Now is Your Hour of Release - Entering Your Season of Breakthrough (10.5.18)

My Child,

You were tested and tried, and your faith
     has been found to be true.

I Am well pleased with you, and
     now is your hour of release.  

 

Rise, My child, rise. 

 

You are entering a season of breakthrough.

 

What was once impossible for you shall now become possible.  As I unveil My Plan before you, walk with renewed vision and hope; and begin to praise Me in this season.

 

Have assurance that I Am with you to guide your steps and to make the crooked places straight. 

 

Watch - as those who declared you weren't going to make it, change their opinion when they see you walking in My Divine Favor. 

 

They shall see a total transformation in your life; and they will know that I - the Almighty Father, GOD and GOD alone - have done this work in you.

The change in your life will cause them to hunger and thirst for Me in their lives.

 

Rise in renewed hope and joy and consider not the former things, for I Am doing a new thing. 

 

Oh, I know the road you traveled wasn’t easy; however, that didn’t stop you from displaying 'walk on water' faith.  Even when the wind and the waves tried to destroy you, you stepped out of the boat and walked.

 

I Am so proud of you.

And because you trusted in My Word,
     I Am sending you a breakthrough.

Rejoice My Child!!
And receive all that I have for you!

 

Read and Meditate on God's Word
Isaiah 42:9 - Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. 
 
James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
 
1 Peter 1:7-9 - That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Do Not Get Caught up in Busyness or Distractions... Seek First the Kingdom of God & a Passion to do His Will (10.4.18)

My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work - John 4:34

Faith Believers,
In a defining season of my life, GOD taught me how to hear Him and He immediately put me to work with doing His Will.

Before twelve months were finished I had come to know GOD as my Provider, my Deliverer, my Healer, my Father. For the first time I experienced the joy and intimacy with GOD that I had longed for as I began to do the Will of GOD. 

 

In subsequent years I would discover the waning or deepening of intimacy with GOD was connected to the rising and falling of my passion and obedience to “do His Will and finish His Work.” (Jn. 4:34). 

 

I discovered two great threats to intimacy with GOD that existed in my life:

1. A heart that cooled in its passion to serve GOD and see His Kingdom come. Too often our heart turns the leaves of its affections toward the sunshine of lesser things. Comfort and ease may beckon us. Perhaps financial security entices us, or status and prestige set up stumbling blocks in our paths.
   
   When this happens, we increasingly begin making decisions in our own favor instead of His. We reduce the amount of time and energy in seeking His Kingdom. This begins to create a wall of separation. And often times, GOD's Voice will become faint, His presence elusive, His guidance muddy.
   
2.  Busyness in doing many good things, but not the non-negotiable things required to fulfill the work given to us by GOD. Our heart may not cool off, in fact, it may be very eager because we are so desirous to serve GOD that we add on one responsibility after another. We may see good causes and try to respond; however, GOD did not call us to do everything, He want us to do only what He assigned to us.
   
   Jesus never let the needs of the people dictate His direction. He was not called to meet needs, but to do the Will of His Father. We can lose a close connection with GOD when we become so busy doing good things that fulfilling our assignment suffers.
   

Beware of a prayer life that does not seek first the Kingdom but merely asks good things for others.

Seek GOD with a heart that burns with passion
     to do His Will.
Then roll up your sleeves, get to work, and enjoy
     an intimate relationship with GOD!

 

 

~ Prayer ~
Righteous Father,

You created me for a purpose, and my heart’s desire is to fulfill what You have called me to do.

I often struggle with being pulled in many directions because of all the needs around me, and can easily be caught up in busyness or distractions!

Don’t let me be deluded by complacency or satisfied with less than Your Best! 

May I bring You honor and glory in the midst of what You have entrusted to me!
Amen

Prayer Points

Thank GOD for leading you into quiet places and restoring your soul as you meet Him daily in prayer. Confess those times when you have resisted the discipline and guidance of His Shepherd’s Crook. Commit yourself to becoming so familiar with the Lord’s Voice that you will follow Him without hesitation or fear (John 10:3-5). Ask GOD to give you a shepherd’s heart toward others.

  -  Marilyn

 

 

Blessed Assurance [from "God Calling"] - (10.3.18)

---

October 3
Blessed Assurance

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of
righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
Isaiah 32:17

Be still and know that I am God.  Only when the soul attains this calm can there be true work done, and mind and soul and body be strong to conquer and to bear.

  The Peace is the work of righteousness living the right living with Me.  Quietness an assurance follow.

  Assurance is the calm born of deep certainty in Me, in My Promises, in My Power to save and keep.  Gain this calm, and at all costs keep this calm.  Rest in Me.  Live in Me. Calm, quiet, assured - at Peace.

---

Daily reflections from the book "God Calling"  by A.J. Russell,
published by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Used by Permission.

When to Be Silent (10.2.18)

This is a repost from 3.24.17 and 3.14.14.
God Bless!!   

______________________________

WHEN TO BE SILENT

  1.  IN THE HEAT OF ANGER - PROVERBS 14:17

BE SILENT
 
  2.  WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS - PROVERBS 18:13

BE SILENT
 
  3.  WHEN YOU HAVEN'T VERIFIED THE STORY - DEUTERONOMY 17:6

BE SILENT
 
  4.  IF YOUR WORDS WILL OFFEND ANOTHER PERSON - 1 CORINTHIANS 8:11

BE SILENT
 
  5.  WHEN IT IS TIME TO LISTEN - PROVERBS 13:1

 BE SILENT
  6.  WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO MAKE LIGHT OF HOLY THINGS - ECCLESIASTES 5:2

BE SILENT
 
  7.  WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO JOKE ABOUT SIN - PROVERBS 14:9

BE SILENT
 
  8.  IF YOU WOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOUR WORDS LATER - PROVERBS 8:8

 BE SILENT
 
  9.  IF YOUR WORDS WOULD CONVEY THE WRONG IMPRESSION - PROVERBS 17:27

 BE SILENT
 
 10. IF THE ISSUE IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS - PROVERBS 14:10

 BE SILENT
 
 11. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO TELL AN OUTRIGHT LIE - PROVERBS 4:24

BE SILENT
 
 12. IF YOUR WORDS WILL DAMAGE SOMEONE ELSE'S REPUTATION - PROVERBS 16:27

 BE SILENT
 
 13. IF YOUR WORDS WILL DAMAGE A FRIENDSHIP - PROVERBS 16:28

BE SILENT
  14. WHEN YOU ARE FEELING CRITICAL - JAMES 3:9

 BE SILENT
 
 15. IF YOU CAN'T SAY IT WITHOUT SCREAMING IT - PROVERBS 25:28

BE SILENT 16. IF YOUR WORDS WILL BE A POOR REFLECTION OF THE LORD OR YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY - PETER 2:21-23

BE SILENT
 
 17. IF YOU MAY HAVE TO EAT YOUR WORDS LATER - PROVERBS 18:21

 BE SILENT
 
 18. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SAID IT MORE THAN ONE TIME  - PROVERBS 19:13

BE SILENT
 
 19. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO FLATTER A WICKED PERSON - PROVERBS 24:24

 BE SILENT
 
 20. WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING INSTEAD - PROVERBs 14:23

 BE SILENT

  "WHOEVER GUARDS HIS MOUTH & TONGUE KEEPS HIS SOUL FROM TROUBLES"
proverbs 21:23

- author unknown

#ScriptureReflection - Acts of the Apostles 18 (10.1.18)

In Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he drove them off. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor^[a] and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸ For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

October Cover Photo (2018)