1 Chronicles 19:10-13 – “David praised the Lord before the entire assembly:  “O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore! ¹¹ O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You, Lord, have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all. ¹² You are the source of wealth and honor; you rule over all. You possess strength and might to magnify and give strength to all. ¹³ Now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name!”

The purposes and provisions of the LORD led to a new way of living that is totally dependent on God.  No lack even when there is an empty sack. That is my prayer for each one today.

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, David’s instructions to Solomon captured my thoughts.  In 1 Chronicles 28:9, David instructed Solomon to serve God with a perfect heart and a willing mind.  The first is not possible without the second, and the second is attained through the first. Almost the chicken and egg scenario.

In 1 Chronicles 29:12, 17, we see that everything comes from God and that God tests our hearts and motives.  Obedience and righteousness open the door to that new way of lackless living.  That view of God as all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present brought me to the strength of His grace in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, His faithfulness in guidance and protection.

Perfect hearts and willing minds think His thoughts and desire His desires.

We give the devil an opportunity and an advantage if we are disobedient. We open the door to the devil and close the door to blessing if we walk in disobedience and tolerate disobedience in the church.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 is not for pharisaical regulations; it is for preservation of purity and restoration.  Shunning a‘brother’ seems harsh, but tough love usually seems that way.  In 1 Thessalonians 3:13, we are told not to be weary in well doing.  That statement was given in the midst of shunning and marking the ‘brother’ who lives carnally in disobedience to God’s commandments. Verse 15 is the key.  Do not treat them as enemies.  That’s what some do.  They identify the error and seek to destroy the errant person rather than being heartbroken for them.  Consider ourselves lest we be tempted.

If we treated others as Jesus treats us, we would always seek to restore. We would be gracious and out of love, seeking to correct. We would demonstrate perfect hearts and willing minds.

I say, “Love me and love God enough to correct me with the desire to heal and restore me. But don’t make me your enemy, for even if I err, my heart is to know the truth and serve God fully.”

The blessings of God are upon tested hearts.  Be zealous for God and love others.  Don’t be a harsh, judgmental Pharisee.  Mercy begets mercy!

Have a great day, and keep looking up, for our redemption is almost upon us!

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!