Nations are in distress—overwhelmed from many sides. Still, we never stop reaching for them. We never stop because the Lord does not stop. The goal and great possibility remain—righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit for all—even for the enemies of the truth we work to share. Selah!

In the Genesis account we read of a divine encounter. God placed “a mark” upon Cain following his murder of Abel, his brother—his own flesh and blood. For the shedding of innocent blood the Lord pronounced judgment: Cain’s livelihood would now work against him—it would turn on him to consume his profits; too, his personal sense of well-being was reversed by the act—“a fugitive and vagabond you shall be.” Cain’s anguish was immediate. Acknowledging his diminished position “being hidden from the Lord’s face,” paranoia came quickly as it certainly does always come with the shedding of innocent blood; paranoia that someone, at some point, would therefore kill him.

Nations are in distress. Financial and economical woes, sicknesses and disease, emotional and physical harm from terrorism of different sources—trace these backward to discern rightly, to find the cause and better determine the cure. Up-end the lineage and go back to the ancient path, refuting trendy philosophies that are not biblical but rather contrived for convenience, for the sake of the moment. Today, forsake the moment, not the Lord. He moves heaven and earth to keep people and nations close to Him—a story we cannot stop telling.

Amen.

Psalm 2:1-6
Genesis 4, verses 15 & 23
Jeremiah 18:15-17

Grief and calamity create weight, like weights placed on a scale to be measured. The measure causes various responses, depending on the individual, and especially depending upon the amount of God’s word stored within the heart of the individual. “Rash words” are one response; the need for additional strength to hope is another in which hope becomes the opposite of grief and the conduit for looking into the future to see light at the end of the tunnel.

My help is within me! only if I allow it can success be driven from me (Job 6:13).

World-wide, the world the cup of wrath is filling up, a process that must take place. The hateful treatment of one man by another is a most obvious aspect of that process. Were it not for God’s people  stationed in every place, carrying within themselves the help needed for themselves and for those who no longer have hope, all would be cut off at once!– alone, and without hope! (Eph 2:12-13)

Instead, we see that astute teachers have come forth. Their words are forceful because they are right words. Those in error listen and are able to understand their error.  Arguments are passé, as they overwhelm the fatherless, undermine friendships, and rebuke the desperate whose words are already as the wind. Therefore today! – We yield to the Spirit of the Lord so that justice is assured, and the righteous remain standing! The Lord is present to instruct and teach in the way we are to go…for He is guiding us “with His eye”. (Ps 32:8)

Amen.

Job 6
Ephesians 2:12-13
Psalm 32:8

The Bible states that man does not live upon natural bread alone but derives the life force of breath from each proceeding [the next] Word from God. The Amplified Bible speaks to this truth, relating our life’s breath and our immortal spirit to God’s Word:

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power
[making it active, operative, energizing, and effective];
it is sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating to the dividing line of
the breath of life (soul)
and [the immortal] spirit,
and of joints and marrow [of the deepest part of our nature],
exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging
the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight,
but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless
To the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:12-13, AMP)

The “spirit” part of man is always drawing from something, imbibing of the spirit or spirits involved, encouraged or quenched concerning God’s plan. The warning is to be on guard—for that which you store in your heart will determine steps you “decide” to take today. The encouragement here is that the Word of God quickens—makes alive—according to God’s wisdom, exposing rival issues by the eternal light of His eternal truth.

Amen.

Matthew 4:4
Job 32:8, 9
Proverbs 4:23
1Thessalonians 5:19
Hebrews 4, AMP

Blessing is the critical factor separating those who belong to the Lord from curse, a state of being and way of life engineered by Satan in setting up his kingdom in the lives of men and women—the object of God’s unfailing love.

God’s blessing on my life means everything; if I squander it, my life changes course down a path never intended for me. Still, it is mine to choose. God gives every man choice—blessing, or curse. A society cannot decide, nor can a government.

It’s simple. If you “decide” to rewrite the plan, remember that has been done—unsuccessfully; nothing is better than the plan God gave you: So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply . . .” (Genesis 1:27, 28)

God loves you very much but you are not greater than His Wisdom for you. He loves you and hates destruction; He will not allow you to rewrite His plan for mankind—destruction is the result; not His, but of your own doing. No matter how intelligent you feel you are, no matter how educated and above God’s Word you believe you have evolved, the reality remains that He will not forsake you but neither will He allow you to re-engineer His blessing.

There is help. Never give up on yourself or your situation. Because of influences from Satan’s false kingdom, many suffer in ways God never intended. No matter how unbearable you feel it is, or how hopeless it has become, you are not alone—not really. God will never stop drawing you to Himself. The provoking, contrary voice you are hearing is Satan’s—he does NOT love you:”Now the serpent was more cunning (trickster). . . And he said “Has God indeed said? . . .” (Genesis 3:1)

Amen.

Meditation:
Genesis 1, TLB
Genesis 2, TLB

In most families there is apt to be one person who discovers God’s promises and sets out on a determined course to bring those promises to the entire family. Truthfully, these are the ones who blaze a trail to turn the family line to God’s plan. A price is paid in the process – in terms of popularity, the family member swimming upstream against the current is viewed less favorably. In the future they will be remembered more kindly than at first, possibly adored as one who changed the course for the entire family.

Amen.

We live in the end-times, at the end of an age. This information is not a discovery made amid morning headlines but is drawn from biblical understanding—there is an ebb and flow of seasons and times, during which the Bible admonition is to redeem the time.

Born-again Christianity is especially keen on the idea, incorporating end-time expectations with heaven’s perspective: the joy of the Lord is your strength. Combining the two, we gain His end-time perspective and His strength to live “in these times.”

Joy is strength—springing up like a well, breaking through like a wrecking ball, overcoming like a strong army; joy adds might, carries the day with genius, creates from the inside, moves to the outside, outclasses the opposition, remains confident, is poised under pressure, marks the crème de la crème, and strengthens for exploits those possessing God’s perspective.

Surface is not truth so we discern spiritually to take the day every day, as though it were the last. If not successful in the way expected, redeem the time; dismantle more of anything not built right in the first place, which therefore will be unable to stand tomorrow—tear it down! But if victory brought the gain asked for, do not plateau there; rather enlarge for more and extend for stronger—build!

Look ahead with heaven’s perspective: Even antichrist will fail, unable to carry out the threat of world domination—the time of his evil empire shortened just prior to his permanent career move.  Despite his brutal attempt at an all-out take over, in fact, in the midst of it and right under his nose, thousands of former enemies to righteous foundations will be born again—they will inherit the Kingdom as rulers with our Lord for a thousand years!

Build, baby, build!

Amen.

Ephesians 5:16, 17
Daniel 11:35-39
Nehemiah 8:10, 11
Revelation 20:4
Psalm 11:3
John 3:3-7
1 Peter 1:23