1-3

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. -- Psalm 61:2

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." -- Revelation 4:1

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. -- Psalm 108:1-6, 13

Are You Open?

2008-09-15T09:17:00.007-04:00

Mountain Lake, Colorado
by Josh Tracy

Day 126
Let Me overwhelm you for deliverance. Let Me overwhelm you for healing. Let Me overwhelm you for instruction. Let Me overwhelm you for vision. Let Me overwhelm you for future. Open wide the door of your being to Me. Give Me greater entrance.

I have created you. I have given you gifts. I have set you in a safe place, your feet upon the Rock. I have turned your face to the right direction.

You must now allow me to overwhelm you and fill you so that all the right movement can occur, so that you can do the works you see Me doing, on earth as it is in heaven.

As you yield, every day, saying yes to Me, without conditions, without reservation, without placing your own limits upon Me, my life will saturate you. You will be moved to follow Me exclusively. We will do mighty things together, you and I.

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. -- Isaiah 61:10 [NLT]

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. -- Revelation 3:20 [AMP]

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame. -- Isaiah 50:7 [NLT]

And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. -- Daniel 11:32 [KJV]

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.

Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory. -- Psalm 24 [NLT]

Be Unshackled

2008-09-11T09:44:00.011-04:00

Day 125

I am always doing something new. Each day is pregnant with possibiliy for those who will put their trust in Me. As much as you hang onto the old things of your life and partial understanding of Me, this is how much you will limit what I am able to do in you today.

I will work where there is faith. You have heard me say this repeatedly. I will say it again . . . Faith only comes through knowing Me -- experiencing me -- allowing Me to reveal Myself to you more. People trust who they know. Do you know Me? How well? Better than anything else?

If you keep trying to force Me to fit into the understanding of your finite mind, you are putting limits on Me, and your life will be characterized by those limitations. If you want to free yourself from these (your own) shackles, ask my Holy Spirit to lift the veil from your eyes. Ask Him to lead you into all truth. Read my word. And as you meditate on it, trust Me to peel away one more layer of finite human reasoning, and reveal to you innermost being the new layer of truth I want you to perceive for today.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. -- Isa 43:18,19

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth. -- Hosea 6:3

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. – John 16:13-14

No Condemnation

2008-09-09T05:07:00.005-04:00

Day 124
Do not receive condemnation, but respond to conviction. Condemnation comes from the enemy of your soul, who wishes to dominate and imprison you. His primal aim is to keep you away from Me. Conviction comes from the Lover of your soul, who desires to surround you with songs of deliverance and set you free. My primary aim is to draw you completely to Myself, the Giver of life, the Source of all energy, the Heart of love, the Wellspring of joy, the Bedrock of peace, the Cradle of creativity, the Birthplace of freedom to be all I have designed you to be.

Condemnation speaks a lie. It says, "No! You are unacceptable and you cannot come to God. You will never make it!" Conviction speaks the truth. It says, "Yes! You have fallen short, and I am here to lift you up -- back to the place above where you fell from -- here, in My heart." I want to take you from what made you fall, and I want to rescue you from everything that will harm you. Acknowledge that you have fallen, and can never get here by yourself. Then climb into my arms. I'm waiting to bring you back again.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. -- 1 John 1:7-9

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not live according to the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit. -- Romans 8:1

[Writer's note: Thank you, Pastor Curt, for making clearer to us again the difference between condemnation and conviction.]

Man of Sorrows

2008-09-08T09:14:00.003-04:00

Day 123
No one has known grief as deeply as I have known grief. Man of Sorrows - one of My Names as I walked the earth. What sin does to the people I love and have created has devastated Me. I have felt the deepest depths of sorrow. To see what I love the most, being tortured and destroyed by sin, is the very worst thing.

The saddest part is that it never had to be. I explained it all before it ever happened: Completely trust the One who created you. Listen to Him and do everything He says. Then all things will be well; no, not just "well," but perfect and abundant -- beyond anything you could imagine.

But you said, "No." You decided not to listen, and to make your own way. You plunged yourself into evil, which is the absence of My Presence. I cannot be Lord where you have made something else your Lord. So I sent My Son, who died in your place and took all of your sin back on himself, and overcame it! If you receive it, the blood of Jesus will bring you back to Me.

He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him. Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah’s] people, to whom the stroke was due?

And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick.

When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself [which He possesses and imparts to others] shall My [uncompromisingly] righteous One, My Servant, justify many and make many righteous (upright and in right standing with God), for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt [with the consequences, says the Lord].

Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers], and He shall divide the spoil with the mighty, because He poured out His life unto death, and [He let Himself] be regarded as a criminal and be numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore [and took away] the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors (the rebellious). -- Isaiah 53:3-12 [AMP]

Are There Dark Places?

2008-09-07T05:07:00.004-04:00

In Cordoba, Spain
by Josh Tracy

Day 122
Allow Me to infiltrate all the deep places. There are nooks and crannies, cracks and crevices, hidden rooms and passageways in your heart you have not yet allowed Me to enter. I know all about them. In fact, I know about them and see them better than you do. In truth, some of these places you are not consciously aware of at all. But I know them and I see everything.

Yet I am no intruder. I operate only where I am invited. You can be sure of this: Though I long to bring light, to cleanse and purify you of all the dark and filthy things, I wait for you to ask Me in. I long to replace all of it with fresh, pure streams of living water. There is so much you do not know. Know this: You can trust Me completely. I am Savior, Healer, Deliverer, and I will make you whole. Just ask me about it. Come and believe. Ask and receive.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? -- Jeremiah 17:9

But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be. -- Jeremiah 17:10 [The Message]

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. -- Revelation 3:20

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. -- Isaiah 53:5

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. -- Isaiah 61:1-3

Heart of the Matter

2008-09-05T17:45:00.006-04:00

Day 121
It's time to get down to the heart of the matter. What is at the core of your heart? What is motivating you -- the bottom line compulsion for everything you say and do and the way you order your life?

Is it self-preservation? Trying to keep from being hurt? Trying to get approval from people? Trying in any way -- every way -- to keep yourself young, or healthy, or well-liked, or strong, or on the cutting edge of something?

If these are goals that fuel your decisions and your behavior, you are wasting time and energy. Your flesh is decaying, and everything in this world is fading away. If you wish to save your life, you're going to have to lose it!

The love of God is the real heart of all that matters. Let my love infuse your heart and replace every self-centered thing in it. Let Me into the core. I will ream out the corrosion, the impurities and the chaotic mess. I will fill you with my love, and you will be purely motivated and empowered to live life to the full.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. -- Luke 9:24

For this world in its present form is passing away. --
1 Corinthians 7:31b

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” -- John 7:37-38

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. -- John 10:10

Desperate

2008-09-04T09:10:00.007-04:00

Big Blue Marble - NASA

Day 120
Your need for Me is desperate. You are located in a world largely controlled by the evil one. Evil is all around you. Many times, my people do not even recognize it. The lies of the enemy can be so clever and insidious that even the children of the Most High God are duped by them.

Do not be wise in your own eyes. Never think that you can't be deceived. Humble yourself before Me, and spend more time in my Presence, more time in my word. Devise more ways of surrounding yourself and filling yourself with my Truth. Memorize and meditate on my word more. Speak and sing to Me, to yourself, to each other, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Keep building yourself up on your most holy faith.

Your need for Me is desperate.

Hurricane Fran - NASA

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. -- 1 John 5:19

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. -- 2 Timothy 3:12-13

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. -- Proverbs 3:5-7

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. -- Ephesians 5:19

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. -- Jude 20

Refuge

2008-09-02T09:15:00.003-04:00

Eagle's Nest -- NASA

Day 119
Come and get under my wing. Say close. Let Me hold you close. Why do you run around like a chicken with your head cut off? Here and there, running, running, back and forth, up and down, in and out, trying to keep it all together, trying to make it all happen... You're driving yourself crazy. Stop. come and get under my wing. Rest. Pour your heart out to Me. Let Me get in there and put it back together. Let me clear it out, and let Me fill it up. You've barely begun to receive all I want to give you.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. -- Psalm 91:1-4 [NLT]

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets, abuser of the messengers of God! How often I've longed to gather your children, gather your children like a hen, her brood safe under her wings— but you refused and turned away! -- Luke 13:34

You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. -- Psalm 39:5-7

O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. -- Psalm 62:8

You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. Psalm 23:2, 3, 5, 6 [The Message]

Revealer of Mysteries

2008-08-31T15:39:00.004-04:00

Day 118
There is so much more for you to know -- so much you do not understand. The great human tendency is to force everything to fit into the neat confines of the mind. You must understand that the human intellect, will and emotions are created things. How could the Creator be contained in, or controlled by, something He created?

It's all about control, isn't it? Micro-management. If you can manage your world (and everything in it) according to the way you know it should be, then all will be well. Isn't that so?

No -- it is not. The Lord who created and maintains all the heavens and the earth can take a thing of horrific darkness and transform it into radiant life. Only your Creator has the power to do that. Too many things are beyond your control. But nothing is beyond Me. All things are under my feet. Will you relinquish control? If you do, I will be the Revealer of your mysteries.

Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. -- Daniel 2:27-28

We call Abraham "father" not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"? Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. -- Romans 4:17 [The Message]

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." -- John 8:12

During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." -- Daniel 2:19-23

Forks in the Road

2008-08-30T12:03:00.003-04:00

Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, FL

Day 117
Enlarge the borders of your existence. Expand the sphere of your influence. Are there more possibilities than you have considered? Have you seen your world from the birdseye view? How many directions can you go? Which direction is best? Is there a path you haven't seen or thought about?

I know every path. I see every possibility. I see every ending -- dead-ends and eternal ones.

Will fear keep you anchored to familiar paths? Will you follow a worldly route, planned and calculated by human reasoning? Will you be drawn to take a risk to forge a path that couuld fulfill your selfish ambitions? Will you strike out on a random road for adventure, guided by "luck"? Or will you hear my voice behind you and be led in the Everlasting Way?

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. -- Philippians 1:9-11

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. -- Colossians 2:6-8

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." -- Isaiah 30:21

Get Real!

2008-08-28T07:54:00.007-04:00

Day 116
What you see with your eyes and hear with your ears, and everything you experience through your physical senses, is temporary -- none of it will last. Enjoy the good things, for every good and perfect gift comes from Me. But do not hang onto these things, do not trust in these things, and do not go after them. Enjoy, and let them go, because the things you cannot see are what you must go after.

My kingdom, in this age, and to the physical senses, is invisible. But to those who are born of my Spirit, and who walk in my Spirit, it is real and very present. Open your spiritual senses, and exercise them to be more fully aware of things eternal. For your real life is hidden with Christ in God, and you are seated with Him in heavenly places. Ask my Holy Spirit to reveal Me and my kingdom as you prayerfully study my word, and store up for yourself eternal treasure by walking it out through this life.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. -- James 1:17

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. -- Matthew 6:31-33

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -- 2 Corinthians 4:18

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. -- Hebrews 5:14

Let's Talk

2008-08-27T08:16:00.003-04:00

Day 115
Who has been having conversations with you? Whom have you been listening to? Are you sure? God knows every conversation you have, and He knows every word that is spoken to you and the source behind it. Do you?

The Lord knew the discussion that Eve had with the devil in Eden. He hears every conversation we are engaged in. Close your ears to the voice of the enemy, and cut him off with the word of God, like Jesus does (See Luke chapter 4).

When your mind is speaking, or when another person is speaking, does it line up with the word of God? Check it out. Don't be passive about it.

If you desire in your heart to do something, and you know it pleases the Lord, a voice of discouragement may say that you can't do it. But the voice of your Lord says that you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you. Which conversation will you be engaged in?

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. -- 2 Corinthians 11:3

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. -- 1 Corinthians 10:13

For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. -- Hebrews 2:18

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. -- Philippians 4:12-13

The Power of Agreement

2008-08-26T09:48:00.006-04:00

Day 114
Wherever there is agreement, power is increased. What are you agreeing with? Who are you agreeing with? Agree with negativity, and it will be increased in your life. Agree with the lies of your adversary, and he will have more influence over you. Agree with the Word of God, and it will be manifested wherever you are in harmony with it. If you think my words, pray my words, speak my words, and do my words, my power will flow through you more and more.

I am looking for open doors for the power of my word -- the power of the Lord Jesus Christ -- to flow into the earth. This is the power of eternal life -- the life of the Son of God, who loves you and gave himself for you. All He is, all He has done, and is doing, is available to you. Agree with every word He says. Think it, pray it, speak it, do it! Do you agree?

"Look!” the Lord said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!" -- Genesis 11:6

"Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain! Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?" -- Jeremiah 23:28-29

Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. -- Matthew 18:19

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. -- 1 Corinthians 1:10

Wind in Your Sails?

2008-08-23T10:19:00.005-04:00

Day 113
When the winds of adversity blow, hoist up your sails. This is an opportunity for Me to show myself strong. Face into the wind. I've got your back. Always keep moving forward with Me, when movement is necessary. I will let you know. But you have to be listening. Especially when other winds are howling, you must have your heart trained to hear my voice.

I know how to take hold of the forces that appear to be raging against you, to turn them, arrange them and harness them to work in your favor. Everything must bow to my plans. Everything that does not will be blown away.

How willing are you to yield to my works within you? Will you be built up and let your life be sculpted by the wind of my Spirit? Or will you be blown away?

He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. -- Psalm 104:2-4

The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. -- John 3:8

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -- Romans 8:28

Impossible?

2008-08-22T09:10:00.003-04:00

Day 112
Does it seem impossible to you that I will fulfill the promises I have given you? Do you think the promises you have seen in my word are not for you? Where is the place that I cannot work? Where will my promises not be fulfilled? Wherever there is doubt and unbelief. My word will always accomplish what I have sent it for, but it will always happen in the places where there is faith.

Is there a place of poverty? Believe my word, and I will bring provision there. Is there a place of sickness? Believe Me, and my word will bring healing there. Are you in a place of bondage and imprisonment? Believe and agree with my word,and I will set the captives free. Are you staring some kind of death in the face? Do not doubt what I say. Only believe, and I will breathe resurrection life into that dead thing.

Is fear pressing in on you to overpower and paralyze you? Believe and receive my perfect love for you, and you will rise up as an overcomer in Christ Jesus.

And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. -- Matthew 13:58

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. -- Isaiah 40:21-31

Majestic Spiral Galaxy NGC 4414 - NASA

I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? -- Jeremiah 32:27

While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?" But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." -- Mark 5:35,36

Follow-Through

2008-08-21T08:53:00.006-04:00

Day 111
Finish what you start. Don't allow yourself to be distracted from following through. Keep getting back to center. Keep in the front of your mind the things I have told you to do. They are clear and simple. I will never tell you too much. I do and say everything on purpose. My purposes are always good.

At least once a day, gather up all the fragmented things: all the silly, frustrating, insulting, oppressive things that are hurled at you throughout the day. Some of them stick to you. Some of them fall at your feet and some of them tangle you up. Pick them all up, and deliberately throw them onto Me. Release them. If you don't, they will pile up and keep you from finishing what I have given you.

If you give all the fragmented things to Me, and let them go, I will blow them away. Then stick with Me, hearing my voice, until you are back on top of it all again. Then you will see clearly and be enabled to follow through.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. -- Hebrews 10:35-39

Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it). -- 1 Peter 5:6-11 [AMP]

Power Source

2008-08-20T09:37:00.006-04:00

Mt. Ararat (NASA)

Day 110
I am the source of all energy -- the Power Source. You cannot find true power for living apart from Me. I have a limitless supply. It flows forever. If you are living, acting, working, thinking, speaking out of your own human power, you will wear yourself out and become used up.

Tap into my power that is within you, if you have been born of the Spirit. Keep feeding the deposit of my Spirit that is in you, with my word, with direct communication with Me, and with the fellowship of true believers.

My Spirit is a deep well within you, capable of holding all my power. Fill it up with my word, by intimate fellowship and communion with my Holy Spirit. Energy will abound.

Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!

Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God. Is it not obvious to you that persons who put their trust in Christ (not persons who put their trust in the law!) are like Abraham: children of faith? It was all laid out beforehand in Scripture that God would set things right with non-Jews by faith. Scripture anticipated this in the promise to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed in you." So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! -- Galatians 3:2-9

After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." -- Revelation 19:1

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -- Ephesians 3:20,21

Say the Word

2008-08-19T09:15:00.004-04:00

Day 109
Simplify your life. Sit in my presence, release all of your tension, and soak in the cleansing, purifying waters of my word. Find the scriptures I am speaking into your life each day. There is a new word every day. I will keep building on what you have allowed Me to establish in you until now. Only don't let it be watered down or washed away by other, contaminated waters. Let only my word flow through your mind. Stop the flow of any ungodly word.

Paint Creek, North Carolina

When you hear my words for you today, let them flow through your mind, into your heart, to purify your heart and build your spirit up. Ask my Holy Spirit, Who is in you, to quicken and attach my word to your heart. Then you will be empowered to live it out.

Then speak these words of mine out loud over your life and your situations. Speak them aloud in prayer, with thanksgiving to Me. Speak them out loud as my blessing over your life and over your acivities, and praise and thank Me that these words of mine are being made reality in you as you walk in my paths today.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. -- 1 Peter 5:7 [NLT]

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. -- Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT]

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. -- 2 Corinthians 10:5

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. -- Isaiah 50:4

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. -- Acts 4:29-31

Don't Be Frustrated -- Be Filled

2008-08-17T06:52:00.004-04:00

Day 108
Every time an issue brings up in you some level of irritation, that is a direct indication that you need to come talk with Me. When something or someone enters your little sphere of influence and stirs things up -- you start to feel off balance, on edge, at a loss for words -- even threatened -- you must immediately move toward Me.

I am your Father -- your loving heavenly Father, your eternal, perfect Father of love. No one else knows how to be a father like I am your Father. Only true sons of mine can learn to be real fathers. Forget earthly fatherhood! Come and know my Fatherhood. Run to Me, and grab hold of Me when anything is bothering you. At the first sign of confusion, stress, anxiety, frustration, run to your Father. Then you will see Me diffuse the situation. I will hold you above it, because I am above all things, and you will be with Me. I will pour in my peace, my joy, and my love, and you will not be frustrated. You will be filled with Me.

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations [comfort, compassion and solace] delight my soul. -- Psalm 94:19

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. -- Hebrews 4:16 [AMP]

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. -- Matthew 6:26, 28, 29

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -- Isaiah 41:10

Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. -- Psalm 4:6-8

Something New

2008-08-15T07:13:00.004-04:00

Day 107
What are you waiting for? What are you looking for? What are you looking at? Are you tired of the same old, same old? So am I. But I am waiting on you. I wait on you a whole lot more than you wait on Me. Instead of waiting on Me, why do you wade in the muck of the same old? Yesterday is gone! Tomorrow holds the possibility of every promise I speak to you. But the key is today. The key is in your hand. What does my word tell you to do today? Do not harden your heart -- do not let it be hardened by sin's deceitfulness -- do not be kept from entering God's rest because of unbelief. Unbelief stays my hand and keeps me from moving. I will not live where there is unbelief. I live and move where there is faith.

Today: Believe. Today: Take hold of my promise to you. Today: Begin to speak and believe the new things I want to do in you and in everything you touch. You will receive my gift of faith when you wait upon Me and hear what the Spirit is saying to you -- for your situation. I have put you in situations, because I want to move in them through you. I am bringing my kingdom to the earth. It comes through you. I flow through people's faith. That's the way I have set it up. Where is your faith? Do you see it in my word? What do you see? What do you say?

So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. -- Hebrews 3:7-13, 19

Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. -- John 7:37-38 [AMP]

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. For by [faith—trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report. By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible. But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. -- Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 [AMP]

Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new; now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. -- Isaiah 43:18-19

Feed your Faith

2008-08-12T08:29:00.007-04:00

Day 106
Have you lost your appetite? Feel sluggish? Tired? Limp? Useless? Hopeless? Like who cares? Get up and eat. A table is prepared for you right where you are -- in the presence of your enemies. Pressures from without and negative thoughts from within, working on you to shape your attitudes and rule you through your emotions -- these are your adversaries. Rise up in their presence and eat.

Feed your faith. Eat my Word. Drink my living water. Take communion often. It is a prophetic external act that tells your spirit to feed on Me. I am Spirit. I am life. Don't eat what your enemy is setting before you. I have prepared the meal and set the table that you are to eat from.

Eat my Word -- Don't just look at it. Feed on it. Pick up bites and handfuls of it. Put it inside and digest it. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Agree with it. Speak out loud the words of mine that are revelation and rhema to you. This word is the active reality of my Presence in your life. Don't just sit there and stare. Feed your faith!

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." -- 1 Kings 19:3-5

You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. -- Psalm 23:5-6 [MSG]

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. -- Colossians 3:2, 3, 15, 16

Press On

2008-08-11T08:39:00.004-04:00

Royal Gorge

Day 105
Never give up. Never give in to the enemy. Never let go of Me. I am the Rock. I have set your feet. Stand firm to the end. The winds of change are blowing. Seasons come and go. Learn to move with Me. Don't be afraid. But keep yourself firmly planted - smack in the middle of Me.

The greatest work you do is to press in to Me. It is my work to arrange circumstances. It is my work to bring pressure to move the hearts of people. Keep pressing in to Me, ever upward, ever onward.

I am taking you places. I am tearing down walls. I am changing hearts. I am building a great kingdom. Move with Me, not against Me. Stand still when I hover. Move immediately with Me when I move. How will you know? Press in to Me.

When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. -- Ezekel 1:19-21

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. -- Psalm 40:2

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. -- 1 Corinthians 15:58

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. -- Proverbs 21:1

So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth. -- Hosea 6:3

Get it Straight

2008-08-09T09:43:00.005-04:00

Day 104
What's not lining up in your life? Are there kinks? Are there cramped places? Are there crooked, thorn-covered paths? Is there rough terrain with potholes and sinkholes? Quicksand? Dust storms? Swamps and muck? Are you having trouble navigating through?

You must find out if these are manifestations of your not being in obedience to Me. How can you know this? There are some pockets of it that you already know about. Are you asking for my grace to be increased in you so that you can completely obey Me? Are you humbled before Me?

There are some pockets of disobedience in you that you are not conscious of. How will you see them? They are darkness. You need more light. I am the light of the world. I can light up everything that is worldly and give you sight. You must step into the light and remain there until your vision has adjusted and you see what I am saying to you. Don't shrink back from my light.

The way of the sluggard is overgrown with thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him], but the way of the righteous is plain and raised like a highway. -- Proverbs 15:19 [AMP]

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." -- Matthew 3:1-2; Isaiah 40:3-6

To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light. -- 2 Samuel 22:26-29

But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. -- Hebrews 10:39

Who Overwhelmingly Conquers?

2008-08-08T08:22:00.004-04:00

Day 103
The ones who put their trust in Me -- these are the ones I will keep safe.
The ones who build their lives upon the Rock -- these are the ones I will keep stable in the midst of the raging storms.
The ones who set their hope in Me -- these are the ones I will carry on eagles' wings to the top of my holy mountain, above the strife.
The ones who fix their eyes on Jesus are those who will walk on water through the middle of sea squalls.
The ones who pitch their tents and hunker down in the shadow of my presence -- my secret place of prayer and complete submission to Me -- these are the ones I will keep from harm; these are the ones who will trample over the great lion and the serpent and live with Me forever.
The ones whose hearts are devoted to Me are the ones for whom I will show myself strong.
I'm looking. I'm waiting. I'm watching. Where are you?

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: "I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!” -- Jeremiah 39:16-18

Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. -- Matthew 7:24-25

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. -- Exodus 19:5

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. -- Matthew 14:28-29

If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the Lord, who is my refuge--then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. -- Psalm 91:9, 10, 13

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless [fully committed] toward Him. -- 2 Chronicles 16:9a

Full

2008-08-07T09:39:00.009-04:00

Day 102
Be in step with the Spirit; stay in touch with my word.
Keep pressing ever onward, in the mercies of your Lord.
Push aside all things that hinder, until only I remain.
Full of everything you long for; you have everything to gain.

Look up, press on, push into my heart.
Be healed, be refreshed, be made new
Over and over, every thought, every part
Receive my power and love for you.

I will tear down enemy strongholds,
wrong perceptions of the past.
I will build my fortress in you, place of refuge, joy will last.
I place my yoke of freedom on you,
holding your face in my hands
As you lift your arms to Me, child --
cleansed, empowered by my command.
Be holy, for I am holy; this promise I give you,
As I lift you up into Me. My life fills you, through and through.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -- Romans 15:13

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. -- 2 Corinthians 3:18

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. -- Ephesians 3:16-19

The Ride of Your Life

2008-08-06T08:41:00.005-04:00

Day 101
Are you ready for a wild ride? Do you know where I'm taking you? You know your ultimate destination: Home in heaven, with Me forever; or, at least, you know something about it.

But do you know how many places I want to take you in this life? How many people I want to influence, help, and change through you? Be my vessel - my vehicle - to pour out of my great storehouses of treasure into the lives of the people you touch.

These are some of my treasures: love, joy, peace, healing, kindness, security, strength, faith, faithfulness, endurance, wisdom, revelation, generosity, abundance, truth, freedom, victory, light, vision, hope, Jesus!

Are you ready to ride?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. -- Galatians 5:22-23

Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. -- Matthew 15:30

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
-- Colossians 2:2-3

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? No, in all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. -- Romans 8:31, 32, 37 [NLT]

How Can We Get There?

2008-08-05T08:54:00.003-04:00

Day 100
So how do you get from here to there? Do you have a destination -- a goal -- a dream? Have you spent time with Me regularly and believe that you have received a dream in your heart from Me? Have you forgotten? Have the worries of the world -- and people -- crowded out my dreams for you?

Come back to the place of vision. Come back to the foot of the cross, where everything new begins. I am able to take you there, and I am able to refresh and renew you so that you can begin again.

But I will take every wrong turn you have made, every bad decision, every wild goose chase and chasing after wind and pipe dreams, every side trip you have detoured on, and I will weave these dry, dusty paths into a tapestry of my beautiful grace, as you repent and turn to Me. Come back to the cross. Lay it all down. Trust Me. I will finish what I started in you.

Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. -- Daniel 10:7-12 [NLT]

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. -- 1 Corintians 1:18 [NLT]

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. -- Romans 8:28-30 [NLT]

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. -- Philippians 1:6 [AMP]

The Word of Action

2008-08-04T09:12:00.004-04:00

Day 99
Let my word be established in you. My word is my action. My name is who I am. My word is what I do. When you receive my word, you must choose to let it be established within you. Don't just keep it in your mind; get it down into your spirit by meditation and prayer over it. When you receive my word in this way, then you will understand better who I am.

I watch over my word to perform it. You must watch over my word to participate in the action for which I send it. And you will be transformed by your participation in my action. I do the work, and you are the work of my hands. It is all accomplished by my word.

When you receive a word from Me, in your Bible reading, through prayer, or by preaching or teaching, write it down and pray over it, so that you will be able to take firm hold of the grace I send with it, my grace which is empowerment to act in obedience to what I have spoken to you. I have much to say -- it is always just enough. Receive my words. They are power and action for your living. Are you listening to Me?

But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of people, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the Lord. Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

The word of the Lord came to me saying, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "I see a rod of an almond tree." Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it." -- Jeremiah 1:7-12

Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness; raise me up and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word. I will [not merely walk, but] run the way of your commandments, when you give me a heart that is willing. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law; yes, I will observe it with my whole heart. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Establish your word and confirm your promise to your servant, which is for those who reverently fear and devotedly worship You. Let your mercy and loving-kindness come also to me, O Lord, even your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for those who taunt and reproach me, for I lean on, rely on, and trust in your word. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law from your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Your hands have made me, cunningly fashioned and established me; give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments. -- Psalm 119:24, 32, 34, 37, 38, 41, 42 45, 71, 72, 73 [AMP]

New Again

2008-08-03T07:30:00.005-04:00

Day 98
I am able to make everything new. I am able to create something out of nothing. Bring Me your nothing-ness. Bring Me your weakness and your brokenness. But if you are not broken, don't bother coming to Me. If you don't know you are broken, I cannot fix you. You have fixed yourself. You have fixed yourself a mess. I cannot pull you out unless your hands are lited up to Me. Lift up your hands like the tiny child who trusts her Papa to do everything well. Worship Me. Lift up your voice and cry out to Me. I will make everything new.

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. -- Psalm 34:1-10

I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. -- Jeremiah 33:37-42

Quiet Confidence

2008-08-01T07:49:00.004-04:00

Day 97
How does a believer become more mature in Christ -- more like Christ? How is this maturity measured? By how capable a person becomes? No. It is measured by how much you trust Me -- by how much repentance and rest, quietness and confidence you operate in.

Repentance is continual laying down of every self-motivated thing, and letting go of all that is not of Me.

Rest is being completely open and yielded to everything I want to say and do and be in your life -- every part. It is ceasing from your own efforts and saying "yes" to Me.

Quietness is standing in stability and perfect peace -- rock solid.

Confidence is knowledge of Me and perfect assurance that I am Who I am, and I will do what I say.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trusting confidence is your strength. -- Isaiah 30:15a

United Heart

2008-07-31T19:40:00.006-04:00

Day 96
Don't compartmentalize. If you hold things outside of my jurisdiction, those things will trip you up. You must lay everything at my feet. And you must let go of it all.

I am not a grabber. I don't snatch things away from you. I am a Giver. I give life and I bring wholeness -- every time a person comes to Me, ready to receive. But how can you receive anything from Me if you are holding on to something else?

Fear, suspicion, unbelief, pride, self-preservation, pet peeves, worry, favorite things that won't take second place to Me, the mind-set that closes in tight and says, "but what if . . . ?" All of these must go. They are idols and they are strongholds in your mind that keep Me out. Let them go. This is repentance.

For You are great and work wonders! You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name. I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole (united) heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore. -- Psalm 86:11-12

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. -- John 10:10

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:1-2

Stand Up

2008-07-30T15:00:00.005-04:00

Day 95
Get centered again. You may feel like you've been blown off course. But be like the punching bag toy that comes back straight up to center every time it takes a punch. Don't be moved off your foundation. Dig your heels in. Let your roots go deeper into Me.

I will dry up the waters of the enemy so his flow against you will have no effect. But you must immerse yourself in the waters of my Spirit. Stay drenched in my word, in Spirit-led prayer, in praise and thanksgiving, speaking and listening to Me all day long.

The more you press into Me, the more the enemy will press against you. But this is a set-up for greater victory and more triumph for you. Do you believe Me? Do not fear. Only believe.

Faith is action--spirit movement: Swim strong against the tide of evil and swim into the depths of my love for you. My love for you is powerful. There is no force that can stand against it. Stay in it. I am the Trustworthy One.

For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. -- Proverbs 24:16

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. -- Ephesians 6:10-13

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. -- Ephesians 3:16-19

Get a Grip

2008-07-29T13:44:00.006-04:00

Day 94
I cannot fail. I will not waver. I am more solid than rock -- which I have created. And I am sovereign. I will surprise you. You cannot second guess Me. You do not fully understand my ways. All my ways are perfect. How can you know them?

I have poured my Spirit into you. Get a firm grip -- Wrap yourself around Me, and embrace every word I speak into your heart. The deep of my Spirit is calling to the deep of your spirit. Open your heart, and move with Me, into a deeper embrace. The two become one.

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! -- Deuteronomy 32:4

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. -- Isaiah 55:8-9

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. -- Philippians 3:12

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me--a prayer to the God of my life. -- Psalm 42:7-8

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. -- John 17:22-23

Come Quickly

2008-07-28T07:00:00.004-04:00

Day 93
Never hesitate to come to Me. Come quickly. Come boldly. I am always waiting for you. I long to hear your voice callng to Me, worshiping Me, and telling Me that you believe Me. I want to experience your presence. Do you think I would ignore any of my children when they come to see Me? No. I care for you in great detail, and nothing goes beyond my notice.

And when you come to Me, all that I am is available to you. Do not be afraid of anything or anyone else but Me. Only believe -- that I AM who I say I am and that I reward those who diligently seek Me. I am not to be taken lightly. The things I am doing in you are for permanent life-change. I am not a human being, who is shallow and moody. I am not a tyrant. I am love. I will see to it that all things are made right, as you trust me.

And when you come quickly to Me, come with commitment to cooperate with Me so that my work will be done. It is the works I do that you need in your life. My works are marvelous and wonderful, and unchangeable. Enter into deeper levels of worship and communion with Me. I will unravel and disintegrate all the works of the enemy in your life. I will finish my work and make you whole.

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. -- Hebrews 4:16 [AMP]

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. -- Psalm 37:23

They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." -- Mark 7:37

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. -- 2 Corinthians 13:14

Rear Guard

2008-07-27T06:00:00.002-04:00

The Indian Ocean
NASA

Day 92
What does it mean to stand back and let Me move in a situation? It means, in the face of difficulty, to back up into Me. I'm at your back -- I have your back. I am your rear guard. It means to turn away from the problem and see Me, face to face. Then give Me room, give Me opportunity, give Me time, to breathe into you my life-giving, transforming power.

You will become a channel of my power, a vessel of my grace, without realizing it, as you worship Me. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Praise Me in the morning. Praise Me at noontime. Praise Me when the sun goes down, and in the watches of the night.

The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God. Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves, you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind [Isaiah 52:10-12].

O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors. O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long [Psalm 71:1-9].

Lord of the Dance

2008-07-26T08:03:00.005-04:00

Day 91
Come dance with Me in the heavenly places. I want your joy to be complete. The more you know, experience, and understand Me, the more full and complete your joy will be.

I gave you imagination because it is the capacity to see without limit. Give your imagination to Me. My Spirit will take you places you could not have dreamed of in your own mind. Let your deepest desires and inner longings bubble up and float up into my hands. I will fulfill your deepest desires. Trust Me completely to handle and carefully sculpt your inner imaginings into the dreams I already have for your life. I want you to be something -- someone -- very amazing and prosperous -- a life-giver, drenched with pleasance and refreshment.

Come dance with Me. Let Me embrace and hold you, and I will infuse you with the energy of my great joy. I give you perfect peace.

The young women will dance for joy, and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing [Jeremiah 31:13].

He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them [Acts 3:8].

Bravo, God, bravo! Heavenly beings and all angels shout, "Encore!" In awe before the glory, in awe before God's visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him! God thunders across the waters, brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—God, across the flood waters. God's thunder tympanic, God's thunder symphonic. God's thunder smashes cedars, God topples the northern cedars. The mountain ranges skip like spring colts, The high ridges jump like wild kid goats. God's thunder spits fire. God thunders, the wilderness quakes; He makes the desert of Kadesh shake. God's thunder sets the oak trees dancing, a wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches. We fall to our knees—we call out, "Glory!" Above the floodwaters is God's throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world. God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace [Psalm 29, The Message].

Firm Foundation

2008-07-25T07:40:00.003-04:00

Day 90
Your foundation must consist of Me alone. If you let the words and attitudes of people, the world, the ways of your old flesh and the murmurs and whispers of the enemy seep down from your mind into your spirit, your foundation will be watered down and weakened. These are fiery darts: doubt, worry, hatred, negativity, suspicion, oppression.

You must cover yourself with a thick barrier, the armor of God, to keep these things from infiltrating. Saturate yourself with my word so that my Spirit can take it up like a sword in you behalf to pierce and destroy the advances of the evil one. Boldly grab hold of every piece of information that comes into your mind, hold it up against the standard of my Word, and make it speak the truth!

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ [1 Corinthians 3:11].

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand [Ephesians 6:13].

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ [2 Corinthians 10:5].

He Fills Everything

2008-07-24T08:39:00.005-04:00

Little River Canyon Falls
Alabama

Day 89
Be faithful to Me, right where I have put you today. Look all around you, not to see what the people are doing, but to see what I am doing, and do it with Me. I am there, right beside you, working. Stay in very close touch.

What do you really want? Really? If you want to serve Me -- to do what I am doing, I will teach you, and guide you. I am already there, with the provisions and the power in my hand, for you to do it. If your heart is with Me, you will lack nothing.

Be thankful
Believe
Receive
Listen
Obey
Be thankful
Walk it out
Be thankful
Walk it through
Keep looking up at Me (my ways are higher)
Listen
Obey
Be thankful
Rejoice
See my power at work in you, through you, around you.

Every moment is a God moment, if you maintain this connection with Me. Am I not in everything?

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you [Psalm 139:7-12].

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way [Ephesians 1:18-23].

Front and Center

2008-07-23T06:12:00.004-04:00

Day 88
Bring Me right to the front of everything. Don't make any new moves if you don't know whether you're following my lead. Ask my Holy Spirit to check you on this. Enter into deper, fuller communication with Me. It is available to you. Don't stop following after Me. You see that there are many things working to impede your progress. Be alert to my voice and my influence. Point your attention to it. This is what I mean by bringing Me to the front.

And keep Me at your right hand; don't go running off. I will never leave you, but see that you don't make Me chase after you. That's backwards!

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths [Proverbs 3:5,6].

O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You [2 Chronicles 20:12].

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well [Matthew 6:33].

Spirit vs. Mind

2008-07-22T08:36:00.004-04:00

Day 87
If you communicate to people with your spirit, it will penetrate to their spirits. this is how the anointing works; it is released only spirit to spirit. Communication coming out of the mind may have been taught by the Spirit, but coming from the mind, it will not penetrate to another's spirit. However, a person whose spirit is open and actively seeking Me will be able to receive spiritual instruction from my Spirit no matter who the communication is coming through.

It's a very good thing for human minds to be taught and renewed by my Spirit -- I have commanded you to do this. But that is only one part of learning to be my disciple. The deeper part is learning to operate in the Spirit. Your spirit needs to be fed daily and filled with my Spirit. To the extent that you are full of my Spirit, you will be Spirit-led, versus mind-led.

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" -- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words [2 Corinthians 2:1-13].

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [Ephesians 5:18-20].

But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God) [Galatians 5:16 (AMP].

Fresh Bread

2008-07-21T06:42:00.005-04:00

Day 86
In order to keep everything from getting to you, you have to get to Me! Other things, and people, will catch you and tag you and say, "Ha! You're it!" -- and you will be caught, obligated to them, unless you run straight to the safe base and make your home there. Every morning you've got to run to home base and linger there until you are filled up and equipped, ready with the game plan for the day. You can't live on yesterday's manna -- it's already stale. There is new bread and new wine for each new day.

You can't have control over other people -- nor should you want to. But you can have influence. The best way to have the right kind of influence over others is to be more and more influenced by the Holy Spirit yourself. Stale manna is also not going to work when you offer it to others. They need fresh bread -- the bread I have given you today. Your spirit must be fed every day, or it will be undernourished.

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man [John 2:24-25].

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed [Mark 1:35].

It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God [Luke 6:12].

As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer [Luke 5:16].

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day” [John 6:32-34].

Sweet Renewal

2008-07-20T08:32:00.003-04:00

Day 85
Cast off everything that encumbers you -- Don't just lay it down by your feet, close to you -- Cast it off! Let my glory fall down around you. It can't surround you when you are surrounding yourself with all sorts of other things. These are idols of your heart.

I am glorious over you. But I want to fill every part of your being with my glory. You are my temple. My Spirit fills my temple when it is consecrated and ready to receive my full presence. You must be renewed. Cast off, cast out all of the old ways of thinking. Be filled with the new -- new wine -- the mind of Christ.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [Hebrews 12:1-2].

For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ [1 Corinthians 2:16].

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back [Isaiah 50:4-5].

Static Cling

2008-07-19T08:22:00.004-04:00

Day 84
You have to pray through -- through to the other side of the thing -- to the place of the substance of what's hoped for. What are you hoping for? What should you be hoping for?

Ask Me to keep you stuck to my side like static cling -- yes, cling to Me so that my presence, my character, my spirit come pouring out through your life.

Pray through to the place of faith. To be found in Christ Jesus -- that's the place. Immersed. Perfect Peace. Every thing of the devil, the world, and the flesh quenched by the power of the fullness of my mighty Spirit. There is a place you can go. You'll be okay.

Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy. If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped. I pray to God—my life a prayer—and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning. O Israel, wait and watch for God— with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption [Psalm 130:1-7].

People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don't quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing. The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living. We're in no hurry, God. We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you've done are all we'll ever want [Isaiah 26:3,4,7,8 The Message].

Pray in the Spirit

2008-07-18T06:12:00.004-04:00

Day 83
When you see or hear discouraging things around you, say, "No matter--I'm going to pray!" And pray in the Spirit. The in-working of supplication by my Spirit within you will prevail over the forces of darkness.

I am the One who knows exactly what needs to be done. I may reveal it to you completely or partially -- you may already see it. But relying on your own reasoning will get in my way. Come to Me immediately in Spirit-led prayer and allow Me to work in you the prayer of faith. Then pray with knowledge, if and when it comes to you. After that, follow any instruction I have given you.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [Romans 8:26-32]

Start at the Beginning

2008-07-17T07:07:00.003-04:00

Day 82
This is the beginning of discipline: Making it your utmost priority to be alone with Me at the start of each day. When and for how long, I will tell you. You have seen that this is true, and you know it. You want to see Me flow out of your life, but first you must let Me flow in.

Obey Me in this first thing absolutely, and you will receive the grace -- my power to do my will through the rest of your days. My presence is my power. Be filled with Me.

The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you [2 Chronicles 15:2b].

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him [2 Chronicles 16:9a].

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you [Isaiah 41:13].

From Death to Life -- Every Day

2008-07-16T05:31:00.002-04:00

Day 81
Don't ever allow the enemy to get an upper hand. He will never stop trying. You must keep your feet firmly planted on the Rock, and you must keep yoursef open to be continuously filled only with the Spirit of God. It's far too easy to get out of tune, because the environment you are living in is nearly always hostile to you.

So you have to maintain discipline over your soul to keep yourself wholly attuned to my voice and the promptings of my Spirit. This requires focusing of your spirit, a constant renewing of your mind, death to your self and its desires, and a continued yielding of your entire being to the lordship of Jesus, your true King.

So train yourself to listen to my voice, my word. KNOW IT. Say no to yourself. Say yes to God.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour [1 Peter 5:8].

Why do I live [dangerously as I do, running such risks that I am] in peril every hour? [I assure you] by the pride which I have in you in [your fellowship and union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily [I face death every day and die to self] [1 Corinthians 15:30-31 (AMP)].

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain [Philippians 1:21].

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me [Galatians 2:20].

Creative Hover

2008-07-15T08:48:00.003-04:00

Photo by Josh Tracy
Fingerprintimages.net

Day 80
Let external issues drive you to Me. Get into the deep of my Spirit to find out and be able to deal with the core issues -- matters of the heart, and works that I am accomplishing in you and in others. The bottom line is connectedness to Me. This produces character development and all the fruits of the Spirit.

If something opposed to a fruit of my Spirit is being manifested in you, your connection with Me is somehow short-circuited -- the channel is clogged. Get with Me and let my Spirit unclog and clean out, and re-establish the connection.

You have to give my Spirit ample opportunity to hover over you in the places that are out of order. When I am done hovering, then I will speak into your life the word that will create in you the work, the fruit, the character trait you are needing. This is how I bring new things into being. You have to lay yourself down on my altar and let Me do it. True fruitfulness comes out of this intimacy with Me, and then maintaining the connection.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light [Genesis 1:2,3].

As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." Abraham is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised [Romans 4:17-21].

One Thing

2008-07-14T08:21:00.004-04:00

Day 79
Your prayers are powerful for the pulling down of strongholds. You have all the weapons. Simply use them. Don't struggle to use them -- just use them! Walk in the power of my might. Persevere in obedience. Do not be weary in your well-doing. Struggling makes you weary. Walking in the power of my Spirit makes you strong. I am your source of power.

When you are completely plugged in to the power source, there is nothing that can stop you, nothing that is impossible for you. The work is in remaining connected (abide in Me). This is to be the focus of your efforts. It's in the seeking, the pressing in, the throwing off that which hinders, the drawing near,the taking hold of, standing firm, and clinging to Me. Make it your habit -- constantly refocusing on Me. Meditation on my word will help you do this.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus [Philippians 3:12-14].

Multi-Dimensional

2008-07-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

Day 78
I am not a one-dimensional God. I am not a two-dimensional God. I am not a three-dimensional God. I am a multi-dimensional God. I am multi-faceted and infinitely dimensional. I want to take you to depths and heights and places in Me that your finite human mind would never imagine could possibly exist. Just you wait until you can see Me face to face, and you will be so completely overwhelmed and blown away.

But no, my child, I want to start overwhelming you and blowing you away right now! Let go of yourself and let Me take you.

And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ 1 Corinthians 2:12-16].

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen [Ephesians 3:19-21.

Go Beyond

2008-07-12T08:05:00.004-04:00

Day 77
Be careful that you're not making an idol out of your own spiritual disciplines. Having a "daily devotion" can easily become a work of your flesh. You must cultivate an attitude of openness and complete vulnrability to the promptings and compellings of my Spirit.

Yes, get a habit in place of daily spending a block of time with only Me. But then, let Me take you beyond this. Relinquish your control of this time to Me, and allow my Spirit to take you deeper and raise you up higher than you've been willing or able to go before. Press in to experience my presence in greater measure, and let go of parts of yourself and your past -- good and bad -- that you've been clutching onto. Don't be afraid of letting go. Fall into my grace and let me catch you.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is [Ephesians 3:14-18].

The wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God —his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets
[1 Corinthians 2:7-10].

Deep Water

2008-07-11T07:11:00.003-04:00

Day 76
It doesn't matter what people say. It doesn't matter how emotional they become. You must not take your cues from people, or be influenced by human words and emotions.

Be influenced by my words and by my Spirit. Keep pressing in to Me -- all day, every day -- as long as you live on the planet. I am the only one who has the whole truth. Don't react to people, their words or their pressures upon you.

Let my life-giving, pure water (which is my word for the moment) flow up and out of the deep well within you. I fill up this well with fresh water continually as you stay connected to Me, keeping close, keeping the pipeline open. Don't stop the flow. Listen to what I'm telling you right now . . .

Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within [Proverbs 20:5].

If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own, you'll soon be out of your depth [Proverbs 19:27].

Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it; never let her go—she'll make your life glorious. I'm writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way, I'm drawing a map to Righteous Road. I don't want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns [Proverbs 4:6,8,11&12, The Message].

Come Closer

2008-07-10T07:03:00.004-04:00

Day 75
There is a difference between planning ahead and being prepared. I do not ask you to plan your future. I plan your future. I ask you to be prepared for what I have planned. If you seek my face, and not just my hand, you will have my full embrace, my arms surrounding you, holding you next to my heart. I give gifts to all my children, but not many of my children let Me hold them close and impart to them the fullness of my Spirit.

As long as you keep Me at a distance -- at arm's length, or even father away -- you will only be partially prepared for the future I have for you.

You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they'll never be heard from again. But I'm in the very presence of God— oh, how refreshing it is! I've made Lord God my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do! [Psalm 73:25-28, The Message].

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne [Revelation 3:20-21].

The Other Side

2008-07-09T06:49:00.004-04:00

Mom's Flower Garden

Day 74
Push through to the other side of your mood to the place of thanksgiving. Here you will be able to lay everything down and find rest. Let my peace prevail. Let my Spirit saturate you. The dross will float up to the surface, and then let Me deal with it.

You need to come to this place every day, and as often as I call you. If you sek Me first, I will fill your life with the real treasures of the universe. I will make all things new.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18].

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations [Psalm 100].

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us [2 Corinthians 4:7].

Buy the Truth

2008-07-08T06:53:00.003-04:00

Day 73
Forget the former things. Do not dwell in the past. I have a future hope for you and for all who belong to you. Know my word, so you don't fall into error and be overcome by the enemy. Have I not spoken it more than once? I am gracious, and merciful, and I will not let go of what is mine. I will not let go of you.

What have I said about you? What have I spoken to you? Forget all the words of man and all the ways of man. Cling to my word and my ways. They are to you a tree of life. Fill up your mind, your heart, and your mouth with my words of life.

Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Own it. Know it. Be filled with it. Live it. Speak it.

Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert [Isaiah 43:18,19].

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed [Proverbs 3:13-18].

Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding [Proverbs 23:23].

Insight

2008-07-07T06:06:00.003-04:00

Day 72
There are things in your life, in your home, and in the lives of others that you cannot see or do not understand. When you see them, you may perceive them incorrectly, based on human understanding and the knowledge you have up until now.

To understand these things and to know what to do about them, you must pray in the Spirit and cry out for understanding, insight and discernment. Spend time planted at the feet of Jesus, calling out and waiting for my wisdom and my understanding of these matters. This is obedience. You will receive instruction for further steps of obedience, and being in the Spirit will cause you to be certain, firm and unwavering in your obedient actions (which are your good works).

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe [Proverbs 2:1-11, NLT].

Make Room

2008-07-06T06:28:00.004-04:00

Day 71
I know your heart. I know every concern of your heart. Will you lay them all before Me? If you hold onto things too tightly, I cannot have my way with them. Whenever a thing is of such concern that it causes you to worry, to spend time turning over in your mind about what you should say, what you should do, you are being anxious, like I told you not to be, and you are not letting Me take care of it.

What does it mean to let go? How will you know when to do or say something and when to refrain from doing or saying? The way to know is by absolute dependence on Me -- moment by moment. This is not natural for you. It is learned. As you learn this obedience, your life will be guided and ultimately controlled by the Supernatural -- Me!

This happens by starting each day with your full attention given to Me. Make the room, and give the time for this to happen. Then, as you go through the day, keep making room for Me and keep turning your full attention to Me.

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life [Philippians 4:6,7 - The Message].

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word [John 8:36,37].

Hope

2008-07-05T09:11:00.004-04:00

Day 70
Proverbs 4:5 -- Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.

When you have negative attitudes in your heart, negative thoughts in your mind (gloom, depression, hate, envy, worry, confusion, timidity, doubt, frustration, an irritated spirit), you are swerving from the Word of God, and have forgotten it.

There is a word in my Scripture for every negative attitude that assaults you. When you are assaulted, find my word that will bring truth, protection, peace, joy, love, power, self-control, confidence and a sound mind.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline [2 Timothy 1:7].

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [Ephesians 6:10, 11, 16, 17].

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. “O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! [Psalm 42:5-11].

Will You Be Tossed About?

2008-07-04T10:32:00.003-04:00

Day 69
When I call you to walk out on the water, it won’t be during times of calm. I give you grace – power to walk over the waters of the tempest. Ask Me to give you the command, and immediately obey it. How will you keep from being tossed about? Don’t be tossed about! Take courage – I am calling you. I am teaching you, I am guiding you, and I am holding you up with the right hand of my righteousness. Keep your eyes on me. Pay very, very close attention. Do not give your attention to the waves. Whatever you give your attention to will carry you about. Do not let your attention be divided. Press in, press into Me.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." And he said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus [Matthew 14:24-29].

God alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea [Job 9:8].

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord [James 1:2-7].

Shaped and Filled

2008-07-03T07:37:00.004-04:00

Day 68
How can you be one with Me in the midst of all that surrounds you, pressing in from every side, from above and below? These pressures are my tools, in my hand, to shape you into my likeness. Allow them to turn your eyes and your ears toward Me. This is life's journey. Through all that happens, press on toward the goal, fixing your eyes on Jesus. Study his life, how he acted and reacted. Then you will know him and you will know my character. As you study my word and see my attitudes and actions, you will understand my character, and my thoughts will become your thoughts. Know my ways, and you will be like Me.

Your attitudes determine how you will act (think -> say -> do). Have the mind in you which was in Christ Jesus, who made himself nothing. He emptied himself and I filled him with myself. I will fill you, and I will guard your ways, determine your steps, and make your paths straight.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training [Hebrews 12:2-7, The Message].

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped , but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [Phillipians 2:5-11].

There is a Plan

2008-07-02T08:09:00.004-04:00

Day 67
My presence is with you always. I am in the falling rain and in the shining sun. My creation tells about me. You can see my character through what I have created, by what I do, and by knowing my word.

Let your consciousness of Me be foremost in your mind. Knowing Me -- not just about Me -- is the key to life. By being filled with my Spirit, you can know Me from the inside out. You can know my mind. My Son made that possible when he became a human being. He walked with Me like you can walk with Me. By his resurrection, you have newness of life -- direction, purpose, wholeness and fulfillment. All the work has been completed for you. You have only to take up your cross and follow Me. When you take it up, that means you commit to putting yourself to death. The hopes, dreams, desires and plans you have for yourself and your life here without Me are what you nail to that cross. Those dreams are empty and without purpose, and you will waste all your time and energy trying to follow them.

Follow me instead. I know the plans I have made for you, and my purposes are sure. They are for you, not for Me only. Your unique design and personality, your personal strengths and weaknesses, and all your innermost needs, I have formed and fashioned with careful precision to fit flawlessly into my tapestry of creation. All you will ever see with your human eyes is only a small part of the whole design. I will show you enough so that you can trust Me for all the rest. You will see it all and enjoy it fully someday.

Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that will I do [Isaiah 46:8-11].

There's a Bigger Picture

2008-07-01T07:38:00.005-04:00

The Ohio River

Day 66
You have seen my power. You know that all things are in my hands. I am making you ready, prepared for each day as it comes. Do not forget my words that you have seen. Do not lose sight of my power and my ability to keep all things in my control.

My presence in your life will fill you with joy that sustains you when you feel emotionally drained. It's all right when you go through trials, and you can persevere because of my strength within you. The emotional highs are to build you up, and the emotional lows are to build you up, too. All things work together in my design. Nothing will escape my sight and my full knowledge.

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love [Psalm 31:14-16].

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? [Jeremiah 32:27]

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need [Hebrews 4:13-16].

So Much More

2008-06-30T07:19:00.006-04:00

Day 65
Come to Me. I am the one who heals you. I am the one who gives you rest. I have created you. I know you down to your innermost being. I know your desires and I know your needs. I can meet your every need, better than you know how to ask me. My Spirit searches through your being, and knows you more intimately than you know yourself.

I am in you, and you are in Me. Let your spirit search Me out, and know me. I will bring completeness to your life, direction, peace, and courage to stand firm. Put on my armor and be filled with my Spirit. There is so much I want to do through you.

If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you [Exodus 15:26].

The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds [Jeremiah 17:9,10].

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him [2 Chronicles 16:9].

Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring [Hosea 6:3].

Refocus

2008-06-29T06:00:00.003-04:00

Day 64
Do no focus on failure, but use it as a reminder to get refocused, moment by moment. I am doing a work in you and I am doing works in those around you. I take each person, one step at a time. Commit yourself to keeping in step, one foot in front of the other. Others fall in line as my spirit works in their hearts. You follow his lead, and keep in step. It is not too hard for you. I have shown you the way. I will instruct you. Don't "rack your brain to figure out what to do." That is not what I have called you to do. Listen to my voice and pay attention to my instruction. As you obey, my word becomes more clear.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work [2 Corinthians 9:8].

For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity [Proverbs 24:16].

All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come [John 16:1, 13].

Stand Firm

2008-06-28T06:35:00.003-04:00

Day 63

Painted Rocks, North Carolina

You can do all things through Me. I give you the power -- it is available. Make your plans acording to what I have shown you, and I will direct your steps. You can get yourself so saturated with my word and truth that you will always have the right answer, know the right choices to make, and be able to do every good work I have prepared you for. It requires concentration, dedication, and being determined in your mind to never give up.

Keep on keeping on. Purpose at the start of each day to set your mind on Me, fix your eyes upon Jesus. Then when you start to seek Me you will see my provision. Keep on seeking Me through the day. My Spirit will remind you, enable you, guide you.

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength [Philippians 4:13].

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps [Proverbs 16:9].

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus [Philippians 3:13-14].

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain [1 Corinthians 15:58].

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come [2 Corinthians 1:20-22].

Look Up

2008-06-27T07:07:00.007-04:00

Day 62

Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! [Isaiah 55:6, 12]

Look to Me. I am in the midst of all things that encompass you. Like the eye of a storm, I am in the center and in control. I will give you peace. I will guide you.

Look to Me when you weigh and consider all the options that are available. Let my principles guide you. You will make the right choices when you ask for my direction. I will not allow you to be tossed about and confused, if you look to Me.

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever [Psalm 121].