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Doors of Opportunity – Part 1

A couple of weeks ago, on Friday, June 5, I met my husband at a building supply store to look at new front doors.

It was his idea. 

A long overdue project for our fixer-upper.

I joked that this event was date night and what an odd date it was. 

But I was glad to be there, looking at doors in person, as well as in a printed catalog.

Truth be told, I knew in my heart this situation was symbolic of a time for a new beginning. 

Off with the old and on with the new.

But we needed more than a door.

We also needed a new door frame and side panels. 

We walked through a number of door frames that were pre-set—some with doors attached and some without. 

The frames were clustered together and facing every direction.

The doors were made of various materials and came in various colors.

The prices ranged.

Which one to choose?

There can only be one.

But which one was the perfect fit?

We know that not every opportunity is of God.

We know that Jesus is the supreme Door of reconciliation and that He opens and closes doors of opportunity at His will to facilitate new life forward (Jn 10:7). 

We also know that a gate, which is a type of door, is a symbol of power and authority, and that God promises us that we will possess the gates of our enemies (Ge 22:17).

We know that this dominion is best lived out by following God’s pre-determined plan for us, which is our divine destiny.

Even the drive to and from the building supply company was filled with so much symbolism it was almost overwhelming.

The Lord reminded me of routes He took me along in my past, when I was much younger, that led me to earlier assignments. 

He showed me signs, like road names and train tracks; and He caused me to know that crucial elements were cycling around again, but in a bigger way with greater impact. 

I did not expect to see this on my Friday night “date.”

But when I pondered and prayed about all these metaphors, this is what I believe The Lord revealed…

We are at the new door. The old is behind us and we are to ascend with Him into the new. It’s what we’ve been waiting for, and it will be way better than what we originally thought.

God has positioned us to enter into this new “fitting” time and place that is an honorable space; one where longstanding dreams will be fulfilled as we build in co-labor with Him, our source and supplier of grace.

It’s a time of joy—even in our co-labor of these divine assignments—as God’s anointing flows to help bring to pass the promises He put in our hearts long ago.

God’s fluid holy ease will help us every step of the way as we begin to enter into this new decade, where some of our greatest desires will be fulfilled. 

These are legacy-level assignments for which God has leveled mountains of resistance and opened up a new framework of opportunity to enable us to enter through.

And just like a door has to be shimmed to make for a secure and lasting fit, God has made a way in this fitting time for us to experience a perfect fit that will stand the test of time as we rely on Him and do our part. 

As necessary, God will give us the sidebar space and a margin of time to complete our divine projects.

By pruning off branches and rooting out weeds from previous years, God has made a way for this refinement unity and manifest fruit to come into place externally and extend far and wide, beyond a single assignment, or generation or place (Ps 18:19). 

Now, free from burdens of the past, all has been made brand new to build His Kingdom with Him and fill the earth with His glory. 

Right now, God has opened the way (door) of increased provision, resulting in exponential impact.

His sons and daughters have pulled into port and are about to make an exchange of gold to then be brought out and shared with nations. 

Right now, God is opening doors to expose, in greater measure, both darkness and light. It’s part of His expanded Presence in the earth that will continue to increase (Ps 18:19). 

So, God will bring darkness to light, while simultaneously turning up the light on those who have been faithfully walking in His light.

God is taking down the strongman and exalting His sons and daughters.

Who are His sons and daughters?

Those who are led by Holy Spirit. 

Jesus, in His rich mercy, will also bring about reform and repair to the repentant. He can and will stand in the threshold of darkness on our behalf.

The Lord led me to Psalm 78 to reveal that, even for those who have felt like there’s too much water under the bridge, that it’s too late and too messed up, that their dreams don’t seem possible anymore, there is more ahead. 

He highlighted verses 23-27 (TPT), which say:

Still he spoke on their behalf and the skies opened up; the windows of heaven poured out food, the mercy bread-manna. The grain of grace fell from the clouds. Humans ate angels’ food—the meal of the mighty ones. His grace gave them more than enough! The heavenly winds of miracle power blew in their favor and food rained down upon them…

I believe The Lord is revealing that His provision will come supernaturally, not by our own doing or what we could’ve, would’ve or should’ve done in the past. The only thing that God is done with in our lives is regret. 

We need only to trust and obey and believe and receive His mighty truth. 

So, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord, 

Thank You that You are my Gateway and my Lord of Breakthrough (Is 28:21, Sa 5:20). To enter through You is to experience unlimited life, freedom, and satisfaction (Jn 10:9). I hand over all of my broken pieces and regret to You. I repent of my sins and invite You to be Lord of my whole life, nothing withheld. I trust that You will deliver me into inner and outer wholeness. I choose to rely on You, Lord, to adhere to You and trust in Your power to save me. Please give me eyes to see and ears to hear Your will and way. Guide me into all truth for Your glory. I trust in Your grace provision to do it. 

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen

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

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Youthful Resurrection – Part 2

The Word I believe The Lord gave me regarding the dream in Part 1 of this series is precisely this: 

Now is the beginning of the manifestation of a fresh, new expanse for God’s sons and daughters. The ones who endured long-suffering, processed through it God’s way, and continue to receive the resurrected life of Christ are coming into true (original) longstanding.

God has strengthened His sons and daughters in Him through a process of long-suffering to be able to stand long in their new expanse outwardly. 

In regards to this dream, the Word of Knowledge, “youthful resurrection,” essentially means to newly stand in the new place.

Youthful, by definition, means “new” and refers to a lot more than chronological age in scripture.

Our “new” covenant in Christ is both new in respect to time (Strong’s #3501 – or the Greek word neos; He 12:24) and in respect to character (Strong’s #2537 – or the Greek word kainos; He 9:15).

In this recent prophetic dream, in which two young men were shifted from their enclosed dwelling place into an expanse of destiny (see Part 1), they were sons of God, which meant that they had already been born again and were led by Holy Spirit.

So, they had overcome their old (original) nature and character with which they were born into the world. 

“New” as character, or a kainos kind of new, has to do with quality and form (or innovation) and freshness in development or opportunity. It’s an uncommon, unheard of, superior kind of new (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

It is what scripture refers to in Revelation 21:5 TPT, where God says, “I am making everything to be new and fresh.”

It’s about God bringing us up higher in terms of quality and quantity.

There are two key scriptures that particularly reference this kainos kind of “new” (Vine’s):

One is 2 Corinthians 5:17 TPT, which pertains to a new-man character. It says, “Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.” 

The second scripture is Galatians 6:15 AMPC, in which Paul references being made a new creation in Christ, saying it is “the result of a new birth and new nature in Christ.” 

There is a finality that goes along with what Paul said. He implies that what God has cut away or pruned (flesh) has passed away and will not be resurrected. (In the Old Testament, this relates metaphorically to circumcision and Passover in Joshua 5:2-12, just before they ate the fruit of the land and the produce of Canaan that same year.)

Paul goes on to say that “The only thing that really matters is living by the transforming power of this wonderful new creation life” (Ga 6:15 TPT). 

We know this as “resurrection life,” which happens inside of us and also in Heaven.

So, in the dream God gave me, those two young men had to be made new in character before they could stand long in the expanse of a new place.  

This is God’s order of sequence in the miraculous process of resurrection, which, in this case, means to rise and stand. 

Greater assignments require that we die to flesh and come into agreement with Christ.  

So, compromise has to go for our next-level divine destiny to manifest (1 Co 5:7).

In the dream, once the two young men were taken past their limited ways, by the power of God’s mercy, they discovered their deeper purpose and were instantly catapulted from an inward sitting (receiving) position to one of outwardly and standing (action) in their new expanse. 

The God of Amen (which means “so let it be”), who is The God of Faithfulness and The God of Truth, launched these two sons into the new place of divine destiny when He knew they were ready and could continue to live holy in an expanded blessing.

In this regard, Colossians 3:10 TPT says, “For you have acquired new creation life which is continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created you; giving you the full revelation of God.”

These sons of God in the dream understood that God desires that we walk with Him in new (neos) discoveries and join Him in new (neos) places as in Isaiah 40:31 NLT, which says, “those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

They understood God was doing a new thing and had matured them to the point where they could live disciplined lives with self-restraint and prudence (Ti 2:6). They were ready for a new beginning, a neos kind of youthful resurrection. 

It was time (neos) for them to cross into the dream of their hearts that God manifested for them.

So, friends, are you ready and willing to be launched into your manifest dreams God’s way?

If your answer is “yes,” then it’s time to cross over. 

This is my prayer for you…

“I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm” (Ep 1:19-20 TPT)!

To God be the Glory.

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

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Youthful Resurrection – Part 1

Early in the morning, nineteen days ago, on May 19th of 2020, The Lord gave me a very succinct prophetic dream. 

In that dream…

I saw this Word of Knowledge: “Amen to the cavemen.” 

Then I saw a clear vision of two young adult men, who looked to be 20-years-old. I did not know them, and I had never seen them before. They were indoors, and I did not see any identifiable features of their environment, except a plain white wall.

These two young men seemed joyful, like happy, close friends, as they smiled and talked and walked alongside this wall. 

One of them held a simple round plastic container that looked to be about two to three gallons in size. The container had a lid (seal) on it. The container reminded me of a Tupperware® canister I had had for years and recently tossed out while packing to move one day. 

The two young men walked toward the corner of their room and sat down on the floor to open the container. 

When one of them took the lid off, their surroundings suddenly and completely changed. 

Their new place, position and purpose instantly manifested…

The two young men went from being inside to being outside in a split second. Once outside, they stood positioned on an expanse of green lawn with a tall, green forest in the background. 

It looked like a summer season.

Still, there were no other people around in this wide, open space. 

What’s more, the lid from the container instantly changed (form) into a Frisbee®. And the young men were joyfully sailing it through the air to each other in rapid succession.

There was no sign of the bottom part of the container in this new, expansive place. And at no point did I see anything material inside of the container. 

The container was just gone. 

The young men remained joyful the entire time—smiling and laughing, with not a care in the world as they flung the Frizbee® to each other. 

Then, after a moment, the dream suddenly ended. And I woke up and jotted it down. 

So, what was God revealing in this dream that contained so much symbolism?

I sought The Lord in prayer and carefully pored over scriptures, root words and reference books for several days. As I received revelation and confirmation, I believe this is The Lord’s foundational meaning, which reveals a significant message to all of us…

“Amen to the cavemen…”

There is a reference to the “God of Amen” in the Isaiah 65:16 TPT study note. Here, it can be interpreted as the “God of Faithfulness” or the “God of Truth.”

The Word “Amen” means “firm, trustworthy, surely, truly” and “so let it be” (Strong’s).

“Caveman” means “cave dweller” (Dictionary.com). And in regards to this dream, I sense it references God dwelling in the hearts of the two young men and they with Him in the secret place, such as indoors.

Ephesians 2:22 TPT says, “This means that God is transforming each one of you into the Holy of Holies, his dwelling place, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in you!”

And Romans 8:14 AMPC reveals that “…all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” 

Therefore, the young men in the dream represent those of us who have been transformed in the secret place and are led by Holy Spirit.

The container…

I believe the container in this dream is symbolic of holding the young men’s purpose until they were ready to step into their next glory of expansion. And I believe the lid (or seal) of the container was a merciful boundary The Lord set for them until they were spiritually strong enough in their souls to move forward and stand in it. 

Once the young men were re-set outdoors in their new expanse, the bottom of the container was no more. All that remained was mercy, which was and is new every day. This was illustrated as the lid (or seal) changing form into a new instrument of rejoice, such as the Frizbee®.

I believe the sailing of the Frizbee® between the two young men was an expression of their gratitude and joyous praise unto The Lord for His mercy in growing them spiritually and releasing them into increase.

Their position and purpose…

I believe the young men’s new position of opportunity and purpose with Christ is a reflection of their authority, power and privilege in The Lord as in Isaiah 22:22…

“I will place upon his shoulders the key to the treasure of David’s palace. He will open doors that no one can shut, and he will shut doors that no one can open” (TPT version).

I believe the God of Faithfulness and Truth helped those young men—who are representative of all of His faithful followers—begin to realize the dreams God purposed for them, by His Spirit.

The big picture…

I believe The Lord has heard our prayers for His merciful intervention and is revealing Himself as Faithfulness and Truth to deliver us into His promises and restore our land at this fitting time.

Here are two scriptures that reference this point:

Matthew 5:7 TPT, which says, “How satisfied you are when you demonstrate tender mercy! For tender mercy will be demonstrated to you.”

Jeremiah 33:11 AMPC, which declares, “[There shall be heard again] the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord; Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good; for His mercy and kindness and steadfast love endure forever! For I will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed and return to be as it was at first, says the Lord.”

I believe there are more keys to this message, especially for individuals. But I’ll address those next week in part two of Youthful Resurrection.

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

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Obstacles or Opportunities – Part 2

I love what Pastor Jack Hayford says: “Unbelief looks at obstacles; faith looks at God” (The Hayford Bible Handbook). 

Whatever we focus on grows (Pr 23:7). 

One of the definitions of “obstacle” is “catch-22.”

We can either get caught up in a snare or caught up in the powerful Presence of God with the mind of Christ.

We are commanded to follow God’s lead. Yet, if we don’t know Him for ourselves, we won’t trust Him.

God has a glorious inheritance for us as we move from obsolete (legend) to overcomer.

We know there is freedom (opportunity) in the salvation God offers us for a life reconciled to Him. And we know God goes before us to make a way, even when life on earth seems impossible to us. 

But do we believe Him at His Word?

Pastor Hayford wisely advises us to increase our “faith in God’s promises rather than look at the impossible circumstances.”

With this strategy, we grow in faith and shrink hindrances as we trust God. 

But when we see more obstacles than opportunities, something’s wrong: Our focus and faith have shifted off of God and His grace and goodness. 

We have come to trust something or someone else above God. 

Perhaps even ourselves. 

We know that God never disappoints, because His Word says so (1 Pe 2:6). 

So, when we feel disappointed or frustrated, it’s an alert to us to shift our misplaced faith (and focus) back onto Him.

Even when we walk through wilderness seasons or when we feel hemmed in during times of endurance, we can still look up and seek and worship God. We can see above and beyond giants when we gain God’s perspective. We can receive power from on high and defeat them as we experience God’s magnificent Glory-Presence. We can stand in His truth, knowing He will watch over and fulfill His promises to us in His time and way.

Sovereign God is more powerful than any mere obstacle. 

King David understood this. I believe his defeat of Goliath was an outward manifestation of David having overcome something within his own soul.

Since Jesus has bought back abundant life for us, we only need to believe Him at His Word, obey Him and receive from His heart and hand through His gift of grace.

Unlike man, He will not cheat us or trick us. 

He will not be too hard on us.

With God, we will never come up short when we receive what He has for us.

But obstacles of the soul that we don’t overcome can limit God.

And they can take many forms.

For example, when we take our eyes off of The Spirit of Grace, a harsh attitude can easily gain ground into our soul—a legalistic one that fears and thinks and sees the worst in people and circumstances. A critical attitude that tears others down. This is condemnation of the enemy, the accuser of the brethren, working through a person. This type of behavior reveals insecurity (an open door) in the soul of that person, a hole in their soul where they’ve rejected God’s way and gave up their hope and confidence. 

This type of behavior is a self-reliant attempt to cope in order to protect oneself and one’s worth by exalting oneself pridefully. It is a false shield that distrusts God and counters the armor of God. This false shield will eventually be shaken, because it’s an idol within an unbelieving heart (Is 2:18). The vain glory of un-resolve battling to rule the effects of a wounded soul held captive. The aging unrest, false responsibility and overwork of self-reliance above knowing God and trusting in His goodness. 

1 Corinthians 8:4 AMPC reveals that “…an idol is nothing (has no real existence) and that there is no God but one. [Deut. 6:4.]”

This self-reliant behavior can be the result of a life hard lived that didn’t know a better way of the true power of God. It can even be blasphemous, where God’s truth was “traded for a lie” long ago (Ro 1:25).

Jeremiah 2:11 AMPC says “…My people have changed their Glory [God] for that which does not profit.” 

So, this type of behavior can be at the root of why people fail in life, because there is no life (or victory) in idolatry, including our way.

Proverbs 16:3 tells us, “Before you do anything, put your trust totally in God and not in yourself. Then every plan you make will succeed.”

So, friends, isn’t it time to lay down every hopeless obstacle of idolatry? Every worthless focus that would try to exalt itself against God’s power and rob you of His abundance (2 Co 10:5)?

There’s no need to fear coming into port to make this exchange, because there’s no condemnation in Christ.

God is rich in mercy and full of grace.

James 1:5 TPT tells us, “…if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace.”

We need to humble ourselves and yield our whole heart to The Lord and receive.

And if we desire to see a great yield of good fruit in our lives, then we have to yield to the Fruit of the Spirit (Ga 5:23).

So, God’s parallel for the enemy’s catch-22 is Isaiah 22:22, which is to wholeheartedly believe and operate in the authority, power and privilege of our position in Christ, having been given full access, nothing withheld through Jesus. His Spirit living in us is our key to “revelation, treasures, favor and opportunity” (Is 22:22 TPT study note).

Yes, “…we still have the opportunity to enter into the faith-rest life and experience the fulfillment of the promise” (Hebrews 4:6 TPT)!

Matthew 22:2 AMPC says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his [daughter].” 

It’s time to enter into God’s abundant life (Strong’s #2222). 

So, pray with me, if you will…

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for offering me abundant life. I repent of wrongdoing. I trade in my false shields for You as my protector. I invite Jesus into my whole heart, nothing withheld (Pr 30:5). I choose to lay down every false idol to You today and make You the center of my life. Help me to receive Your healing power—bind every wound and heal every injury. Show me a better way, Lord. Enable me to receive Your freedom of deliverance from every catch-22 snare. Help me to receive healthy boundaries and truth in my life as I choose to trust You totally (Pr 16:3). Help me to know You more. I ask You to release Your wisdom, revelation and favor to me, as You know all things (1 Jn 2:20). Help me to receive Your best legacy (inheritance) and destiny (pre-determined plan) for my life. Thank You, Lord, for making all things new. Thank You for the invitation to Your banquet. I receive it.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen. 

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

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Obstacles or Opportunities – Part 1

When seasons change, so do opportunities.

Opportunity, according to Strong’s, means “a due measure,” and “a fixed and definite period, a time, season.”

“A fitting time” (Strong’s).

Webster’s defines opportunity as, “a favorable juncture of circumstances” and “a good chance for advancement or progress.”

Some synonyms for “opportunity” are liberty, freedom and one’s turn (Dictionary.com).

But opportunity can also mean “a place” (Strong’s).

So, hold this “place,” and I’ll come back to it.

The Lord showed me the word “op-port-unity” in three sections, like this:

Op – which can be an abbreviation for “optical” and also for the word, “opus,” which means to creatively produce.

Port – which can mean a place of exchange, including redemption, truth for lies and blessings for lesser things in general.

Unity – which can mean union with Jesus and solidarity to serve others.

What creative work does God see to produce through you?

Through those who will build His Kingdom in this opportune season?

Where will He assign you?

What exchanges will occur?

The Lord led me to these five strategy scriptures:

Galatians 5:13 TPT says, “Beloved ones, God has called us to live a life of freedom in the Holy Spirit. But don’t view this wonderful freedom as an opportunity to set up a base of operations in the natural realm. Freedom means that we become so completely free of self-indulgence that we become servants of one another, expressing love in all we do.”

Galatians 6:10 AMPC says, “So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God’s family with you, the believers].”

Hebrews 13:16 TPT says, “We will show mercy to the poor and not miss an opportunity to do acts of kindness for others, for these are the true sacrifices that delight God’s heart.”

2 Peter 3:15 TPT says, “And keep in mind that our Lord’s extraordinary patience simply means more opportunity for salvation…”

James 4:17 TPT warns us, “So if you know of an opportunity to do the right thing today, yet you refrain from doing it, you’re guilty of sin.”

So, to summarize, God revealed this five-point strategy for the extraordinary opportunities His faithful followers are about to step into:

  1. Live in true freedom.
  2. Reach out in solidarity to be a blessing to others.
  3. Show mercy to the poor and do acts of kindness to others.
  4. Patiently expect more opportunity for salvations.
  5. Do the right thing and don’t refrain.

What will this strategy look like for you in your unique divine assignments?

As I continued researching, The Lord seemed to hone in on the word “port.”

Then He led me to find a golden nugget: A deeper look at the French derivative, “opportune,” which means “suitable for a purpose or occurring at just the right time.” It’s from the Latin word, “opportunus,” which means “favorable (used of the wind).” It’s derived from a Latin phrase that means “coming toward port” (Encarta).

The Lord was revealing that it’s time for the favorable wind of Holy Spirit to breathe on His redeemed vessels and bring us into port for divine exchange.

This port is a place of opportunity, as I mentioned earlier.

The word “exchange” means “to give up (something) for something else;” to “change for another” (Dictionary.com).

What change does God desire to bring us into?

What trade would He like to make?

Are there obstacles we need to lay down?

As saints, we know about the great exchange of Jesus’ atonement for our sins, bringing us into union with Him as our port-ion and growing us from glory to glory.

We know about the beautiful trading ships of Tarshish that sailed into port “bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks” for King Solomon (1 Ki 10:22), as well as back out of port carrying hammered silver (Je 10:9).

But we also know that those same ships of Tarshish were destroyed, and trade halted swiftly, due to prideful obstacles. (Is 2:16, Ez 27:25-27).

So, in all of this, we see, metaphorically, that Holy Spirit (wind) blows favorably on us as His vessels to remain on course and advance us into the port (an opportune place for a rich exchange) that He has planned (and has even imagined) for us. In this, we can see that we need to yield our will fully to Him in order to bear more good fruit by His Spirit.

There can be no false pride or other idols, lest the port be closed to us.

Therefore, the questions are:

Are we ready for the opportune exchanges as God furthers us into His new season?

Are we ready to come to a place of greater authenticity to be a greater blessing to God’s Kingdom?

If our minds have been renewed and our hearts made pure. If we have firmly decided to keep God as our first love throughout the journey. Then we know that the port of exchange will remain open to us.

So, friends, let’s call on The Lord in prayer as He releases His promises to us.

We can ask Him to enable us to receive all He has for us for His glory. We can ask Him to help us walk out His strategy in this season for His Name’s sake. We can pray for His perfect wisdom to be released in us. And we can thank Him for the harvest before us.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Join me next week for Part 2 of Obstacles or Opportunity.

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