Lift Them

God revealed to me that it’s time to rise, do the work that He assigned to us and be lifted above irritants that were obstacles to keep us in place for a long season. By His astounding grace, He is now turning up the show lights for all to see Him through us. It’s our time to shine His light brightly!

It’s time to realize more that His grace is greater than our sin and that we had to come into more of His truth before our dreams could come true (Ez 23:27 AMP). It’s time to humbly lift up the unrealized dreams of our youth to God and acknowledge that He alone can bring them to outward fruition. It’s time to invite His powerful grace to do precisely this His way.

God has been and still is in the midst of our dreams, and nothing is impossible for Him. He meets us there to lift us into His prevailing peace by His gracious power, above dreams yet to be fully realized while He makes them happen. So, we can rest in Him, even while we lift others.

Lifting Others

We all need Him, and we all need to ask Him for what we need. To be sure, prayer is His valuable gift to us that we can give to others. It is a best practice and an amazing support for one to pray for another.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 AMP says, “for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up.”

So, it’s not just about us. We need the power of God and the help of many to fulfill our divine purposes on earth and finish our races well, while we help others along the way.

God has taught me and continues to teach me to not hold on too tightly to anyone or anything as I lift others to Him. He teaches me to keep my grip firmly on His hand, remaining close to Him. It’s where God calls all of us to be as we love one another. In this way, we choose a cycle of life that pours from Him through us, then returns a blessing to us and back to Him.

The Journey

Our realities can be God’s peace for the journey when we don’t fall away for enemy lies but hold onto His truth; because one dead thing cannot help another.

Proper tethers give way to the extraordinary weight of sinking vessels. So, we don’t have to go down with the ship of ungodliness. We can will and choose to remain afloat under the weight of God’s Glory-Presence as we continue to point others to Christ. We can abide in Him for true life as death slips beneath us (2 Sa 12:20, 23).

It isn’t haughty to let go and live like this. It’s humility to live in submission to God and honor Him and His ways as righteous and just above all else.

We can know Him as our gracious Provider of life in all circumstances by the measure of faith God gives us when we break past the foolish fear that tries to limit us and open our minds to His renewal.

We must know His protective wisdom, illuminated by Holy Spirit, based on the full counsel of His Word, and apply it appropriately to our situations (Ja 3:17).

We must hear from God and agree with Him to live life to the fullest measure of His abundance for us.

We are called to prosper, to live out His divine purposes, to be fountains of life. So, don’t let the enemy of your soul bury you alive beneath heavy yokes of any kind. Shake off the dead weight, and break free to life with Christ, who leads us gently with bonds of love, eases our yokes and bends down to feed us, even as we worship Him (Ho 11:4).

God has a way of helping us by removing false desires of our hearts that can potentially take us down and by opening our eyes to see Him as higher and better in every way. He works to establish His eternal life more into our souls, and even into our bodies, beyond the bondage of our sin when we agree with His ways by faith above lesser things (Ro 8:11).

His Grace is Bigger

God’s Spirit is more powerful than any sin in us or around us. His righteousness and justice are pillars of His throne in our lives.

1 Samuel 2:8 AMP says, “He raises up the poor from the dust, He lifts up the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor and glory; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the land on them.”

So, let’s lift our heads and keep our eyes on Jesus to live a Heavenly life on earth. Let’s ask and believe God for the impossible above our circumstances and come into a new place, where His covenant blessings prove to reflect His light in our lives. Let’s believe Him at His Word above any past or present reality to experience His new reality for us. Let’s actively agree with Psalm 24:9 AMP, which says, “Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in.”

So, pray with me, if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You for helping us to live in Your strength to overcome any situation. May we be overcome by Your goodness, not our circumstances. May we see and receive more of You well into our souls by faith. May You fill us with Your hope for abundant life and help us live it out. Lord, give us Your wisdom for life in the journey. Thank You that Your heart of rich mercy triumphs victoriously beyond our sin that reaps judgment (Ja 2:13). We choose to trust Your love, truth and faithfulness to us. We invite You to make our dreams come true for Your glory.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

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

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.

Resurrection Life—Here & Beyond

We know that Jesus’ crucifixion wasn’t The Father’s final Word.

And we know that because of Christ’s resurrection, we as believers could be re-born.

As His redeemed, God’s Spirit of Life is sealed in us.

Galatians 2:20 TPT tells us, “My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of his cross crucified me with him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, and dispenses his life into mine!”

Romans 8:11 says, “Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!”

Ephesians 2:6 TPT reveals, “He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ!”

So, we see here friends, that we are both seated with Jesus in the heavenly realm, while He lives inside of us now on earth.

This means that Jesus is our super power inside and out!

Psalm 18:1 TPT assures us, “Lord, I passionately love you and I’m bonded to you, for now you’ve become my power!”

When we Christ-followers know our true identity in Him—that we are His chosen, His treasured, His beloved, His co-glorified (Rom 8:17) to bring Heaven to earth—and we relinquish the pride of our ways to Him and submit to His ways, He can work His resurrection power through us to bring light to a dark world. Unhindered.

Psalm 36:9 TPT says, “To know you is to experience a flowing fountain, drinking in your life, springing up to satisfy. In your light we receive the light of revelation.”

Psalm 17:11 TPT tells us, “For you bring me a continual revelation of resurrection life, the path to the bliss that brings me face-to-face with you.”

So, here we see that Christ is our true fountain of life (Ps. 68:26).

We can live in Christ’s continual unveiling of Himself and His mysteries when we seek Him and submit ourselves to Him.

Psalm 119:29 NLT says, “Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.”

Ephesians 1:9 TPT says, “And through the revelation of the Anointed One, he unveiled his secret desires to us—the hidden mystery of his long-range plan, which he was delighted to implement from the very beginning of time.”

Jeremiah 33:3 reveals, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.”

What a blessing to have Jesus and Holy Spirit working on the inside of us to guide us on His path to live a greater life—a higher life, an uncommon, and an abundant life for Kingdom purposes.

Jesus is the Way. He is the Truth. And He is the Life (Jn. 14:6).

With Him, we can soar!

God assures us of an unveiled, risen life that can bring us to life on the other side of the betrayal of sin and the sin of betrayal.

His way is the only way that works for our good continually.

In fact, it’s important to even align our words with His, because “The Word of Life has power to continually deliver us” (Ja. 1:21). So, speak powerful words of life that “give life” (Prov. 18:21).

Romans 8:7, 13 TPT tell us, “For no matter how hard they try, God finds no pleasure with those who are controlled by the flesh. For when you live controlled by the flesh, you are about to die. But if the life of the Spirit puts to death the corrupt ways of the flesh, we then taste his abundant life.”

Who doesn’t want abundant life?

Since our ways always lead to a limited outcome and disappointment, why wouldn’t we choose the way of Jesus that never disappoints?

Jesus is true to Himself and true to His Word.

God’s promises work in our lives when we believe and follow through with actions of faith to His instructions—both written and revealed.

Friends, you will never regret His love at work for you.

God’s Spirit will strengthen you in Him to stay the course as you depend on Him.

When you feel embittered, He will bring justice as you hand Him your self-justification.

He will forgive you as you turn toward Him and forgive others.

He will restore to you even more than the enemy stole from you.

His grace will come through for you in every situation as you reach for Him.

He will satisfy all your needs and make your crooked path straight.

He is a good God who desires to share His faithful life and good works with you.

No matter where we are, it can be a new day for us!

We are always on His mind.

No matter what.

Pray with me, if you will, Psalm 43:3…

Lord, Thank You that You have seated me in heavenly places and that Your Spirit of Life lives in me. “Pour into me the brightness of your daybreak! Pour into me your rays of revelation-truth! Let them comfort and gently lead me onto the shining path, showing the way into your burning presence, into your many sanctuaries of holiness” (Ps. 43:3 TPT). Thank You for helping me bring honor to You, Lord. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Friends, rest assured, this year can be a new beginning of fresh vision and manifest expressions of His love for you.

I pray that you will receive God’s wisdom for your life, and “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (Eph. 3:16 NIV).

Isaiah 60:1 TPT invites us to “Rise up in splendor and be radiant, for your light has dawned, and Yahweh’s glory now streams from you!”

“Once we carried the likeness of the man of dust, but now let us carry the likeness of the Man of heaven” (1 Cor. 15:49).

Until next week, may God bless your every facet of life.

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