Includes...
Over the last couple of weeks, I feel like God is showing me that the most important thing he wants with our program the Abundant Life Blueprint is for it to be a thriving community of people. Thinking of community reminds me of doing science homework with my daughter a few years ago. She was learning about the difference between a population and a community. The science book said a population is when everything is the same... For example, a population of deer. But a community implies diversity and an entire ecosystem.
To me a community is a group of people working in unity toward a common vision, contributing their unique gifts, talents, and experiences to help one another and build something that can't be done in isolation. A healthy community makes our lives richer.
In Genesis 48:3-4 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numb...
2 Corinthians 13:9 says, "We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored."
And 2 Corinthians 13:11 says, "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."
These verses are translated different ways such as strive or aim for completion, maturity, or full restoration.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude that there is fullness in Christ. And we are asking God for full restoration.
Today's Health/Fitness Tip
Our bodies have an amazing ability to be restored. It starts with believing restoration is possible, then take the first step you know to do. Start small, be patient, and watch it be restored over time.
I am praying for you.
Daniel
In Matthew 12:43-45 Jesus said, “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.
Lately we have talked about how to make sure we keep the gifts and answers to prayer God sends our way. In the scripture above, Jesus said that a person was set free, but then they ended up losing it and becoming worse off. The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable, meaning he won't take them away, but they can be stolen from us. Lately God has been teaching me about holding fast our confession and staying filled up. This means that when we keep remembering what he did by praising him for it, it helps us to keep everyth...
The other day we talked about how to make sure we keep the gifts and answers to prayer God sends our way. For example, I have heard of many stories where people were healed by God but then the symptoms came back. The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable, meaning he won't take them away, but they can be stolen from us. Lately God has been teaching me about holding fast our confession. This means that when we keep remembering what he did by praising him for it, it helps us to keep everything he sends our way. A good practice for us to develop is spending a few minutes every day remembering what God has done in our life and that he won't take it away, because it will help us hold fast to what we have.
Here are a few scriptures to meditate on today about holding fast...
Revelation 2:25 Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come.
Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Romans 11:29 f...
Yesterday I was reading in Ezra 9 and verses 8-9 really stood out to me. They say...
But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes. 9Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
I believe this is what God has done for us in Christ. He has given us a new life so that we can rebuild his house. He has also given us a wall of protection. Something I have learned is that when we stay in gratitude and praise for what he's done it puts a wall of protection around us.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude that God has given us a new life so that we can rebuild his house and he has give...
Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.
This is a time of year when light is increasing. During this time of the year, I have found that God often expands the vision. He helps us see things in a new light which expands the vision of what he has called us to do. I believe his plan unfolds over time because if he showed it all to us at once it would be overwhelming. Spend some time connecting with him this week on the vision and plan he has for your life.
Here is this week's filter(reminder) to write at the top of our journals each day... Expand the Vision.
I am praying for you.
Daniel
When God brings breakthroughs or answers to prayer into our life how do we make sure we keep them? For example, I have heard of many stories where people were healed by God but then the symptoms came back. Lately God has been teaching me about holding fast our confession. This means that when we keep remembering what he did by praising him for it, it helps us to keep everything he sends our way. A good practice for us to develop is spending a few minutes every day remembering what God has done in our life, because it will help us to keep walking the answers he sends and not lose them.
Here are a few scriptures to meditate on today about holding fast...
Hebrews 3:6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,
Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we h...
Recently we have been talking about planning, winning at the game of life, and building community( I think we win as a team). As I was thinking about these things, the phrase "Game Plan," kept coming up to me and then the other night on our Partner's zoom call without me saying anything about the phrase "Game Plan," one of our partners closed out our zoom with prayer and he asked God for the "Game Plan."
When I used to coach college baseball we would review the scouting reports and then develop the Game Plan based on our players strengths and weaknesses and the opponents tendencies.
To develop our Game Plan for Winning at the Game of Life, we need to account for our strengths and who we are in Christ but also account for our opponent. We have an enemy that is trying to stop us and he has tendencies. He likes to bring strife, confusion, doubt, lies, create disorder, and apply pressure to our finances/health/time.
Another big part of developing the Game Plan ...
Recently the phrase "Winning at the Game of Life," keeps coming up to me. As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of playing a card game called Rook. In my family we would always play rook at family get togethers. In Rook there are 2 sets of partners playing against each other for a total of 4 players. Each hand has a possible total of 120 points and each player bids on how many points they think they can win, with the highest bidder being in the lead for the hand. The high bidder gets an extra 5 cards from the "kitty," that can be used to improve their hand. The high bidder also gets to set the trump suit for the hand, which is the suit of cards that beats every other suit.
Earlier this summer we had a family get together and played a lot of rook, and then I wanted to test something out so I found an app I could play online. I started testing what would happen if I won every single bid, even if I had to bid really high and I had terrible cards. I tested t...
When I was writing my book "7 Dates With Jesus," I had a time when God was teaching me about his favor and I felt like he wanted me to record the date, which was July 19th, 2014. Every year since then it seems God reminds me of his favor whenever July 19th comes around. The Psalms tells us that God's favor is on us for a lifetime and it surrounds us like a shield. And the Proverbs tell us that favor is better than silver or gold.
2 Corinthians 6:2 says, "In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."
In today's communion we are asking God for wisdom and understanding of the favor we have with him and what it means for us. And we are asking for his help to walk in ever-increasing levels of his favor from this point on in our lives.
Today's Health/Fitness Tip
After my workouts I like to finish by going for a walk with God. And lately I have been ad...
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