CONTENT

My servant Paul learned to be content no matter what his circumstances were.  He wrote that he had learned to be abased, and also how to abound every where and in all things.

Paul did not allow circumstances to influence him.  When I walked on Earth, I found Myself in many circumstances as I visited the Synagogues around the Sea of Galilee.  I had no place to lay My head, but sometimes I enjoyed parties with publicans and sinners.

No matter where I was or who I was with, I was always content because I knew I was in the center of My Father's will.  I surrendered My will to My Father in My morning prayers.  When you surrender your will to me daily, you will always be content because you know that to do My will is the highest form of worship.

PHILIPPIANS 4:12

DOOR

When I gave the parable of the sheep and the good shepherd at the beginning of the Feast of Dedication,  the religious leaders of My day did not understand.   Probably they did not understand because they did not know what a good shepherd does to protect his sheep.

I told them that I was the good shepherd.  The good shepherd makes sure that his flock is safe inside the sheepfold at sunset. There was no gate to the stone fence that surrounded the sheep at night.

The good shepherd did not leave his flock at night, but instead he blocked the only opening of the stone fence with his own body.  He stayed there all night to fight off the wolves and other beasts that wanted to devour his sheep.  You are the sheep of My pasture, and I laid My own body down to protect you from the devil who seeks to devour you. You can rest  easy tonight because you know that I am watching over you. 

JOHN 10:6-11

FEAST OF DEDICATION

This is the eve of the Feast of Dedication which is the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.  I went to every feast in Jerusalem when I lived on Earth.  This feast celebrates the rededication of the Temple of the Lord.

When I went to the Temple in Jerusalem on the first day of this Feast, I walked on Solomon's Porch.  The Jews gathered around Me and asked Me to plainly tell them if I was the Christ.  I said that they did not believe Me because they were not of My sheep.  I said that My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me.

Today you can praise Me because you are one of My sheep, and that you can hear My voice. You can rejoice because you were given to Me by My heavenly Father, and no one will pluck you out of My hand. This is a wonderful truth you can meditate upon whenever My enemy sends you doubts.

JOHN 10:24-27

THINK/THANK

 As you close our your Thanksgiving celebrations with your families, I want you to remain in thanksgiving the rest of this year and always.  When you remain in thanksgiving, My grace will redound to you.  This means that My grace will abound to you in both quantity and quality.

More than ever you need My grace to get you through these dark times.  Paul warned Timothy that the last days would be perilous times.  The darkness in the world is growing darker, but the promise is that the light of My glory will shine brighter and brighter in you as the days draw near to My coming.

What you think about during these times will help you remain in thanksgiving to Me.  Paul wrote the church in Philippi to think on these things: whatever is honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.  Make it your goal to daily think on these things.

2 CORINTHIANS 4: 15; PHILIPPIANS 4:8

BLESSINGS

On this day when many families in your nation are gathering to give thanks to My Father and to Me for all the blessings you have experienced, I want you to think of the spiritual blessings that I have given you.

There are many spiritual blessings that are yours because I came to redeem the world of sin by becoming the perfect sin sacrifice that was acceptable to My Father. You have redemption through My blood, forgiveness of sins, and grace to live a fruitful life.

Today you can thank Me that you will be able to stand before My throne blameless and holy because of the blood I shed for you.  You can thank Me that I predestined you to be adopted by Me to be in the family of My Father's for all eternity. You can thank Me that you are accepted in the beloved.

EPHESIANS 1:3-6

FAITHFUL

When you see Me face to face, I know that you desire to hear, "Well done,  you good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter  into the joy of your Lord."  The desire of all My beloved is to always be faithful to Me.

This Thanksgiving as you give your thanks to Me, thank Me for working through you and giving you both the willingness to do My will and the power to do it.  Yes, you could never be that faithful servant to Me without Me.

Give Me thanks for My faithfulness to you to answer your desire to walk daily in My Spirit.  Give thanks for My helper Who has been on duty every day to help you understand My Word and to apply My Word to your daily life.  It is only through My power and anointing that you are able to daily walk with Me.

MATTHEW 25:23; PHILIPPIANS 2:13

THANKS

My friend Paul wrote about how important it is to both rejoice in Me and also to give thanks in everything and for everything. You may think it is impossible to give thanks for everything especially after you have experienced the death of a loved one.

Being able to thank Me for everything will only be possible when you recognize that your life is not your own.  You were redeemed by Me when I shed My blood on the tree to forgive you of all of your sins. When you received and believed this truth, you were hid with Me in My Father's heart.

From the point that you were born again of My Spirit, everything in your life was in My hands (both the good and the bad). Nothing will enter your life without being ordained by Me or allowed by Me.  Knowing this truth will enable you to trust Me and thank Me for everything in your life.

EPHESIANS 5:20; COLOSSIANS 3:3

SEEN

Faith is the evidence of things not seen.  You cannot see Me, and I know sometimes that you wish you could.  However, I said that those who do not see Me yet they still believe, these are the ones who are blessed.

The day will come when you will see Me face to face. I have given you a divine imagination, so as you pray to Me with your eyes closed allow My Holy Spirit to reveal My grace and glory to you.

You have the very treasure of My face within you. Paul wrote: "For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)."

2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-7

PRESS

There are many meanings of the word, "Press/"  Housewives think of pressing the wrinkles out of clothes. Journalists think of a Press Core.  Olive grove owners think of an olive press.  What does this word mean in the spiritual realm?

You are living in a day when you, more than ever, need to press into Me.  You press into Me by spending intimate times with Me.  Those times with Me are the times when you can press against the enemies of your souls.  You have three enemies of your soul.  They are the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Most of your failings in your walk with Me cannot be blamed on the devil.  Your failure to overcome certain strongholds in your life are due to the worldly lusts that you have in your soul: the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  It is time for you to press against these lusts and resist giving in to these lusts.  Ask My Holy Spirit to help you do this.

JOHN 2:15-17

LONGING

Have you got a longing in your soul for Me?   The desire of My heart is for My beloved to have a longing in their souls for Me.  

David drew close to Me by singing songs of praise and worship to Me.  He wrote Psalm 107:8-9 "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."

Begin your private prayer times and even your group prayer times with thanksgiving, praise, and worship. This is your way of drawing close to Me.  My Word says that if you will draw close to Me, I then will draw close to you.  Let all your requests be made known to Me with thanksgiving and I will satisfy your longing for My presence.

PSALM 107"8-9; JAMES 4:8; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

PATIENCE

There are eight fruits of My love mentioned in My Word.  They are joy, peace, long-suffering which is patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These fruits of My love are developed throughout your life.  One of the hardest of all the fruits to develop is patience.  Patience is the ability to go through trials and tribulation with cheerful, constant endurance.

There is no way that you can develop patience without the help of My Spirit.  My goal for you is not just to endure until the end of your life, but it is to endure throughout your life with constant cheerfulness.  This means you will have to lay aside all murmuring and complaining.  Ask My Holy Spirit to empower you to do this.

GALATIANS 5: 22-23

ONE

I prayed that all those who believed in Me would become one even as the Father and I are One.  I prayed this for My disciples, but I also prayed this for all believers who would believe in Me in future generations.

My Father, My Holy Spirit, and I are all One.  This trinity union can represent who you are.  You are a spirit, you have a soul (mind, will, emotion) and you live in a body.  You have three distinct parts, but you are only one human being.

When you pray in the morning, I want you to commit your whole being to Me. Surrender your body to Me  as a living sacrifice and the members of your body to be used as instruments of My peace, joy, and love,  Also commit your spirit to be anointed by My Holy Spirit. Submit your soul (mind, will, emotions) also to Me.

JOHN 17:21

TIMES

It is vital that you understand the times that you are living.  There is no question that you are in the latter times.  My friend Paul gave a concise description of the latter times in his letters to Timothy.

Knowing that you are experiencing the latter times, should give you an urgency to do My will and an urgency to depend more on My Holy Spirit to both teach you My Word and help you obey My Word.

My adversary's plan is to distract you from hearing and doing My Word.  Lives are cluttered now with the technical things that quench My Spirit.  Make it your goal to find time to shut the distractions of your phone and computer off for at least an hour or more so that you can hear My voice as I speak to you through prayer and reading My Word.

TIMOTHY 4:1-3; 2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5 

MEMBERS

There have been many harvest times throughout the generations.  Often these harvest times come when people are desperate for hope.  It seems that the world is very dark now and that my adversary is trying to speed up the coming of the anti-Christ. 

People now are getting desperate for hope. It is up to the church (My true body on earth) to pray diligently for this harvest of souls to come.  My Father wants to draw as many as He can to Me so that He will have a great family in heaven with Him.

Pray that My Holy Spirit will anoint you mightily to be a laborer in this harvest. Offer the members of your body daily to Me so that I can use the members of your body as instruments of My righteousness, peace, joy and love.

ROMANS 6:13

ESTEEM

Most relationships will last when the two parties are willing to esteem one another higher than themselves. Relationships will crumble when one person in the relationship is only thinking about himself or his hurts.  People who carry past hurts have great difficulty forgiving and reconciling with those who have hurt them.

I have given My body on earth the ministry of reconciliation.  I came to earth to reconcile human beings to God, My Father.  I shed My blood when I was crucified to offer forgiveness for sins to the world.  Sadly, many have not believed this good news or they have not heard about it.

Pray for those in the world who have yet to hear My good news of reconciliation.  I laid down My life on the cross to save all those who would believe in Me. You esteem one another higher than yourself when you are willing to quit nursing your hurts, and instead think about others.

PHILIPPIANS 2:3; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:18-19 

SAFETY

You are living in an age when lawlessness is increasing.  You do not have to fear this.  Solomon exhorted his sons to keep sound wisdom and discretion.  The promise is that if you will seek Me for wisdom every day, I will help you to walk safely and I will be able to keep you from stumbling.

Asking Me for wisdom will help you sleep well because you will not be afraid.  I am wisdom and I am also your good Shepherd who will take care of you.

I do not want you to ever be afraid of sudden terror or trouble when it comes because I will be your confidence and I will protect you.

PROVERBS 3:21-26

 

VAIL

My Father placed a vail over Jewish hearts so that when they read the Old Testament, they are unable to see Me in those scriptures. There are numerous scriptures in the Old Testament that prophecy of My coming, and yet many Jews today cannot believe that I am their Messiah.

The good news is that when their hearts turn to Me, the vail will be dropped.  This is happening right now in Israel and all over the world.  Many Jews are giving their hearts to Me and are receiving My redemptive work by faith.

Keep praying for your Jewish friends.  You are entering a great season of harvest so know with assurance that My Holy Father can draw even Jewish hearts to Me.  Begin to pray for a great move to save the Jews during this harvest time.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:15-16

FEAR

I said "Fear not those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." I was exhorting my disciples to fear God because only My Father has the power to destroy both the soul and the body.

I want you to pray for the generation that you are living in today.  So many of the young people have no fear of Me because the fear of the Lord has not been taught in churches, schools, and families.

The only way your nation will be saved is that this generation learn to fear Me.  Pray for the church to become a place that has a holy fear and awe of Me.  Pray for the restoration of the fear of the Lord in My body on Earth.

MATTHEW 10:28

LIBERTY

I came to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. So many are bound by strongholds.  When I said that "I am the way, the truth, and the life," I was saying that the only way to be set free from those things that hold you prisoner is to come to Me, and allow My truth to set you free.

When I walked on Earth I liberated all those who were oppressed by the devil.  All who came to me were set free. 

Are there people in your life that need to be set free from the prison of addiction and other strongholds?  Pray that they will come to Me for help. I long to liberate them all.

ISAIAH 61;1; ACTS 10:38

COVER

My beloved David tried to cover his sins of murder and adultery, but the prophet Nathan came to David and brought David's sins to light. Once David's sins were brought to light, he repented for what he had done and he had godly sorrow.

Godly sorrow always works repentance in the heart of a person.  We are called to cover other people's sins, but we are to bring our own sins into the light.  We are exhorted to confess our sins to one another so that we may be healed.

When you confess your sins to Me, I already have forgiven you of that sin.  However, confessing your sins to Me and to one another is a way for you to continually walk in the light and have genuine fellowship with other believers.  Also the confession of your sins to Me puts you in a position to receive My cleansing.

SAMUEL 12:1-14; JAMES 5:16; JOHN 1:7-10; PSALM 32:1; PROVERBS 17:19

PROTECTION

I am your Good Shepherd, and a good shepherd protects his sheep from wolves.  There are many wolves now in your present culture who are seeking to attack those sheep who are obedient to My Word.  

You are the sheep of My pasture, and this is why I want you to be alert to discern who the wolves are.  The wolves that are in sheep's clothing are the people who twist My Word in order to deceive.  They pretend to be righteous, but they are not.

Ask My Holy Spirit to give you discernment in these days since the father of lies is deceiving many.  Stay in My Word because only My Word can discern the thoughts and the intents of the heart.

JOHN 10:14; HEBREWS 4:12

ENGAGE

 

When I walked on Earth, people who were to be married were first espoused to one another.  This meant that they shared together all the benefits of marriage with the exception of coming together intimately as husband and wife.

When the marriage took place, there was a great celebration that lasted for days.  The wedding, however, could not take place until the groom had completed the house for he and his bride to live.  The groom's father had to inspect and approve of his son's future home before the wedding could take place.

My Father is now inspecting the house that you (My bride) and I will live together. When every detail is completed, My Father will say that it is time for the wedding.  I left Earth to go to prepare a place for you so that where I will be, you also will be.  Look forward to that time when you will be with Me for all eternity.

JOHN 14:1-3