local Daily Devotions

[04ctd]

JESUS IS LIFTED UP

Isaiah 33: 5 - 6 "The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. 6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure."

The devotion focus is first on the Lord and that HE IS EXALTED! Today, everything in the world is lifted up except Christ. I love it where in Philippians chapter 2, there Paul made it perfectly clear, the HIGH position of Christ; Philippians 2:9 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:" Today the world is looking to Obama, Putin, the Pope and other country leaders and religious leaders to make our world a better world, but this world will only become better, our lives will only become better when JESUS IS LIFTED UP!

Many times we see religious leaders, Political leaders and Presidents paraded down the streets and people come out by the millions to see them and oh how they cheer for them, some even worshipping them, but one day Paul wrote, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." OH YES! JESUS IS THE MAN! JESUS IS THE CHRIST! JESUS IS GOD THE SON! I will worship Jesus and NO OTHER!

TODAY, LETÔÇÖS LIFT UP JESUS and place HIM where HE should be in our lives, FIRST!

[04ctd]

Studying to Give Versus Studying to Know

"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (John 5:38-40).

Sometimes you would think the trinity is Father, Son and Holy Scriptures instead of the Holy Spirit. There can be a tendency in Christianity to give so much focus upon the Holy Scriptures that we fail to acknowledge the role of the Holy Spirit in our daily activity.

there is also a second danger. We must be careful in studying the scriptures for the sake of giving to others instead of desiring more of God for ourselves. This is particularly dangerous for the professional Christian worker who is under continued pressure to feed and teach His people. If we are not careful, this process becomes a religious exercise of production, instead of a time of seeking, learning and experiencing His presence.


Jesus told His disciples that when He left He would be leaving the Holy Spirit which would help them live victoriously for Him. "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:25-27).

"For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5). No longer would converts be baptized just with water, but now they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Baptism means we are immersed with water. Now we will be immersed in the Holy Spirit.


It is the Holy Spirit that draws us into intimacy with the Father. He prompts us with a scripture verse to share with a friend or co-worker. He endues us with the power to live for Him and not in our own strength. Truly the Holy Spirit is the third person in the trinity that must be acknowledged and obeyed as we seek to live for Christ. He is also our teacher and guide.


Today, why not ask the Holy Spirit to baptize you afresh with the power to know Him, not just know about Him

[04ctd]

A Friend of God

By Bill Moeny



And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God. (James 2:23)

What is your relationship with God like? Would you call God your friend? Would God call you His friend? What does "friendship" mean, especially friendship with God?



What activities lead to building friendships in your life and what differentiates a friend from an acquaintance?

For example, I have acquaintances that I see once a year. We know each other by name, but we spend only a few hours a year together. I would not say that we are friends.

In contrast, I met a friend for breakfast this morning; we meet about every two weeks. I trust him and he trusts me. If I was in a crisis and needed help, I could call him and he would respond immediately, and vice versa. Perhaps most importantly, we pray together for each other. That is friendship. But that is not true of those who are acquaintances.

Are you an acquaintance of God? Do you know him by name only, but not personally?

Do you want to be a friend of God?

Has your relationship with God run so deep that you passionately desire to know Him better and more intimately?


The same is true with God. You build the relationship with God by spending time with Him in prayer and by reading what He has for you in His Scriptures.

ÔÇó Reading the Scriptures teaches us how God thinks, what He wants from us, and what He has promised to do for us.

ÔÇó Spending time in prayer builds the relationship by our telling Him how much we adore Him and love Him, thanking Him for what He has done for us, telling Him how we have failed, and telling Him what we need to do the tasks He has assigned us. Then, we listen to what He says to us, because friends share their hearts.

This takes time. There is no shortcut. The time you and I spend in prayer and in reading Scripture is the most valuable time spent in each day. It is our million dollar meeting. It matters more than anything else we will do that day. Everything of value we do has its roots in that time of prayer and Scripture study. DonÔÇÖt cut it short.

[04ctd]

Following Only the FatherÔÇÖs Commands



"Jesus gave them this answer: 'I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.'" - John 5:19



Have you ever thought about a typical day in Jesus' life? Perhaps He might have had questions like these, "Who am I going to heal today? Who will I visit today? Which person will I deliver from demons this day?" etc. The demands on Jesus' time were great. Yet we see that Jesus allocated His time very deliberately. We don't get the idea that Jesus was flustered or stressed from the activity He was involved in. He often sought times of prayer and reflection away from the disciples. His life appeared to have a balance of quiet moments and active ministry into the lives He came in contact with.



How do we determine what we will be involved in each day of our lives? What keeps us in sync with the will of our heavenly Father for the daily tasks He calls us to? Jesus tells us that He was only involved in those things the Father was involved in. Nothing more, nothing less. So often we determine our participation in an activity based on whether we have the time to do it or whether we desire to participate. The real question we should ask is, "Does the Father want me to participate in this activity?"



"Lord, should I add this Bible study to my schedule? Should I spend an extra night out on this committee this week? Should I take on new business that will take me away from home more? Should my daughter be involved in music lessons?" These are the daily challenges for the world we now live in. We are an activity-based society that often encourages more and more activity, often in the name of Christian virtue.



Our lives will become less cluttered, less stressful, and more fulfilling when we follow the model Jesus provided. It may not always please everyone. Jesus never sought to please everyone. Ask the Lord each day this week how you and He are to spend your time. Yield your schedule to Him. Let Jesus direct your every activity. You may discover that He desires you to cut back some things in order to spend more time alone with Him. He will be faithful to show you. And you will become more fulfilled because you are centered in His will for you.

[04ctd]

ÔÇ£A Place Called BeautifulÔÇØ

By Scott Hunter



11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried outÔÇöthe only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ÔÇ£DonÔÇÖt cry.ÔÇØ (Luke 7:11-13)

In Luke 7:11-13, we read the story of the widow of Nain. The story begins as Jesus and a crowd of people traveling with Him, run into a widow and a funeral procession for her only son. Here is one crowd full of joy and peace, and another filled with despair and grief. They collide outside of the city gates of Nain. Nain means Beautiful. Just outside of a place called Beautiful was turmoil and tragedy, but that was about to change. Jesus stopped the procession and commanded them to be still. I believe God desires to stop you from going any further away from your beautiful place. Enough is enough!

The bible tells us that the coffin was open. The enemy will try and convince you that he has you boxed in, but God says there is always a way out! Just look up and see your salvation. The young man sat up and began to speak. Your dreams and visions will speak again. Habakkuk 2:2-4 tells us that it may tarry, but at the end it will speak. There is a place called beautiful that God wants you to return to. Let Him stop your procession of sorrow and disappointment, and place you on a journey of joy and promise. It is a season of restoration and returning back to the place that God has intended for you to be all along.

August has been a month of preparation. We have been seeking the Lord for the future and preparing ourselves to align with it. This has required us to take time in prayer and fasting, as well as going back to remember some of things the Lord has promised. As we have moved into September, we know that God is up to something great. We will be ministering locally in a few weeks and then head off to Bulgaria for a three city tour of revival at the end of the month. We are expecting great and mighty things to happen! We know that God has been moving mightily there and we are excited about going back to continue in what He has been doing.



I want to encourage you to check out ScottÔÇÖs new You Tube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/CFGMUSA and go to his website at www.compassionfireandglory.org . You can also find a link to his ministry page on facebook there too

[04ctd]

Seeing the Big Picture

"Everything is against me" (Genesis 42:36).

Jacob had come to the end of his rope. He had lost Joseph. Simeon was in jail in Egypt. Now, in order to free Simeon, Benjamin, his youngest son would have to go to Egypt. It was more than Jacob could handle. What Jacob could not see was years of preparation for what would be the most exciting time of Jacob's life and the life of a nation. The darkest hour is the hour just before daybreak. Jacob was in his darkest hour just before God's daybreak in his life. God's big picture is often too big for us to comprehend. The heartaches don't seem to add up, but Jacob was about to understand the big picture.

Days later, Benjamin and the sons of Jacob learn that their brother Joseph is second in command in Egypt. Joseph reveals his identity, and Jacob is eventually reunited with his father whom he had not seen for more than thirteen years. He had thought Joseph to be dead.

So often we believe our dreams are dead. There seems to be nothing left in our world to live for. Everything appears to be against us. It is during these times that God is doing His deepest "behind the scenes" work. During these times, God is performing a deeper work in each of us, a work that cannot be seen.

When clients began leaving my business and it dried up for no apparent reason, it appeared "everything was against me." What I could not see was that God was orchestrating a whole new calling on my life. At the moment, it seemed like the worst thing in the world. It seemed like I had been a failure. God said, "No." All the years before, had been merely preparation for what God's ultimate calling would be. One of God's methods of directing the steps of His children are through the drying up of resources: a job loss, a career change, or a disaster. It is in these times that we are willing to listen more intently. And to seek God in ways we would not normally do.

C.S. Lewis once said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

[04ctd]

Open Doors and Open Heavens

by Scott Hunter

For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. (1 Corinthians 16:9)


As we are now into this new year, I pray that God is moving mightily in your lives. I believe that as we came into the spiritual new year last fall, we moved into a time of open heavens. I believe that this year will be one of open doors as a result of what God has already begun to do. Aligning our lives with His purpose is key in the coming days. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:9 that there are adversaries at the open door. The word adversary means to oppose, to lie opposite, and to be contrary. I know that many people in the Body of Christ have felt great opposition in the previous months. This is only a sign that newness is ahead of you. The Lord revealed to me three specific adversaries that we must confront in order to walk through the new doors that await us.

The first one is fear. The fears of failure, disappointment, not measuring up, and letting others down are all things that we face as we walk in new directions. As David went to face Goliath, he had to muster the faith from his previous tests to move against this new opposition. Although he was anointed to be king, this first step was key in moving forward.

The second is options. You will never move forward if you are trying to keep your options open. It would be like walking through a new door still holding on to the door behind you. David told Saul that he used to keep his fatherÔÇÖs sheep. In other words, he was saying I am not going back, I am going forward.

Lastly is offense. David was criticized by his brothers as he tried to move into what God had for him. All of us will have the opportunity to become offended during transition. Whether it is from those from afar or from those who are close, you will receive criticism. The key is to refine your love walk during this process, because it will assist you in later phases.

We must then recognize GodÔÇÖs timing in all these matters. It is important to be exactly aligned to GodÔÇÖs plan. The faith that has brought you here, will take you though. Recently the Lord said to me, ÔÇ£Stop getting your hopes up and start building your faith upÔÇØ. LetÔÇÖs not walk in disappointment by living in hope alone, but rather build our faith and walk in the newness that God has for us.

Check out ScottÔÇÖs Ministry and how God is using him at www.compassionfireandglory.org

[04ctd]

this is very powerful...do you know DETAILS ABOUT God in your mind?

or...do you LOVE God with your heart?

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Developing Our Heart for God


"I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword." - Zechariah 9:13b


In the third and fourth centuries followers of Socratic teaching and other Greek scholars began to influence the Church in ways that were different from the Hebraic roots of the early Church. The Greek influence appeals more to the intellect, whereas the early-Church Hebraic model appealed to the heart. The Greek influence resulted in more emphasis on oratory skills and cognitive knowledge of God. Over the many centuries, this influence has shown itself in a more programmatic approach to the gospel rather than a process of living out our faith. So why is it important for us to understand this?

I realized in my own life that I was a product of this Greek system. My walk with Christ focused more on what I knew rather than on an intimate and powerful walk with God. Knowledge without power to express the life within is of little value. The more programmatic the focus, the less emphasis we place on building deep and caring relationships that result in changed lives. Our early Church fathers knew there was a cost to living out the Word of God, not simply giving mental assent to it.

Are you walking with God today in an intimate fellowship? Or, are you only involved in programs and activities designed to do good things? Reflect on Proverbs 23:12: "Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge." We must listen and respond with the heart. Whatever service we give to God should be a result of our relationship with our heavenly Father, not an end unto itself.

[04ctd]

he uses the word "stronghold" ...and i cant really wrap my head around that.

i know what he means: a weakness, a habit, a deep rooted way of looking/seeing things....like a prejudice or "personal belief"

IDK, what would you put in here?
what in your life, affects everything, every decision you make?

A ______ of fear, control, rebellion, insecurity, idolatry, pride, or bitterness may be hidden until it is revealed through circumstances.

i was raised really poor....but i have to FORCE myself to NOT buy things just because I can (like using bill money to buy toys)
i have to remember that I WANT because i wanted so much stuff that i never got when I was young, and now i feel like i gott a make up for that by buying EVERYTHING.

but if I am AWARE of that "stronghold" in myself, i do better at NOT buying junk.
buyers remorse for me...is when a junk car follows me home, and i crawl up under it...and it's nothing but RUST. awww crap...not again!

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Hindrances to Christ's Rule





The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. - 2 Corinthians 10:4

The Bible says when Christ comes to live in your heart, old things are passed away, all things become new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). The Lord has put a new Spirit in us. Previously, I could not understand why so many of us who proclaimed Christ had such little impact on the kingdom of darkness. It seemed to me that our culture should be impacted much more if His children walked in the light as Jesus did. Jesus impacted His culture like no other man.

I saw many workplace believers, who proclaimed Christ, living no differently than a person who had not claimed Him as Lord. These men and women had a form of religion, but little power that reflected Christ's rule in their lives. Then one day God took me through a time of testing that led to a discovery of generational influences that impacted the way I viewed people and circumstances on a subconscious basis. I discovered this was a stronghold that had been implanted many generations earlier. Because the stronghold operated on a subconscious level, it was not easily recognizable. Strongholds keep us from being free to reflect Christ in and through our lives because they require allegiance until they are dealt with. Strongholds can often be so hidden that we would not even identify them as evil. A stronghold of fear, control, rebellion, insecurity, idolatry, pride, or bitterness may be hidden until it is revealed through circumstances.

All strongholds are built in our lives as a result of seeking to meet one or more of seven basic needs God has created in us. Once we believe a lie that God cannot meet a need without our effort, we open our spirit to a stronghold. The more lies we believe, the more we invite these strongholds to take root in our lives.

Are you ineffective in your Christian experience? Are there besetting sins that seem to recur in your life? You may find that satan has built a fortress in your heart that has been there many generations. You must ask God's forgiveness for entertaining this stronghold, and you must renounce it. Then as Christ renews your mind and heart, you will see Christ's power released in your life like never before.

[04ctd]

looks like Glenn did not mail one out for Saturday.

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How God Builds Your Faith: Difficulty

by Rick Warren







"This means tremendous joy to you, I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accidentÔÇöit happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold" (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH).



In order to build your faith, God will give you a dream, then He'll urge you to make a decision, but then He'll allow a delay, because in the delay He matures you and prepares you for what is to come.



The truth is you'll have difficulties while God delays. This isn't because He doesn't care about you or that He's forgotten your circumstances; rather, it's one of the ways He pushes you toward the deep end of faith.



As God delays, you'll face two types of difficulties: circumstances and critics. This is a natural part of life. God designed it this way because He knows we grow stronger when facing adversity and opposition.



When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt into the desert toward the Promised Land, he had one problem after another. First there was no water. Then there was no food. Then there were a bunch of complainers. Then there were poisonous snakes. Moses was doing what God wanted him to do, but he still had problems.



David was anointed king, and then for the next several years he was hunted down by Saul. Joseph had a dream of becoming a ruler, yet he was sold into slavery and thrown into prison on a false charge where he languished, forgotten. Imagine the difficulties Noah had building a floating zoo!



The Bible says that when Moses died, Joshua was appointed the new leader. Moses led the people across the desert and then Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Did he get the easy part? The Bible says that when the Israelites entered the Promised Land there were giants in the land. Even in the Promised Land there were problems!


God does this because He is building our faith and character. When we finally come to a place where the difficulties become so bad, where we've reached our limit, where we've tried everything and exhausted all our options, it is then that God begins a mighty work through us: "I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accidentÔÇöit happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold" (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH).

[04ctd]

DavidÔÇÖs Source of Direction


"Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul." - Psalm 143:8

David is the only person in the Bible whom God describes as a man after His own heart. Despite David's many setbacks he continually sought to know and do God's will in his life. Like many of us, his will got in the way of a sinless life.


In the morning hour, David sought to hear from God. I can imagine David sitting on the open deck of his palace looking over the hills of Jerusalem, listening to God. There, in his morning watch, he felt God's unfailing love. He reaffirmed his trust in God. He also understood that the key to knowing God's will lay in spending such moments alone to reflect on what God had done and was doing in his life.


"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground" (Psalm 143:10).

Sometimes we fall prey to believing that God is not concerned, and that He does not lead us in our work life. We are tempted to think that He leads us in other areas, but not in our daily workplace. The truth is that God is in every aspect of life and desires to direct us.


Do you need direction in your life today? If so, David provides the best example of gaining direction. Set aside the morning hour to draw close to His presence. There, you will sense His unfailing love for you. His direction for your life will be a natural by-product of this time of communion with Him. Ask God to lead you by His Spirit today.

[04ctd]

since we missed saturday, someone told me they liked this verse:


Proverbs 22:1
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

Ecclesiastes 7:1
[ The Value of Practical Wisdom ] A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of oneÔÇÖs birth;

and if you think about it, your name is really all you have...if folks think you are useless, you will not have friends/customers

but if you have a good name, and people respect you....it will all fall in line.

[04ctd]

From Pain to Destiny





"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-5).



God often allows pain to ignite destiny in our lives. Without motivation, many of us would never fulfill the purposes for which God created us. Oftentimes a measured assault invades our life and creates a depth of pain that all we know to do is press into God with all our being.



At first, our motivation is to alleviate the pain. After a season of extreme emotional and sometimes physical pain, a second phase begins. This phase moves us to discover a new and deeper relationship with God. We begin to discover things about ourselves and about God that we never would have discovered without this motivation. Gradually, our heart changes our motivation from pain to loving obedience because there is a transition of the heart that takes place. No longer do we seek God for deliverance from the pain; we seek God because He is God. We seek His face and not His hand.



When we move to the second phase we often find ourselves moving into a new destiny and calling for our lives because God often separates us from the old life in this process. No doubt Joseph and Peter felt the pain of their individual crises. However, later they could realize God's purposes in their crisis. Like Joseph, we are able to say, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."



Today let God move you from the place of pain to the place of destiny. Let God show you the secret things He has reserved for you as a result of the crisis you may find yourself in.

[04ctd]

The University of Adversity





"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:12-13).



I've observed a principle: The pathway to leadership almost always takes us through the valley of adversity. We see this principle not only in the story of Joseph, who endured thirteen years of adversity, but also in the lives of many other leaders in both the Old and New Testament.



Moses was raised in the royal splendor of Pharaoh's household in Egypt, but he was forced to flee and spend 40 years in desert exile before God spoke from a burning bush and called him to lead the Hebrew people out of slavery. Joshua spent the years of his youth as a slave in Egypt and his middle-aged years wandering in the desert at Moses' side. He was well acquainted with adversity when God called him to lead Israel's armies in the conquest of Canaan. The prophet Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions before he could reach a place of power and influence in the Babylonian courts. And we see this same pattern played out in the lives of David, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea and other Old Testament leaders.



Turning to the New Testament, we see that even Jesus had to face adversity in the desert, suffering hunger, thirst, temptation and opposition from satan. Only then could He begin His public ministry. The Lord's disciples had to endure the loss of their Master, the failure of their own faith and character, and the dark days of despair between the cross and the empty tomb before they could become the founding leaders of the Lord's church.



It's hard to find anyone in Christian history who became a great leader without earning an advanced degree at the "University of Adversity."

[04ctd]

you know, there are very few people that i will "put my name behind"
in other words, "would i send my family to thier place of business...and trust them not to cheat them"

however, i think that is what we ALL should strive for....to be men of character, integrity, honesty.

that no matter what...we can be trusted.

here's an example: a buddy got a MBT of money once, he came over to the house, looked at me real funny, and wrote me a check for $1000
and said "turn that into $2000...and let me know when I can pick up my money, and be sure to make some for yourself"

took me a week & or so, bought a car & flipped it, but I doubled his money and made me a few hundred.

that's the kind of respect we should strive to have for our friends...and if you don't respect them, why do you want them as friends?

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Faith Proved Genuine

"Even one of their own prophets has said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth" (Titus 1:12-15).



In December 1983, The Princeton Religion Research Center published a landmark survey conducted for The Wall Street Journal by the Gallup Organization. The researchers measured a wide range of moral and ethical behaviors, such as calling in sick when not sick, cheating on income tax, and pilfering company supplies for personal use. The results were disappointing, to say the least.

But what the researchers found most startling was that there was no significant difference between the churched and the un-churched in their ethics and values on the job. In other words, despite the fact that more and more people were attending churches, churches seemed to be having less and less of an impact on the moral fiber of their people, at least in the workplace.

To quote the researchers: "These findings will come as a shock to the religious leaders and underscore the need for religious leaders to channel the new religious interest in America not simply into religious involvement but in deep spiritual commitment."

"Either these are not the gospels, or we're not Christians," said Thomas Linacre, Henry VIII's doctor and Renaissance thinker, after given the four gospels in Greek. Linacre recognized a great disparity between those who proclaimed Christ and how they lived their lives.

If our faith life is not validated through our behavior then one must question if we even have a genuine relationship with Christ. The apostle Paul didn't like what he saw in the believers on the island of Crete. They proclaimed Christ with their mouth, but their behavior looked no different than those who did not claim Christ.

Pray that your faith is "proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:7-8).

[04ctd]

Moving Ahead of God





"The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her" (Genesis 16:2).



Have you ever felt that you were supposed to receive something from God but it just hasn't materialized? You wait and wait until finally you decide that maybe God wants you to help out the situation. This is exactly what happened in the case of Abraham and Sarah.



God had promised them a son, but as years passed by they were still without a child. They took their eyes off the One who had made the promise and decided to take matters into their own hands. So, Abraham lay with Sarah's maidservant, Hagar, and she bore a son, Ishmael (see Genesis 16). The son of promise, Isaac, came later through Sarah, just like God had promised. However, the modern day conflict between the Arabs and Israelis is the fruit of this act of disobedience that occurred centuries ago.



I recall a time when I launched a business enterprise only to fall on my face. It had all the hallmarks of a Godly venture, but I was premature and guilty of presumption instead of faith. The resulting financial losses are lasting reminders of a decision that was based on a horizontal choice instead of a vertical dependence that required patience until God said, "Go."



The way to avoid making "Ishmael" decisions is to seek God fully on the matter in prayer, be in an accountable relationship with your spouse and close associates who know you well, and gain agreement through two or more people. The Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"(Jeremiah 17:9).



Whenever we want something strongly, it is a dangerous place because we no longer look at the matter objectively with a willingness to change our viewpoint. We have to approach a matter as being "dead" to the issue in order to fully see God's perspective.

[04ctd]

Secret Places





I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name (Isaiah 45:3).



When God takes you to a depth of soul experience be alert to new truths and new perspectives. During these times God often leads us to amazing new discoveries. It can be a storehouse of unexpected riches for the soul.



Bible teacher F. B. Meyer once observed, "Whenever you get into a prison of circumstances, be on watch. Prisons are rare places for seeing things. It was in prison that Bunyan saw his wondrous allegory and Paul met the Lord and John looked through heaven's open door and Joseph saw God's mercy. God has no chance to show His mercy to some of us except when we are in some distressing sorrow. The night is the time to see the stars."



I began sending out the devotions in the middle of a seven year period of darkness. Today, the devotionals are read daily by many of people around the world. God has revealed to me secret things that I know have benefited countless others. If I had not gone through that dark time, I wouldn't be who I am today.



We must live each day to the fullest. We can't live in the past or in the future. We must live in the moment that God gives us right now. Our time of deliverance will come according to God's schedule. Meanwhile, we need to be faithful in doing what God has given us to do and be content in the place where He has placed us.



When we go through a trial of adversity, we need to understand that God is performing radical surgery on our life. The purpose of this surgery is not to destroy us, but to give us a new heart. God is making a fundamental change in whom we are and who we will be.



And, He will always reveal treasures from these secret places if we are willing to walk through the process patiently.

[04ctd]

Understanding the Source of Anger


"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." - Proverbs 29:11



The workplace can be a pressure-packed world. The demands that are often put on us can bring out things that we never knew were there. Sometimes we begin to think that the source of that pressure is to blame for our response to the pressure. It could be an event, a spouse, a boss, a client, a child, or even a driver who cuts us off in traffic.



I recall responding to a close friend one time, "If you had not done that, I would never have responded that way." Later I learned that this response had little truth to it. We all choose to get angry. No one else is to blame for our anger.


"The circumstances of life, the events of life, and the people around me in life, do not make me the way I am, but reveal the way I am.ÔÇØ



This simple quote has had a profound impact on how I view my anger now. Anger only reveals what is inside of me. I can't blame anyone but me for my response to a situation. I have learned that anger is only the symptom of something else that is going on inside of me. This quote now resides on my refrigerator door as a daily reminder of the truth about my response to life's situations.



It has been said that anger is like the warning panel on the dash of your car. It is the light that tells us something is going on under the hood and we need to find out what is the source of the problem. I discovered that the source of anger is often unmet expectations or personal rights. We believe we are entitled to a particular outcome to a situation. When this doesn't happen, it triggers something in us. At the core of this is fear, often a fear of failure or rejection, fear of what others think, fear of the unknown.



If you struggle with anger, ask God to reveal the source of that anger. Ask Him to heal you of any fears that may be the root of your anger. Ask God to help you take responsibility for your response to difficult situations.

[04ctd]

i think i need adult supervision, i missed Fridays:


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Receiving Only From God


To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven." - John 3:27


"God never gave you that property," said my friend who had entered my life at a time of great turmoil. These were hard words at the time. I was separated in my marriage, and my financial resources were drying up on all fronts. It was like rowing a boat with five big holes in it, not knowing which one to try to plug. My business, my personal finances, my marriage, all seemed to be drying up at the same time. My friend had made an observation about some land we had purchased years before. His point was that I had acquired something that God had never given me. In other words, it was not a Spirit-directed purchase that was blessed by God. It was not a by-product of God's blessing; it was a source of sweat and toil born out of the wrong motives of the heart.



When John's disciples came to him and asked if he was the Messiah, he responded that he was not and that one could only be what God had given him to be. He was a forerunner to the Messiah, and he was fulfilling a call God had given him. We cannot acquire and become anything that God has not given us. God gave John that anointing. We must ask whether we are trying to be or trying to acquire anything God has not given us. When we seek to acquire anything that God has not given us, we can expect God to respond to us like any good father would to a child. He will remove that which the child is not supposed to have.

David understood this principle. When he was preparing to furnish the temple, he told God in his prayer, "Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand" (1 Chronicles 29:14b).

[Rob M]

Post 126/ September 9....Uplifting! =) Thanks for posting these
04ctd