Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Acts 3:19

What is repentance?

It means living for GOD, and walking away from worldly temptations, instead walking in Godly direction.

When we sin, we need to repent, because as flesh, we are all prone to the “sinful nature” and we will always fall short. A repentant heart allows us to recognize that sinful state.  That’s when we “run” don’t “walk” into God’s arms. and ask for forgiveness, and start anew. Only He can be the One to “blot out our transgressions,” no one else.  (Isaiah 43:25)

A repentant heart is one which is always seeking to follow the ways of God. Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

A heart that is contrite and yearning for the LORD, is a heart that has been changed through Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit.  When hearts identify with GOD’s heart, it invariably draws us closer to Him, our church family, and His Word.  Ultimately, we become intimate with Him, and therefore indulge in the blessings, and joy, in sealing an intimate relationship with Him. By Him, for Him, and through Him.  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8)

Look around brothers and sisters, and witness what is happening all around us. Jesus warns us to be aware of the signs. Signs are all around us, in the news, on the social media, in our neighborhoods, across the continent, everywhere we look we seem to see evil.  And some, sadly are “embracing” the ungodly changes that are proliferating in our society as I type.

We need a revival, “Dear Abba Father, send us a revival” we need Your light, Your help, Your strength, Your guidance.”

There are some churches that are becoming apathetic, while seemingly accepting the rising disasters of ungodly ways, rules and issues.

Our Pastor shared an article written by Charles G. Finney.  A revival preacher, way before the great Billy Graham, and the other greats of our century.  He wrote an article (I’ve included the link below my devotional should anyone care to read it in its entirety)  it’s both profound and to the point.  And appropriate for this pivotal and dangerous time in society.

An excerpt from that article follows below.

“If a church needs a revival, it is because religion has declined in their lives and hearts. They are backsliders in heart and filled with their own ways. They have fallen into sin. They have grieved the Holy Spirit. They have disobeyed the Golden Rule. They have dishonored and wounded Christ in the house of his friends. They have betrayed the son of man with a kiss. They have held up a false light. They have been a stumbling-block to the world…”

Powerful, prolific, and prophetic.

I’m truly praying for a revival; we so desperately need it.

But it’s so much more powerful when we do it together as one body in our LORD Jesus Christ. Amen.

“Father God, we cry out to You, and we know You hear us, we cry ‘Abba Father,’ and our hearts are with You, LORD show us the way, forgive us our sins, teach us, lead us, guide us, on the path of righteousness, we need You, and You alone, only You can stop the fires of evil, only You can temper the minds of the weak, only You can heal our land, and only You can decide our fate, You are in control, we give You our hearts, and we trust You, and You alone, may Your will be done, in Jesus name, Amen.”

BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUND by Charles G. Finney (charlesfinney.com)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him…” 

John 3:16-17 (ESV)

While watching the news, and listening to answers posed to individuals, I felt immediate sorrow.  The question was, “who is your hero?“  The answers were varied, the participants were a mixed batch of both young and old.  The responses came quickly to some. Most were naming “sports legends” and “actors,” but notably absent to me, was the one and only answer that jumped into my mind immediately!

JESUS!

It caused a myriad of emotions to surge within my heart, body, mind and soul.  First one was “sadness” that no one recognized the obvious answer.  The second was righteous anger for what a good portion of the population considers a “hero”   And the third was hope, that one day they will see that our LORD is the One and only, true altruistic honorable and Holy Hero!

Jesus was, is, and always will be the ONLY One who could ever have the power to save us, and we need Him to save us, so we can live with Him forever in heaven. Jesus is the ultimate Superhero with the ultimate superpower. Jesus is the Son of God.

There are many people in job capacities that can be considered heroes, but none were mentioned in the mix of this population; such as medical front line workers, all first line responders, etc. But they weren’t mentioned.

Instead…Actors? Sports legends?  That’s what this world considers heroes??? Really?

For me, the definition of a hero is “selfless and unconditional love.”   And that would emphatically represent…Jesus.  

If just one seed begins to sprout, and take root, and one sinner comes home, all of heaven will sing and rejoice.  Hence, I am ever hopeful, and always ready to share the Gospel and my love of the LORD.  It’s up to those of faith to spread the good news, and it’s up to God to do the watering.

Who is my hero?  JESUS!  JESUS!  JESUS!

Let me ask you this very important question.

“Who is your hero?”

“Father, thank You for Your Son, my LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ, may I always be in Your service, in Your army of righteousness, and may I always be an example of Your love in all I do, all I encounter, and all I say, thank You for being my Hero, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. PSALM 55:16 (KJV)

God encourages us to “seek Him early while He still can be found.” And “Seek Him and His Kingdom” because then we will have all the desires of our heart.  When we call upon God, in times of both good and bad, we are getting the best course of treatment for our heart, body, mind and soul. We are guaranteed the best possible plans for the course of our lifetime. When we call out to Him in prayer, we are engaging in the best communication and the most intimate type of relationship we can ever hope to establish.  In other words, “God is the answer to ALL of our needs, wants, and desires.”

Have you taken the time to call out to Him today?

“Father God, may I seek You each and every day of my life, today, tomorrow and always, I realize You are all I need and want forever and always, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful…

Finding success and obtaining victory can be done, not by “ourselves,” but through God, and His strength and grace.

Joshua’s assignment, after Moses’ mission was ended, was to continue to bring the “children” back home to Israel.  And it was a long, bloody battle, but Joshua never gave up on trusting the LORD, and realized that through Him, and Him alone, he would be victorious.

Obedient, and surreptitious in all he endeavored, Joshua eventually brought the children back home, and he accomplished that which the LORD commanded; therefore, success and rewards were realized by Joshua, and the children of the land.

God’s Word sets the standard for our success. It also provides guidance for living our daily lives. When we do God’s work according to His will and purpose for our lives, we ultimately experience success.

God’s strength, which gave Joshua courage in the face of strong opposition. He sought God diligently for direction and advice.  The same applies to today’s times.

We may be thousands and thousands of years from when it happened, (approximately 1398 BC) but the same applies to this very day.

When we follow the LORD’s Word, and consequently put it into practice each day in which we are here on earth, we will be successful, and protected by the LORD.

Opening up your heart and surrendering to the LORD while acquiescing to His directions, path, and love, we can live a life we were meant to have, while serving God in His army.

Trusting God is the only way to go. He is the only Being that will never let us down, and the only Being that will never break His promises.

Promises are offered by His grace and His love.

Promises kept are the surety bond in which we have as children of God. Promises said, promises kept, love unconditional the rewards of being followers and obedient.

When we come into the land of forever, the Paradise of Eternity, it will all have been worth it. When we collect the rewards that our Father has promised us, and we sit down to supper with the Lamb!  Amen!

“Father, may I always do all according to Your will, may I recognize Your Sovereign nature and power, may I realize Your promises are forever, and Your love is all consuming, today, tomorrow and always, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Joshua 6:20
When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so, every man charged straight in, and they took the city. (NIV)

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Psalm 139:23 (NLT)

The first thing each and every Christian must fully realize is that the Holy Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of God.

When we read the Bible “with eyes of God” we will invariably see the message in ways that were otherwise not as clear as it is with “His Wisdom” guiding us.  When we read and take on the Word and incorporate the Words spoken from the LORD into our daily life, we begin to transform inwardly, which then becomes a “reflection” to those we encounter.

As we read the Word, we become infused by His ways, His will, and His purpose for our life.  We will begin to grasp things in a deeper more profound way that we couldn’t see had we not “taken in His Word.”

 Hosea 14:2 The words you speak are alive and full of power. Your words are powerful enough to change your life, and the situation around you.

This is why King David said we must meditate on the words of the Bible, so we can implement His Word and divine truths and apply it all to our daily lives.

Meditating on the Bible means to think about, to chew on, to try and understand the meaning of all of the different verses in the Bible. God’s Wisdom will provide and “open it up to you” when you ask, and seek, and pray.

When we read the Word, it will be infused in our mind, and we can apply it whenever we can. Especially to those in the “dark” and in need of hope, inspiration, kindness, and love.

I fully and completely believe that our study of Scripture will profit us in this lifetime, and it will continue to profit us in the next life to come, which is Heaven.

I truly believe that when in Heaven, we’ll continue to study the Bible.

I don’t believe any one human can truly master the true and full extent of the Bible in this lifetime. There is simply way too much knowledge, wisdom, and revelation that is contained in this one Book for any human mind to be able to fully grasp all of it in this lifetime.

But there is a reason for that, God wants us to keep delving into His Word, and keep learning each time you open His book.  The Word is pregnant, it keeps growing. If we knew it fully in this lifetime, we wouldn’t have need of going to it, reading it, and searching it for all of our answers.

When we enter Heaven our full grasp of knowledge will be unlimited in our Spiritual body therefore, we will have a full comprehension of the Holy Bible and God’s Word in ways we couldn’t have on earth.

Have you opened and read His Word today?

“Father God, may we always turn to Your Word for all we do, may we meditate on it and reflect your words to those around us, may we continue to do your will today and always, may we be infused with Your Word, in Jesus’ name Amen.”

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1

In the quiet of the early morning hours, just before the sun shows its face, while the lingering twilight is still spanning my backyard, the quiet engulfs me as I start my day.  I embrace the peaceful “noise” of the outdoors, while looking up at illuminating sky.  In that solitude, the very first moments of my day when I “hear God’s voice.”

It seems His voice/word and Presence is clearly apparent, as I take it all in, thankful for yet another day, and another way to be a servant to Him in all I do.

We all have our moments, and experiences we can talk about to others, honoring God, and testifying of His great ways and love.  And we can sense and feel Him through good and bad times. But sometimes the quiet moments are where you can “hear” Him in the biggest way.

“Be still and know I am God” Psalm 46:10 takes on a whole new meaning when you are alone in the solitude, without interference from the world, or “noise” from the world.

Running to Him during bad times, we are drawn closer to Him, as we need Him and His healing and wisdom to get through it.  We run to Him during chaos, and we cling to Him with requests as we pray for others.

But the best spent moments, for me…are the morning hours…all alone, before the “world” wakes up, and before the noise crashes into my orbit. It is where I am the calmest, and the most comfortable.

During those moments in which I give Him thanks for another day, I am so grateful to be alone with Him.  I am so selfish of my time with Him. I don’t want “anyone” or “anything” to interfere with my special connection and encounters with Him.

Are you aware of His voice during the quiet times? 

Are you aware of His Presence while you are alone?

During those times receive the blessings from above as this is a gift to be able to “hear” His Words as certain Biblical passages come to life!  Right in the midst of “silence” the ring of truth will peal exploding into your heart and soul.

O to be loved by God, there is no other love such as His love.

“Father God, thank You for the special moments of the early morning hours, and all of the hours after, I love You today, tomorrow always, and I look forward to spending time with You all the days of my life, and beyond, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

****** ****** ****** ****** ******

Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Hebrews 47

Psalm 27:13-14

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

If we never had problems, we would never know that God can resolve them.

When the enemy attempts to torment us with his lies, thankfully we can go straight to the word of God and find peace, strength, and love.

If we journey back through visions in our mind, we will see all of the things we’ve been through, and how God was there with us for the duration.

He not only strengthened during these trials but brought us through them all. These events include “big” trials, and “little tests” along the way, but nonetheless, scenarios that contribute to our faith, and allow us to lean on God, fully and completely.

We, as people of faith, must trust in God, for He alone is the only One who can, and will, shelter you in times of trouble, in His secret place.

He is unconditional in His love, and His resolve, in bringing us along the paths of righteousness. He is unwavering in His promises, and His guidance. And His arms are always open wide to accept us.  

 He looks at us with love, and doesn’t differentiate irrespective of where you live, who you are, what you look like…no, it’s the heart He sees, and the heart He searches.

In Psalm51 David cried out -“O LORD, create in me a clean heart” and that is what He does to each of us through His grace, compassion, and love, when we ask Him humbly and truly mean what we say.

Words can be powerful, and ostensibly, can be meaningless.

Because actions are the ultimate difference between just “saying the words” versus “speaking the words,” and actually doing what we say, by implementing the words in all we do.

“Father God, thank You for Your love, and being there for me through the big times, and the small times, through good and bad, never faltering, never leaving me, holding me up while I was down, and helping me out of the valley, I exalt You and Your glory, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Psalm 51:10-12

 David prayed: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a wiling spirit. (ESV)

Psalm 34:7-9 

God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness.

Even though the world seems to be “aflame” with horrific examples of pure evil perpetrated all over the continents, rest assured as a child of God, we are encircled by His consummate love and fire of protection.

My personal walk with God is an adventure I maintain and treasure each moment of the day.  So, whenever the world attempts to engulf me in flames of despair and sorrow, I’m happy and content, knowing I am in the “circle of His love,” and that God is an all-consuming living breathing fire that goes “both ways.”

Standing within that circle of protection, His fiery love deters evil from entering, and lifts and guides me, all the while keeping me safe.

I am encircled by His love, profoundly protected and nourished at all times. And knowing that is a feeling in which I am rendered incapable of comprehension, other than to say, “He loves me!”

As He does all of His faithful followers.  He is a God of promises, of unyielding patience, and unconditional love that knows no bounds.

His Significant Being becomes my “compass” of reality in all that I endeavor to undertake on a daily basis.  His strong hands which encircle me, guides me to a place of tranquility, irrespective of the chaotic surroundings.

He is the One who gives and keeps on giving without ceasing. And the One that I can count on, no matter the circumstances or events.  He knows what’s best for me, and He knows “when” it’s best.

There is nothing but His timing, and His outcome, and that is alright by me!  For He wants only the most prosperous outline for my journey in life, and therefore I surrender to Him fully and without reservation.

How fortunate to stand within the circle of hope, peace and love!

“Father God, thank You for the unrelentless and pure love You bestow on myself and others, Your ways are beyond description, and Your Magnificence is magnified exponentially by Your Word, Your promises and Your Presence, may I be ever thankful, mindful and obedient in all my ways, today, tomorrow and always, in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.”

God is with us always.

He is a constant presence even to those who aren’t aware of it. He defends us not only from stormy winds, and tempests from which mountains break, but from the assaults of its enemies.

Such a defense is Almighty God’s providence for His people, Amen!

The realization of His being with us, irrespective of circumstances which may surround us should be a “confidence booster” and “tranquil stabilizer” in all our days here on earth, and beyond.

If you’re feeling worried, on edge or anxious, you’re not alone, it happens. Yes, even to those who believe in God!

However, if we continue to allow fear into our life, things happen, like an erosion of our faith.

Why?

Because fear can be powerful if we let it run freely within us. In fact, fear is one of the enemy’s most highly used tactics to get us to doubt God and His promises and love.

We all have the ability to overcome any disturbing thoughts, or any intrusive mind-rotting fears, but only through Christ. We must constantly forge ahead, and trust in God, and His unending promises.

Despite that “little nagging voice” tugging at the reins, saying “Uh-oh, that’s scary. Uh-oh, you’re going to get sick, etc., etc.” God is in complete control at all times.

Give Him the “reins” and remember who actually does “Reign” the LORD and the LORD alone!

He is our peace and comfort, and His gift to us is salvation, protection and love!

So today…no matter what you’re facing, keep your mind, thoughts, and heart focused and upon God, and God alone.

He alone will bring you through it.

He alone will hold you up.

He alone will give you love.

And He alone will never desert you…

“Dear God, thank You for Your promises, Your Presence, and Your love, help me to focus on You and Your will, and to realize there is nothing to fear because I am made in perfect love, and You are my Savior, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”