This year our lives will be changed from glory, to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord (2Corinthians 3:18). Changes today uproot embedded habits, uncover flawed behavior, bring to expression the very thing we would never do, and generally disturb the peace of an otherwise “normal” routine. Hallelujah!

Change helps rock the boat just enough to uncover—mistakes, and wrong attitudes that have ‘taken root’ cannot remain. Without change we cannot grow and without growth we will not mature. Look around you. The place of weakness, lack, or any negative influence means the element of truth is missing. Truth results in honesty, and honesty is gained as we look into the image we see in the mirror and respond according to the Spirit of Truth:

Amen.

2Corinthians 3:18

The patriarch Abraham was not weak in faith. Responding to God’s promise to give him a heir, Abraham did not consider two obvious realities—the deadness of his own aging body and his wife Sarah’s dead womb (Romans 4:19)

Make a list of everything in your life that is dead. Hold that list up to the Lord and pray . . . Lord, what will You do with this? . . . Will You restore function? . . . Will you breathe life into the deadness?

As with Abraham, the Lord’s presence has come dramatically—supernaturally! Time and difficulty may have obscured all hope but the promise is overriding every impossible physical limitations and the deadness of hardened, unbelieving hearts.

Once you hear Him, you’ll know what to do.

Amen.

Romans 4:19 | John 15:5-6

Ezekiel distinguished corporate expression from the action of individuals who act on their own (Ezekiel 18). The nation is responsible before God for its call to perform uniquely among the nations. Also the family is a corporate expression though individuals within that family are responsible before God personally, on a personal level. The Son of God comes first to the individual, then to family or nation; He comes to the individual first, thereby gaining entrance into the larger circle.

Who are you, or your family or nation, that the Lord would consider you? Why would He hear your prayer or consider your situation? What position has He given you to appeal to Him on any matter? Similar questions were asked in Job, Hebrews and Psalms: What significance do you have as one that heaven would consider you . . . ?

The answer is the Lord’s focus begins with you – to deliver and lift you up, and out! Like a pebble breaking the water’s surface, the ripple effect for those around you is significant but the focus begins with you—there is a prophet in every house! God created you for high purposes and He is not keen on sharing your first love with anyone . . . but once He has you – really has you – He sends you to everyone.

May His circle be unbroken! Hallelujah.

Amen.

Ezekiel 18 | Luke 12

Ref:
What is man? – Job 7:17; 15:14
What is man? – Psalm 8:4; 144:3
What is man? – Hebrews 2:7

When ties to family are stronger than to God’s Word, it’s time to go! The same holds true for nations and is an explanation as to why some have left their homeland—including those things they love about that land, familiar things—to gain freedom from bondages that go unrecognized by the majority of those in their people group, those also in bondage to those things.

Bondages gain strength with each generation and we should take serious steps to make some changes before our children “inherit” those things that are already draining us. The Lord by His Spirit opens our understanding to that which “captivates” us, pointing to a way of escape—namely, repentance from deadness and new alignment with His Kingdom.

Our consecration means we continually separate from everything that does not (cannot) reflect the life God has appointed for us. We separate from those things so that we can separate ourselves to the Lord. Consecration is action I take and the declaration I make—decisive. God does His part–He delivered us in advance and opened the way for us to choose. In choosing, we do our part—we turn to Him and leave behind people and things the Lord never intended to be a part of our destiny. (Colossians 1:19)

So, ask God . . . then take a step in the direction you sense He is leading and . . . keep stepping!

Amen.

Colossians 1:13
Psalm 37:23, NKJV | The Message | The Living Translation

The standard of Bible truth becomes confused when people who say they “know God” become enamored with the culture as it shifts away from God, and with their community when it sympathizes with surface truth only. When this happens, a separation takes place: The Godhead does not conform to our preferences and whim; rather, we are to conform to the Lord and His standard.

To represent Him correctly we draw from His Word. Unfortunately, those agitated by Bible truths may not (even) read the Bible. Bible knowledge for them may consist of only a few verses, with some documentary-style theology and philosophical beliefs mixed in. For them, hearing the false – represented as true, over and over again – produces belief in those things. Add to the misinformation an absence of relationship with God and the result is offense… for the truth’s sake, meaning for the Word’s sake.

Foolishness is associated with those who are un-teachable. Their words reveal their ignorance; without ears to hear they do not—cannot—understand. But wisdom in the Lord’s camp prophesies truth; and as messengers of wisdom revealed in the Word, we proclaim it from the rooftops, for all who are willing to hear.

Jesus knew that when blind men received their sight, when the handicapped and infirmed were made whole and the dead were raised, men with earth-bound hearts would be offended. He knew that any local congregation, distanced from the Lord to the point of unbelief concerning His Kingdom, would attack both the message and messenger of anything greater than their experience.   

Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, `God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’ ” And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time.  And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! (Matthew 11:4-6, 12-15

Amen.

Matthew 11: 4-6, 12-15
Matthew 10:26-27

Start with what you have and stand firmly in what God has spoken to your heart. Write everything He speaks to you–has said, and is saying—then start with the outline you’ve written. The Lord is on the scene and the predicted end of the long ordeal, including the sting of it, is near. The Lord’s hand is “stretched out” on your behalf!

“The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!” (Psalm 118:15-16)

The Lord has called for an end to the last season—an end to anything less than His best for you, and to many things that have worked against you. Press with your faith, pray with confidence, and make His Word final authority in every situation!

So then, go ahead; begin a new season. Start with what you have—you surely cannot start with what you do not have. Establish yourself, steady your thoughts, make the necessary decisions . . . it is time to begin and change is involved. You have actually come to a time of special favor—the acceptable year of the Lord! (Luke 4:16-19)

Amen.

Psalm 118
Psalm 118:15-16
Luke 4:16-19

We are fully launched into the New Year and as is the case with most new beginnings, we believe 2012 will be the best ever—more success, stronger families, greater spiritual gains, more answered prayer. A catalyst for accomplishment in all those areas is to keep a daily journal.

Effective discipleship includes writing down, or “journal-ing” things that matter most. Writing is a form of confession – what you take time to write is more aligned with your belief than words spoken casually or musings in the privacy of your thought life. And those things, once written, can be judged when read, providing conviction in favor or opposition to what we have written.

Writing adds perspective and is a powerful tool for clarity as you record experiences and things gleaned from the Lord’s presence—you will need those revelations in the days ahead!

It’s not too late to begin.

Amen.

I once heard someone say that peace (shalom) would be the single, greatest distinguishing mark upon the life of the believer in the End Times. We know today is the timeframe for that prediction to bear fruit. The destructive, sinister, despicable, base, disloyal, unfaithful . . .  off-the-wall and out-of-nowhere reality, with influences coming from so many sources all at once, challenge our senses and tests our trust in God for His shalom in the midst of it all.

Among leaders, the one with peace of heart and mind has, literally, come to this hour “for such a time as this”. For them, much depends upon God’s peace being resident—on the scene and ready to go—as umpire for their authority to govern. Visionaries too, trained in less troubled times, are tested at the very core of trust.

For all in the test, do not back off! You have an eagle’s eye and your discernment has sharpened. Pull in every spiritual sharp shooter you know and keep one on each flank at all times. Ask wise men for counsel. Stay humble—the precursor of failure is pride. Increase expectation anytime you are tested—always sow in famine! Make room for more quality time with the Lord. Laugh a lot.

You are with a strategic company, brought forth for this time. With every step, the test measures you and shows that you have it.

Shalom – all is well!

Amen.

Esther 4:14
Esther 4

The strength of anything we build is determined by its foundation. One example is the architect’s design that envisions the height of a structure and therefore adds sufficient foundation below to support the number of floors above—the deeper the foundation, the higher the building can go.

Individual success also, a measure of how far he or she advances, derives from the depth of their spiritual character as the most critical support necessary to grow intellectually for achievement, and emotionally for a strong, healthy body to keep going.

Men often confuse this issue. They make the Lord one option among many as the source and influence needed for success. But Jesus is not just a higher power. . . He is the highest power. The Lord is the most powerful power. He is the “sure foundation” for success (Isaiah 28:16).

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. . . Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.” (Colossians 2:7&19 NLT)

The power of the Lord is all power. He is the Almighty God! If we confuse the issue of His might and power, the perception of Him might be weak—reluctant, shy, and soft spoken, in which case we miss the vital point of His strength and the power of His strength imparted into the mission and daily life of every believer.

The Almighty God sends (apostles) you forth today, empowered with all power and with all authority!

Amen.

John 15:13 Mark 12:31 Luke 9:1

The Lord has promised and He is able. Our part is to be fully convinced concerning both—that what he said (promised) He will do, and He is able (that it is His will). As 2012 begins, settle this. And if you are not fully convinced, then God’s promises and the full benefit of His Lordship cannot be realized, and the road ahead cannot bear the fruit He intends.

Without a certain word from the Lord, we spend a lot of time waiting and hoping . . . wondering what the Lord’s will is and doing everything in our power to find it, and do it. As time goes by, resolve decreases and we weary mentally.

Instead, we need hope like Romans 4:21: “And being fully convinced that what He has promised He was well able to perform.” The man who is fully convinced concerning his covenant with the LORD is mighty! Such a man represents the will of heaven here on earth. We are that man! Romans 4:21

A passage about Abraham points to a critical area where we are to be fully convinced concerning God’s will: Now when Abram heard that a member of his family was taken captive, he armed those he had trained personally and knew well, and led them in pursuit of that which had taken his family member. Abram’s strategy was to attack with force from all sides – at night. He attacked and then chased the enemy army and brought back the one taken captive, plus all the goods and possessions that were stolen and all the people in relationship with his family member who were also taken into captivity. Genesis 14:14-16

Amen.

Genesis 18:14
Numbers 11:23
Jeremiah 32:17
Matthew 19:26
Luke 1:37