Go to the House of God
Genesis 35:1-4 – “Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; 3 and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.”
As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I felt deeply stirred. In Genesis 35, after Simeon and Levi had avenged their sister with violence, God instructed Jacob to go to Beth-El. The directive was to make an altar representing repentance, dedication, and worship. Jacob understood this could not be done with idols in their midst.
He instructed them to get rid of the foreign gods, cleanse themselves (repent), and change their clothes (lives). They gave him their idols and earrings. They should have disposed of them by fire and pulverization. He hid them under the oak tree near Sechem. That left the door open to taking them up again. Bad idea! Never leave room to go back to what you have put off.
In Matthew 21:12, when Jesus came into the temple, he drove out everything that was not conducive to prayer and worship. The temple is a place of ministry, not merchandise or entertainment. Its purpose is redemptive.
In Matthew 21:16, a quote from Psalm 8:2 identifies praise as a strength or power. Only those who never praise do not realize the power of praise. It is a chain breaker and opens the door to worship. It connects the heart to the spirit and is transformational.
Matthew 6:33 directs us to make God more important than anything. When God fills the heart, His presence pushes out everything foreign to love and purifies us. Love is the root and fruit of righteousness! Love enables us to endure. Love serves without expecting a reward. Love loves unconditionally and continuously. (Matthew 25:31-46). Love keeps the fire burning inside!
So, let us fill our hearts and minds with God and His Word. Make no place to go back. Burn all the bridges of the past. Do not bury the past; offer it on the altar to God! God will remove it!
Victory is now! Have a fantastic day; keep looking up; redemption is near!
The Instantaneousness of God!
Isaiah 65:24 – “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”
I felt entering into 2026 that this would be a year of attack and harvest. Hang on to your hat; the ride is about to begin. As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was reminded of God’s faithfulness and His intricate attention to detail. His preparation is perpetual and perfect. He never waits for us to ask before He acts; He prepares so that when we act, He responds.
Genesis 24 is the story of Abraham sending his servant to secure a wife for Isaac. The servant arrived at the area of Haran and prayed for guidance and help. (v. 15) “Now before he had finished speaking (praying), behold, there was Rebekah…” I immediately remembered Isaiah 65:24, “And it will come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
We miss that promise and tend to think we have to beg God incessantly to get an answer. It is not the length of the prayers but the intensity and desperation of the heart.
In Genesis 32, Jacob faced a crisis and considered life or death. Esau was on his way. The same Esau who had vowed to kill him 20 years earlier. He understood the power of hate and what he had done to his brother. He wrestled with God all night long. His refusal to stop short of God’s touch produced a character change that resulted in a name change that shaped his destiny.
The question is, how desperate are we for God’s Word or Touch? How desperate are we for God Himself? Are we like Jacob, unwilling to stop short of the Touch, the Word, the Blessing, or the Presence? Are we like the disciples in Matthew 17, whom Jesus called trusting little? They had seen Him do miracles. They had seen miracles, but he said, “This kind only responds to prayer and fasting.” Desperation with God! Earnestness of heart, urgency of spirit, and determination will bring us into God’s Presence and bring results!
There is nothing God cannot do. There is nothing impossible IF we trust Him and press into His Presence. But we cannot just wade in the shallows; we have to dive into the deep. Go all in!
If we place our confidence in unreliable men or dreams, our faith will never be mountain-moving. Words that repeatedly prove to be wrong cannot be trusted as a source. Only God is true and faithful. Desperation for God brings us into His presence, and in His presence, there is completion and peace.
LORD, help us to live with expectation and embrace the instantaneousness of Your provisions!
Hey, Look at This!
Genesis 15:1 – “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram; I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.”
As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I felt deeply challenged. I began by reflecting on the Blessing of the Covenant with Abraham. The major focus was on others. It had a kingdom feel to it.
In Genesis 15:1, God gave Abram renewed assurance of His presence, provision, and power. Abram’s confidence in God became his foundation in trial.
In Genesis 18:9-15, I saw something that grabbed me and made me say, “Look at this.” Sarah was in the tent. If the tent represents God’s covering and presence, that is significant. In the tent, she was listening! That is the key. We need to press into God’s presence and listen. She questioned, but she heard the Rhema of God that took root and produced the Fruit of the Covenant Seed. First, get into the tent, then listen.
The flesh is easily distracted. John the Immerser (Baptist) had a divine revelation that Jesus was the MESSIAH. Then, from prison (in trial), he questioned, “Are you Him?” We must constantly reaffirm our confidence in Him and His Word. Isolated events, no matter how wonderful, are not enough. We have to keep returning to the tent.
In Matthew 15:34-39, we see the feeding of the 4,000. Jesus asked, “How many loaves do you have?” How much bread? Bread represents the Word of God. They said seven. Seven is the number of completeness. They picked up seven baskets, indicating endless supply. (Psalm 23, Psalm 91, Isaiah 61.)
In God, if we get in and stay in the tent, we can hear Him. Hearing Him, we can respond in obedience. Responding in obedience results in the endless supply. Genesis 17:1 in the Tree of Life Version is interesting. GOD said, “Continually walk (live) before Me, and you will be blameless.” Blamelessness flows out of His presence. Living our lives IN His presence provides the wisdom, revelation, strength, and anointing to be blameless. It is in the tent! God, give us some tent time!
LORD, help us be continually awed by Your presence and promises!
Sin Is Not Benign
Genesis 8:1 – “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.”
As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, several things came to mind. As I began another trip from Genesis to Revelation, the original intent for man filled my thoughts. Unbroken fellowship and Lordship have become so benign to us that we have forgotten what they are and that stewardship of the planet, health, and life was God’s design. Sin happened and perverted that purpose. Man sinned! That is too nice a word for what transpired.
The word “Sin” has become so benign to us that we have forgotten what it is and does. Adam & Eve did not simply make a misstep or stumble in a mistake; they REBELLED! Their act was an act of treason! Their act was to align themselves with the cosmic rebellion against God, inspired by the devil, seeking to dethrone God. That is Sin! Let its ugliness sink in.
When we read, “All have SINNED and come short of the glory of God,” read it as all have turned against God, rebelled, and sought to dethrone Him. Not so benign then, is it?
Sin always tries to hide and cover itself from the shame of exposure. Fig leaves are man’s attempts to hide shame. We run from God because, in our hearts, we know He knows the truth. Sin always tries to shift the blame. It is her fault, his fault, or some circumstance that caused it. Ultimately, it is saying, “God, it’s Your fault.”
The beauty of God is that He knows our flaws and still loves us. His Covenant Promises are constantly in the forefront of His mind as He actively and eagerly looks for ways to bring them into reality.
Genesis 8:1, “God remembered Noah…” That is not remembered as if He had forgotten, but as a Covenant word meaning God was actively holding His promise at the forefront of His mind, looking for a way and a time to make it happen.
Likewise, when it says, “Our sins and iniquities He REMEMBERS no more,” that means He has pushed our sins out of His consciousness so that He does not have to judge them actively. He has chosen to FORGIVE, and in that position and condition, He is actively looking for ways to fulfill His promises!
Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek FIRST…” God is first, not that we do not seek things, needs, or desires, but that all is in proper order. God first! Life becomes full when we regard Sin as Rebellion and repent, making God our all. If God truly becomes Number One, life will become abundant. We will cease trying to earn and learn to be. But He must become First!
LORD, help us to view sin as You do and reject and resist it!
Do You Want To?
Malachi 1:6-8 – “Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. 7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. 8 But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.”
As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, a thought filled my heart and mind. That thought: “The Want To.” Malachi spoke about seeking to honor God by giving flawed sacrifices. They wondered why they were not hearing from God. He said, “You are giving Him your scraps and expecting His favor. How dare you!”
How do we transform our want-to into positive action? Allowing the want to, to flow to its negative conclusion is easy. If you do not address it, it will flow to the lowest point and become a reality. Hate is murder in seed form. Lust is adultery or immorality in seed form.
But how do you move in the other direction? The Beatitudes give insight. Being poor in spirit means being empty of self and selfishness. Genuine remorse over sin leads to repentance, and repentance means doing an about-face. Through the Holy Spirit, you resist negative desires and focus on the positive. It requires discipline.
Willpower will never prevail over the flesh. Prevailing over the flesh requires total surrender to God. It requires total honesty to self, others, and God. If we deny the problem or need, or diminish it, we empower the problem. We have no victory over the flesh until we surrender completely.
In the Beatitudes, we empty ourselves of self; we become sorrowful of our sin and condition; we place our pride on the altar; we stir up our hunger for God; we seek mercy for ourselves and extend mercy to others; we shun the very appearance of evil (let that soak in); we resist retaliation and reaction and seek peace. Then, when trials come, we discover the strength to stand.
Remember, willpower cannot produce victory. It can only point us to our true source of help, God. What level of influence does our ‘want to’ have in our lives? Does the desire for righteousness exceed our willingness to yield to the flesh? Our actions speak louder than our words. We must stop denying it if we want total victory. The denier will be denied, but the truly repentant will find victory!
Check your want to!
