Daily Devotions

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The Intervener

While praying I believe the Lord spoke to my heart that we can see THE INTERVENER. The word “intervene” means: “to come between disputing people, groups, etc.; intercede; mediate; to interfere with force or a threat of force.” (Merriam Webster)  We can cry out to the Lord God and (1) He will intervene for us with people we have not been able to get resolve with. (2) He will intervene and turn our health around. (3) He will intervene in our finances. (4) He will intervene in the unrighteous issues of our nation. (5) He will intervene for Israel.  (Isa.64:4, NET)  “Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who intervenes for those who wait for him.” Let us expect to see the Great Intervener, faithful God.  (Excerpt six from Marty’s article “Deflecting Attacks and Seeing the Intervener”.)

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Winning

As the people of God assemble today, and as the folks in Houston (with their team WINNING and advancing to the world series) enjoy a pleasant distraction from hurricane recovery, may the people of God also anticipate to WIN against the opposing storms of darkness that seek to stop the advancing of the Kingdom of God in our nation.  “We’ll ask the Lord to save us! We’ll sincerely ask the Lord to let us WIN.” (Ps.118:25, CEV)

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A Guard on my Lips

Let us be careful what we say. The Lord doesn’t want what we speak falling to the ground (1Sam.3:19)

“Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.” (Ps.141:3, Amp)________________________________________________________________________________________

Where is a Hero When You Need One?

We hear stories and testimonies and we long for those extraordinary, even miraculous things to happen for us. When I was child and frightened, I longed for a fearless, strong, undefeated hero to rush in and come to my rescue. Do you find yourself asking, “Where is a hero when you need one?” Perhaps a little different tack on this subject would be more help than regretfully wishing. (Rom.10:8, Msg) “So what exactly was Moses saying? The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching.” We can choose to either wish and complain or we can search out, learn and memorize scriptural ammunition to use in the fight. (Isa.49:2, CEV) “He made my words pierce like a sharp sword or a pointed arrow; he kept me safely hidden in the palm of his hand.”  (Rev.1:16, KJV) “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword…”.  (Excerpt five from Marty’s article “Deflecting Attacks and Seeing the Intervener”.)

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Shedding the Scales

May our Lord’s mercy, Word and Spirit remove scales from our eyes. “Scales were representative of Saul’s ignorance… and unbelief.” (Gill)  How do “scales” form? They come from past paradigms, from traditions of our environment, opinions, and personal preferences. Persons of significance whom we have given place in our lives, in our development may, in their views, expressions, and theology be instrumental in helping to form the ignorance and unbelief that prevents our seeing readily and clearly the truths of the Kingdom of God. It takes the Holy Spirit to enable us to realize that those blocking, hindering scales are actually there and are actually preventing our seeing even Scriptural truths. (Acts 9:18, NKJV) ”Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.” And, may I add, Paul then became a powerful instrument in advancing the Kingdom of God—as vehemently as he had opposed it.
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I Don’t Receive That

I was ministering in a Sunday morning service. I was talking about things that we just simply receive in our lives and we don’t even think to oppose them. Then I said that believers need to learn how to say, “I don’t receive that”. There was a young boy sitting on the third row back who had been expressing suicidal tendencies because of bullies at school. I said, “Let’s practice that right now and say it like we mean it.”  That young boy jumped to his feet and yelled louder than anyone else, “I don’t receive that!” On Monday, when kids at school began to bully him and call him names and tell him what they were going to do to him, he would respond each time with, “I don’t receive that.” Those bullies were dumbfounded and did not know what to do and just walked away. His mother said that it turned his life around. (Excerpt four from Marty’s article “Deflecting Attacks and Seeing the Intervener”.)

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God Makes Known

Tomorrows that have already become check marks on the calendar of history were declared by God. “I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them…” (Isa 48:3) God has declared. “Declared”: to be conspicuous, to tell, to make known; to avow. God not only makes known what is to come but He guarantees it. “And I shewed them” actually means that God has made “them” plainly heard.  Now the question is: who is asking and who is listening?

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Don’t Let Your Mind Go There

We can deflect what the enemy sends against us. DEFLECT: “to change direction by interposing something”. How do we interpose one of these God-provided tools? When the enemy launches an attack, whether it is physical, verbal, mental or spiritual, we can “change the direction” of that attack (deflect) by speaking out the Word of God, or praising God, or by making the opposite declaration of what the enemy is bringing against us. Don’t let your mind go where the attack wants it to go. Keep your mind on those things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, good report and things that have virtue (Phil.4:8). (Excerpt three from Marty’s article “Deflecting Attacks and Seeing the Intervener”.)

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