Isaiah 44:20 – “He feeds on ashes; his deceived mind misleads him. He can not rescue himself, nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?'”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was reminded of a passage in Isaiah that frequently comes to mind.  The words of Isaiah 44:20 grabbed my heart today.  

Feeding on Ashes?   What is that?  It is allowing or elevating anything above God.  It is also failing to feed ourselves with true food (truth).  It is also neglecting to seek God first.  It is to feed the flesh at the expense of the Spirit. 

Do we feed on ashes?  Do we follow the prescription of 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24? 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:2, we find that famous passage of the LORD coming as a thief in the night. Coming ‘as’ (unexpectedly upon the unprepared).   Then, in v.4, something overlooked is revealed. “But you, my brethren, are not in darkness that that day shall overtake you as a thief.”  The believers who make Matthew 6:33 a cornerstone walk in light, not darkness, and will not be found unprepared nor unexpecting.  The charge in v.6 is relevant, no apathy, and v.8 encourages us to live in the now presence of the Living Christ. (He is IN us).

1 Thessalonians 5:14 gives us a description of body ministry.  We are to correct those who offend.   We are to comfort those who are fearful.  We are to uplift the weak.  We are to be patient with everyone.   It is only as we feed on the Bread of Life that we can do that.   In vv 15-22, we have the guide to becoming all God desires.

Deception comes in many forms and is often cloaked in, ‘God said.’  Anything that makes anything our source is not a ‘God said thing.’   Anything that diverts or detracts from body ministry and restoration is not a ‘God said thing.’  God does not promise to satisfy our selfishness.  It is a dangerous thing to attach, ‘God said,’ to our fleshly desires.  Just because we believe something and it looks good does not mean it is a promise from God. God’s purpose is always redemption, reconciliation, and restoration. Judgment is ONLY after we have exhausted the limits of His patience.

I don’t trust voices that are never right but keep insisting that they have the inside information or a special revelation.  Yet, repeatedly, they prove to be wrong!  

So don’t be one who feeds on ashes, whatever they may be.   Feed on the Word of God! Feed on the fruit of a surrendered heart.  Remember, Jesus is coming soon, and we are invited to participate in His purpose now and His presence eternally.   Look in your spiritual cupboard and examine what you are feeding on.

Have a wonderful day in the LORD and feed on His Word, not the ashes of self.

Colossians 2:6 – “Just as (this is the key) you have therefore accepted Jesus Christ as LORD, so you MUST be led by Him.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I heard, “Learn the mystery of God.”  Colossians 1:27 gripped my heart. Paul spoke of the mystery and said, “Which is…” He defines it, “Christ IN you.” The indwelling Christ who is Savior and LORD. He says this is “The hope of our glory.”

Do we truly comprehend and embrace that revelation?  If Christ is IN us, then the life we now live in the flesh is His life. The cliché “What Would Jesus Do?” becomes a manifested desire and an outworking of our daily life.

Colossians 2:6 is arresting. “Just as (key) you have therefore accepted Jesus Christ as LORD, so you MUST be led by Him.”   We readily receive Him as Savior, but are resistant and hesitant in making Him our constant guide.

2 Kings 19:30 – “They shall take root downward and bear fruit upward.”   The fruit (visible manifestation) is only possible if the roots run deep into Him. Colossians 2:7 says it this way: “Rooted and built up IN Him and established in the faith as you have been taught abounding therein with Thanksgiving.”

As Jesus becomes LORD, Colossians 3 becomes possible.  We Set Our Minds on things of God. We mortify (put to death) carnality.  We put off the fruit of the flesh.   We defeat the hostility of carnal thinking.  Carnal thinking is the fruit of a lifestyle that feeds the flesh. Total surrender is the goal, and that is realized as and to the extent that Christ is IN us.

The old altar song echoes in my head and heart: “I Surrender All.”  Lord, help me to die to me so I can live to You. Help me to KNOW and be brought near to the full assurance of understanding of the mystery. Let Christ be formed in me so that it is no longer me but Christ. I surrender all.

Have a great day and surrender everything to Jesus!   Victory is ours through Him!

Joel 2:28 – “After all this, I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have prophetic dreams; your young men will see visions.”

As I prayed, read, and pondered the Word of God, I heard in my heart of hearts – Not Isolate but Penetrate! I believe that is the call and commission of the Called-Out Ones – The Church!

Joel 2:28 is a powerful reminder of God’s Promise for the Last Days! Something in that verse speaks a truth that we may have missed.   It does not say they will HAVE visions; it says they will SEE visions.  It could be have, but it is beholding, discerning, respecting, and knowing, not just having an apparition.  It is seeing something with the eyes of the Spirit that captivates the heart and transforms the life.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build My Church.” That Church is created and commissioned not to “Isolate but to Penetrate.” It is to bring the Kingdom of God to Earth and change the culture around it. It is to manifest Jesus!

I believe that God is raising up a Generation that will see the fully restored Church, fully manifesting Jesus, and fully demonstrating the Overcoming life! There is a line in the Sylvester Stallone movie ‘Cobra’ –“Crime is the disease, and I am the cure.”   I believe that Jesus is saying to the devil, “Devil, you are the disease; I am the cure.” Since Jesus is in us, living His life through us, we become that cure by His Spirit.

Prayer becomes a totally new venture when we SEE the Vision of God!  When we SEE the Finished Work of Jesus.  Ephesians 3:20 –“Now to Him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ASK or THINK, according to the power that works in us, unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all the ages [Generations], world without end.”

All that we can “Ask” or “Think.”   

I can think a lot! I have Holy Spirit thoughts, dreams, and visions. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly ABOVE all that I can “Ask” or “Think.”  Do you hear that?  Our problem is, “We do not THINK enough or BIG enough!” Our God has called and commissioned us to go in His Name! We have the Authority and the Weapons! We have the Covenant! When will we exercise our position in Christ?

Prayer is releasing the divine intervention of God and bringing Him into time, space, and history, and gives us Much More than we can “Ask” or “Think.” God puts eternity in our hearts! We are the Generation that will bring Christ back, and we must be radical, militant, and expectant!

Lord help us to be penetrators, not isolators!

Acts 9:40 – “But Peter sent them all outside, knelt down, and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.”

As I prayed, read, and meditated on the Word of God today, I heard, “Remove the Distractions and stand on Holy Ground.” That perplexed me only in the sense of the two elements of the directive.

I realized that this was a direct reference to prayer and results! It was a revelation of how to pray effectively! Effective prayer cannot become a reality when distractions are present. Distractions distract! Distractions demand attention. Distractions open the door to doubt.

But the directive was not just to remove distractions. It was to stand or pray on Holy Ground.  As with Moses in the desert at the burning bush, God said, “The place where you are standing is Holy Ground.” What made it Holy? God’s Presence!  So, effective praying flows from an undistracted focus in the presence of God!

In Acts 9:40, when Peter was brought to where the body of Tabitha (Dorcas) was, he did just that – removed distractions, stepped into the presence of God, focusing on God, and prayed.  THEN, he turned to face the problem, the dead girl. From the undistracted time in the presence of God (Holy Ground), he spoke in faith, and she arose from the dead.

He removed the distractions, stepped onto the Holy Ground of God’s presence, and prayed. That prayer produced the faith required for the miracle.

We do not know how long he prayed, only that he removed the distractions, entered the presence, and prayed. It might be quick or take time, but in the atmosphere of heaven undistracted, he communed with the presence, and from Holy Ground, heaven came to earth.

If you are not getting through in prayer?  Maybe distractions are preventing you from focusing and blocking you from Holy Ground. Create a place, a time, a space to Shut Everything Out but God. In that undistracted condition, step onto Holy Ground and watch what happens.

Lord, help us be free from distractions as we come into Your presence!

2 Timothy 3:14-17 – “You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about.  You know who taught you ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, the Word TRUST kept reverberating in my mind.  How we pray, what we pray, and when we pray reflects Trust.

The account of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 always inspires me.  When trouble comes and danger is realized, fear is a natural reaction.  How we respond to fear reveals both the level of trust and what or whom we trust. What we focus on solidifies our faith.  That is not necessarily good.   If we focus on the problem, we trust the problem’s perceived power.   If we focus on God, our confidence (trust) in God is enhanced.  In fear, we should rehearse the promises rather than give power to the problem.

2 Timothy 3:15 holds a key truth.  We quote v 16, omitting v 15.  Paul told Timothy that the scriptures had the capacity to make him wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus.  The Word is like a door (Jesus said, I am the door). It opens our spiritual eyes. Faith + Word = Light. If you abide in ME and My words abide in you…

The Word provides information and inspiration.  It is profitable to teach us, correct us, inspire us, guide us, and equip us.  The Holy Spirit takes the Word and completes us.  The Word embraced in faith is the greatest deterrent to doubt, deception, and disobedience.

Lord, make Your Word so important to us that we consider it our necessary food daily.   Christ is the Word, and Christ in us is the hope of glory.  Jesus is not separate from His Word.  Don’t pursue the Word as a shopping mall of blessings, but as a life source.   It is water in the desert, food in famine, and light in darkness.  The inspired Word inspires! How can we know it’s God, not our own desires or minds?  Line it up with the principles and precepts of the Word.

What do we Trust?  What do we focus on and fill our hearts and minds with?  What is most important? 

Lord, help us learn to Trust you completely!