Daily Devotions

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The Sun is Rising on Us

MELISSA — We have had our questions, our doubts and shed our tears, but we’ve heard what comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5).  I’m telling you, the sun is rising on us and great joy will be ours because it is our time.  It’s time to operate in the mandate God has given us.”

Receiving a God-Warning

Kathy Gabler—It is possible to receive a God-warning in a dream for someone else, but it will still be a call to positive action such as prayer or instruction to intervene. Hopefully, God can trust us with the warning and we won’t even tell the someone else unless or until the Holy Spirit instructs us to do so.  Otherwise, we might paint a target on their chest that draws fire, and that would be missing the point of a warning entirely. Regarding warnings, consider God’s nature and don’t accept dread or threat.  Consider a warning from God to be notification that it is time to move out in effectual action and obedient follow-through.

You Can Edify Others

This is the day the Lord has made so…  I will rejoice and be glad that the Holy Spirit enables me to edify others in it! 1Thess.5:11 says “So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.” It is possible to turn someone’s day completely around. It is even possible to turn someone’s life completely around with just a few encouraging words inspired by the Holy Spirit. Edify means “to restore by building, to rebuild, repair, establish, to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness.”  We are praying you discover daily that you are edifying others so they may realize their value in helping others.

With One Word

Melissa Gabler—With one word God intends to align what has been out of line.  With one word He intends to right the wrongs.  With one word He intends to do what He had in mind all along. This word “radical” has become my one word declaration over many situations and people. It’s one word, but it says it all! Right here in the middle of some of the most chaotic days of most of our lives, God says one word — one very loaded and life-changing word.  It might seem like the end of all things, but fear not.  We are about to see the radical that has been happening behind the scenes. We might think we have seen radical happening already. Nope, we are about to see radical for real.  Isaiah 55:11 (His word will accomplish what He pleases) is a truth that we will see manifest in our day.  How so? Radically.  No need in any of us trying to figure out how, for whom, or even when. God’s radical is a steam engine barreling down the track building speed. Let’s just get out of the way. To you and your family I say, “radical!” To the United States of America, one nation under God, I say, “RADICAL!”

Reconsidering

KATHY GABLER—Eventually, I came to a fuller understanding of biblical repentance meaning “to consider things differently and change your thinking”. I came to understand it to be “reconsidering for the purpose of aligning your thoughts with God’s”. As the process of repentance opened my understanding, even the phrase “the Kingdom of Heaven ” came to more meaning. I discovered that the Kingdom of Heaven was not a place with God that we can only reach after death, but that the Bible concept of the Kingdom of Heaven is His authority, power, order and ruling presence everywhere, at all times, both in eternity and the now. According to Psalm 145, His Kingdom always has been and always will be. Another major turn in my understanding then was that when Jesus said “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” it is a major contradiction to think He meant that it is almost time to leave the earth to go to another place when He was actually saying the authority and power of God is within reach on earth! That made me realize that when Jesus healed some people, He said, “The Kingdom has come upon you.” He had a grasp on God’s order in Heaven and was pulling it into earth to heal.

Setting Our Sights Upon Him

As the people of God assemble may their sights be set upon Him Who is our example and goal. May they worship Him with abandonment and offer themselves to Him without reserve for His Kingdom purposes. May His people strive for the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. Phil.3:14—“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

The Path

KATHY — When we perceive God’s plans or promise, we usually get excited with the promised outcome and give no thought to the path that will take us there. We usually focus on the outcome, expecting it to be quick and miraculous, and give no thought to the journey. It is easy to see why we get discouraged on the road to promise since we rarely foresee up front how long or how challenging that path will be. Prov.4:11-12, TPT — “I have taken you by the hand in wisdom’s ways, pointing you to the path of integrity.  12  Your progress will have no limits when you come along with me, and you will never stumble as you walk along the way.” (This post was for 3-31-23)

Someone Called “Exact”

The Bible says Jesus was called “the exact”. What a name to be called!: The Exact. He was the exact representation of the Father. All my life I have heard individuals say, “I want ‘such and such’ put on my tombstone.” What if each of us wrote in our will that we wanted this put on our tombstone: “The Exact Representation of the Father”. Would the neighbors, knowing us, laugh? Would family members roll their eyes? Why wouldn’t “exact representation” be our goal? Is that what we are aiming for?   

Fear and Norms

MELISSA — My eyes are being opened to how far below par we have been living when God’s intention all along has been for us to reside above par. This awakening is exposing agendas that have been built to lull us and control us. These agendas use normal everyday things we allow in our lives because it’s a “norm” in society. There are things like pop culture, entertainment, news and standards that we call wisdom when in reality it’s man’s wisdom. Side note: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of [true] wisdom where man’s wisdom comes from fearing everything else. One fear leads to life abundantly and the other leads to an early grave. I have been guilty of living a life embracing man’s wisdom and society’s norms and I’ve noticed a whole lot of ineffectualness.    

The Conventional of Heaven

Convention: “a rule, method, or practice established by usage; custom; accepted usage, especially as a standard of procedure.” One label that fits Jesus very well is “unconventional”. “There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like yours.” (Ps.86:8; also Jer.10:6; 1Sam.2:2; Deut.33:26; Ps.74:12; Job 5:9) Jesus’ disciples had observed Jesus praying and had observed the impacting redemptive results He got when He spoke to nature, disease and demons. When they asked Him to teach them to pray, He told them that they should ask for that which is in heaven to be moved into the earth (Matt.6:10). Needless to say, that which is conventional in heaven (God’s will) is going to be unconventional by earth’s standards, practices, methods, rules and usage.