Daily Devotions

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Much More Intense

MELISSA—As a heads up I want to say, we really haven’t seen anything yet. Things will get much more intense, bizarre and shocking in the days and years ahead. We need to realize we are being called out of the grave but the grave does not want to let go! Going from death to life is a spiritual matter; and self-help, reasoning and logic can’t make that happen. Only the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead can make that happen (Rom. 8:11). So, to say it in a different way: things will get much more spiritual in the days and years ahead. We are going to see some stuff. We are going to be involved in some stuff. We need to know WHO we are and that is what this onslaught is teaching us. We are sons and daughters of the King, made in His image to see evil removed from and His Kingdom settled on this earth.    HOLD.

Possibilities That Symbolize in Dreams

KATHY—Someone dreamed that birds were covering their house. A good question would be, “Is the dream literal or symbolic?” In this case, it was not literal. A search for possibilities of what birds could symbolize would be the next step, and then consideration of those options until a meaning clicks with you or bears witness and brings clarity to the dream.   For example, when I think of birds being symbolic, my first thought is a bird can represent gossip, as in “a little bird told me.” If your co-workers or neighbors or family are really into gossip, then perhaps the dream is a heads-up to be on guard so that gossip doesn’t get into your thinking and opinions and cause you trouble.  This is an illustration also of how a simple dream can be powerful equipping when we understand the information being passed on to us.

From Chaos to Order

MARTY—If you want to find out what disorder is like in your life, all you have to do is sin. Sin will bring disorder to your life. I have seen sin destroy homes because of adultery. I have seen many lives destroyed because of drugs, alcohol, perversion. There is a price to pay for rejecting the government, order, of Yahweh.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without order. It was without form (Gen.1:2). But Holy Spirit hovered over the earth and brought order. Jn.3:16, “For God so loved the world [i.e., His created order] that He gave His only begotten Son.” Why? Because that order He created was set into chaos by man’s sin. So God wanted His order back. He knew His order was best and chaos was destructive. His order is righteousness and peace and joy (Rom.14:17). So He gave His only begotten Son. Why? So that all of this chaos could be brought back into order. Only Jesus can bring the chaos of the world back into order.

The Big Picture and the Good News

MELISSA—Here’s the good news of the big picture, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.” (Ps. 24:1) He is not going to abandon His creation. He is going to fully possess this earth and He is going to do that through His sons/daughters. This is seriously the time to step out of the chaos to see what’s happening. He is exposing, tearing down, uprooting and dealing with evil. When you see the big picture it changes your perspective in the heat of the battle. This world is not being destroyed, it’s being turned right-side up, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.” (Is. 65:17)

Misunderstanding in Dreams and Visions

KATHY—Misunderstanding about thinking literally and symbolically is one of the biggest reasons we misunderstand communications in dreams or visions and that can then leave us totally confused and missing the point. Literal means “real with no hidden meanings and nothing to be de-coded”.  What you see is what you get.   For example, if you dream birds are covering your house and the dream is a literal message, you need to find ways to keep birds off your roof before you have a mess.  The dream would be a heads-up for your benefit in future.  Symbolic means not real and a detail represents something other than itself.  In that case, the birds aren’t really birds but they represent something else in the air or atmosphere or surroundings.  Landing on your roof top or your high place would be your head and/or mind.  So the message would be to guard your mind and thinking from something in the atmosphere trying to land and have presence or influence in you.

Stretching our Curtains

As the people of God assemble today, may the Presence of the Holy Spirit working with the Word enable us to “stretch our curtains and lengthen our tent cords” so that we will “break forth” and our “offspring will possess the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” (Isa.54:1-4)

Approaching the Halfway Mark

MARTY–We are approaching the halfway mark of 2024 after many of us committed ourselves to a course with more effective focus for a new year. Some are finding that starting on course is a great deal easier than staying the course. The admirable intentions we begin with may fall prey to the wily snares of unexpected interruptions, discouragement, self-pity and life obligations. Starting on course and staying the course may prove to be very costly. But the loss of that which would never be gained is inestimable.   Phil.3:13,TPT—I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this;  however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. 14 I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.

Be Prepared for the Onslaught

MELISSA—When the Lord said to pray we be prepared for the onslaught we did, and then His instruction came to hold. What this instruction has shown me is “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’  says the Lord of Hosts.” (Zech. 4:6) This cannot be handled or fixed by our might or power. We are at the place where all of our self-help, strength, reasoning and logic have absolutely no power against this onslaught. What we are experiencing is what has been fueling the problems in lives and society and it has been hidden behind the scenes until now. This is a spiritual war and this is only the beginning. 

Sometimes Symbolic, Sometimes Literal

KATHY—When Father God does get our attention and communicates, we can be confident that He wants us to pursue full understanding.  The process I described of coming to see clearly concerning the number 1111, is just one example of how to search until you get to clarity.  I honestly expected that particular search to lead to a symbolic insight, yet it turned out to be a literal number of a chapter and verse.  Then that literal number became a symbol of encouragement for me, (and it still is every time I see it).  I’m emphasizing the difference between thinking literally and symbolically because one of the biggest reasons we misunderstand communications in dreams or visions is that we think details are literal when they are symbolic, or visa-versa.  That kind of  misunderstanding can then leave us totally confused and missing the point.