There were different kinds of offerings in Israel. Besides five main offerings (burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, and guilt), Israel was to give to God with specific offerings, including the trespass offering, peace offering, fellowship, freewill, wave, heave, thank, consecration, dedication, memorial offerings and offerings for the poor.  Similarly, we bring different offerings to the Lord, and each way we give is significant. Many feel the more they GIVE to the Lord the more they can justify SPENDING; or when they give, if the conscience is satisfied they feel they do not need other spiritual disciplines. Neither is the case. An offering is one way we communicate with God and legitimate giving proceeds from the heart, either in response to God or to honor Him in a specific way—but not as a religious duty. The carnal heart has a hard time getting into the place of communication of “give and it will be given to you.”  In exactly the same measure of heart we communicate with Him, He directs other men and circumstances concerning us. It’s not legalistic, and certainly not religious. Giving is a spiritual measure of what we really believe. Romans 10:10

Make this head-decision and heart-commitment: From this point, and from now on, concerning money and all that you PLAN to do with money… ask God, listen to what He tells you, then do what He tells you. 

Amen.

Embracing God’s call to be a prophetic people—to receive and live by progressive revelation of the Lord and His Word—matures and positions us for leadership in the Body of Christ and in the culture of secular life. Disciplined faith is distinctive and discipleship marks us in a distinctive way. We belong to that spiritual lineage and our lives carry its marking.

The “river” in Ezekiel 47 is a new wineskin experience for us—we are going deeper where gained revelation is compared to the increase in a river’s depth. With yesterday’s experience we  began “ankle deep” and moved deeper where the water came up to our knees, then to our waist; the marking we carry for our future is like depths of water (revelation knowledge), too deep to cross and too deep to navigate on foot—depths in which one must swim (Ezekiel 47:1-8).

As we grow in knowledge and develop a closer relationship with Jesus we are to test our progress, evaluate the fruit our life produces, and reach beyond the surface—for depth! The world around us, even in Christian circles, is going the other way—away from relationship based upon a revelation of the Lord and His wisdom revealed in His Word. There are converts everywhere but few disciples.

Amen.

Ezekiel 47

Your trust in the Lord is vital. Consider your trust to be an investment, like an investment of money or time. With any investment, we lend ourselves to something or someone, investing who we are and something we possess with the intention of creating more than what we had to begin with. We expect to benefit—to profit.

The heart that invests for a profitable return will understand the New Testament parable of the minas: A certain nobleman entrusted ten pounds of silver to servants in his household before leaving on official business; during his absence, one servant invested his portion, the equivalent of about three months’ wages, and received ten times as much in return while at least one servant did not invest at all—he did not trust that his master was a fair man, and so did not invest anything to benefit him.

Our lives are invested somewhere and with the investment trust is expressed as a confident expectation that the person or entity involved can be trusted to do their part—to pay the appropriate benefit or increase. Like the servant who failed to invest, we do not invest our lives except where trust is involved. 

To trust in the Lord is vital—far more than any trust relationship in life; faith endures for those who mature to trust, expressing confidence in our loving heavenly Father. 

It is better to trust in the LORD
  Than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD
  Than to put confidence in princes. Psalm 118:8-9

The fear of man brings a snare,
  But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

Amen.    

Luke 19:11-27 
Proverbs 3:5

Prophecy and prophetic words come from the Lord. Proportionate to our fellowship with Him and to our understanding of His working, we are participants in prophetic announcements. Every believer is a spokesperson, each one a speaking firebrand of His love.

Levels of revelatory expression are apparent as we serve Him. A mature level of prophecy is the fresh word—a fruit of the Lord speaking to the inner man. Such purity is rare though increasingly we discover “prophets, wise men, and teachers” speaking in this way, quickened to speak God’s wisdom so the hearer may benefit. Matthew 23:34

Today we discern His voice and honor Him as we speak.  

Amen. 

Matthew 23 (entire chapter) 

Ref:
Word of knowledge – 1 Corinthians 12:8
Quickened – Ephesians 2: 5-10; 1 Peter 3: 18-22
Working with Him – 2 Corinthians 6:1; Colossians 2:13
Prophetic words – Acts 2:17

In the early days of the church the Apostle Paul encouraged fellow believers to follow him as an example of conduct and leadership. He encouraged them to follow him as he followed the Lord, a principle for all in leadership roles today—parents to presidents. Applying the principle to those who lead us we look for Godly qualities in their lives and imitate those qualities. 

A down side of the principle is disappointment experienced any time those we esteem fall short of the mark—times when we must carry an added weight of sadness, as does the entire church, realizing that aside from the close watch of the Lord none of us are sufficient for the complex challenges of our day. 

On the positive side, in response to these challenges, new resolve is often a result—resolve for greater integrity, greater commitment to test personal behavior, and greater determination to imitate the Lord so that others may see His example through us. 

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing . . . And who is sufficient for these things? . . . we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, NKJV

Amen.

1 Corinthians 11:1
Romans 3:23

In every place where you have authority “say” to the mountain that stands in your way—move; and to every challenge that defies the Lord, declare according to the plan He has already revealed to you with the spirit of authority He has already given you. 

Determined to stand with Him today? Then with authority, pray! Your words are powerfully anointed to destroy yokes placed by others in ignorance. As one who knows truth, you are assigned to “undo” wrong words with the Word of the Lord—overriding careless and faithless activity, holding the line for the Lord in every place where you have been positioned with authority.   

Focus your attention and concentrate your faith and prayer there. Prayers prayed by righteous men are always powerful but those applied with authority, based upon God-given authority, can move obstacles and even influence those who have determined to ignore the Lord to suddenly turn and listen. 

Pray. You have authority to change it! 

Amen. 

Matthew 21:21-22
Matthew 9:8
Mark 13:34
Proverbs 29:2

The Bible principle for increase in a time of famine is to “sow” in famine. When there is a lack or shortage of any kind, or when the strain of a crisis intensifies beyond our control, God sends seed to the sower to provide bread for your food, to multiply your seed sown, and to increase your fruits of righteousness.  The principle also applies to situations that threaten or harm us, or that cause unfair or undeserved difficulty because they also provide us with seed to sow in a spiritual sense: As we seek a supernatural harvest, these times of hardship—something unfair, or out of line—create an opportunity “to sow” the difficulty, expecting a harvest of favor on your behalf, like the favor of unusual benefits to carry the day supernaturally, lift the load, and gain answers to prayer.

If the financial rug has been pulled out from under you or a needed medical remedy withheld on a technicality, or a deserved position unfairly given to another—sow the rug, the injustice, or the wrong done… sow them “to the Spirit,” guarding your heart, standing in righteousness. Consider such times as “seed to sow,” provision for a supernatural harvest of restored things. That which is impossible in a natural sense becomes possible as we sow to the spirit. Despite those carnal demands to behave in retaliation, instead we reap an eternal benefit, much more preferable than sowing to the flesh and receiving a flesh-ly reward. (smile)

It’s like gaining purchasing power to buy and sell in the realm of the spirit; like gaining miraculous provision in the face of shortage at a time when what could be accomplished otherwise would be insufficient for breakthrough. Sow every injustice, every wrong done, every accusation and misunderstanding. Sow and receive your harvest of righteous purchasing power!    

Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:10
Galatians 6:8
Romans 8:28

“Send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared… do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

Today, do everything possible to relieve suffering but then do not forget to discipline your own soul. Balance your concern for others with an equal measure of joyful praise; otherwise, you’ll be tempted to “carry the care” which is the same as being weighed down with care.

The cares of this world and its flesh-lusts often push us to “fix” what God has not determined to fix—at least not in the way we think. Be sensitive and allow the Lord to work through you, realizing God was there ahead of you so do not get ahead of Him.

The Lord’s will is to heal, deliver, and restore; our will, of course, is aligned with His, so, to stay the course and not lose heart or run out of energy while He is accomplishing what only He can, we yield the care of every “care” over to Him, thereby strengthening our position as Believers to help others yield to Him in the same way.

Just as we cannot lead without discipline we cannot demonstrate the Lord’s character when our soul is undisciplined. Jesus taught simple trust in the Father’s watchful eye with dependence upon His love to cast out all fear. Our example before an unbelieving world is strengthened when there is a balance of concern with confident trust and gladness of heart. The joy of the Lord is your strength!

Amen.

Mark 4: 18-19

The thing we value is the thing that costs the most. For Christians, established with an understanding of the finished work of the Cross, the thing that critically affects the outcome is already accomplished. Our connection to that truth completes the circuit; to step away from that is to re-open, give entrance to, and advance “doubt” concerning the very things you value—you have laid down your life for those values. The investment is your life – it’s who you are!  

Invest your life in the Word. Hearing the Word produces faith so spend time hearing principles, instruction and ideas to produce understanding. Through understanding, there are greater things ahead so prepare to glean more Word—add more Word to what you have already invested and then move from belief to revelation, to impartation. Frame every assignment this way and it will accomplish what it must.

Amen.

For those with a house, land, a business or products for sale, those who have placed something for sale with a specific deadline for when the transaction must be complete, pray this prayer: Send a buyer!

There is an anointing from the Lord for everything! Concerning His will for us, He provides His anointing to advance the Kingdom on earth! His anointing is that “special touch” on things that proceed directly from the Spirit of God. That touch transforms instantly and powerfully conforms something to the Spirit’s design.

I believe such times also include a transfer of divine wisdom—transferred from the Holy Spirit into the human spirit. Not only are we marked by divine impressions upon more “natural” reasoning and experience, but we also realize something we did not know before—we have received a Word from God as though He joined in the negotiations and spoke audibly; and, if we make what we received the priority, we have wisdom we did not have before.  

Your part is to purposefully plan—take actions that release your faith; the Lord extends faith toward anything He plans and if he directs you to sell, then believe Him; His word works when “mingled” with faith and action. Action! Get the house or land or whatever in order with financial records ready for transfer to the buyer! Have the figures clear in your own understanding. Think it through so you are clear on the process and have fair price ready. You are the one who holds the reins, not someone else. Remain single-minded, maintain the mind of the Lord, keep your thoughts in line, and use your words as a tool of grace. In the spiritual sense expect a buyer.

Purposefully take steps to be in right places to cross paths with potential buyers—get into that field. Guard your conversation; that is, do not allow negative words to spiritually turn around and send the buyer back from where he came from—words are that powerful! Instead, speak truths impressed upon your heart by the Lord at every opportunity; no need to act strange doing that, just remember the mission is to align with the Lord’s plan and that includes alignment with His word, by your words.

The Lord inspired you for a reason. If your hear Him say sell,  then His will is to send a buyer.Amen.

Hebrews 4:2-3
Mark 11:22-25
Romans 8:26-27