To measure the impact of one person’s presence, remove that person—remove that presence; to demonstrate the value of an excellent spirit, remove the one carrying that spirit—that presence.   

I have benefited from those whose very presence makes a difference. Their place of authority with God is established—their countenance and expression supervise the atmosphere. If one is a king, in the sense of having been sent by the Lord for a purpose, then everything hinges upon kingly authority to command the opposition—the resistance coming from the side of evil. 

“A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.” (Proverbs 20:8) 

Our eyes factor prominently into the impression we give. In natural and spiritual terms the eyes reflect weakness or strength—whether we are shallow of thought, or possess depth of character; and most of all, the eyes actually convey authority, or its absence. 

Aligned with Him, I rely upon His presence in my life as his king-representative, knowing there is no word that can overthrow His Word, and that the presence He ordains includes vision to discern and scatter evil. The eyes have it.

Amen.

Proverbs 20:8
Matthew 8:9-10
Revelation 1:6
Revelation 5:10

The last day of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles,
for Jewish Year 5771 is September 30,
beginning at sunset today, ending at nightfall tomorrow.

Christianity is the glorious romance between the Lord and his people as together they extend God’s love to all mankind. From our Bible we are thrilled to learn our Father established feast days, times for His people Israel to commemorate and celebrate Him, the covenant-keeping God whose master plan is to “tabernacle” with them throughout eternity—forever and ever, l’olam vaed.

With spiritual roots in these celebrations—rich in meaning and symbolic of Kingdom truths—Christians everywhere share in the spirit of the celebration, ascribing Glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Feast of Tabernacles for me is the most unique time—a time when my heart draws closer to Biblical feast passages and the wealth of spiritual significance reflected in Jewish customs and all that goes with keeping the feast. This year, on the last day, the day referred to in Scripture as “that great day of the feast,” it is obvious to me this year stands out—as special, as especially special.  John 7:37

Because this year, more than any previous year I can recall, we, like Israel are at a crossroads; but this year, standing in the crosshairs of ancient paths, we have heard the watchman’s trumpet and with purpose have chosen to walk the Spirit’s lead. Therefore, we keep the feast, ready for the great days ahead. Our faith this year has special marking; it is special faith, pressed together with the “gift of faith,” that speaks of destiny—with our God nothing is impossible. New strength rises. As disciples, we are sent; like Esther, literally, we were born for this time! Esther 4:14

Amen.

Ecclesiastes 3:11   
Jeremiah 3:11
Philippians 4:20
Luke 1:37

Jesus encountered every imaginable sickness and disease. In every town and village He ministered divine healing to the people, restoring health to broken bodies, casting out demons of infirmity, and setting in order what had become twisted and confused. Jesus established the will of His Father. Matthew 9:18-28, Matthew 9:35-36

Jesus saw the coming harvest of healing He would personally obtain on the cross and directed His disciples to pray: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” Matthew 9:37-38, NLT  

The harvest Jesus referred to was not souls, it was healing; though of course, healing is a sign and wherever there is healing, the harvest of souls will surely follow. We are the laborers He was calling for—you and I. The field represents those Jesus died for, affirming yet again His Father’s will—healing, His own life the purchase price that would redeem that field from ravages of disease and brokenness:

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
   our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
   that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
   that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
   Through his bruises we get healed.
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
   We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
   on him, on him. Isaiah 53:4-6, The Message Bible

He took the punishment, the stripes. Truthfully, you are already whole—really, it’s true. The Cross is your testimony—all the proof you need. Revelation waits as belief outlasts the odds. The knee will bow to something; it might as well be Truth.

Amen.

Matthew 9, the healing chapter
Isaiah 53:5, the healing verse

The word-term blessing, or any of its derivatives – blessed, blessedness, blessings – conveys the biblical idea of happiness, benefit or praise. Its first use occurs at the close of the fifth day of creation: “And God blessed them saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ ” Genesis 1:22-23

The word is derived from a Hebrew root barak, meaning “to kneel.” The inference is one of significant precedence—of the relationship between the Creator and His creation, existing immediately upon creation, in the beginning. 

In blessing His creation, the LORD instituted a continuous flow of giving and receiving — given by Him, given back to Him, again and again, repetitively, setting in motion the act of adoration. The creation receives and ministers blessing back to Creator, a fact evidenced by His workmanship in those He created, a reflection and open display of His glory! Psalm 19 

All people and lands follow this precedent, created to kneel and bless Him, in turn receiving and then multiplying the blessing outwardly to everything around them—called to be a blessing.

Amen.

To believe God is to believe it will be as He has said. The New Testament principle of believing God is based on a pure conscience, one undefiled by contradicting points of view.

I believe God fully when my conscience is not contaminated with details that contradict what I believe. Contradicting points of view and opinions outside of God’s wisdom interrupt purity, the Bible virtue that positions me to believe God and refuse accusations against Him, or my beliefs.

God has already released purity into our lives. Purity is what we want saturating our lifestyle and preferences, hearts uncluttered by add-on parts that do not dignify the objective. When our focus is the promise we have of Him, the mindset that governs our lives will be poised confidence concerning Him.

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:15-16  

Amen.

The presence of God changes everything.

Without God’s presence, though advances are made and things appear to change, the most critical aspect, that of the eternal, does not change. A simple and key element in all we do as Christians is that if God’s Presence is there, change is assured; but without His Presence, no amount of money, effort, genius or training seems to accomplish very much of anything lasting. 

Someone who has been in the presence of God and has experienced an atmosphere saturated with that Presence, comes away from the experience with a different view, one defined by hope and confidence. Feeding that experience with God’s Word enhances the effect, strengthening vision and increasing faith to do all the will of God. In daily worship the experience is reproduced; in prayer the experience takes over.  

He has set eternity in our hearts! It is time to invite the presence of Almighty God into our lives—into every office, decision, event, place and situation. Selah! 

Amen.

Colossians 4:12
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Sukkot—it’s the most joyous festival on the Jewish calendar. The holiday begins this year at sunset September 22 and will continue through dusk September 29.

Consider the impact of this important time when Israel celebrates the Lord’s Presence as He tabernacles with them, a demonstration of the eternal, covenant bond between Yahweh and His people.

The fame of Solomon is an amazing story of kingly wisdom and wealth, relayed through the generations and well-known today. A queen from the land of Sheba—probably present-day Yemen—traveled caravan style to Jerusalem, a distance of about 1200 miles, to see for herself if the stories were true. 

The queen came for the reason many are drawn to Israel today—it’s why the Hebrews were planted in the Land at precisely the place where they were, and are. Jewish Israel is placed strategically by the Lord Himself. Situated at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, centered geographically since ancient times, Israel’s fame lies in the purposes of God—that men, seeing the kingly blessing upon that land see the distinction and respond as did the queen, “Blessed be the Lord your God!” 

This is ”the entrance” God gives to every servant of His. Those in governments and medicine, in markets and finance, in military and civic service, in education and agriculture, all are as Solomon in that He calls them first to Himself, then strategically places them at crossroads where civilizations and cultures connect, on trade routes where economies are affected.

Prophetically, our futures are designed this way. Our purpose in God is the motivation for everything we do. His Great Name is our banner, our common bond. We establish righteousness and order as we go, on every level, including levels of wealth and power; everything is impacted concerning the name of Solomon’s Lord – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the expression of the wealth of the Lord’s goodness to the entire world through her — for His Great Name’s sake!

Amen.

In deciding what to do today, whether to move forward or remain in safe, less-complicated territory, remember the example of our Lord—He kept moving! Those with Him did not always agree; perhaps their caution was logical, certainly their need to rest understandable. Still, the Lord understood times and seasons and each day positioned Himself in the center of the Divine mandate—on purpose! Follow His example. Refuse to hang between mental possibilities; move forward, away from the precipice, even if the risk involved means you must deal with a valley below.

Valleys represent indecision. In every venture, leaders emerge with sufficient maturity to, by faith, obey the Lord as He leads. Their faith gives substance to hope and provides evidence to continue until steps can actually be seen in a natural sense. The process confronts difficult doors so use your faith to open them; just because the process is risky does not mean the direction is wrong—use your faith!  Others may not see what you see but will be strengthened to come alongside if direction is decisive. Remember those who rehearse worse case outcomes eventually store those in the heart; they cannot move forward nor hear critical wisdom to bring them out. Sequentially, that which is stored programs them mentally so they and their faith become paralyzed, with no substance and no evidence of God’s leading to bring them out. Instead, fear and its lieutenant ‘torment’ take over to dominate decision-making.  

Again, in today’s decisions follow the Lord’s example. Our Lord kept moving except to pull aside to pray—all day and all night if necessary. Follow His voice, speaking on the inside—to your heart.  Settle every decision there and you will be empowered to “do” accordingly.

“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come to us as the rain…” Hosea 6:3, KJV

Amen.

“Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 
Three times I was beaten with rods.
Once I was stoned.
Three times I was shipwrecked.
Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
I have traveled on many long journeys.
I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.
I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles.
I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas.
And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights.
I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.
I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.
Who is weak without my feeling that weakness?
Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?” 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, NLT

Paul makes clear just how great is our salvation—that one man, filled with God’s Spirit, can be graced to build God’s Kingdom in his generation. Forerunner, father and disciple-maker, Paul led the way; imitating the example, we now are the sent ones—forerunners and fathers, making disciples as we go.  

Paul opened a path. In sheer defiance of religion’s claims and resilient in the worst of circumstances, He utilized all means to offer the Kingdom to all, that he might win “the more” . . .  “the Jews” . . . “those under the law” . . . “those without the law” . . . and “the weak.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, NKJV

The path he opened is there still. Tag—you’re it!

Amen.

Prophetic emphasis as we pray and study allows Christian believers to know things the Lord has for them beyond the moment, and to inquire of the Lord concerning how to prepare for the future.  

The prophetic “anointing” upon our lives leads us to prepare prophetically; like Joseph, when he was lead by the Lord and gained influence for a future time by taking advantage of a multi-nation famine to advance his family and nation.

If we are able to see clearly today, we have the advantage; and if we are willing to see even beyond the present and envision the Kingdom of our Lord for tomorrow—including our role and specifics for God’s purpose as Joseph did—then our lives are sharpened to carry others forward into something brighter, and greater than the present.   

Compared to the world’s wisdom, to have prophetic insight is a wealth – to see the next generation as God intended, aided by elders whose wisdom is fine-tuned with experience so that the two combined treasures, stored up, in this generation and the next, unfold through lives placed prominently for such a time as this.

Lord I pray – let the blessing come upon my head, and the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush! Deuteronomy 33:13-16

Amen.

Psalm 105:17-24
Genesis 49:22-26