Daily Devotions

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Those Who Stray Come Back

As the people of God assemble today may those who have strayed like a lost sheep respond to the Good Shepherd’s seeking of them. May they not forget His commandments and may they return to the safety of the fold. “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek, inquire for, and demand Your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.” (Ps.119:176, Amp)

How Much Will the Kingdom of God Advance?

Jim Hodges:   “The question is not how much does the Kingdom advance before the King returns.  The question is how much will the Body of Christ pray and participate in the agenda of the Kingdom of God in the culture?  An increasing Kingdom that was prophesied by Isaiah demands an anointed, activated, and fearless people of God.”
(Jim Hodges will be speaking at KINGDOM CONGRESS 2024 which is March 6-8 at Grace Church Willis. Go to martygabler.com/kc2024/ for the schedule and details.

Prepare Us, O Lord

MELISSA—Recently on a Sunday morning I was getting ready for church and asked the Lord what I needed to pray over the service that day and I clearly heard, “Prepare us for the onslaught.” I instantly had a sense that there are challenges coming to those of us that have been in the church for a while, challenges that will try to knock us off of our foundation in Christ. I literally heard the question being asked, “Is what I have believed my whole life even true?” I shared this with those in my Pastor’s office before service. During worship Pastor asked me to share this and then he followed up with having the congregation take hands all across the room. He proceeded to say, “Hold. Hold. Hold,” and then he said,  “This is the stance we have to take in the days ahead.” This could not have been more accurate instruction. Within the following weeks lives began to erupt like a volcano. There was a moment in the midst of it all I was reminded of what I’d heard and realized I’d thought it was going to come from outside, but it started from the inside first. My Pastor’s words started ringing in my head, “HOLD.” This instruction brought peace and stability.
(MELISSA will be ministering at Kingdom Congress 2024 Mar.6-8 at Grace Church Willis. NO FEE. Go to martygabler.com/kc2024/

Big Signals that Anger is in Residence

KATHY—Blame and self-pity are big signals that anger is in residence.  BLAME builds a prison of offense and/or condemnation around you.  Forgiveness is the ONLY key to that prison.  We must watch for BLAME in our thinking and our conversations.  “Self-Pity” is a big signal that anger is unresolved:  “I was hurt,” usually justifies anger rather than resolves it.  Just like a person who justifies their actions has not repented of them, rehearsing the hurts is refusing to let go of offense.  It is blocking the CHANGE needed.  Being “hurt” is “tails” and “BLAME”  is “heads” of the same coin.  We can start with “heads” and describe the action of the offender; or cut to the result, “tails,” and describe the offense taken.

The Love of Jesus Stands out in History

VALENTINES DAY–The awesome contrast of the love of JESUS stands out vividly and most significantly in history. It stands out noticeably in comparison to the harsh government and rulers and culture of that time. Political rulers and military were cruel and unforgiving while religious rulers were stiff and legalistic, meting out punishment without mercy. Jesus walked among the people, talked with them, touched them and wept over them–all motivated by His love and compassion. His signs and wonders never benefited Him, only those He lovingly touched. I suppose that if we look at the life, motivation and actions of Jesus, we would come to the conclusion that the definition of love is “redemptive action.” “For God so loved . . . that He gave . . . so that . . . ” (Jn.3:16)
(Marty speaking and ministering at KC2024 Mar.6-8; Go to this link to see details: martygabler.com/kc2024/ )

The Call and the Answer

MELISSA — Let’s look at “Call to me and I will answer you” through a modern American paradigm: I call on the Lord and He will answer – I will tell Him what I need and He will give it to me because He is a loving God. You know, kind of like curbside grocery delivery. I took the time to get my list together and I took the time to call about this list. Now, it’s on Him to deliver!  I’m afraid we North Americans operate out of an entitled mindset not only in our relationship with earthlings, but also in our relationship with God. If I call on Him then ________ (insert pre-determined answer here). The problem with an entitled relationship with God is where the entitlement is rooted. If it is rooted in the Spirit, according to the covenant, then it will put you in a posture of dominion. If, however, it is rooted in the soul then it will hold you in a victimized defensive posture. The soul will keep you chained out of reach of God’s original intent which is indeed dominion. Or said another way, the soul will keep you from being heaven on earth.  (MELISSA is leading worship and speaking at KC2024. Go to martygabler com/kc2024/ to see the schedule and all info.)

Toss Thought-Clutter

KATHY—Self-to-Self dreams can clean house by flashing scenes from our life into dreams so we can gather and toss “thought-clutter” and have a clean start the next day.  Scientists and doctors have proven these kind of dreams are a nightly reset that de-clutters the mind and de-stresses the mind.  Since stress is the starting point for many, if not most health issues, the ability to dream self-to-self is healthy. The Hebrew word for dream is chalam (khay lem), which means to strengthen or restore to health or facilitate recovery.  Any way you look at it, dreaming is a blessing from the Lord.  Even nightmares or upsetting dreams or bizarro dreams can be a positive because they bring things stored in our core closet out to the living room where we can be aware of them and we can confront them for relief or resolve. (KATHY WILL BE SPEAKING AT KINGDOM CONGRESS 2024, Mar.6-8. To see the schedule for KC2024 go to this link: martygabler com/kc2024/.)

Hope of the More That is to Come

As the people of God assemble today may His people have a sense of the more that is to come of His purposes and His outpourings. May the hope of receiving and participating fill their hearts with expectancy.   “In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary–we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” (Rom.5:5, Msg)

An Order Coming

DR. GREG CRAWFORD—[Awhile back, Dr. Crawford had a prophetic vision while he was meditating on many things concerning the life of the Body of Christ, the disconnected ones, the order needed, the power required, and he was seeking asking God what will it take to align and re-order all of this to your intention. Along with several other things, this is what was conveyed.] (You can read the whole vision in SEEC Magazine Volume 26 Issue 1)
This item was called “The Order”.  “I saw an order coming into the earth again. This order was the ways of God. The order was defining the realignment of past structures. A structuring of governmental legislating. A way that would produce a path. The Path was part of the order. It was the outcome of the ways. The sound of the Ecclesia was the order. The order was coming to release authority. I saw wave upon wave of authority being released upon the earth, as another part of the order and path of God was being found and walked. The more this repeated the stronger the sound and the order became. Men’s hearts were giving way to the order as a more excellent way.”
(Dr. Crawford will be speaking at Kingdom Congress 2024 March 7 at 10am. Grace Church Willis: 936-856-2455; Click on this link to see all info for KC2024 – martygabler.com/kc2024/)