Daily Devotions

Posts tagged “as in heaven

Hopelessness Can Smother

KATHY— Days of Elijah were war torn times with fresh battles continually breaking out. Several days into the battle against lack and starvation, another battle broke out in the widow’s life.  Her son got sick and kept getting worse until finally he died.  The woman shouted at Elijah, “What have I done to you? I thought you were God’s prophet. Did you come here to cause the death of my son as a reminder that I’ve sinned against God?”  War has a way of bringing the struggles of a warrior’s heart to the surface.  Not only was she battling for survival and the life of her son, an old enemy showed up too.  Condemnation reared its ugly head and pushed the war torn woman to the edge of hopelessness, anguish and anger that had her shouting at the prophet.  Hopelessness can smother the fight in us and usually leads to a pit of self-examination and despair.  The widow went there and decided that losing her son was due to her past sins.  That thinking would have had her throwing up her hands and quitting . . . BUT GOD.


Something Peter Never Heard Of

Peter’s friends were weeping and praying for his release from prison but it is most doubtful that they were visualizing an angel walking in and slapping him on the hip and commanding him to rise up (Acts 12:7) while his chains simply fell off. Which one of them actually pictured in their mind that an angel would simply usher Peter out of that prison like they were going for a Sunday stroll? How can we call this event anything but extraordinary? One of the amazing factors about Peter’s experience is that he was experiencing something that he had never even taught on! There was no popular teaching making the rounds at all the big conferences that taught about the existence of a special squad of jail-breaking angels. Something happened that Peter had never heard of.


Calling on Father on a Daily Basis

Melissa — Let’s not limit calling on God for great and mighty answers to things we need only. If He says I’ll “show you great and mighty things” why in the world would we not call on Him on a daily basis to see what awesomeness He has in store for the here and now? The requirement for asking such things daily is to be in a dominion/heaven-on-earth state rather than a victimized one. A victimized state of mind keeps us stuck on “me, my, me”. The way out of victimhood is in truth because it has a tendency to set you free IF you know it by meditating on and living it (John 8:32). This is one of the main issues we face today because we have too much information, whether it be truth or a lie, at our fingertips every moment of every day. Easy access has become the demoralizer of an entitled culture. Yes, this applies to Christians as well.   


Peter Had Never Heard of That Miracle

Peter’s friends were weeping and praying for his release from prison but it is most doubtful that they were visualizing an angel walking in and slapping him on the hip and commanding him to rise up (Acts 12:7) while his chains simply fell off. Which one of them actually pictured in their mind that an angel would simply usher Peter out of that prison like they were going for a Sunday stroll? How can we call this event anything but extraordinary? One of the amazing factors about Peter’s experience is that he was experiencing something that he had never even taught on! There was no popular teaching making the rounds at all the big conferences that taught about the existence of a special squad of jail-breaking angels. Something happened that Peter had never heard of.


Pivot on God’s Will

KATHY—Days of Elijah were times of shortages and scarce supply.  The God-backed stand we take must pivot on obedience to God’s will and directions.  After Elijah confronted the king, the Lord told him to leave and go to hide near Cherith Creek.  He was to drink water from the creek, and eat the food God told the ravens to bring him. Elijah obeyed the LORD and ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day.  He drank water from the creek, but after a while, it dried up because there was no rain.  The drought lasted over three years and everyone was affected.  The shortages even reached Elijah, but so did God’s detailed plans and supernatural provisions. After the airmail deliveries stopped, the Lord told Elijah to go to Zarephath where a widow would give him food.  At first the widow adamantly told him she couldn’t feed him because she was also in scarcity and lack.  In fact, she was planning her last meal before dying, but there was Divine connection between Elijah’s lack and the widow’s shortage of supplies.  That connection not only brought provision for both of them, it also revealed a supernatural resource for both of them.  We too shall come through days of Elijah having experienced the miraculous of our God and His planned connections.


New Norm for a Valuable Legacy

As the people of God assemble today may hear about, speak about and expect to see a new norm for the sons/daughters of Father God to live in and move in as they minister to their hopeless family members and minister to a hopeless world. May they pray for and hope for the Book of Acts level of operating in the norm of Holy Spirit like the surprised disciples began to do after Pentecost. May they act like the Book of Acts is still being written and may they take part in the legacy recorded for those yet to come. Acts 14:3,TPT—“Yet Paul and Barnabas stayed there for a long time, preaching boldly and fearlessly about the Lord. Many trusted in the Lord, for he backed up his message of grace with miracles, signs, and wonders performed by the apostles.”


Times of Confronting

KATHY—Days of Elijah were times of confronting governmental powers that be.
Elijah showed up in 1 Kings 17 to confront the puppet king of Israel with a proclamation:  “I’m a servant of the living LORD, the God of Israel. And I swear in His name that it won’t rain until I say so.  There won’t even be any dew on the ground.”  Beyond the forecast of a drought, it had to unnerve King Ahab that a man would get in his face and tell him, “I have the say so over your domain and over the weather warfare of your storm god, because I represent the higher government of God Almighty.”  In these days of Elijah, whether we are dealing with dark forces at work against our home or community or region or nation or other realms, we can take a stand when we are convinced and confident that Almighty God is backing us.  


Coming to a New Norm

In the Bible, when a person or a nation received a breakthrough, when they began a new era, God was trying to tell them that they did not have to operate at the previous level. He was, through His Word and through their experiences, attempting to get across to them that they had come to a new norm. When we come to a new norm (or simply desire to) we would do well to realize that we must think differently and put effort into functioning differently.


Watching, Listening, Heeding

Melissa Gabler—As the people of God, what do we need to be watching, listening for and heeding? Watch for creativity and ideas being unleashed that will produce finances, answers, healing, refuge and change in hearts. Deut.28 sounds like we won’t miss creativity and ideas “if” we listen diligently to the voice of the Lord our God, being watchful to do all His commandments.


Days of Elijah

KATHY—Over a two week period I kept hearing, “These are the days of Elijah.”  It wasn’t a song echoing within me but a declaration. I later discovered several other folks were hearing this also.  Since I know we hear in part, I figured it was likely that each of us was hearing a different emphasis in the Days of Elijah.  Setting out to embrace my part, I searched out significance in the Days of Elijah.  I was amazed how vividly the conditions he faced were the same we are facing in our days of history (1Kings 17-18). As our days mirror the days of Elijah in so many details, may we be encouraged that we too will see the called-of-God follow the Lord’s directions and take down corrupt government and willful evil, both now and in generations to come. (This is the first excerpt from Kathy’s article “Days of Elijah”. We will post more in the next week or so.)


Hopes And Dreams For A New Season

There are people who have hopes and dreams that a new season is just ahead and that it will hold something fresh and fulfilling. There is a God-something in us that urges us to reach beyond what we have experienced and strive for more than we have known. We so desire to eagerly respond to the “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” invitation of Jer.33:3. We want to see and experience the “never seen” and “never known” which is beyond our own capacity so that we may know resolve and victories and fulfillment that have, heretofore, been beyond our reach. So, we must lift up our heads from where we are and look to where there is transforming power and radical answers that change individuals and grip them with an insatiable vision for the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth. Ps.121:1-2,NASB—“I will raise my eyes to the mountains; From where will my help come?  2  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”


As Goes the Remnant

Melissa — We/YOU carry what our nation and the world needs, and you can change things from where you are at this moment. God used a remnant of people time and time again to make big changes. He’s God, a tiny dose of His power can turn this thing upside-down! Our new motto for the middle of 2023 and beyond:  “As goes the remnant, so goes the nation”.


Don’t Let Peace Depart

KATHY—After waking in the funk I mentioned recently, stillness was my first hurdle.  Two scriptures came to mind.  The first was Jn 14:1, Let not your heart be troubled.  I had taught on that scripture a few times and knew it meant “don’t let your heart be agitated, tossed to and fro, restless, perplexed with doubt, stirred up, struck with fear and dread or anxious and distressed”.  Since I had woken up in that very condition, my challenge was to find a way out of the troubling.  After rereading my own notes, I knew one positive step was to hold my peace, or keep my mouth shut.  Peace will depart from our heart on the wings of our words and all that is left is trouble’s rubble.


Angelic Company

MELISSA—In days to come we will realize we have massive amounts of help from a God-created angelic company.  It’s time to be aware that God has created an angelic army doing His will on this earth right now.  It’s time we realized we are intended to network with them because they know our destiny and it is their job to help us get there.  Just like Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6, it is time for our eyes to be opened to this partnership God intended.  By the end of 2023 we will look back in amazement at what He has done and where we are. So, go ahead and ANTICIPATE the inevitable, supernatural intervention of God! (MELISSA will be leading us in a Worship Encounter and speaking at DREAMS VISIONS PROPHECY <> September 8-10, 2023.) All information for DVP2023 is at martygabler.com/dvp2023.

Unmapped Trips

KATHY—I awoke in a funk.  When my eyes opened, the weight of unresolved situations and unanswered prayers was already smothering my hope for the day.  I sat up and said, “Father, I’m not going to whine and list the stuff that is squeezing my heart.  Neither will I foolishly demand that You do something quick or I quit, but I do honestly want to ask:  How should I think? How do I deal with the troubles in my face this morning, long-standing issues that have not the slightest evidence of even being on Your radar?  I see no hint of things in motion or even the slightest chance of change.  What do I do?”  He answered immediately, “Stay still and stay thankful.”  His answer was both sudden and surprising, but the instructions were clear.  I embarked on a journey that morning, one of those unmapped trips that bring you to intersections you did not anticipate.  I was about to discover that some foundational concepts in my Christian world, like peace and trust and faith, connected in ways that I had never realized.


Facilitating Heaven

As the Word of God says, “Everything that can be shaken will be shaken” (Heb.12:27). For more than 2,000 years the prayers of the saints have been going up to the throne of God in obedience to the instruction of our Lord when He required His disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” God Almighty has not been deaf upon His throne. Just like rats scurrying to get out of a collapsing building, the powers and principalities in second heaven are feeling the pressure of Third Heaven coming into the earth (Mt.6:10). They are scurrying about the earth and our nation affecting everything and everyone that will allow it and they are attempting, through willing dupes, to dismantle everything they can. Throughout history, when a retreating army leaves an area, they burn and dismantle everything they can so that their enemy cannot use it to their advantage. We should not, at all, be surprised at the attempts to dismantle the Word of God and the institutions that uphold it and our constitution. Hence, our faith, prayers and unwavering availability must facilitate the coming of heaven into earth. 


Is This The End?

Melissa Gabler—Is this the end? It is for some very old wickedness.  It has mocked God and is getting crushed to oblivion.  We have to remember this when the battle is this intense.  Hey, if those who have sown to the flesh are reaping destruction, then the other side of that coin is heaven on earth! “But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.” (Gal. 6:8-9 AMP) Don’t push this promise off to someday when you die. God’s original intent is for us to be heaven-on-earth during our lifetime. Heaven is invading earth right now.  This harvest is here for both sides of this coin! While the corrupt are meeting their corruption the just are receiving their promises (Compare—Ex.14:19-20). This is a beautiful time to be alive.  We get to see the justice and goodness of a God that will never be mocked.  You can be assured of that!  Angels, attend to the harvest!


The Bid-Me-Come Heart-cry

Kathy Gabler—That “BID me COME”, that heart-cry of Peter (Matt.14:28), is in the heart of all of us.  It is deep calling unto deep and JESUS is saying to us too, “COME ON!”  There is no need for us to live a watered-down version of what God had in mind for our lifetime.  We don’t have to leave a wimpy, skimpy heritage.  Fear may hold us in the boat and tempt us to refuse the dominion mandate, but there is a stronger force at work in us.  There is a heart’s cry, “Lord, BID me COME.”  We may consider just stepping back from sonship and dominion because we have not seen it or lived it vividly yet, but dominion is not about being an experienced son, it is about being an obedient son.  There will be times in all of us that the cry of “BID me COME” stirs in our breast and we have a choice to respond to the Lord’s, “Come on.”


Glorify and Edify

Free Church HugAs the people of God assemble today may they glorify Yahweh and may they edify the saints. May they speak words to one another that encourage and bear fruit. May praises and encouragements be overheard by the little ones so that they, in turn, speak to their peers words that encourage them to be Kingdom achievers by the grace of Almighty God. Heb.10:24-25,Amp—“And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities,  25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.”


Morning Victory Videos – Scripture and Prayer

In the SFMV videos Marty reads the Bible and prays for morning victory.
Click on the picture below to go to Marty’s Facebook page to view video.
SFMV Promo2


Choose Poison or Fruit

For years, the leaders of this nation and special interest groups have been filling its atmosphere with criticism and caustic vitriol. There is an inescapable principle in the Bible. It isn’t God just getting mad at a few well-deserving individuals, it is a God-given law of the universe which tells us that no voiced vitriol is neutral.”Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” (Prov.18:21, Msg)


Darkness Has an Expiration Date

MELISSA — Darkness has an expiration date and its number has been called.  The Hosts of Heaven are currently attending to that matter.  “For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction.” (Gal.6:8) There it is in rather simple language.  This corrupt spirit has been defying, challenging and ridiculing the original intent of God and its time is up.  God’s intent is the only thing that carries life and blessing.  Anything outside of that is an enemy of God and will surely self destruct …with some help from Angel Armies.


Heaven Waits

A while back I heard a man singing “Heaven waits for me. I am looking forward to going there” and it was difficult to understand his next lyrics because of all the shouting and jumping around. I don’t ever recall reading a scripture in the Bible that actually says “heaven” is waiting for us, wanting us to come there. BUT I do remember reading a scripture that says CREATION is waiting for us. Creation is not waiting for sons/daughters to be removed from present chaos but the Bible actually says that creation is groaning (Rom.8) for sons/daughters, with the likeness of their redeeming Lord (Jn.20:21), to be revealed in the earth through redemptive action and redemptive words of life (Acts1:8). Where I have been lately across the U.S. and outside this nation, that groan is getting louder and louder, more desperate and more pleading—some even pled with me to let them video me with their phone while I prophesied and prayed so that they might take them and play them for others in desperation. They did not ask me to tell them about heaven. They asked me how God’s power might help them and their families and their nation in the present chaos.
What heaven IS waiting for is sons/daughters of God through whom it may come into the earth. Perhaps it would be more Biblically accurate to say that what heaven is waiting for is for sons/daughters of God Almighty to receive Holy Spirit in such a way that they receive outpouring from heaven and reveal the Christ of glory in this present earth. Would that when this subject was sung or preached that the shouting of those being revealed in the earth would be so great that the singer/preacher would have to pause before going on.
The Holy Spirit brings what exists in the realm of heaven into history. Jesus was in heaven but He was brought into history by Holy Spirit. When Mary asked, “How shall this be?” Gabriel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). Paul says that Holy Spirit has a groan He wants to groan through us and that it will answer the groan in creation: “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words; (Rom 8:26, NAS)
The groaning of creation for the sons of God to be revealed (v.19) is met with the power of Holy Spirit in bringing the realm of heaven into history. The answer to the groan of the creature (v.20-21) is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; 2:4) brings the power that is beyond what we can produce or accomplish in ourselves (Acts1:8,TPT “…and you will be seized with power.”) The fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:22-25) manifests in this earth the conduct and relationships of heaven. We must get the relationships of heaven into the earth. The gifts of the Spirit (1Co.12:7-11) manifest in this age the power of heaven over our limitations — over what we do not know and cannot do. We must get the power and benefits of heaven into this earth, “Salvation does not mean flight and escape from the lower material world to a higher spiritual world; it means the redemption of the realm of human history by the invasion of the spiritual realm of God, so that the historical realm is lifted to a new and higher level of existence (G.E. Ladd, Theology of the New Testament, p.489).”


God is Not Mocked

MELISSA—“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.  For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8 Amplified). As my hair stood on end, I realized this is the chaotic shriek we are hearing on a daily basis throughout this nation.  The wicked ARE receiving their harvest because they have mocked the Great I AM.  The humanistic spirit of this age thought it killed God.  Oops!