Tag: #Salvation

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Salvation: Riches & Treasures – Part 2

One morning, as I saw my husband off to work, I stood at the front doorway and watched a Corona delivery truck drive down the street. I noticed a crown symbol on the front of the truck. The Lord highlighted this to me. And so I inquired.

Holy Spirit reminded me that “Sin is not our portion. Salvation is.” 

Later, He led me to Psalm 149:4 NIV, which says, “For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”

Victory in this scripture means salvation. (See the NASB version.)

And in Hebrew, this victory-salvation, this liberty is called Yeshua, which is also the Hebrew Name of Jesus (Strong’s #3444). 

Therefore, when we call on the Name of Jesus, we are calling on the victory-salvation that He is and that He offers (Pr 18:10). 

He is always available to adorn us with new life—inside and out. 

He is our treasure and we are His.

Treasure implies riches that are stored up.

We know He has treasure in Heaven for us but He, as our greatest treasure, also lives inside of us believers (Co 1:27). As we seek and obey Him, He will release more of Himself into our souls (mind, will, emotions), working out His victory-salvation in us and through us.

God aligns our minds with His helmet of salvation (life), the crown of victory-salvation, because whatever is on our minds can be produced (Pr 23:7).

Our lot is to be cast according to His way and His portion. Our lot is Love and all that He is (Ps 16:5, Ac 17:28). He doesn’t leave it to chance. He makes our victory-salvation certain. 

So, may we not compromise our blessings as we look to Him as our source. 

Always.

Several days after the Corona (crown) delivery truck drove by, The Lord led me to an article about a Christmas season “star” to appear in the night sky on December 21, when God’s two largest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are expected to align within 0.1 degree. This special “star,” as it debuts low in the sky on the shortest day of the year, is considered rare as it becomes the largest and nearest one in 800 years. It is expected to remain constantly bright, and not twinkle, given that it’s actually the conjunction (union) of two planets (not actual stars).

Metaphorically, this speaks of a cycle of new unity—the coming together to create something unusually spectacular for nations to see. Through God’s glory expressed in this cosmic event, I believe He is inspiring us and inviting us to come closer to Him and align with Him uncompromisingly, as to consistently shine brighter than we ever have in a short amount of time for His glory (Ps 19:1, 45:11, 97:6; Hab 3:3; Is 26:7 AMPC, Is 60:21 AMPC).

The Lord then highlighted two encouragements from His Word:

Proverbs 4:18 TPT, which says, “But the lovers of God walk on the highway of light, and their way shines brighter and brighter until they bring forth the perfect day.”

Isaiah 60:3 AMPC, which says, “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

I believe these promises are for all believers, who will receive God’s truth and obey.

As I continued to study God’s Word, Holy Spirit revealed six steps to receiving His stored up treasures:

 It begins with asking:

Matthew 7:11 NLT –  “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

“Psalm 2:8 NIV – “Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

Allow His light to shine in and through us as our Treasure:

Colossians 2:3 NLT – “In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Corinthians 4:7 NLT – “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”

Matthew 5:26 NIV –  “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

The key to unlock this Treasure is the fear of The Lord:

Isaiah 33:6 NIV – “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.”

Psalm 85:9 AMPC – “Surely His salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, [and is ready to be appropriated] that [the manifest presence of God, His] glory may tabernacle and abide in our land.” 

Go His way obediently:

Isaiah 2:2-3 AMPC – “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it. And many people shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths…’”

Matthew 6:33 NLT – “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Stay the course:

Proverbs 3:5 NLT – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

Isaiah 26:3 AMPC –  “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.”

Let Holy Spirit produce good fruit through us:

Luke 6:45 NLT – “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

Isaiah 60:3 ESV – “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Friends, I look forward to gazing up at the Christmas “star” on December 21st with you as a remembrance of who God is, what He has done for us and what He will do forward. 

God has an extension and an expanse waiting to be received.

He longs to fulfill His promises.

What dreams have you long held in your hearts that go beyond yourselves?

What has God assigned to you right now?

How do you see your dreams progressing?

May I pray for you?

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, and for aligning our minds with the new life You offer us through Him. As we look up into Your night sky on December 21st, may we be reminded of You as our Creator and of Your Son as Your greatest gift to us, who came down. May You encourage each person reading or listening to this devotion to be closer to their dreams by giving them a special promise revealed to them by You in a personal way. May You give them good gifts for the asking, including nations (Matt 7:11, Ps 2:8). Thank You, Lord, for enabling them to receive Your very best and to walk consistently upright with You. Thank You, Lord, for being our very best promise, life and inheritance. Our certain victory-salvation for all times (Mi 7:7).

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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Salvation: Riches & Treasures – Part 1

Recently, during quiet time with The Lord, He reminded me that one person’s release to step out of what feels like a box is another person’s promotion. He revealed to me that remaining connected with former roles that we have outgrown is actually a form of compromise and no longer fitting.

So, what new fit does God have for us right now?

I discovered His clues lie in our immediate heart’s desires, our divine assignments and in our frustrations (or perceived limitations) of not stepping into them. 

I discovered that Holy Spirit will reveal His clues to more of this mystery as we earnestly seek Him and pray through our pressing issues and questions.

He is God of our salvation, the God of our breakthrough.

He will honor our authentic reach for Him.

His Word assures us that He will make His way of peace known to us in our time of trouble (Is 33:2).

Luke 1:77-79 NLT offer us a strategy and an assurance by saying, “You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Yes, God will shine His light on our issues to set us free.

2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT reminds us, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation…”

So, oftentimes, the freedom of new life awaits us on the other side of our confession of unwitting compromise, which was true for me.

Psalm 149:4 AMP tells us, “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.”

Another clue to greater freedom is to consider what we have faithfully sown that God is now taking to the next level.

What can feel like a limitation is often a precursor to an invitation from The Lord to expand us in many ways.

To enrich us. 

2 Corinthians 9:11 TPT says, “You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God.”

By His Spirit, The Lord makes us rich in every way so we can continue to co-labor with Him to expand His Kingdom, which includes blessing others.

God has riches stored up for us as treasure that He desires to release to us as we are able to receive (Da 12:3).

So, what may feel like an old confinement is really a heightened prompting toward a new beginning of expansion for the glory of God.

Knowing this, are there any hindrances that need to go so we can shift into this new place? Any doors to compromise that we need to close? Any idols we need to lay at His altar? 

Even mindsets that may seem wise may not be God’s way, especially if they’re rooted in fear, not love and faith. 

Have you been able to see beyond where you’ve been?

Have you asked The Lord to reveal His vision to you for 2021?

What role(s) has God paved the way through you for others to step into?

To be sure, God will work out His salvation in our lives by His grace as we step through new thresholds (Philippians 2:12). 

New life awaits us and will lead us into God’s best riches (blessings) and treasures (stored up blessings) for us.

In other words, He will provide an escape from the place of confinement and deliver us safely into the place of new growth that’s right in front of us. He will also provide new relationships to help us forward, as well as replacements for the role(s) from which we depart.

We need only to receive God’s rescue and courageously follow His lead.

So, may we release every limitation to Him and accept His invitations.

May we be an awakened bride over one that doesn’t bring it (Matt 25:1-13).

May we be up for the task(s).

Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:13 TPT by saying, “I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however, I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.”

God further assures us through Paul that we can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). 

So, pray with me if you will…

Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for Your mercy that forgives our compromises and Your grace that propels us forward. I invite You to shine Your light on any and every compromise in my life and bring the conviction that leads me to repentance. Enable me to receive every invitation You have for me in this season and beyond.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.  

And now, may “Our hero, come and rescue us! O God of the breakthrough, for the glory of your name, come and help us! Forgive and restore us; heal us and cover us in your love” (Ps 79:9 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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Never Give Up

I am loving hearing so many preachers share fresh messages of transformation, over inspiration these days: revealing the “how to,” not solely the precepts that help us along our path of righteousness.

I have long awaited. Maybe you have, too.

Surely, we are in a “suddenly” mode of breakthroughs for our lives, having experienced incremental advances for a long time. I see points of breakthrough converging in my life in five major areas, which I will share in later posts.

For now, I feel led to share a story about John…

John was someone my husband, Glynn, worked with for a few years. During their first year, Glynn would occasionally share nuggets of concern with me about John and ask me to pray for his salvation.

I did.

John became even more personal to me the following year, when he transferred to a different job site and invited Glynn to join him.

Glynn did join him, and I followed to make a temporary home for us.

Newly positioned, I was able to finally meet John in person. A bar was the only place John was willing to semi-socialize. So, while he hid away in a few different dark bars in-between hospital visits, Glynn and I met him twice.

Since no place is too dark for Jesus to shine His light, it’s what Jesus would have done.

John had been diagnosed with cancer, and his prognosis wasn’t good.

I saw John in passing at the new job site occasionally.

From the first moment I met him, God showed me a lot for the purpose of knowing better what to pray. Each time thereafter, my heart felt more ignited to press in for John.

Because I KNEW IN MY SPIRIT I was on divine assignment, no matter how resistant John was outwardly toward God (or my outreach), I was determined to not give up praying for him.

Stay on the path of your divine assignment.

No. Matter. What.

God had set my heart on Him in this regard.

I soon met John’s wife Stacy, who was a believer with a few serious health issues of her own.

I prayerfully and secretly met with Stacy. She didn’t have anyone else, locally, to help her. We were all new in town, and God had opened a door for me to reach out.

Over time, I saw incremental improvements in both John and Stacy. John even allowed Glynn to pray over him in the hospital a couple of times. We did the same for Stacy, who was greatly willing.

Sadly, within a couple of years, both John and Stacy passed into eternity. First Stacy, then John months later.

Just before John passed, I felt an urgency to press into God for him like never before. I would ask Glynn for updates on John’s health and his willingness toward salvation. But the reports were mostly negative. Still, I held onto hope that God would turn John’s heart, even if it was in his final moments on earth, alone with God.

Only God knows what people say to Him during their final breaths.

When we received word that John had passed, we wept. Glynn and I both loved John, as God had graciously put compassion in our hearts for him.

I felt a great desire for resolve rise up in my heart concerning John’s salvation. I had to hear from my Lord on the matter. I needed a confirmation directly from Him. I believed in my spirit all the prayer God had me pray would not return void, that God would never disappoint.

Still . . .

I NEEDED IT TO BE SETTLED IN MY SOUL ON A LEVEL THAT ONLY GOD HIMSELF COULD SATISFY, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING JOHN. I NEEDED CLOSURE.

So, for privacy sake, Glynn and I drove to a nearby park in an open field. We sat in our vehicle and prayed. I asked The Lord to show us a sign that John had been saved. I asked God to show me a rainbow RIGHT NOW as a sign that our beloved John made it to Heaven.

God’s revealed promise.

IMMEDIATELY AND SUDDENLY, through our windshield, we looked up to see the gray rainclouds above us break open. TWO RAINBOWS appeared!

Our hearts wept as we thanked God and rejoiced over John’s salvation!

It has been a couple of years since John’s passing. Every time I think of him now, I feel elated for him, for where he is, and for what God did for him. I know in my spirit and in my heart that John is rejoicing in Heaven, too.

I hope this story encourages you to willingly and eagerly agree with God when He puts someone on your heart to pray in their salvation. I hope you will willingly and eagerly set your heart on God and never give up, believing and pressing in for them until God’s time to release you.

We can trust God to bring to fruition the seeds of prayer He moves us to pray, even for the most impossible people.

His mercy triumphs over judgment to everlasting.

Be encouraged!

To God be the glory!

“Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!” -Psalm 27:14 TPT

“Everyone who believes in Him will never be disappointed.”  -Romans 10:11 TPT

“Go and rescue the perishing! Be their savior! Why would you stand back and watch them stagger to their death? And why would you say, “But it’s none of my business’? The One who knows you completely and judges your every motive is also the keeper of souls—and not just yours! He sees through your excuses and holds you responsible for failing to help those whose lives are threatened.” -Proverbs 24:11-12 TPT