Tag: Bible

A Date With Destiny

3/27 Be a Rebel: Embrace Your Inner Trailblazer

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Daniel 3:27: “When they came out, the fire had not harmed them. Their hair and clothes were not burned and they didn’t even smell like smoke.“

There are times when you are called upon to take a stand, just like the three Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel. You may be urged by the Spirit to go against the masses and follow your conscience, rather than the demands of a narcissistic bully.

As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the flames for following their divine direction, you too, will sometimes walk through fire as the result of your convictions.

In the same manner that Jesus appeared in the fiery furnace with those boys, He also appears to you when going through the fiery trials of your own faith.

Some will try to tell you what’s best, and condemn you for standing your ground. At times, you may be criticized for doing what you know is right, by those who are more comfortable taking the path of least resistance.

Lots of Hebrews bowed the knee to the golden statue because they were told to do so. Some of them were friends and family members of the three rebels who refused.

Those who bowed were not named. God did not reject them, or send fire from heaven to consume them. They simply bowed to the golden statue, and went on to live their lives of quiet desperation.

Those who bowed missed out on having a conversation with the Son of God in a fiery furnace. Those who bowed never had their names listed in Sacred Text. Those who bowed never became part of a story which would be told for thousands of years to come.

From this passage, you conclude there are two types of people: those who bow and those who stand.

Bowers are compliant. Standers are defiant. You have been called to be a stander.

Not everyone is called to be a rebel and a renegade. You are.

You go on high alert when you can right a wrong, stand up to a bully, or defend the defenseless.

You are a rebel at heart.  You are wild and adventurous. You do not take the path of least resistance. You find that path boring and dull.

You are a trailblazer. You create paths which never existed and inspire others to follow your lead.

Long after you are gone from this planet, your imprint will remain on those trails. Your courage will call to future generations, inviting them to join the rebel cause and reject the status quo. The echo of your voice from a faraway dimension will call to those select few, willing to risk it all for a chance to come up higher.

Learn more about March 27

A Date With Destiny

Living as a Citizen of Heaven: Embrace Your Dual Reality

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1 Peter 3:22…”Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God. All the angels and powers accept his authority.”

You are becoming more and more enlightened about who Jesus is, where He came from, and where He is now, preparing a place for you.

While it is true that your physical body is aging, your mind is being renewed every day. Each step of the way, the Holy Spirit is taking you to new heights of enlightenment.

Fueled by living water springing up from within you, your spirit rushes like a river, creating the power and energy needed to carry your physical form into each next heavenly assignment.

Partnered with the Spirit of God, supernatural energy is infusing you with a heavenly mindset.  As you focus your attention on heavenly pursuits, you are simultaneously improving the natural world in which you reside. 

In this way, you are living in two realms at once. You are a citizen of heaven, and an ambassador of Christ. Your heart is set on things above, and your days are filled with bringing heaven to earth.

Maintaining a heavenly focus creates melody in your mind and harmony in your heart. This music of heaven shifts your gaze away from your human struggles and toward the throne room of heaven.

Experiencing the power of Christ in this dual reality, His Kingdom is as real to you as the world in which you live.

Learn more about march 22

A Date With Destiny

3/21 Finding Freedom in God’s Grace: Letting Go of Guilt

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1 John 3:21…”Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.”

You lead a carefree life because you release your mistakes and weaknesses into the safe grace of God.

When regret or guilt trouble you, they immediately become the next topic of conversation with God. You talk with your Heavenly Father throughout the day about the issues which plague your thoughts. As you share your memories with God, you find a sense of release. Your thoughts are turned toward His forgiveness and mercy, rather than your own failures and remorse.

You receive clemency from Christ, which wipes the slate clean. You understand this is not a once-in-a-life-time free pass, but it is a gift of grace, providing you with a fresh start whenever you need one, throughout your entire life.

When you talk things out with God, regrets are resolved, and guilt is eliminated.

Knowing that Christ has liberated you from any past mistakes, you are overwhelmed with gratitude rather than guilt.

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A Date With Destiny

The Stability of Living in Christ’s Love

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 Ephesians 3:19..."Christ’s love is greater than any person can ever know. But I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God."

You know the love of Christ in ways that are difficult for some people to comprehend. Your trust in His love creates a bond of confidence between you and your Lord.

While you may have difficulty trusting other people, there is no doubt in your mind that God can be trusted to guide and protect you, no matter what.

You understand that pure love is not an emotion.  It is a commitment. You see the way God’s love has supported you during some of the most difficult and wayward times of your life. You realize that this love is not fickle. He does not withdraw His love to manipulate or punish.

You enjoy living in the love of Christ and you seek to demonstrate that love to others.

This life of love is not an emotional roller-coaster of feelings, but rather, it is a higher level of stability.

The presence of Christ’s love in your life creates an atmosphere in which you are difficult to offend, easy to approach, and quick to forgive.

learn more about March 19

A Date With Destiny

The Book of Remembrance: Your Name Matters

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Malachi 3:16…Those who honored the Lord spoke with each other. The Lord listened and the names of those who honored and respected the Lord were written in a book. The Lord will remember them.

While you do not see yourself as the main character in the story of life, it excites you to know that God has entered your name into the book He is writing about those who honor him.

Knowing that God is taking the time to listen to your words, and record them in a book, along with your name, leaves you awestruck and a little self-conscious.  However, it is not God’s intention to make you uncomfortable; but rather, it is His way of paying tribute to those who honor Him.

Your willingness to speak well of God and talk about His goodness softens the hearts of those who have misunderstood Him to be cold and uncaring. The positive impact of your speech will change the perceptions of those who have run from Him for far too long.

Not only will your name be written by angels in heaven’s book of remembrance, but your words will be recorded by humans in earthbound books, which will make an impact on future generations.

Tetelestai Recovery

How to Let Go of Resentment and Gain Personal Power

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To remain in a position of power, we had to drop the resentments. While we sometimes felt as if our resentments were keeping us safe and preventing us from being hurt again, we eventually faced the fact that they were stealing our power and placing us in a perpetual state of victimhood. Resentment was the result of self-pity. If we carried our resentment, we were forced to experience the painful events over and over. But, on the other hand, we feared that if we released our resentments, it would give those offenders a free pass.

Neither position seemed to be working, so we searched for a new solution. We needed to release our resentments, but at the same time, we needed to know that justice had been served. We needed to know that those who had mistreated us didn’t get away with it. We wanted to settle the score, but we also wanted to exist in the higher spiritual plane, that Jesus referred to as the Kingdom of God. We knew that revenge-seeking would drag us down and pull us into chaos.

Sacred Text showed us the way. Since the same words appeared in both old and new testaments, we knew it was significant.

It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them. Deuteronomy 32:35
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19

Surprisingly, based on these passages, we learned that revenge was not necessarily a bad thing. It only became a bad thing when we humans took it into our own hands, rather than leaving it for God to manage.

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Tetelestai Recovery

How to Let Go of Resentment and Gain Personal Power

lastwordrecovery

To remain in a position of power, we had to drop the resentments. While we sometimes felt as if our resentments were keeping us safe and preventing us from being hurt again, we eventually faced the fact that they were stealing our power and placing us in a perpetual state of victimhood. Resentment was the result of self-pity. If we carried our resentment, we were forced to experience the painful events over and over. But, on the other hand, we feared that if we released our resentments, it would give those offenders a free pass.

Neither position seemed to be working, so we searched for a new solution. We needed to release our resentments, but at the same time, we needed to know that justice had been served. We needed to know that those who had mistreated us didn’t get away with it. We wanted to settle the score, but we also wanted to exist in the higher spiritual plane, that Jesus referred to as the Kingdom of God. We knew that revenge-seeking would drag us down and pull us into chaos.

Sacred Text showed us the way. Since the same words appeared in both old and new testaments, we knew it was significant.

It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them. Deuteronomy 32:35
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19

Surprisingly, based on these passages, we learned that revenge was not necessarily a bad thing. It only became a bad thing when we humans took it into our own hands, rather than leaving it for God to manage.

LEARN MORE
A Date With Destiny

The Power of Discernment in Building Trust

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  John 2:24  
 But Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew what was in their hearts.

You do not trust others easily or quickly.  You believe that trust must be earned, and it can only happen over time.  It took you a long time to trust Christ, and you often struggle to believe.

Fortunately, He understands trust issues better than you do. Therefore, He patiently continues, time after time, to alleviate your doubts and prove Himself to be true.

Your gift of discernment and your trust-hesitancy serve you well as a protective force- field in your faith based service.

You are able to reach out and serve those who are untrustworthy, in ministries where a more trusting person might fall victim to their dishonest schemes.

You do not reject those who can’t be trusted, but rather, you accept and love them anyway. 

Jesus ministered to the outcasts and the undesirables, yet He did not trust them all. He was still able to minister to them, because He had the spiritual gift of discernment. You too have this gift. You may have thought it was a flaw in your personality. But, based on your birthday verse, this attribute is actually a Christ-like trait which may be a valuable clue in discovering your destiny.

learn more about february 24

A Date With Destiny

Hidden in Darkness

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Daniel 2:22  
  He makes known the secrets that are deep and hidden. 
He knows what is hidden in darkness and light lives within him.

Many of the good things you do are done in secret. You are not boastful or arrogant about your charitable contributions or personal sacrifices.

You help others in ways they may never realize. You attend to the needs of your family and community without recognition or fanfare.

Sometimes you feel as if your efforts are unappreciated or even unwanted.  There are times you believe you may be wasting your time and energy because you can’t see the fruits of your labor.

Thankfully, you have the Word of God and His wonderful creation to remind you that a seed hidden in the darkness is a harvest waiting to happen.

Seeds planted in soil remain unseen during the germination phase. In the dark, a seed breaks open and new life is formed. There is a waiting time before the shoot appears. There is another waiting time before the harvest comes.

In the same way, your good works and loving efforts may be often hidden in the dark for a time, but this doesn’t mean they remain unfruitful.

When the time is right, God brings your results into the light, much like the tiny plant which emerges from the dark soil. Your random acts of kindness and quiet loving gestures are no longer hidden in the darkness. The results become visible and each tiny sprout holds the promise of a bountiful harvest.

You may not always receive human recognition or praise for the contributions you make. Sometimes your good intentions may even be misunderstood. But God knows what is in your heart and He promises that someday you will enjoy a harvest which far exceeds your expectations.

READ MORE ABOUT FEBRUARY 22

Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Tests: Cultivating Patience

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My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  James 1:2-4

When caught up in a moment of testing, we must resist letting our feelings and circumstances serve as a litmus test for our faith. It is not healthy, nor is it accurate.

Tests are for the express purpose of developing patience. Whether the tests come from internal or external forces, they have a purpose. Some of the tests we face are due to our own weaknesses and might easily become our demise, but even then, God always has a better plan. Any test that activates patience is beneficial. Guilt and blame serve no purpose.

Patience tells us that tests are only temporary. Patience tells us that God is doing a good work in us, and He will complete it. Patience tells us not to judge our walk by one random stumble. Patience keeps us steady as we wait for the storm to pass.

It is patience that we lack when we throw up our hands and give up. It is patience that we lack when we question our progress. It is patience that will get us to the finish line. It is patience that will help us be gentle with ourselves.

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