Posts

Posted on

The Final Push

Many are in a final push for new life. 

God is dealing with the pushback, the resistance that has tried to wear His people out and hold them back for a long time. He’s resetting boundaries and leveling His people up to expand His Kingdom on His earth.

And this can only be accomplished His way. 

The final push brings relief, healing and the new beginning of a new life. And just as it can be in the natural realm of childbirth, so, too, can it be in the spiritual realm.

Pushing in God’s way and time will result in a necessary reset of boundaries that will produce and manifest a greater blessing forward.

So, what is Jesus’ example for pushing? How do we do it without manipulation? How to we push without being pushy?

We know that the good side of pushing involves believing that His Presence is necessary and enough and that He’ll make things right, according to His will and purpose. For us, it involves calling on His Name, finding Him in the midst, reaching for His Spirit of Grace through prayer and knowing His Spirit of Truth in His Word. So, it involves yoking with Him to faithfully work it out.

We know that the bad side of pushing involves unbelief, which encompasses leaning on our own understanding, being flesh-driven and, basically, doing it our way, outside of God’s boundaries. Of course, this means we won’t have His backing or grace-power. Therefore, we can make it worse and harm others in the process. 

One example of good pushing is the woman with the issue of blood (Mk 5:25-34).

She firmly believed, chose life and did what she had to do to meet Jesus where He was without harming anyone. She realized that, as she came near to Him, He would reciprocate. She knew that, as she sought Him, reached for Him and accessed Him intimately, she would receive His perfect power that would restore her. This woman learned, firsthand, that Jesus alone was her answer.

In her story, we see that Jesus didn’t push her away. Instead, He pushed her affliction away. He lifted her burden right in the face of resistance. 

And He did the same for everyone else He restored, whether it be through drawing people near, asking rhetorical questions, enlightening them with parables, speaking commands or otherwise.

The byproduct of such faithful acts is that many are taken aback in awesome wonder, (which is restoration of the fear of God)! 

So, the way of Jesus is a witness to many, as He softens hearts, encourages attitudes and reveals Himself in unique ways. He draws us to Himself to help us push through unrighteousness. And it will be worth it.

In our lives, right now, He’s inviting us and enabling us, by His grace power, to progressively push into the outward blessings He has in store for us, after bringing us through a deep season. 

And like the woman with the issue of blood, these outward blessings may demand some pushing forward amid resistance to experience Jesus joining us in the pushback.

In other words, good pushing requires our obedient faith-action for Jesus to meet us and supply His grace of victory for new life. 

So, in the touchpoint of Jesus, we can’t lose. Promises are fulfilled. And greater peace and joy are the fruit of His strength working in our lives. 

We can discern what’s happening and know what to do as He releases His wise strategies to us, which includes His timing.

We can see this cycle of progression time after time in the victorious lifestyle of Joshua’s army.

To live freely in their Promised Land, they had to push forward with great courage, sharp focus and submitted hearts. It required their continuance of careful obedience in every way from beginning to end. They had to be one with God all the way, requiring teamwork to receive sustained victories.

They had to know what to do and precisely when to do it. They had to hear from God and follow through to apprehend His promises. 

Each time they experienced a win in battle, they gained ground and momentum. Word got around that their God was true and was with them. In this way, they evangelized their enemies!

They came to know, firsthand, that as they honored God, He honored them. They became a tight wheel within a wheel with Him as they advanced in their inherit dominion of heart and land in God.

So, what’s God instructing you to push through? Who are you to push on and when are you to do it? 

Are you pushing with Him or against Him?

Holy Spirit will reveal specific answers to you as you wisely and lovingly seek and obey Him. And if you do it His way, you’ll advance in His Kingdom as His Spirit of Truth and Grace works on your behalf.

So, don’t settle for anything less. 

Choose to expand life by doing it His way. 

To God be the glory. 

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

Posted on

Reconnected Life

During study time with our Lord very recently, He revealed to me that we’re moving into an appointed time of great, widespread redemption. 

Therefore, watch for pivotal moments and markers that’ll shift every facet of your life. 

God will work blessings into your life, especially through family, to rebuild Godly legacy and all that this means. It’ll happen in His way and not by our simple logic. 

Some will come through immediate family, some through God’s family-at-large and some through reconnected and new family members.

It’s right before us. So, remain on course with fierce focus.

Shake off the depression, the discouragement, the disappointments and distractions. They’re dead and gone and have no place forward. 

Bring your mind and determination into submission to God and let Him renew it all. Do not be grieved or be deceived. Instead, be strong in Him and be ready. 

God’s mega pivots will happen in single days over short periods of time, and they’ll be life-changing. 

We’ll actually have to release some things to regain better things, since God is disconnecting us from what has served its divine purposes. He’ll also reconnect us in new assignments to fulfill His purpose of expanse. 

The latter will be greater (Ha 2:9). It’ll be in season and, therefore, sweet. It’ll be better than what we’ve known before.

God is in this shift. He has it and He has you. You can do it with Him. So, be steadfast and go when the time comes, leaving all else to Him. 

He has empowered and equipped you to be a beacon, so you have what it takes. He has enabled you to exercise the great faith of Abraham that He has instilled in you for this newness before you. 

God will make it work on your behalf for legacy purposes. He has commissioned you, according to His plan.

It’ll look unique for each person, but all are called and assigned to bring new life wherever He directs. 

There’ll be an appropriate provision of resources to fulfill life-long, God-given dreams and desires of the heart for all of God’s sent ones. 

For some, it’ll include houses they didn’t build and are assigned to rebuild and restore physically, as well as spiritually for generations to come. 

Like Nehemiah, God will give these sent and assigned ones a heart to see it to completion. There’ll be a deep restoration of heart as they do the work, and they’ll experience His supernatural power to carry out the mission. 

For God’s generous ones, there’ll be open-door opportunities to give to their heart’s greatest desires. Holy Spirit will show them the way through the process to fulfill their life-long promises from Him, to Him and with Him. 

For the neglected ones, there’ll be a lifting and a restoration of family. But it’ll happen God’s way and include family members of His choosing. 

It’ll be different than in previous seasons. There’ll be a God-ordained repositioning of people. There’ll also be outward healings and creative miracles of restoration to facilitate this. So, it’s important to go with the will of God, even if it doesn’t look like what you thought. 

There’ll be promotion after promotion that’ll happen in uncommon ways. So, be wise to set your mind on God and not on your own understanding. It’s critical to depend entirely on Him and not on anyone else, because God is doing a new thing that’ll rest on every area of life. 

And we must depend on Him for it all. 

As you’ve drawn near to God, there’ll be a drawing together of the fragments of life into a more complete whole; and you’ll not only be a witness to it, you’ll have a role in it. Where God has been working “it” for good, the good will come into place and flow like a river from a supernatural confluence.

And it’ll be enjoyable. 

There’ll be rejoice amid the work to do. It’ll be a joy and not a heavy burden, because this is what you’ve waited for and have been prepared for.

Even amid the work, you’ll unpack and exhale. You’ll experience progress that’ll spur you onward. It’ll bring a smile to your face again to be released to work with God like this. It’ll be a joy and bring healing to the soul. 

A key component is contentment right now, today, because this is what God will honor forward. And you want to be in the ready position to experience the good, better and more whole life that He offers.

So, leave any and all lesser things behind, no matter what they are and how they came about. They cannot compare to where God is sending you. 

All of what seemed foolish from the past will fall away in the new spaces and places at God’s table. And any affliction, handled God’s way, will only advance His purposes.

To Him be all glory, honor and praise. Amen.

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

Posted on

Reel Life Saving Grace

God can save us, even from ourselves. 

When life sends us reeling, He’s there to catch us, re-set us, renew and restore us and even re-establish us. There’s so much redemption available to us right now and forward. 

But, at some point, to reach our God-given destinies, we must choose to process life God’s way. Because, when we try to do it our way, we leave out the grace Jesus died to give us. 

And that’s huge. 

This lack of grace, as favor and power, is what causes our frustration and bitterness; and the enemy can use our ungodly striving to wear us out.

If we aren’t wise to this truth, we can live life feeling powerless and blaming others, thinking they’re the source of our problems. We can lose our focus, get off course and get stuck in the enemy’s vortex, as we watch others get ahead. We could even retaliate and bring more destruction on ourselves.

Maybe you know someone like this or, perhaps, you’ve been there. I know I have. 

So, what’s important to realize is that God’s grace is for life here and now on earth, not solely for getting us to Heaven when life here is over. Grace is what helps us in practical, everyday matters. 

We can choose to believe in the grace of Jesus to help us at all times and have an attitude of abundant life. We can choose to never listen to the voice of lack.

This is freedom that positions us to receive God’s provision. 

All we have to do is believe and remind ourselves that His grace is already here and call on the Name of Jesus. Have you ever prayed, “Lord, release Your grace upon grace to me?”

I call forth grace and mercy over my own life and other people’s situations a lot.

I recall a time when I worked hard on what seemed like a never-ending project. I knew I was doing what Holy Spirit directed me to do. But I felt I had to constantly push against spiritual resistance, literally for years. I often felt like I wasn’t moving forward fast enough. 

Well, it wasn’t until I threw up my hands and said to God, “I’m done” that I felt a greater measure of His grace release to me for this project.

To be honest, I was upset with God for not doing it sooner! I mean, it would’ve made my job a lot easier! But when I reminded myself that He’s never the problem and always the solution, I owned it and I realized that God cares more about me knowing Him and submitting to Him and His ways in the project than trying to meet a deadline out of fear.

God’s truth is that His grace is much kinder than fear, and He desires we know His gracious nature and rejoice in it with Him. This was the first time I came to know His grace as divine intimacy in my work assignment.

Having worked in the field of journalism over the years, being deadline driven had become my second nature. Of course, once I received an assignment from my editor, I would pray first and ask Holy Spirit to lead me to His best resources for my stories. But then, I would run lightning fast with it until it was finished . . . again out of fear.

But this time, God was bringing an end to that fear. He was doing something new in me. And isn’t that how our race goes? Just when something becomes familiar, God does something new that causes us to reach higher for Him out of desperation. 

He doesn’t leave us where we are. And He will, in fact, bring us to the end of ourselves. 

I’ve learned, as I hope you have, too, that this is growth in His grace because we need it. We need more of Him. Always. In every area of our lives. And He knows it.

If we aren’t very familiar with His grace, we can ask Holy Spirit for a revelation of it.

In this regard, I’m inclined to think of King Solomon. At the outset of his reign, he knew he didn’t know enough. Even with King David as his father and mentor, Solomon still needed more (2 Ch 1:5-13).

So, Solomon humbled himself before God, sought Him and made a generous offering. God, in turn, met him with a private invitation to provision, instructing him to “Ask what I shall give you.”

King Solomon ultimately received God’s grace for wisdom and knowledge that affected his nation and beyond. We’re still talking about it today. 

Likewise, let’s honor God and remember Psalm 67:1-2 ESV, which says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.”

And the next time life sends you reeling, I encourage you to not chug along by yourself in your own strength. Instead, beseech God for His grace-power to save you from yourself and your circumstances in your new assignments. 

Believe that His ways are higher; and just humble yourself and ask for His help, like King Solomon. We can do it when we trust Him enough to receive it. 

So, “Do you believe in God’s grace to rescue you from your heaviness today?” And, if so, are you willing to ask Him for it? 

Pray with me . . . 

Dear Heavenly Father, 

We rejoice in Your gracious nature to help us. We ask for a greater revelation of Your grace for each of us in our divine assignments. Help us to know You more in Your God speed.

To You be all glory, honor and praise.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

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

Posted on

Close Out

During quiet time recently, Holy Spirit revealed to me that we’re coming into a time of “judgment” and “settlement.” The gavel of God is falling, and He’s so kind to warn us.

There are going to be releases and reinstatements. Relocations and redemptive relationships. And everyone must rise.

God is bringing a close to resistance and strongholds for many who have struggled for a long time. Where the enemy tried to close in on His beloved like a shark, God is shutting him out. 

God is a closer.

I was reminded of a popular baseball closer, named Craig Kimbrel, who was once with the Atlanta Braves. Craig threw so fast and hard, he was nicknamed Flamethrower and was credited with a high number of saves.

Fans knew that when Flamethrower was announced at the ballpark, it was game over. Crowds went wild. Lights blazed and sirens sounded as Craig walked onto the field. 

He would take his position on the mound, throw a few fastballs and strike out the opposition. Craig, the flamethrower, made it look easy. And he didn’t even get dirty.

Similarly, God has been warming up to save His people from long-term opposition. We’re upon a time now when God will reverse the flame right back to the enemy’s camp, shutting out the gas-lighting spirit and fast-tracking His people forward into greater good.

The key is to be found faithful, and Holy Spirit reminded me that faithfulness comes after repentance.

Therefore, now would be a good time to make an intentional effort to invite Him to search our hearts and repent of any wrongdoing He convicts us of. 

This may include any flesh reactions to afflictions, such as bad attitudes, sharp words, inappropriate judgments, unforgiveness and the self-justification of it all.

For those who have knowingly and willingly afflicted others, Holy Spirit revealed to me that He’s turning His “nope” into “hope” when they lay down their resistance and repent. 

Holy Spirit was especially referring to the masked ones, who have “a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Ti 3:5). And lukewarm believers with divided hearts, who are holding onto their own ways, while attempting relationship with Him and others. 

Revelation 3:16 reminds us that God will spit them out of His mouth. Remember, too, that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,” according to James 4:6. 

He has been looking at our hearts to rightly judge along His full spectrum of justice. He’s looking for those to bless and determining where they need to be and with whom (2 Ch 16:9).

Very soon, those who do not walk closely with God may be surprised, or even shocked, at their outcomes. 

It’s time to lay down the false gods, including the god of self, and remember that the only way we can please God is by authentic faith in Him. 

Jesus wasn’t selfish. His attitude was to save a world of other people at His expense. His heart was dedicated to our Heavenly Father and His purposes.

Holy Spirit also impressed my heart that there are some Jacobs, who will finally receive more of their outward blessings of Abraham. Their wrestle has come to an end and it will be no more. God is flaming out their spirit of defeat. 

In general, where the opposition may have tried to preclude God’s people, which was to make life impossible through consequences and rule-out blessings in advance, God has overruled and overturned the impossible.

Where the opposition may have tried to exclude God’s people in the past, which was to bar them from participation, consideration or inclusion, Holy Spirit is inviting them closer to receive even better than what they had before. 

Where the opposition may have tried to close in, which was to oppress and isolate God’s people, Holy Spirit has turned their experience into incubation for transformation and is now bringing them into new arenas for outward expressions of exponential blessing.

God doesn’t want to leave anyone out.

He has already been working to establish new boundaries. He’s even about to bring some properties to close and settle some long-awaited promises. Already, He’s opening the eyes of decision-makers to His truth that’ll cause them to make new decisions in favor of His beloved.

A key strategy in all of this, in addition to coming closer to God and getting our hearts right with Him, is to let Him work it out His way and in His time. 

It won’t be long now.

Pretty soon, many will realize that God has, indeed, heard their cries during their patient wait in affliction (Ps 40:1).

To Him be all glory, honor and praise. Amen.

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

Posted on

A New Path

Very recently, in the late afternoon, I walked up to my kitchen window and an unusual movement caught my eye. It was a large owl struggling to reach for something beneath a thick layer of ground cover. When the owl saw me, it flew up into a tall tree next door. 

I sensed in my spirit that our Lord was using this symbol of nature to reveal something more to me. So, I asked Him what He desired I know. 

He led me to a key scripture, which was Ecclesiastes 7:11. It says, “Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun” (NIV). 

A few days later, Holy Spirit awakened me early in the morning. As I stood looking out the same window, I saw the light of dawn stream through the trees—beyond where the owl had been—highlighting a new path in the most peaceful, inviting way (Ja 5:11).

With this, our Lord spoke a message to my heart for whosoever:

There is a new path of righteousness opening up for you as you continue to work with Me to bring new order right where you are. The way there is insight and diligence in this order. 

Can you see the light streaming through the edge of the wilderness, showing you the new way to go? Inviting you to join Me there and explore it with Me? 

I AM giving you an entrance onto your new path to righteous fruit. 

Until now, you have seen this in your imagination as I have revealed it to you. But going forward, you will experience more of the outworking of My awesome wonders.

The work I have done in your heart to enable you to see as I see is, in itself, an awesome wonder of light and life. And now, My light in you is drawn to this new path.

It’ll be better than you know now, because I’ll reveal more to you as you join Me. And it’ll happen in ways that once seemed far-reaching and even impossible for so long. 

I have required of you to lay down the limits of value and vision you’ve lived under for a long time that will be no more. To you, they seemed small and unimportant to Me. But I can make small things great in My Kingdom, and I have greatness for you.

As you continue to lay down that which I require of you, I’ll open new doors for much better and much bigger. For I AM continuing to grow you and causing you to build with Me. And I AM also causing that which never should have been to fall away completely. 

What hindered you in the past will not go with you. 

As you have sought My face, I AM giving you a new face, a new countenance of assuredness, a new posture with which to face the new world you are coming increasingly into. Nothing can dis-pose you as you walk with Me.

Just as I have turned darkness to light for you, I have new appointments for you forward. The time is very near for you to enter into new partnerships that will produce righteous fruit. So, continue to lay down all the dis-appointments of your past and step into your re-appointments for My glory. 

Be glad for the benefits I have for you and don’t reject them out of false guilt. You are forgiven and anointed and appointed. You are about to experience, increasingly, My redemption in your everyday life—a new fullness of joy and multiplicity. 

You have come through the preparation by revelation of My truth. And now, it’s time for you to come into the outward elevation, which is your redeemed future.

You will be able to withstand the new light, as you make Me your first Light. I’ll remain with you, so position yourself with Me. Let there be no dis-position. Continue to resist sin all the way to the finish line of your transition and receive My blessings.

Friends, pray with me if you will . . . 

Dear Lord,

Thank You for who You are, for Your redemptive nature to rescue and bless me. Thank You for inviting me onto your new, righteous path. I choose to join You there, full of light and life, Your beauty and peace (Jn 9:5). Thank You for enabling me, by Your generous grace of wisdom, to experience it all with You (Ja 1:5 TPT).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen. 

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