For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him Whom we must give account.  Hebrews 4:12-13

The word of God is amazing!

It’s alive!!

Not only alive, but active!!  This indicates it’s always working, moving, molding, shaping…transforming.

Reading and meditating on the word can transform our lives if we allow it.  The only way it wouldn’t is if we resisted.

Because it is alive, every time we read passages, we can learn different things.  It’s worth reading over and over again…as during our refining, it will highlight different things. 

Scripture reminds us that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds…

It’s through each phase of renewal that we are able to draw different truths from the word.  Renewal changes our perspective.  Transformation means we are consistently able to be changed.

When is the last time you read the word, to be transformed?  When is the last time you read the word and purposefully focused your heart and mind upon it so it could do its full work?

When is the last time you read the word without assuming you already knew what it meant and instead took time to look upon it with fresh eyes?  This is when separation of bone and marrow occur. 

My life is currently being transformed because I’m looking at everything as if it’s new.  I have purposed to stop doing things simply because “it’s the way they’ve always been”…and instead I’ve set my heart upon the rhythm of Heaven to understand better His plans and systems…and leaning in to live according to His standard.

It’s taking time.  Great attention to detail.  Loads of humility.  Patience.  Love.  Rest.  Aloneness.  Focus. 

Will you join me in this journey?

Into not only the unknown, but also the refined separation of bone and marrow…

The detailed journey.

The great refining…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5

What is it worth to constantly be forced to go against the grain?  What is it worth to keep standing for Truth when the world is yelling at us that the Truth is negotiable?  What is it worth to be separated more and more from the world and even some that we love dearly?  What is it worth to walk with Jesus in spirit and truth?

He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.  But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.  There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil- for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.  But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good- for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.  For God does not show favoritism.  Romans 2:7-11

This is what it’s worth.

Never forget, you are not living for an earthly reward…no, we are living for an eternal reward…one that can’t be destroyed.  One that lasts.  One day we will see God!!  That’s the reward I’m living toward. 

I am deeply disenchanted with all sorts of earthly promotions, celebrity pastors, worship leaders, etc…God is my reward.  And the more I lean into life lived honestly before Him, the more I see how much the world has misshaped so many of my previous goals. 

Now, He alone is my goal.  He is my reward.  He is my path.  He is my everything.  He is the voice I listen to.  He is all there is.

And as the world continues to fade away, my only regret is that I wasted so much time chasing after things that masqueraded as Him but weren’t.  I regret fearing man and allowing that to influence my worship.  I regret compromising for the sake of others comfort.  I regret getting distracted.  Distraction…ugh, it’s one of our greatest enemies.  I hate getting distracted from the One. 

Distraction and addiction…addiction to technology, “progress”, having all the new this and that’s, man’s praise, man’s goals and expectations, ugh, we are addicted to so many things that have nothing to do with drugs and alcohol…therefore, they are deemed permissible by the church. 

God, break my addictions…let me only crave You.

O Lord, forgive me.  Thank You for this season of refining.  Thank You for showing me the dark places in my heart so Your light can now shine there.  Thank You for recalibrating all I know and see.  Thank You for being patient with me.  You are my greatest desire and the plumbline I base my life upon.  I belong to You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Come with me friend, let’s dip our toes in the hot springs of His presence and find the only One Who is truly satisfying.  He alone is worthy.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.  And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  Romans 3:21-22

I am so excited for all of you who decided to fast and pray with me today.  America is worth it!  Our family’s freedoms are worth it!!

When I read the scripture from yesterday, entitled “Rend your heart,” I then kept reading into the next section and knew it was a “today” word also…God’s response to our laid down love for Him, evidenced through our fasting and prayer…This is what I’m fully believing for…

It’s titled, “The Lord’s Answer“…

Then the Lord will be jealous for His land and take pity on His people.  The Lord will reply to them:  “I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.  I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea.  And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.”  Surely, He has done great things.  Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice.  Surely the Lord has done great things.  Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green.  The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.  Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.  He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.  The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.  “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten- the great locust and the young locust, the other locust and the locust swarm- My great army that I sent among you.  You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has worked wonders for you; never again will My people be shamed.  Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will My people be shamed.”  Joel 2:18-27

I lean into this word, as if it is a waterfall and I can stick my head and whole body under the flow of it…I let it wash away all fear for the future.  I stand longer and let the truth of what God wants to do, flow over me, soaking into my innermost being.  God is good.  His plans for us are always good and that has not changed. 

During today’s fast I encourage you to press in deeper…ask the Lord to remove all residue of trauma and disappointment.  There is good in store for us!  It’s okay to believe that. 

Instead of preparing for impending disaster, what if we prepare from a position of abundance and lean toward a God inspired shift in family and community.  What if we truly do believe that God works all things together for our good and realize that while the enemy is trying to do a global reset…he’s only working to counterfeit the true reset God is working toward. 

We are in a reset, it’s just not the one the enemy planned.  He’s arrogantly outplayed himself, yet again.  And every plan he has for our destruction, God is using to build. 

Rebuilding family.  Community.  Health.  Wealth.  Foundations.  America.  Righteous leaders.  One nation under God. 

It’s in the wind.  It’s coming.  Do you not perceive it?

As I sought the Lord for devotional topics, I came to this and knew it was God. 

Rend Your Heart is the title of this section of scripture…

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”  Rend your heart and not your garments.  Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.  Who knows?  He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing- grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.  Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.  Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast.  Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.  Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the temple porch and the altar.  Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord.  Do not make Your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations.  Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?'”  Joel 2:12-17

This is a time for fasting and praying.  I am asking all who will, to fast with me tomorrow (I figured you may want a day to prepare).  It’s time to amp up our prayer lives and aggressively partner with God in advancing His kingdom on the earth.  It’s time to truly believe that God can and indeed desires to transform America.  It’s time to see past all the rhetoric and nonsense and know that God can turn things around.  It’s not time for one world government yet.  The enemy is trying to advance before the appointed time.  It’s time to come into fierce agreement.  Stop giving ground to the enemy through inaction and fear.  Stop thinking that it’s so bad that things can’t be turned around. 

Nothing is impossible with God.  Nothing means nothing. 

Do you believe it? 

Nothing is impossible with God…we say it and sing it and tout it as truth…but do you really believe it?

When you dream about it (imagine it), can you see the positive outcome?  I’ve been learning this is a really good practice…imagining a positive outcome helps pave the way to breakthrough.  Asking God to give you eyes to see.  Can you see the solution? 

I don’t fully know what America returning to morality, reason, accountability, fiscal responsibility, etc looks like, but I can see the beginning of a turnaround. 

I’ve been praying for America to be debt free for years.  I truly do believe it’s possible, it’ll just take cultivating self-control, eliminating the thieves in government, and teaching real finances…it would be hard and a long process, but it IS possible. 

You know how I know that?  Nothing is impossible with God. 

Let’s fast tomorrow and pray for the impossible!  Will you join me?

(I’d love to hear from you if you join me in fasting and prayer…please let me know how it goes and if you hear anything from God.  I do truly want to hear from you.)

Recently I had an encounter with the Lord.  I was feeling plagued by a list of people who have done me wrong.  I have repeatedly forgiven them and kept asking God why I couldn’t stop thinking about them. 

Then, as I prayed over them again…forgiving and blessing them…I told the Lord, yes, I confess that these people actually owe me an apology, but none of those who’ve wronged me like this have ever apologized.  I know I don’t deserve anything really…God vindicates…God judges…Jesus was accused over and over again with no reprieve, so who am I to expect apology…yet I was just being real with God.  I was being honest. 

Then, I heard the portion of the Lord’s prayer that says this…

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  Matthew 6:12

I didn’t get it at the time, but just now as I sat down to write…the words came back to my mind. 

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…

Then like a flash, God reminded me of the people I’d been praying about.  They are my debtors.  They owe me an apology and in some cases much more…

Today God asked me to not only forgive them, but to realize that they are my debtors.  He asked me to lay down a debt owed to me.  He validated my feelings in saying that.  Do you realize that?  It is quite something when God speaks the truth to you, while also validating the feelings you have had.  He is compassionate.  He knows I’ve been hurt, and though the appropriate response is to extend forgiveness, it doesn’t do any good to pretend that I don’t hurt.  He knows our hurts.  He holds all our tears in His hand. 

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…

Lord, help me to truly forgive all who have trespassed against me.  Help me to extend to them the grace You’ve extended to me.  I know I have to forgive if I too want to receive forgiveness from You. 

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  Matthew 6:14-15

You see, forgiving others is more for ourselves than for them.  I need forgiveness from God for many things…I don’t want to do anything to prevent that from pouring over me. 

Oh, how I need Jesus. 

God, I forgive every person who is in debt to me.  I forgive their debt completely and release Your blessing over them.  Forgive them, Lord.  Forgive me for holding onto resentment.  I know I am in just as much need of forgiveness as they are.  Lead me in the righteous way, O Lord.  Mature me and make me whole.  I belong to You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I am learning so much about alignment right now.  Every morning presents an opportunity to come into alignment with God’s word.  Every morning presents an opportunity to walk in fear and anxiety. 

Choose this day whom you will serve. 

“Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt and serve the Lord.  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:14-15

This scripture is still true.  Every day we decide who we will serve…God, ourselves, others, money…whatever it is…we choose.

I see it like this…

As I walk through the world it often feels like a storm is going on all around me, and the only way to remain at peace is the keep myself in the eye.  Walking directly in the eye of the storm…in this analogy, the eye represents God…

Doesn’t this ring true?

Again, we remember the scripture…

“Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14

In know the two verses above are often used, but that doesn’t negate their power and authority.  They are truth.  They are basic and so foundationally important.  They are a key to living a holy life. 

Who are you serving with the life and lifestyle you lead?

Now is a significant time in history.  It’s a significant time for the church.  We can see so much unfolding.  We can see God bringing out truth, exposing lies, and revealing wolf in sheep’s clothing.  The enemy is also showing his hand constantly.  The weeping and gnashing of teeth is constant.  It is so clear that we are in a spiritual battle.  I don’t know how anyone could miss that. 

So, again I ask…who do you align with?

Battle lines are drawn.  Lies and truth are becoming more and more obvious.  It’s time to make the hard decisions…the decisions that sometimes separate us but are necessary.  The decisions that can make us unpopular…but God told us this would be true when we follow Him. 

Have I written about some of this before?  Yes.  But I would be remiss to not follow God’s voice over these devotionals, and this is what He is saying again. 

Choose this day whom you will serve.  Look outside the box, when examining the way you live, do school, do church, etc.  Things that have “always been this way”, don’t have to be.  It’s time to lean in closer to His heart and listen more intently, He’s shifting many things.  Those tuned to His voice know He’s rearranging things and restoring things we never believed could be restored.  God is on the move. 

I had a vision…and in it I saw myself standing with my fist closed.  I was holding something in my hand.  God showed me that it’s all the promises He’s given me.  Then He told me that I must open my hand and release these promises in order to receive the blessings He has for me.  The more I hold the promises in my grip, the less God can do to bring them to fruition. 

I must let go and trust.  Trust His ways…and His timing…and ultimately, His faithfulness.

It’s the same for all of us.  The more we hold onto and attempt to control things, the less God’s creativity can move in, around, and through us. 

Do you love the promises over your life more than God?

Don’t rush to answer…let me ask again.

Do you love the promises over your life more than God?

Take a moment and examine your actions and reactions and be honest with yourself.  I believe it’s more common than we think for us to begin to glorify our promises over the Promiser. 

I know we’ve discussed part of this before, but it bears mentioning again. 

Imagine yourself right now, you are holding your promises in your hand.  Everything that you’ve heard God speak over your life, every hope and dream…now imagine that you have discovered that the only way to receive these, is to open your hand and let them go.  We can’t see tomorrow; we don’t know all things…only God can orchestrate the workings of our life.  Are you willing to give Him control?  Take a minute and decide…then when you are ready, imagine yourself opening your hand and releasing them to God’s care. 

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7

Now, like butterflies all your dreams fly up into the air.  Only God knows when and how they will land…but we have one certainty…He Who started this work, is faithful to complete it.  You can trust Him because He knows everything. 

We must lean further into trusting the One Who called us.  The One Who made us.  Our Creator.  There is nothing created that He did not create.  It’s time to reach further into trust and fully surrender to the knowledge of His goodness. 

I feel Him right now.  I feel Him reaching out His hand and extending it toward each of us, and simply asking for our trust.  Asking if we will allow Him to hold us through it all. 

I do, Lord!  I do trust!!  I trust You!!  I let it all go for the sake of holding onto You.  I let it all release so I can receive You!!  I receive You now.  It’s You Who draws us to Your heart.  I stand humbled and in awe at the fact that even my desire for You comes from You.  It’s unreal how good You are…I love You.  With every fiber of my being, my heart cries out for more of You.  I want to know You better.  I want to share You with others.  I feel consumed with compassion for the lost, because of the love I feel in this moment.  How can they live without knowing this kind of love?  This is why they’re so miserable…they don’t know love.  Thank You for the honor of You saving my soul.  My Savior.  My King.  My Everything.  I adore You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”  Psalm 31:14

God, restore our wonder. 

Restore our wonder with all the wonderful things that You do and the wonder of Who You are…

Open our eyes to Your wonder.  Open our hearts to Your wonder.  When we live in wonder, then we remain in the open blessing…when we turn from the wonder, we first lose passion…then we lose hope.

Passion, re-ignite, in Jesus’ name!! Passion, re-ignite!!!!

Restore to us, Lord, the joy of our salvation.  Re-establish the joy of the Lord as our strength.  Release heavenly laughter over us and help us to open up to the wonder of all You are, again.  You are wonderful.  Your thoughts are wonderful.  Wonder is Who You are. 

As I let go of things God directs me to let go of and take hold of the things He directs my attention toward, I have noticed something…I don’t miss a thing.  Here’s an example.

When Chris and I first got married we didn’t have cable.  We simply couldn’t afford it, but we didn’t really notice much…we had a toddler, and it was easier to have him watch a movie.  We didn’t spend much time in front of the T.V. anyway, so it wasn’t an issue.  Later, when we moved to PA, we wanted cable so we could watch the Razorbacks play and then it quickly just became a staple in our lives.  A few years ago, God spoke to me that we were to get rid of cable.  I had grown weary with it and hated all the ads and woke content being pushed, so a couple of years ago we turned it off…

Here’s what is funny…it took a long time for me to obey God about turning it off because Chris and I were lamenting the loss of sports and food network, and worried we’d miss it…then we let it go…and discovered a feeling of freedom we’d been missing.

Did you read that?  Letting go of cable gave us a feeling of freedom.  We haven’t regretted it even once.  Neither have the kids.  In fact, they’ve often said how they are grateful it’s gone because of programming, and they hated the woke commercials.  Those commercials made them feel really uncomfortable.

From that point to this, I’ve learned that when God says to release something, even though I feel like it might be really hard to release and could cause grief…it ends up opening us up to His wonder.  It clears the air and allows us to focus on Him more. 

Sometimes to have our wonder of Him restored, there are distractions we must let go of. 

Social media, overactive internet use, busyness in life of all kinds…these are just a few of the things that can obstruct our ability to notice His wonder. 

Today is a great day to pray and ask God if you have distractions in your life that you need to let go of in order to restore your wonder.

Those living far away fear Your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades You call forth songs of joy.  Psalm 66:8

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  Psalm 139:14

It’s time for us to turn back.  To turn back to the Lord.  To worship again, in spirit and in truth.  I believe our stepping away from Him was so gradual that many of us never realized when the transaction occurred.  When we began worshiping others and even their songs…forgetting the One Who gives the voice and music. 

Worship is meant to be purely about God.  It is a holy expression of our hearts. 

It’s not meant to be a distracted 30 minutes at the beginning of church service…just to stir up some sort of emotion and excitement to usher in the pastor’s message…

It’s meant to be the focus.  It’s meant to be as long as it needs to be…it’s supposed to not be about the sound system or talented vocalist…it’s supposed to be about God.

Oh Lord, where have we gone wrong?  Please forgive us.  Please reset our hearts and bring purity to our praise.  Worship leaders aren’t celebrities.  They are to be laid down lovers of God.  When we allow them to be our main focus, we are cooperating with the same spirit that caused the devil to be cast out of Heaven.

Turn our eyes on Jesus.  Turn our hearts back to Him alone.

I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us- yes, the many good things He has done for the house of Israel, according to His compassion and many kindnesses.  He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to Me”; and so, He became their Savior.  In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them.  In His love and mercy, He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.  Yet they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit.  So, He turned and became their enemy and He Himself fought against them.  Then His people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and His people- where is He Who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock?  Where is He Who set His Holy Spirit among them, who sent His glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, Who divided the waters before them, to gain for Himself everlasting renown, Who led them through the depths?  Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord.  This is how You guided Your people to make for Yourself a glorious name.  Isaiah 64:7-14

Lord, let my praise never be turned toward men.  Train my heart to always focus on You.  I adore You. 

The church was never meant to be about a building.  It was never meant to only be about a location.  We are the church.  We should be the church every day, all day…wherever we go.  We hold a responsibility, because so many people have never heard of Him…and many who have, don’t truly know the truth about Him.  In this season of great lying, we must bring the truth of Jesus…if we don’t, then who will?

How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men, on those who take refuge in You.  In the shelter of Your presence, You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues. Psalm 31:19-20

I want what’s real.  I want the true Lord Jesus.  I want to know ALL I can know about Him.  I want to do ALL the greater things that the Bible tells me we’ll be able to do!  I want the fire of Heaven to fall on my life.

I can’t compromise.  Settling for less would be worse than death.  I can’t fathom walking in the normal ways of the world.  I can only agree with Heaven.  I can’t relent in my pursuit of the holiness of God and pursuing the Presence of God

My daily prayer is that I would be as close to Him as possible. 

It matters not, that others may misunderstand me, mock me, criticize me, or even persecute me.  I need more of Him.

Right in this moment, I feel like I will die if I can’t have more of Him.

It’s time for this holy desperation to grip the hearts of all.  It’s time to stop looking through our earthly eyes and begin to see in the spirit…just like the story of Elisha and his servant we’ve read recently…

I am not asking for something that God has never done before.  I am asking for the double, triple, even quadruple portion though. 

It’s time for the fire of Heaven to fall on the earth.  Let it come and burn up the sins of man and reveal the heart of the Father to us.  We have wasted so much time and influence pursuing our owns means and platforms, when all along we were meant to be laid out on the only true Foundation…Jesus. 

The more I press in and the more I step out of the world systems, the more I see what I truly desire.  Jesus.  The cry of my heart is more.  More of Your Spirit.  More of Your Presence.  More of Your mighty ways.  Come Holy Spirit and fill me with the fire of Heaven.

Do you want it to?

If so, cry out for it right now.  Cry out and ask for a portion…don’t be shy…pull on Heaven.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Matthew 6:10

It’s time for the harvest of souls. 

Let this house I live in be a house of praise.  Let those seeking the true heart of God be drawn here and let us worship and meet with You, God.  I am ready.  Come, Lord Jesus, come.

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of our hands.  You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.  The Lord will make you the head, not the tail.  If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.  Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.  Deuteronomy 28:12-14