Daily Devotions

Posts tagged “happy

A God-Filled, God-Honoring Life

MARTY GABLER—May desire for our Lord’s character and the empowering of the Holy Spirit help us to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life and help us to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. May we shine forth with words and actions that can only be described as honoring the Word and will of Almighty God, so that the present culture and system of this age can never swallow us up and lay claim to our lives. May the cloak of His likeness display who we are, and whose we are, without the need for superficial display of physical marks, titles or pretension.


Pray and Stand and Hold

MELISSA GABLER—Sometime ago when the Lord said that we should pray so we can be prepared for the coming onslaught of evil, we did, and then His instruction came that we were to hold. What this instruction has shown me is “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’  says the Lord of Hosts.” (Zech. 4:6) This cannot be handled or fixed by our might or power. We are at the place where all of our self-help, strength, reasoning and logic have absolutely no power against this onslaught. What we are experiencing is what has been fueling the problems in lives and society and it has been hidden behind the scenes until now. This is a spiritual war and this is only the beginning. 


Marty & Kathy Gabler – The Crystalaires

From Melissa Gabler:  I love this photo of my folks. That’s my mom on the left and my dad with the guitar. If you were at my mom’s celebration of life and heard my dad talk about getting to see her run to Jesus… that’s what she looked like when He took her into His arms. ❤️
L.-R.: Kathy Buchanan, Marty Gabler, David Moore, Alice Gabler Ogilvie. The Crystalaires c1971


Carrying a God-Purpose

KATHY GABLER—Everyone breathing is carrying a God-purpose. We are living in this time to be sons and daughters of God making history in the earth. Not one of us is insignificant or without a holy calling. Whether we realize it or not, our purpose is a piece of the bigger purpose that God is stewarding. You may be a school bus driver that God positioned in a sphere of protection over three children that the enemy’s trying to take out before they become a principal and mayor and police chief that they were born to be. Perhaps you are raising a child that will affect the medical world in twenty years. Maybe you are living in a particular county so that your taxes can help change it for a God-plan. Perhaps part of your purpose is being God’s expression of mercy in an office or for you to be the medicine of healing because you can make others laugh. Or maybe He placed your skills and personality as a connector to get people to solutions in a community. Most of the time we are not aware of how God is using the details of our daily lives as a part of His bigger intention, but God watches over you and who you were born to be. He also intends that you outlive anything that contradicts any facet of your multi-faceted purpose and fulfillment.


More Than Mere Attenders

MARTY GABLER—As the people of God assemble today may people who have been no more than mere attenders realize that they are called to be an active participant in the local house and its expression in the community. May they realize that they are to become participants in the giving of their time, effort and resources.  “Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live. . .” (Prov.11:19a, Msg)


Your Sphere of Influence

MARTY GABLER—YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE — You are not without influence (Gk.: “metron”- a sphere of influence). Each and every person, each and every entity (e.g., a church, an apostolic network, a training center) has some degree of influence with some number of people. God will, at some point, in some manner, begin to emphasize the sphere of influence of a person and of a local house (church).  He will begin to bring the type of influence and the degree of influence into our thinking and consideration so that He can enlarge that sphere for wider effectiveness. “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. (Isa.54:2,NKJV) (also 1Chron.4:10)


NEW ERA

Melissa Gabler _ New Era (4min.)
Click on video below to hear encouragement about the New Era.


Nothing Less Than the Extraordinary of Heaven Will Do

MARTY GABLER—We are in an era of history when nothing less than the extraordinary of Heaven is required in the earth. We cannot and will not look for those things offered by mere religious sentiment that serve as nothing more than band-aids covering the unresolved issues and fruitless programs of western religion. 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. We must reach up and get hold of God’s extraordinary which is more than a span of revival meetings that gives us temporary relief from the mundane. The mundane must be invaded in such a way that we do not simply return to it after a brief respite and after things are trying to sink back into “business as usual”. 


On Track With Original Intent

MELISSA GABLER—Recently I was praying over a situation and all I heard loud and clear was the word “radical”. I could get behind that! Yes, radical change in this situation. I began to speak “radical” into my concern. It was one of those kind of things, however, that just kept rolling around and growing inside of me. It just felt like it meant more than I was currently grasping. It also felt like it was for more than just that particular situation. So, I looked the word up in the Websters 1828 Dictionary.
Check this out: Radical: 1. Pertaining to the root or origin; original; fundamental; as a radical truth or error; a radical evil; a radical difference of opinions or systems. 2. Implanted by nature; native; constitutional; as the radical moisture of a body. 3. Primitive; original; underived; uncompounded; as a radical word. 4. Serving to origination. 5. In botany, proceeding immediately from the root; as a radical leaf or peduncle.
Well, oh my! Radical is a much stronger word than I thought it was. Basically, what I see in these definitions is that radical means going back to God’s original intent. So, when the Holy Spirit says “radical” He fully intends to take the current situation and put that person, family, business, region, etc. back on track with His original intent.

Fruit That Overcomes Self-Destruction

KATHY GABLER—Fruit That Overcomes Self-Destruction —  I was praying for a lady who was incapacitated and went through months of emergency room runs, hospital stays and testing, but the doctors could not bring the sickness to resolve or even a clear diagnosis.  As I was praying, the Spirit of God revealed what the doctors were looking for: they were looking for her self-destruct button. Where is your self-destruct button? More importantly, why is it there?  Is it embedded in disappointment, self-pity, deceit, desperation, selfishness, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger or guilt?  Once your self-destruct button is pushed, can you recognize how you feel or how you feed destruction?  Have you ever connected the dots to realize that agreement feeds destruction and agreement comes with every unkind word and action, every foul mood freely expressed, every dark habit or pattern and every self-justification when you are wrong?
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and it is a powerful expression of self-government, a powerful, non-carnal weapon to defeat enemy strategies and strongholds.  Choices concerning our attitude, words and behavior take dominion eventually.  Over time, every ruling force and condition (good or bad, healthy or destructive) gets in control through attitude, words and behavior, and all three begin with thoughts and feelings.  The one-two punch that defeats self-destruction is: 1) recognize destructive feelings and discern dark thoughts, and 2) refuse to be controlled by them or behave as they dictate.  Self-government becomes our weapon against self-destruction. 


What the Spirit is Saying to Us

MARTY GABLER—As the people of God assemble today, may they set themselves to listen and hear what the Spirit of Almighty God is saying to us in our local assemblies about what He is doing, and about to do through us, in our communities and our nation.  Rev.2:29, Amp—”He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.”


The Love of Jesus Stands Out Noticeably

MARTY GABLER—(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 . . .” (Jn.3:16)


The Clean Fear of the Lord

Melissa 7min. Video – “The Clean Fear of the Lord”

Melissa talks about Clean Fear and Unclean Fear.

Click on video to view.


These Things Come to Pass in Their Time

KATHY GABLER—“These things will come to pass . . . in their time,” was Gabriel’s answer to Zachariah.  The old priest had not known how to factor in God’s timing into his destiny and purpose.  God not only has a plan, He has a specific time-frame to manifest it.  Many of life’s frustrations come because we have no understanding of God’s TIMING for our gifts and callings.  God’s TIMING rarely flows within the confines of our logic or agenda.  Learning to recognize His TIMING can be the key to fulfilling our calling.  If we are out of sync with God’s timing, we need not expect confirmations. There is not anyone or anything positioned to confirm us along life’s path if we miss God-ordained appointments.


A Vital Factor in Your Future

MARTY GABLER—Paul helped the Christians in Rome to wake up to a matter that would be a vital factor in their future: …”The Word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart”… (Rom.10:8, NKJV). Some of us came through an era of religious training and teaching that left us with the understanding that the vital factors of our lives and our future would be the result of what someone else said to us. Some have grown up in dysfunctional families and some have come out of bad marriages thinking that they do not deserve anything more or different than the negative that was said about them. But the helpful instruction of Paul is that the word our ears (and the atmosphere and the environment) need to hear is the word that comes out of our own mouth. But that word must be influenced, must be shaped by THE Word of God:  “…that is, the Word of Faith which we proclaim;” (v.8b). What was to come out of the Romans’ mouths was to have been influenced by the instruction of the Word from godly leaders and teachers.


Forgiveness and Conflicts

KATHY GABLER—Forgiveness untethers us so our lives do not revolve around our conflicts.


Word of God Permeates Our Beings

MARTY GABLER–As the people of God assemble today, may we be admonished and trained as the spoken Word of God permeates our beings and we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
“Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col.3:16, Amp)

Living Differently

MARTY GABLER—In time to come, may we live differently with different results than we have lived in times past. May our homes and work environment be filled with different conversation in times to come—different because we are no longer discussing threats and defeats but hopes and victories. May our homes be fuller in the coming year—full of the things we have needed, full of evidences of victories and full of love and good, productive fellowship. May our homes be filled with new language in this new year—the language of finance and prosperity, the language of health and the language of wise counsel given and heeded. May this coming year look totally different as we look back on it than any year prior has looked. May we say that it had the look of answers, resolve and fulfillment.


When We Call On God Almighty

MELISSA GABLER—Simply put, we don’t get to determine what the answer must be when we call on Him. That kind of determination is a prescription for indigestion. Why? Because we are working from a very limited soul-perspective of the situation with even more limited soul-solutions. This kind of limitation focuses on the impossible rather than the God of the impossible. He not only sees the problem, but where it came from (possibly from entitlement mindsets passed on through the bloodline?) and He sees the best solution for the complete fix. That right there is the kind of “great and mighty” answer we are truly looking for. 


WITH God

KATHY GABLER—“For with God nothing will be impossible,” means just that . . . WITH Him, the impossible is accomplished. That means no strain on my part will bring about the impossible and neither will my determined efforts cause God to do the impossible. Pushing or tugging at God will not work, but walking WITH Him will position us to see the impossible become possible whenever necessary. Walking with Him will keep us from stumbling blindly from one assumption to another or from one disappointment to another. Walking with Him involves His confirming presence and recognizing His orchestration of people, circumstances and time to confirm our path. His love for us is so unfailing and detailed that He not only protects our destiny, He even salvages it at every point possible throughout our existence.


Look Who My Shepherd Is

MARTY GABLER—Don’t become distracted. Distractions get sheep lost. As we face what is and what is coming on the world we will say, “I will fear no evil FOR YOU are with me (Ps.23:4). Look Who my Shepherd is! The Lord! HE is my Shepherd whether I am in a valley or on a mountain or lying in green pastures or whether there be many of us or few. HE is my Shepherd whether I am in 1966, 1996 or 2026! HE is my Shepherd whether I am living in David’s time or in this present time, He is the same attentive Shepherd.


Awareness and Focus

MELISSA GABLER—We are talking about big picture and small picture here.  Awareness is how you affect your surroundings, and focus is how your surroundings affect you. This simple statement shows the importance of the matter.  We are built to affect, engage, take charge of, and permeate our surroundings, not let them do this to us. This point cannot be stressed enough: we hold the cure!


Self-Image, Self-Worth, Self-Government

KATHY GABLER—Self-image, self-worth and self-government cannot be determined by your IQ or strengths or looks or successes or skills, but neither are they determined by experiences or failures or opinions or lies. The thing that outranks all of that is your relationship with the Father and guaranteed daughtership or sonship. Identity, affirmation and boundaries are powerfully established through that relationship. Consider David. Even when his self-government completely crashed, it did not kill his self-image, nor did it steal his self-worth. Ding dong! If you refused to take care of your duties and obligations as a God-appointed leader of a nation while taking time out to plot murder, so you can commit adultery and end up with a child out of that affair, wouldn’t that crack your mirror and change the way you see yourself? Well, it didn’t seem to faze David, but I’m pretty sure the whole nation had a cracked view of David, especially when Nathan the prophet, publicly exposed all this. (2 Sam 12) Most people would have crawled in a hole to eat worms and die, but David took personal responsibility and owned his mess. That positioned him to repent (vs. 13). He didn’t act like Adam and try to hide after he sinned. Neither did he spend the rest of his life cowering as unworthy or continually seeking reassurance that God still accepted him. No, in fact, after he repented, he begged God to change His plan and spare the child born out of adultery. Who would have the nerve to ask God for mercy at this point? Even after his mirror cracked publicly, David didn’t allow condemnation to seep in the cracks. It wasn’t that he was a simple-minded optimist, nor was he thinking in terms of deserving this, he was simply convinced God loved him. None of David’s mess-ups ever got bigger to him than God. He remained “a man after God’s own heart,” who continued to see himself as a son just like God did. That’s relationship. That’s a strong family bond and some awesome sonship!


The Lord Raise Those Bowed in Discouragement

MARTY GABLER—As the people of God assemble today may the hope in our Lord’s Name and presence cause to stand erect those who are bowed under discouragement. “The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down.” (Ps.145:14, Amp)