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  • Focus on the Family

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    Focus on the Family addresses the use of biblical principles in parenting and marriage to strengthen the family.

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Scripture Of The Day - MAKING KNOWN THE MYSTERY

"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him." - Mark 11:23


As you battle against an ungodly problem (ungodly situations could be a lingering sickness, infirmity, sin, fear, doubt, unbelief, anger, poverty, disunity, etc. Anything in your life that is contrary to the Word of God) in your life, why not get really involved and roar at it?

Get emotionally passionate! Get loud! Get intense! Get involved! Even get angry! And since it is the Lord of hosts joining with you in doing the battle, you might just as well see this with the eyes of your heart. It is Almighty God standing there with you roaring at this problem, and commanding it to be gone NOW! See Jesus in you, as the Lion of Judah, and roaring at the problem, commanding it to be gone now!

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." - Colossians 1:27
 
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Jn.14:1

These words of our dear sweet Savior just knock me out, because he uttered them knowing that he was about to be arrested and tortured to death, but there he was, comforting his friends. Just wow.
 
Scripture Of The Day - DEVELOPING A NEW MINDSET


“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 28:19

"'The Kingdom of Heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." - Matthew 10:7-9 NIV


Will we, today, remain stuck in an old pattern of thinking, or an old pattern of religious performance?

We can no longer remain lukewarm concerning co-laboring with Him and promoting the Kingdom of God. Many Believers have a mindset that we are simply holding on until Jesus comes. No! We are not on the defense, we are on the offense. Get a mindset today that we are advancing! We are moving forward as a mighty army taking ground for Kingdom advancement!

Today, shift into Kingdom reality. Develop an advancing attitude. Determine that you are not retreating but rather advancing! As we pursue this type of Kingdom mentality, know this for a fact: in Kingdom reality, disease cannot stay; poverty cannot stay; devastation cannot stay and shame cannot stay – also that new believers need to be discipled into their Christ identity. To co-labor effectively with God, there must be a complete dependence on His grace.

The mindset -- that we must hold onto what we have -- will rob potential Kingdom seed from being sown. Only true multiplication can come from sacrifice of giving in all areas of life.

Remain determined that you are contending for this now!
 
Scripture of the Day - EMBRACING THE FOUNTAIN OF REFRESHMENT

"He was very thirsty, and he called out to the Lord, 'You gave this great deliverance through Your servant, but now may I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?' So God split open the basin at Lehi, and water flowed out of it. He drank, was refreshed, and revived. Because of this he called the place En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day." - Judges 15:18-19


A war-weary Samson called out to God in a moment of desperation and God split open the very ground Samson stood on, causing refreshing water to flow!

En Hakkore means the fountain of the crier or the spring of one who prays.

Your Prayers Have Come Up Before the Lord!

To the worn-out, war-weary ones – those who have fought and maybe even seen great victory but now it looks like a dehydrated death in the dust is your portion – there is an En Hakkore for you!

This same Spirit of God that broke open the ground to release refreshing water is the same Holy Spirit that is causing tremors beneath the dry ground beneath you. These tremors are cracking open the dusty places, the dead soil, and the parched earth to release waters of revival, calling, and purpose that will bring a supernatural restoration to you!
 
Scripture Of The Day - BEING STRONG IN THE LORD

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6


God is advancing His Kingdom in this earth through His people who will act on His Word and move at His command. He is actively looking for people through whom He can show Himself strong (see 2 Chronicles 16:9).

We cannot afford to live our lives in fear when God has sent His army of angelic forces to aid, protect and assist us in doing what He has commanded us to do. It's not time to sit around and worry.

Be STRONG in the LORD and the power of HIS might. Those who DO KNOW THEIR GOD will be strong and TAKE ACTION (see Daniel 11:32).
 
Scripture of The Day - CLOTHING OURSELVES WITH DIVINE WISDOM

We must position ourselves in the place of purity and humility so that the Lord may entrust us with an impartation of divine wisdom—the wisdom from above. Ask God to release a greater wisdom, as we are instructed to do in James 1:5. Ask the Holy Spirit of God to awaken your heart and life to understand that every born-again believer has a purpose destined by God that is connected to advancing His Kingdom in the earth. Much of the favor of God that we experience is tied to whether or not we are living our life pursuing that purpose.

"Besides this, you know what [a critical] hour this is, how it is high time now for you to wake up out of your sleep (rouse to reality). For salvation (final deliverance) is nearer to us now than when we first believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ, the Messiah). The night is far gone and the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly as in the [open light of day, not in reveling (carousing) and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery (sensuality and licentiousness), not in quarreling and jealousy.

But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts)" (Romans 13:11-14 (AMP).


We must clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and believe with the highest expectations in the flow of the love of Jesus into our heart so we can bless and disciple others into their Christ identity.
 
Scripture Of The Day - Expectant Prayer

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14,15).


As we confidently pray according to the promises in the Bible we can expect all the promises of the Lord to be yes and amen in Christ! There are literally thousands of Scripture promises in the Bible that can be applied to our lives.

The Lord is true (see Revelation 3:7), and His promises are sure. When we pray out of the knowledge of His promises, we can pray with EXPECTATION for the answer.

WE MUST INTERNALIZE HIS PROMISES

Of course, if we do not know His promises, we will not be able to confidently go before Him in expectant faith to receive the manifestation of His promises. But as we grow in knowledge of His promises in the Word, we will receive a deeper faith, which will result in a life of HUNGER TO ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM. Faith doesn't come from information but from deeply dwelling (meditating) and hearing, through affirming out loud the Word of God.

This is what God wants for us. We bring Him honor and glory when we fully live in His redemptive promises and, as a result, fully COME TO UNDERSTAND AND LIVE OUT OUR CALLING IN Christ. When we know what He has already supplied for us, we become partakers of these precious promises. About this, Peter wrote:

"By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires(2 Peter 1:24).

This is why we need the spirit of wisdom and revelation to show us all God gave to us through the victory of the cross (see Ephesians 1:17).

"Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God" (1 Corinthians 2:12 AMP).

But as we behold Him, we are transformed from glory to glory (see 2 Corinthians 3:17,18). As our minds are renewed by the Spirit, our lives are transformed (see Romans 12:2). When our lives are transformed, we begin to think and act differently and we become hungry to understand God's PURPOSE for our life.

As we begin to change, our influence on others and our environment is huge.

PRAYER MEDITATIONS:

Believing for the manifestation of the promises of God for your life.

Believing for the revelation of His PURPOSE for your life.

That this be a season of joy that brings advancement in the plans of the Lord for you!
 
Scripture Of The Day - Expectation

Hebrews 11:1 - “Now faith is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen.”


Worldly hope is just a kind of wish.

Whenever we see hope in the bible, it means there is an expectation. According to Mark 11:24, when we pray, we should believe we receive.

We should expect -- not just desire -- that those things come to pass. You can have a truckload of desire and no expectation.

Whatever you expect, you have faith to receive. And just as you are the one who's going to believe you receive, you are the one who's going to set your expectation level.
 
Scripture Of The Day - Exchange Of Energy

Hebrews 4:9,10 - "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his."


Affirmation:

THE REST THAT I SEEK IS NOT A REJUVENATION OF MY ENERGY, IT IS THE EXCHANGE OF ENERGY -- MY LIFE FOR GOD'S, THROUGH WHICH THE VESSEL OF MY HUMANITY IS FILLED WITH THE DIVINE PRESENCE AND ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST HIMSELF.


John 1:12 - "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his na

Affirmations:

I CONFESS THAT THE DAY I WAS BORN AGAIN, I RECEIVED THE DYNAMIC, EXPLOSIVE POWER OF GOD INTO MY LIFE. THAT POWER REMOVED MY OLD NATURE AND MADE ME A BRAND-NEW CREATURE WITH A DESTINY IN CHRIST.

WHEN GOD MADE ME, HE PUT FORTH HIS FINEST CREATIVE POWERS, AND I NOW LIVE ON THIS EARTH AS A MASTERPIECE OF HIS GRACE, HUNGRY TO BEAR FRUIT FOR HIS KINGDOM.

Song of Solomon 1:12 - "While the King was resting on His couch, my perfume sent forth its fragrance."

YOU EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF THE DEEP AND CENTRAL PRESENCE OF THE BRIDEGROOM (JESUS). THE BRIDEGROOM IS EVER IN THE CENTER OF YOUR SPIRIT. AS AN EARTHLY KING RESTS ON HIS COUCH, SO THE ETERNAL KING RESTS IN YOUR SPIRIT. THE PERFUME, YOUR FAITHFULNESS TO HIS CALLING ON YOUR LIFE, SENDS FORTH A FRAGRANCE THAT IS SWEET AND PLEASANT.
 
Scripture Of The Day - Union With God's Word

Joshua 1:9 - "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."


COURAGE COMES FROM TRUSTING GOD'S WORD. IT CAN'T BE MENTALLY DRUMMED UP.

IT COMES FROM BELIEVING WHAT GOD SAYS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES LOOK LIKE.

DISCOURAGEMENT COMES FROM FEAR THAT GOD IS NOT GOING TO PERFORM HIS WORD ON YOUR BEHALF.

FEAR IS THE DARKROOM WHERE NEGATIVES ARE DEVELOPED. FEAR COMES FROM NOT BELIEVING (DOUBT & UNBELIEF) GOD'S WORD.


Affirmations:

I REALIZE MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST AND SEEK TO FULLY UNDERSTAND GOD’S PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE.

WHENEVER SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT GOD IS NOT GOING TO DELIVER ME, I JUST TELL THEM "HE'S ALREADY DELIVERED ME IN THE NAME OF JESUS."

I AFFIRM AND MEDITATE ON THE PROMISES OF GOD IN HIS WORD DAY AND NIGHT.

I AM ONE WITH GOD’S WORD.
 
Scripture Of The Day - Embracing Transition

"The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys." - Job 42:12 NIV


From time to time we actually have to come out of one project completely before God can transition us to the next assignment. Something that closes in our lives can make us feel like we are out of control, going to shipwreck, or worse yet, never able to rebound.

Sometimes our calendars, schedules, and plans just don't line up with where God wants to take us any more, so He decides to change our course.

"Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long." - Psalm 25:5 NIV

God knows what you are about to walk through, and He is already prepared for it. Don't be afraid to share how you really feel with Him. He wants to hear what you have to say about it. At first, it can feel breathtaking and even fearful, but God is there. He is in the heights, the depths, and the small steps of faith you are about to take.

STEPPING OUT OF THE BOAT

Some of the steps ahead will be like walking on water. Unfortunately, we don't get to pick the visibility of the water or the depth of the ocean that the Lord asks us to step out on.

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?" - Psalm 139:7 NIV

Rest assured that God never closes a door unless He intends on opening something else for you. He will not leave you abandoned!

"Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed" (Isaiah 49:23 NIV).
 
Scripture Of The Day - Eating At The Father's Table

Matthew 14:26 - “To this Jesus replied "it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

IT IS THE PRIVILEGE OF CHILDREN TO EAT AT THE TABLE WITH THEIR FATHER AND FROM HIS DISH, WHICH IS TO SHARE IN HIS SPIRIT; BUT THE DOGS MUST EAT THE CRUMBS THAT FALL FROM THE TABLE.

Psalms 59: 14,15 - "And at evening let them return; and let them make an noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, and tarry if they be not satisfied."

Luke 22:24 - "Now an eager contention arose among them as to which of them was considered and reputed to be the greatest."


Observation:


I AM NOT AT REST IN HIM IF I AM LOOKING ABOUT TO SEE HOW HE IS DEALING WITH OTHERS. NOR AM I AT HIS SERVICE TO BRING THE GRACE OF COMPASSION TO THEM, IF I HAVE TAKEN A HIGHER SEAT .

Luke 22:26 - “But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant.”

Romans 12:2 - "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."


THE TERRITORY OF THE UNCRUCIFIED THOUGHT-LIFE IS THE BEACHHEAD OF SATANIC ASSAULT IN MY LIFE. TO DEFEAT THE DEVIL, I MUST BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF MY MIND!
 
In my morning devotions I am running across some very excellent Verses I'd like to share. Let this thread be about that. Share your daily verse or verses (in context). Just one per day and not a whole list of them. Make a pithy comment and let the Spirit speak to the reader.

'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ' 1 John 4:7-11 https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1JN.4.7-11

God's love for us is foundational to our faith. It's not that we loved Him, but that He first loved us. For God is love. May this truth cover you today. God is the source, the well of love. Drink deeply from the well.

May your day be blessed in Him and may you shine before all with whom God brings you into contact. Have a blessed day.

~Papa
My love for God rose immeasurably when I read this verse and and for the first time realized how bad everything would be if God were not pure, uniquely and intensely Holy. No wonder cherubim praise Him without ceasing!

The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" (Rev. 4:8 NKJ)
 
Scripture Of The Day - Fibre and Core Of My Soul

Matthew 3:11 - "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire."


OH, HOLY SPIRIT....OH, FIRE! THAT SO INTIMATELY AND TENDERLY PENETRATES THE FIBRE AND CORE OF MY SOUL.....CLEANSE ME, BURN IN ME, WITH YOUR PASSION FOR CHRIST!


John 5:44 - "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?"


Observation:

I KNOW I AM RELATING CORRECTLY TO GOD WHEN MY HUNGER FOR HIS GLORY CAUSES ME TO BEAR FRUIT THAT REMAINS FOR HIS KINGDOM.

1 John 3:6 - "Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him."

Affirmations:

I CONFESS I HAVE A NEW NATURE WITH NEW DESIRES!

HIS DIVINE SEED IS REPRODUCING GOD'S LIFE IN ME SO THAT EVERY DAY I AM THINKING MORE LIKE JESUS, ACTING MORE LIKE JESUS, BLESSING OTHERS WITH HIS LOVE AND COMPASSION, AND POSSESSING LESS TOLERANCE FOR ANY SIN THAT MIGHT STILL BE ACTIVE IN MY LIFE.
 
Scripture Of The Day - Facing Our Need For Grace

Matthew 6:13 - "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."


There is no temptation or sin in heaven. This prayer does not imply that God wants to tempt us.

We know from James 1:13 that it is impossible for God to entice us to sin. This kind of praying is important because it requires us to face our need for grace. It helps us to align our heart with heaven -- one of absolute dependency on God.

The phrase "deliver us from evil", as it is traditionally rendered, actually means, "deliver us from the evil one." A heart modeled after heaven has great success in spiritual warfare. Jesus was able to say, "satan has nothing in me." The believer is to be completely free from all satanic influence and attachments. That is the cry voiced in this prayer.

James 4:7 - "So be subject to God. Resist the devil (stand firm against him), and he will flee from you."

John 8:32 - “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”


Some have thought being nice was of the same essence as knowing the truth.

It is not.

We can thank our parents that we are nice but, if we would know the truth, we must seek God and be one with His Word.
 
Scripture Of The Day - Faith Building Of Your Spirit

Matthew 12:34,35 -- ....."For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things."


Words won't work without faith any more than faith will work without words! It takes them both to put the law of faith in motion.

As Matthew 12:34-35 says, it's the words that come from the heart that produce results. The person who just throws in a couple of faith words now and then isn't speaking them from the abundance of his heart, so they're not effective.

Does that mean you shouldn't start speaking words of faith until you're sure you have the faith to back them?

No!

Speaking words of faith is good spiritual exercise. If you want to receive healing by faith, for example, fasten your mind and your mouth on the Word of God where your health is concerned. Instead of talking about how miserable you feel, quote Isaiah 53:5. Say, "Jesus was wounded for my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquities. The chastisement of my peace was upon Him; and with His stripes, praise God, I am healed!"

If you'll continue to meditate on those words and continue to say them, the truth in them will begin to sink in. They'll take root in your heart (spirit) and begin to grow. And eventually, you really will be speaking from the abundance of your heart (spirit).

When that happens, it won't matter what the circumstances look like. You'll know you have what you've been believing for and the devil himself won't be able to talk you out of it. You'll cross the line from hope to faith, and you'll start seeing those mountains move.
 
Scripture Of The Day - Faith Makes Room For God's Extravagance

John 2:3-5 - When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

"Why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."


Jesus attended a wedding where they ran out of wine. As yet He hadn't performed any of the wonders for which He would later become known.

Mary knew who her Son was and what was possible.....her faith so touched the heart of the Father that He apparently changed the chosen time to unveil Jesus as the miracle worker. Her faith just made room for the extravagance of God!

Faith moves heaven, so that heaven will move earth.

Psalm 78:23-25 - “Yet He commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven; And He rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.”

As we read in John 6:31-35, Jesus is the manna from heaven. We must have a fresh encounter with Him, every day, and we must partake of Him every day.

We should be more addicted to the Son of God than a Junky is for His next fix.

If a junky does not get His fix He will soon begin to shake. Most of the shaking we go through in life is the result of our not having partaken of Christ, every day.

We, too, lose our spiritual strength, our vision, and soon go into spiritual convulsions when we do not partake of Him.
 
Scripture Of The Day - Faith Vs. Belief

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped form, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

Faith is stronger than belief. To believe is to give intellectual assent; to have faith is to be inseparable from the object of your devotion. Belief can be changed or lost by a more persuasive argument. True faith is so much a part of the person it can only be taken by death.

A poverty of soul must eternally torment that man who is satisfied merely to reason about eternal life, while remaining without the real possession and power of the indwelling Son of God manifest in his daily experience.

If we are always reasoning, then we cannot cultivate the silence in which God speaks.

Hunger for God is one of the greatest signs of life a person can have. We must press past intellectual awareness to hunger for heartfelt encounters that change and transform.
 
Scripture Of The Day - More Earnest Heed

Hebrews 2:1 - "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."

You can really slip into unbelief about the promises of God. And when you do, it will cost you dearly. Hebrews 4:11 tells us, "Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

We must labor! Not by working with our hands or feet or struggling to get God to do something, but by spending time in God's Word -- moving forward in the promises of God by faith, day after day -- understanding and carrying out His purpose for our life. We must labor by harkening to the Word and refusing to let it slip (through affirming and meditating).

Don't get casual about the Word. Instead, dig more deeply in the Word than ever to be at one with your identity in Christ. Be diligent to keep your faith from slipping -- and you won't have to fall!
 
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