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Good Morning,

    "Direct your mind in the way of the Lord…", this last part of Proverbs 23:18-19, deserves our attention today.  Direct means to make straight or even, to make right or cause to make pleasant and prosperous and to take the straight way.  We can keep our mind straight and even and cause our mind to look to things that are pleasant and prosperous.  Prosper here means to push forward; to advance mightily; to go over and to break out.  Just think on that for a moment, if I keep my mind on the ways of God at all times I'll push myself forward and I'll advance greatly.  Is your mind stayed on God in all your day to day living?  Is He the center of your workday, your dreams, you talents, your gifts, your entertainment and all that you are involved in?  When you begin to make your plans, do you direct your mind His way?  Let's face it, without directing our mind, our thinking will become twisted.  Proverbs 4:23; "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."  Just bring to remembrance the times that you have done things out of hatred, anger, disappointments, bitterness, frustration or even on the lighter side, you did things that were out of moments of pleasure or happy times.  Times that you have directedyour mind/heart to do, things that have set you on a course of life that made your path way crooked or twisted.  It was because your heart (which here denotes your mind, will and emotions) was not made to go straight or even toward God's path that was planned to push you forward.  Listen to the rest of Proverbs 4:25 – 27; "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.  Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.  Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil."  You can direct your steps everyday, through and by the Word.  Keeping your steps from becoming twisted and crooked, again and again.

    Let's read this verse another way; "Direct your mind in the way of the Lord, hear my son and be wise.  Your hope and expectation shall not be cut off, for surely there is a latter end [a future and a reward]." (Proverb 23: 18,19)  I could use some of that, how about you?  As I make my way even and straight according to God's word, then my hope and expectation will not be cut off.  No matter how difficult it may look or how impossible it may be in the natural, if I keep my mind straight and even then my hopes and expectations will be pushed forward.  The NIV translation of this verse says that I will be rewarded for directing my mind.  Do you have any hopes and expectations?  Expectation means a cord, like the umbilical cord; the thing that attaches and gives life; thing that I long for.  God doesn't impregnate us and then not bring it to life. (Isaiah 66:9)  Teach your mind the straight way and see what God will do.  Psalm 62:5 – "My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him."  Practice directing your mind causing it to make your way pleasant and prosperous and you will be rewarded with your hopes and expectations coming forth from the womb of your heart.

Love,

Pastor D.

Good Morning,

 

The Spirit says:

    I have spoken once, yet twice
have I said this to you; "Stand still and see the salvation of your
Lord!"  Somehow you think that I am not working, because you don't see
in the now the activity that is going on
to bring My word to pass for you.  Your angels are constantly at work, to
bring to pass My promises on the behalf of the one who believes and
stand. Do not be deceived by the scurrying around of the little foxes
of our enemy.  He uses the natural forces
to get your attention on him.  He does that to try and get your eyes to
roam to the left and right, keeping you trapped by the present
activities.  All of the chaos of transition can leave you feeling
unsettled if you are not keeping your gaze upon Me and My promises. I
have not changed My mind concerning the prophetic Words that I have
spoken over you.  They are settled with Me.  Are they settled with you? 
They must be, in order for you to receive them.  They must always be in
your heart.  I long to do those good things that I have said to you. 
Yet, it is with eyes of faith that you will see the promises fulfilled.
  The winds of trials and
tribulations have blown you off course.  They have arisen because of the
promises, their purpose was to get you to shift your sail.  You have
allowed yourself to be pushed around by these lying winds.  They blow in
your ears, your eyes and through your emotions, telling you that it
will not come to pass.  Resist those lying winds!  I am stirring up a
fresh new wind.  A sweet wind that will cause you to set your sails of
faith towards Me once again.  Catch it, and flow with Me to the places
of purpose.  I will set you on the straight path once again, do not be
detoured.  It is a narrow and constricted path that I place you on, it
is for your good.  Trust Me, I do know the way.  Learn to follow Me.
    No longer allow personal
pain and disappointment to cause you to stand still in fear, but stand,
fully persuaded that I am God and I cannot lie.  My purposes and plans
will prevail, if you stay in the force of My wind.  Only yield to My
wind, not to the winds of doubt, lies and unbelief of our enemy.  If you
will only look to Me, I will raise your sights, to see farther than you
have been able to. I will lift your expectations again, with tokens of
My goodness.

    I have a scripture to
share.  Proverbs 23:18-19; "For surely there is a latter end [a future
and a reward], and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off. Hear
My son and be wise, and direct your mind in the way of the Lord." We
will talk about that next time.

Love,

Pastor D.

Good Morning,

    Today I know in my heart that we all need to say what the psalmist said about himself after spending time in the presence of God.  Psalm 17:2,3; "Let my sentence come forth from your presence; let Your eyes behold the things that are equal.  You have proved my heart; you have visited me in the night; You have tried me, and shall find nothing [no evil purpose in me]; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."

    God investigates and examines our hearts and behold the things in us that are equal {evenness, straightness, upright, sweetly}.  He is only looking to see the goodness that can be seen in the ones who seek to do His Word.  When we are trying to become more like Him, by pursuing the knowledge of Him and His presence, He will find more of His self being reflected in and through us.  God is not on the hunt to trap us by our faults, shortcomings or where we are missing it.  As a parent myself, I knew and recognized my children's shortcomings, faults and slips, but I didn't major on those.  I sang their praises for all the strong points in their lives and when they overcame their shortcomings, slips and faults, I was their biggest cheerleader.  I helped in every way to strengthen those areas that were weak in them.  Giving them every thing that was available to help.  Now if I know how to love like that, to get the best out of my children, you know that God supersedes my parenting abilities.  With love like that, you want to bring Him happiness and pleasure.

    Listen to Psalm 17:15; "As for me, I will behold your face in uprightness; I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness."  God is so happy when we begin to resemble Him.  The more that we yield [hand over, give up possession of, or surrender or relinquish physical control of], the easier the transition to awakening with more of His likeness.  We will be like Him.  Do not settle for a mediocre christian life.  Oh, there is so much in the Word that we are to live in daily.  The God of the miraculous Word is still the same.  Malachi 3:6, He says, "For I Am the Lord, I change not;…" "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8)  Begin to say about yourself and your God-given destiny, what God decrees over you.  You will wake up every morning with His likeness.  The supernatural longs to be placed upon our natural being, so that we can walk out the dream of God.  Job 22:28 says, "You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light of [God's favor] shall shine upon your ways."  Speak about you what God is saying and go on in the light of God's favor, and let us get somethings established!  Arise, for God's favor is shining on your God-given ways!

Love,

Pastor D.

Good Morning,

    Traditions come to the forefront this time of year.  Holiday memories begin to flood our minds and hearts.  Great grandma's sweet potato pie recipe is brought out of the recipe box.  Auntie's first place prized pineapple upside down cake, get the thumbs up by the newest member of the family.  Families get together and try to get along for a day or two, everyone putting up with one another in order to keep tradition.

    Our traditions are great as long as we don't try to place them in a higher place than the Word of God.  Mark 7:13 says, "And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition.  And this is only one example among many others."  Father God has a few of His own traditions that We wants to keep going in His house.  Tradition means the act of delivering into the hands of another; the delivery of opinions, practices and customs from father to son, or from ancestors to posterity; the transmission of practices and opinions from forefathers and descendants.  We are who we are because of customs and practices handed down from generation to generation.  Now, we have a new Father and he has a great posterity to hand down to us.  "You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God." (1 Peter 1:23)  "Our Father who lives in heaven has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness."  (1 Peter 1:3)  Not only has he given us all things here on earth, He is planning the most awesome celebration when we all go home.  I imagine that it will be packed full of His traditions.  He knows how to throw a party!!  "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God."  (John 14:2, Rev. 19:17)  I am sure our supper with the Father will cause the most elaborate Thanksgiving spread look like a microwave meal.  Yet, He has a tradition that is greater than eating.

    We have a lot to look forward to, here and in eternity.  Our Father has given us so much in our new family.  Traditions that we need to pass on to our children and our children's children.  In order to cause them to posses the great traits and character of our Father.  Each generation getting more and more like our new Dad and less and less like the old man.  The highest tradition of our heavenly Father is to love.  "God (our Father) so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." (John 3:16)  To gain a bigger "loving" family He died to give.  He turned to us now with great expectation and says, "This is My commandment that you love one another, [the same way] as I have loved you." (John 15:12)  As we draw closer to Christmas, remember to learn your new traditions.  He would like to see more of His traditions and His nature being kept by His children.  His "love" tradition is why you are now part of this loving family.  "Love suffers long and is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way.  It is not irritable and it does not keep a record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out." (1 Corin. 13:4-6)  Learn the love tradition, practice it, do love over and over again until it is a tradition that you can't do without.  Then pass it on!!

Love,

Pastor D.  

Good Morning,

    For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven…Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.  He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end (Eccles. 3:1,11).  Have you been feeling like your time for "beautiful" is past due?  The good news is that we all have an appointed time for "everything made beautiful."  Season denotes a certain time, a due time.  Galatians 6:9 says, "And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."  In farming and in gardening, harvest times come at varying times for different reasons: climate, altitude and diversified temperatures.  Where you live, whether in the valley, the plains or mountainous regions, will also determine your due season.  There are other things that factor in the equation of "due season": like the supply of water and the sun.  In this verse the words "grow weary", mean to give in to evil, or to let something bad defeat you.  It carries the idea of surrendering or giving in to bad circumstances.  The word faint means to loosen up, relax, to lack courage and become spiritless, to be feeble or have dizziness or blurred vision.

    That is not us, we are not cowards, weak or fainthearted.  Neither do we give into evil and we are never defeated.  "The wicked flees when no one pursues them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." (Prov. 28:1).  "Mark the perfect man [the blameless, the honest and the righteous] and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace." (Psalm 37:37)  Another translation says, "look at the righteous one, for a wonderful future awaits them."  We are learning to be content (satisfied to the point where we are not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state we are in.  Phil 4:12,13 says, "I know how to be abased and live humbly in straightened circumstances, and I know how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance.  I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want {here is the secret; let's say it together}.  I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].

Love,

Pastor D.

Good Morning,

 "…The fastest runner doesn't always win the race and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle…" (Ecc. 9:11).  "Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?  So run to win…" (1 Corin. 9:24).  Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." (Hebrews 12:1,2)

    We all can sense the heaviness of despair and discouragement that has tried to seep into the hearts of believers.  I am reminded of David who cried out, "Why am I so discouraged?  Why is my heart so sad?  I will put my hope in God!  I will praise Him again – my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:5).  During difficult times, David chose to hope and praise God afresh and again.  Listen to Jesus as He tells us  the climate during the times of the end.  "Sin will be rampant everywhere and the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endure to the end shall be saved." (Matt. 24:12,13).

    We must not let our hope be put off to some future day, we must place hope, fresh, new hope everyday in God and in His Word.  He gives us fresh new mercies every morning, so we ought to offer God the same.  Mercies for hope!!  Jesus said those who endure—-{to undergo patiently, tarry, have fortitude, never give up, to stay and abide} to the end shall be saved.  This world depicts the attitude of a person who is under a heavy load but refuses to surrender to defeat, because he knows he is in his place.  "Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them." (2 Timothy 2:3,4)  We must try and keep our focus on the eternal plan of our kingdom and not get so weighted down by these present sufferings of this temporal world or our temporary situations.  The glory that is to come and the glory that is soon to be seen in the children of God will far outweigh any present sufferings, for it is temporary.  Remember the enemy is trying to get your love for God to grow cold, through outward pressures of living.  We are wiser than that!

    The Spirit says:

    You are in your place, the place of transition and transformation.  I have brought you here.  Stand firm!!  The place where I will come along and speak to you the sweet words of encouragement that you long to here, stand still.  Listen carefully, My words will change every fiber of faith that reside on the inside of you.  Doubt, unbelief and discouragement will flee from you.  Don't you know that our enemy is afraid of you, who you are in Me.  This is the reason he tries to stop you in the middle of your transition.    He knows that I am doing a supernatural change in you.  You will arise from the place of depression, for this is not your place, it is too tight for My child.  You will be raised up with a renewed vision.  A giant "believing believer" shall arise from this cocoon.  You are in a state of metamorphosis, the real you is about to be revealed!!!  You will come out looking just like Me.  You will be brought to the place of, "open fields", where I will enlarge and strengthen you.  You are a strong victorious champion in Me.  I see the end from the beginning and I know that your end is good.  I see you standing and waving your victory banner.  Lift up your hands to me and I will lift you up.  As long as you keep your eyes on Me,  I will bring you to the finish.  Do not put your trust in that arm of flesh, lean totally on Me.  As you lean on Me, you will receive with clarity of vision and hearing the steps that you must take.  Your eyesight and your hearing have transcended to a higher level, because you have been purified of the blockages.  You are advancing! You are advancing!

Love,

Pastor D.

P.S.  Here is artwork by Tara Davis.  Enjoy!

Good Morning,

    "Blessed is the man who trusts and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spread out its roots by the river; and is shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green.  It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7,8)  Psalm 1:3 says something similar about the person who puts their trust in the Lord: "And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall proper [and come to maturity]."

    These two verses talks about trees that never loses its leaves and whose leaves stay green, through all kinds of climates and outside conditions.  In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant having leaves all year round.  The contrast is deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage for part of the seasons.  Its not that evergreens never change, but it is not nearly as noticeable as deciduous trees.  Leaf persistence in evergreen plants may vary from a few months (with new leaves constantly being grown and old ones shed), to several decades.  They are going through transition, yet to the naked eye it is not as dramatic, as the deciduous trees, which provides us with a delightful range of colors, before they become bare.

    What is the advantage of being a tree that never loses its leaves?  Deciduous trees change their leaves, because they are trying to adapt to cold or the dry season.  Evergreens can take the warmer climate without withering, and they can adapt to colder temperatures and dry season as well.  Deciduous trees lose nutrients whenever they lose their leaves, and they must replenish these nutrients from the soil to build new leaves.  When few nutrients are available, evergreen plants have an advantage.  In warmer climates, certain species of evergreens grow in poor soil and disturbed ground.  Other types of evergreen can grow in forest, or in highly acidic soil.  In areas where it is to cold for the organic matter in the soil to decay rapidly, the nutrients in the soil are less easily available to other plants, this condition is still favorable to the evergreen.  In all kinds of climate condition, evergreens can reinforce their own survival.  In addition, the shelter provided by existing evergreens can make it easier for other evergreen plants to survive cold, heat or drought. 

    Now, we can be like this tree, by perpetually renewing ourselves through the Word of God, and by the Spirit of God.  The Word is referred to as our water and the nutrient for our spirit, soul and our body.  (John 4:14, 7:38, Ephesians 5:26)  God's Word is our water, it is the river that we should be planted next to.  This is where we can draw our nutrients to replenish us with continued strength, so that we never wither.  It would not matter the climate or the heat of living conditions, we would not lose our green (we would stay the same as we transition).  Our changes would not get negative attention [from onlookers], for we are in a constant state of change, getting stronger and more vibrant all the time.  When it becomes dry outside, it would not effect us, for we have chosen to trust the Lord.  We will still keep yielding fruit, maturing, and prospering in all we do, as we transition.  God says, "I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.  I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle and the wild olive; I will set the cypress in the desert, the pine and the box tree together, that men may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it." (Isaiah 41:18-20)  This brings me to the last point I want to express and that is that all evergreens need the shade of other evergreens in order to grow strong.  We need more mature evergreens to shade us with their wisdom and insight from their years of staying planted by the rivers of living waters.  Those evergreens that have remained constant and steady, that haven't fallen off like leaves on deciduous trees.  "Walk with the wise and become wise.." (Proverbs 13:20)  We must choose to be an evergreen tree, by choosing to trust God and His Word.  Listen to the other option; "Thus says the Lord:  Cursed be the man [intense loathing with great evil] who trust in and relies on frail man, making weak human flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord.  For he shall be like a shrub or a person naked and destitute in the desert; and he shall not see any good come, but shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness in an uninhabited salt land." (Jeremiah 17: 5.6)  Well, that doesn't sound like a good choice at all!  Let's be evergreens and not shrubs.  Stay planted!!!

Love,

Pastor D.

Good Morning,

This is what the Spirit of the Lord says;

    There is a "sonic boom", that is about to be heard and felt.  A supernatural sound that will shake the world, but the greatest effect will be heard and felt in My house.  I am going to shake My "fruit" trees to get all that is ripe and ready to be enjoyed by Me and others.  Those who have been pruned by Me time and time again.  I have covered them and blanketed My "fruit" trees, so that the heat and drought could not keep them from producing.  These "fruit" trees have been yielding to the work of My hands, hands that are gentle and firm.  I am firm in that I have kept them from withering from the heat of living and My gentleness hasmade them great.  In the days ahead they will provide the same kind of shade and covering for others that I gave to them.  The lost, and even those who have trusted in their own strength, who dwell in My house, will begin crying for covering from the heat of their lives.  You, My yielded "fruit" trees that have been growing almost unnoticed by those around you.  You have gathered strength, stability, wisdom and insight from staying close to Me.  Now, when it is least expected you will stretch out your branches to all those who are being burnt by their own ways.  To them it will look like you grew suddenly, yet all along you have yielded to Me and My ways, growing stronger, little by little.  I have been preparing you for this season.  It is your time to shine!  So arise and let all see what I have done in you.  Let them come and taste of you and see that the Lord is good.  This "sonic boom" will blast through the darkness, causing great light to shine bringing fresh understanding for you.  It will blast away the gloom and break your atmosphere into the songs of the angels that surround you.  The difficulties that you have experienced will be made into stairways of light and glory.  You will get the revealing words and information that I have been speaking to you all this time, but it was hard for you to hear.  I have enlarged you, so stretch out!  Rapidly, as the sonic boom makes quick changes, so it will be for you My faithful " fruit" trees.  You have come forth for your prepared time! (Scripture References Jeremiah 17:7,8, Isaiah 61:3).

    Years ago, William Brannon, a man of God that was used mightily in the gifts of the Spirit.  Spoke of a time that was coming when the people of God that were truly walking in His word would see or imagine something in the Spirit and it would happen almost instantly.  Well, I believe that is just what the Spirit said to us, rapid results.

    We are in that season.  Where sin abounds, grace abounds more and more!  (Romans 5:20).  Grace, God's ability covering our inability.  We are now super abounding, by faith.  See it, believe it and receive it.  It is our time to be favored.  Psalms 102:13, "You will arise and have mercy and loving-kindness for Zion (the believers as well), for it is time to favor her, yes, the set time (the designated moment by God) has come."  Rapid changes for you!

Love,

Pastor D.

Good Morning,