FORWARD FREELY. This devotional is updated each week, each year. The freshest content is near the top of each week's devotional. Content from previous years for any given week is included below the fresh content. NOTE: If you have the option to do so, please add us to your 'buddy', 'accepted', 'approved' or 'trusted sender' list to ensure you continue to receive our messages. Thanks. This Week's Memory Verse is 2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
Week 31
Eagles are long distance fliers.
Two Ways The Scripture Can Be Read: WITH or WITHOUT a VEIL!
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 KJV - But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
A Veil blurs one’s vision, making the details of what is seen difficult to discern.
Most people read the scripture through the veil of unbelief.
It takes the Holy Spirit to remove the veil from a person’s inner eyes.
Unbelief is a veil, hiding the true meaning of scripture.
Intellectualism is also a veil. God’s Word is not just mentally discerned; it must be processed by the heart too.
Pride is yet another veil. God’s Word has to be approached from a position of humility to receive anything from it. Jesus taught that only those who come in child-like dependence can receive.
Scripture only changes people who can read it or hear it WITHOUT a veil.
Read or heard WITH a veil covering one’s eyes, scripture is but another document of words, creeds, ethics, morals, rules and stories.
Read or heard WITHOUT a veil, scripture becomes a living love letter fresh from the Father’s heart - hotmail from heaven!!!
Hebrews 4:12 AMP - For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
The key to effectively ministering to others is sharing what is “FRESH FROM THE LORD” in your own heart.
Fresh bread tastes the best. Stale bread is not received well at all.
To be an effective minister of the Gospel I need to be: 1) Fresh in my body, 2) Fresh in my testimony and experiences with the Lord, 3) Fresh in prayer, 4) Fresh in revelations and insights from God’s Word.
Silencing the believer’s mouth is priority to the devil and his hordes.
Destroying a believer’s testimony is another priority of the devil.
The devil is a SCANDALIZER.
“Accuser of the Brethren” can just as easily be translated “Scandalizer of the Believers.”
Give someone another chance today.
Extend mercy and a new beginning to someone today.
Give someone a fresh start!
Compliment your spouse today.
Compliment your children today.
Compliment your fellow worker today.
Be like God today: Bless someone with something they may not even deserve!
God is “gooder” than we are.
Psalm 86:5 AMP - For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever]; and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.
Could it be that God really drops our sins once and for all?
Isaiah 43:25 KJV - I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Micah 7:19 KJV - He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
God has both a great memory and a poor one: He never forgets our good works but He always forgets our sins!
God is not a fault-finder. God is not nit-picking towards those who love Him and seek Him earnestly. James 1:5 AMP - If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.
Satan is the fault-finder, accuser and condemner of believers. It doesn't matter what a fallen evicted angel says about you. Satan really has no say-so about you. He is the loser of losers! All of his words and thought suggestions are worthless lies.
The key to any healthy relationship is to overlook one another's weaknesses and faults and to give one another plenty of space to grow. The Book of Proverbs in the old Living Bible version says, "Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends."
Never underestimate the potential of ANY believer to change, grow, mature, and be used by God.
When God relates to us He sees our potential, not just our present performance.
God sees me as His finished product in the future; not just where I am today.
God will never give up on His vision of me. So why should I give up on myself when I make mistakes along the way.
God never gave up on David and David made some really bad mistakes.
God never gave up on Abraham and Abraham made some stupid mistakes.
God never gave up on Peter even though Peter stuck his foot in his mouth on quite a few ocassions.
God never gave up on Jacob even though there was much change that had to take place inside him before he could be renamed "Israel," the "Prince."
God never gave up on Thomas despite his unbelief and even went so far as to meet Thomas where he was, by inviting him to place his fingers into the holes in his hands and to thrust his hand into the hole in his side.
GOD WILL NOT GIVE UP ON YOU NO MATTER WHAT!
If I have His Presence, I've got it all!
The touch of the Master's Hand is enough for me!
If His Presence goes with me, then I am a success story!
Psalm 16:11 KJV - Thou wilt shew me the path of life: IN THY PRESENCE is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
I CHOOSE DAILY! Today I choose peace. I select joy. I pick supernatural strength. I opt for health. I decide on love today. I elect to be happy and fulfilled. I select deep inner fulfillment and satisfaction. I choose abundant life! I pick fellowshiping with my Father all day long. I go for praise and worship today. I decide to sing to God off and on throughout my day. I settle on having a great day! I decide to give my every care and concern to Him. I place my trust in Him. Today I relax and let God be God, and let myself be the object of His incredible love. I choose. I select. I opt. I pick. I go for. I settle on. I CHOOSE MY ATTITUDE. And God's power will be there to back up my choices!
The Jezebel spirit in a wounded woman who has given herself over to controlling spirits will try to take out the man of God in two ways: ADULTERATE HIM or ASSASSINATE HIM... either way if fine with her, as long as she takes the man of God down. The Jezebel of the Old Testament ASSASSINATED God's prophets and tried to kill Elijah himself. First she ASSASSINATED Elijah's character (hoping that would be enough), then later she tried to literally ASSASSINATE him since her character assassination didn't stop him. In contrast, the Jezebel of the Book of Revelation tried to ADULTERATE men of God and took them to bed with her. This also results in taking down the man of God from his ministry position. The Jezebel spirit may also use a weak man like Ahab her husband in the Old Testament to further do her bidding. Jezebel and Ahab were quite the team.
Friendships can be a double-edged sword to a local church. Friendships have the greatest potential to GROW A CHURCH, and yet the greatest potential to BLOW A CHURCH.. to bits! Friendships are the lifeline of a local church as they are the connections that also grow the Kingdom and enrich people. But friendships can also be misused to raid a local church of its members as one dissatisfied believer infects the next and the next and the next.
When you are going through a season of pressure or temptation in your life, remember that this is just a temporary Desert before Dessert, and just a necessary Showdown before Showtime!
One of the enemies ploys to throw you for a loop is to suddenly flood you with temptations, desires, frustrations or thoughts from your past that you thought you were free from. AND YOU REALLY ARE FREE FROM THOSE THINGS. Satan's hope is that suddenly pressuring you again with those things you have been free from for so long will totally discourage you and make you wonder where you really stand with God. So resist the enemy's mind games in Jesus' name, altogether cutting out anything or anyone surrounding your life that the enemy might be using as an inroad to you. Double up on your Bible reading and prayer time for a season, cling even tighter to your pastor and local church, and simply PRESS ON THROUGH this smoke screen!
HOW TO ENJOY FREEDOM: Pray for someone today in a worse situation than your own!
Should I stop singing His praises, Then surely these rocks would cry out! So Lord I bring my Hosannas; Let it never be said, No, never be said, That a rock had to take my place!
Luke 19:37-40 - And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
The fragrance that filled the room from Mary Magdalene anointing Jesus' feet did not really come from her bottle of expensive perfume, but actually emanated from the relationship she had with Jesus. (Dr. Susan Klaudt)
The Definition of the word "Problem" is "A Wonderful Opportunity To Pursue A Creative Solution From The Lord, And Thus For Me To Get All The Victory & Him To Get All The Glory!"
Another Definition of the word "Problem" is "An Unexpected But Excellent Opportunity For Personal Growth As I Pursue The Lord About This."
Give me a Perfect Man, a Brilliant Man, a Talented Man, or a Got-It-All-Together Man, and I'll give you six months maximum, before he falls flat on his face. Give me a Broken Man, who knows how utterly dependent He is on the Lord, and I'll guarantee you his lifelong success.
"Lord, please break me!" Never stop asking the Lord to break your spirit. You needn't fear that He will do this by bringing tragedy into your life; that is not the way God deals with you. Tragedy is the way the devil brings the wrong kind of brokenness. That is the kind of broken heart, or wounded heart, that Jesus came to heal. But to ask the Lord to break you is to invite Him to thoroughly deal with your heart, to break you of all self-reliance, self-will, selfish ambition, and opinionation. To be broken before the Lord is to get to the place where selfish ambition has been crucified, and where you are keenly aware of your dependence on Him, as well as the utter futility of depending on your own brilliance or strength. This is the kind of "broken heart" or "broken spirit" that God wishes to grant, and the kind that He treasures. Ps 51:17 KJV - "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
Isaiah 57:15 KJV - "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
When you're under condemnation you minister condemnation. When you're under the cloud of condemnation yourself, you unconsciously mete out the spirit of condemnation to others. So rebuke and cast off that spirit, if not for yourself, at least for those who are closest to you! Romans 8:1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
I am Covered & Smothered in Divine Favor!
Galatians 3:7 "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."
You and I are believers. Therefore we are Abraham's Seed!
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
The Seed of Abraham believes like Abraham believed.
Romans 4:11 "...that he might be the father of all them that believe... 12 And the father ... to them.... who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham...."
The Seed of Abraham prays like Abraham prayed.
Genesis 13:4 "...and there Abram called on the name of the LORD."
The Seed of Abraham praises like Abraham praised.
Genesis14:22 "And Abram said ... I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,"
The Seed of Abraham obeys like Abraham obeyed.
Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed..."
The Seed of Abraham tithes like Abraham tithed.
Genesis14:18 "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all."
The Seed of Abraham prospers like Abraham prospered.
Genesis 13:2 "And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold."
Abraham's Law! Not Murphy's Law!
I live by Abraham's Law, not Murphy's Law!
Abraham's Law: If anything Good could possibly happen, it will happen... and it will happen to ME!...Today!
Because I walk in Abraham's Law, not Murphy's, I get all the good breaks! I get all the promotions! Good things keep happening for me.
Favor is flowing towards me.
Favor is flooding me.
Favor rests upon me.
Favor is glowing upon me.
Favor is emanating from my person.
Favor is radiating from me.
The Father LIKES ME. People LIKE ME. My children FAVOR ME. My boss LIKES ME. My wife FAVORS ME above all others. Those to whom God has called me to minister FAVOR ME highly.
I am Gods Favorite!
Atmosphere is Everything!
Keep the ATMOSPHERE of your home, your car, your workplace, and your prayer-place FILLED with heavenly music, positive people, relaxing decor, and scriptural photos and posters!
Its not just what God wants to impart to you but also what God wants to depart from you. The anointing will at once take certain things out of your life and deposit others things into it.
Give God the first hour of your day and the first tenth of your pay!
Faith + Patience = Answered Prayer
First be sure you are only running God's race for your life, and not your own rat race. Next ask God to grace you to run that race. Then ask Him to pace you in it. And finally, face Him every day in prayer, letting Him embrace you before you run.
Even the Best get Stressed without their Rest! (How foolish the popular adage, "The Best Never Rest!")
Consider cooperating with your body when it begins signaling you that you need more rest. Just maybe God was smart enough to build into our bodies certain warning indicators that would alert us to "slow down." Imagine that!
A little bit of Flirting can end in a whole lot of Hurting.
A little looking can become a lot of lusting.
To Stop a habit, Start a new one in its place.
The Solution to Stopping some wrong behaviour is NOT trying harder. Rather the Solution is Starting a new righteous behaviour in its place.
I.D. your Ideas that are Divinely Inspired by writing them down.
CAPTURE every inspired thought from God by writing or typing it down... immediately! God talks more to those people whom He sees cherish His every dealing with them. Those who flippantly let His whisperings go into one ear and out the other, prove to God that they do not treasure what He shows them. Even the Bible is a book of captured and documented thoughts from the heart and mouth of God.
DOCUMENT God's Dealing's In Your Life! If He spoke or showed you something, it is life-changing, and He intended that you not forget it.
Slay the Four-I'd Monster discussed in 1 Co 10:1-14 - I.dolatry, I.mmorality, I.nsurrection, and I.ngratitude.
At the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve met Satan. Perhaps at the Tree of Life, they would have met Jesus. In John 15:5, Jesus said, "I am The Vine."
Friendships usually die because of Neglect.
Marriages can go sour due to Neglect.
More things in life are lost to Passive Neglect than to Active Attack.
In Luke 5:1-11, Peter and his partners had done all the right things to catch fish, but in spite of their best efforts, failure happened. In this fallen world we live in, sometimes failure occurs despite our best and most sincere efforts. But like Jesus did for Peter in these passages, if we hearken unto Him, He can and will turn our failures around for us. God is in the habit of turning mourning into dancing, failure into success, brokenness into wholeness, and loss into gain, when we place our broken toys into His hands. Remember that GOD IS THE MASTER OF THE TURNAROUND! (Philippians 1:19 - "For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME WILL TURN OUT FOR MY DELIVERANCE.")
I'd rather go down in flames trying to do something noble and noteworthy in life than to succeed at accomplishing nothing! (Isaiah 32:8 NIV - "But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.")
I'd rather sink trying to walk on water, heading towards Jesus, than to cower in the comfort zone of the boat, feeling far away from Him.
Obey today, play tomorrow. Disobey today, pay tomorrow.
