Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Fifteen

Dear Saints

It is Day Fifteen of Seventy Days of Blessing. It's Resurrection Day morning.  It's  Firstfruits.

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy
that will be destroyed is death" )1 Corinthians 15:20-26).

He is risen!  He has conquered death.  He has released life in each of us.  There is no better revelation of the release of health, wealth and miracles than the revelation that He, and He alone, is the Lord of Life.  He is the Resurrection and the Life.

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Fourteen

Dear Friends,

This morning's verse during my time with the Lord was Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."  There just seem to be some days when this declaration is impossible! All of us have experienced days of great hurt, pain, loss or trauma. I can remember visiting a family in the hospital following the loss of a loved one and someone walked in and declared this verse.  As true as the verse is – that day in the hospital, the timing did not seem right.

I can't imagine the disciples singing "this is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made..." on that Shabbat following the horrific scene of Yeshua on the cross.  I read yesterday a short line that declared "The distance in time between the worse day and the best day in history was three days." I understand what the author of that line meant, but I don't agree.  And even though there may be times when it is not the right timing to joyfully decree that "this is the day the Lord has made, rejoice in it;" the verse is still declares the truth.

Good Friday and Resurrection Day – though divided by a day of great mourning and grief – are both

the greatest days in all of time.  Embrace both of them and all the days in between.  These are days of blessing.  On this 14th day of seventy days of blessing: "Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

And if we are mourning, then know this: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5b).

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Thirteen

Dear Redeemed Saints

This is day thirteen of Seventy Days of Blessings.  Normally we would not like the number 13.  We consider it superstitious and unlucky.  But there are NO such days on the Lord's calendar.  All of the days of our life are ordained and blessed by Him.  And this day especially has His mighty hand upon it.  Today (on both the Roman and the Hebrew calendar) is the day our Lord journeyed to the cross.

"Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last. 47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” 48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. 49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things" (Luke 23:44-49).

Our lives are redeemed.  The greatest act of sacrificial love has brought us the greatest gift of blessings.  Through this act we are forgiven, healed, restored, renewed and redeemed.  You are His blessed and redeemed saints.

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:7-9).

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Twelve

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

This morning I read the following in a Joyce Meyer devotion entitled: "Take Challenges One Day at a Time."

"I strongly urge you to face your challenges one day at a time. Looking too far down the road only tends to overwhelm us. Trusting God requires that we believe He gives us our 'daily bread'; that is, we receive what we need as we need it and usually not before."

As move down this road of Seventy Days of Blessing (today is Day 12), we cannot afford to look ahead several days or several weeks.  Faith in action will always begin with that one step we take.  In Matthew 16:15-16, the Lord asks: "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 

And our next step depends totally on this confession - "Lord, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  I put my full trust in You and only in You as I move into this day of blessing one step at a time."

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Eleven

Dear Saints,

This morning I had the extreme joy of welcoming my son Joshua back from Afghanistan.  It was wonderful to witness his reunion with his wife Andrea and three year old son Nate.  It was not so surprising to open my devotions for today and discover the following verse for today:
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9 NASB).

The Lord is with you wherever you go!  That might be your workplace or it might be Afghanistan.  Wherever you – be strong and courageous.  Amazing how the Lord brings a timely word in season.  The same passage was used by one of our State of Texas legislators at yesterday's Faith and Family Day in Austin.  He was exhorting us as saints to "be strong and courageous" as we our persecuted for standing and witnessing for the Lord in our daily lives.

Its Day 11 of 70 days. Wherever you go – be strong and courageous!

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Ten

Dear Friends,

Today we begin Day Ten of the Seventy Days of Blessing.  Ten is a significant number.  In the Hebrew language it signifies testimony.  What is your testimony?  What has the Lord done in your life?  What will He be doing in your life today?  I believe it all starts with this simple confession from the Psalms.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts" (Psalm 139:23).

Search my heart, Lord. Only the Lord can know what resides in the heart of man.  My prayer for today is that He would find a heart open, pliable, honest and broken heart that invites Him to take full control.  As He fills us and occupies our very being – we are then recipients of the fullness of His blessings.

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Nine

Dear Friends

This is day nine of our seventy days of blessing. Last night during prophetic ministry at Prince of Peace, we were exhorted to be so close to the glory of the Lord in Jesus that we would both experience His glory and also, give opportunity for everyone around us to experience His glory.

This morning, the passage I read was: "And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52 NASB). He did not grow in favor with His Father and others because he was a "really good boy."  He grew in favor because of His proximity to His Father and the increasing glory of His Father's presence.  That favor was noted and experienced by everyone around Him.

So today, live by faith, confidently knowing that God will give you the favor Jesus had. Regardless of the circumstances that come into your life, believe God for supernatural favor. Draw near to God and the devil will flee from you.  Draw near to God and those around you will detect His glory, His presence and His aroma – and they will desire to stay near you or, because of God's glory, they will flee.  Your job is to stay close in proximity to the Father through His Son.

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Eight

Dear Saints,

It is Day Eight of Seventy Days of Blessings.  This morning at Prince of Peace we will celebrate our annual Passover Seder. This is to be a memorial feast to the Lord – a feast to be held throughout the generations.  This is a feast celebrated by our Lord.  It is feast we will celebrate.  We are to remember and embrace that the Lord, because of the blood of the Lamb, has caused death to pass over us.  He releases deliverance to us from our enemies.  He releases life to His children.  He imparts to us the fullness of His health, wealth, miracles and blessing!

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it

in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt 14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance (Exodus 12:1-14).

7 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. 8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” (Luke 22:7-8).

Celebrate life!  Celebrate His blessings!

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Seven

Dear Pursuers of Peace

Today we end our first week of Seventy Days of Blessings.  This is Day Seven.  Negiel Bigpond exhorted us to pursue God during these days. It is a time of divine breakthrough with finances, healing of body, might and spirit.  It is a sacred place of repentance and restoration.

This morning I read: "Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:14 NASB).

Joyce Meyer wrote: "If you looking for a breakthrough in your life but no matter how hard you try, it's not coming? It's more than likely because you are not living in peace. So I urge you, crave peace, seek after it, and go for it with all your might!"

Seek peace.  Pursue the blessing!

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Six

Dear Priests at Prince of Peace

This is Day 6 of our Seventy Days of Blessing

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore" (Psalm 133).

He commands the blessing – LIFE forevermore! The key? The body dwelling together in unity.  Unity is not conformity.  Unity is not looking alike – dressing alike – thinking alike or acting alike.  It is created and released as we corporately and individually set our eyes, ears and hearts on the ONE true Lord and God of our lives. The exhortation to us as we receive the impartation of health, wealth and miracles is to "turn your eyes upon Jesus – look full in His wonderful face!'

Seventy Days of Blessing - Day Five

Dear Ambassadors

We have entered Day 5 of our 70 days of blessing (check out Prince of Peace Page for previous days)

"…but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are…" (1 Corinthians 1:27, 28 NASB).

What reason do we give God that we can't be used as His ambassador, servant, king or priest in His world?  You're probably right!  Why?  Because God uses the "foolish and unqualified" people of this world to carry out His design and will for the kingdom.  Acknowledge your weaknesses, inabilities, failings and fears – THEN step into the fullness of God's promises and strength.  He IS using you right now as an instrument to release health, wealth and miracles into your sphere of influence.

Examine Us Lord

Let us pray. Father God, come and examine my life and everything in it. Examine my workplace. Examine my family. Examine my city. Examine my heart! Examine it with Your holy Word and by Your Holy Spirit. Show me Lord how you want to restore and rebuild my life, city and nation by Your power and Your strength. Grant me Your decrees of favor, provision, power and faith to carry it out for Your glory. And Lord, let it be known from this day forth that the enemy, Satan himself and all of his spirits, have no heritage here. He has no heritage in my family. He has no right in my workplace. He has no memorial in my school and my city. He has no place in my heart. Thank you Lord God. You are the mighty one. You are the famous one. You are the Ancient of Days. I give you praise in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 

Keeper of the Keys by Tom Schlueter