Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, the thought of reciprocity would not leave.   Reciprocity is in the Law of Sowing and Reaping.  Reciprocity is the Law of Harvest as seen in Luke 6:38.  It is involved in our interpersonal relationships.

In Matthew 7, the focus is on judging.   In verses 1-2, we have a clear example easily understood.   Then in verses 3-5, there is the warning, “Before you throw rocks at another, take a long look in God’s mirror.”

Matthew 7:12 is applicable.   The Golden Rule is contained in the Law of Reciprocity.   Then, verses 13-21 should shake us to our core.  Before we judge the fruit, we must be sure it is fruit, not our opinion we are basing our judgment on.

Likewise, verses 21-27 are disturbing.    It is not what we have done, but the condition of our hearts that matters.   In verse 24, Jesus speaks of hearing Him.  Hearing implies understanding, and heeding transforms truth into life and walks it out in a practical way daily.

In every facet of life, we reap what we sow.   Reciprocity!   That reality should be our daily radar and guidance system.

Lord, help us always look in Your mirror before we do anything.

Isaiah 8:13-14 – “It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy.   And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.  ¹⁴ “Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, several things flooded my mind. One question that arose was, “Who Rules and Who Gives Authority?”   I heard, in my heart, “If people make you King, who rules?”   It is not rocket science – They do!

When the people came to Jesus with the intent of making Him King, He fled to the mountains.  That was one of the most presumptuous acts in the Bible. Imagine, mortals, trying to make Jesus King!  Jesus could not be made King; He was King.

Today, everything called Apostolic emphasizes form, but the true Apostolic offers no emphasis on Form; it is on Formation.  God is creating New Wineskins to house the New Wine of the Holy Spirit He is pouring out.  But realize that we only need New Wineskins if we have New Wine.  The New Wine Skin does not produce the Wine.  The New Wine produces the need for the New Wineskin.

Something interesting transpired when two of John’s disciples began to follow Jesus. He saw them and asked, “What do you seek?”   They responded with a question, “Where do you dwell?”   They didn’t ask which groups were right, which doctrine was pure, or what form of worship they should pursue. NO, they asked, “Where do you dwell?”

That is the secret to moving into Kingdom Authority and living the Kingdom Lifestyle.  The focus is Him!  We are transformed by what we Behold, and if we are focused on anything but Him, we will be molded into that image.  We need to discern between what God blesses and what He inhabits.

For example, when the Glory fills the Temple, it is not the Temple that gets our attention but the Glory that fills the Temple.   Remember Ishmael?   God made him a great nation and blessed him.  God blessed him but did not inhabit his works.   Isaiah 8:13-14, “It is the LORD of Hosts whom you should regard as Holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread, then He shall become a Sanctuary.”

God is calling His people to become the Kingdom of Priests He designed and desires us to be.  The Church Jesus is building and coming back for is a body, not a building.  It is an organism, not an organization.  It is a life, not a set of regulations!

It is time to be who He says we are!   It is time to live like He says we can live!  It is time to sound the war cry and possess the promises!  Are you willing?

LORD, help us to be fully committed to your purposes!

1 Peter 4:17 – “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, something was stirring in my heart that made me weep.   Attitudes!  None of us can truly see inside the heart of another and know their hearts.  We can see actions, hear words, and note their attitudes.  We can make a determination about the condition of their heart by the fruit.  However, if we evaluate the fruit based on our opinion, doctrine, and preference, we may wrongly evaluate its condition and intention.

What if they are deceived, misinformed, misguided, or operating out of hurt? They may still believe in God and want to serve Jesus, but have stumbled. Even if they have, out of anger, hurt, or surrender to the flesh, erred, is it God’s heart to kill them?

1 Peter 4:17 – “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

Today, there are ministers (big names and no names) falling into sin. That is tragic! That makes me weep!  The question is, what is our response and attitude toward them?  Matthew 18 gives us a pattern. Galatians 6:1 reveals God’s heart.   Do we sever them from the body with railing words?  I hear some lash out with sneers and almost glee that these are being exposed in known sin. Is that the heart of God?

I preach hell with a broken heart!  We do need to sound the alarm when danger is present. We do need to teach truth, which exposes the false.  Love covers a multitude of sins.  Covers (not hides) but covers as in shielding to give space to be healed and restored. What is our motive in our judgment and proclaiming their fall?

Is there something inside us that smirks and has a feeling of gladness that they are being taken down?  We are the Body of Christ. We are to seek restoration. If I rip someone to shreds, how can I be a vehicle of restoration? I don’t need to shred personalities to speak against evil, sin, or error.

Is my heart the heart of Jesus? Is my heart breaking over every person who goes astray? Is the longing of my heart to restore? Am I looking for ways to reach and restore them?  

• Lord, help me to be humble and repentant like the publican in Jesus’ parable, not proud and judgmental like the Pharisee.
• Lord, help me to weep over sin, that in others and in me. Help me to pray for and strive for restoration, and never have even a smidgen of gladness that someone is exposed.
• Lord, help us to love as You love!   

Help us to view others, considering ourselves, knowing we too could be in that condition. Help us to not to have a false sense of spirituality, thinking that could never be me! Help us to remember we are flesh and only by Your Grace can we stand.  Help us to stand in the gap for others!

May we all walk in mercy just as we have received mercy!

Deuteronomy 12:8-12 – “You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes; ⁹ for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁰ When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security, ¹¹ then it shall come about that the place in which the Lord your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hand, and all your choice votive offerings which you will vow to the Lord. ¹² And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, a three-word phrase kept echoing in my heart and mind.   “Dispossess Then Possess!”  Deuteronomy 12 was the catalyst for my meditation on our promised victory.

Many believers know that we have great and precious promises.  It is knowledge in their heads, but not in their hands.  It is theoretical, not experiential.

Some seem to see the fulfillment of the promises as a future (heaven) experience rather than a now possibility or reality.  Before we can Possess the promises, we have to Dispossess the enemy (anything that prevents the promise).

There are 5 elements in the Dispossessing process we need to embrace and implement.

1.  We must DISCERN.   Mark the enemy or hindrance.  We identify the hindrance (thoughts, desires, deeds, beliefs, etc.). We study the promises and learn to use the WORD as a weapon.

2. We must develop DISDAIN for those hindrances.  We despise anything that prevents or hinders our relationship with God.   ANYTHING!  We renounce and reject every hindrance.  It must be placed on the altar to God.

3. We DISCLOSE the identity of the enemy.  We uncover and expose those hindrances to the Light of God.     The Light sends the demonic, ungodly cockroaches into hiding.  We disclose by declaration!

4. We must DISCOMFORT the enemy.  We put them in a state of confusion, commotion, consternation, beat down, and terrified.  How?   The Word of God!   Know it, confess it, declare it, believe it,  and implement it.

5.  We must DISINHERIT the enemy.   The enemy now controls and enjoys the benefits of our inheritance and promises.   We must disinherit them and seize the possession.

Preparation always precedes blessing!   No containers, no oil.  No ditches, no water.  No surrender to God, no victory over the devil.

We have been given great and precious promises.  Christ is IN us, and we are IN Him.  He is 100% victorious, and He is living in us, and through us, is He any less victorious in us than when He walked the Earth?

When will we Dispossess the enemy and Possess the promises?    Why Not Today?   What do you need?  Is it worth the battle to you?

Have a fantastic day!