Daily Devotions

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Testimony and Encouragement

As the people of God assemble today may they hear the life-giving, powerful Word of God preached and may they rehearse it to one another as testimony and encouragement for strength for the battle and hope for tomorrow. May they approach the coming week and coming challenges of life with assurance that God Almighty is with them and will not forsake them. Deut.31:8,Amp—“It is the Lord Who goes before you; He will [march] with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; [let there be no cowardice or flinching, but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit—depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm].”

It Might Just be Weird

At the very moment that you find yourself stepping into the valley of the shadow of death, just start repeating the Word of God that does not fail, that does not change. “I will not fear any evil because THOU art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Now that may be just plain weird by most people’s standard: I am in the valley of the shadow of death but right in the middle of it I have comfort (Ps.23:4).

Battle, Training, Equipping

Melissa—What I keep seeing is the last stretch of earning our stripes for, dare I say it, the battle ahead. There is battle coming, but our training and equipping is gearing us up to take it head on.  I just have such a sense that even though the battle will be hot we will experience it like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, “… saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who had sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him,” (Daniel 3:27-28). In order to be like these fire-walkers we need to stay in our lane so the finishing touches can be put in place.

Delegated Authority With Keys

Kathy—It is Jesus that delegates His authority with the keys, not for us to become superman, but to become super-sons of God that don’t misuse the authority that He entrusts to us. When we discern things are not God’s will or there is obvious evil or conflict or contradiction in our face, we don’t take dominion because we are trying to rule the world (like some delusional dictator from the Dark Side).  We take dominion because Jesus is LORD and we are His Ekklesia, His called out ones entrusted to operate in His Name in the earth.  

Light When Facing the Shadow of Death

I wonder if David had seen by faith, or by revelation, Jesus already walking out of the tomb when he was in that valley of the shadow of death. If we will just open up our hearts and open up our eyes, even in the most pressing moments of the darkest hours, God will reveal things to us that we don’t know presently. It will be like the breaking of the dawn of the brightest day after the darkest night. Isa.58:8,Amp—“Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”

Assignments and Lessons

Melissa—If you are like me, and a lot of people I know, this has not been the most desirable decade for us, especially after wading through the couple just before it.  So that makes it even more understandable why we want to look ahead.  I personally would rather call it a wash, and finish the year on the couch watching holiday movies. Can I get a witness? The thing is, we can’t just sit back and wish for better times because there are assignments to be completed and lessons to be learned that are necessary for the whole decade.

Jesus Builds and Empowers

Kathy—The operations of traditional church simply don’t carry the power or impact that God intended for His Ekklesia/Church.  I am not suggesting that we strain or strive to not be traditional but that we yield ourselves to Jesus as He builds His Church/Ekklesia.  His building process is more than simply adding to its numbers.  Build also means “edify, mature and develop”.  So before we get determined and get a hernia trying to be the Ekklesia, or before we get zealous and start calling fire down out of heaven, or before we almost drown trying to walk on water, let’s remember it is Jesus that builds and empowers us as His Church. 

Where my Help Comes From

As the people of God assemble today may they lift up their eyes from their immediate discouragements and fears and look to the mighty El Elyon Who created heaven and earth. May they find comfort in being covered by His hand and may they be filled with the assurance that He has never failed in His promises and He is acting in their behalf.  Ps.121:1-2,Msg—“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.

The Extraordinary of Heaven

We are in an era of history when nothing less than the extraordinary of Heaven is required in the earth. We cannot and will not look for those things offered by mere religious sentiment that serve as nothing more than band-aids covering the unresolved issues and fruitless programs of western religion. We must lift up our heads from where we are and look to where there are Transforming Power and radical answers that change individuals and grip them with an insatiable vision for the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth.

What Could Be

Melissa—This time of year, especially when considering, “How are things progressing and what will the progression be like in months to come?”, the norm is to start looking ahead.  There’s an anticipation of what is coming and what could be.  And on the spiritual side of things there is a buzz with indications of new and unconventional opportunities within our reach.  We have plenty to be excited and anticipatory about but, due to the nature of what is ahead in the next half, I believe we need to press in to Holy Spirit’s leading and stay focused on present tasks to finish it well.