Includes...
Recently I was thinking about our message for this month, which is Compressed Time, and how when we squeeze or compress time more gets done in less time.
As I was thinking about this Luke 6:37-38 came to mind...
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
When God gives back to us, he uses a good measure that is pressed down, meaning it is compressed to better fill all of the available space.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude that when we give, it is given unto us with a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. And we are asking God for wisdom and understanding of these scriptures and to help us receive all that is given back to...
Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.
We just passed Pentecost, which is the center of the year on God’s calendar, and we are halfway through the year. The second half of the year is a reminder to take bold action. The next marker on God’s calendar is around the beginning of October.
Think of the fall(the Day of Atonement on Oct 5th) as a deadline to be finished with projects. Now is the season to focus on taking action on our plans. Through the first half of the year, we should have laid a good foundation of preparation.
NOW IS THE TIME TO BUILD. It is time to commit and take bold action.
Here is this week's filter(reminder) to write at the top of our journals each day... Time to Build
I am praying for you.
Daniel
P.S. The Yearly Cycle Calendar for 2022 is down below.
Recently we have been talking about the power of praise and using the example of two baskets on a balancing scale... one basket filled with the issues and problems we face, and the other basket filled with our praises. Which basket are we focused on and filling with our attention and words?
While thinking about this last night I felt like God was reminding me of a passage from my book, "The 8th Date" on the fruit of our lips.
Here is the passage on The Fruit of Our Lips...
When we finally learn to rest in our imaginations, this will dramatically change our emotions, words, and actions. The fruit that God is looking for begins in our hearts as a seed, then expresses itself as peace and joy in our emotions and shows up as the fruit of our lips—lips that are full of praise, gratitude, and grace in all circumstances. In the kingdom of heaven, words carry tremendous power because they reveal what is in our heart. God created...
The subtitle of Proverbs 9 is The Invitations of Wisdom vs Folly. This chapter goes on to paint a picture of the difference between wisdom and folly.
Here is a passage from Proverbs 9:7-12 on some of the differences...
7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude that true wisdom comes from above. And we are asking God to help us handle corrections the right way and to grow in wisdom so that our days are many...
This morning I was reading Proverbs 8, which is one of my favorites, and verses 30-31 really stood out to me. In these verses we see a picture of Jesus at God's side filled with delight day after day and rejoicing always in his presence.
Here is Proverbs 8:30-31 Then I was (like a skilled craftsman or architect) constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude for this picture of Jesus and that we get to be in him and also be constantly at God's side, filled with delight day after day, and rejoicing continually.
Today's Health/Fitness Tip
Let's use physical exercise as a reminder to be filled with delight and rejoicing in God's presence. Exercise is supposed to be an opportunity to connect with God and become more aware of his presence as he does the work.
I am praying...
Yesterday I came across a teaching called the Praise Cure by Lilian Yeoman. She had been a medical doctor but was on her deathbed and there was nothing that could be done. God raised her up and taught her about the power of praise. She later went on to tell a story of another woman who had smallpox. While the woman had smallpox God gave her a vision of two baskets on a scale. The one basket was labeled "testing," and it was full. The other basket was labeled "praises," and it was only halfway full. God was showing her that when her basket of praise was full it would tip the balance in the other direction. She could magnify the testing or magnify God.
Thanksgiving, praise, and worship are very powerful. It's one of the easiest and most fun ways to keep our positioning in the light with God. And being in position is a big deal because it put us in position to receive from him. Praise is also an easy way to magnify God which expands our capacity to receive more from...
Recently I have been reading in the Bible about the life of David. After being anointed to be king at a young age, he ended up on the run in the wilderness because Saul was trying to kill him. This probably wasn't the path he expected for his life, after he was anointed to be king as a boy. While he is on the run there are many times when he barely escapes. David is barely surviving during this time, but God is proving to him that he can protect him, and that he can trust in God.
Eventually David became king, and it says in 2 Samuel 8:14 that "the Lord preserved and gave victory to [him] wherever he went."
David went from barely surviving to God giving him victory everywhere he went. And God can do the same for us. He always causes us to triumph in Christ.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude that God can take us from just surviving to victorious everywhere we go.
Today's Health/Fitness Tip
Let's focus on being present in our workouts. The...
Today is Pentecost, a reminder that we have the Holy Spirit with us. Yesterday my daughter and I were talking about how in the whole history of the world the ability to print books and make copies of things is pretty new. It used to be that if you wanted to make a copy of a book it had to be hand copied or scribed. I believe scribing books is an ancient secret to accelerated learning that has been lost.
But reading books and scribing is not always the key. What really counts is an encounter with the author.
1 Peter 1:20-21 says Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. 21 For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along(moved) by the Holy Spirit.
In a time when books couldn't easily be printed or copied the author of God's word came and lived on the inside of us. On the day of Pentecost, we see Peter stand up and quote large...
Today we are taking communion over 2 Corinthians 8:7-9 where the apostle Paul tells the people to excel in the grace of giving. If giving is a grace, then we need God's help to excel in it. Today's communion is a time of gratitude that God can cause us to excel in everything and that Jesus became poor for our sakes. And we are asking God to help us excel in the grace of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:7-9 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
Today's Health/Fitness Tip
Yesterday I had a workout partner join me for my Daily Workout...
Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.
Pentecost is coming up in a couple of days on June 5th. Jesus told the disciples to wait for the gift that God promised because they would be clothed with power from on high. Pentecost is a reminder for us that God's power is available all the time. We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit and he helps to navigate us and guide us into all truth. Before the power was available the people were unified and in one accord. This progression is very important... unity makes the power available.
Some good Bible stories to read this week with parallels to Pentecost would be...
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