Zephaniah 3:17 – “The LORD your God in the midst of you is a mighty Saviour; he will make you rejoice with gladness; he will renew you with his love, he will make you joyful with praise as in the day of a feast.”

In Zephaniah 3, I read about God being in our midst, filled with His might, power, and love, and singing to me- joyful singing from God to us.  Wow!  In Haggai, I read God’s warning about trusting our own abilities and pushing God to the back burner.  The call was to examine ourselves and our ways.  In Zechariah, I saw God’s pathway to His presence.  Return to Me so that I can return to you.

Notice the words “So that I may or can.”   God will not intrude or violate our will, but He will come where invited. He spoke of a repentant people and promised to be a wall of fire around them, displaying His glory.

Then, something caught my eye and my heart in Zechariah 3 that I would like to focus on.

• Joshua was in the presence of God and angels, and the devil was there accusing him (remember Job).
• Joshua, the priest, had on filthy clothes.  The angel gave him clean clothes (salvation).  “I have made your iniquity pass away from you and will clothe you in festal robes (like a wedding garment).
• They put a clean turban on his head. (Thoughts, mind transformed mind.  Every thought is captive.)

In Zechariah 3, 7 “IF (that pesky little word) you will walk (live) in My ways and IF you will keep the RESPONSIBILITY  given by Me, THEN you will also render justice in My House AND ALSO keep my courts, AND I will grant you ACCESS to walk among those standing here.”

Did you see that the Courts of God?  We can walk among those standing here.  Standing where?  In the presence of God, angels, and those in the courts of God.  We are invited to come into God’s courts and presence with clean hands and pure hearts.   We have been granted authority and power.

What is our part?  Walk in His ways AND keep the responsibility (assignment) given to us.  All else is counterproductive and unimportant.

He goes beyond that and declares that we have open access to God’s courts and presence. There, we realize that we function not by might or power but by God’s Spirit.

What does this say to us now?  We have God’s promise of cleansing, peace, protection, and power.  Therefore, we can take authority not only in our own situation but also in our family and environment.   Speak the Word.  Obey the voice of the Spirit of God.  Receive God’s grace and provision.  Stop limiting yourself and God.  Expect the promises to be realities; they are in God.

Rejoice in the reality that God is in us and with us and wants to work through us!  This is your day to rejoice!

Matthew 18:21-22 – “Later Peter approached Jesus and said, “How many times do I have to forgive my fellow believer who keeps offending me? Seven times?” ²² Jesus answered, “Not seven times, Peter, but seventy times seven times!  TPT

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word, my heart was moved to cry out for grace.  The Kingdom of God operates from love.   All that God is and all that God does and has flowed from Love.   It is who He is.  Love refuses to be complacent and fights to complete its object.

The incredibly simple but enormously difficult directive of Matthew 18:15-35 is only possible through the power of love. We tend to make Matthew 18:18-20 separate from vv. 15-17. That robs us spiritually.

Out of the overflow of love comes the unrelenting desire for restoration. We forbid bitterness of heart and release love and miracles to walk into our lives. Healing comes. Restoration comes. Power manifests itself. Lives are transformed beyond those directly involved because love is the most powerful witness on earth.

The example Jesus used on debt makes the necessity of unrestricted forgiveness clear. When we consider what He has forgiven us of, we are forced to compare that to any offense that comes to us.

If we are faced with impossible situations and no answer seems forthcoming, we need to ask ourselves a penetrating question: Is there any hint of unforgiveness in our hearts toward anyone?

Do not justify it, gloss over it, or deny it. Have we fully released that person? Can we be around them without bristling inside or feeling the pain all over again? Is the wound still sore? Do we have an inner sneer when they speak? If so, maybe we have not forgiven fully from the heart.

Matthew 18:19 – “…If two of you ask God for something in a symphony of prayer, My heavenly Father will do it for you.”

Can you pray for and with the person you forgave? Can you agree with them in prayer? Can you manifest God’s love to them and for them?

I want nothing to be allowed to stand between me and God. I want nothing to hinder my access to the throne. I want nothing to hinder the Gospel.   Love heals, but unforgiveness produces festive wounds that become obstacles to faith and freedom.

When we stand before Jesus and, He asks, “Did you learn to love?” What will we be able to say? Love is demonstrated, and if our attitudes, thoughts, words, and deeds do not agree with our profession, we will not be able to say, “Yes, Lord!”

We have authority, but love must prevail for it to function fully.  Love releases power that would be tyrannical if released outside of love. The Isaiah 61 anointing only comes through love! Father, forgive me for not loving as You love, and help me to begin now!   Nothing is impossible in Him, and nothing is impossible for us! We overcome through Love as He manifests Himself in our lives!

May God’s Forgiveness flow to us and through us and release the Power of God in us!

Galatians 6:9 – “And don’t allow yourselves to be weary in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming!”  TPT

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word, Life, and Living this morning, several humorous things popped into my mind.  Some seemed to flutter like butterflies in the corridors, and I just laughed as I mused.

God spoke some serious things to me, but in those moments of humor that led to life reflections, I recalled some songs, like the George Jones song “Choices,” and realized that life is a series of choices, and each of them has consequences.  I recalled some humorous events that arose out of some choices I made and my personal embarrassment.  I will not go into them; sorry, they are private!

I remembered the TV Program HeeHaw and their song about “Bad Luck.”   “Gloom, despair, agony on me Deep, dark depression, excessive misery.  If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.  Gloom, despair, and agony on me.”  That song was funny as they sang it, but reflecting on that mindset is profoundly saddening.  Yet, multitudes live in a measure of that mindset and expect the worst rather than anticipating the best of God. 

That mindset brings fear, and fear brings torment, imprisonment, and paralysis, robbing us of faith and hope. But God’s Promises are sure, and God never lies. If He says it, He means it, and it breaks God’s heart when we doubt Him.  

Sadly, too many believe God theoretically but not experientially.  Too many believe that God’s promises are for the select of the elect super saints, and they do not see themselves in that number.  After all, we are only human, right?  Right and wrong!  Jesus said He has all authority and power and authorized us to walk in the authority and exercise that power – “Why Not Now?”

Among the things I heard in my heart today, one was to determine that you are going to Trust the Word of God and the God of the Word.  Determine that you are going to think thoughts founded upon what God said.  Determine that even if you make a wrong choice, you will not give up and give in, but you will turn to Him and receive His restoration.

The only way the devil can win and we can be defeated is to Give Up!  If we quit, we cannot win, so do not give up!   Simply, right?  Well, yes, it is because God has provided all we need to be who He says we are.  We have the Blood of Jesus, the Power of the Holy Spirit, the Truth of the Word, the Armor of God, and Authority!  Therefore, we are More Than Conquerors; why not live like God is telling the truth?  He Is!

I pray that today, you will see life differently and with hope and expectation.  I pray that you will no longer talk down to yourself and talk yourself out of God’s promises but will embrace them and, with eager anticipation, face the day with hope, joy, and peace.  This is the day of victory; receive it!

May today be a day of wonderful victory as you make the right choices!

Malachi 1:6 – “A son honors his father, and a servant his master…”

As I read, prayed, and pondered, my mind exploded with whispers of the Holy Spirit, making the Word alive.  The veil was being lifted, and I was challenged on several fronts.

In Malachi, God began by asking a chastening and challenging question: “A son honors his father, and a slave his master.”  Then, he came to the point. He took their own words and challenged them—and he still does today.

He said, “If, as you declare, I am your Father, where is the honor you should be giving me?” He was not looking for words but commitment of heart and obedience.   Words have power but can be empty if the heart is not in the words.  They continually said the words but kept back their hearts.

Next, He said, “You call me Lord (master); IF I am, then why don’t you have fear and respect for Me?”  They were dumbfounded.   After all, they attended church and said all the right things, wasn’t that what was required?

What is God talking about when He says defiled food on the altar?  It is giving God the second best and leftovers.  Spare Change (money and heart).  I call it “Tipping Living.”

They were allowing the profane to thrive and not shutting it out.  Feasting at tables, they should be overturning.   God accepts no offering that is not pure-hearted commitment.

In Malachi 2:17, God said, “You have wearied Me with your words.”  His following statement is penetrating, “You say evil is good, and everybody and everything is okay.”  Calling evil good and good evil incurs God’s disfavor, not blessing.

In Chapter 3, the matter of the tithe surfaces, and it is more than just the tithe. It is about obedience, commitment, love, faith, and revelation. God invites us to put Him to the test and prove to ourselves and the world His faithfulness.  Obedience in faith produces an open heaven.

The blessings promised are “until it is Beyond Enough.”  Beyond enough indicates abundance and even lavishness.

The Promise becomes even better as He promises that the devourer will be rebuked and restrained.   What you have and do is protected from corruption.   That means you have pure offerings to give that invoke more blessings and greater protection.   It becomes a perpetual cycle.  It is for His Glory.

• Money is not the object God is! 
• Fulfilling the purposes of God is! 
• The harvest is! 
• Functioning in power is.

Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith through the personal prophecies he had received.  He later spoke of imparted gifts through the laying on of hands and prophecy.  We have a commission, and Malachi reveals a pathway to God’s person, provision, and power.  Timothy shows how to function in that.

I heard: “Give Me Your Whole Self, all you are and have, and I’ll give you Myself, all that I am and have.  I will open heaven, and NOTHING will be impossible or withheld from you.”  What is our part?  It is obedience and faith.   We must train ourselves to expect God’s promises to become realities Now!

God will not receive or accept superficial offerings but bless and multiply pure-hearted offerings.  Therefore, I urge you to begin speaking to your problems.  Speak the Word and Promises of God.  Give God your best, and He will do the rest.

May today be a day of overwhelming victory for you!

Genesis 1:1-2 – “GOD created the heavens and the earth in the very beginning.² And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water.”

As I read, I prayed and pondered several things tugged at the strings of my heart.  One was God’s Perfection.   God is perfect, and what He creates is perfect.

Genesis 1:1-2.   Virtually all translations say that the earth WAS without form and void.   Two Hebrew words – “tohu” and “bohu” are used.  When combined, describe a place of chaos or a wasteland of darkness. Did God create a wasteland of darkness and chaos?  Isaiah 45:18 tells us God created the earth to be inhabited.  That sounds inconsistent if God made it formless and void.

The word was (hayah), which means a change or progression.  It could be translated (to become).  Genesis 19:26 – “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

When did the change in creation become a reality?   I ask that you consider this possibility and maybe probability:  when Lucifer and his followers fell and the ensuing war.  Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning.”  He was hurled down to the earth by God!  Imagine the force God used and the destruction that could result.

If we remember that God gives good gifts and what He creates is good, we can develop a new view of life.  Satan is the corrupter.   He seeks to destroy, mar, damage, and render useless.  But God comes to give life. 

Let me suggest a verse from Aramaic to English – Genesis 2:4 – “These are the GENERATIONS of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the heavens and the earth.”  The six days of creation are called generations.

The snake is subtle.   I call him the sneaky snake.  He caught Eve off guard by asking a question.  “Did God say you can’t eat from any of the trees?”  He sought to instill the idea of unfairness and unreasonableness on God’s part.

From the time of his fall, the devil has been producing chaos.  Chaos is not God.  Resist chaos and take authority over it. God is restoring what Satan and man are destroying.   Jesus is our restoration and our restorer. 

The devil is trying to destroy; God’s promise is restoration!   That is your heritage-RESTORATION!  Today is your day to exercise the spiritual authority you have been given. Do not put up with chaos and destruction.

May God fully restore you to His desired place and allow you to enjoy His perfection!

Genesis 19:12 – “What are you doing in this place?” 

I heard a question as I read, prayed, pondered, and mused on the Word and the Lord.  It was the first of several questions.   The angels sent to judge Sodom and Gomorrah asked Lot an expansive question.   A question that was both geographical and spiritual.   Genesis 19:12 – “What are you doing in this place?” 

Geographically, it was speaking of Sodom.  However, the emotional, mental, and spiritual factors were also to be considered. Your geography can be so saturated with corruption that it steals your heart, distorts your thinking, and diverts your faith.   But even more powerful is the question, “Why are you willing to let the lifestyles and ideologies of corruption have a place in your heart?”

We are in but not of the world.   We cannot avoid corrupt people.  But we can avoid corrupt thinking.  We can be in the world but not of it.  We can be separate without being self-righteous.   We can be lights in the darkness.  Yet, sometimes, the Spirit of God asks, “What are you doing here?” 

If we get comfortable with the corruption around us, we may and probably will have a longing for the provisions and temporary pleasures found there.   Acceptance is a huge factor for most people. 

To gain acceptance, many live in a place and have a mindset that elicits the question. “What are you doing in this place?”  A prime example is Lot’s wife.  She looked back, and it cost her her life, if not her eternity.  We are not those who look back longingly or desire the comfort zone of acceptance that demands the tainting of our souls.

We are lights, witnesses, examples, and manifestations of God’s love, person, purpose, and power.  If we are being drawn away from purpose geographically, emotionally, or spiritually, are we in the right place?  In Christ, there is peace, power, and purpose.

If our spiritual authority is lacking, it might be good to ask, “What am I doing in this place or condition?”  Is what we are experiencing what God says we are and can be?  If not, what are we doing in this place?

Submit Everything to God and fasten your seat belts. Your world is about to change.  No more riding coach class; 1st class is your call.

May the LORD of All Creation empower you to break free from whatever holds you back and propel you into His Presence so you can fulfill His Purpose for your life!

Matthew 11:27 – “You (Father God) have entrusted Me (Jesus) with ALL that You are AND all that You have.” TPT

The Holy Spirit challenged me to believe big and expand my understanding of who we are in Christ. That nudge energizes me.

The declaration of Jesus in Matthew 11:27 is powerful and vitally important to victorious Christian living.  We need to meditate upon that declaration and let it soak into our spirits.  God entrusted Jesus with ALL God is and ALL God has.  Muse on that a moment.  Jesus was the expression and demonstration of ALL God is and has.

We are IN Him, and He is IN us.  Jesus said in Luke 10:19 that He has given us ALL authority (the authority He has).  Paul said in Romans 8:17 – that we are Joint heirs with Jesus. That means we have been entrusted with ALL Jesus us and has, and He is entrusted with ALL the Father is and has.  That gives additional power and revelation to Matthew 11:28-29.  It reveals the incredibleness of that promise.

“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden?  Come to Me.  I WILL refresh your life (not just you momentarily but your life), for I AM your oasis. 29 Simply join your life with Mine (die to self and become one with Jesus).  Learn My ways and you WILL DISCOVER that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please.  (Most people do not believe that. They think that God is hard to please).  You WILL find refreshment and rest in Me.  For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.”

Whatever we need, whenever we need it, is embodied in Jesus, and we are IN Jesus.  We need to develop spiritual eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds open to His revelation.   Matthew 13:12 – “For everyone (how many?)  Everyone who listens with an open heart WILL RECEIVE progressively more revelation UNTIL he has more than enough.”

It’s time we ceased begging God to do what He gave us authority to do.  It is time to quit making excuses and offering justifications for our lack. All things are possible with God, which means ALL things are possible with us.

Whom does He say we are?  Who do the devil, the world, other people, and our minds say we are?   We have to believe one report; which one do we choose?  Making that decision is step one.  Learning to believe and live it is number two.

We can only become once we decide to be.  God does not, cannot, and will not lie.   Therefore, today, He says we have authority, are joint heirs with Jesus, and are more than conquerors, and nothing is impossible.   What do we say?  Our answer determines our future and could mean life or death to many.

We can Be who He says we are!  He will take every step we take in the process of becoming.  The prize is ours IF we are willing to make the trip.

Have a fantastic day as you become who God says you are!

Genesis 26:2-3 – “The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. ³ Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.”

Genesis 26:12-14 – “Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household so that the Philistines envied him.”

Here, we see Isaac in great obedience and faith.  There was Famine (trial, trouble, difficulty, lack, need, etc.). God said, “Do Not go down to Egypt (trust flesh, ability, possessions, others).  Stay Where You Are!” 

The Promise – “I will be with you and will Bless you and your descendants.   I Will Keep My Promises!”  In other words, Bloom Where You Are Planted through Obedience and Faith.  Isaac did just that, and God fulfilled His Promises.  Verse 12 – “Then Isaac sowed in that Land and received in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.”

Wait just a minute!  He obeyed and received a hundredfold return.  Isn’t that a blessing?  But it says, and God blessed Him.  It was blessing upon blessing and in that Year!  It was not down the road someday in the sweet by and by, but in the now and now.

We can see things in the lives of the patriarchs that are missing in believers today.  What is that?  It is Expectation!  They believed that whatever God said, no matter how impossible it seemed, He would perform.  Therefore, obedience was a faith walk filled with sure hope and eager anticipation – Expectation!

To Bloom Where We Are Planted requires faith, hope, determination, trust, and expectation. In Hebrews 4:1-2, 6, we seem to miss a powerful truth.  Hebrews 4:2 – “For the gospel was preached to us as it was to them.”  It was the Gospel?  Yes, the Gospel has been proclaimed since the Garden of Eden- Passover for them, the animal skin covering for Adam and Eve, and the Cross for us.  They possessed as they walked in faith and obedience.

We can Bloom while resisting disobeying and trusting ourselves.  We need to surrender, believe, obey, and receive the promises.  God plants sometimes to enable us to learn obedience and trust.  Blooming comes from embracing His purposes rather than imposing our preferences.  I see the buds of the Bloom in you.  Embrace His purposes and watch the blooms come forth.

May you become the planting of the Lord and Bloom with His fullness!

Genesis 32:28 – “He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but ^[a]Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”

The thought of wrestling with God gripped my heart.  In Genesis 32, Jacob was returning home but knew Esau was coming.  He envisioned destruction because he knew his deception and Esau’s hatred.  

In the night, all alone, he encountered God and wrestled with Him.  The Lord or the Angel said, “Let me go, for the night is over, and daybreak has come.”  Jacob refused.  Persistence and a thirst for answers, assurance, protection, peace, and power drove him to persist.  Jacob said, “No way!  I won’t quit unless or until you answer my prayer.” Verse 28 contains a truth or revelation often overlooked. 

Here, we encounter his name or character change.  But what about the statement, “You have proved your strength wrestling with an angel and with man and have prevailed.”  He had Laban behind him, Esau in front of Him, and God or His angel in the present.  He prevailed!  

Proved his strength to whom?  Not God’s, He knows.  Not Esau’s.  Not Laban’s.   Whose Strength?  It was Jacob’s!  He learned the power of persistence.

In Hebrews 10:38 – “BUT the righteous shall live by MY faith…”

If we determine that nothing will be acceptable or that the only acceptable thing is God’s answer, peace, power, provision, protection, and person, we, too, will prevail and learn to live in His faith.  Nothing will deter us.  We will be who He says we are.  Who are we?

Wrestling with God is not to change God’s mind but our view of God, life, and ourselves.   As Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, it is those times that we overcome all obstacles in the spirit realm so that we can see God’s purposes in the seen realm.

On a personal note, we had hail the other morning, and I felt directed to command it to stop.  As I did, I sensed the angels closing the door of the storehouse of hail.   It stopped!  That is not to promote me but to reveal that sometimes we just need to exercise the authority God has given us as believers!

God will do that in everything you encounter.   Wrestling with God is for us and enhances our spiritual authority and power.  It is a confidence builder.  We may, like Jacob, walk with a limp, but we will be changed and see His protection and provision.

May God bless you richly as you pursue Him!

James 3:14 – “But if there is bitter jealousy or competition hiding in your heart, then don’t deny it and try to compensate for it by boasting and being phony. “ TPT

A reminder of God’s faithfulness and foresight loomed as I prayed, pondered, and read today.  As governor of the land in Egypt, Joseph said twice to his brothers.   “Your actions were intended for my hurt, but God took them and combined all the bad for His good purposes.”  

James reveals something that is most disturbing (to the flesh) and yet revelatory for victory.   Singleness of mind, focus, faith, and confidence are impossible to miss in his discourse.

Controlling the tongue is impossible without the Holy Spirit, and it enables us to bring our whole person into submission to God.  In James 3:14, he identifies the root of most of our trouble – the heart.

We tend to allow our mouths to talk us out of the blessings and victories God offers.  We often speak without weighing our words.  People have said, “I didn’t mean it when they spoke a curse on themselves or another.”  I do not know the motive, so I cannot judge, but if we are to walk in purity, which is needful to walk in power, we must guard our lips by guarding our thoughts.

James 4:6-10 should be memorized and implemented every day.

• Submit to God Totally. 
• Resist the devil in Everything and Every time.
• Draw near to God with Our Whole Hearts.
• Cleanse our hands (not just physical hygiene), but what we do.  Purify our hearts.   Ensure it is with pure motives and biblically correct.
• Humble ourselves and mourn (over sin, wrong attitudes, and actions).

If we seek God, we will find Him; He is always findable.   If we first seek God, then resist the devil out of God’s presence; the devil runs like a scared jackrabbit.

If we do not have it because we have not positioned our hearts to receive it, then, out of that condition, we petition God.   We have the promise of healing, deliverance, provision, power, and purpose.   In that condition, James 5:16 is fulfilled – “The effectual (effective) fervent prayer of the righteous is powerful and pulls down strongholds. “

That begins with confidence in God and obedience.   It flows to singleness of heart and mind.  It is manifest in our words and actions and results in God’s power being manifested.  We must train ourselves to think and talk right and to walk right.  If we press in, He reveals Himself and demonstrates Himself.

Today is your day of victory.   Refuse to be turned aside from the promise by your rudder (the tongue). Let it be a well of life, not death.