CUSTOMS

Families usually enjoy certain customs together.  My family had the custom of going to the feasts in Jerusalem.  We traveled with other relatives and often we had a huge number who traveled together.

When I was twelve, my parents even lost me.  I was so involved with doing My Father's business that I lost time and they left without Me. 

I know how much you love your family. However, I desire for your first love to be for My family.  My family has three members: My Father, Me, and Holy Spirit.  Seek to be with My family every morning, and you will discover that your earthly family will always benefit from the time you spend with My family.

LUKE 2:41-50

OPPORTUNITY

I want you and all My believers to take advantage of every opportunity to demonstrate My love to others.  Those opportunities may come in your work place, market place, school, or the church.

Paul exhorted the churches in Galatia to take every opportunity to do good to all men, especially to those who are in the household of faith.

Pray for My Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to share My love with others. I do want you to do good to all men wherever you are in a day's time.  Also ask My Holy Spirit to empower you to love like I love.  When you pray this way, you will have a fruitful day.

GALATIANS 6:10

COURTS

You are blessed because I have given you the right to enter the very courts of heaven because of the blood I shed on the cross. 

David wrote that He longed and even fainted for the courts of the LORD.  He said that a day in the courts of the LORD were better than a thousand. David also wrote that blessed is the man who is chosen and caused to approach Me. 

You are My temple that I have chosen to indwell.  This means that every minute of the day you can know My presence with you, in you, and all around you.  What a privilege I have given you.  Sadly many believers do not take advantage of this privilege.

PSALM 84:2, 10, AND 65:4

FRUITFUL

As you grow in your relationship with Me, I know your goal is to increase in fruitfulness.  My friend Peter certainly grew in his fruitfulness in My kingdom, and he listed those things that will increase your fruitfulness.

He exhorted believers to add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity.

If you are careful to add these things to your life, the promise is that you will not be barren or unfruitful as you grow in the knowledge of Me.

2 PETER 1:5-8

CHERISH

My servant Paul wrote the church in Thessalonica these words, "But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children."  Before I spoke to Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul was not a gentle man.

He watched Stephen being stoned and he persecuted many of My beloved.  However, Paul was transformed once he came to know Me as His LORD and Savior.

This should give all who read this hope.  I am changing you and all my beloved to be more like Me every day.  (Thanks for being so faithful to read my blog.  I will resume writing these blogs daily after a week away from my computer.  I enjoy listening to the LORD every day and passing on to you what I hear.)

1 THESSALONIANS 2:7

WALLS

Faith is what pulled the walls down of Jericho after Joshua's army compassed Jericho about for seven days.

I imparted My faith to Joshua on that day when Israel won the battle for Jericho.  There are many battles you are facing in your nation and many walls that need to tumble.

If you try to muster up enough faith to tear down these walls and to win the victory for liberty in your nation,  you must not depend upon your own faith. You are the vessel that contains My very Spirit.  I call upon you not to look at yourself to have the faith to remove walls.  Instead, draw from My faith within you, and you will be victorious.  

HEBREWS 11:30; GALATIANS 2:20

BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays are very important to Me. At the time of your birth, I was there to ignite the spirit within you.  I am the light of the world Who lights every man who comes into the world.

The day you were born again is also very important to Me.  On that day your spirit was ignited with My Holy Spirit Who came to indwell you.  You were born of My Spirit and My Word by faith.

The day will come when you will see Me.  It is then that you will know without a doubt that I have been with you always and we will be together for all eternity.

JOHN 1:8-9, 3:3-6

TENDER

As you go through these dark days when it seems that what was good is now considered evil and what was evil is now considered good, I want you to consider My goodness and My tender mercies.

You are seeing what results in a nation that turns away from Me and seeks pleasure instead of My presence and the world's ways rather than My ways.

I do not want you to lose hope.  That is exactly what My enemy wants to happen to My beloved.  Remember that My mercy is everlasting and endures forever.  Spend time in My presence and allow Me to comfort your heart with My tender mercies.  If you will do this, your focus will be restored upon Me and not the world.

PSALM 25:6; PSALM 44:26

FOLLOW

My disciples followed Me. The crowds followed Me.  Then there was that fateful day when the crowds followed Me to the place where I was crucified.

I was crucified on a tree.  My hands were nailed to the cross bar that was nailed to the tree.  My feet were nailed to the tree. I told My disciples many days and weeks before I was crucified the following: "And he who takes not his cross, and follows after Me, is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:38).'

The disciples did not understand what I meant. The cross is you.  It is your life. Paul wrote: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but  Christ lives in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20)."

MATTHEW 10:38; GALATIANS 2:20

WRESTLE

You do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness in this world, against wickedness in high places.  The world has been invaded by these forces because people have turned away from Me.

I have given you the keys to the kingdom to bind these demonic forces and to loose My Holy Spirit. As you use those keys in warfare by speaking My Word out loud against Satan just as I did when I was tempted in the wilderness, you will be victorious.

I have already won over Satan. I spoiled principalities and powers and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Your assignment now is to enforce that victory by declaring My Word.

EPHESIANS 6:12; 

AGREE

I was sharing with My disciples some of the kingdom principles that I wanted them to know. I told them to "Agree with your adversary quickly while you are in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer; and you be cast into prison (Matthew 5:25)."

The main adversary that all My beloved have is the devil.  He wants to imprison you with condemning thoughts.  He is the accuser of the brethren. He is a liar and the father of lies.

When those thoughts of condemnation come your way, agree with him and tell him that he just might be right. Tell him that you will ask Me if what he has said is true. Remember there is no condemnation to those who are in Me and who walk in the Spirit and not the flesh.

MATTHEW 5:25; ROMANS 8:1

TUMULTS

I was welcomed by the crowds on that day when I road on a colt into Jerusalem.  Cheers filled the air. Soon those same crowds that welcomed Me cried, "Crucify Him!!.  When Pilate could prevail nothing, because of the tumult, he washed his hands before the multitude and said he was innocent of My blood.

When the chief captain of the Roman army demanded that the crowds tell him what My beloved Paul had done, he had to carry Paul into the castle because of the tumult.

You are reliving the book of Acts.  My body on Earth are in times of tumult.  In fact, the whole earth is in a time of tumult. The time of tumult in the Book of Acts, however, became a platform for the gospel to be spread throughout the whole world. The time of tumult you are facing now will also be used to spread the gospel to every nation. Pray for the third great awakening and for a sweep of repentance in every nation.

MATTHEW 27:24; ACTS 21:34

PLACE

I told My disciples that I was going to prepare a place for them where they could be with Me forever.  They did not understand because they had no idea that I would have to die to prepare that place for them.

Yes, My death, My resurrection, and My ascension was done to prepare a place for not only My disciples to live with Me forever, but also for you and all those who believe in Me to live with Me forever.

I took your place as the perfect sacrifice in order for you to enter the joys of My kingdom forever and ever.  I came so that you and I could have a relationship that will last for all eternity.  This reveals how much I love you.  Never doubt that I love you with an extravagant love.

JOHN 14:1-3

TURN

You used to sing a song about Me many years ago.  The lyrics were, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will go strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

During these dark days, I want you to turn your eyes upon Me and keep focused on Me.  There is a great shaking going on in the world now, but I do not want your heart to be troubled. 

Keep  your focus upon Me, and know that I always have My eyes turned in your direction.  I promised to be with you always until the end of the earth and for all eternity. 

MATTHEW 28:20

BRIDLE

My brother James wrote about how powerful the tongue is.  The tongue is one of the smallest members of the body, but he compared it to an out of control fire, the rudder of a ship that is small, but it controls a whole ship, and to the bits in horse's' mouth that control the whole movement of a horse.

He said that no man can tame the tongue.  This seems like a statement that has no hope. However, My Spirit can tame your tongue if you will submit your tongue daily to the control of My Spirit.

James said if a man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and is able to bridle the whole body. I desire that you daily submit this unruly part of your body (the tongue) to Me and allow My Spirit to both train and tame your tongue.

JAMES 3:1-13

TOUCH

During the pandemic touching one another was forbidden.  You had to refrain from even getting close to one another for what seemed like an endless season. I created the sense of touch to convey caring for others.

People who were quarantined for weeks, felt isolated and almost unwanted.  The women with the issue of blood knew that she would be healed if she could only get near enough to Me to touch the hem of My garment. Others who came close enough to touch the hem of My garment were healed.

When you visit people who live alone, I want you to touch them in some way.  I embrace you every day in My arms, but you cannot feel that embrace since I am present with you in the Spirit. You are My body on earth and you can embrace people with your physical arms or at least be within touching distance of them.. The expression of love with a touch can even lift a spirit of heaviness that has shrouded a person. 

MATTHEW 9:20; 14:36