Peace Understanding – Part 2

Hebrews 12:1 TPT says, “As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So, we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.”

Friends, it’s time to throw off every hinderance from our powerful path of peace.

It’s time to give every wound to Jesus and hand over every limitation in our lives. It’s time to invite Him to heal our hearts, so we don’t perpetuate cycles of pain inwardly or outwardly.

It’s time to run as the overcomers He made us to be, because it’s time for our Jabez prayers to manifest. It’s time to see the goodness of God in His expanse for us.

“Oh, that you would bless me,” Jabez prayed, “and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain” (1 Ch 4:10 NIV).

Friends, it’s time to be awed.

It’s time to be lifted above what once held us back and step into God’s beautiful and lofty place, as He continues to make us authentic, like Jacob.

“Let the king be enthralled by your beauty,” Psalm 45:11 NIV tells us, “honor him, for he is your lord.”

Friends, it’s time for action.

Two questions we can ask ourselves and God to gain His truth and understanding are: 

  1. What am I under, meaning what am I submitted to? 
  2. And how am I standing?

In other words, am I submitted unto The Lord God Almighty, operating in His character and ways? Submission is important because it’s the only way we will be able to finish our race victoriously (Mk 8:34).

Isaiah 26:3 AMPC says, “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.”

So, a few weeks ago, Holy Spirit highlighted condemnation to me as a hindrance to our strength of peace.

He brought to mind the forgiven adulteress in John 8 and led me to take a deeper look. 

Holy Spirit revealed to me that hopelessness had taken root in this woman’s heart, which caused an inward attitude of condemnation that she projected and acted on outwardly. This lie of hopelessness in her heart perpetuated cycles of condemnation in her life.

It was a trap for this woman and for Jesus (Pr 1:17-19 TPT).

Friends, we cannot have peace if we don’t have hope, because hope is an anchor and a stabilizer that sets us on our Lord’s path of peace (He 6:19).

In this woman’s case, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, stood for truth and met her where she was to set her free, right in front of her accusers. The accusers (who were aligned with the devil) judged her outward appearance and distanced themselves from Jesus as He brought conviction to their consciences (1 Sa 16:7, Jn 8:9).

The accusers couldn’t stand because they didn’t operate under Jesus’ strength of truth and peace.

Instead, that gang operated under gossip, not Gospel; and covert collusion, not divine collaboration. They weren’t aligned with the compassionate heart of Jesus, and they didn’t want to be.

This is why we have to go deep with God—so we can escape evil and run the distance with Jesus. We must go all the way to promises fulfilled and not stop in the desert of our souls.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 TPT reveal that every Word from God “has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.”

There are key pinnacles of victory, in the various facets of our lives, that are set before us in this fitting time. As Holy Spirit delivers us out of cycles of darkness.

To the extent that we let our Lord reign in our lives is the extent that He will prosper us. It’s not so much of a reward for enduring hardship as it is about the deliverance from hindrances during the hardship that frees us up, so God can shine in and through us most brightly (Jn 1:5, 8:12 AMPC).

God is our only hope to conquer our mountain of flesh and the enemy’s lies.

He is the Lord of the breakthrough that enables us to conquer enemies that work through our flesh, such as the sins of condemnation and false judgment that we see the gossip gang project in John 8 (2 Sa 5:20, Is 28:21 TPT study note).

John 8:8 TPT says, “And then he bent over again and wrote some more words in the dust.”

Just like for the forgiven woman, the powerful and true Words of Jesus sets us free on a path of peace. 

This is good news, especially for those of us who walked through the training of divine discipline to live in greater holiness and experience the harvest of the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” (He 12:11).

Jesus changed the forgiven woman’s atmosphere, environment and life.

When Jesus said, “Dear woman, where are your accusers? Is there no one here to condemn you?” He spoke that shift (of attitude) into being. He revealed fresh vision to her.

When Jesus said, “…I certainly don’t condemn you either. Go, and from now on, be free from a life of sin,” He re-set her on a path of new life (Jn 8:11 TPT, Ro 8:11).

For this forgiven woman, it was time to walk out her salvation, “time to be made new by every revelation” that was given to her (Ep 4:23 TPT).

It was time to walk deeper into her divine destiny.

If you’ve been living your life under condemnation, it’s time for a pivot of deliverance and true intimacy.

It’s time for clear vision and direction. 

It’s time for a path of peace.

It’s time for manifest victory.

Remember Romans 10:11 AMPC, which says, “…No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.

If you’re ready, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for Your destiny plan for me. I confess, as sin, having operated in any and all hopelessness and condemnation. I renounce this disobedient behavior and every spirit that’s not of You. I forgive others and myself for any and all imposition. I receive Your forgiveness offered to me by the finished work of the cross. I invite You to uproot any and all hopelessness in my heart and restore my true foundation of hope. I receive Your new path of life for me. I choose to follow You as my faithful glory cloud by day and my fire by night, leading me out of all darkness into the fulfillment of Your promises to me. Open my eyes, Lord, to see Your goodness as You make my path straight, merciful and peaceful (1 Pe 1:3-5 TPT). Help me to know my worth through Your eyes. Thank You for Your grace of redemption. Thank You for working out my salvation.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

Friends, as we close, remember Mark 8:34 TPT, where Jesus tells us how to remain in His light. He says, “…If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways.”

To God be the glory.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

Abundant Riches & Life – Part 2

Colossians 3:16 NLT says, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives…”

Richness in this verse refers to “much in quantity” (HELPS Word-studies). 

Abundance.

This verse goes on to advise teaching and counseling with the wisdom of God and praise unto The Lord with thankful hearts.

So, friends, as we remain close to The Lord, we must step into His assignments and walk with Him in submission to His ways, knowing He will guide us into His best fulfillment; because we cannot be full of ourselves and the fullness of God. 

The fullness of The Lord requires our surrender to Him.

Remember this key: The way to abundant life is to fear The Lord. 

Proverbs 14:27 NIV says, “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.”

Fear, in this scripture, means deep reverence (Strong’s #3374). Reverence that would cause us to bow to Him (Ps 45:11).

Proverbs 19:23 TPT says, “When you live a life of abandoned love, surrendered before the awe of God, here’s what you’ll experience: Abundant life. Continual protection. And complete satisfaction!”

Remember this key: The way to maintain this abundance is by His true kindness of character and demeanor—our yield to His life-giving Fruit of The Spirit (Ga 5:22, Is 26:3).

Romans 11:22 NIV says, “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.”

This kindness (Strong’s #5544 and #5543) is a type of strength that makes us properly useful for His good service, well-fit for what is needed, upright, morally excellent, gentle, cruelty-free and profitable.

An example of this would be Esther, who was made ready and kindly approached the king. Her wise and fruitful demeanor of kindness influenced the king to make decisions that would take out her enemy and save a nation (Es 5:2).

Esther understood that her enthronement was linked with the kindness and peace of God. This submission to God was the stance from which she served and ruled victoriously (Is 26:3).

As we yield to this Fruit of the Spirit, we will remain in a place of blessing and trust God to do that which only He is fit to do. 

This is of particular importance as we continue into this fitting time, where darkness shakes off and Spirit-produced goodness prevails. Where God reorders parts of our lives into a convergence that hits the target of destiny and reaches far. 

Our Lord has some big inheritances for us to step into.

Are you ready?

Very recently, He highlighted Psalm 47:4 TPT to me, which says, “He’s marked out our inheritance ahead of time, putting us in the front of the line, honoring Jacob, the one he loves…”

Holy Spirit gave me the understanding that those who have been delivered from the false pride of Jacob will continue into their greater God-ordained inheritance.

Interestingly, the Promised Land is also called “’The Excellency of Jacob,’ which literally means ‘the loftiness of Jacob’” (Ellicott’s Commentary) “on account of its beauty and the excellence and variety of its productions” (Pulpit Commentary).

So, what beautiful high place is God bringing authentic you into right now?

What excellent fruit will He produce and establish through you (Amos 9:14-15)?

Holy Spirit desires to reveal His destiny-plan, because we cannot live out divine destiny based on our own knowledge.

Proverbs 15:33 TPT reminds us that “The source of revelation-knowledge is found as you fall down in surrender before the Lord. Don’t expect to see Shekinah glory until the Lord sees your sincere humility.”

Psalm 50:23 NLT assures us that “…If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

We know this is done by God’s Spirit of Grace, “along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Ti 1:14 NIV). 

I love the Words of Jesus in John 17:13, 15, 17-18 NKJV, which say, “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”

Friends, as His sent ones, let’s put our hand to the plow and not look back. Let’s stay the course of Holy Spirit’s kind actions for His glory (Philippians 3:13, Is 48:3 AMP).

Remember these Words in Psalm 72:6-7 TPT, which say, “Your favor will fall like rain upon our surrendered lives, like showers reviving the earth. In the days of his reign the righteous will spring forth with the abundance of peace and prosperity forevermore.”

So, we declare The Lord’s Words in Isaiah 45:8 AMPC, which say, “Let fall in showers, you heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness [the pure, spiritual, heaven-born possibilities that have their foundation in the holy being of God]; let the earth open, and let them [skies and earth] sprout forth salvation, and let righteousness germinate and spring up [as plants do] together; I the Lord have created it.”

And as we contend to do what The Lord instructs, let’s remember Psalm 20:4 NKJV, which says, ” May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose.”

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Amen.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.