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Yesterday we took communion over being reconciled with God. The next step is partnering with God. Partnership is one of the most powerful table turners in life. In our finances, I think of partnership as the number one thing that can turn the tables. When we partner effectively we gain access into wisdom, knowledge, experience, resources, networks, and much more that we can't access on our own. And God is the most important one that any of us can partner with. 

If you have never officially made God your partner in life, then today's communion is an opportunity to do so. To get into partnership with him is to partner around a common vision, to get into agreement with him, and to make decisions together. After making God your partner today, I would encourage you to record the date the partnership started so you can see how the tables turn. 

I am praying for you. 

Daniel

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Today is the Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur. Today is like the close of the year or the major deadline on God's calendar. This day is a reminder for us that God has reconciled us to himself in Christ. To reconcile is to overcome distrust or hostility, to gain goodwill, harmony, or favor, to make agreeable, to resolve differences, and make one again. When you think of Atonement think of At - ONE - MENT. 

In accounting to reconcile is to balance and remove any differences or errors found. Here are some scriptures to meditate on about being reconciled to God. 

Romans 5:10-11...For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:10-11

Colossians 1:19-23...For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwel...

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Tonight starts the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which was the official start of the Year of Jubilee. In the Old Testament, every 50th year was the Year of Jubilee, which meant slaves were set free, all debt was forgiven, and the people were restored to their land(the inheritance God had given them). It was a resetting of the economy in Israel and the official start of Jubilee was the Day of Atonement. 

Leviticus 25 1-4, 8-10 says....

The LORD then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD ... You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of ye...

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In 2 Samuel 7 God promises to make David's name great, give him rest from all his enemies, to establish his house, and that his house and kingdom would endure forever. Then is 2 Samuel 8:1 and 10:1 the phrase "In the course of time," is used to describe how things began to happen.

God gave David some amazing promises that came to pass in the course of time. Time is a course, it is full of twists, turns, obstacles, and most importantly change. Change is guaranteed in life and we can fight it or embrace it. 

The Hebrew word that is used for "in the course of time," is Hayah which means... Came to pass, to be or become. 

Hayah indicates something that is changing and dynamic. Time and change are a gift God has given us in this world, but why? I believe he gave us time and change because he doesn't want us to stay the way we are. We all have room to grow and expand to become more like him, which is why he gives us time and change so that in the course of time it com...

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The other day I was watching the Virginia Tech football game and there was an interview where Tom Brady's head coach said he felt like one of the biggest reasons for all of Tom's Super Bowl victories is that he comes to practice every day like a little kid, excited to learn and get better. 

This reminded me of how Jesus said kids hold the secrets and we must have childlike faith. 

In Matthew 21:16 Jesus said... “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” 

Jesus was quoting Psalms 8:2 which actually reads a little differently. Psalms 8:2 says... Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 

Praising God like a little child perfects our praise and establishes a stronghold against our enemies. Being established means it is fixed, secure, and immovable. The Hebrew word for establish in this verse is often translated as...

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For a while I have been working on a new book and the main idea is that God is the source of beauty. God wants to make our lives beautiful and provide beautiful solutions to the problems we face. Here are some scriptures to meditate on today about beauty...

• 1 Peter 3:4 AMP But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God.
• Mark 14:6 When the woman pours very expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus the disciples give her a hard time but Jesus says “She did a beautiful thing for me.”
• Exodus 28:2 The people were told to make the clothes for the priests “for glory and beauty.” 
• Isaiah 61:3 To bestow on them a crown of beauty for ashes. 
• Isaiah 62:3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God
• Psalm 27:4 to gaze upon the beauty o...

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Presence is what I call the grace table turner. When we are present and aware of God's presence with us, it turns the tables and allows God's grace to flow so that we walk in all the things he put within us. The indicator of presence is joy, because in God's presence there is fullness of joy. Therefore, when we are present and in joy God's grace begins to flow allowing us perform in his ability rather than our own. 

But, there are many things that try to steal our presence, and one of the biggest is insecurity. When we feel insecure we turn inward to protect ourselves, which steals our presence. This is where it is important to find our security in God, because perfect love casts out all fear. But, to walk securely in God requires trusting and resting in his unfailing love and that nothing is impossible with him. When we learn to trust and rest in him it leads to security, which leads to presence, which leads to joy, which leads to grace flowing. 

As we take comm...

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Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.

Today is day 4 of the 10 Days of Awe. When thinking of AWE think of awe, reverence, and respect for God. These 10 days should be a time to remind us to take action on the things we know to do and to do it cheerfully. Anytime things we know to do pile up on the inside it blocks both our mental clarity and our ability to hear as clearly from God. The goal is that we get to the Day of Atonement(Sept 15-16), with a clear conscience, and nothing piling up on the inside. 

Here are some action steps to think through...

• Is there anyone you need to forgive or reconcile a relationship with?
• Is there anything you have been procrastinating on?
• Is there anything you have been meaning to do but haven't gotten around to?
• What about any steps of faith God is prompting that you haven't taken yet?

You will be amazed at what can get done in the remaining 6 days if you will commit to taking action. As we clear out the things piling u...

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Part of what we pray each day on the daily videos is the prayer of Jabez from 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. The passage about Jabez says...

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

Jabez was named after pain and God granted his request to be free from pain. 

In Isaiah 53:4-6 it speaks about Jesus saying... Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 

God is interested in every aspect of our lives.... Spirit, soul, and body and he has the ability to help us b...

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1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says... Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Our charge is to love God and people which means being both patient and persistent at the same time. Here are some definitions of patience and perseverance...

Patience

• the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
• the ability to remain calm and not become annoyed when dealing with problems or with difficult people
• the ability to give attention to something for a long time without becoming bored or losing interest

Perseverance

• persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
• continued effort and determination:

To have b...