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 pondered what I was reading and hearing, my heart rejoiced and wept.   I wept for the world and the too-frequent impotence, fear, and doubt living in God’s people.   I rejoiced in God.   I rejoiced in the possibilities He has provided.  I rejoiced in His continual unveiling of Himself.  I rejoiced in truth!  I rejoiced in the fruit that obedience (explicit obedience) brings.  I rejoiced in life!

Paul warned Timothy about the conditions of the last days.   But he gave him something that reveals our anchor to keep us in ALL storms.  2 Timothy 3:15-17 is vital.  Paul reminded Timothy of the value and power of truth leading to everlasting life.  Remember that Jesus said, ‘You shall KNOW (intimacy with) the Truth, and that Truth will make you Free!”   That truth penetrates and permeates your entire being.  It is a place attainable but not always attained or maintained.

2 Timothy 3:16- “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

The result – verse 17 – “Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.” 

We must be careful not to make the Bible an idol but remember that in the Word is The Word!   It is who is God!   His very nature and essence oozes forth from the pages.  That’s why every time we read it, something new is seen.  It is living and powerful because God put Himself in every line.

As we see, we embrace and obey God’s directive.  We make life about us, but it never has been.  Many difficulties come because we seek ourselves more than Him.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 – “You can trust these words:  if we were joined to Him in His death, then we are joined to Him in His life!  If we are joined to Him in His sufferings, then we will reign together with Him in His triumph.  But if we disregard Him, Then He will disregard us.  But even if we are faithless, He will still be full of faith, for He Never wavers in His faithfulness to us!”  Wow!

We have the Name, the Blood, the Spirit, and the Living Word; therefore, “How Can We Fail?” 

Live each day knowing that you can’t lose with the stuff Jesus has provided, that’s the stuff I choose to use!  

Hebrews 3:1-2 – “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess, ² who is faithful to the one who appointed him, as Moses was also in God’s house.”

I pray that today will overflow with God’s supernatural help and blessings for each of you.  I pray that new doors of opportunity will open, attitudes will change positively, and problems will be solved, turning mountains into molehills.   Victory is today’s destiny.  Believe it, embrace it, and step into it.

My heart exploded as I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word today!  It would be impossible to adequately convey what was deposited in my heart in a short devotional.   It would require hours of dialogue, which is not presently available.   I will attempt to follow the Holy Spirit and highlight what I heard, saw, and sensed.  

Today, as I began reading Hebrews 3, a repeat of a previous message gripped my heart. The writer (whom I believe to be Paul) repeats something from the previous chapter: “…you are NOW made holy, AND each of you is (not will be) invited to the feast of your heavenly calling.”  [Emphasis mine].

I would love to expound on and delve into that, but the following sentence needs attention: “So fasten your thoughts fully onto Jesus, whom we embrace (become one with and surrender to).”

He advised that Moses was a model of faithfulness, but Jesus deserved more glory than Moses.  He says, “…the one who builds the house deserves to be honored more than the house he builds.  Every house is built by someone…”  That someone is God.   Later, he wrote, “AND NOW we are part of His house IF WE CONTINUE courageously to hold firmly to our bold confidence AND our victorious hope.”  [Emphasis mine]

Consistency in commitment is reflected in faithfulness and obedience.   He warns of unbelief and evil Hiding in the heart.  Hiding is not visible and often undetected.

Hebrews 3:14 –“For we are mingled with the Messiah…”  The (NET) renders it “partnered with.”   The Aramaic likens it to leaven and total blending.   The key is in the two-letter word “if.”   If what he says is reality and if we continue unshaken in that confident assurance from the beginning until the end, Then…

Then, we have the disturbing reality that the people who had seen what God did in Egypt and the wilderness rebelled and turned back in their hearts.  Verse 19 makes an alarming statement—“they wrapped their hearts in unbelief.”   In Hebrews 4:6, we see that they didn’t enter into the realm of faith’s rest because they had unbelieving hearts.

When we become completely His, we cease trying to “do” or “perform” and start “being.”   Hebrews 4:12 – “For we have the Living Word of God, which is full of energy (God’s Power), like a two-mouthed sword…”    That is captivating.   The Aramaic interpretation is that when God speaks, we, in agreement, also speak His Word, which becomes a two-mouthed sword. 

The Promises of God are absolute.   Hebrews 6:18 –“So it is impossible for God to lie for we know that His Promises will Never change!  And now we have run Into His Heart and Arms to hide ourselves in His faithfulness.”   It is here in this position and condition that we have comfort, strength, wisdom, authority, and power to seize what has already been established ahead of time.   That is an Unshakable Hope!

So, in Christ, as we continue with surrendered hearts in faith-filled obedience, we are unconquerable!  In Hebrews 7:25, we see that Jesus is able to save fully from now on throughout eternity.

That is a small deposit of what I saw today.   In God’s eyes and plan, who we truly are is who Jesus is.    We are Mingled or Partnered with Him “if” we give Him our whole being.  Then, we are enabled to manifest Him Fully on earth.  The question is, “Why Not Now?  Why Not Us?”

My cry is, “Thank you, Jesus, for deliverance from blindness.  Thank you for the revelation of Who You are and Who we are in You.  Thank you for the courage to dare to BE…”

Today is a day of unequaled victory. Seize it.

Hebrews 10:23 – “And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy.”

I will make a statement that some may have difficulty with, but hopefully, you will allow me to expound on what I mean: “Faith is an almost useless word for many Christians.”  For many, it seems that it is relegated to the mystical and is virtually an unattainable prize that only the super saints experience.

Believers readily believe in Salvation, but even then, many are unconvinced that God truly forgives All sins.  Some find it almost impossible to embrace the idea that Grace is unearned and not connected to acts but the heart.

Hebrews 8:6 – “…He (Jesus) is the catalyst of a better Covenant which contains far more wonderful promises!” In the New Covenant, God embeds His laws in our thoughts and fastens them to our hearts.  (Hebrews 8:10).  In (Hebrews 8:12), we read that God’s promise is to Never remember our sin.   Few truly embrace that, thereby negating faith.

If, as Hebrews 10:14 declares, by Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, we are made Perfectly Holy and Complete for all time.   Why is it so difficult to see ourselves that way?

I believe that one of the reasons is we trust what we see, feel, and think more than what God has said.   God said it, but we don’t see it. Therefore, we don’t believe it.   For us to become, we must embrace His Word!   It is not what we see but what He says that makes things real.

One translation of Hebrews 10:23 is incredible, “So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lived within us, knowing that God ALWAYS keeps His promises!”

Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for.  (Long for not just kind of want).  It is all the evidence required to prove what is unseen.”  [My added thought included in parentheses]

Hebrews 11:3 – Faith empowers us to see.

Hebrews 11:4 – Faith moves people.

Hebrews 11:5 – Faith translates people.

Hebrews 11:7 – Faith opens hearts.

Hebrews 11:8 – Faith motivates to obedience.

Hebrews 11:11 – Faith embraces God’s miracle power.

Hebrews 11:11b – “…for the authority of her faith (Sarah) rested in the One who made the promise, AND she TAPPED INTO HIS FAITHFULNESS.”  [Emphasis mine].   Tapped into it.  Wow!

Hebrews 11:16 speaks of the motivating power of faith.   “But they couldn’t turn back, for their hearts were Fixed on what was far greater, that is, the Heavenly Realm.”

I am blown away by verse 26b.  It says of Moses that he saw true wealth because…“his eyes looked with wonder, not on the immediate (that’s where most look), but on the ultimate – faith’s great reward!”

Hebrews 11:33 describes the operation and power of faith.   “Through faith’s power, they conquered kingdoms and established true justice.   Their faith Fastened onto their promises and pulled them into reality!”  

Think about fastening onto God’s word and pulling the promises (the unseen, the hoped-for) into being in the present.  That is amazing!

Hebrews 11:40 reveals our invitation into God’s world, “But now God has invited us to Live in something better than what they had – Faith’s Fullness! God’s Promises are absolute.   If we are to live in faith, we must reject our doubts and what we think is reality and totally place our confidence in Him and His Promises.  

Faith is not Sight in the Natural.   It is vision, seeing into the eternal.   Faith is confidence that God’s integrity is impeccable.  Faith is the learned ability to see beyond what we think is reality into what God says and drag that reality into the present, persistently clinging to the promise.   It is being willing to die and being deemed a fool for holding onto God’s promise.

Faith is confidence, trust, expectancy, and obedience. It is refusing to let natural sight dictate our lives and steal our hope.

Today, God is talking to me about Trust.    Our eternity is dependent upon our trust.   If I can’t believe He has made me Holy, what can I trust Him for?  If I can believe that, then what is it that I can’t trust Him for?   That makes Faith a functional part of my life.

Today is your day of victory.  Rejoice and be who He says you are!

James 1:2-4 – “My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. “

James, Jesus’s half-brother (in the natural), underwent an amazing transformation.   He moved from not believing, although growing up with Jesus, to being a pillar in the Church.   That alone is inspiring.

James experienced hardship both in his life and in what he saw in Jesus.  Yet, he says, “When trouble comes, rejoice and give thanks.”  James 1:2-4 should become a foundational part of every believer’s mindset.

We need to alter how we view difficulty.   Rather than complaining and expressing, “Woe is me,” view it as an opportunity for spiritual development and for God to be manifested.

Tested Faith stirs up the power of endurance in us.   As we grow stronger through endurance, not wavering or faltering, there is a supernatural release into us from the Spirit.   Perfection (maturity and stability) is released into every facet of our lives.

James 1:2 – “…Until there is Nothing missing and Nothing lacking.”    Remember, we do not invite, long for, or look for trouble; if it comes, we look beyond it to God, and in our surrender, we are transformed.

James 1:7 – “When you are half-hearted and wavering, it leaves you unstable.”  James 1:21b – “…The Word of Life has the power to deliver us continually.”

The transformed life also includes controlling our tongue.  Oops!  That little menace gets us in trouble.  It is a mirror of the heart and mind. 

James, chapter 3, goes into detail about the tongue’s power.  James 3:2 – “We all fail in many areas…”  (Can you relate?)  “…especially with our words.  Yet, If We are able to bridle the words, we say We Are Powerful Enough to Control Ourselves in every way, and that means our character is mature and fully developed.”

The tongue and our words are a measuring stick to evaluate our spiritual development—whether we are babies or adults!

James’s message is multifaceted.  It is about trust, faithfulness, and righteousness and directs us in our interpersonal relationships with others, especially those in the Family of God.

James 5:13-15 is loaded with insight that enables us to live in power.  In this, we find Daily Life Instructions: 

• Are you having difficulty then Pray.  
• Are you Happy then Vocalize Praise.
• Are you Sick, (this is multifaceted in the original.) 

The word is (kamno), which can and usually does mean more than physical sickness.   The idea is also being weary, worn out, or worn down by life’s struggles.   It includes being weakened by conflict.  The idea is that the prayer with the laying on of hands (impartation) and oil (release of the power of the Spirit) brings a Full Restoration of Health.

Jesus informed us that our words are expressions of the overflow of our hearts. The heart is a revelation of our spiritual condition, which shapes how we think and how we live. 

So, In Everything, place your total confidence in God.  You don’t have to understand it, but you do have to trust Him.  If you do, He will bring you through to victory.   As you become who God designed you to be, you find life is a joy, not a chore!    I have a friend who says, “Because of Grace, I laugh at life!”    He has joy no matter what and when troubles come, and he’s had plenty, He laughs at the devil. You, too, can be joy-filled with God’s Peace, Power, and Contentment.

Have a fantastic day, and rejoice, for Sunday is on the way!

Joshua 1:1-2 – “After Moses the Lord’s servant died, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant: ² “Moses my servant is dead. Get ready!  Cross the Jordan River.  Lead these people into the land that I am ready to hand over to them.  ³ I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was drawn to the Book and Life of Joshua.  Joshua had been more than a disciple of Moses.   He had served as a servant, a son, and a trainee.   He was a constant companion of the man who had experiences and revelations beyond that of any human.

He was on the mountain with Moses for those 40 days, seeing and hearing what Moses saw and heard.   He was in the Tent of Meeting and even remained behind when Moses went out to the people.   He was in training for reigning.  He saw, heard, and felt the presence of God.

When Moses died, God had to do a transformational work in Joshua.  He had become overly dependent upon Moses.  Moses, the friend of God, always heard and knew what to do.  Joshua simply followed his lead.  What a place of comfort, right?   You are there; you see, hear, and feel everything, but it’s not your responsibility.  You are a second and get to enjoy the fruits of victory without the pain of leadership.

Now God says, “Joshua, Moses is dead.  You can no longer depend on him. You have to depend on Me.  So, be strong and courageous.  I will be with you.”

But we have to ask, “Didn’t Joshua have the training so that he would have crumbled under the weight of responsibility? He had spent time on the mountain and in the tent.”   God’s presence provides the power to fulfill our purpose.  Without that presence, we are like a fish out of water. 

1 Peter 1:4- “We are reborn into a perfect inheritance that can never be defiled, and never diminished…:

I Peter 1:9 – “For you are reaping the harvest of your faith – the full salvation promised you – your soul’s victory!” 

As Joshua learned, God’s presence transforms. Peter said in 1 Peter 1:22, “Now, because of your obedience to the truth, you Have purified your souls, and this Empowers you to be full of love for your fellow believers. “  

The presence of God produces power that transforms and overflows with the manifestation of God.   God is love!  The presence enables us to Be!   Being allows us to live pleasing to God.  It enables us to abandon the old life, thoughts, and deeds.  It empowers us to reject every form of evil, live without hypocrisy or contradiction, and not even have a twinge of jealousy, envy, or covetousness.  

We become Living Stones of the Living Stone.  We are being assembled into a house (sanctuary) for God.  As a fully formed house, with our eyes on the prize, we are enabled to divorce ourselves from that carnal nature that resides in us and seeks control.   We live in complete freedom.

1 Peter 4:1b-2 – “…for whoever has died in his body is done with sin.  2 So live the rest of your earthly life, NO LONGER CONCERNED with human desires but CONSUMED with what brings pleasure to God.” [Emphasis mine]

Joshua learned that truth as he followed Moses, and Moses followed God. Peter learned that truth as he followed Jesus.  Like Joshua, he enjoyed the presence without the responsibility.   Now, he is equipped and can manifest Jesus!

Your life experiences have brought you to the place you are.  Now, it is time to step into God’s purpose and BE and DO what He purposed for you. 

Victory is here and ahead.  Victory is seized, and it does not get dropped into our laps.  We have been trained by the Spirit in our experiences.   Take that training and start reigning. I

The chapters of your book of life are still being written.   The final paragraphs are up to you.  Be Strong and Courageous!  God’s plan is Victory, not just for you but for the Kingdom.

Rejoice in the reality that in Christ, you are free and secure!

Jeremiah 33:2-3 – “I, the Lord, do these things. I, the Lord, form the plan to bring them about. I am known as the Lord. I say to you, ³ ‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things that you still do not know about.’”

This morning, in the pre-dawn hours, I was awakened.  That is not unusual, but this was somewhat unique.  The clock was 3:33, and immediately, I heard the Spirit whisper into my heart, “This is the time.”  This is the time?  What does that mean?  I lay awake pondering and fell asleep with that thought on my mind.

I read in 1 John about love, hate, and God’s desire for mankind.  Then, the Holy Spirit drew me back to the 3:33 awakening.  This is the time!  Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me, and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”

Jeremiah 33:2 – “Thus says the LORD who made you, formed you, AND established you in His Name:”   The instruction to call followed that revelation.   

Notice the word “made?”   I would render that created and move on if it were not for what followed.  “Formed and Established.”  The word “formed” speaks of creation, whereas “made” speaks of development, and the word “established” speaks to the process of becoming.

Every step of our lives has brought us to where we are at this very moment! Before we view our condition and position negatively, remember that nothing is insignificant to or with God.

You are being “Made.”  You were “Formed,”  and through those, you are “Established.”  The word “Established” is positional and conditional.  It is the view of where we are and where we should be and determined to “Be” who you are to the fullest.

The word “Call” = Pray, petition, and inquire.  Are you in a Flux of questions?  Then Call.   He promises to answer.   It may not be in audible words, but in circumstances and events, He will answer!  He said He would!

Not only will He answer your petition, but He will also give you revelation.   The Revelation of what?   The Revelation of Great and Mighty things that we do not know.  That includes both the idea of being unaware of their existence and unaware of the answer or solution.

Great and Mighty speaks to something beyond the individual. It speaks to the nation and the world.   Jeremiah was a watchman, and God’s call was to intercession.

Before you say, “I’m not an intercessor,”  I must ask, “Do you love God?“ What impact would your having divine insight have on those in your sphere of influence and association?

Do you long for some, you know, and love to become part of God’s family or to be restored?  CALL, and out of what God shows, you do intercession warfare for them.  Do you weep over the lack of spiritual depth in the church?  CALL, and out of the revelation God gives you, do intercession.

Do you long to walk in the fullness of the Spirit, pull down strongholds, and have God’s blessings abundant in your life?  CALL, and out of the revelation God gives you, do warfare.

What are the “Great and Mighty Things?”  The word “great” underscores God’s vastness, His infinite nature that surpasses human understanding. It points to His majesty, wisdom, and unfathomable greatness beyond any human measure.   The term “mighty” emphasizes God’s power and strength.

Jesus said that one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit was revelation knowledge.  

Anything God impresses upon a heart as a revelation is a call to warfare—warfare for either the defeat of the satanic plan or the fulfillment of the divine plan.

If God shows you a need, it is your challenge to intercede.  You may never say anything to anyone about it, but in CALLING to God, you open the door for the Holy Spirit to work His work.  You provide a covering and a canopy to shield the person or situation, preventing the enemy from completing the planned destruction.  

Your prayers ARE HEARD!  God said if you would CALL, He would ANSWER!  With that in mind, “Call.”  What do you have to lose?  Everything and nothing.  If we do not CALL, we allow the enemy to operate.  If we CALL in intercessory warfare, we stop him in his tracks.  God said so.

The question for us is: “Will we call and prevail or ignore and fail?”  

Through Jesus, you are more than a conqueror, and your prayers based on His revelation are effective and achieve incredible results. It is your call to CALL or not CALL. God has invited you to participate in His Great and Mighty things.

Have a great day rejoicing in Who You are and Who He is!