Luke 17:2-3 – “It would be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled into the deepest sea than to face the punishment of betraying one of my dear ones! So be alert to your brother’s condition, ³ and if you see him going the wrong direction, cry out and correct him. If there is true repentance on his part, forgive him.” TPT

As I prayed, read, and pondered the Word, my heart was challenged on several fronts. Do we genuinely care about others?   Do we truly believe we are watchmen, gap standers, and, in a true sense, our brother’s keeper?

Many believe life should be viewed as “live and let live.”  They follow the philosophy of an old Hank Williams song, “Mind Your Own Business, and You Won’t Be Minding Mine.”

There is value in minding our own business and not meddling in quarrels that are not our own.  There is wisdom in not grabbing the ears of a stray dog.   But the Bible teaches that LOVE demands we look out for each other and sound the alarm when danger is near.

In Luke 17, Jesus was talking about the Last Days and revealed God’s desire and demand that we care for each other.  Luke 17:2-3 – “…So be alert to your brother’s condition…”  That is not a license to become judgmental but a call to compassion and intercession.   Luke 17:3 – “And IF you SEE him going the wrong direction, CRY OUT and correct him.” 

Restoration is always God’s goal, and it should always be ours!  This message was so moving and challenging that the apostles said, “Lord, You must increase our measure of faith!” (v.5).   Caring for others with a heart focused on Restoration and Redemption will drive us to prayer.

Luke 18:1 –“Jesus taught the apostles to keep praying and NEVER Stop or lose Hope!”  

Luke 18:8 – “God will give swift justice to those who don’t give up.”

Persistent prayer and undying love for God and others reflect the heart of God.

Luke 21:18-19 –“…My Grace will never desert you or depart from your life. 19 Stand firm with patient endurance, AND you WILL find your soul’s deliverance. “

If we love God with our entire being, we will love others too.    If we love God, we will do what He has instructed.    That includes a willingness to lovingly warn a brother or sister who is heading toward danger spiritually.   It may sound like judgment to them and earn you their scorn, BUT if it is from God and out of love, the seed will be sown.    Then, we are to water it with persistent prayer.

Think of it this way.   You are planting a harvest that will return 30, 60, and 100-fold.  Luke 6:33 – “Give and IT shall be given…”   If you ignore your brother or sister, you will be ignored.   If they turn back to destruction and you could have warned and interceded, their destruction is placed on your ledger.

A simple loving word can be the catalyst that will bring them to right thinking and restoration.   Heaven rejoices and opens upon you in ways you never expected.

I care, so I share!  My cry is. “LORD, break my heart for others and give me the grace to stand in the gap for them.  Help me to be doggedly persistent in prayer.  Amen!”

Persistence penetrates the walls of resistance and brings restoration.  Praying without ceasing reveals the importance of the matter to you.  If it does not move us enough to pray persistently, it is not very important to us.  What moves us moves God because God loves us.  He loves them, too!  Sow the seeds of restoration and redemption, and you will receive a harvest of peace.

May God’s Grace, Peace, and Power fill your hearts today and every day!

Nahum 1:7 – “The LORD is good, a great help in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust Him.”

The ways of the Lord are often mysterious to the natural mind.  A few days ago, I was awakened at 3:55 AM and heard 55 three times or a triple dose of 55. 

In the Bible, the number 5 is associated with grace and goodness. When you see 55, it may indicate a double portion of divine favor and change.  It is a reminder of divine guidance during times of transition.   I declared aloud, “I receive it!”

As I continued to read, Habakkuk 1:5 resonated powerfully, and I felt it was linked to the triple dose of 55.  “…I will do a work in your days that you would not believe if a man should declare it to you.”

Habakkuk 3:17-19 was a word of comfort and hope to my heart.  No matter what, rejoice in God and Joy in the LORD.   Habakkuk 3:19 – “The LORD is my strength, for He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and made me stand on high places that I may sing His praise.”

Zephaniah 1:7 – “Stand in awe at the presence of the LORD God…”  Zephaniah 3:17 – “The LORD God in the midst of you is a mighty savior; He will make you to rejoice with gladness; He will renew you with His love, He will make you joyful with a praise as in the day of feast.”

Haggai 1:6-7 – Twice, he says, “Consider your ways.”   Not your acts alone, but your ways reveal the heart and motive.  Our ‘ways’ reflect our heart, motive, character, and condition. 

As I continued reading, I was greatly encouraged by the rendering of Luke 22:43 in the Passion Translation. Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying in agony over the coming trial. “Jesus called for an angel of glory to strengthen Him, and the angel appeared.”   Maybe we don’t realize that angels are standing ready to minister to us.

Then Jesus said to Nathaniel in John 1:51 – “From now on you will see an open heaven and gaze upon the Son of Man like a stairway reaching into the sky with messengers of God climbing up and down upon Him.”

Is it possible that we do not see what Jesus and Nathaniel saw because we are unaware or have no expectation of seeing it?   Maybe it is because of our prison of mortal thinking. Perhaps it is because we are not looking for divine help in every situation.   It is important to remember that Jesus was our example or pattern.  He demonstrated a life that can be the norm for everyone.   Maybe it’s time to embrace the supernatural and expect it to be normal.

Could the Holy Spirit be trying to impress upon me and all of us that His desire is to give us a triple dose of 55 because that is what we are to be looking for, embracing, and expecting?

Lord, help us to see that which You see, do that which You do, and be who You say we are.

John 14:15 – “Loving Me empowers you to obey My commands.”

Sometimes, you read something in Scripture that rocks your world and changes your perspective on everything!  Today, as I read the Word, my heart overflowed with awe for God.   I was convicted and, at the same time, encouraged as the veil was lifted regarding several truths.

John 13 is an event in which Jesus demonstrated an often misunderstood act of humility by washing the feet of the twelve. Some have made a doctrine and meaningless ritual out of physical foot washing.  Love and service were the focus, not just the physical act. It was prophetic of the fullness of the New Covenant. It was a revelation that life in the New Covenant would demonstrate love through service and humility.

John 13:1b – “And now He (Jesus) longed to show them (the 12) the full measure of His love.”

His declaration in John 14:15 gives incredible insight.  Do we grasp the full weight of that declaration?  

• Love is the power to be who God says we are!  
• Love is the power to live!  Love is the power to serve!  
• Love is the energy and driving force in the New Covenant and what releases God’s Glory and Power!

Jesus repeated and expanded that statement in John 14:23. As a result, the Father’s demonstrated and revealed love accompanies our loving obedience. Perfect union with Jesus and the Father flows from loving obedience.

How can we live a life of loving obedience? We cannot through human willpower. It is only by the help of the Comforter Jesus who was sent to guide, teach, empower, and cover us.   The Holy Spirit gives us the knowledge, strength, faith, and anointing to reject fear and confusion and live courageously. It’s not us, it’s Him!

If we make John 14:27 our anchor, we will prevail. “I leave the gift of peace with you – MY PEACE. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but My PERFECT PEACE.”  Because of that indwelling Peace, we have courage; in that courage, we discover the power of love to overcome!

The Holy Spirit has come to reveal Jesus to us fully.  It is as we see Him that we are able to love Him. In that state, we are enabled to obey Him and reveal Him to the world.   Love is the power to be! Receive that love and be that love.

I pray that God’s overflowing Love fills your heart and your day.  

Joshua 5:9 – “This day, I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.”

I am thankful that God’s love is unconditional and long-suffering.  He would have smashed us like bugs if either of those were not true.  Because of God’s love, we can love and have incredible peace!

Joshua 4-5 contains powerful revelation.   God told Joshua to send men into the Jordan and take twelve stones from the middle of the river.   The stones were at the feet of those carrying the Ark.   They were to be taken to the place they would lodge for the night—Gilgal.

The twelve stones were memorials for the whole family of God, including all the tribes.   They were taken from the Jordan, the doorway or portal from the past to the future.  They were to be reminders of where they had been, pointing to where they were to go.  Gilgal is important for two reasons.   It means a circle of stones or a rolling away.    Joshua 5:9 – “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.”

In Joshua 3, he instructed them to keep their eyes on the Ark because they were going where they had never been, and by following the Ark, they would have a roadmap to victory.   The Ark contained the Word, which expressed or detailed the Promise.   It is a guide!   Follow the Ark because it is a guide.

Unfortunately, as Jesus revealed in Matthew 5:20, we can lose sight of the Ark and act out of our carnality.  He made a disturbing declaration in Matthew 5:20 – “For I tell you, UNLESS your lives are more pure and full of integrity than the religious scholars and the Pharisees, you will NEVER enter heaven’s kingdom.”

Then, He addresses some moral, social, and spiritual issues.  

• Murder is equated to hatred for others, especially other believers.
• If you curse another believer, you place yourself on a pathway to hell.

(He didn’t provide loopholes or caveats.)

• He addressed adultery (sins of the flesh).   Just looking (with lust) is viewed by God as equivalent.  That is not a justification to commit the act, but Jesus illustrates the contrast between the accepted norms and God’s reality.  It is righteousness that exceeds!
• Making oaths, vows, and binding promises demands fulfillment.

He addressed the reality that vengeance is a ticket to hell.   Love must prevail, and going beyond is an example of righteousness that exceeds.  We are to look for ways to bless those who hate and try to harm you.  This reveals whether the heart is linked to God or ruled by self.

The reproach is rolled away as we follow the Ark!   We need to build memorials or memory triggers that remind us of what we have been delivered from and delivered to!   The Ark contains the Word that details the Promise and is a roadmap to victory!   We either follow the Ark or the impulses of the flesh. 

Remember the two pathways – One is life, the other is death, and there are no loopholes!  Victory is ours if we will follow the precepts of God!   

Make this a day of victory; that is what He has promised!

Matthew 6:14-15 – “And when you pray, make sure you forgive the faults of others SO THAT your Father in heaven WILL ALSO forgive you. 15 BUT IF YOU WITHHOLD forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.”

During a recent rain shower, I was reminded of the refreshing of the Holy Spirit. Nothing is more nutritious for plant life than rainfall, and nothing is more nutritious for Spirit life than the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He makes God’s Word come alive and brings the transforming nourishment we need.

Recently, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart about hate.   He caused me to focus on hate in the church and in the hearts of people who identify as His.   In Matthew 6, we find what we call The Lord’s Prayer.   When embraced and implemented, it is revelatory and powerful, simple but succulent and transformative.

Jesus followed that up with a revelation that enables us to understand how His Kingdom operates and gives the key to answered prayer and peace of heart. Matthew 6:14-15 speaks directly to that!  There is no justification for hate!  I was reminded in verse 21 – “For your heart will ALWAYS pursue what you esteem as your treasure.” He reminded us of the pervasiveness and problem of a heart that blocks out God’s light. Hate blocks it.

In Matthew 7, we discover God’s pathway to peace, life, and interpersonal relationships. We are and always will be judged by the same standard we use to judge others. We see their flaws and ignore ours, which allows us to justify our hate. God offers no loopholes. He hates hate!

Hate has no place in the heart.  It is a spiritual cancer that is terminal and metastasizes from the heart to the whole person.   If we allow hate, we negate Grace to us and through us.  Hate separates.  There are no loopholes.  There is no justification.  God will never accept it.  If we compare our hurts to the sacrifice of Jesus, we realize that truth.  Hate is easy, although hard, whereas love is hard, although easy.

Remember Matthew 10:26 – “… God will bring everything out in the open, and every secret will be told.” Our seemingly justified hate will be exposed, and our victim status will be demolished. Only through the Blood of Jesus as we FORGIVE can we escape the eventual humiliation of judgment.

Therefore, “Show Hate the Gate.”  Don’t hesitate, don’t debate, give no place to hate of anything but sin.  God is love! Forgiveness is healthy and makes us whole. Hate is a gate to destruction. It is the wide gate where too many enter.

There is peace, power, provision, and presence in love, but chains await those who hate.  Your victory is ready. Receive it, believe it, and enter into it!

Have a fantastic day, and keep looking up; Jesus is coming soon!   Fill your heart with love, not hate!