Daily Devotions

Posts tagged “God

Grow Strong and be Filled With Wisdom

This is the day the Lord has made (Ps.118:24) so….  I will rejoice and be glad and grow strong in spirit and be filled with wisdom in it. Jesus was born with purpose and so are we. From the beginning, He not only grew physically but in His spirit and in wisdom for what was to come (Lk.2:52). One of our major goals for our children in 2024 should be to see them filled with the Spirit and to train them in godly wisdom.  “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.” (Lk.2:40, Amp)
(Marty will be leading and speaking at Kingdom Congress 2024 – Grace Church Willis,TX. March 6-8. Go to this link for schedule and details: martygabler.com/kc2024/)

 


Prepare Us

MELISSA—Awhile back, when I was asking the Lord how to pray for Sunday service 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’m not writing this from that place on the other side of a battle looking back over it. I’m writing from the midst of the onslaught. Also, I am not writing this from a place of despair!  The Lord does not give us insight like this to warn us to get ready to be beaten up and hope we can hold on to make it out alive. He gives us this kind of insight because He is doing something in the middle of it. There is something major shifting. An onslaught such as this proves something major is shifting! An enemy does not attack when it has you subdued and controlled. An enemy attacks when it’s control is being overturned. That is exactly where we are.

(MELISSA is leading worship and speaking at KC2024. Go to martygabler.com/kc2024/ to see the schedule and all info.)


The Need for Identity

KATHY—None of us outgrow the need for identity, affirmation or boundaries.  If they are met, they help us to be healthy mentally, emotionally, physically and relationally.  If they are not met, they set us up for sabotage.  Since none of us had a perfect family life growing up, we have all been sabotaged to some degree and had conflicts with self-image that left our self-worth in doubt, or vice versa.  And we have all faced embarrassment or failure regarding our self-government.  So, it is no private scar since everyone’s mirror (self-image) gets whacked in life.  Sometimes it is even our own doing; but how we respond after the fact is the crucial matter.  If we continue to only look at a cracked reflection, a marred, fragmented person; that will keep us from agreeing with the way God sees us and keep us from lining up with God’s intentions for our life and future.
(KATHY WILL BE SPEAKING AT KINGDOM CONGRESS 2024. NO FEE to attend. To see the schedule for KC2024 go to this link: martygabler.com/kc2024/.)


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/


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/ )

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/.)


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/)


Identity of God’s People

KATHY — Days of Elijah mark a time when God’s people have their identity established.1Ki 18:30    ‘And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him; and he healed the altar of Jehovah that had been broken down. 31  And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be your name.  With those stones, he drew a line between who they had become and who they were meant to be, and they were about to see their God confirm it.  36  And it happened at the offering of the sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, that by Your Word I have done all these things.37 Answer me, O Jehovah, answer me; and this people shall know that You are Jehovah God; and You shall turn their hearts back again. 38  And fire fell from Jehovah and burned up the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and the water in the trench was licked up. 39  And all the people saw, and fell on their faces, and said, Jehovah, He is the God; Jehovah, He is THE God!”  So shall days like the days of Elijah go down in history again!  


A Slippery Slope for Evil Agendas

MELISSA—Eight years ago I dreamed a tsunami was about to hit Galveston, and no one would listen. No one could see it YET, but here we are. Ten years ago I had a vision and saw Texas completely outlined with trees. There was a door in the middle of the state that opened and a red flag came up out of it and started waving. Red here stands for covenant, and that flag was coming out of the heart of this state. That tsunami cannot land because we are under covenant! I have been praying Texas would be a slippery slope for evil agenda’s. What God does here in Texas will benefit the nation and the earth.  A couple of weeks ago while we were in a drought I was calling in rain and heard, “Rain is coming that will fill centuries of deficit. There will be new vegetation that will be answers to prayer and carry cures.” Come on! Lastly, I recently heard Clay Nash say, “People say ‘Don’t mess with Texas,’ but Texas is about to mess with the nation.”


God Not Limited

OuterSpaceEarthOur God of the impossible is not limited or defeated by facts and history. Our Redeemer can and will override history if we dare to trust Him and cooperate with Him. Whether it is in conversation or just a passing thought, God help us to realize in the moment when we are hearing contradictions to the will of our Father or perceiving evil threats or discerning assignments from hell so that those things are not left unconfronted! 
(This is the eighth excerpt from Kathy Gabler’s article “Contradicting Contradictions“. More excerpts will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.)



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He is Mighty to Save

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May we lift up our heads from the struggle of battle and 
behold Him who has already overcome, and trust ourselves
completely to Him Who is mighty to save.

“WHO IS this Who comes from Edom, with crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom]? This One Who is glorious
in His apparel, striding triumphantly in the greatness of His might? It is I, [the One] Who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming
vindication
], mighty to save!” (Isa.63:1, Amp)


 


Distracted by Pain

BackHurtOur mandate is to rebuild this temple to house His presence and His purpose. What distracts us from our mandate? One of the things at the top of the list is pain. Pain has a way of capturing our attention. Pain has a way of becoming a priority, but even pain must bow to God’s authority and power and purpose. Marty hurt his back a few years ago. He laid on the bed begging and pleading for healing and relief. Between groans, he decided to call and cancel the service scheduled for the next day, but the Holy Spirit said, “You are not dealing with this like a son.” “How do I do that, Lord?” he asked aloud. The answer came just as loud. “Declare your position and purpose.”

      Aloud he began to declare, “God has purpose for me in Lockhart, Texas. I will go and do what I was born to do.” Not even remembering how he got off the bed, he found himself packing. He was still in pain, but able to move again. He took ground inch by inch, moment by moment that day. By the time he stood in the pulpit and preached, the pain had completely left him.

      He could have thought like Judah, “I will pursue the purposes of God someday, just not now.” I have to recover first! But as he adjusted his priorities in his thinking, the process of healing began as he headed toward purpose.

(This is the fourth excerpt from Kathy’s article “Rebuilding Our Temple-Part 2“ which was published in SEEC Magazine [Marty and Kathy’s ministry magazine]. More excerpts will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Previous excerpts may be read by scrolling down this page.)


DREAMS VISIONS PROPHECY  September 14-16, 2018  NO FEE
Grace International Church Willis,TX   graceic.org
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED INFO:  DVP2018


The Focus of Desperation

I laughed at myself as I recalled frantically calling out to the Lord a while back. I was frantic to find a title to a vehicle we were selling. Marty and I had both searched our desks and files, but neither of us could find the title. Rifling through my files one CameraFocusmore time, I suddenly heard myself praying, “Lord, help us. No, seriously, really make something happen this time!” Well, that was certainly no exemplary prayer of faith and power to confess publicly, but it was a powerful prayer in that it turned a light on for me.

As the light came on, I could plainly see the unverbalized script going on behind the scenes. As soon as I had muttered, “Help, Lord,” I thought of praying those same words hundreds of times concerning another situation in my life. The remembrance came to mock me for there was no help showing up after years, no sign of change, no movement whatsoever in my circumstances after those hundreds of prayers. The reminder was not only a damper on expectation for any present help, it was an in-my-face threat that God would not show up with resolve of this title situation.

The voice of desperation does not equal prayer mainly because desperation most often focuses on the problem which is the opposite of a faith focus on the One who has the answer. I suddenly realized I had been whining (hundreds of times), but I had considered it prayer. I repented. The awesome thing about repentance is that it brings change that brings change. Suddenly, in a Holy-Spirit-photo-memory-moment, Marty saw the title and it was right where we had put it, in a forgotten safe place. Hey, that’ll preach, the answer is SAFE until we can see it.

I laughed again. I love the smell of victory, especially even before the smoke of battle clears!  (Kathy Gabler)


May the Righteous Flourish

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May the people who are justified and vindicated by God, the right, correct and lawful ones (“righteous”, BDB) bud, sprout, bloom, break out of leprosy and fly (“flourish”,BDB).

“The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible].” (Ps.92:12, Amp)


Listen to worship music from Melissa Gabler
and audio clips from Marty and Kathy:
https://martygabler.com/podcasts/


A Willing Spirit

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It is hard to see eternal purpose through the grit and grime of experience.  So, our spirits have to be renewed, and that starts with cleaning life’s grime off the windows.  That’s why David prayed in Psalm 51,  “Create in me a clean heart, [send your window-cleaning presence!] O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  A steadfast spirit is a spirit that circumstances cannot bully, that emotions cannot control and that experiences cannot defeat.  (v.11) “Don’t cast me away from your presence and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” (NAU) A willing spirit is a spirit that is willing to try again, that is willing to believe again and that is willing to hope again.

(This is the eighth excerpt from Kathy’s article “Rebuilding Our Temple“ which was published in SEEC Magazine [Marty and Kathy’s ministry magazine]. More excerpts will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Previous excerpts may be read by scrolling down this page.)



One Greater Than the Temple

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Jesus did not seem at all concerned about offending people who didn’t believe the way He believed. In Matt.12 He and His disciples walk through a corn field on the Sabbath and the disciples picked and ate corn. When approached by the Pharisees and rebuked for it, Jesus defended the disciples. He then walks into the synagogue and heals a man’s withered hand on the same Sabbath. He has now stacked up two major offenses. The Pharisees immediately called for a little confab to plan to destroy Him using the healing as their condemning accusation. Instead of apologizing and going great lengths to attempt to prevent offense, He rather reminded them in verse six that they were the ones offending by not acknowledging He is greater than the Temple and its system they claimed was being violated. “One greater than the Temple is here.”



Wise and Harmless Dreamers

TwoPeopleTalkingDreamers and visionaries can learn to be wise and harmless.  We can ask for wisdom so that we do not mistake insight for a license.  Also, we can remember to consider our dreams as OUR telegrams with a purpose for ME!  If you are convinced a dream is for someone else, at least get godly counsel or agreement before sharing it. 

The spoken word is powerful.  Therefore the spoken dream can become a living, driving force – positive or negative.  Lord, help us to remember the tongue has the power of life and death and reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing, (Proverbs 12:18)

(This is an excerpt from Chapter Two of Kathy’s book “The Heart of Dreams” This is the third edition with more content and more symbols.)

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KATHY WILL BE SPEAKING AT DREAMS VISIONS PROPHECY
September 14-16, 2018 at Grace International Church Willis,TX
CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON DVP2018
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Remain Solidly Committed

oak-treeAs the people of God assemble today, may they recall the
blessings of God and the rich, life-giving Word of God and
be encouraged and strengthened to remain solidly committed to Him.

When he arrived there, he was pleased to see what God had done for
them out of kindness. So he encouraged all the people to remain solidly
committed to the Lord. (Acts 11:23, GW)


Dreams and Conversion

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In one African Muslim country, a young man violently tore up a Bible tract and threatened the life of The Every Home for Christ worker going door-to-door with the literature.  The next afternoon as the worker sat in his home, he was shocked to see the man knock at this door saying, “I must have another booklet.”  The Muslim explained that the previous night two hands awakened him, and when he turned on a light and asked who was there, a voice said, “You have torn up the truth.”  The voice instructed him to acquire another booklet, directing him to the worker’s home.  There the Muslim read the booklet and became a believer and is now preparing for ministry.  An Assemblies of God missionary said, “It all takes place in context, dreams are one step, a link in the chain that leads to conversion.”

(This is an excerpt from BARBARA JIMENEZ’s article “Dreams That Carry Mandate” SEEC Magazine Volume 19 Issue 4) Dreams Visions and Prophecy Conference 2015 NO FEE  * * * September 25-27, 2015 Marty Gabler, Kathy Gabler and Barbara Jimenez Grace International Church just north of Houston off I-45 Information:  https://martygabler.com/dreams-visions-prophecy/


Contradict Works of Darkness

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May the people of God receive light from the Word of God so that they might be enabled to confront and contradict the works of darkness that defeat them, their family and those that God sets in their path.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
has not defeated it.” (Jn.1:5, ERV)


Watch LiveStream of Grace International Church
Starts at 10a.m. on Sundays
www.graceic.org


Not Lost

HoldingCompass

While interviewing the great frontiersman, Daniel Boone, a reporter asked him, “Mr. Boone, have you ever been lost?” To which he replied, “Well, I was once bewildered for four days but I’ve never been lost.” At first, that sounds quite humorous but, in fact, it is a statement of some certainty. For an experienced explorer like Boone, it would be next to impossible for him to actually be lost in the truest since because he was a man of resource, initiative and skill. It didn’t matter in what area of wilderness or frontier he found himself, he still had the confidence of his skills and wilderness survival knowledge. It didn’t matter if it was winter, summer, spring or fall. It made no difference if he was in mountains, prairies or swamps, his knowledge, experience and skills served to keep him alive and on a correct heading. North was still north and south was still south and that will never change. He knew what to do in any season or location and, in spite of bears and weather hazards he had to deal with on numerous occasions, he lived to tell the story time and again.

 
(This is the first excerpt from Marty’s article “Time for Issachar“ which was published in SEEC Magazine [Marty and Kathy’s ministry magazine]. More excerpts will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.)
Marty will be speaking at the DREAMS, VISIONS AND PROPHECY CONFERENCE Sept.25-27 — Info: https://martygabler.com/dreams-visions-prophecy/ — 936-856-2455

Hoping in God’s Promises

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As the people of God assemble today, may they recall and rehearse for one another the promises of faithful God and may they hope in them anew and afresh.

“Remember [fervently] the word and promise to Your servant, in which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort and consolation in my affliction: that Your word has revived me and given me life.” (Ps.119:49-50, Amp)

Dreams, Visions And Prophecy Conference
September 25-27, 201
Speakers: Marty & Kathy Gabler & Barbara Jimenez
For more information: Dreams, Visions And Prophecy