Daily Devotions

Posts tagged “1 Thessalonians 4:17

Out of Freeze-Frame

Have you ever wished you could break free from a past reputation or a past failure you have repented of? May the Lord break you loose from the frame that people have used to freeze-frame you. May He loose you from a certain failure you were known for, or a certain person or thing you were associated with but have gotten the victory over since. May His love, acceptance and faithful Word wash you and completely cleanse you from all of that residue and help others focus on what the Lord has done.  (Rom.2:11b, Msg)  “…God pays no attention to what others say (or what you think) about you. He makes up his own mind.”  We are praying you discover daily that your past is only a fading speck in your rearview mirror.   (Marty’s Daily Discovery as heard on TEXAS PRAISE RADIO at the bottom of the hour 24 hours/day.)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Read Marty and Kathy’s Magazine Articles

CLICK ON MAGAZINE COVER TO READ
SEEC MAGAZINE  April/May 2017
Once the PDF file opens, place your cursor
in the center near the bottom to adjust the size of the pages.


Moods and Manipulation

A friend, I will call “Amy,” shared her experience with me regarding her childhood friend, “Sharon”.  Through the years, neither Amy nor Sharon had considered the other perfect, and imperfections were never a threat to their friendship.  So, after many years, Amy was shocked to find herself in a dilemma over something that had always been there.  She finally realized that Sharon’s cycles of emotional dives into anguish, depression and anger, which had always been written off to moodiness, was not just her “personality.” It became obvious that Sharon needed deliverance and healing.  Yet Amy knew that if confronted, Sharon would be quick to explain and justify her behavior because she was a perfectionist-analyzer-thinker, or she might even more likely just get angry and consider Amy as petty and accusing.  Amy had no confidence to approach her from Gal 6:1.  Neither did she think Sharon would accept the scriptural “wound of a friend” as a good thing that could lead to healing, so instead she pursued God’s direction for effectual prayer for her friend.
In the past, when Sharon was in “one of her moods,” Amy either stayed away or tip-toed around until it was over or tried to coax her out of it.  Sharon’s family used the same methods of dealing with her mood swings.  Amy had watched people in their church and social settings walk a big circle around her, never getting to know the real Sharon who was genuinely a source of wisdom and love.  It grieved her to see Sharon and her family ruled by this despot of “MOODS”.
Surprisingly, as Amy continued to pray and search for insights, she came to some revealing truths about her own soul.  Amy realized that she had never acknowledged these patterns in her friend because moods were familiar, even expected in her own world.  She had grown up in a home where irritable or despondent moods were a silent demand for someone to fix conditions or feelings, etc., and moods worked because someone in her family would “do something.”  The most frustrated or depressed family member or the one in the biggest soul-storm became the center of attention and dictated the agenda for the whole family any given day.
Beyond that, Amy made another discovery. As she considered the “destructives” in her own life that needed confession-unto-healing-release, not only did the Holy Spirit point out her emotional behavior patterns, but He further opened her understanding in how she had allowed and even fostered those same patterns in her young son.  What we cannot see in ourselves we often cannot see in our children either.  (That’s one reason destructive behavior patterns can continue for generations, and releasing generations to come is also a powerful motive to seek healing for our own souls.)  It became clear that frustrated moods and manipulation through pouting were a pattern she dare not leave unchanged in her son’s life lest it rob him of childhood joy as well as joy in the years to come.  What started as concern for a friend led her to a realization and confession that began a healing for three generations in her own family.  As Amy sought answers for Sharon, deliverance came to her own house.  Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.  He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. (Ps 107:19-20).  A paraphrase of that scripture is:  He directed His command to heal their hurts and distresses and delivered them from their pitfalls and sources of depression.
(The third excerpt from Kathy’s article “Investing in Relationships” published in SEEC Magazine.)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Seeing in April

I usually ask the Lord at the beginning of each month what the month is for. I believe the Lord impressed to me that April is for seeing. It is the month for (1) seeing the direction of the Lord for our lives and our nation. It is for (2) seeing things that are tending toward harm and/or interference (in our families, churches, jobs and nation) so they might be averted. It is for (3) seeing blessings and advantages that are available to us through the promises and purposes of God Almighty. It is for (4) seeing strategy and how to pray for people we are concerned for. “The Lord said to Moses, Has the Lord’s hand (His ability and power) become short (thwarted and inadequate)? You shall see now whether My word shall come to pass for you or not.” (Num.11:23, Amp) There is a lot unseen that is yet to be seen and it shall be seen that the Lord’s hand is not short that it cannot save nor is His ear deaf that it cannot hear. Some of the wonderful mysteries that await us in coming days shall be the wonder of seeing how our LORD shall fulfill His Word, i.e., seeing who and what He will employ to bring about that which only He can accomplish. What an apropos time for us to pray Elisha’s prayer for ourselves: 2Ki 6:16 “[Elisha] answered, Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them.   17  Then Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (Amp)
#findingthegoodin2017

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
#findingthegoodin2017

 


Behind the Curtain

I have been seeing God’s hand moving behind a curtain on a stage.  That has kept me anticipating the curtain rising in my understanding.  Little by little an expectation has grown in me that we are about to see many things the Holy Spirit has been adjusting, rearranging, developing, redeeming, restoring and maturing.  I don’t think there will be some colorful, feel good, fairytale play behind those curtains, rather a stage set with details that bring clarity and a God-perspective that equips us, literally showing us another way to think and perceive and prevail.  I have a feeling the curtain will rise on insights that adjust our mode of operation and strategies and change our outcomes. –Kathy Gabler

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 


Part of the Household

As the people of God assemble today, may they recall that they are “fellowcitizens” with the saints and enjoy one another’s presence and prayers and encouragements and counsel. And may they go into the coming week with the strength of knowing they are not alone but part of the household of God.
”Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” (Eph.2:19, KJV)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Wall of Protection


May the wall of our Lord’s protection be drawn around His people today; around their property, their belongings, their good name, their accounts and passwords.

“You are all around me—in front of me and in back of me.  You lay your hand on me.” (Ps.139:5, GW)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


That Bid Me Come Cry

That “BID me COME” cry that Peter made to Jesus is in the heart of all of us (Matt.14:28). “BID me COME,” is a longing to experience the Kingdom of God.  “BID me COME,” is a longing to demonstrate the Authority of God so that my life is more than typical, average Christianity.  It is a longing from the heart of our Father to provoke generations to come to reach their potential in Christ.  The only way we will leave a weak, uninspiring heritage is if we ignore that cry of “BID me COME” within us.  I know I am not a young thing to tackle such a quest, but I also know that even time and age have to bow to the purposes of God.  The empowering truth is that “BID me COME” trumps age.  We are never too old or too young to take ground for His purposes.—Kathy Gabler

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#findingthegoodin2017

 

 


Eyes Open to Discover

Have you noticed the myriad of challenges in current events that seem to have no solution? Have you wondered if there are any answers to the dilemmas you wrestle with in your life? As you face the unknown factors of challenges ahead of you, may your ears and eyes be opened to discover that there are still possibilities in God for solutions that no one has ever considered. May you go toward those challenges speaking in agreement with the creative acts of God in the Bible and in the earth. Let’s imitate Abraham: (Rom.4:17, Msg)  “…[Abraham] dared to trust God to do what only God could do: … with a word make something out of nothing.” We are praying you discover daily the possibilities and solutions in the risen Christ.  (Marty’s Daily Discovery as heard on TEXAS PRAISE RADIO at the bottom of the hour 24 hours/day.)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Faults and Confession

“Confess faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.”  (Jam. 5:16, Msg)  According to this scripture, if we have friends we can open up to and admit our faults and pray for one another, we are positioned for healing.  When our faults or defects or failures or errors are acknowledged, the way to pray becomes obvious.  However, if our faults are not admitted, perhaps because we can’t confess what we don’t even realize, they can block this path to healing.  Emotional issues or selfishness or destructive paradigms or misbeliefs often stay under our own radar and keep confession from being the starting place for healing.  So, if it is obvious that a friend is being unknowingly sabotaged by issues in their own heart-thinking, we can then act on Gal 6:1 (Msg), “Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out.”  However, if timing is not right and even that would do more harm than good, we can still invest in a relationship by praying as Holy Spirit directs.  (The second excerpt from Kathy’s article “Investing in Relationships” published in SEEC Magazine.)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


God’s Concern: Relationship

God has made it plain that relationship is one of His primary concerns and always will be.  Learning to live with others is part of the maturing process of our character and walking out our life purpose.  Relationships should enhance our lifetime and future, but they can also undermine both.  They are part of the challenge of everyday life and we will find some to be rewarding, some to be taxing, some to be for a season, some to be for a reason,  some to be for a lifetime, some to be by choice and some to seemingly be the result of unforeseen circumstances.  Each has its own set of distinctives and its own path, but all relationships require God’s wisdom and our time and effort to be healthy.    (The first excerpt from Kathy’s article “Investing in Relationships” published in SEEC Magazine.)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Anticipating Forward

We were created to move forward and because of Him Who has called us and enabled us, we should be filled with anticipation for what we are journeying into in this coming year. “And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.” (Jos.3:5) “Remove from your place” actually means “to pull up tent pegs”. God is not the only One doing any activity. The prophet Micah doesn’t seem to be waiting for some outside stimulant to condition him. He takes what he already knows of his God and decides what his mindset and actions shall be. Mic.7:7  “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: My God will hear me.” He is God and will never cease being everything He has always been.  “I anticipate the inevitable, supernatural, intervention of God!”   (This is the last excerpt from Marty’s article “Anticipation”.)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Promises With Anticipation

As the people of God assemble today, may they thoughtfully consider the infallible Word of God read in their hearing. May they stand upon each and every one of its promises and look with anticipation to the days ahead so they might see that their God has gone before them to show them the way. ”The Lord said to Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s hand (ability, power) limited (short, inadequate)? You shall see now whether My word will come to pass for you or not.’” (Num.11:23, Amp)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Griping and Responsibility


“In relationship struggles, gripes do not justify wrong behavior. The core issue is not your gripes, but that you are griping. Griping without taking the responsibility of finding God-solutions shows immaturity and lack of character.”—Kathy Gabler

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Charging Their Anticipator

The coming generation will anticipate something. Who will give them something to anticipate? Will they anticipate hopelessness or the possibilities of the God of the Bible? One of the biggest favors we can do the coming generation is to build anticipation into them, anticipation for the intervention of God, anticipation to see God do something no previous generation has ever seen. Every time people speak of tragedy and hopelessness, let us say to the coming generation, “BUT GOD….”. Let’s help them keep their anticipator alive and well and functioning at peak capacity. Let’s charge it up at every opportunity!  (This is the ninth excerpt from Marty’s article “Anticipation”.)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Communicating Accurately

Have you ever been thinking one thing in your mind but when you spoke, something entirely different came out your mouth? Have there been times when you were certain that there was a fog in your brain and you couldn’t find the much-needed information that would help you get things resolved? Our God is able to help us in this kind of need.  May all things that are supposed to connect in our brains connect as they should. May they connect in the timing and fashion that is profitable for accomplishing daily tasks and completing goals and communicating accurately.  (Ecc 12:10, CEV) “Then I tried to explain these things in the best and most accurate way.” So be it. We are praying you discover daily that our Lord is enabling your mind with accuracy. (Marty’s Daily Discovery as heard on TEXAS PRAISE RADIO at the bottom of the hour 24 hours/day.)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Melissa YouTube Channel

CLICK ON ARROW BELOW:
Many videos with an encouraging word.


Dressed and Ready to Go

A couple was sitting at their kitchen table going over their finances and planning the family vacation which was yet three months away. Their little 5 year old boy had been in the den playing and watching TV during the planning session. It was getting late so he decided to go to his room. As he passed the kitchen the only words he heard were, “OK, so we are going to Disney World”. The little boy’s heart leapt with excitement and he quickly ran to his room. Sometime later, the parents finalized their three-month plan while finishing off their coffee. As they headed for bed they looked in on their son to make sure he was asleep. When they looked into the room they saw the little 5 year old lying over on his over-stuffed travel bag sound asleep. He was wearing his swim mask, his Mickey Mouse shirt, one white shoe and one red shoe. His anticipation warranted that he be prepared to travel when it was time to load the car. What are we saying that is causing the coming generation to positively anticipate the future?  (This is the ninth excerpt from Marty’s article “Anticipation”.)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


To the Image of Christ

The overwhelming factor in God’s design is that He has purposed to bring each of us to the Image of Christ (Rom.8:29). (2Co 3:18) “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The goal Paul spoke of is consistently out there before us. It IS attainable. But we will likely need to adopt Paul’s strategy: “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.3:13-14) We are praying you discover daily you are pressing toward the calling of God.  (Marty’s Daily Discovery as heard on TEXAS PRAISE RADIO at the bottom of the hour 24 hours/day.) www.txpraise.com

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


A Child’s Anticipation

A Child’s Anticipation.  The passage of Mk.10:15 is not talking about getting to heaven. It is talking about the authority, power, rule of God. Mk.10:15  “…Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”  “As a child” paints the picture of a child who is always full of anticipation. Embracing that picture, we will not try bringing to God our agendas, preconceived ideas, preferences, and hearts/minds with no imagination available to God. Out of the four million Israelites trapped against the Red Sea, how many do you think used their imagination to encourage the others that God would use the rod of Moses to part the sea so they could cross over on dry ground? They were stuck in the mindset of powerless servants who would not allow their minds to go beyond the typical thought processes of a subjugated people. I for one am thankful that a merciful God sent the prophet Moses with a word for them that would help them move beyond those old mental habits.(This is the eighth excerpt from Marty’s article “Anticipation”.)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The Metal of Uncarnal Weapons

God’s Word and His principles and His character and His will are the metal of un-carnal weapons.  For example, when we discover strongholds in our own lives that do not align with His word or principles or character or plans, humility can become an un-carnal weapon.  The Word says that if we will humble ourselves He will give us grace. (1 Pet 5:5)   So, when we choose to humble ourselves before God, we position ourselves to receive grace.  That means we are enabled to change and the stronghold is brought down.  (Kathy Gabler)

______________________________________________________________________


Don’t Rule out Holy Spirit’s Involvement

Don’t rule out Holy Spirit’s involvement. 1Cor.2:9-10–“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”  v.10  “BUT God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”  From the profitable instruction given us in v.10, it stands to reason that we must be in relationship with Holy Spirit to have valuable, enabling things revealed to us. Not only does He reveal the necessary to us but He is actively working (often unnoticed) in circumstances that have the unmovable look of already being set in cement. Our anticipatory prayers will include factoring in Holy Spirit’s power and behind-the-scenes working. He is the power factor, influence factor, heart-change factor. He is the anticipation factor. Don’t fail to consider Him. (This is the seventh excerpt from Marty’s article “Anticipation”.)

_______________________________________________________________________


Predestined

There are people who wonder if they have been predestined to heaven or to hell. They wonder if they are struggling against an inexorable tide that is gradually pulling them under. Why don’t we look in the Bible? (Rom.8:29, NASB) “…those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” Yes, you are predestined. The Message translation puts it like this: “He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son.” If we will stay on the Potter’s wheel, like Jeremiah 18 suggests, Father will work in us so that we might experience the life and victories of His Son, Jesus.  We are praying you discover daily the love and grace of Father God forming you into the image of Christ.  (Marty’s Daily Discovery as heard on TEXAS PRAISE RADIO at the bottom of the hour 24 hours/day.)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Anticipation = Wise Preparation

We may very well need to separate ourselves in anticipation of what we do not see in this moment so that we might see it in the next. We will need to separate ourselves from what we have not seen in the past year. In order to see what we need to see in the next moment (or the next year) we must separate ourselves from the distractions, interferences and disqualifiers of the present. Joshua’s instruction for the people to “separate themselves apart from” could include separating from such practical and mundane things as (1.) cynicism (2.) unbelief (3.) opinions of others (4.) from past disappointments (5.) from past events that never culminated in the desired outcome and (6.) from people who never followed through with influence or promises. Joshua’s words that seem to really stand out in 3:5 are, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow.” Anticipation is not an emotion but a matter of wise adjustments and preparation.   (This is the sixth excerpt from Marty’s article “Anticipation”.)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________