Yes! “Kept by the Power of God” is a promise, and an assurance that hold Joy and Beauty for the believing soul.

   The keeping that means security, safety, is wonderful. There is, too, the keeping that implies Life, freshness, purity, the being “kept unspotted from the world.”

   Then there is the keeping that I ensure to those of whom I speak as the salt of the earth.

   ”Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor it is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

   Only in very close contact with Me is the keeping Power realized. That keeping Power which maintains the salt at its freshest and best, and also preserves from corruption that portion of the world in which I place it.

   What a work! Not be activity in this case, but simply by its existing, by its quality.


><//>--------------------Prayer for the Day

Father, we pray that Your Grace may keep us from evil. We pray that henceforth we will try to keep ourselves more unspotted by the world. Amen.


A Disciple’s Reflections – “God Doesn't Say –No– ”

Beloved, the letters I’ve received on the topic of answered prayer are too numerous to attend to individually, yet this topic demands that we spend a little time to consider.

Prayer to the believer is essential, yet is something so often misunderstood. Lets tear down the veil of confusion together and come away stronger. Join me in the knowledge of the Truth concerning prayer and let us all be set free together.

Let us check out Scripture on the subject of prayer and we will be amazed how we have been cheated in this precious area by the devil.

Believing is very important regarding the things of God, for if we don’t believe something, though it is true, then it will be as though it doesn’t exist for any who don’t believe. So it is with Jesus, Himself. We believe and are saved by Faith and Grace, while those who refuse to believe are not. It is as though Jesus doesn’t exist for them.  This is too terrifying a thought for we who understand to even consider.

When we check out our bibles we will quickly find a common thread. Words like “…and it will be done unto you,” and “…we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him”, “…ask and you shall receive”, finally, “…and it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  The word 'no' can in no way dwell with these, the word of God.

These promises are linked to our belief system; after all, our Father is not one to give carte blanche to one who honors Him not. Therefore, over the next few days we will cover what it takes to get the guaranteed promised positive results from prayer. I beg of you, beloved, don’t let the devil steal from us what we are being entrusted with for our good, our enrichment, and our empowerment for witness of His mighty and marvelous Kingdom.

This will be one of the deceiving spirits approaches. “Well, we are mere human and faulted and so to our prayers; therefore, God says “no”. 

Firstly, we are not merely human anymore!  The word of God tells us with certainty that we have died with Messiah in His death and we are risen with Him in His resurrection and ascended with Him is His ascension.  Does this sound like merely human to you.  Of course, there is one very important condition to receive the power of this truth.  We must walk in it with faith believing that this is as much ours as the air that we breathe.

We are quite peculiar in our humanity to say the least. After all, the Bible says that all who have believed in Christ for salvation and renewal, have died with Him, and are raised with Him unto Eternal Life. It doesn’t say this happens latter, though it does in the physical, it says that in the mind of God this has happened immediately spiritually to each and every one of us who believes on Messiah. Being born-again is  a very real experience the happens since we had died with Him.  We are literally spiritually born-again with His resurrection.

The Holy Spirit actually quickens to eternal life our spirit just as He conceived the baby Yeshua in the womb of Merriam those many years ago.  We must always remember that those who do not have Jesus do not have a quickened spirit as we do and cannot see what we may see were we to look.

We need only believe this truth, and a great beginning is made in having prayer so great, so magnificent, that we know in our hearts that the heavens have been opened for us all. We soon find that our moments spent in prayer with the Lord are more precious and fulfilling than sex, or any other physical experiences we so covet beyond their value to our detriment.

For me there was a point in my life where I had to make a decision. One that was as great as the decision to receive the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, as Savior. That decision was whether I’m going to believe my own eyes, perceptions, religion, and understanding – or am I going to believe God’s Word. This same decision is before each and every believer.  It is such an essential decision, because it gives us the power and understanding to live the victorious life, a spiritual life - the Kingdom Life. 

We each need to ask ourselves daily, "Am I this tired, time-weary believer that I see in the mirror. Or, am I One with the Son of God, Who is One with me." This is an area in which the devil must be overcome if we expect to be treated as adults before God.

Tomorrow we will see how this works, and we need not fear God to the point that we no longer draw closer to Him. That type of fear is not reverence, it’s just silly. Yes, with each day we will overcome all sorts of maladies like depression and such just by being aware of the power we have been given. Yes, it will become much easier to rejoice and praise Him Who gives all good gifts to His children.

Beloved, I look forward to sharing the glory of God with you more on this tomorrow.


Who Is With Us

But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. – Mark 9:39 NRSV

Jesus was probably the most tolerant man who ever lived. One of his disciples, John, told him, "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." Now that makes sense. What we have here is a clear copyright infringement. A man who was not a member of a recognized church was using Jesus' name to cast out demons. If something weren't done he would soon be putting up a tent on the outskirts of town. The First Liturgical, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Reformed Church of the Triune God Uniting; we can't have such riff-raff representing Christ. No wonder the disciples were alarmed. 

But Jesus said, "Do not stop him. No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward." Jesus had no use for theological litmus tests. The proof was in the pudding, as we say. You will know a follower of Christ by their actions. No more – no less. Political candidates talk about big tents – making the party tent big enough to draw in as broad a constituency as possible. Jesus has the biggest tent of all. If you are not against him, you are for him. All who will may come. 

Our Prayer: God of grace, thank you for welcoming us into Your kingdom. Guide us as we help one another to Your gate. Amen. 


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Please have a blessed day, be hopeful, be encouraged, and know you are not alone.

“God Calling” compiled by A. J. Russell.
"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" Hazelton – adapted.
Greg Candelaria writes Who Is With Us.
Barry Gray writes A Disciple’s Reflections.