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Mondays with Marilyn Blog

El Shaddai–The All-Sufficient One

When you first studied the name Elohim, you discovered that El displays God’s qualities of power and might. El Shaddai is also a compound name, and it first appears in Genesis 17.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 “And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”  (Genesis 17:1-2).

Does “God Almighty” mean the same as “the God of might and power?” No, it does not. The name El Shaddai bears a different meaning entirely.  Basically, this name is derived from the word “field,” as in, “the fields produce abundance.” It is also translated as “breast,” or “the many-breasted One,” which signifies nourishment and productiveness. In this sense, God is shown as the One who is more than enough— “He who is all-sufficient.” When you see the name El Shaddai, God is saying, “I am more than enough to meet your needs in each situation.”

Throughout Abraham’s life, God promised to bless and multiply him. And the Bible says that Abraham’s blessings are also ours. As El Shaddai, God came to Abraham in the context of total impossibility. He came saying, “I’ll give you seed as numerous as the dust of the earth,” when Abraham was ninety-nine years old. And if that’s not impossible enough, Abraham’s wife was eighty-nine years old.

God shows His all-sufficiency by turning nature around and providing miracles that are contrary to natural events. Although God Himself set the course of nature in motion. He is more than capable of superseding all natural events. That’s what happened when He caused Abraham and Sarah to have a child.

Abraham’s son was named Isaac, and Isaac also knew God as El Shaddai. When Isaac’s own son, Jacob, left home to find a wife, Isaac spoke to him.

Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and charged him, and said to him; “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 “Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 “May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples; (Genesis 28:1-3)

Isaac was saying, “Jacob, may El Shaddai, the God who is all-sufficient, bless you and multiply you! He will work contrary to nature to overcome any difficult circumstances.”

Jacob left home with his father’s blessings and the birthright, but with nothing but his staff in his hand. In fact, he left behind an irate brother, whom he had cheated out of the birthright. The brother’s name was Esau and he was more than ready to kill Jacob. Jacob had been a” mother’s boy,” and he was entering a totally strange situation that didn’t look prosperous at all.

On the way to Padanaram, Jacob slept and dreamed of a ladder that angels were ascending and descending. God spoke to him, saying, “I’m giving this land to you and your seed, and I am going to protect you.”

Greatly encouraged, Jacob continued on his way. When he arrived, he fell in love with a beautiful girl named Rachel. But Rachel’s father, Laban, didn’t possess many beautiful qualities; he was tricky and mean. Jacob agreed to work seven years to pay for Rachel, but then Laban gave Jacob Leah, Rachel’s older sister, instead. Jacob then had to work another seven years in order to have Rachel as his wife, too.

Some people want everything right away; instant coffee, instant tea, and instant answers to prayer. But there’s more to it than instant everything. You have to hold fast to your confidence in order to obtain reward.

God inspired Jacob with a plan for prosperity. Jacob told Laban, “For my hire, I want all of the speckled, spotted, and striped animals that are born.” Laban thought, Great! There are hardly ever any of those.

However, when the strong animals were drinking water at the place where they usually mated, Jacob placed speckled, spotted, and striped stakes and mate. Then, when they conceived, they bore speckled, spotted, and striped animals. Those animals belonged to him. Laban then regretted the deal, because all of the best animals born that year were spotted, speckled, and striped! (See Genesis 30:31-43).

Jacob and his animal kept seeing those stakes. God set forth a vision to bring His Word to pass, and Jacob left as a very wealthy man. Why? Because the all-sufficient El Shaddai was in control. El Shaddai took hold of the natural things and turned them around into supernatural miracles. Jacob knew El Shaddai, as did his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham.

Genesis 35 tells of a third vision that Jacob had.

Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So, He called his name Israel. 11 Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. (Genesis 35:9-11)

Jacob had lived in the midst of strange circumstances and strange people, but God said, “Your situation doesn’t matter! I am what matters. Let Me turn your circumstances around and bless you!”

God brought Jacob out from Laban’s household as a wealthy man, reconciled him with his angry brother, Esau, and gave him many children, Jacob lived as a wealthy, blessed man to a ripe, old age, because he knew El Shaddai.

2025-09-24T09:02:49-06:00November 3rd, 2025|

Ask Marilyn

Sharing Your Faith

Q: I’m not sure I know how to lead someone to the Lord. Are there any specific “rules” I should follow? What do I say?

A: Any Christian can lead someone to the Lord, so let me first encourage you not to succumb to fear or worry about what to say. Pray first and ask the Lord to fill your mouth with the words He would have you say. Then, follow this simple scriptural approach:

  1. Open a Bible to Romans 10. Have the person read aloud verses 9 and 10.
  2. Explain to the person that because these scriptures say that “… confession is made unto salvation,” you are going to lead him/her in a short prayer. Ask the person to repeat after you as you pray.
  3. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your prayer so that the person will be sure to
  • Acknowledge that he/she is a sinner (repentance).
  • Ask the Father to cleanse him/her, by the blood of Jesus, from every sin he has committed—from the day he/she was born to this very moment.
  • Invite Jesus to come into his/her heart and to be Master and Lord of his/her life.
  • Thank God for saving his soul.
  1. Ask the person to read Romans 10:13 aloud. Now, ask him/her to read it again, but this time have him/her substitute his/her own name for “whosoever” in this verse.

The candidate will realize that he/her has fulfilled the simple requirements of verse 13 and that he/her is saved according to God’s Word, whether or not he feels any different!

You may warmly affirm this momentous decision and welcome your new brother or sister to the Body of Christ.

Q: What can I do to help a friend receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

A: The person for the baptism in the Holy Spirit must be a born-again child of God. The work of the Holy Spirit is essential for Christian growth. Through this baptism God empowers the believer to develop and express his/her new life in Jesus Christ.

Many people desire to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, but they don’t know how to do so. Frequently, I open the conversation by saying, “I would love to pray with you to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit.” Then I proceed to:

  1. Open a Bible to Luke 11:10-13 and ask the person to read this passage aloud. These verses establish the way to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We simply “ask” in faith because we know that our loving heavenly Father would never give us a “counterfeit.”
  2. Ask the person to read Acts 2:4 aloud. Assure the individual that just as Jesus’ disciples spoke in tongues when the Holy Spirit came upon them, the individual will also speak in tongues when baptized in the Holy Spirit.
  3. Ask the individual to read Romans 8:26-28 aloud. This will confirm the purpose and the benefits of praying in “tongues.”
  4. Lead the individual in a short prayer during which he asks the Father to baptize him with the Holy Spirit. Now tell the individual that, by faith, you are going to pray in the Spirit together: Encourage the person to speak freely—as the Holy Spirit directs—regardless of how it may sound to the natural ear.
  5. You, the leader, should begin to pray aloud in tongues. After you have prayed together in tongues for a while, you may wish to sing in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15).

Although the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a one-time event, the “infilling” of the Holy Spirit goes on and on and never stops. Encourage your friend to pray in the Spirit every day and to expect to find a new richness in his/her Christian experience.

2025-09-17T11:25:49-06:00October 27th, 2025|

Stand on the Word of God

Do you realize how important it is to spend time reading and meditating on the Word? When we surround ourselves with the favor of God’s Word, we can confidently step out in faith and change situations around us.  The wisdom of the Word in your spirit will give you favor, regardless of the circumstances which may confront you or the people whom you may meet.  Again, remember Psalm 5:12, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” You have an invisible shield of favor surrounding you.

Whenever you are in a state of doubt, fear, or anxiety, remind God of His promises: “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:3). Likewise, Hebrews 10:35 tells us to “not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” Always lift your head high above all circumstances. You are wearing His glorious crown of divine favor.

Many times, we experience deep levels of grief and frustration, but if we hold fast to God’s promises, any situation can be altered! Hebrews 10:23 commands us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

David understood the awesome power of favor because in Psalm 30 he writes, “Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong…” (v. 7). If God’s favor is powerful enough to hold you up, no matter how heavy the pressures may be which come against you! Always remember that He is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). If you are standing on His Word, you can count on Him to uphold all the things in your life and give you wide open doors of favor. Hallelujah!

SCRIPTURES ON FAVOR

The following Scriptures are intended to prove that God will produce favor in your life. Meditate upon these Scriptures and memorize them until they penetrate deep down into your spirit. If you plant them in your heart now, when you are in a time of need, they will be firmly rooted, and you will be able to stand upon them. I just love these verses, and I believe you will, too!

“You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.” (Job 10:12)

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield. (Psalm 5:12)

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” (Psalm 35:27)

By this I know that You favor me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. (Psalm 41:11 MEV)

For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them. (Psalm 44:3)

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11 NIV)

For You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor our horn is exalted. (Psalm 89:17)

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17 NIV)

Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation. That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance. (Psalm 106:4-5)

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4)

He who earnestly seeks good find favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil. (Proverbs 11:27)

A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions He will condemn. (Proverbs 12:2)

Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard. (Proverbs 13:15)

Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor. (Proverbs 14:9)

In the light of the king’s face is life, and his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain. (Proverbs 16:15)

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22)

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold. (Proverbs 22:1)

“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2 NIV)

So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)

For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. (Romans 14:18)

This excerpt was taken from Wide Open Doors. Wide Open Doors Book | Marilyn and Sarah

2025-09-17T10:49:59-06:00October 20th, 2025|

Jesus Our Refuge

Jesus Our Refuge

OP December, 1987

Can you remember a time when you were facing a situation that looked simply hopeless? Perhaps there was a battle with sin or a crisis that overwhelmed you, and you didn’t know where to turn. Anytime is a good time to remember that just as Joseph and Mary found refuge for Jesus in a stable, you can find refuge in Jesus for the peace, joy, and victory that you desire whenever “hopeless” or troublesome situations arise.

The Old Testament gives us a beautiful picture of all that Jesus is to us as our refuge in times of trouble. In Exodus 21:13 Moses made reference to “a place” where those who had accidentally killed someone could take refuge to avoid any negative consequences from the killing. Then in Numbers 35:6 the Lord told Moses to make arrangements for six cities of refuge. Anyone who had unintentionally killed someone could run to one of these cities and there receive protection from revenge-seeking relatives of the dead person.

Jesus is our refuge whether we have intentionally or unintentionally sinned against God or man. If we’ll repent and run to Jesus, He can reverse any curse that results from our sin. No matter how devastating our circumstances, we can find real peace and joy by fleeing to Jesus our refuge.

Did you notice that God provided the appointed place of refuge long before the Israelites ever entered the Promised Land? The same is true for our refuge Jesus: Revelation 13:8 says that He is the Lamb which was slain before the foundation of the world. God provided for our complete well-being before He laid the foundation of the world. Let’s run to Jesus when we sin; He was waiting for us long before we ever blew it!

According to Joshua 20:5 the Old Testament cities of refuge were to provide shelter from the avenger of blood. The devil is your avenger, and there is only one place to go for protection from the avenger. You may try to run to other people or flee here and there seeking help, but Jesus is your only place of permanent victory over the devil.

In Colossians 2:15 Paul says that Jesus … disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Jesus undid the works of the devil; that’s why we can flee to Him and avoid the avenger.

Most of the cities of refuge were set on a hill so that they would be very visible. A light was kept burning at all times, which made the city accessible even at night.

This aspect of the cities reminds us that Jesus, in Matthew 5:14, said Christians are like a city set on a hill, and Christians are the light of the world. We need to be shining lights, plainly visible to anyone in need of shelter from the darkness that is in the world. Like the star that led the wise men to Jesus, we are the ones to point sinners to the true Light—Jesus Christ.

The roads to these cities of refuge were plainly marked. In Deuteronomy 19:3 Moses instructed the Israelites to … shall prepare roads for yourself … to each city. Tradition says that rocks were painted white, labeled miqlat, or “refuge” and placed along the route leading to the cities of refuge.

Likewise, Jesus is easy to find. Paul, in the first chapter of the book of Romans, says that even nature points the way of God. The way of salvation is clearly given in the Scriptures, and everyone can find refuge in Jesus.

Numbers 35:14 says that God graciously provided for three cities east of the Jordan River and three cities west of the Jordan River; thus, all the Israelites had easy access to a refuge near them.

Is Jesus easily accessible, or do you have to do ten push-ups, take a hot shower, and run around the block to get His attention? He’s accessible! You don’t have to look far to find Jesus; the Bible says, The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart … (Psalm 34:18), and The Lord is near to all who call upon Him … (Psalm 145:18).

Jesus is always accessibel. He’s really close. Romans 10:8 says “… The word is [Christ] near you in your mouth …” Jesus is as close as your mouth; call on Him as your refuge in times of need!

Let’s remember for whom these cities of refuge were built originally—they were built for murderers! Who is Jesus for –the “righteous”? No Jesus is for the sinner. If you sin, don’t cover it up—confess it. Don’t run from Jesus; run to Jesus! He can absolutely transform your worst circumstance.

The murderer was required to stay within the city of refuge. Numbers 35:26-27 says that if he walked out of the city gates, the avenger could kill him. The murderer’s only place of safety was within the city walls.

Our only place of safety is “in Christ”. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). We need to abide, abide, abide—and that means staying in the Word! When we quit abiding, the devil, the avenger, can bring every imaginable curse upon us. Our only protection from illness, fear, strife, and all the other deadly things in this life is to abide continuously in Jesus.

Look at Numbers 35:15 “These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them…”. These cities were for Jews and gentiles—God’s chosen people and the strangers.

Jesus is for the “strangers” among us. Jesus loves them all. He wants to be a refuge for everyone.

The last comparison I want to make is probably the key one: the murderer was completely delivered. Numbers 35:28 tells us that when the High Priest of the city died, the murderer could go completely free without fear of any retaliation.

You and I have a great High Priest Who has died, making us completely free from the avenger’s power. We can go any place without fear, because Jesus is always with us; He has promised never to leave us or forsake us.

One time I was traveling into a communist country and someone asked me, “Aren’t you afraid to go to a communist country?”

No, frankly, I’m not. Jesus is more powerful than communism, and when I go into a communist country, Jesus goes with me. He died to set me free from fear and from the power of sin and Satan. I’m free, and so are you! In addition, our great High Priest rose from the dead, and Hebrews 7:25 declares “… He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

The six cities of refuge met the needs of the whole nation of Israel. Jesus our refuge is sufficient to meet the needs of the entire Bod of Christ. Don’t look to people to meet your needs; at best they can only lead you to Jesus to His Word. Seek refuge in the One Who is the fulfillment of the six cities of refuge:

  1. Kedesh means “holy.” When we run to Jesus, He takes our sin and gives us His holiness.
  2. Shechem means “shoulder.” The Bible says that the government shall be upon His shoulder (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus knows how to govern our affairs. We can trust Him to administer justice on our behalf in all our relationships.
  3. Hebron means “fellowship.” Jesus is available, day and night, to hear our prayers and share our concerns. If we ever feel lonely, we can call on Him; Jesus will never snub us or turn us away.
  4. Bezer means “a fortified place.” The Lord is a stronghold to us. When all the world looks as though it’s caving in, hold onto Jesus; He’s a rock and an anchor.
  5. Ramoth means “exaltation.” When we run to Jesus, He lifts us up with Him far above all the powers of darkness. He will never let us down.
  6. Golan means “joy.” Jesus says that He wants our joy to be full. Regardless of what we’ve done or where we’ve been, Jesus will turn our sadness into joy if we will seek refuge in Him.

Jesus is our eternal refuge. Today, and every day, let’s seek to abide in Him and in His Word. When pressures or circumstances try to overwhelm us, Jesus is more than sufficient to meet our needs. Let’s run to Him, abide in Him, and experience the best week ever!

This classic teaching is an excerpt taken from Outpouring Magazine, The Voice of Marilyn Hickey Ministries, December 1987

 

2025-09-10T10:43:05-06:00October 13th, 2025|

Ask Marilyn

HEARING FROM GOD

AND KNOWING HIS WILL

Q: I’m not sure if I’m hearing God’s voice or someone else’s. What does God’s voice sound like?

A: We all struggle with the question: “Is this the voice of God?” John 10 offers us a wonderful promise: The Lord’s sheep know His voice, and the voice of a stranger they will not follow. The voice of God can come to us in different ways.  In the Old Testament the voice of God is described as still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12).  Most often God’s voice sounds very much like our own thoughts.  But these thoughts do not originate from the mind; they come from deep within our own spirit.

Believers have been promised that as we continue to walk with God, He will guide us with His eye upon us and lead us in the way that we should go (Psalm 32:8). And according to Galatians 5:16, we can know that we are being led by the Holy Spirit if we are walking in the Spirit; and walking in the Spirit means to act on God’s Word, no matter what “sense-knowledge” tells us.  I believe that our flesh seeks after signs—something we can see or feel.  Check out the leadings you have by asking yourself, “Is this my flesh wanting a sign, or is this God’s Word directing my spirit?” If you follow the Word, you will never be disappointed.

Q: Several people have told me that God has a special call on my life. Please help me find out what God’s will is for my life.

A: I want to share with you three steps that have helped me discern the will of God for my life: (1) the desire must line up with the Word; (2) you should have an inner witness of your leading—the Holy Spirit bears witness with God’s Word in your spirit which brings you peace; and (3) circumstances should like up accordingly. At times there may be a waiting period.  The desire may be scriptural; you may have an inner witness; but circumstances may take some time before coming together.  When this happens, it’s important to be patient.  It is never wise to try to make things come together on your own. God will bring to completion what He’s begun (Proverbs 3:5-6).

You can trust God for your future.  As you learn to rely more on Him and less on your own “feelings,” you will find a peace that truly passes all understanding.  Be very careful about accepting any “Word from the Lord” from others.  Remember, all “words” must line up with the Word, your own inner witness, and the circumstances.  Anytime we depend on someone else’s understanding of God’s will for our lives, we are putting ourselves in a place of danger.

Q: What do people mean when they talk about revelation knowledge?

A: God is continually giving us deeper revelation knowledge (insight) into His Word. However, the key to revelation knowledge is that it must always line up with and be tested according to the known Word of God—the Bible.  Revealed knowledge often opens up God’s Word to us in a fresh way—not adding to the Word nor taking away from it, but revealing it to us in a deeper way: “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10 NKJV).

Jesus very clearly indicated to us that the Holy Spirit would be our teacher and teach us things by revelation (see John 14). I believe the apostle Paul was referring to revelation knowledge when he wrote about the revelation of mystery (Romans 16:25) and when he instructed the Corinthians in the use of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:26). Paul also prayed that God would give the Church revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17).

Nevertheless, Paul also warned that if anyone, including an angel from heaven, came with a revelation other than the gospel which was brought to the world by Jesus, then we would know that revelation was not from God. So then any “revealed knowledge” beyond God’s Word as found in the Bible is not of God.  Nearly every cult has an additional source of written authority besides the Bible. These extra-Biblical scriptures are not from God.

Q: I think that God has called me to full-time ministry. Do you have a witness of my call? Where should I begin ministering?

A: There is nothing that delights my heart more than to see a believer called into full-time ministry. If you are truly called, it will be the number-one, consuming desire of your life and God will begin to open the doors for you. I cannot tell another person whether or not they are called, because God wants you to be certain in your own heart. It never hurts to “knock on doors” in order to find opportunities to minister.  Be wise and discreet as you watch God open doors for you.

Also, I believe Bible school is a wise step in preparing for ministry.  Second Timothy 2:15 tells us to, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed…” I recommend my Bible college as a possibility for your training.  We offer an Associate of

Arts degree in Christian Education, Counseling, Pastoral Ministry, Youth Ministry, Missions, and General Ministry.  The General Ministry Program is available either on-campus or through independent study by correspondence.

Q: I am struggling trying to keep the vision of my ministry. Have you ever been discouraged about serving God?

A:  My heart has been deeply touched as I’ve traveled around the country and have met many individuals in the five-fold ministry asking similar questions. I do know how it feels to be discouraged, and at times I wondered whether I was really in God’s will for my life and my ministry.

I want to encourage you not to give up hope. Please continue to press on to victory—it will come eventually as you trust in God’s ability to deliver you from your circumstances.

God’s Word promises that “…lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the ” (Matthew 28:20). Above all: “…do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:35 – 36 NAS)

Q: I’m resting now from near burnout from church duties, outside women’s organizations, my family responsibilities, etc. My quiet times during this time were not what they should be, but now I find myself having regular, quality quiet time but feeling a lack of fulfillment. I don’t seem to have any vision, and the Lord seems to be silent.  Do you have any suggestions or scriptures?

A: The answer to your burnout problem and present lack of fulfillment is found in John 15:1-2: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

In every life there are seasons of bearing fruit, pruning, growing, and bearing more fruit. Certainly, in the times of “fruit bearing,” where there is evidence of what our life is producing, we have a sense of fulfillment because we can “see” what we have done.

However, there are necessary times when God puts us in a “dormant” state so that we can abide in Him and He in us: “…As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4 NKJV). I believe you may be experiencing an “abiding time” in your life.  God is giving you a season of rest, consolidation, and a chance to re-energize.  Enjoy it! Receive this time as God’s wisdom for this season in your life.

If the Lord is silent, then you can be certain that you are in His will! The Holy Spirit gets “noisy” within us when we begin to walk outside of God’s will.

Q:  There is a man who loves to argue in the Sunday school class my husband and I teach. It doesn’t matter what the subject is or how we approach it; he is very vocal in his criticism of our understanding of the Bible and our presentation. No one else complains.  The pastor has talked with him, but he continues to cause problems.  What should we do?”

A:  You and your husband are being harassed by the devil, and you are being much too nice to him! Satan knows your potential and your heart for God, and he is doing everything he can to stop you. Take your God-given authority and power over Satan in Jesus’ name, and command him to stop in his activity against you and your class.

After seeking God’s guidance and wisdom, you need to go to this man and confront him in love but in firmness.  You also need to forgive him and put the matter under the blood of Jesus; BUT this kind of disturbance needs to be stopped.  This man is in rebellion by not coming under the leader’s authority, whether it be you as a teacher, or the pastor. Satan will use him to bring dissension in the Body.

Brief comments and discussion that both build and enforce the teaching should always be welcome, IF time and circumstance permit; but negative and derogatory remarks are absolutely out of order: Follow the Biblical pattern in Matthew 18:15-20 in a spirit of meekness, and trust the Lord to resolve this problem.

You also have ministering spirits—angels—who are sent to perform the Word of God as you speak it from your lips.  They will aid you in carrying out your authority based on God’s Word.

Q:  I know that God has a calling on my life either to preach or to teach so I quit my job because I didn’t want anything to hold me back. Some doors have been opened, but I really need more financial support. Would it be all right for me to work part-time at a secular job?

A:  Yes, you can be called to the ministry and still work at a secular job. There are many faithful men and women in the ministry today who are holding down full-or-part-time jobs in order to support themselves. And in the Bible we find that it was the apostle Paul’s custom to provide for his needs by working with his own hands (see 2 Thessalonians 3:8).

Q:  Marilyn, I just don’t understand how someone can be truly close to God, like David in the Bible, and still sin so terribly.

A:  Being close to God does not make one exempt from sin. Saul, David, and Solomon certainly had the hand of God upon them, but as humans they were still given to temptation and sin. Like each of us, these great men had a choice—each day brought new opportunities either to be defeated or to be victorious.  These Old Testament men did not have the New Testament covenant rights that we now have, which include understanding our authority and power through God’s Word.

Because all humans have a sin nature, there is no person on earth who is exempt from temptation and sin.  We have seen that in the Body of Christ when great men and women of God have been tempted and, in a time of weakness, have fallen.  You have experienced this type of temptation and succumbed to sin, and so have I. Being in a leadership position often makes a person even more vulnerable because Satan has assigned demon spirits to tempt leaders and try to cause them to fall.  That is why it is important for all of us to stay close to God through His Word, prayer, and fellowship with one another.

And always remember the good news that “…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27 NKJV). The word possible refers to “miracle-working power.” The miracle-working power of God’s grace can keep you in His righteousness.

2025-08-06T12:46:14-06:00September 29th, 2025|

Seeing Jesus in Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets)

The Feast of Trumpets (also known as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year) starts on September 22 this year. In the Old Testament (Leviticus 23:25), it was in preparation for the Feast of Atonement and announced the voice of God and His might in warfare, gatherings, and coronations. When the feast was eaten, the people knew that were eating victory, that nothing was impossible with God, and that they could be free from anything.

During this time in history, the ram’s horn was very important, serving as a representation of Jesus’s victory in our lives. Every feast began with the blowing of the shofar (a trumpet made from the ram’s horn), then the people would feast on who God was, giving them a revelation of their true Messiah. The first time we see the horn of a ram mentioned in Scripture was when Abraham was about to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord, but God provided a ram instead, sparing Isaac’s life (see Genesis 22:13).

Several hundred years later, the Israelites blew the trumpets as they conquered Jericho. They marched once around the city for seven days, then on the seventh day they marched seven times—each time they marched around, the priests blew their trumpets. This blowing of the trumpets gave the people confidence that they were going to win because God would make them victorious.

Seen throughout the Bible close to 20 times, the blowing of the trumpets had several different meanings and announcements to the people:

  • Trumpets were blown before going into battle, claiming victory (Numbers 10:9).
  • In the year of Jubilee, the trumpets were blown to kick off the celebration (Leviticus 25).
  • The trumpets were blown for a calling to repentance, and repentance led to victory (Leviticus 23).
  • Trumpets were blown when someone became king (2 Samuel 15:10; 2 Kings 9:13; 11:14, 2 Chronicles 23:13).
  • Isaiah 27:12-13 reveals the prophecy of the coming of Jesus through the blowing of trumpets. This meant that Jesus would raise the believers from the dead and take them to heaven to be with Him eternally.
  • The harvest resurrection will start with the sound of a trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

The greatest Feast of Trumpets will be when Jesus comes back, and we are all caught up to be with Him in heaven. Just as the trumpets were blown for the coronation of a king, the trumpets will again sound when the King of Kings comes to reign victoriously forever!

2025-08-06T12:37:12-06:00September 22nd, 2025|

Bury Your Unbelief

I have a special scripture God gave me. So put your hand on your heart because I want you to listen Okay. And this is, Mark 11:23 “Whosoever shall say to this mountain, be thou removed and cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart, but believe the things that he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.” So now I want you to put your hands up because you’re going to speak to your mountains. Why? Because you’re going to get what’s on the other side, right? Okay. Say Father in the name of Jesus, I speak to this mountain that is obstructing me from what I need to have. I thank you Father, that today, today I get what’s on the other side. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I like this about God. He always wants to give you dramatic changes that are good. So put your hand on your heart. Say I’m getting a dramatic change that is good.

I want you to look at five areas of your life.  You know, there’s some things I have wanted and wanted to see God do, but I have doubts. It has you, looking at it like, I never had a doubt in my life. I have, I don’t believe you.

I think we both had doubts. And so what do we do? And I’m really dealing with five of the basic doubts that can come your way and want to do with them. So number one is David had a wife who was a jerk. You know, Michael got upset with him because she saw him dancing before the Lord. That’s really bad news. And she despised him in her heart because she thought he wasn’t sophisticated enough so he never went with her again. He divorced her. And folks, sometimes I looked at this, you have to divorce your unbelief. You know, there are some things that you think, well yeah, God can do it, but I don’t know if he’ll do it for me. And so you have to say, okay, can God do all things? Can I believe God in these challenging times? You say, no, I can’t.

Now we’re going to pray. Okay, ready? Say Father, I believe according to the Bible, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And so it’s important for us to separate ourselves from those unbelief’s. Now you say, how do you do that? And it’s a shame that she didn’t divorce herself from her unbelief because she never had any children. So, unbelief keeps you in a negative place. And what was it? It was criticism. Did you ever criticize anybody? But criticizing others and how they did it, what they didn’t do, or how they dressed or how they treated their children or how they don’t handle their money right.

Don’t criticize because it does something to you. It caused her to lose her opportunity for a child. Really, and that’s big time. Bury your criticism of others. Who are you mad at today? Who are you criticizing today? I’m not going to ask you to raise your hand. Just put your hand on your heart and pray and say, Father, that criticism I have of that person, whether it’s right or wrong, I am burying. I’m leaving it here, and I’m not picking it up and taking it home. I’m not called to criticize. I’m called to change. Amen.

Okay. Now I want to talk about another D, and this is death because sometimes death can be a real hard thing for us. So here David has a son and Bathsheba and the child dies and David is fasting during this time. You know, everyone has had disappointments in prayer.

Well, you’ve had disappointments in circumstances. You get disappointed at God sometime and if you say you haven’t, you’re a liar. Cause I’ve been disappointed at God sometimes I thought he should do it faster and just do it. He hasn’t even done it yet. You know what I’m saying? And David had a son and you know, the son was very sick and David fasted and prayed. Now he could have taken a lot of condemnation on himself because this baby was born out of wedlock but he didn’t, he fasted and prayed and says, maybe the lord will bring him back. I don’t want him to die. I don’t want him to die.  David stood that I want this child to live.  And there are some things I have wanted I didn’t get.

And so then do you give up on God and wave God goodbye? No way. What did he do? He’s fasting and praying and it doesn’t happen. And he said, I can’t bring him back to life, but someday I can go to him. He can’t come back to me, but I can go to him. Do you look for the positive part of what God can do? I find sometimes we carry grief because we don’t like the way God did it. We wanted him to do such and such and it didn’t happen. So that can be a dangerous thing. I’m going to share some family things. When my father died and my father was hard to live with, he had mental problems. My mother didn’t have a picnic with him and you know, he got all right and then he died and my mother went into grief and she was grieving all the time, all the time.

And I thought, why are you doing this? One day I called her and I felt like God gave me an answer.  I called her one day and I said, mother, do you believe that Jesus carried your grief and sorrow? The Bible says it. Yes. She said, I believe it. I said, then why are you carrying the grief of your husband? Because if Jesus carried it for you, what are you doing carrying it? And she cried and prayed, and that was the end of it. You can carry grief. But does the Bible say he carried your griefs?  Are you going to carry this? Because grief can break you down. It can wound you to no end. We know that. I looked at this and I thought David was smart.  He can’t come to me, but I can go to him. He chose the path of what God could do in this situation and he could do a great miracle. Now, grief, let’s just talk about it. People say to me, well, grief is good for you. Well, it might be good for a little while, but when people carry it and carry it, they quit going to church, quit reading their Bible because they’re mad at God and grieved at God. That’s dangerous.  Grief can be dangerous. We have to bury our grief and trust God’s word.

Now I’ve had disappointments. Oh God, I wanted this door to open and it didn’t open. Where are you? You know, but you’re going to have to leave some of these things with God and trust God. Everybody say it, trust God, and my mother was a different person after that and she lived very well until she died.

Now the third thing is disease. You know the leper.  I’m wild in faith, you know I always will be. It says a man with leprosy came and knelt before Jesus. Lord, if you’re willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing. He said, be clean. Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Does God want you to be whole? Yes. Now he was cleansed of leprosy. Jesus said, I’m willing.  I think you have to stand on this, I am willing, and I may take a while, but I think wholeness here is bigger. Jesus said be clean. I’m willing. Be clean. Immediately he was cleansed of the leprosy.  That’s wonderful.  But I think also leprosy chewed off their fingers, their toes, parts of their body. Jesus restored what he had lost. I think he got some new fingers and some new toes. I bet he really looked good. Maybe he hadn’t had a nose, but I think wholeness can be more than just getting rid of it. It can be getting hold of what you lost. Do you like that? You turn down what God can give you. And what about timing? I don’t understand God’s timing. I wish he’d get faster and some things are fast.  You need to bury your unbelief that God is not willing to heal and just not give up. So let’s do it. Father, I bury unbelief. I thank you Father, that I am free from disappointment. You called me here. You have a purpose. I’m not looking down. I’m looking up.

Okay, the next one is disaster. Everybody say disaster and that’s kind of what we think we’re in right now is a disaster. Shall we fall apart? Have a nervous breakdown? I don’t think so. Suddenly. Now when we look at this, this is Paul and Barnabas in a prison, and what are they doing at midnight?

Where is God? I can’t believe he deserted us. We’re so good. We preach the gospel. Then we get in trouble and he looks the other way. Watch your behavior in disaster and help others when they are in disaster. You have to bury your unbelief. And what did they begin to do? They began to praise God. Wow. And immediately, all the doors and everyone’s chains were loosed. You realize I wasn’t just their chains that were loosed. It was everybody. Your faith affects everybody. And what I see in my life is faith pleases God. If I want to whine and murmur around it, it doesn’t please God. But if I want to believe and people think I’m crazy and relatives doing man neighbors, Hey, it’s very important that I please God, very important. And sometimes it takes a long time on some things, and some things you don’t understand, but you trust God. Anyway, so bury your unbelief that God cannot bring your freedom.

Despair is a horrible thing. And I think about Absalom’s sister, she was raped by her half-brother. I’m sure you would want to kill them. Somebody hurting your sister, your half-sister or hurting your family. That’s a horrible, horrible thing. And you can live in bitterness, you can live in it. And this is a very serious thing.

And probably some of you know mine, I don’t know, you’ve been here a long time, but what are we going to do? Are we going to hold on to bitterness? Are we going to hold on to despair? You know, I don’t believe we can hold on to bitterness.

It’s just something that latches itself onto you and suddenly you realize, Oh yes, I am bitter about that. And you can be free. Why hold onto it. Bitterness hurts you.  If you live in that bitterness, wow, you’re going to hurt yourself and you think you’re hurting them. But the one you are hurting the most is yourself.

You know, folks, there comes a point when it can be buried and you don’t have it.  I want you to pray now. Say, Father, I want to give up bitterness. I want to give up despair because I don’t want to have bitterness destroy me. Because if you don’t bury it, how can I tell you this? It can bury you. I don’t want to be buried. Amen. hat keeps us in despair. Say, Father, I don’t want to be bitter. I don’t want to think I deserve to be bitter. I want to be free. I am repenting of any bitterness I’ve held toward anyone and I believe that you are doing things in me. I’m going to leave here in freedom in Jesus’ name. Amen. God, we thank you that we’re not going to carry bitterness out of here and what is it comes to your mind.

I’ve already repented. I’ve forgiven. I’m not under that. Okay. Put your hand on your heart. Say, Father, I want to repent of any bitterness I have carried toward anyone. I thank you that who the Son sets free is free Indeed. I am free from all bitterness in Jesus’ name and I stay free because I remember, I chose to forgive to bury that unforgiveness. Amen.

Now, the last one fits everybody. Bury thoughts that tell you God does not care about your future. I think that’s one of the worst things of all. Well, look with what’s happening in the world, he doesn’t care about my future or look at where I have failed. He doesn’t have a future for me. God has good future for us and we need not to go there with that. And I think with all the news that we see, we can really think negative, can’t we? I’m not going to think negative.  And I don’t think we can ever give up on our children and on our circumstances.

We believe that God will take care of our future and that it isn’t over till we win.

2025-07-24T06:16:52-06:00September 8th, 2025|

Endure to Receive the Promise

What is the purpose of endurance? You endure to receive the promise that God has made to you.

Abraham went through many trials and tribulations. When God told him his descendants would be as the stars of the sky and the sand of the sea, there were no heirs to fulfill the promise. Abraham had no idea how the promise would be fulfilled but he was confident that somehow God would perform what He had promised.

God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child. They were perplexed and puzzled. Abraham and Sarah had long passed their prime—physically and naturally there was no way for Sarah to have a child.

But Abraham and Sarah endured until one day, Isaac, the son of promise, was born. He was their tangible proof that God could be trusted, that His Word was true.  Today Abraham’s seed is as the stars of the heavens and the sand of the sea! Abraham reigns today because he trusted that God’s promise to him was true. Hebrews 6:15 “…after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

2025-07-24T06:03:44-06:00September 1st, 2025|

Remember the Work of Faith, Labor of Love and Patience of Hope

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.
I Thessalonians 1:3 (NKJV)

There are three things in this verse that stand out to me, and I know that you will love them just as I do:

Faith can work, love can labor, and hope can give you patience.  If we feel we have faith, yet do nothing, we don’t really have faith.  If we say we have love, yet do nothing, we don’t really have love.  If we say we have hope, then we will be patient until we see the manifestation of what God has for us.

HOPE in the Hebrew means “rope.”  I believe God lets His rope down from heaven so we can tie a knot in it and hold onto it until we see the manifestation of our faith and our love.

Rahab had hope in God’s Word.  She even put a red rope in her window.  Her wall stood when other walls fell.  When other people’s walls fall, their lives fall down too.  If you hang onto the rope of God’s hope, your wall will stand.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We know that it is through faith and patience that we inherit Your promises.  We decide to hold to faith and to have patience until we see the fulfillment of Your promises.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen

2025-07-23T09:12:59-06:00August 25th, 2025|

Be-Attitudes

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:6-8)

As Christians, we often concentrate so heavily on what we can get and need from Jesus that we forget to focus on Jesus.  We get so wrapped up in the cares of this world that we lose sight of our goal – to be like Jesus.  Paul said that his number one goal was to know Jesus.  Paul understood that when Christians know Jesus, they become like Him; and when they learn how to be like Jesus, then they can do the things that He did.  I call this lifestyle motivation the “Be-Attitudes.”

In Matthew 5, there are nine “be-attitudes,” which break into three sets of three.  Within each set, there is a “thesis” (a major truth), an “antithesis” (an opposite truth), and a combination of the two, or a “synthesis.” For example, if hydrogen is the thesis and oxygen is the antithesis, the synthesis of the two is water.

The “be-attitude,” in verse 6 explains that to be Christlike, we need to hunger and thirst after Jesus: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” This is our “thesis.” Hunger and thirst are two basic needs of life because they are intrinsically linked to self-preservation.  But do you see what Jesus said here?  He is telling you to use these survival instincts to seek Him through righteousness.  You must become attached to the source of life – the tree of righteousness – not to the things of this world.  Then, you will be filled; you will receive His kind of right thinking, right acting, and right speaking.  However, you must be careful not to become so righteousness-conscious that you become legalistic.

That’s why Jesus added the antithesis in verse 7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Mercy says, “If you blow it all, I’ll love you anyway.” God wants us to be righteous, but He wants us to be merciful, too.  Jesus loves you just the way you are!  That’s mercy! But to major on mercy can be dangerous because if you are only merciful, then you will be a pushover.  You must temper mercy and righteousness together.

So that leads to the “synthesis.” Verse 8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” To become so like God that you can see Him, you need to combine righteousness and mercy in your life so you can have a pure heart.  When your heart is pure, you will see God in your circumstances.

There’s something else interesting about mercy and righteousness.  Psalm 85 says: “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.” Mercy and truth together, and righteousness and peace go together.  I believe this refers to the mercy seat.  If you recall, there were two cherubim whose wings overshadowed the mercy seat.  This was the place where mercy and truth abounded and righteousness and peace came together, foreshadowing the coming Prince of Peace – and when these meet, they are in the presence of God.

Where do you experience the presence of God?  There do you see Him?  When righteousness and mercy “kiss each other” in your life.  That describes the Christian life.

This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s 101-day devotional, Beautiful Inheritance.

2025-07-23T08:28:55-06:00August 18th, 2025|

God’s Power in You

Have you tried and tried and yet failed to overcome your weaknesses? Then you are close to deliverance. If you have discovered that your own efforts will never be enough to secure a lasting victory, then you are ready to turn to God’s power to destroy the ties—your inherent weaknesses—that bind you:

But as many as receive him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12

When you were born again, God came to live in you to restore you to wholeness of “sonship.” Having lived for years as a slave to family iniquities, you defined yourself by your weaknesses. You may have heard yourself saying thing like: “I’m always sick; I go from one thing to another! I’ll always be poor too. Why, if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all! I’ve tied to give up drinking, but it’s stronger than I am. I’ll go to my grave doing it—just like my dad did.”

You can define yourself down to being a powerless creature—a victim of your own weaknesses. But you are not a victim but a victor; not a loser but a winner; not on the bottom but above every sin, situation, and sickness.

You don’t have to plead and beg for deliverance; the gift has already been given to you. You don’t have to be worthy, go to Bible school, be called to full-time ministry, or be perfect with no past mistakes. This very minute you have within you the power of God.

This power is not just for your salvation—that was only the beginning. As a child of God, you are promised an abundant life:

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

God’s power will roll over and crash through anything—including family iniquities—that stand between you and the abundant life due to you as a child of God. It is time for you to redefine yourself by the Scriptures and assume your real identity as God’s son or daughter—a supernatural being who wields the power of break the curse in your family tree and to establish generational blessings.

2025-08-13T11:04:30-06:00August 11th, 2025|

I Am Resting in the Lord

MY HEART WILL TRUST IN HIM AND I’LL NOT FEAR.

Did you know that Solomon wrote Psalm 127 just before the death of his father, David? Solomon’s brother, Adonijah, was trying to take the throne by deceitful means, even though the kingship was promised to Solomon. Instead of fighting with Adonijah over the throne, Solomon wrote this Psalm. Basically, it says, “Why worry? If God wants me on the throne, I’ll be there.” His heart was at peace with the Lord.

Solomon had received a spiritual name from Nathan, the prophet. The name was Jedidah, which means “beloved.” When Solomon wrote Psalm 127, he said, “For so He gives His beloved sleep” (vs. 2). Solomon was really inserting his own name, Jedidah. Read this Psalm, and you can insert your name, too, for you are dear to His heart; you are His beloved.

Can you take the step of faith that Solomon took? Can you look at your own situation and say, “Why worry? God’s Word is true; He will perform that which He has promised!” Of course you can! As you go to sleep tonight, remind yourself of who He says that you are. “God calls things that are not as though they were,” and He has given this awesome power to you! Once you speak His Word over your situation, the work is already accomplished, whether or not you see the work as completed with your natural eye. Let your heart REST in the assurance of His Word. Stop worrying, you are of His beloved; He has called you “Jedidah.” You are His bride, His chosen, and you above all others should let your heart REST in Him.

2025-07-24T06:06:30-06:00August 4th, 2025|

Ask Marilyn

Over the years, I’ve had people ask me questions about discouragement in ministry, burnout, and hearing God’s voice. I have compiled a few of those questions and answered them below. I hope that you will find the answers informative and that they will encourage you in your walk with the Lord.

Q: I am struggling trying to keep the vision of my ministry. Have you ever been discouraged about serving God?

A: My heart has been deeply touched as I’ve traveled and have met many individuals in the five-fold ministry asking similar questions. I do know how it feels to be discouraged, and at times I wondered whether I was really in God’s will for my life and my ministry. I want to encourage you not to give up hope. Please continue to press on to victory—it will come eventually as you trust in God’s ability to deliver you from your circumstances. God promises us in Matthew 28:20 that “[He is] with you always, even to the end of the age.” Hebrews 10:35-36 says, “Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (NASB).

Q: I’m resting from near burnout from church duties, outside women’s organizations, my family responsibilities, etc. During that season, my quiet times were not what they should be. Now I find myself having regular, quality quiet time but feeling a lack of fulfillment. I don’t seem to have any vision, and the Lord seems to be silent. Do you have any suggestions or Scriptures?

A: The answer to your burnout problem and present lack of fulfillment is found in John 15:1-2: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” In life, there are seasons of bearing fruit, pruning, growing, and bearing more fruit. Certainly, in the times of “fruit bearing,” where there is evidence of what our life is producing, we have a sense of fulfillment because we can “see” what we have done. However, there are necessary times when God puts us in a “dormant” state so that we can abide in Him and He in us. John 15 goes on to say, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (v. 4). I believe you may be experiencing a time of “abiding” in your life. God is giving you a season of rest, consolidation, and a chance to re-energize. Enjoy it! Receive this time as God’s wisdom for this season in your life. If the Lord is silent, then you can be certain that you are in His will! The Holy Spirit gets “noisy” within us when we begin to walk outside of God’s will.

Q: I’m not sure if I’m hearing God’s voice or someone else’s voice. What does God’s voice sound like?

A: We all struggle with the question, “Is this the voice of God?” As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, John 10:3-5 offers us a wonderful promise: “…the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” The voice of God can come to us in different ways. In the Old Testament, the voice of God is described as a still, small voice (1Kings 19:11-2). Most often, God’s voice sounds very much like our own thoughts. But these thoughts do not originate from the mind, they come from deep within our own spirit. Believers have been promised that as we continue to walk with God, He will guide us with His eye upon us and lead us in the way we should go (Psalm 32:8). According to Galatians 5:16, we can know that we are being led by the Holy Spirit if we are walking in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit means to act on God’s Word no matter what our senses (or “sense-knowledge”) tells us. I believe our flesh seeks after signs—something we can see or feel. Check out the leading you have by asking yourself, “Is this my flesh wanting a sign, or is this God’s Word directing my spirit?” If you follow the Word, you will never be disappointed.

Q: Several people have told me that God has a special call on my life. How do I find out what God’s will is for my life?

A: I want to share with you three steps that have helped me discern the will of God for my life:

  1. The desire must line up with the Word;
  2. You should have an inner witness of your leading—the Holy Spirit bears witness with God’s Word in your spirit which brings you peace; and
  3. Circumstances should line up accordingly. At times there may be a waiting period.  The desire may be scriptural; you may have an inner witness; but circumstances may take some time before coming together.  When this happens, it’s important to be patient.  It is never wise to try to make things come together on your own. God will bring to completion what He’s begun (Proverbs 3:5-6).

You can trust God for your future.  As you learn to rely more on Him and less on your own “feelings,” you will find a peace that truly passes all understanding.  Be very careful about accepting any “Word from the Lord” from others.  Remember, all “words” must line up with the Word, your own inner witness, and the circumstances.  Anytime we depend on someone else’s understanding of God’s will for our lives, we are putting ourselves in a place of danger.

2025-06-18T10:50:41-06:00July 28th, 2025|

Harmony in Our Homes

HARMONY IN OUR HOMES
“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)

Anyone who reads Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel can’t help but feel sorry for her. Hannah had no children and was the object of ridicule and scorn from her husband’s second wife, Peninnah.  Hannah took the only route out of her suffering and the only way out of her bitter relationship with Peninnah—she prayed.

Hannah prayed before the Lord, and she “wept in anguish” (1 Samuel 1:10). This was obviously an intense time of prayer for Hannah. Notice how she prayed and what happened next: “Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk” (1 Samuel 1:13). Hannah could have become offended and said, “Well, if Eli, the priest, doesn’t understand my heart, I’ll never come into the tabernacle of God again!” But if the devil could have made her offended over Eli’s words, Hannah never would have gotten what she desired most—a son.  Hannah stayed in faith, she shared her burden with Eli, and God granted her prayer.  You never read about a bad relationship between Hannah and Peninnah after the birth of Samuel.  I believe their relationship was healed because Hannah sought the Lord instead of becoming bitter and hostile toward those around her.  If you and I are going to see victories in our relationships, we are going to have to pray in earnest.

Often, binding and loosing must take place before unity develops.  Jesus taught His disciples: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). If we are going to have harmonious relationships with our spouses, our fellow employees, and our relatives, we need to learn the value of binding and loosing, just like my mother did. After she was saved and Spirit-filled, she could hardly wait to tell her family about Jesus.  One year, all summer, our out-of-state relatives came to visit, but the next summer, nobody came! All the relatives were turned off by her witnessing.  My mother quickly learned about binding and loosing.  She bound the devil from working in her family, and she loosed God to speak to each and every one of them about His Son, Jesus.  The Lord heard those binding-and-loosing prayers, and almost every one of my mother’s siblings was saved—and their children soon followed.  Praise the Lord! Binding-and-loosing prayers will pave the way for agreement and unity with your relatives.

Sometimes we may not know what God’s will is concerning a person or a situation.  Those are the times when we need to pray in the Spirit and allow God to reveal His will to us.  Romans 8:26 says: “We do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” We may not know what to pray, but the Holy Spirit knows how to pray the kinds of prayers that untangle the toughest “knots” in our relationships.

Are there some twisted areas in your life that need this kind of prayers in the Spirit? A hurt relationship with a spouse, child, relative, or someone else? Spend some time praying in the Spirit for any seemingly “hard cases.” Allow God to work through those relationships and bring harmony and unity into your home.

This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s 101-day devotional, Beautiful Inheritance.

2025-06-18T10:44:26-06:00July 21st, 2025|

Pray Until You Win!

Pray Until You Win!

When you pray for something for a long time and it doesn’t come to pass, it can be discouraging.  It can seem that God is hiding from you.  David felt the same way.  In Psalms 55:1, David cried out, “Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication” (NKJ).  Is God hiding from your prayer?  Has He gone fishing?  Or, is something else going on?  What do we do when it seems God is “hiding”?

When God Seems to “Hide”—Persist

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.   For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” Matthew 7:7, 8 (NKJ).

The words “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” are in a Greek verb tense that indicates continuous action—prayer must be ongoing.  In this verse, Jesus is teaching us how to pray.  We must persist in asking, persevere in seeking, and continue knocking until we prevail.

Do not stop praying!  If you allow yourself to become discouraged and give up, you can miss your answer.  If you have already given up praying for something or someone—repent and start praying again.

According to James 5:16 (NKJ), “…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much”.  The word effective in the Greek means “energy.”  Your prayers have energy!  When you pray fervently, you release the energy of God into a situation.

When God Seems to “Hide”—Change!

There are times when God delays answering prayer because He is changing you.  You may not be able to handle the answer to your prayers until you are different.  When you pray for a situation, particularly something that has to do with you, God will deal with you first.  Sometimes God isn’t hiding from our prayer; He’s actually trying to get our attention about something in our lives that He wants us to change.  Often that change is a process and it may take time.  We sometimes think God is slow to answer but what if He is waiting on you?

Consider Jacob.  He had a problem with his character.  He lied, cheated, and connived to take the blessing and the birthright away from his brother.  When it came time for Jacob to return to the Promised Land and enter into his blessing, his character wasn’t ready.  After 20 years of serving his swindling father-in-law, Jacob still had to wrestle with God to be ready to receive his answer.

Joseph is another example.  As a 17-year-old, God gave Joseph dreams that one day his entire family would bow before him.  All the trials and tribulation he endured over the next 13 years prepared Joseph to step into his miracle.  At the age of 30, Joseph became prime minister of the mightiest, most advanced nation on earth, Egypt.  It was well worth the delay and changes Jacob and Joseph had to make to receive their blessings, and it will be worth it for you, too!

When God Seems to “Hide”—Expand Your Faith!

It is through “…faith and patience [we] inherit the promises” Hebrews 6:12 (NKJ).  You should repeat this verse every day to remind yourself that nothing comes from God except by faith and patience.

Abraham waited 25 years for his promised son to be born.  During those 25 years, he made some serious mistakes.  At time he lied rather than rely on God.  On another occasion, he tried to help God fulfill His promise and the results were disastrous.  Yet, despite his mistakes, Abraham received his promise and is today called the “Father of Faith.”

Abraham needed faith when God spoke to him after Isaac was born.  God told Abraham to take Isaac to a mountain and sacrifice him.  Abraham didn’t bat an eye, argue, whine, or complain.  He saddled a donkey and set out to obey.  How could Abraham be obedient to such a request from God?  While waiting for the answer to his prayer for a son, Abraham had developed great faith.  He believed that God could raise his son from the dead.  God will delay answers to prayer to build your faith, too.

Persist Until You Prevail!

These are the end times.  God needs people who are persistent, conformed to His image, and powerful in faith.  When God hides, should you—get made, become depressed, stop going to church, or throw your Bible out the window?  NO!  You need to persist until you prevail!  Become like a bulldog and say to yourself “I won’t stop praying and believing until I get my miracle.”

Elijah prayed seven times before it rained.  Moses prayed 40 days for people who were murmuring.  Daniel prayed for three weeks before he heard from God.  Jesus prayed all night before he chose His disciples.  Each of these people persisted until God answered their prayer.  When it seems as if God is hiding…you must hang on!

2025-06-18T10:39:53-06:00July 14th, 2025|

Make God’s Truth Your Family’s Foundation

But for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15 NKJV) 

A life built on God’s truth becomes the foundation for generational blessing, because knowledge of the truth empowers us to make habitual choices that are in line with the Word of God and the character of Christ.

God honors righteousness.

God rewards those who diligently seek Him.

He blesses choices and decisions that honor Him.

A family can choose to follow God and be blessed by God—generation after generation.  A family can choose to obey God, receive forgiveness, and become the very embodiment of God’s blessing to the world.

A family who believes and lives the truth will be blessed.  Sadly, a family who fails to value truth or refuses to receive truth will eventually reap negative consequences.

Prize the truth…seek the truth…reap the truth’s glorious harvest.

2025-06-18T09:00:43-06:00July 7th, 2025|

Ask Marilyn

GOD AND THE BIBLE 

Q: Why should I read the whole Bible?

A : The Bible is God’s primary method of communicating with His creation, mankind. It is His revealed Word and will to man.  Through reading and studying the Bible, you can meet, get to know, and establish a one-on-one relationship with the one true God, your Creator.  As such, the Bible can be your best friend.

Its two major divisions, the Old Testament and the New Testament, both point to Jesus as the Redeemer of the human race.  The Old Testament prepared the way for Jesus, and the New Testament prepares a people to receive Him.

That’s why it’s so important for you to read every book in the Bible—you can behold Jesus in every book of the Bible! Each book reveals to you Jesus and His love for you. When you read the whole Bible, you will recognize the unity of the Bible, and can apply its truths to every area of your life.

Q: How do you know God wrote the Bible?

A: The Bible claims God as its author, and a knowledge of the Word makes this apparent. There are 66 books in the Bible—written by more than 30 different persons over a period of thousands of years, and yet there is a consistent theme running from Genesis to Revelation.  The Bible describes the fall of man, his utter sinfulness, and God’s redemptive plan through the blood sacrifice of His Son. If the scriptures were not written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the mortal men who penned them surely would not present man as totally depraved and in need of salvation.

Man’s “religion” always teaches access to God through human effort, but the Bible clearly states that mankind is dead in trespasses and sin. Dead men can’t work their way to God; they can only accept God’s provision of a new life in Christ Jesus.

Each of the prophets declared that it was the Word of the Lord that came to them; and with the exception of end-time prophecy, all prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter—even as God said it would be (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21).

Q: Is the Bible really God’s infallible Word?

A: Yes, the Bible is God’s infallible Word. Even though there are scriptures which, when read, may seem “inconsistent,” one must know the whole counsel of God’s Word to see there is no contradiction.

Q: What is the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament?

A: The purpose of the Old Testament is to show us man’s creation, his sin (fall), and to show us God’s preparation for a Redeemer to come Who would make salvation available to all men. This Redeemer (Jesus) came through the Jewish nation; thus, the Old Testament is the story of their history—good and bad.

In the New Testament we have the manifestation of the Redeemer and His manifestation through His people (those who receive Him).  We also see the culmination of God’s plan of redemption in the book of Revelation.

Q: Which version of the Bible do you believe is the most accurate?

A: From the time that God confused language at the tower of Babel until now, the human race has been trying to communicate through the imperfect vehicle of foreign languages. The Bible was written in Hebrews, Aramaic, and Greek.  Because different words can be translated in a variety of ways, we have different Bible versions, which essentially are different translations.

Modern translations are taken from the original Greek and Hebrew; but even so, there is still a problem in that one word can have various shades and meanings and thereby can be translated differently.  So, each person who translates a work must do it on the basis of the context in which the word is written in order to determine the original meaning.  Different scholars have different opinions on how these words should be translated; thus, we have a variety of translations, and all of these translations depend upon the text from which that particular language was translated.

The NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION and the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION are considered by many Bible scholars to be the most accurate English translation available today.  However, my personal preference is still the KING JAMES VERSION.

Q: What does it mean to walk with God every day? How can I walk with Him every day?

A: “To walk with God” means to live your life in harmony with Christ’s life in you. This comes about through prayer and Bible study.  Speak to God in prayer, and let Him speak to you through the Bible.

Q: How do we know Jesus is God?

A: The Bible, which is the final authority for every Christian, says in John 1:1, 14 NKJV, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” Philippians 2:6, 7 NKJV “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” These verses refer to Jesus Christ.  They tell us that Jesus is God Who became man and lived here on earth.

If Jesus is not God, then we, of all people—that is to say Christians—are the most to be pitied.  If Jesus is not God, then we have no hope for eternal life because a mere man could not ascend into heaven and sit at the Father’s right hand as the Scriptures record.

I would encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to open up your eyes to the fact that Jesus Christ is true God and true man.  Come before Him in prayer and ask Him to reveal Himself to you in a personal way.  If you are honestly seeking for the truth, then I know that He will do this for you.

Q: Marilyn, please explain the Trinity. If Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God and God the Father is God, how can Jesus sit at the right hand of Himself?

A: The concept of the Trinity (three-in-one and one-in-three) is ultimately a mystery to our human, finite minds! I can only tell you what I understand about it as I read through the Bible. Ultimately the truth about the Godhead must be accepted by faith so long as we are in these human bodies.

Although the word “trinity” is never mentioned in the Bible, its existence is clearly spoken of in Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14.  God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4), yet made up of three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Just as a family is one unit made up of several family members, so the Godhead is one unit with three members.  Each person of the Trinity has a specific role, differing from the other two; and yet together, they make up a single unit with a single purpose, carrying out a perfect and complete plan.

The Heavenly Father is the architect or planner of the Trinity; Jesus is the contractor or the One Who carries out the plan; and the Holy Spirit is the laborer or the One Who gives life to the plan.  Let’s look at the creation record.  The Father planned it, Jesus did it, and the Holy Spirit gave it life.  These three distinct roles, or ministries, of the Trinity can be seen in the creation of man and the birth and resurrection of Jesus in the flesh. (See Genesis 1:2; 1:26; and John 1:2).

The Old Testament scriptures which refer to God as one God, literally mean that He is a unit, not that He is only one individual.  When you see this relationship, you can understand that Jesus the Son can sit at the right-hand of the Father.

Q: Please explain for me, Marilyn, what is the grace of God?

A: “Grace” comes from the Hebrew word chanan which means “to stoop in kindness to an inferior.” The grace of God conveys that same idea in that we receive unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor from God. God’s gifts are based on His undying mercies not on some kind of reward system for our works.  God’s kindness is not only present in Him in great measure but is manifest to us in abundance.

One of the best ways to remember what grace means is in an acrostic made of each letter in the word GRACE— “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”  Without Christ’s sacrifice none of us could receive God’s grace.

Take the gift of grace today; and as you receive from Him that grace, give it away also that you may be ever abounding in His never-ending grace (Romans 5:15-21).

Q: What is the meaning of the “fear of the Lord?”

A: The word fear comes from a Hebrew root word which means “to reverence, trust, and stand in awe.” So, this word is talking about the deep reverence and awe we should have for God. It is in this same trust, awe, and reverence that we should worship, love and honor God.

2025-06-26T11:02:13-06:00June 23rd, 2025|

I Am the Way

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

This is the sixth “I Am” statement Jesus makes in the Gospel of John and it’s our theme verse for the month of August. There are a few things I want to point out:

  • Jesus is the only way to the Father.
  • Jesus is the truth which reveals the Father.
  • Jesus if the life that brings regeneration (rebirth) to man.

As the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus was the embodiment of three basic Jewish concepts:

  1. The Jews knew about the way.

In Deuteronomy 31:29, Moses warned the Israelites about straying from the way after his death:

“For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.”

David asked to learn the way in Psalm 27:11:

Teach me Your way, O Lord,

And lead me in a smooth path.

Isaiah spoke about God leading us in the way:

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

“This is the way, walk in it,”

Whenever you turn to the right hand

Or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)

A few chapters later, Isaiah prophesied a return to the way:

A highway shall be there, and a road,

And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.

The unclean shall not pass over it,

But it shall be for others.

Whoever walks the road, although a fool,

Shall not go astray. (Isaiah 35:8)

Jesus didn’t explain the way, He said, “I am the way.” Jesus didn’t give directions, He said, “I am the direction.” Jesus didn’t point His people there, He said “I will take you there.”

  1. The Old Covenant taught the truth.

David professed to having walked in truth:

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth. (Psalm 26:3)

David vowed to walk in God’s truth:

Teach me Your way, O Lord;

I will walk in Your truth. (Psalm 86:11)

The author of Psalm 119 chose truth:

I have chosen the way of truth. (v. 30)

A man can teach truth, but not walk in it. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” All moral perfection is found in Jesus, the truth.

  1. The Scriptures emphasized life.

Moses commanded Israel to choose life in Deuteronomy 30:19:

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”

David trusted God to show him the road to life:

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

Solomon said correction and instruction give life:

For the commandment is a lamp,

And the law a light;

Reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Proverbs 6:23)

Jesus isn’t just a path to life, He said, “I am the life.” Remember that Jesus demonstrated the sixth “I Am” statement in the healing of the nobleman’s son in John 4:46-53. The nobleman believed the truth in Christ, went on his way, and his son received life (vv. 50-51).

Jesus will do the same for us. He’ll be the truth and all we need. He’ll be the way and make a way for us. He’ll give us the life we need to please Him.

Today’s blog post is from Marilyn’s master class, John: The Gospel for Real Life. For more information, please visit https://www.mentoredbymarilyn.org/

2025-06-04T13:49:10-06:00June 16th, 2025|

The Pearl of Great Price

If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably been taught that the pearl of great price mentioned in Matthew 13:45 is Jesus Himself.  (And certainly, Jesus is more than worthy of every high and noble name that our tongues could ever utter).

The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the fuller and deeper meaning of this great passage…

In Matthew 13:45, where it says the merchant man went forth seeking a pearl, and when he found the pearl of great price, he sold all that he had to get the pearl; Jesus is the merchant man who came from heaven.  He was a connoisseur—because merchant here has to do with connoisseur—or one who looked for the very best.

Who is the pearl of great price?  It is every believer!  You are a pearl…I am a pearl.

As John 3:16 so beautifully states it, Jesus thought we were the best; so, He came and purchased the whole world in order to get us—the best.  He considered us the pearl of great price.

The pearl is a very unique gem.  It is not like the ruby, emerald, diamond, or topaz.  These are all formations of rock, but the pearl is a living stone.  It is made out of a living organism.

Peter said that Jesus was the Living Stone that was “rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious.”

He further states that every Christian is a living stone too: “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house…” I Peter 2:5 (NKJ).

That’s what we are.  We’re pearls!  We’re precious in the sight of God, and He sent Jesus to this world to purchase the pearl of great price with His own blood on Calvary’s Cross.

You see, unlike the other precious stones, pearls come forth out of suffering.  Down in the depths of the sea, there on the ocean floor, an oyster gets a grain of sand inside.  It becomes a severe irritant to the oyster, so the oyster starts covering that irritant with layer after layer of a substance called nacre.  After a long period of suffering, the finished product is the pearl.

We became pearls in like manner.

God sent Jesus Who took the irritant of our sin and covered us with layer after layer of righteousness.  And just as pearls are made in the depths of the seas, so we were in the depths of sin.  But He came to where we are, sought us out, and took us.

Now, pearls are so precious that they are used in the crowns of kings.  We are too.  God took us and put us into the highest place He could put us.  He seated us in high places with Christ Jesus.  How valuable those pearls are.  They cost Jesus everything.

2025-05-15T12:22:25-06:00June 9th, 2025|

God Has a Way Out

God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Do you need a way out of temptation? I have good news for you—God has a way out designed specifically for you! First Corinthians 10:13 says three things about the temptations that may come your way: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” First, it says that temptations are “common.” Temptations, though they may come in different forms, happen to everyone. Second, the faithfulness of God will cause you to prevail in every situation.  Third, God will provide a way out of the situation so that you will be able to successfully endure it.

Adversity and temptation come to steal the Word of God out of your heart so that it will not bear fruit in your life. The devil would love to get you on a detour so that you miss what God has for you.  He will try all kinds of things to rob you of God’s plan for your life. We all have people and circumstances that could get us off target with God and cause us to detour from His chosen path.  But God promises that when you are faced with a temptation, He will either help you through it or take you out of it. God will give you a way out! Many believers think they will escape adversity and temptation by the “skin of their teeth.” However, as Christians, you should not think of just barely getting by.  I want you to think triumph. I want you to think victory because that is what the Word of God says.

There are two ways to escape adversity—God’s way and man’s way.  The most common form of escape in today’s pleasure-oriented society is through entertainment. Christians and non-Christians alike spend countless hours of their lives watching TV, scrolling online, or some other form of entertainment.  By bombarding their minds with make-believe, they think they can escape their problems and pretend they don’t exist.  The world’s system says, “Don’t think! Let us amuse you.  Take your mind off your problems and watch TV!”

But Isaiah 1:18 says, “’Come now, and let us reason together; says the Lord.” God wants to speak to you and do something very supernatural in the time of your temptation.  You don’t have to yield to a man-made or self-made detour.

If ever a man needed a way of escape, it was Job.  Not only had he lost his wealth, health, and children, but he also had bad breath (see Job 19:17 NIV). His friends accused him of having sin in his life, and because of that sin, they said God had judged him. However, in the midst of his temptation, Job had a revelation of God like he had never had before. Out of that revelation came a double portion of blessing—God doubled everything he had lost and enriched his walk with Him.

God can bring you through your time of testing and temptation with great victory, too, if you’ll use His way out and not yours.

2025-05-14T14:31:30-06:00June 2nd, 2025|

The Conclusion of the Matter

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. Ecclesiastes 12:13

Ecclesiastes is a beautiful book. It starts with groaning, but it ends with joy. We can groan a lot, but if we can get hold of the joy of the Lord, it will be our strength for this life.

You say, “Where’s Jesus in this? Is Jesus in here, in the midst of all the vanity and groaning?” Oh yes! If you look at chapter 12, at the 11th verse, it says: “The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.” A goad is a stick or a cattle-prod, something used to move you in the right direction. So the words of the Shepherd will give us direction, and they’ll hold us tight like a well-driven nail. We can hang our life on the Shepherd’s words. Notice the capital “S” for Shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd referred to in this Scripture!

In Ecclesiastes, we see Solomon look for satisfaction in everything but God, but in the final chapter he comes back to the living God; he saw the Son, the Shepherd King, and it transformed his life. I believe when we get to Heaven, we can sit down with Solomon and he can tell you, “I tried everything and it was empty, but when I got hold of Jesus, I knew that was life and life abundant.”

Solomon’s final conclusion is that the whole of life is to fear God, to keep His commandments, and to live forever with Him. This is the chief thing in life and the only eternally rewarding thing. Don’t spend your life frivolously looking for a purpose. Find God’s purpose for your life!

2025-04-16T08:11:53-06:00May 26th, 2025|

Scriptures on Favor

The following Scriptures are intended to prove that God will produce favor in your life. Meditate upon these Scriptures and memorize them until they penetrate deep down into your spirit. If you plant them in your heart now, when you are in a time of need, they will be firmly rooted, and you will be able to stand upon them. I just love these verses, and I believe you will, too!

“You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.” (Job 10:12)

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield. (Psalm 5:12)

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” (Psalm 35:27)

By this I know that You favor me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. (Psalm 41:11 MEV)

For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them. (Psalm 44:3)

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11 NIV)

For You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor our horn is exalted. (Psalm 89:17)

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17 NIV)

Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation. That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance. (Psalm 106:4-5)

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4)

He who earnestly seeks good find favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil. (Proverbs 11:27)

A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions He will condemn. (Proverbs 12:2)

Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard. (Proverbs 13:15)

Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor. (Proverbs 14:9)

In the light of the king’s face is life, and his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain. (Proverbs 16:15)

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22)

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold. (Proverbs 22:1)

“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2 NIV)

So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)

For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. (Romans 14:18)

Today’s blog post was taken from Marilyn’s new book, Wide Open Doors.

2025-04-16T07:37:27-06:00May 19th, 2025|

The Most Important Gift You Can Give Your Children

I knew a woman from Chicago whose son had been classified by the police as a habitual criminal—he was hopelessly locked into a criminal mindset. She meditated and prayed over Proverbs 11:21 for her son, “…the seed of the righteous will be delivered.” She even testified her faith in church saying, “I know God is going to save my son, and he will preach the gospel in this church.” She focused all her attention on God’s transforming power.

One night. She felt an unusual burden to pray for her son. An hour later, he called her long distance, asking what she had been doing earlier. He said a man to whom he’d sold some bad drugs had come to his apartment. The man had beaten him to a pulp, then pulled out a gun, intending to shoot him. The man tried to pull the trigger, but couldn’t bend his finger! After several tries, he threw the gun down and ran out, declaring, “Your mother is doing something to stop me from pulling this trigger!”

Needless to say, the son received Jesus as his Lord and was Spirit-filled shortly thereafter. He attended Bible school and was later a guest speaker at his mother’s church.

Your children can be transformed! Whether they are grown and living a life of sin or still peacefully at home under your covering, the transforming power of God’s Word is available to help them.

A Mother’s Faith

There is something unique about a mother’s faith. Remember how the Syrophenician mother stretched out in supernatural faith on behalf of her hurting daughter:

And behold, a woman of Canaan came … and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord… my daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word… 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs. 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 The Jesus answered… her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:22-28).

This woman was not about to let anything stop her from claiming God’s transforming power for her daughter. Your children need that same kind of spiritual tenacity exerted on their behalf.

Put your faith in God’s Word—Jesus. Although your children may be involved in ungodly lifestyles, don’t let go of God’s transforming power. Remember the Prodigal Son. The Bible says, “he came to himself.” In other words, suddenly his eyes were opened and he saw things from the perspective of the Word rather than the world. Your wayward children will do the same. One day, they will hear the Holy Spirit speaking to their hearts and respond. They’ll get up, repent, and serve God. Don’t give up on God’s transforming power for their lives!

You Hold the Key

Your faith in God’s transforming power will determine the course of your child’s life. Remember Moses’ mother, Jochebed, Pharaoh ordered all the newborn male Hebrews murdered, but Jochebed trusted in God. The woman conceived, and bore a son; and… she hid him three months” (Exodus 2:2).

Jochebed had a mother’s faith for her baby. She hid him, then put him in an ark and floated him down a river full of crocodiles. The baby ended up in the bathtub of Pharaoh’s daughter. She named him Moses and raised him as her own.

Because of his mother’s faith, Moses’ life was spared; he received an education and had the best of everything. After some life-changing learning experiences, he answered the call of God and was used of God in tremendous ways.

Looking back on the circumstances surrounding Moses’ birth, would you have foreseen all of this in his future? I doubt it; but God’s transforming power turned Moses’ life around.

Maybe your decisions haven’t always served God and you’ve made some mistakes in raising your children. The good news is that, regardless of their beginnings, God has plans for your children—they may be future deliverers in the Body of Christ. Stop feeling guilty about mistakes you may have made. Seek God and repent. Then ask your children to forgive you and stand on God’s Word—the transforming power for their lives.

2025-04-16T07:30:51-06:00May 12th, 2025|

Your Future Is In His Hands

Whether you are 19 or 91, God has a vision for your life that you need to fulfill.  That vision will make it possible for you to wake up every day knowing what He wants from you, instead of guessing what you should do.

You may think, “God doesn’t have anything planned for ME.  I’m not intelligent, talented, pretty, or spiritual enough to be used by God.”  Satan is the one who tells you those lies.  God’s truth is clearly spelled out in Jeremiah 29:11, where He says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God’s “expected end,” or vision for your life, does not include pain, suffering, or poverty (those are the devil’s plans for you).  God envisions you experiencing peace and knowing your purpose.

You may think, “That may be true for other people, but I’m always messing up.  God’s mad at me because I blow it all the time.  I haven’t been tithing.  I haven’t been reading my Bible and praying like I should.  I have been cold towards Him.  So, of God has any plans for my life, I bet they are bad.  He wants to pay me back for all the bad things I’ve done.”  That is WRONG because as a child of God, He called you to achieve wonderful things even before He created you!

If you want to catch God’s vision, ask the Holy Spirit causes people to dream dreams of their future and have visions of God’s goals for their lives.  Don’t become discouraged if the vision isn’t revealed right away.  Wait on God!  “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13.

God’s vision will give you direction.  Knowing where you’re supposed to go and what you’re supposed to do is important because “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” Proverbs 29:18.  Without God’s vision you won’t achieve the things you need in order to fulfill His purpose for you.

Even the apostle Paul lost his way when he didn’t wait for God’s leading.  Although his first missionary journey produced signs and wonders and a crop of new churches, he nearly flopped at his second journey because he didn’t wait for God to tell him where to go.  Everywhere he went the door was slammed in his face.  But then one night he dreamt of a man asking him to come to Macedonia—he finally received the direction he needed.  And when he followed that vision, God blessed him by opening Europe to the gospel.

Faith Builders

Many people ask me why it seems like some Christians have an easier time obeying God than others.  The answer is these people have a vision from God inside them, and those visions produce the faith they need to do what God wants them to do!  When you catch hold of God’s vision, the word “quit” is erased from your vocabulary and you can say, “My dreams will come true because God gave them to me.  He’s given me this vision, and I believe it will come to pass!”

It had to be hard for Noah to spend 100 years trying to explain what he was doing to a world full of people who had never even seen rain, let alone a flood.  I’m sure people took their families out by Noah’s Ark for after-dinner strolls just to laugh at him before they went to bed.  More than likely he lost friends, his family questioned his sanity, and the neighborhood complained about the monster-sized boat in his front yard.

But even with 10 decades of persecution, Noah continued to build and believe, preach and pray.  He could have become depressed and discouraged, and given up; but he kept at it because he had caught ahold of God’s vision and His vision gave him faith that survived and surpassed the trials he faced.

I’ve learned over the years that even the smallest portion of a vision will produce faith.  This is important because God sometimes doesn’t give you the entire vision at once.  Consider Abraham.  When God called him out of his father’s house and his native land, He didn’t tell him the vision He had for him.  God simply said, “Go.”  Only when Abram arrived at his destination did God show him His vision of being the father of a multitude (see Genesis 12, 13).

The vision was so important to Abram’s life that God changed his name, which means “father of altitudes,” to Abraham, the “father of multitudes.”  Imagine having God change your name to reinforce the power of His vision for your life!

However, even after Abraham’s faith was greatly energized by his encounter with God, I’m sure he started to second guess God when nothing happened for 11 years.  After a couple of years, Abraham went along with Sarah’s plan for him to make a baby with her servant, Hagar.

There may be times in your life when your vision seems to die.  I’m sure that by the time Abraham and Sarah entered their 90s and still didn’t have a baby, they thought, “God, it’s physically impossible to bear a child.  It’s too late.”

I think most people do that.  The vision is exciting and fresh when they first get it, but after a period of time they begin to wonder if the vision came from God after all.  They say, “God, forget it, it’s too late for your vision to come to pass.  It won’t do me any good now.”

Abraham and Sarah’s vision of a family still had not come to pass.  But when it was too late for them to have a baby, God took over and created life supernaturally.  He may do the same with you.  If you have a tendency to give yourself the glory when good things happen to you, God may keep your dreams out of your reach so that when you finally say, “I can’t do it, Lord,” He can hand you a miracle.

Do you feel like you could do so much for God if you could only change your personality?  Are you too shy, too fearful, too mean, or too proud?  Well, the good news is that visions can change your personality.  They can literally change your attitude!  They can change the way you talk, the way you think, and the way you act.

Moses was raised to be Pharaoh.  He was probably pretty arrogant, expecting people to serve him and do his bidding.  But one day, God spoke to him out of a burning bush and gave him a vision, and that vision changed him from a haughty prince into the “meekest man on earth” (see Number 12:3).  Moses changed so much that he was able to put up with two million murmuring people for 40 years.  That takes a big change!

Pray and Obey

When God gives you a vision, your part is to pray and obey—He will bring the results!  One time the Lord spoke to me and said, “When you pray, you always try to answer your needs by yourself.  Marilyn, you do the praying, and I’ll do the answering.”

If you obey God’s vision, God will do supernatural things to bring the vision to pass.  If you start “taking over” for God, trying to get things done in your own timing, then you will miss out on opportunities to receive His blessings and miracles.

Every year I ask God for a Scripture for the New Year.  One time God gave me Proverbs 9:21 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.”  The vision He put in my heart was witty inventions (or creative ways) to reach the lost.

Part of my vision was to pray over the nations of the world every day.  Shortly after I began doing that, some unique things happened at this ministry with foreign countries.  The first was an extremely large order for books and tapes from Kuwait.  Now, that is a miracle because Kuwait is nearly 100 percent Muslim!

When I caught hold of God’s vision for creative ideas and obeyed His leading, He brought a supernatural situation to pass.  And as I continued to obey, He brought more and more miracles to pass for us all over the world.

When God gives you a vision for your life, follow that dream.  If you’re not doing what God want you to do, you will be unhappy and frustrated.  When you do what God wants, your dreams will come true.  Trust in the Lord and delight in His plans and goals for you so He can give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).  Then you will have godly success.

Please pray with me, “Dear heavenly Father, I ask You to clear my mind of earthly desires and free my heart of worldly weights.  Holy Spirit, please bring Your visions for my future into my heart and give me the faith to follow through with Your plans for my life.  Thank You, Lord, for my peaceful, joyful, expected end.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

2025-04-15T11:41:20-06:00May 5th, 2025|

Ask Marilyn

Friendship

Q: I have a friend who is growing farther away from the Lord; our relationship has become strained. What can I do?

A: The very best advice I can give you on how to help your friend is to be a gap stander. I encourage you to spend some time praying in the Spirit for her. Perhaps you can even fast and pray for this relationship with the Lord to be restored. Fasting and prayer have broken many yokes in other peoples’ lives. You’ll also find your own faith strengthened to believe for her return to the Lord. So the most effective action you can take is to pray, pray, pray!

Q: My husband works with an alcoholic who is living with a man who is not her husband. She has repeatedly invited us to their home for dinner. Should we accept?

A: Jesus associated with men and women with poor reputations, and He told us to go into all the world to preach the gospel: “The Son of Man cam eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” (Matthew 11:19).

I believe the Lord wants you to carry your witness into this woman’s home, even though she is an alcoholic and living with a man—certainly they both need the Lord, and you can bring Him to them! Do not be concerned by what other people may think of you—Jesus wasn’t—but rather be concerned about the salvation of these two precious souls.

On the other hand, you should be certain that those people with whom you spend most of your time are fellow Christians. The Bible is very clear about the dangers of being unequally yoked with unbelievers, and that injunction definitely applies to all levels of relationships—business, marriage, and friendship (see 1 Corinthias 6:14).

Spiritual fellowship is a gift of God for those within the Body of Christ (Psalms 55:14; Galatians 2:9). Even the backslider is one who is out of fellowship with God; and therefore, our position should be to pray and believe that such a person will turn back to God. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in how much time to spend with unbelievers and what activities to share with them.

Q: I am so grieved about some friends of mine who have become involved in a false doctrine. Now they are harassing me with “intellectual” reasons why I should not believe the Bible as God’s Word. What can I do?

A: The very first thing I want to tell you is, “Don’t give up on your friends!” If you cannot speak to them about the subject and they will not take any literature, then pray this scripture for them: These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine. (Isaiah 29:24).

Your friends have erred in their spirit, but you can pray this promise for them to return to right understanding. God says that those who have erred in spirit will learn the Word of God as a reality, and you can claim that scripture. My husband and I have stood on this scripture for friends and members of our church. It has sometimes taken months and even years, but over and over again we have seen God restore individuals to correct doctrine.

Don’t argue with your friends, and don’t listen to their false doctrines; but do keep praying the authority of God’s Word over their lives. Then watch God enlighten the eyes of their understanding.

Q: Should we have pets, or do they take the time and place of people who need our attention?

A: Pets are a source of joy and comfort to many people. So long as their care and presence in our lives do not interfere with our relationship to God or hinder us in doing His will, I see nothing wrong with enjoying and caring for pets. The guideline we should follow in this regard is to ask ourselves if God and His kingdom have first place in our lives (Matthew 6:33).

Q: Is it really Biblical to be “legally” married? I have a friend who loves the man she is living with very much, but they don’t believe a marriage certificate is necessary because they are married to one another in their hearts.

A: The Bible is very clear that we are to obey the ordinances of government: “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake… 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men… (1 Peter 2:13,15).

A marriage certificate is required by God because it is required by most states for a marriage to be legally binding. Without a marriage certificate, the rights of the individuals involved, and any children they may have, could be unprotected. God set up governments for the sake of order and law, and we are required to submit to those laws.

In the marriage ceremony vows of commitment are made to God to the marriage partner. These vows are important, and the wedding ceremony is important. Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding. Certainly, He believed that weddings were important.

Q: I am born again, but I still have friends who are not. Some of these people are in severe sexual bondage. How should I pray for them?

A: Christians overcome the enemy in two ways: first by the blood of the Lamb and next by the word of their testimony. The blood gives us authority to speak the Word over sin in our own life and in the lives of others. Confess the Word over those who are bound by sin. Pray that your friends will hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6), and then pray that they will confess their sins and receive God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Thank God for His forgiveness and for the cleansing power of the blood.

Continue to stand in the gap for your friends, believing that nothing is too hard for God and His power can change things. Remember, Jesus came so that sin may no longer have dominion over us. God loves those who are bound by sin; and through the power of prayer, these people can know the liberty of walking in the light of the gospel.

2025-03-20T10:45:04-06:00April 28th, 2025|

The Surrendered Life

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

God offers us total victory in life. Though it’s a simple step of faith to reach out and receive from Him, it requires such a total surrender of ourselves that many fail to respond.  For example, the rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked what to do to gain eternal life (see Matthew 19:16-22). Jesus demanded of the young man more than he could part with.  Jesus didn’t care about the man’s wealth—He cared about the man.  Jesus asked him to give up himself so that Jesus could give him life. The same is still true today. Many of us are willing to give our time, labor, and money to the work of the Lord. But when Jesus asks for ourselves, it’s a different story.  Yet total surrender to Jesus is where the victorious life comes from.

Only Jesus has the right to ask that we totally surrender to Him because He already surrendered Himself for us. Romans 5:8 tells us that God gave everything for us at the cross: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God says, “I gave everything for you; I totally surrendered.  Now you are to be like me.  Give me your life.”

God isn’t asking you to die on a cross to be like Jesus.  Jesus already did that! Jesus taught us how to be like Him through total surrender and submission to the Father. He humbled Himself and became like man so that we could become like Him and be exalted.  The whole process is summed up in Philippians 2:5-11, which outlines Jesus’s seven steps to total surrender and victory.

Verses 6-8 focus on His surrender: Jesus (1) “Who being in the form of God, (2) did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (3) but made Himself of no reputation, (4) taking the form of a bondservant, and (5) coming in the likeness of men. (6) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself (7) and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

You might be asking, “What’s so victorious about dying on a cross?” Well, verses 9-11 tell us that after Jesus totally surrendered (died), then God exalted Him in another seven-step process up from the grave: “(1) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him (2) and given Him the name which is above every name, (3) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, (4) of those in heaven, (5) and of those on earth, (6) and of those under the earth, (7) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

 Godly surrender yields lifetime benefits because it delivers you from the herd attitude that tempts you to say, “I can’t do that! What will so-and-so say?” The herd attitude makes us embarrassed to show others that we are surrendered to God.  It’s the world’s attitude of “If it feels good, do it.” But folks, if you’re a part of the herd, you are surrendered to the herd; and if you’re part of them, who’s going to minister to the herd?

Instead of a herd attitude, develop your “Word” attitude.  The “Word” attitude is just what it says.  If the Word says, “Do it, do it!” When you surrender to the cross, then you can be a blessing to others and to yourself because you’ll reap what you sow.  If you sow forgiveness, you’ll reap forgiveness.  If you sow love, you’ll reap love.  God forgave you so you can forgive others.  He waited for you to surrender to Him, so now you can patiently minister Him to others and enjoy the fruit of your labors as the whole cycle starts over again with someone to whom you ministered.

This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s 101-day devotional, Beautiful Inheritance.

2025-03-20T10:37:29-06:00April 21st, 2025|

Triumph and Victory

NOW THANKS BE TO GOD WHO ALWAYS LEADS US IN TRIUMPH IN CHRIST…

-2 Corinthians 2:14

Nine years after David was anointed to be king, he was an outcast of Israel! He was living in a Philistine city, Ziklag, with several hundred of his men and their families. “Ziklag” means “overwhelming despair.” What a place for the future king of Israel to live!

One day after returning home to Ziklag, David and his men found that all their wives, children and possessions had been stolen by the Amalekites. David’s men picked up stones to stone him. Instead of saying, “Go on and get it over with,” David encouraged his men that they were capable of reclaiming their wives, children and possessions from the hands of the Amalekites.

David and his men found the Amalekites camp and not only got back all of their wives, children and possessions; they confiscated all that the Amalekites had as well. When David returned to Ziklag, it was no longer a place of overwhelming despair, it was a place of OVERWHELMING VICTORY. Shortly after returning to camp, men came to tell him that both Saul and Jonathan had been killed and that they wanted David to become king!

What would have happened if David had given up when his men wanted to kill him? He never would have received his promised reward! He would not have been made king. God has given you exceedingly great and precious promises, but if you give up before you receive them, you’ll cut yourself off from a blessing. Hang on! You can do it!

If you have been living in Ziklag, a place of overwhelming despair, purpose in your heart to live in a place of OVERWHELMING VICTORY. Go out and reclaim the promises that satan has stolen from you!

2025-03-31T12:44:28-06:00April 14th, 2025|

Walking on Water

Jesus’ disciples slowly began to realize that dealing with fear was going to be an important part of their lives as His followers. The more time they spent with Him, the more evident that He would not always be with them and that it might not be either popular or safe to identify with Him. Persecution, although not an appealing thought, was a frightening possibility. Indeed, as they soon discovered, it was a certainty. Jesus tried to help them prepare for what lay ahead and remember that they would not be alone:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

Although few of us in this country today have experienced it, persecution remains a real possibility for every believer. In addition, there are many other factors in our world that can be sources of fear if we let them. Even when we are walking in the perfect will of God, fearful circumstances occur because this earth is still in the possession of the enemy. Natural conditions such as blizzards, tornadoes, or earthquakes can give us a feeling of total helplessness, but knowing we can call on God to save us should be a great comfort.

One day, immediately after feeding five thousand people with three loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee in a boat while He dismissed the crowds. As night fell, a storm arose and the boat was badly battered by the high waves. Simon Peter and the other disciples were battling the winds, rowing in the dark, and probably scared half to death. Nevertheless, they were right where Jesus had sent them. They may not have known it at the time, but Jesus had not left them alone:

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:25-27).

Recognizing their fear, Jesus immediately calmed them with the words, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” No matter how alone we may feel or how frightening a situation may be that we find ourselves in, we can take courage in the fact that Jesus is always with us; we are never alone;

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you (John 14:18).

I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Peace, I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).

When we are willing to trust Jesus no matter what the circumstances, He can enable us to do anything. Fear. However, can cause us to fail. Peter discovered this after he saw Jesus’ walking on the water:

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31).

Peter was doing fine walking on the water until he looked around and focused on his circumstances. As soon as he took his eyes off Jesus, doubt and then fear overcame him. His physical senses took over. He heard the howling of the wind, saw the storm clouds moving, and felt the thrust of the waves against his body. This change of focus caused Peter to lose sight of his goal. He began to sink, even though moments before he had been walking on the water.  In fear and desperation, Peter called out to Jesus, who reached out and saved him.

Jesus also rebuked him: “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Apparently, Peter’s faith was not the problem; after all, he had walked on the water for a few seconds. It was when fear took over and his courage failed that Peter began to sink. It only takes a little faith—childlike faith—to walk on water, but it also only takes a little fear to sink us.

Courage Restored

Later on, Simon Peter had another crisis of courage that could have been disastrous for him and for the church as a whole. On the very evening that He was arrested, Jesus spoke these words to Peter:

“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat, 32 But I have prayed for you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” (Luke 22:31-34).

Jesus prayed that Simon Peter’s faith would not fail—and it didn’t. Wait a minute! You may be thinking. Didn’t Peter’s faith fail when he denied Jesus? No, Peter certainly did deny Jesus three times, just as Jesus said he would, but it was not Peter’s faith that failed; it was his courage. Peter loved Jesus with all his heart and knew that He was the Son of God and the Savior of the world. After all, it was Peter who answered Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” with the words, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15-16). Jesus knew all about Peter’s faith and understood Peter’s struggle with fear, just as He understand ours.

Peter was devastated by the failure of his courage and his inability to stand by his Master’s side when the chips were down. After the crucifixion, Peter became depressed and discouraged, one day he decided to go fishing and convinced several of the other disciples to go with him. They fished all night and caught nothing. When morning came, a man on the shore called out to them and asked, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?”   then told them exactly where to cast their net. Peter and the others complied, and suddenly they found their net so full of fish that they could not haul it in. It was at this moment that John recognized the man on shore as Jesus:

Therefore, that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. (John 21:7).

No effort to walk on water this time; no excuses or bravado; impulsive Peter simply jumped into the water and began to swim to shore because it was the fastest way to get to Jesus. Such was Peter’s love for the Lord, even in spite of his own failures.

Jesus had built a fire on the shore and invited the men to bring their fish and eat with Him. After breakfast, He spoke to Peter. He wanted to be sure Peter heard Him, so He called him Simon, which means, “the listening one”:

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep” (John 21:15-17).

Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, and three times Peter replied that he did. The first two times that Jesus asked, “Do you love Me?” He used the word agape, which means, as the Amplified Bible states it, “reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father.” Both times, when Peter answered, “You know that I love You,” he used a different word for “love” phileo. This word means “deep, instinctive, personal affection… as for a close friend” (John 21:15 AMP). Peter did not feel he could claim the higher kind of love represented by agape.

When Jesus asked, “Do you love Me?” for the third time, He used Peter’s word, phileo. Jesus came down to Peter’s level to bring Peter up to His. What was the significance of this? Three times Peter had denied Jesus and now Jesus gave Peter three changes to reaffirm his love for Him. In this way, Peter once again declared the deep love and devotion he held for his Lord.

During this same encounter, Jesus, in His loving way, let Peter know that when his time to die came, he would be able to resist fear:

Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” (John 21:18-19).

Peter’s faith was strong and in time his courage grew to match his faith. History records that Peter was crucified for his faith. According to tradition, Peter insisted on being crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

Like, Peter we can triumph over our fear! The death and resurrection of Christ sets us free to live our new life unhindered by the fears that characterized the old life. The presence and power of God in us through the Holy Spirit can banish the fear that so often seems to control us. The more we love and trust the Lord, the less power fear will have over us.

2025-03-13T12:13:13-06:00April 7th, 2025|

Overwhelming Victory

DECLARE:  TODAY IS MY DAY OF OVERWHELMING VICTORY.
NOW THANKS BE TO GOD WHO ALWAYS LEADS US IN TRIUMPH IN CHRIST…-2 Corinthians 2:14

Nine years after David was anointed to be king, he was an outcast of Israel! He was living in a Philistine city, Ziklag, with several hundred of his men and their families. “Ziklag” means “overwhelming despair.” What a place for the future king of Israel to live!

One day after returning home to Ziklag, David and his men found that all their wives, children and possessions had been stolen by the Amalekites. David’s men picked up stones to stone him. Instead of saying, “Go on and get it over with,” David encouraged his men that they were capable of reclaiming their wives, children and possessions from the hands of the Amalekites.

David and his men found the Amalekites camp and not only got back all of their wives, children and possessions; they confiscated all that the Amalekites had as well. When David returned to Ziklag, it was no longer a place of overwhelming despair, it was a place of OVERWHELMING VICTORY. Shortly after returning to camp, men came to tell him that both Saul and Jonathan had been killed and that they wanted David to become king!

What would have happened if David had given up when his men wanted to kill him? He never would have received his promised reward! He would not have been made king. God has given you exceedingly great and precious promises, but if you give up before you receive them, you’ll cut yourself off from a blessing. Hang on! You can do it!

If you have been living in Ziklag, a place of overwhelming despair, purpose in your heart to live in a place of OVERWHELMING VICTORY. Go out and reclaim the promises that satan has stolen from you!

2025-03-12T13:25:24-06:00March 31st, 2025|

The Hall of Fame of Faith

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11 is the “hall of fame” of faith. It includes people like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, and Noah. Today, we’ll talk about a few of these heroes of faith.

Noah: Faith for Your Family

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

God told him that He was going to send a flood. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. But right believing brings right living, and because Noah had faith, he was obedient to God. Put your hand on your heart and say, “I’ll never forget — faith obeys.”

So Noah built an ark, and everyone thought he was crazy. Everyone but his family, that is. His wife and sons believed that he heard from God. And by walking in faith, Noah saved his family. All the people who didn’t believe in God drowned, but Noah’s family was saved.

Noah leaves that legacy for us today—that his faith brought righteousness. When we believe God, He makes us righteous. Stop trying to do things to become righteous. Just obey His Word and have faith in His Word. God can save your household if you walk in faith. You can claim this promise.

Abraham: Faith for Provision

Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (Genesis 22:13, KJV)

In Genesis 22, God spoke to Abraham and told him to take Isaac, the promised son who was born to him when he was 100 years old, and sacrifice him on Mount Moriah.

What must Abraham have been feeling? Hebrews 11:19 tells us Abraham believed that even if his son died, God would raise him from the dead. What?! Abraham believed in a resurrection before there was one?! Absolutely! I believe he was the first to believe.

Alone on the mountain, Isaac asked his father, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb?” And Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb.” God will provide. Abraham never took his eyes off the Father!

Once Abraham had prepared the fire and the wood, he put Isaac on the altar. And just in time, a voice spoke to him and said, “Lift up your eyes.” I would say that to you today! Get your eyes on what God can do rather than what your problem is. Lift up your eyes. Abraham did, and saw a ram caught in the thicket. God had provided the sacrifice!

Do you realize that at the same time Abraham and Isaac were going up Mount Moriah, the ram was coming up the other side? When we’re going up the mountain, God has a provision coming up to meet us! Abraham substituted the ram for Isaac and called God a very special name: Jehovah-Jireh, which means the God who provides. But it’s more than just provides. It means the God who sees ahead and has a provision for us!

Rahab: Faith Comes by Hearing and Believing

By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. (Hebrews 11:31)

So, how does one receive faith? Let’s look at the life of Rahab (see Joshua 2 and 6)? She, along with all of Jericho’s inhabitants, had heard about the God of the Hebrews, but Rahab alone heard and believed. Not only did she believe in her heart, but she confessed it with her mouth and acted out her faith by hiding the Israelite spies.

Faith does come by hearing God’s Word (see Romans 10:17). But many people hear God’s Word and don’t believe it, so they don’t get its benefits.

Because of Rahab’s willingness to believe what she had heard, she was rewarded beyond her wildest imagination. When the rest of Jericho was destroyed, the walls of Rahab’s dwelling remained standing — as a testimony to her belief in God’s Word.

We can hear God’s Word continually, but until we believe what we hear and then act on it, it is not profitable to us. When you hear the Word of God, don’t just casually receive it in your mind. Meditate on it. Accept it and receive it as a special message from God to you. Then use it to benefit your life.

Just as Noah’s faith saved his household and Abraham’s faith saved Isaac, the first thing Rahab did when she made a covenant with the Israelites was to ask protection for her family (see Joshua 2:12-13). When you get saved, you want your whole family to be saved. When we become faithful followers of Christ, meditating on His Word day and night, God will bless us and make our homes prosperous.

2025-02-27T11:15:50-07:00March 24th, 2025|

Stand on the Word of God

Do you realize how important it is to spend time reading and meditating on the Word? When we surround ourselves with the favor of God’s Word, we can confidently step out in faith and change situations around us.  The wisdom of the Word in your spirit will give you favor, regardless of the circumstances which may confront you or the people whom you may meet.  Again, remember Psalm 5:12, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” You have an invisible shield of favor surrounding you.

Whenever you are in a state of doubt, fear, or anxiety, remind God of His promises: “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:3). Likewise, Hebrews 10:35 tells us to “not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” Always lift your head high above all circumstances. You are wearing His glorious crown of divine favor.

Many times, we experience deep levels of grief and frustration, but if we hold fast to God’s promises, any situation can be altered! Hebrews 10:23 commands us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

David understood the awesome power of favor because in Psalm 30 he writes, “Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong…” (v. 7). If God’s favor is powerful enough to hold you up, no matter how heavy the pressures may be which come against you! Always remember that He is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). If you are standing on His Word, you can count on Him to uphold all the things in your life and give you wide open doors of favor. Hallelujah!

Today’s blog post was taken from Marilyn’s book, Wide Open Doors.

2025-02-26T10:30:19-07:00March 17th, 2025|

I’m the Answer and Way

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This verse is from a portion of Scripture where Jesus is preparing His disciples for His death. In chapter 13, He washes their feet and here He is leaving His final words with them. He tells his friends that He is going before them to prepare a place for them. The apostle Thomas asks, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Jesus responds to his worries by saying “I am the way!”

Family, how many times do we overthink the blessings of God? Jesus is telling his friends that there is a place for them, that He is preparing a blessing for them in the future! This is a good thing, a gift from Him. But Thomas is confused. He doesn’t know what Jesus means and He is uncomfortable with not knowing. He doesn’t want to miss out on any of the blessings that God has for him, so he asks Jesus for some clarification.

I imagine that Thomas wanted Jesus to tell him one of two things. Either to describe the details of the place Jesus was preparing for him, or a step-by-step list on how to get there. Instead, Jesus says “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Thomas wanted an easy answer. He wanted Jesus to tell him what to do, when to do it, and what was on the other side. Instead, Jesus refocused him. “It’s all about me!” He said, “I am the way, you don’t need to do anything else except know Me!”

How many times have you wanted Jesus to give you answers to your questions. “Jesus, what should I do for my next job? Jesus when will I get healed of this-or-that? Jesus, will my friends ever turn back to you?” These are questions that have answers, and it would be easy for Jesus to give us a simple answer. However, more often than not, He reminds us of who He is. Jesus is the answer. He knows it all, sees it all, and can do anything. So, when He responds to our questions and says, “Just be with me,” that is the most comforting thing He could say. How relieving is it to know that Jesus is the way? I think about all the different ways that I’ve failed, and I am filled with comfort knowing that it’s not by my own strength.

The next time you feel overwhelmed with your situations and all the “Jesus, why?” questions start to crowd your mind, remember, He is the answer. Take rest in Him. Know that He is the way, and He will get you through.

2025-02-26T09:41:32-07:00March 10th, 2025|

Trust in God’s Presence

God sent His Son to earth so man could experience His presence, not as Old Testament believers did in tents, temples, and tabernacles but through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. If you are born again, the presence and power of God is in you! You’re a walking tabernacle, and God is ever present to lead, protect, and guide you regardless of where you go or what you’re doing. First Corinthians 3:16 says, Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

In John 14, Jesus told His disciples that even though He was going to return to heaven, they would not be without His presence. He would not leave them comfortless, but promised to send them the Holy Spirit, who would lead and guide them into all truth. This promise was fulfilled in Acts 2 when the disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit and the presence of God filled them. It was this point that God’s presence began to tabernacle with man.

Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. Simply put, this means God inhabits everything we do to glorify Him. Adam and Eve lived in a garden, and the presence of God was there. The Israelites lived in a tent, so God said, “Put me in a tent.” When His people built a temple, God said, “Put me in a temple.” Finally, God said, “Put me in people so that I can be with them all of the time.”

Many people can name times when they’ve experienced God’s presence. This can happen everywhere—I’ve experienced the presence of God in airports and on airplanes. For some, God may have manifested His presence at church, in their cars, while they were preparing dinner, or getting ready for work. One thing is certain, God’s presence can be felt.

2025-02-26T08:35:06-07:00March 3rd, 2025|

God Is Always Leading Us

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  (Psalms 23:1-3 NKJV)

You must realize—and if you absorb this truth, it will change your life—God never leads His people aimlessly.  He always has a direction, a plan, a purpose.  He leads us with divine precision and accuracy, and always for good.

Keep your mind and heart tuned to the Great Shepherd’s voice and He will continually lead you into places of provision, security, restoration, and righteousness.

If you continue to follow Him, you will be going somewhere, and that somewhere will be a place full of God’s promise and power.

2025-01-29T12:40:00-07:00February 24th, 2025|

The Gift of Encouragement

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

The gift of encouragement is important because all believers need encouragement: “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  Acts 4:36 tells us of Joses, who operated in the gift of encouragement. Joses was a wealthy priest from Cyprus who got saved and gave his wealth to help persecuted believers.  He was such an encouragement that the disciples called him “Barnabas,” which means “Son of Encouragement.” By encouraging others, we not only uplift them, but we establish areas of service that minister to generations of people after us. Barnabas operated in such a ministry.

When the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to be missionaries, John Mark went along to serve and learn from them (see Acts 12:25; 13:2). Though called to the ministry, he was still young, immature, and unprepared for the hardships that a missionary had to endure.  He ended up going home mid-journey.  That’s why on their second mission trip, Paul didn’t want John Mark to come along, so they separated.  Barnabas took John Mark with him. This time, John Mark didn’t run home.  Barnabas encouraged, trained, and discipled him because he saw who John Mark could be a hardworking, seasoned minister.  John Mark became a very successful minister of the gospel—he wrote the book of Mark. Through this episode with John Mark, even Paul learned the profound results that encouragement could bring.  John Mark was with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24). At the end of his life, Paul sent for John Mark because he was so useful (2 Timothy 4:11).

Like Paul, we may forsake other people because they have disappointed us in the past, but we can also learn to minister encouragement. How? By applying three simple keys found in Hebrew 10, you can unfold your gift of encouragement.

  1. Draw near to God. Hebrews 10:22 tells us to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” To encourage others successfully, you must first draw near to God and fellowship with Him daily. People who are experiencing difficulties need to hear encouragement that comes straight from Jesus’s heart—not something we think He might say.
  2. Develop patience. Fellowship with the Lord gives a spiritual foundation upon which to base a ministry of encouragement. However, it’s crucial that we don’t allow impatience to erode that foundation; “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Unfortunately, most of us begin to lose patience if we don’t see results in ten seconds or less.  We must wait patiently and steadfastly for answers.
  3. Determine needed actions. Hebrews 10:24 states, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” We can speak encouraging words all day, but if they don’t instill in others the faith to act, remember that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Word of God, the most powerful force in the universe, will instill faith in people’s hearts and encourage them to act. Our responsibility is simply to speak forth the Word.

Remember, everyone needs encouragement.  Begin today to share your gift encouragement, and you’ll bless the body of Christ for many generations.

This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s 101-day devotional, Beautiful Inheritance.

2025-01-29T12:04:50-07:00February 17th, 2025|

The Peace that Passes All Understanding

Fear is the opposite of peace. No one enjoys being frightened. In Hebrew, the word “baath” means to be “affrightened.” Job poetically used this word to describe his grief after his great trials. The word “baath” conveys the meaning of desert winds, grievous visions, discomforting pain and a panting heart.

God has freely given us a remedy for all the above calamities. Philippians 4:7 tells us,

…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

When you keep your mind on Jesus Christ, God’s Incarnate Word, you will never be “affrightened;” you will remain in “perfect peace.”

Concentrate today upon keeping your mind focused on Jesus. When you enter a difficulty, ask yourself, “How would Jesus handle this situation?” Do you remember what He said to the storm? He said, “Peace, be still.” Do the same in all your difficult circumstances! Speak PEACE to them.

2025-02-18T10:00:02-07:00February 10th, 2025|

Love With God’s Love

We will reap what we sow, and today I want you to decide to sow LOVE. In John 13:34-35, Jesus said,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The love we demonstrate for each other is infectious. Non-Christians will see it and want what we have—Jesus! Decide today to correct any differences that you may have with someone else. Go out of your way to walk “the extra mile” to love the person who has offended you. You will not be sorry. Why? Because you’ll be acting like Jesus.

Remember He loved us while we were in sin, and His love was so strong that He was willing to die for us. Because He first demonstrated His love towards us, we love Him. Purpose in your heart to SOW LOVE to someone who is not expecting it. Surprise someone by showing them the LOVE OF JESUS today!

2025-01-16T11:48:28-07:00February 3rd, 2025|

Ask Marilyn

Q. I’m not sure I know how to lead someone to the Lord. Are there any specific “rules” I should follow? What do I say?

A. Any Christian can lead someone to the Lord, so let me first encourage you not to succumb to fear or worry about what to say. Pray first and ask the Lord to fill your mouth with the words He would have you say. Then, follow this simple scriptural approach:

  1. Open a Bible to Romans 10. Have the individual read aloud verses 9 and 10.
  2. Explain to the individual that because these scriptures say that “… confession is made unto salvation,” you are going to lead him in a short prayer. Ask the individual to repeat after you as you pray.
  3. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your prayer so that the individual will be sure to
  • Acknowledge that he is a sinner (repentance).
  • Ask the Father to cleanse him, by the blood of Jesus, from every sin committed.
  • Invite Jesus to come into their heart and to be Master and Lord of his life.
  • Thank God for saving his soul
  1. Ask the individual to read Romans 10:13 aloud. Now, ask him to read it again, but this time have him substitute their own name for “whoever” in this verse.

The individual will realize that he has fulfilled the simple requirements of verse 13 and that he is saved according to God’s Word, whether or not they feel any different!

You may warmly affirm this momentous decision and welcome your new brother or sister to the Body of Christ.

Q. What can I do to help a friend receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

A. The individual for the baptism in the Holy Spirit must be a born-again child of God. The work of the Holy Spirit is essential for Christian growth. Through this baptism God empowers the believer to develop and express his new life in Jesus Christ.

Many people desire to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, but they don’t know how to do so. Frequently, I open the conversation by saying, “I would love to pray with you to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit.” Then I proceed to

  1. Open a Bible to Luke 11:10-13 and ask the individual to read this passage aloud. These verses establish the way to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We simply “ask” in faith because we know that our loving heavenly Father would never give us a “counterfeit.”
  2. Ask the individual to read Acts 2:4 aloud. Assure the individual that just as Jesus’ disciples spoke in tongues when the Holy Spirit came upon them, the candidate will also speak in tongues when baptized in the Holy Spirit.
  3. Ask the individual to read Romans 8:26-28 aloud. This will confirm the purpose and the benefits of praying in “tongues.”
  4. Lead the candidate in a short prayer during which he asks the Father to baptize him with the Holy Spirit. Now tell the candidate that, by faith, you are going to pray in the Spirit together. Encourage the individual to speak freely—as the Holy Spirit directs—regardless of how it may sound to the natural ear.
  5. You, the leader, should begin to pray aloud in tongues. After you have prayed together in tongues for a while, you may wish to sing in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15).

Although the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a one-time event, the “infilling” of the Holy Spirit is a one-time event, the “infilling” of the Holy Spirit goes on and one and never stops. Encourage your friend to pray in the Spirit every day and to expect to find a new richness in his Christian experience.

2025-01-29T12:34:36-07:00January 29th, 2025|

Take Hold of God’s Promises

After three thirsty days in the wilderness, the children of Israel finally arrived at a huge pool of water.  However, when the people tried to drink the water, they could not because it was terribly bitter. Therefore, the people complained and murmured against Moses—and they named the place Marah, meaning “bitter.” Moses could have told the people to shut up. He even could have told the Lord, “I’m tired of this crowd of murmurers!” But Moses did neither of these things.

So, he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statue and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you. (Exodus 15:25-26 emphasis added)

God told Moses to throw a tree into the water, and Moses obeyed. Moses was given something to do in order for the miracle to take place. Moses believed God, but his faith had to be accompanied with action. So, it is with all of us; faith demands action. You can talk faith, but you must also walk faith. When Moses threw the tree into the waters of Marah, they were sweetened. Then Jehovah revealed Himself to His people in a new way as Jehovah-Rophe. If the people walked uprightly before the Lord, then He would not only be their healer but their health as well. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we never got sick? God desires that His people have divine health.

At Marah, God revealed Jehovah-Rophe as one of His covenant names. God was telling His people they would have none of the world’s diseases if they obeyed Him and His Word. Egypt, a type of the world, was full of disease because the Egyptians practiced idolatry. God said to Israel, “You will have none of Egypt’s diseases if you listen to my Words because I am the Lord your health. I am Jehovah-Rophe!”

2024-12-19T09:51:36-07:00January 20th, 2025|

You Must Remember This

“These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:7)

God likes to remind His people to certain things.  Jesus has given Christians two very special things to remember, and if we keep both of these things in mind, we can have victory over past failures, victory over present circumstances, and victory every day throughout our lives.

Remember how the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the promised land?  The waters miraculously parted, and they walked across.  Then God told Joshua to set up two memorials of 12 large stones one was in the midst of the river, and one was on the riverbank (Joshua 4:20). The stones were to be memorials to the Israelites so that:

“When your children ask in time to come saying, ‘What do these stones

              mean to you?” Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan

              were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD…these stones

              shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:6-7)

The heap of stones at the site where they crossed the Jordan was to remind them of all the miracles God wanted to work on their behalf in the present and the future.  They were to keep their eyes on God’s miracles and His promises—and never look back at the past.  They were constant reminders of God’s miraculous care and provision.  Each time they saw the memorials, their faith would increase, and increased faith meant increased victory.

God’s two memorials for Christians are designed the same way.  The first memorial is baptism.  In John 1:28, we learn that John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River at Bethabara.  Bethabara means “house of the ford or passage.” I believe this is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan.  Jesus went there to be baptized by John.  The one who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) went under the waters, which pictures His death for you and me. But that’s not all.  You were buried with Jesus—that is what your baptism symbolizes: “buried with Him in baptism” (Colossians 2:12). That’s how God transformed your past—He eliminated it!

The second memorial that Christians celebrate is communion.  First Corinthians 11:26 tells us that in communion, we remember not only the Lord’s death but also His second coming: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” In communion, we have a reminder of the daily power needed to live a victorious life (Christ’s life within) and the glorious future that awaits us (Christ second coming).

Like Israel, God has forgiven our past and provided for present and future needs in our lives. Sometimes we forget that God has done everything He can do to ensure we live triumphant Christian lives.  That’s when we need to take a long look at the two memorials God placed in our lives: baptism and communion.  When you recall that your past, present, and future are taken care of by the death, resurrection, and return of Jesus, your faith will increase, and your life will be transformed.

2024-12-19T09:52:22-07:00January 13th, 2025|

Take God’s Word Like a Medicine

Moses lived on God’s Word, and its truth became a reality in his life. The Word was Spirit and life to Moses because he believed it and acted upon it. By trusting Jehovah-Rophe, God’s life and health became a personal revelation to Moses. When he died, Moses was 120 years old; and Deuteronomy 34:7 tell us, his eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished. Jehovah-Rophe wants to be personal to you, also. He wants to heal you and make you whole!

God’s Word is like medicine; when you take His Word, you are taking health. That is why God told His people to heed His Word! God wants His children to be full of His life. You may believe God heals, and that’s great, but you must also receive His healing to be well. You will receive your healing and walk in divine health only by reading, meditating, and claiming the Word. God’s words of life, health, and healing must your continual feast.

In Isaiah 53:4, Isaiah prophesied the sufferings of Christ at Calvary when he wrote, Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Notice that it was not for Himself that Jesus suffered rejection and sorrow, but it was for you and me. In order to be whole persons, we not only need to be healed physically, but we need to be healed of those things which bring sickness to the soul. God has a special medicine cabinet that contains a sure cure for all kinds of sickness. If you are hurting in your body, mind, or emotions, Jehovah-Rophe has made provision for you. Don’t try to carry your grief or sorrow; cast it on Jesus and set yourself free!

A familiar chorus, taken from Isaiah 61:3, exhorts us to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Have you ever gone into a service feeling “heavy”—sorrowful and depressed—or just plain down? But, when you began to worship and praise the Lord, lifting your hands and singing, what happened? Your spirit was lifted, and you received healing in your soul. Those people who abide in praise, abide in the Lord and life in health!

The Sweet Smell of Victory

Song of Solomon 1:13 says, A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me. Who is this bundle of myrrh? Of course, He is Jesus. Myrrh has a delightful aroma, either crushed or left as twigs, and because of this, it has been used in many ways: on clothing, in incense and oil, and in sacrifices. Jesus is the perfume in our lives. He is not just a drop or a pinch, but He is a whole bundle for every heartache and heartbreak we experience. When you allow Jesus to heal wounds in your soul as well as your body, you will smell sweet like Jesus.

The three Hebrew children were thrown into Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to his statue, but the fire did not touch them. When these Hebrews were taken out alive, they did not even smell smoke. Why? Because Jesus was in the fire with them. They probably didn’t even want to leave the furnace because of the Lord’s presence, and I don’t blame them!

Perhaps you have come out of some negative experiences that wounded you, and you smell like smoke. You still talk and complain about them, the wounds still show. Friend, come to Jesus; cast the hurt upon Him. Let Jesus remove that smoky smell and give you the sweet smell of myrrh—the smell of victory. Jesus has healing for sin, backsliding, physical diseases, heartaches, depression, rejection—Jehovah-Rophe has a prescription for whatever ails you!

Pray this prayer:

Father, I believe that you are my healer. You are the God who is life and health to me! You proved your love for me when you gave your Son, Jesus, to die for me. His blood was shed for all my sicknesses and diseases—and all means all! That includes all my aches and pains. It includes all the mental attacks that may attempt to entrap me. It includes all my emotional ups and downs. Matthew 4:23 tells me that “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Jesus, you delivered the demon-possessed: healed paralytics, made the blind see and deaf to hear, and even raised the dead. Since God never changes, the same is true now, and you are able to heal me today. I put my trust in your and believe that I am healed and delivered in Jesus’s name.

2024-12-19T05:50:49-07:00January 6th, 2025|

Share of the Fruit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22, 23 NKJV)

The fruit of the Spirit is to be very evident in our lives.  When we are born again, we receive the fruits of LOVE, JOY, and PEACE.  These are for our personal enjoyment.  We experience love, joy, and peace.

In addition to these three fruits, there are three more that relate to others:  We need LONGSUFFERING in dealing with other people.  We also need GENTLENESS and GOODNESS.  Thus, not only do we enjoy personal fruit for ourselves, but we can extend His fruit to others.

Lastly, three final fruits deal with our relationship with our heavenly Father.  We give FAITH back to Him, along with MEEKNESS and TEMPERANCE.

Here is a beautiful picture of FRUIT THAT WE OURSELVES CAN ENJOY, FRUIT THAT WE GIVE TO OTHERS, and FRUIT THAT WE MANIFEST TO THE FATHER.  How complete God has made us in Jesus!  If you have Jesus, you have the seed of all nine of these fruits.  Partake of them all.

Dear Heavenly Father,

No law can win against love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance—the supernatural traits of Jesus Christ.  Thank You, Father, that these abide in us in our new birth.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

2024-12-04T12:16:45-07:00December 23rd, 2024|

Integrity of the Heart

The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. (Proverbs 11:3)

God wants you to be blessed in your health, relationships, finances, and in every area in which you have need.  Sometimes we miss God’s blessing because we try to cover up our shortcomings or hidden sins.  But God will bless the person who openly confesses and forsakes the gray areas within their heart.  The Bible calls that person full of “integrity,” and that’s the kind of person God wants you to be.

God wants us to be completely transparent with Him so that He can dispel any darkness we may try to hide.  If there’s some secret sin you’re covering up, allow the Lord to cleanse your heart from any defilement so that you can begin to enjoy the benefits of integrity.

Integrity will guide you: “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3). Sin in our lives will block God’s directions for making right choices.  Clear up any sin that may be hindering you from receiving God’s instructions and godly wisdom.  Integrity of the heart will make it easy for God to speak to you and make a straight path before you to follow.

Integrity will preserve and uphold you: “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You” (Psalm 25:21).  David knew that the benefits of integrity were long-lasting.  In addition, your personal integrity will be evident to those around you, and it will be a protection in times of need.  Look at Job.  Even God commented on his integrity after he had lost everything he had, except a nagging wife (see Job 2:1-10).

He was so intent on maintaining his integrity that when he was defending his righteousness, he said, “Let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know my integrity” (Job 31:6).  In the end, God upheld him in his circumstances, and he was preserved.

Integrity will bless you.  I believe that Christians don’t have to be poor because God wants to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).  And look at what Proverbs 19:1 says: “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.” Do you see how important integrity is to God?  God says it’s better to have integrity and be poor than to have everything and be living in darkness.

It’s okay to go to God with some dark spots in our hearts; He doesn’t expect us to wait until our hearts are perfect before we approach Him.  Let Him cleanse away the sin and darkness and set you free.  Walking in integrity will allow God to bless you!

Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s new book, Beautiful Inheritance, A 101-Day Devotional.

2024-12-04T12:07:16-07:00December 16th, 2024|

How To Stand in Faith and Victory

First Position of Victory:  Stand Praying

Now is the time to STAND and see your victory.  Jesus told us, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him…” Mark 11:25 (NKJ).  So, our first position of victory is to stand praying.  And when we pray, we must forgive those who have wronged us.  You cannot stand in victory if you harbor unforgiveness in your heart.

According to Colossians 4:12, prayers should cause us to “…stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”  Prayer matures and perfects our Christian faith.  Whenever we encounter obstacles to our faith that refuse to move, we need to go to prayer and learn what it is that is hindering us from walking in complete victory.

How long do we stand in prayer?  Until we change the circumstances around us!

Second Position of Victory:  Stand Fast on the Word

Our second position of victory is to stand fast on the Word of God.  Psalms 111:8 says, “They [God’s commandments] stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.”

Paul said something similar about standing when he wrote to the Ephesians: “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness” Ephesians 6:14 (NKJ).  We must take our stand on the truth standing on the Word with the breastplate of righteousness.  And if we try to stand on the Word, but live in an ungodly way, it won’t work.  Truth and righteousness go hand in hand—you can’t be a winner while you’re living in sin.  God’s Word will always point you to holiness as the way to stand in faith.

Third Position of Victory:  Stand for Holiness

To stand for righteousness is to stand against evil.  Psalms 94:16 says, “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?  Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”  God is calling us to take a stand for Him—to make a bold stand for holiness in our own lives and within our country.  Someone has said, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything!”

Queen Esther took a stand that could have cost her very life!  Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, told her of an evil plot to wipe out all the Jews in Persia.  Esther had to choose whether to take a stand by revealing her Jewish nationality to the king, or to remain silent and see her countrymen slain.  She chose to stand for what was right, and she came out victoriously.

People need to know where we stand.  They need to know that we are Christians—that we read our Bibles—that we pray—that we are faithful to our spouses.  Yes, we must make a stand for holiness.

Fourth Position of Victory:  Stand Fast in the Faith

Sometimes when I’ve been standing for something a long, long time, I start thinking, “It looks like this is never going to happen.”  Have you ever thought that?  Sometimes it seems that no matter how much you pray and confess the Word, discouragement hovers like a dark cloud.  That’s the time to heed Paul’s words in I Corinthians 16:13 “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”

God hasn’t called us to be Christian “wimps”; so, when discouragement rolls in like the fog, that’s the time to stand in faith all the more.  To “be strong” means to keep exercising your faith moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, and day-by-day.  When you feel faith ebbing away, feed your faith with more of the Word of God; the bread of life, and the water of the Spirit will strengthen you to stand fast in faith.

Fifth Position of Victory:  Stand Together

Standing in prayer, standing fast on the Word, standing for holiness, and standing fast in the faith are all things that you can do alone.  You cannot end this year in faith, however, until you’ve learned to stand together.  I need you, and you need me.

As great as Moses was, he wasn’t able to lead the Jews alone.  Over one million Israelites had left Egypt under Moses’ direction, but the responsibilities of governing that many people were too much for one man.  God’s solution is found in Numbers 11:16: “So the Lord said to Moses:  Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.”

Like Moses, God intends for us to help one another and stand with one another.  Ask of us have financial, physical, mental, material, and spiritual needs.  We can’t meet all those needs ourselves, but we can stand for one another’s need and watch God work!

I know of a woman who had cancer, and the doctors told her she had one month to live.  A group of Christians went to her and began to pray.  Nothing happened at first, but they just kept praying and fasting.  The woman couldn’t do anything for herself by this time, but the group of Christians wouldn’t give up.  Finally, 20 days later, she was able to eat some lettuce, and then some bread, and then some…

You know how this story ends—eventually that woman overcame cancer.  She’s alive and serving God today because she didn’t stand alone.  As we stand together, God is able to get the greater victories.

IF YOU want to end this year in victory, find other Christians who will stand in prayer—stand fast on the Word—stand for holiness—and stand fast in the faith with you.  The devil doesn’t have a chance when we’re standing together to defeat him!

Sixth Position of Victory:  Stand as a Conqueror

The last stand you must take is found in Ephesians 6:13: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.”  The “evil day” is whenever you have a crisis!  And in that day, you’re to put on God’s armor from head to foot and then STAND—as a conqueror!

We are stand as conquerors by faith and by saying—and saying—God’s Word!  Get others to say the Word for you too.  Stand together, and speak the Word for each other.

As you stand in prayer—and on the Word—and for holiness—it’s as a conqueror.  And when you stand fast in the faith and stand together, IT WILL BE AS A CONQUEROR!  Live each day from a position of victory, and you will end this year in faith.

2024-12-04T11:54:21-07:00December 9th, 2024|

Joy Makes Life Worth Living

“. . . The Joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Our God is a joyful God, and it is with His joy that we become stronger, more powerful Christians. What is joy? One of the Hebrew words for joy is chedvah, which means “rejoicing, gladness.” In Galatians 5:22, joy is the Greek word chara, which means “cheerfulness, delight.” So, joy helps you worship God, and it makes you glad, cheerful, and a delight to be around. You will even start to like yourself better when you receive God’s joy.

Receive God’s Joy!

You receive the joy of the Lord when you are anointed with the Holy Spirit. This anointing starts at the top of your head and goes all the way to your feet: God begins with your head because your thought life gives you direction—it either gets you in trouble or sets you on the right path.

If you think being righteous means being as sober as a judge, then you haven’t read Acts 2. On the day of Pentecost, the people didn’t appear sober when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit—they acted like they were drunk! People who saw them said, “. . . They are full of new wine” (Acts 2:13). When you are baptized in the Spirit and receive the anointing, you too will act joyful.

Some get nervous when they see other people respond in joy. They don’t think it’s scriptural, but being jubilant is VERY scriptural. Psalms 66:1 says, “Make a joyful shout to God . . .” In fact, there are seven references in the Psalms about making a “joyful noise” to the Lord.

Make a JOYFUL noise!

The Hebrew word for joyful in Psalms 66:1 is renanah, which means “shout for joy, singing, triumphing.” Joyful expressions are loud and noisy. Have you ever tried to laugh and keep it all inside? It’s nearly impossible. It’s the same way with the joy that the Holy Spirit places inside you; it has to come bubbling out. Romans 14:17 says the kingdom of God “. . . is not eating and drinking; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” If you are moving in the Holy Spirit, you will have the joy that comes with Him.

As a Christian, God calls you to be joyful, Isaiah 51:11 says, “So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” The redeemed are supposed to have so much joy it comes out of their mouths. It is necessary for Christians to be joyful in order to give glory to God and to witness to the lost.

Your Daily Joy

Like your zeal for the Lord and your dedication to keep His commandments, you must commit to daily maintenance of joy. Isaiah 12:3 says, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” When Jesus lives in your heart, then you already have joy inside. All you have to do is pull some out every day.

Fullness of joy is found in God’s presence, so start your day by entering into His presence with joy and praise. When you get up in the morning, say, “This is the day the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalms 118:24).

It is also important to watch what you think, say, and do. Proverbs 15:23 says, “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth…” so watch what you are saying. You can say words that will bring depression into your heart. If you’re not diligent, you can lose your joy! In Psalms 51:12, David said, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation . . .” He wrote this after he had an affair with Bath-Sheba and had Uriah killed. He lost his joy because of sin; and the same thing can happen to us.

Sometimes it isn’t a major crisis that steals your joy—you lost it because of your own indifference to God. If you don’t read your Bible, don’t pray, don’t set your priorities according to God’s will, or get into sin, then you will not feel the joy of the Lord because you are not dwelling in His presence.

With repentance, God’s joy returns. David knew that his salvation would restore his joy. There is no question that David’s joy returned—he remained a man after God’s own heart and God sent the Messiah through him. Proverbs 15:13 tells us that “. . . by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

When you focus on heartbreak, you lose your joy. Don’t let problems overcome you; instead let promises take over problems. God wants you to be joyful in times of trouble because the strength found in joy will bring you through your problems. If depression has killed your joy, ask the Holy Spirit to anoint you again. He will resurrect your joyful heart.

The anointing destroys the yoke. If you are depressed, sad, or living under a burden of oppression or circumstances, ask the Holy Spirit to anoint you with joy. God will break those bondages and set you free. According to John 10:10 in the Amplified Bible, Jesus came “. . . that [we] may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” This is the level of blessing that God wants for each of use. When we decide to be led by a joyful heart, strive to joyfully express our love for God, and commit to maintain our joy by seeking God daily, God’s true power can be released—and we can have the overflowing abundance of joy the Word promises.

2024-12-04T11:46:02-07:00December 4th, 2024|

Thanksgiving Joy

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.”  Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)

God has often dealt with me about the act of thanksgiving.  There is power in the giving of thanks.  In the Old Testament there was a special offering just for thanksgiving.  The New Testament says that when we pray, we are to do so with thanksgiving.  We are to thank God for our food.  Then our blessings will be sanctified and set apart for us.

Thanksgiving is like yeast:  Thanksgiving causes your requests to rise with faith into the presence of God, just as yeast causes bread to rise.  The Word teaches that if you are not thankful for the things that God does, He will take away what He has given you.

Of the ten lepers, nine never gave thanks to Jesus.  Only one returned to thank Him.  I believe that because that one leper gave thanks, he received SPIRITUAL wholeness, as well as PHYSICAL wholeness.  Thanksgiving also will help you to be whole—physical, emotionally, and spiritually.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us to live in an attitude of thanksgiving.  When we give You our praise and thanks, we know that You will bless us in body, soul and Spirit.  Thank You for all the good things that You do. 

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

2024-10-31T12:04:44-06:00November 25th, 2024|

GO FORWARD in the Power of God’s Encouragement

Has God shown you your “promised land” but you have yet to possess it? Or does His “promise” seem to be so far into the future that you’ve given up all hope of ever receiving and enjoying it?

As He did with Joshua, God wants to encourage you in every area of your life. He does not want you to wander in the wilderness of defeat and discouragement, He wants you to move forward in Him in the power of encouragement. Discouragement can totally immobilize you. It can depress your spirit, soul, and body. It can cause you to lose ground spiritually, mentally, and emotionally; and rob you of the blessings God has for you. Whenever I think of someone looking back or going a backward route, I think of Lot’s wife. She was not encouraged about going forward; she was discouraged, and when she looked back, she became a pillar of salt!

Sow Encouragement

When we encourage one another, we put the power of God to work. The Bible is filled with examples of people who refused to look back in the face of adversity. They chose to receive encouragement, were encouraged by God, or encouraged themselves even when those around them wanted to stone them!

God will move on the hearts of others to encourage you in tough situations, and He may even speak a personal Word of encouragement to you. In Deuteronomy 1:38, God told Moses to encourage Joshua, who took up Moses’ mantle to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land: “Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.”

So, Moses gave Joshua a charge and said, “…Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you” (Deuteronomy 31:23).

Then, when Joshua was getting ready to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, God spoke a personal Word of encouragement to him. “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their father to give them” (Joshua 1:6).

Joshua was encouraged to fulfill the call of God on his life. He remained open to encouragement, and closed to discouragement, even when the 10 spies gave the bad report (see Numbers 13 and 14).

The direction you look in the face of adversity will determine your final outcome. If you look back you will be discouraged, but if you look ahead to what God says, keep a single eye on Jesus, and look for God’s glory and His goodness, you will be encouraged and triumph in every situation.

The Apostle Paul had opportunity after opportunity to get his eyes off of God and onto his discouraging circumstances. He was shipwrecked, he was stoned, he was beaten, he was left for dead—if anyone could have given into discouragement, it was Paul. Instead of becoming discouraged, however, Paul glorified God in his tribulations and remained encouraged. As a result, he wrote two-thirds of the New Testament!

Paul’s secret to perseverance can be found in Philippians 3:10, 11: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. 11If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Regardless of his circumstances, Paul was determined not to go backward but to go forward in the power of God’s encouragement! “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13, 14).

Encourage Yourself

There are times when it may seem like everyone in the world has deserted you, but it is during those times that you should press into God and not depend on others; learn to encourage yourself in the things of God.

David exemplified this more than anyone. Saul had chased him for nine years and tried to kill him 21 times. But while David was in the wilderness, Jonathan, Saul’s son, came to him and encouraged him in his circumstances: “Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God” (1 Samuel 23:16). He said, “David, you’re going to be the king. You’re going to win, so don’t be discouraged.”

Later David found himself faced with a desperate situation and no one was there to encourage him. “So, David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fires; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:3, 6)

And then the most wonderful thing happened. God spoke a personal word of encouragement to David in the midst of one of the most discouraging times in his life, God said, “…Pursue: for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all” (1 Samuel 30:8).

There is power in encouragement! And like David, you, too, can learn to sow and reap encouragement, as well as encourage yourself in the face of the darkest circumstances! Because David had learned about the power of encouragement, he was able to write Psalm 27:14: “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say on the Lord!”

After David learned to encourage himself in the things of God, he was able also to encourage his son, Solomon, in the work God had called him to do: “And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 28:20 NKJV)

Do you need the power of encouragement in your life? Pray and listen for what God says to you in the midst of your circumstances. And while you are waiting, His Word promises He will strengthen you so you can go forward and not be moved by what you see.

Perhaps, like Joshua, God has called you to fulfill what seems to be an insurmountable task, or like David, there are “King Sauls” chasing you and trying to destroy you. Whatever your situation, remember you do not have to become shipwrecked. The power of encouragement can put to flight the meanest of foes and cause you to move forward in the power of God and His resurrection! 

2024-10-31T11:57:36-06:00November 11th, 2024|

The Power of a Joyful Attitude

May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. (Psalm 119:74 NIV)

When a man of God receives grace for himself, he becomes a blessing to others.  Hopeful people bring gladness wherever they go.

What do you bring to your friends and family?  Do you remind them of all the bad things that have happened or might happen?  Do you give them a catalog of your aches and pains?  If your conversations are full of complaints, worries, and problems, then you are not testifying for God.

Your attitude alone can be a testimony to the gifts of God.  You have been forgiven!  You are assured of eternal life!  Considering the magnitude of these gifts, what do you have to complain about?

Reflect your joy and gratitude in every situation — you will be a blessing to your friends and family and, most of all, to God.

2024-12-19T12:45:42-07:00November 4th, 2024|

Your Power Source

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses…For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)

I’m sure you’ve experienced the frustration of human weakness.  Whether physical or otherwise, each of us experiences some inadequacy or a serious setback.  Most people desire to succeed in every circumstance.  Overall, that’s a sound, biblical approach to life.  When we face life on our best footing, we tend to face the day with confident assurance.  We expect positive outcome because we’ve done everything right.  However, when something upsets the delicate balance of “feeling in control,” our true weakness becomes evident.

The good news is that, regardless of the world’s wisdom or even your own past experiences, your success is not based upon your strength—and failure is not formed in your weakness.  We must surrender our desire to be in control to God, giving Him total access to our lives and our weaknesses.  Paul is the perfect example.  Paul was well-acquainted with weakness, yet God used him to accomplish much.  When a “thorn in his flesh” tormented him, he cried out to God for relief: “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV).

Knowing all that God still had planned for Paul, you might think He would have removed every hindrance—especially the thorn that caused him such pain.   Instead, God showed Paul a new way of looking at his weakness.  God knows that man’s strength can only go so far, for so long.  Ultimately, our strength is insufficient.  When we acknowledge that fact and turn to Him, we switch from our own “power supply” to His grace—His limitless ability exercised on our behalf.

After God’s unexpected answer, the apostle gained a new perspective on weakness: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses…For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV).  Instead of begging God to fix the problem, Paul boasted and delighted in it.  Paul delighted in his weakened condition because he realized that with God backing him up, every obstacle became an opportunity for God’s power to be demonstrated.

Allow weakness to work for you and for the kingdom.  Ask God what you can learn through periods of seeming failure, defeat, or frailty.  Acknowledge God’s strength.  Release yourself into His hands and draw on His unending power.  Even when weakness is all your natural eye can see, you can enjoy the genuine victory that comes only from God.  Each deflated expectation can turn out to be your open door to accomplishment.  Any challenging experience can become an equipping moment of success—when you allow God to work through your weakness.

Finally, when you’ve feeling weak or inadequate, remember that Jesus Himself was ridiculed as He hung on the cross (see Mark 15:32).  Beaten and bloodied, He was not the world’s typical picture of strength.  Yet His “weakness” was used by God to bring salvation to the world!

Today’s blog is an excerpt from Marilyn’s 101-day devotional, Beautiful inheritance.

2024-09-19T07:43:52-06:00October 21st, 2024|

Endure to Reap the Blessing

James 5:11 says, …we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job…” Job endured terrible trials. Was he happy when God restored and multiplied all that he had lost? Was he happy when his life-span was increased? Was he happy when his wealth was increased and doubled? Yes! He illustrates the truth that if you endure, the happiness and peace of God will be your reward.

Do you feel a burden, a weight that doesn’t seem to leave you? Are the circumstances of life bearing down on you? Is there a someone in your life—a child, a loved one—who seems to be holding you down, so that you are unable to rise to the level where you want to be in your walk with the Lord?

Hebrews 12:2, tells us to look unto Jesus, “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus bore the burdens of the whole world—sickness, sin, poverty, oppression, depression—and a whole host of other things. Now, He is seated on the throne next to the Father, has many crowns, is exalted, and has a name that is above all names. One day, every knee will bow at the name of Jesus, to the glory of God the Father, because He endured the Cross.

Look to Jesus, the forerunner Who pioneered the way for us to follow. If you take up your cross and endure by the power of God, a crown awaits you.

There are 7,000 promises you can claim to help you through the hard times. Cling to them, meditate on them, memorize them, believe in them—His Word is true. The Word works!

You can endure and you will go from glory to glory because God wants you to rule and reign!

2024-09-19T06:33:18-06:00October 14th, 2024|

Mountain Moving Faith

Do your prayers move mountains, mole hills or nothing at all? Would you like to see the mountain of defeat, depression and heartache lifted? Today you will put an end to defeat; you will MOVE MOUNTAINS!

In Mark 11:23, Jesus taught,

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

When was the last time you spoke to the mountains that have covered your heart? God didn’t say, “Pray to Me and I will remove them.” The Word commands us to speak to them and tell them what to do. What is bothering you? Right now, address the problem in the name of Jesus and tell in to be removed and cast into the sea. Whenever the problem tries to resurface, speak the Word against it and command it to be removed. Believe that what you say will come to pass; believe that your commands will move your mountains of problems and circumstances.

When you pray, don’t pray the problem; pray the answer to the problem. Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Pray the things that your heart desires. MOVE YOUR MOUNTAINS today, and call rivers of joy into your heart.

2024-09-19T06:34:42-06:00October 7th, 2024|

Questions and Answers

Questions & Answers

  1. I have an overwhelming problem with jealousy. It is so ugly, and it is practically killing me. Can you help me conquer this?
  2. The Bible says that jealously is as cruel as the grave (Song of Solomon 8:6). Jealousy motivates revenge and can cause you many problems unless you repent. The only way you can overcome jealousy is to go to God and ask Him to help you with your problem. God guarantees in His Word that if we resist the devil he will have to flee (James 4:7). As you feel this spirit of jealousy trying to overtake you, speak out loud, “Jealousy, I resist you in Jesus’ name.” Remember the root of jealousy is fear, and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
  3. I have heard you say we are not to take up another’s offense. Is there a scripture reference to support this statement?
  4. Proverbs 26:17 gives us advice about keeping out of someone else’s quarrel. In the Amplified Bible it reads, “He who, passing by, stops to meddle with strife that is not his business is like one who takes a dog by the ears.”
  5. Is it ever proper to judge someone?
  6. I encourage everyone in the Body of Christ to look at others as having the potential of Jesus inside. There is no proper or improper time to judge another. The Bible tells us that such behavior will get us into a world of trouble. The consequences of judging are found in Matthew 7:1-5; Romans 2:1; and Galatians 6:7,8.

God will help us love others in the Church, and through that love we won’t have to judge or evaluate them. After all, we are God’s servants and it is God alone who is able to make us stand (see Romans 14:4). Each of us is to evaluate and judge ourselves—then we will not need to judge one another.

  1. I have a real hard time forgiving myself when I’ve offended someone or done something stupid. What should I do?

Peter, Paul, David, Abraham, and Isaac all sinned. The key to their success and greatness was that they received forgiveness and cleansing from their sin and went on with God. Realize that you are not perfect but you do have the perfect One living inside of you. Whenever you feel you’ve blown it, repent to God and to anyone else who may be involved. Then forgive yourself and thank God that you are in Christ and no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1, 2). His Word is true and He forgives every repentant sinner according to 1 John 1:9.

  1. I have been deeply hurt by people telling lies about me. How do I handle this kind of gossip?
  2. First of all, you must guard your own heart according to Proverbs 4:23. I was once deeply offended by another Christian. I felt he was being very unjust toward me, and my first reaction was to tell him off; but the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart to do good to those who hate me (Matthew 5:44). I made a decision to act on the Word, to pray for the person who offended me, and to do good for him if the opportunity arose.

Likewise, it is important for you to forgive the people who are gossiping about you and to make sure that your relationship with the Lord continues to be good. As you walk in holiness and righteousness before Him, God will make your enemies to be at peace with you (Proverbs 16:7). If you sow bitterness, you will reap bitter results; but God will richly bless you if you flow in His forgiveness and grace toward these people.

2024-09-19T08:06:18-06:00September 28th, 2024|

Your Anchor of Integrity

The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. (Proverbs 20:7)

When it seems like the world has gone crazy, anchor yourself to integrity, for it is a key to God’s best.  Even when you blow it, God can give you another change and bring you through.  God wants you to have integrity in every area, because integrity pays big dividends.  Don’t just go with the flow.  Choose integrity and avoid the heart-wrenching consequences.

Integrity, or the lack of it, really shows up when you are under pressure.  When the pressure is on, are you going to hold on to your anchor of integrity?  Even if you’ve blown it and have not shown integrity at times, there’s hope.  Three of the Bible’s greatest men—Abraham, Jacob, and Job—became men of integrity after acting just the opposite.

  • Abraham “the Liar”: Out of fear, Abraham lied two times, saying Sarah was his sister instead of his wife.
  • Jacob “the Cheater”: Jacob deceived his brother and his father. He manipulated his brother, Esau, into selling his birthright for a bowl of stew.  Later, Jacob impersonated his brother to get all his father’s blessings.
  • Job “the Blamer”: Job had an incredible number of trials. He became bitter with God and his friends and wished he had never been born.  He felt like God had deserted him.

Under pressure, each of these men blew it.  Yet each one made a quantum leap and developed integrity.  God saw potential in these men of failed integrity, and He sees potential in you, too!

  • God told Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice (Genesis 22), and he obeyed. God called Abraham a “man of faith.”
  • Following his wrestling match with a man, God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel” and even named the nation of Israel after him (Genesis 32:28).
  • God Himself confronted Job and told him. “You are talking wrong, thinking wrong, and acting wrong. Look to me.” Job repented, and God restored double everything he’d lost (See Job 38-42).

How did these men make such a quantum leap of change?  They pursued God.  The pursuit of godly integrity is well worth it.

  • Integrity will preserve you: “Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You” (Psalm 25:20-21).
  • Integrity will uphold you: “You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever” (Psalm 41:12).
  • Integrity preserves your children: “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him” (Proverbs 20:7).

If God could bring Abraham, Jacob, and Job through their messes, He will bring you through, too.  Ask Jesus to help you learn integrity.  Begin to study “integrity” in God’s Word.  Like Abraham, Jacob, and Job, integrity can be your anchor.

2024-09-05T10:59:43-06:00September 23rd, 2024|

Favor for Your Health

In 2 Kings 5, we find the story of a man, a valiant soldier, who was in a completely unfavorable health circumstance—he had leprosy.  Yet, there was a young girl who found favor with this man, and her favor not only transformed his life but many other situations as well.

The man’s name was Naaman.  He was a brave, successful commanding general in the Syrian army.  During one of Syria’s raids, they had taken a young Israelites girl captive, and she became a servant to Naaman’s wife.  The Bible never tells us her name, but we do know that someone had planted the Word of God into her heart when she was very young.  Even in captivity, she held fast to the Word and shared it with others. In spite of her circumstances, this girl found favor with God because she confidently witnessed His Word and allowed the truth to remain in her.

For her young age, she had a good understanding of Naaman’s suffering and his needs. One day, she told Naaman’s wife that he should visit the prophet Elisha in order to receive healing for his leprosy.  When Naaman heard the suggestion, he gathered much wealth and brought it with him on his journey to Israel.

When Naaman first arrived in the land, he presented a letter written by the king of Syria to the king of Israel.  This letter announced that he was sending Naaman to Israel to be healed.  The king of Syria really put the king of Israel on the spot! The Israelite king heatedly replied by saying, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore, please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me” (2 Kings 5:7).

Seeing that the king’s situation was far different from that of the young maid’s, I thought that it was interesting to note that she had more compassion for Naaman’s circumstances than the king did!  She realized the source for his healing was God’s power, whereas the king didn’t.  Furthermore, the king of Israel lacked understanding, mercy, and truth, so Naaman was wasting his time trying to find favor with him!

Hearing that the king responded to Naaman by tearing his clothes over the situation, Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10). Naaman wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of washing himself in the Jordan seven times.  When he heard Elisha’s prescription for his condition, he was disgusted.  What did Naaman expect Elisha to do? The Bible says:

Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’” (2 Kings 5:11)

It is interesting to note the important roles which the servants played in this story. First, we see that Naaman’s servant girl told him to go to Israel to seek his healing. Naaman would have left Israel enraged by his anger had not his other servants encouraged him to follow the prophet’s advice: “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” (2 Kings 5:14).

There was a reason why Naaman had favor in the sight of the Lord. God’s promise to Abraham was: “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). This promise not only applied to Abraham, but it also applied to his seed.  There young servant girl was the seed of Abraham.  We can surmise that Naaman must have been a very good master to his servants because in verse 13 they affectionately called him “Father” and they earnestly desired to see him healed. Even though she was a captive, I believe Naaman’s kindness to the Jewish girl gave him favor in the sight of the Lord, and this favor led to his physical and spiritual healing.

After Naaman’s miraculous healing, he returned to Elisha, and with much gratitude, he tried to persuade him to accept the treasure which he had brought, but Elisha refused.  According to verses 18-19, we see that Naaman repented of his idolatrous past and was forgiven of his sins.  After he was healed and forgiven, he asked Elisha for some direct because he wanted to take it back to his home in Syria, where he planned to kneel on it and worship the God of the Jews. He was really touched by his healing, wasn’t he? He abandoned the worship of Rimmon, the god of Babylon, and he learned to worship Jehovah, the true and living God!

Healing and salvation are often found together throughout the Bible. We hardly ever see them separated.  Naaman’s entire life was transformed through his encounter with God, which brought about his physical and spiritual healings. Both ancient history and the Bible agree that Syria attacked Israel many times after this incident, but there is no indication that Naaman ever led the Syrian army in battle against Israel after his miraculous healing. Isn’t it wonderful how God touches us as individuals in order to place us in the path of His divine will? Once God puts His finger on your life, you’re not only transformed, but the consequences of His divine touch are also often quite far-reaching, as they were in the case of Naaman.

Do you want favor for healing that will go beyond just your own body and circumstances and change the course of history as well? Nothing is too big for God!

Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s new book, Rebuild Restoring Your God-Given Identity.

2024-09-05T08:05:14-06:00September 16th, 2024|

Declare Today-I am Resting in the Lord.

Declare Today-I am Resting int he Lord.
My Heart will Trust in Him and I’ll not Fear.

Did you know that Solomon wrote Psalm 127 just before the death of his father, David? Solomon’s brother, Adonijah, was trying to take the throne by deceitful means, even though the kingship was promised to Solomon. Instead of fighting with Adonijah over the throne, Solomon wrote this Psalm. Basically, it says, “Why worry? If God wants me on the throne, I’ll be there.” His heart was at peace with the Lord.

Solomon had received a spiritual name from Nathan, the prophet. The name was Jedidah, which means “beloved.” When Solomon wrote Psalm 127, he said, “For so He gives His beloved sleep” (vs. 2). Solomon was really inserting his own name, Jedidah. Read this Psalm, and you can insert your name, too, for you are dear to His heart; you are His beloved.

Can you take the step of faith that Solomon took? Can you look at your own situation and say, “Why worry? God’s Word is true; He will perform that which He has promised!” Of course you can! As you go to sleep tonight, remind yourself of who He says that you are. “God calls things that are not as though they were,” and He has given this awesome power to you! Once you speak His Word over your situation, the work is already accomplished, whether or not you see the work as completed with your natural eye. Let your heart REST in the assurance of His Word. Stop worrying, you are of His beloved; He has called you “Jedidah.” You are His bride, His chosen, and you above all others should let your heart REST in Him.

2024-08-22T12:59:47-06:00September 9th, 2024|

Choose to be a Winner

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says…the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22, 25 NIV)

Approach every day as though it were the only day you have to achieve your goals and be a winner.  In reality, that is true.  Yesterday is gone forever, and tomorrow isn’t here yet.  Nevertheless, yesterday is the foundation you’re building today on, and today is the foundation for tomorrow.  Too soon, today will be gone and you will be faced with tomorrow.  What you do right now sets the stage for your future, for achievement or failure.  Choose to be a winner.

We hear a great deal today about stress and how to handle it.  Our society seems to be plagued with stress, which manifests in confusion, frustration, anxiety, fear, etc.  Let me give you valuable keys to stress management.  Put God first, plan each day wisely, schedule your time, write things down, stick to your goals, and avoid delay.  This will enable you to eliminate a great amount of stress.

God wants His people to reflect joy and walk in victory.  He doesn’t want them stressed out under their circumstances.  Remember, others are watching you.  The world needs to see a different kind of person—an optimist instead of a pessimist, a winner not a loser, an overcomer rather than an underachiever.  That kind of person just might have the opportunity to lead others to Christ.  Will you be that person?

2024-09-05T07:06:25-06:00September 5th, 2024|

Ask Marilyn – Hearing From God and Knowing His Will

Q: I’m not sure if I’m hearing God’s voice or someone else’s. What does God’s voice sound like?

A: We all struggle with the question, “Is this the voice of God?” John 10 offers us a wonderful promise: The Lord’s sheep know His voice, and the voice of a stranger they will not follow. The voice of God can come to us in different ways. In the Old Testament the voice of God is described as a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11, 12). Most often God’s voice sounds very much like our own thoughts. But these thoughts do not originate from the mind; they come from deep within our own spirit.

Believers have been promised that as we continue to walk with God, He will guide us with His eye upon us and lead us in the way that we should go (Psalms 32:8). And according to Galatians 5:16, we can know that we are being led by the Holy Spirit if we are walking in the Spirit; and walking in the Spirit means to act on God’s Word, no matter what “sense-knowledge” tells us. I believe that our flesh seeks after signs—something we can see or feel. Check out the leadings you have by asking yourself, “Is this my flesh wanting a sign, or is this God’s Word directing my spirit?” If you follow the Word, you will never be disappointed.

Q: What do people mean when they talk about revelation knowledge?

A: God is continually giving us deeper revelation knowledge (insight) into His Word. However, they key to revelation knowledge is that it must always line up with and be tested according to the known Word of God—the Bible. Revealed knowledge often opens up God’s Word to us in a fresh way—not adding to the Word nor taking away from it, but revealing it to us in a deeper way: But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Jesus very clearly indicated to us that the Holy Spirit would be our teacher and teach us things by revelation (see John 14). I believe the apostle Paul was referring to revelation knowledge when he wrote about the revelation of mystery (Romans 16:25) and when he instructed the Corinthians in the use of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:26). Paul also prayed that God would give the Church revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17).

Nevertheless, Paul also warned that if anyone, including an angel from heaven, came with a revelation other than the gospel which was brought to the world by Jesus, then we would know that revelation was not from God. So, then any “revealed knowledge” beyond God’s Word as found in the Bible is not of God. Nearly every cult has an additional source of written authority besides the Bible. These extra-Biblical scriptures are not from God.

Q: I’m resting now from near burnout from church duties, outside women’s organizations, my family responsibilities, etc. My quiet times during this time were not what they should be, but now I find myself having regular, quality quiet time but feeling a lack of fulfillment. I don’t seem to have any vision, and the Lord seems to be silent. Do you have any suggestions or scriptures?

A: The answer to your burnout problem and present lack of fulfillment is found in John 15:1, 2: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

In every life there are seasons of bearing fruit, pruning, growing, and bearing more fruit. Certainly, in the times of “fruit bearing,” where there is evidence of what our life is producing, we have a sense of fulfillment because we can “see” what we have done.

However, there are necessary times when God puts us in a “dormant” state so that we can abide in Him and He in us: “…as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4). I believe you may be experiencing an “abiding time” in your life. God is giving you a season of rest, consolidation, and a chance to re-energize. Enjoy it! Receive this time as God’s wisdom for this season in your life.

If the Lord is silent, then you can be certain that you are in His will! The Holy Spirit gets “noisy” within us when we begin to walk outside of God’s will.

Q: I know that God has a calling on my life either to preach or to teach so I quit my job because I didn’t want anything to hold me back. Some doors have been opened, but I really need more financial support. Would it be all right for me to work part-time at a secular job?

A: Yes, you can be called to the ministry and still work at a secular job. There are many faithful men and women in the ministry today who are holding down full or part-time jobs in order to support themselves. And in the Bible, we find that it was the apostle Paul’s custom to provide for his needs by working with his own hands (see 2 Thessalonians 3:8).

Q: Marilyn, I just don’t understand how someone can be truly close to God, like David in the Bible, and still sin so terribly.

A: Being close to God does not make one exempt from sin. Saul, David, and Solomon certainly had the hand of God upon them, but as humans they were still given to temptation and sin. Like each of us, these great men had a choice—each day brought new opportunities either to be defeated or to be victorious. These Old Testament men did not have the New Testament covenant rights that we now have, which include understanding our authority and power through God’s Word.

Because all humans have a sin nature, there is no person on earth who is exempt from temptation and sin. We have seen that in the Body of Christ when great men and women of God have been tempted and, in a time of weakness, have fallen. You have experienced this type of temptations and succumbed to sin, and so have I. Being in a leadership position often makes a person even more vulnerable because Satan has assigned demons spirits to tempt leaders and try to cause them to fall. That is why it is important for all of us to stay close to God through His Word, prayer, and fellowship with one another.

And always remember the good news that “…The things which as impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). The word possible refers to “miracle-working power.” The miracle-working power of God’s grace can keep you in His righteousness.

2024-08-14T10:06:39-06:00August 26th, 2024|

Your Personal Trainer

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” (Hebrews 12:5-6)

One day I asked the Lord, “What do Christians need to know to come out triumphantly when they go through tests and trials?” The Lord had me turn to Hebrews 12:5-6, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”  I began to see some truths that were comforting concerning the matter of God’s chastening.  I found out that chastening means “child training, instruction, being educated.” What a difference that makes!

Every Christian will experience trials, temptations, infirmities, and afflictions, but God has promised that His personal training can cause you to win over them all.  To triumph over tests and trials, we must understand that God uses them as training grounds to help us win “the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).  The Christians life is like a race with hurdles and obstacles to overcome.  A hill or two may test our endurance and stretch our faith.  If we are going to run and finish the race, then we will have to lay aside some weights (sin) that can slow us down and eventually lead to defeat (see Hebrews 12:1). We can’t finish the course God has set before us if we allow sin to distract us from running the course.

Often, when we are confronted with a test, trial, or temptation, we think God is mad at us, but He isn’t!  There are two wrong ways to respond to God’s training, found in Hebrews 12:5-6:  you can despise God’s training, and you can be discouraged and despair of it.  When you despise the Lord’s chastening, you treat it lightly.  If you have bitterness, covetousness, or bad habits and the Lord uses a person or a situation to deal with it, so why can’t I?” If you ignore God’s chastening, you are treating it lightly and could end up out of the race.

Another wrong way to respond is to despair of God’s training.  The Lord may put His hand on you and say, “I don’t like this thing (weight) in your life, it keeps you from being victorious,” You can accept God’s dealing and act on His words; or you can say, “Oh, God, I just can’t help it.  I’ve tried and tried to overcome it, and I just can’t.  It’s hopeless.”  But it’s not hopeless!  Remember: “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6).  Don’t faint or despair over your situation: rather, know that God’s wonderful hand of love is behind it.

Training brings profit into your life.  If you refuse to allow the Lord to train and discipline you, you won’t mature in your Christian faith.  If you despise God’s training or despair in the middle of a trial, then your spiritual growth stagnates, and you are no longer of any profit to God’s kingdom.  How tragic!  The Lord wants us to be constant producers who grow to maturity in Him because maturity leads to fruit-bearing.  The Lord’s chastening will yield “the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

Tests and trials are opportunities for spiritual exercise that strengthens our inner man and gets us ready for bigger and better things from God.  The more we exercise in the spiritual realm, the more we are equipped to enter into spiritual warfare for ourselves, our loved one, and the unsaved all around us.  So, embark on God’s personal training program today!

2024-08-14T08:17:07-06:00August 19th, 2024|

Joy Makes Life Worth Living

“… The Joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Our God is a joyful God, and it is with His joy that we become stronger, more powerful Christians. What is joy? One of the Hebrew words for joy is chedvah, which means “rejoicing, gladness.” In Galatians 5:22, joy is the Greek word chara, which means “cheerfulness, delight.” So, joy helps you worship God, and it makes you glad, cheerful, and a delight to be around. You will even start to like yourself better when you receive God’s joy.

Dear God,
I pray you give me strength through Your joy.  Help me be a blessing to those around me and spread Your joy to everyone I meet.
In Jesus’s Name,
Amen

2024-07-18T06:10:20-06:00August 12th, 2024|

The Promise of a Joyful Life

All this joy is mine as I follow your ways!  Psalm 119:56 (Passion)

The Word will sustain you under affliction, and enable you to survive ridicule.  It gives you a tender heart for the worldly and wicked.  The Word furnishes songs of hope and comfort in the still, dark night.

All this happiness and comfort can come from only one thing:  keeping the Word of God.  When you abide in the will of God, you will find peace and joy unlike anything the world can offer.

Practice is defined as “a customary or habitual performance.”  When it becomes your practice to obey God’s ways, the Word becomes an inseparable part of you.

Lord, I will make it my practice to read, meditate upon, and obey Your ways.

2024-07-18T05:52:26-06:00August 5th, 2024|

Ask Marilyn–Health and Healing

Q:  Does God still heal people today? I’ve heard that physical healing was just for the first-century Church.

A:  Yes, God still heals people today! I’ve heard that rumor about the first-century Church, too; but I can tell you that God loves us just as much as He loved those, Christians. Jesus’ final words to His disciples included this promise: “And these signs will follow those who believe; In My name they will cast out demons; …they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17, 18).

I’ve seen many, many healings take place, and I’ve experienced healing in my own body as well. It often takes consistency in prayer, standing on the Word, and persistent patience.

Sometimes people plant the healing “seeds” of God’s Word at an advanced stage of illness, and the death process is too far advanced for the life of God’s Word to manifest. It is important to plant God’s Word in our hearts before Satan ever tries to attack us with sickness so that the roots of sickness and disease will have no place in our lives. This is one reason people are sometimes no healed. There are many other reasons, and we don’t know each individual’s discouragement or level of faith for healing. The important thing is to remember that God’s Word is ALWAYS true, and the Word is our standard of truth.

The Scriptures are loaded with dynamite promises for healing. Among these promises are Exodus 15:26; Psalm 91; 103:3; Proverbs 4:20-23; Isaiah 53:4, 5; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 8:16, 17; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24; and 3 John 2.

Q:  Marilyn, I heard you talking about daily health scriptures. What did you mean?

A:  I’m sure you know that Jesus was anointed with power to heal those oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38); you may even be sure that healing is of God. Well, now I want to help you see that walking in divine health is even better! That’s why I take my daily dose of health scriptures—I speak scriptures that affirm the divine health that God wants for my life. Some scriptures that you can use for this purpose are Psalms 91:10; Proverbs 3:8; 4:20, 22; 16:24; and Romans 6:13.

As you confess scriptures like these, they are like a prescription of healing from the Lord. I know that these scriptures will not go forth in your life and return void; I am absolutely certain that they will produce health for you.

Q:  I have prayed and prayed for healing, but I still have the symptoms of my disease. Why haven’t I been healed?

A:  Sometimes when believers lay hands on sick people, the healing manifests instantly. It is a wonderful miracle; but when someone doesn’t recover immediately, it is important to keep your faith in God’s Word and not look at the symptoms.

When healing takes a period of time, it is important to understand that God’s Word works like a seed planted in your spirit. When you plant a carrot seed, you don’t run outside the next day expecting to pull carrots! It is sometimes necessary to stand in faith for a long time; but as you continue to stand, the day will come when healing is evident because the seed will have matured.

We know that all sickness and disease originated with the devil (Acts 10:38), and sometimes demonic personalities manifest various diseases or disorders in people. Nevertheless, believers have power and authority given by Christ to rebuke any such thing (Luke 10:18, 19). When you are praying for yourself or another, “cover all the bases” by coming against Satan and any demonic activity that may be present as well as speaking the healing Word of God to the body and soul. I know an evangelist who comes against all sickness, disease, and infirmity as though it comes directly from evil spirits; and he has unusual success. You do have the victory over all these things in the name of Jesus (1 John 3:8).

Q:  Is it an indication of unbelief for me to follow the instruction of a physician and not lean solely on God?

A:  First of all, God is your healer (Psalms 103:2, 3); and you should depend upon Him, through the promises of His Word, to perform healing on your behalf.

However, that does not mean that you are wrong to take advantage of a doctor’s knowledge. Jesus said that the sick has need of a physician (Matthew 9:12; Mark 2:17; and Luke 5:31). We need to use balance and wisdom in every area of our life, and I believe it is only good wisdom to use modern medicine to aid in the healing of our bodies.

I want to reiterate that all healing comes from God. Sometimes healing comes in a supernatural manner; sometimes it comes through the natural processes of healing with the assistance of the medical profession. Either way, the healing is from Him and He is to receive the glory for it.

2024-07-03T11:15:08-06:00July 22nd, 2024|

The Grace Advantage

Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another;
even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. (Colossians 3:13)

After the fall, God could have sought revenge for Adam and Eve’s disobedience.  Instead, God promised to send His only Son to be an offering for sins.  Grace, in this instance involved the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin to restore man’s fellowship with His Creator.

Because God extended grace, both sides benefitted:  God and man received an increase over what each possessed originally.  God not only received back his Son from the dead, but Jesus was also “The firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).  God got an increase on His sacrifice—He got the church!  You may not think you’re an advantage to God, but He thinks you are worth the price of Jesus’s death!  Throughout the centuries, every person who has been born again is God’s increase.

You benefitted too.  When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost the garden of Eden, but the meek will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).  They lived in Eden, but you sit together in heavenly places with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).  Adam was given dominion to subdue and conquer the earth, but you are mor than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:37). God always wants to give you more than you had before.

So, how do you treat others when you are wronged?  Is seeking revenge the first thing that pops into your mind?  The Bible teaches the principle of extending grace in order to turn your disadvantage into an advantage.  But first, you need to cast that irritation on the Lord: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).  Regardless of what the person did to you, the Word tells us to forgive one another, “Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13). The key to doing that is to recall that Christ forgave you.

If you are born-again, then you received grace when you were saved.  You didn’t deserve it, but as we have seen, Jesus gave you more than you ever had before; consequently, you’re now enjoying a life of grace and blessings.  We have the grace to forgive others.  If you dispense that grace by forgiving others, you will end up richer.

Because God extended grace, both you and the person who offended you can benefit.  So, do as the Lord did: don’t seek revenge.  Rather, extend grace!

Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s new book, Beautiful Inheritance A 101 Daily Devotional.

2024-07-03T10:49:52-06:00July 15th, 2024|

Fruit of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22, 23 (NKJV)

The fruit of the Spirit is to be very evident in our lives.  When we are born again, we receive the fruits of LOVE, JOY, and PEACE.  These are for our personal enjoyment.  We experience love, joy, and peace.

In addition to these three fruits, there are three more that relate to others:  We need LONGSUFFERING in dealing with other people.  We also need GENTLENESS and GOODNESS.  Thus, not only do we enjoy personal fruit for ourselves, but we can extend His fruit to others.

Lastly, three final fruits deal with our relationship with our heavenly Father.  We give FAITH back to Him, along with MEEKNESS and TEMPERANCE.

Here is a beautiful picture of FRUIT THAT WE OURSELVES CAN ENJOY, FRUIT THAT WE GIVE TO OTHERS, and FRUIT THAT WE MANIFEST TO THE FATHER.  How complete God has made us in Jesus!  If you have Jesus, you have the seed of all nine of these fruits.  Partake of them all.

Dear Heavenly Father,

No law can win against love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance—the supernatural traits of Jesus Christ.  Thank You, Father, that these abide in us in our new birth.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen

2024-06-20T11:09:04-06:00July 8th, 2024|

Blessed is the Nation

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” – Psalm 33:12a

Did you know that the United States began its life as a Christian nation?  Our forefathers fled to this country so that they could worship God in the manner they wished.  Our constitution, our Declaration of Independence, and our Bill of Rights all mention God.  We were birthed as a nation of God, and we are blessed for it.

God has used America to bless the world.  Our confidence is in God—it is even printed on our money!  There are certainly tremendous needs in our nation today, but there are also tremendous Christians who are taking God’s Word to intercede for this country.  We are the salt that preserves this nation—let’s not lose our saltiness.  We are the light that overcomes the darkness of this nation—let’s not hide our lights under a bushel.

Let’s stand boldly in God, speak against evil, pray, and believe God for the miraculous outpouring of His Spirit upon all flesh in the United States.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You today that our nation is blessed because of the Christians who are praying and believing You.  Thank You for doing great and mighty things in our midst and raising up laborers and intercessors.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen

2024-06-20T11:40:06-06:00July 1st, 2024|

Ask Marilyn

Question: Marilyn, I just don’t understand how someone can be truly close to God, like David in the Bible, and still sin so terribly.

Being close to God does not make one exempt from sin.  Saul, David, and Solomon certainly had the hand of God upon them, but as humans they were still given to temptation and sin.  Like each of us, these great men had a choice—each day brought new opportunities either to be defeated or to be victorious.  These Old Testament men did not have the New Testament covenant rights that we now have, which include understanding our authority and power through God’s Word.

Because all humans have a sin nature, there is no person on earth who is exempt from temptation and sin.  We have seen that in the Body of Christ when great men and women of God have been tempted and, in a time of weakness, have fallen.  You have experienced this type of temptation and succumbed to sin, and so have I. Being in a leadership position often makes a person even more vulnerable because Satan has assigned demon spirits to tempt leaders and try to cause them to fall.  That is why it is important for all of us to stay close to God through His Word, prayer, and fellowship with one another.

And always remember the good news that “…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27 NKJV). The word possible refers to “miracle-working power.” The miracle-working power of God’s grace can keep you in His righteousness.

2024-06-12T11:06:26-06:00June 24th, 2024|

Restoring Your God-Given Identity

The subject of identity has become a hot-button issue in the last several years. Self-help books and blogs abound, and more and more people are consulting mental health experts to find out “who they really are.” They delve into the past, looking for clues to their identities, searching genealogy websites to learn where they came from. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know your family’s history. However, even more important than understanding where you came from is realizing who God made you to be and that He made you in His image (Genesis 1:26).

When you were born, you had a destiny, a divine appointment, already planned for you from before the foundation of the world. As a born-again Christian, you are uniquely created to fulfill a specific purpose and you have a unique calling that only you can fulfill.

God wants you to fulfill every facet of your identity and accomplish all you set your hand to, just as He does. Romans 8:29 echoes this: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” The way to fulfill your place in His kingdom is to conform to the identity of Jesus Christ.

Many people mistakenly try to imitate someone else’s image, ministry, or calling. It’s fine to admire other people—but it’s wrong to assume that your ministry call is the same as someone else’s. Each of us need to discover our personal identity and purpose in Christ. Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us how this is done: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Unfortunately, many Christians are discontented because they have taken their eyes off the identity that God has for them. They start looking at their circumstances or other Christians to compare themselves—but that’s not what God has called us to focus on! God is the only one who can complete or “repair” your identity.

Romans 12:2 tells you how-to walk-in God’s image: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The Word of God is the mirror of all that He has for you—when you look in it and see Him, you recognize your image. When you behold Him and fulfill His image for you, God’s perfect plan for your life will go from glory to glory!

Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s new book, Rebuild Restoring Your God-Given Identity.

2024-06-12T10:54:19-06:00June 17th, 2024|

Names of God – Elohim

The Sovereign, Mighty Creator

Elohim is the very first title of God that you encounter in the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

The Hebrew word for the name God is actually El, or Elohim. Fascinating in its translation, this name is one of God’s more frequently occurring titles; it shows up more than 2,500 times in the Bible! It is important that we understand its meaning.

El is the root word of Elohim, and describes God’s greatness and glory; it displays God’s power and sovereignty. Although this word is composed of only two letters, it offers a glimpse into the depth of the Hebrew language, which is a language of pictures.

Consider the name Elohim, which extends the scope of El’s root meaning. Elohim brings forth a new dimension to the God of power: He becomes the God who creates! Thus far, two facets of God make up the word Elohim: (1) total power, might, and complete sovereignty; and (2) complete creativity.

Notice that in the Bible’s very first verse, God was shown as the Creator! In using the name Elohim, Genesis 1:1 makes the statement that tremendous, unimaginable power is involved in the force of God’s creativity. Elohim, in His mighty power and creativity, caused our vast universe to exist.

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

God’s name, Elohim, is amazing in itself, but it bears another striking characteristic that makes it even more distinctive: the Hebrew ending for Elohim is plural! Why? Because it describes the divine trinity of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. No singular word could describe this element of God’s personality.

Several places throughout the Bible confirm this plurality. Genesis 1 says this about the creation of the first man, Adam:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image… 27 So God created man in His own image in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit were all involved in the powerful creative process that occurred upon the earth. Genesis 1 shows that the Holy Spirit was present: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light” (Genesis 1:2-3). Why was the Holy Spirit moving upon the face of the waters? Because He was preparing to create! Jesus was actively involved in the creation process, too:

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16)

Active, present, and full of creative power: Elohim! Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This increase the impact of Jesus’ shocking statement to the religious men of His day: “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). What an exciting infinite personality!

I like this analogy: God is the Architect, Jesus is the Builder, and the Holy Spirit is He who breathes the life of God into the structure. Elohim: those who are mighty and powerful; those who are creative and sovereign.

There is yet another facet of Elohim, making Him an active part of His creation.  It is Elohim who makes covenants with those whom He created! Later, you will study the name Jehovah, the name in which God reveals His ways. Elohim is the name in which God reveals His power. It is this very power and creativity that allows God Himself to enter into a covenant relationship with you and me. The apostle Paul had a revelation of Elohim:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

Paul said, “God’s covenant of salvation with you and me is His power!” Don’t ever speak lightly of the gospel, God’s covenant with us, because that is His power that gave us eternal life, His power that saved us now and forever! Our covenant-making God, Elohim, sustain all that He created through His own might. Throughout Genesis, whenever God created, He spoke first and then manifested His power.

Naturally, Elohim loved His creation, and He desired to preserve it. Although God was protective toward the people of His creation, they only seemed to get better and better at being worse and worse! As the people sinned, they separated themselves further from their Creator. God is merciful, but He is also holy and righteous. Sin was (and still is) offensive to Him, and something had to be done before the people destroyed themselves. Elohim observed that this growing sinfulness was spreading like cancer through each successive generation.

To read more about the powerful names of God, get Marilyn’s best selling book here.

2024-06-11T07:22:07-06:00June 10th, 2024|

The Power of a Joyful Attitude

May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.  (Psalm 119:74 NIV)

When a man of God receives grace for himself, he becomes a blessing to others.  Hopeful people bring gladness wherever they go.

What do you bring to your friends and family?  Do you remind them of all the bad things that have happened or might happen?  Do you give them a catalog of your aches and pains?  If your conversations are full of complaints, worries, and problems, then you are not testifying for God.

Your attitude alone can be a testimony to the gifts of God.  You have been forgiven!  You are assured of eternal life!  Considering the magnitude of these gifts, what do you have to complain about?

Reflect your joy and gratitude in every situation — you will be a blessing to your friends and family and, most of all, to God.

2024-06-11T07:21:38-06:00June 3rd, 2024|

One Who Serves

For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. Luke 22:27

Jesus came to serve people who are sick. Jesus came to serve people who are wounded and hurting. Jesus came to serve the brokenhearted.

That’s who Jesus is. He loves us. He wants to serve us, and actually, Jesus serves us all of our days and throughout all eternity. You say, “Well is He serving me now?” Oh, yes, He is! He lives to make intercession for you. So right now, Jesus is serving you. He knows what your needs are. He makes intercession according to the will of God. He never quits serving you, and His life is an example of how we are to live.

Think about the miracles that Jesus performed. Now, who really participated in those miracles? The servants! They got to be a part of the miracle. When Jesus turned the water into wine (see John 2), it was the servants who filled the water pots then poured wine into all the guests’ glasses. We see the same thing when Lazarus is raised from the dead (see John 11). It was the servants who rolled away the stone in front of the tomb and who removed the grave clothing from Lazarus. The ones who serve get to be part of the miracle!

Dear Heavenly Father, through the life of Your Son, I see that You always want us to serve. I declare that I will start everything with “How can I serve?” not “How can I be served?”

2024-05-15T14:12:28-06:00May 26th, 2024|

The Joy of the Lord

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10 AMP

Do you think God wants you to enjoy your life? Absolutely, He does! I’m going to tell you one of the most hilarious times of my life. Many years ago, I was invited to speak at a big seminary and all of their leadership was coming. At that time, all of the leadership was men and I was the only woman invited. Some people said to me, “Why did they invite you?” I wondered the same.

So, I had a lot of fear and anxiety about the event. I was praying, believing God, fasting and crying out, “God, what do You want me to do?” And He said, “I want you to have fun.” I thought, “That can’t be from God!” But He said it over and over to me, “I want you to go and have fun.”

I went with a message prepared, but God didn’t let me preach it. I got up on the platform and I just had to follow Him. So I began to rejoice in God and the joy of the Lord hit the whole place. People began to fall under the power of the Holy Spirit. Men, all dressed in their nice suits, were up at the front rejoicing in God. People were laughing and praying, and what did I do? I had fun! And it was beautiful.

Jesus, I declare that You came so that we could have an enjoy life, in abundance and to the full. Help me to have fun today, because I am so filled with the joy of the Lord! Amen.

2024-05-15T13:49:26-06:00May 20th, 2024|

A Mother’s Faith

The seed of the righteous shall be delivered. (Proverbs 11:21 KJV)

Whether they are grown and living a life of sin or still peacefully at home under your influence, the transforming power of God’s Word is available to help your children.  God promises that “The seed of the righteous shall be delivered” (Proverbs 11:21 KJV).

There is something unique about a mother’s faith.  Remember how the Syrophoenician mother reached out in supernatural faith on behalf of her hurting daughter?  She begged Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter, but Jesus ignored her.  She persisted, and finally, Jesus said:

“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

              Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.”

 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:24-28)

This woman was not about to let anything stop her from claiming God’s transforming power for her daughter.  Your children need that same kind of spiritual tenacity exerted on their behalf.  Put your faith in God and His Word.  Although your children may be involved in ungodly lifestyles, don’t let go of God’s transforming power.  Remember the Prodigal Son.  The Bible says, “he came to himself” (Luke 15:17). In other words, his eyes were suddenly opened, and he saw things from the perspective of the Word rather than the world.  Your wayward children can do the same.  One day, they will hear the Holy Spirit speaking to their hearts and respond.  They’ll get up, repent, and serve God.  Don’t give up on God’s transforming power for their lives!

You hold the key.  Your faith in God’s power to transform can determine the course of your child’s life.  Look at Moses’s mother, Jochebed.  Pharaoh ordered all the newborn male Hebrews to be murdered, but Jochebed trusted God, “So the women conceived and bore a son…she hid him three months” (Exodus 2:2).  Jochebed had a mother’s faith for her baby.  She hid him, then put him in an ark and floated him down a river full of crocodiles.  The baby ended up in the bathtub of Pharaoh’s daughter.  She named him “Moses” and raised him as her own.  Because of his mother’s faith, Moses’s life was spared.  He received an education and had the best of everything.  It wasn’t until after committing murder and running away that Moses answered the call of God and was used of the Lord in tremendous ways.  Looking back on the circumstances of Moses’s birth, no one would have foreseen all of this in his future.  God’s transforming power turned Moses’s life around.

Maybe your decision hasn’t always served God, and you’ve made some mistakes in raising your children.  The good news is, regardless of their beginnings, God has plans for your children—they may be future deliverers in the body of Christ.  Stop feeling guilty about past mistakes!  Seek God and repent.  Stand on His Word—the transforming power for their lives—and see what God does.

Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s new book, Beautiful Inheritance, A 101-Day Devotional.

2024-05-13T15:02:38-06:00May 12th, 2024|

There’s a Miracle in That Mess

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Are you having problems with your job, your finances, or a relationship?  Are you suffering from an illness?  Is your heart aching for a loved one who is far from God?  Could you summarize the situation by saying, “My life, or the life of someone I love, is a muddled mess!”? The good news is that your mess can be God’s means to bring a miraculous blessing into your life.

Your situation may seem overwhelming, but in every mess a Christian encounter, there is a miracle in the making.  Most of the time, we look at trouble as something bad.  But when we overcome a difficult situation through God’s grace and power, our victory is an opportunity to receive glory (greater blessings) and give glory (praise and thanks) to God.  We also have the great privilege of reflecting His glory.  A little trouble can yield a heap of glory.

God says your afflictions are light compared to the heavy blessings they can bring into your life: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).  Who in the natural would think that financial problems, sickness, or any other difficulty could be a benefit?  But in God’s supernatural world, afflictions can lead to glory.  God wants to use the very thing the devil works against you to bring glory into your life.

God has a process to bring His glory into your life; if you grasp the process, you’ll receive the glory.  The way we handle hard times and deal with difficult moments provides a foundation upon which God builds a beautiful life.  Joseph is a good example of someone who grasped this process.  God turned a mess into a miracle in Joseph’s life, and He can work a wonder in yours, too.  So, let’s look at how you can get God’s glory in your situation.  Consider these four keys.

  1. Focus on the Word of God: While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).  Look at what God says about you and your problems.  No matter what others say or how things look in the natural, look at the invisible.
  1. Confess the Word: Don’t just read the Word – speak it, confessing the invisible. If you have spoken negatively into your situation, ask for forgiveness and begin to speak positive, Bible-backed confessions.
  1. Have patience and faith. Hebrews 6:12 says that is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God.  Patiently walk by faith.  Some people want their glory now.  The don’t want to wait, but God needs to work on us first to prepare us for the glory to come.
  1. Take hold of joy. While you are waiting for your victory, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).  Look at your mess the way Jesus looked upon His excruciated death on the cross as the means to a miracle: “For the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2).

When problems arise, focus on and confess God’s Word.  Walk in faith and patience while you take hold of joy.  Your mess is merely the means to your miracle.  Your glory is on the way!

2024-05-07T06:56:05-06:00May 7th, 2024|

Stay Fixed on Jesus

How do you overcome test, trials, and temptations? Don’t focus on the apparent size or strength of the problem, and don’t try to win in your own strength. The key to victory is to keep your eyes focused on the Lord, who is your source of strength and power. Children often learn by watching their parents. In the same way, we learn to be like Jesus by watching Him and doing what He did. The writer of Hebrews said:

Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV)

Some Christians experience a great victory only to have a harder trial rise up immediately afterward. In some cases, this is a counterattack by the enemy, but in others it is the result of their letting their guard down and allowing themselves to depend on someone or something other than God. Be very careful about this! If God is not your source for everything, you are stepping into the devil’s territory.

When you come safely and successfully through a temptation or trial (and you will), continue to build on your victory. Don’t allow yourself to become complacent. Once you pull down a stronghold of sin or evil, be sure to erect a stronghold or fortress of the Word of God in its place. The book of James provides three practical steps in this process that will help you neutralize an attack of the enemy:

  1. Look ahead. Watch out for “good-looking” bait disguising the hidden hook of sin. Consider the consequences of sin—death. Don’t take the bait! “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren” (James 1:16). 
  1. Look around. See and proclaim the goodness of God. He has provision for your every need. When you meet temptation, say, “Why give in to that trap? God has much better things for me.” He wants you to have a miracle!” “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). 
  1. Look within to the nature of Jesus Christ. See that you are clothed with His righteousness. When God looks at you, He says, “You are the best! You have My nature within.” “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures” (James 1:18). 

Once you know what lies ahead—what miracles and blessings are yours in the future—suddenly the trial or test you are going through now won’t seem as difficult to bear. Instead of giving into murmuring, speak the Word. During your trials, remember that while God has prepared a miracle for the “outside,” He also wants to do a work on the “inside” as well:

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).

2024-04-18T06:47:46-06:00April 22nd, 2024|

Walk in Victory

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says…the man who looks
intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this,
not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22, 25 NIV)

Approach every day as though it were the only day you have to achieve your goals and be a winner.  In reality, that is true.  Yesterday is gone forever, and tomorrow isn’t here yet.  Nevertheless, yesterday is the foundation you’re building today on, and today is the foundation for tomorrow.  Too soon, today will be gone and you will be faced with tomorrow.  What you do right now sets the stage for your future, for achievement or failure.  Choose to be a winner.

We hear a great deal today about stress and how to handle it.  Our society seems to be plagued with stress, which manifests in confusion, frustration, anxiety, fear, etc.  Let me give you valuable keys to stress management.  Put God first, plan each day wisely, schedule your time, write things down, stick to your goals, and avoid delay.  This will enable you to eliminate a great amount of stress.

God wants His people to reflect joy and walk in victory.  He doesn’t want them stressed out under their circumstances.  Remember, others are watching you.  The world needs to see a different kind of person—an optimist instead of a pessimist, a winner not a loser, an overcomer rather than an underachiever.  That kind of person just might have the opportunity to lead others to Christ.  Will you be that person?

2024-04-04T09:15:41-06:00April 15th, 2024|

Elijah and Elisha-Receive a double portion of the anointing!

Elijah was a tremendous prophet who moved in the miraculous. He was called by God to minister during a very dark period in the history of the Israelites. Their nation had been divided into the north kingdom, which was called “Israel,” and the southern kingdom, which was called “Judah.” Ahab and Jezebel were the king and queen of the northern kingdom, and they were evil leaders who rejected God and His ways and turned the nation to the worship of Baal, the false god of a religion that even included child sacrifice. (See, for example Jeremiah 19:5). Elijah preached against them, and the nation made a turnaround during the time of his ministry.

Then, God called Elisha to be Elijah’s successor, and he became a “servant” or “attendant” to Elijah for a time. (See 1 Kings 19:16-21). Elisha apparently learned from observing Elijah; he saw how God had anointed his life with power to fulfill what he had been called to do. Therefore, when it came time for Elijah to be taken to heaven. Elisha was very bold, telling the older prophet, in effect, “I want a double portion of the anointing you have from God.” (See 2 Kings 2:9). Elijah replied, “You have asked a hard thing” (verse 10).

If you want a double portion of God’s anointing, don’t think of it as a little thing. It is a hard thing. But Elijah told Elisha that if he saw him when he left, he could have what he had asked for. Here is how that transpired:

Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle [“cloak” NIV] of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. (verses 11-13).

After receiving Elijah’s mantle, Elisha repeated what Elijah repeated what Elijah had done a little while earlier (see verse 8), to enable them both to cross the Jordan River: “Then [Elisha] took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, ‘Where is the Lord God of Elijah?’ And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over” (2 Kings 2:14).

If you count the miracles of Elijah in the Bible, you will see that there are eight. If you count the miracles of Elisha, you will find sixteen. Elisha did receive a double portion of the anointing!

2024-04-04T08:56:51-06:00April 8th, 2024|

Thanksgiving Brings Joy

Can you imagine the emotional and spiritual rollercoaster the disciples experienced during Jesus’s last few weeks on earth?

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem, with large crowds of people singing Hosanna and praising Jesus as the Messiah? The sheer anger of the Jewish leaders toward Jesus and their inability to control Him?

Or the last supper, when Jesus shared His most intimate moments yet by washing their feet, telling of His imminent betrayal by one of them, and His talk of death?

There was also the agony of His prayers in the garden; His arrest, scam trial, and beatings; His execution on the cross.

Then, after three miserable days of hope lost and unfulfilled expectations, Jesus returns. Alive.

For the next 40 days, His followers were able to see Him just a little more, and then He said goodbye as He ascended to heaven until His second coming.

They had seen it all, and in these final moments with Him, He left them as He was blessing them. They knew with certainty He was the Messiah, He loved them, and He was coming back again.

So what did they do?

They worshiped Him, a form of thanksgiving. This allowed them to return to Jerusalem with hearts full of joy, a joy that would carry them through the miraculous establishment of the church over the remainder of their lives.

When you receive the blessings, God has for you and respond by worshiping Him with a thankful heart, the same joy they experienced will be yours.

Worship Him. Praise Him. Thank Him—until joy overwhelms your heart as you become lost in His presence.

Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s book, Treasures of a Thankful Heart.

2024-03-21T12:43:25-06:00April 1st, 2024|

Easter and the Power of Redemption

Do you know that there are two ways of looking at the death and resurrection of Jesus? From a human perspective, Easter proclaims the good news that our Redeemer lives! From the Lord’s perspective, Jesus’s death and resurrection were the price God paid to purchase a group of people—you and me—called “the redeemed” (see Hebrews 12:23 AMPC). God has always desired to redeem fallen man.

Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage is a beautiful picture of the way God works to redeem His people. “I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6). The Israelites had been in Egypt for almost 400 years—through no fault of their own. Jacob and his whole family had moved there at Joseph’s invitation. Eventually, however, Joseph died, the Pharaoh who ruled during Joseph’s lifetime died, and circumstances turned against the Israelites.

Has it ever seemed to you that you were in bondage to a certain habit or situation for the longest time? There comes a point when God says, “I’m going to get you out!” Jesus wants to redeem you out of those circumstances. To redeem means many things, a few of which are: “to break off,” “to deliver,” “to free by paying a ransom.” That’s what God wants to do for you and me. He wants to set us free from bondage so that we can walk in resurrection life—living victoriously every day.

Redemption for the Guilty

Have you ever thought, Well, I got myself into this mess. I’ll just have to get myself out of it? It’s easy for us to believe that God will redeem us when we’re innocent victims of oppression. But when the bondage is our own fault, we sometimes think God is going to sit back and watch us squirm to get free. But He doesn’t! Look what happened to Israel: after God set them free from bondage to Pharaoh, they eventually turned their backs on Him and were taken into Assyrian and Babylonian captivity.

God could have said, “Tough luck! You’re guilty. Get yourselves out of this one!” But He didn’t. He said, “And they shall call them The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken” (Isaiah 62:12). The Jews had blown it—they had forsaken the Lord—and were led away as captives. But God still considered them “the redeemed.” After they had repented, God brought them back into the promised land. God will also bless you if you repent and turn back to Him.

Always remember, you are the redeemed of the Lord (see Isaiah 51:11). When we look at the events of Easter, we see that we have a Redeemer who lives eternally. Because of Easter, as the redeemed, we can enjoy the power and benefits of redemption eternally.

When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, the Bible says He did it with “an outstretched arm and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6). It took only one arm to redeem the Israelites. But in the New Testament, we see that it took two outstretched arms on the cross to redeem all mankind from sin. Your redemption took both outstretched arms of Jesus, didn’t it? By that act, Jesus redeemed you from your past, your present, and your future. That’s the good news of Easter!

Kinsman Redemption

Redemption includes one other aspect that will help you. This aspect is found in the Old Testament book of Ruth. Do you remember Ruth’s beautiful story? Originally a woman named Naomi and her husband left Bethlehem with their two sons. They traveled to Moab (which was a cursed place due to the idolatry and incestuous roots of the Moabites), and Naomi’s husband and two sons eventually died. The sons had married Moabite girls, and one of them, Ruth, chose to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. Ruth also chose Naomi’s God (see Ruth 1:16), so she was a believer; redeemed, delivered, bought, and set free. But she was about to experience the fuller meaning of redemption during her stay in Bethlehem!

Ruth began to glean barley in the field of a rich man named Boaz. But this wasn’t just any rich man. It just so happened that Boaz was a relative of Ruth’s dead husband, and Mosaic law made it the duty of the next-of-kin to marry the widow and raise up children in the dead man’s name. Boaz desired to marry Ruth; but in order to marry her, he first had to prove his family ties to her dead husband, buy back the land that used to belong to her husband, and be willing to raise his children under the name of Ruth’s dead husband. This was called the law of the kinsman redeemer.

The Hebrew word for redeemer is “ga’al” and it is translated 18 times as “redeemer,” 14 times as “kinsman,” and six times as “avenger.”

Jesus is all of these things to you and me. Jesus is our kinsman. He emptied Himself of His divinity and came down to earth clothes in humanity. In order to be your “relative” and to understand where you are coming from, He had to be tempted in all ways. Then He died for you. He shed His own blood for you. Those who are born again belong the Father. Jesus became your kinsman redeemer.

Another thing that the kinsman did in the Old Testament was to seek revenge on anyone who hurt his relatives. Jesus does the same for you. When the enemy comes against you, “The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Jesus took vengeance upon death itself. The book of Hebrews states:

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV)

Do you remember the story of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis? Gain murdered Abel out of jealousy. But God came to Cain and told him, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). He then avenged Abel’s death by cursing Cain. In the New Testament we are told that the blood of Jesus speaks of better things than the blood of Abel.

You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:23-24 NIV)

This means that Jesus’s blood speaks to the Father and says that you are redeemed, delivered, bought, set free, and that you are a very close relative!

Activating Your Redemption

What does this mean for our life? Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” If Christ is your living Redeemer and you are the redeemed, then you need to say what God says about you!

God says you are free, whole, healthy, prosperous, joyous, wise, forgiven, and much, much more! That’s what you should be saying about yourself. If ever there was a man you had a right not to say he was redeemed, it was Job. But look at what he said:

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God. (Job 19:25-26)

Job said, “If I die and worms destroy my body, I will still stand and see my Redeemer at the latter day upon the earth!” No matter how bad it looked in the natural for Job, he had a Redeemer, he was redeemed, and he spoke it!

You need to know the benefits of redemption, and the power of confessing them for yourself. Psalm 103:1-4 tells us the redeemed have all their sins forgiven, their diseases healed, and their lives saved from destruction! You and I have all the benefits of the redeemed because Jesus stretched out both of his arms on the cross for us. He redeemed us with outstretched arms.

There is nothing you can do to earn this redemption. Jesus redeemed you when you were innocent, and He redeemed you when you were guilty. He redeemed you from sickness, and He is your avenger upon the devil. But there is one thing the Bible says you are to do, and it’s found in Ephesians 5:16: you are to redeem the time because the days are evil.

Redeem the time by what you say with your mouth. Do you spend your time whining and gossiping? From now on, redeem your time by speaking what God says about you and about your situation! Pray with me, and let’s begin redeeming our time right now.

Heavenly Father, I know that my Redeemer lives. I am delivered, loosed, set free, bought back from bondage, and a very close relative to Jesus, who is my avenger upon the devil! From now on, Lord, everyone will know that my Redeemer lives because I am going to say so! Amen.

If you’d like additional prayer, call 888-637-4545, or visit https://marilynandsarah.netviewshop.com/prayer.

2024-03-13T11:28:14-06:00March 25th, 2024|

Waves of Victory

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt shortly before His death, the people mobbed Him, throwing their cloaks before Him and waving palm branches. They cried out, “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” (John 12:13). That first Palm Sunday was quite a victory Sunday because the people celebrated Jesus and acknowledged Him as their king! Some time ago, when I was meditating on this passage, I wondered, Of all the plants, why did they use palms? What was so significant about palm branches? That’s when the Holy Spirit directed me to the Old Testament.

Palms and Willows

After the Israelites left Egypt, God gave them seven feasts to celebrate Him, His work, and what He would do in them and through them. One of these feasts was the Feast of Tabernacles, which they celebrated by constructing booths made of palm and willow branches. For seven days they lived in the booths, commemorating what the Lord had done for them.

You shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Leviticus 23:40

God specifically told the Israelites to use palms and willows to build these booths. Palm trees were very important to that culture. They were a source of food and drink, the leaves were used to make ropes, and the trunk was used to make furniture. Palms eventually came to represent victory for the Israelites, so when God told them to use palm branches to make the booths, He was reminding them of their victories.

Willow branches are also mentioned specifically in the passage above. Here in American, we call them “weeping willows.” The willows had to do with the heartaches the Israelites experienced in the wilderness. The wilderness wasn’t a picnic. At one time, the earth opened up and swallowed up Korah and 250 men who were in rebellion. Mirian and her brother criticized Moses and she immediately got leprosy. The Israelites turned to idolatry, caused innumerable headaches for Moses, and had loads of problems. So, the willows were used on the booths to remind them of all the hardships they endured before they inherited the promised land.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he knew it was a time of victory. He also knew that between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, He would die on the cross. There would be a willow—a time of heartache. In our lives, we experience some wonderful victories, but we also have willows. Yet, if we will bring our willows to the Lord, He can transform them into victories. When you hit those willow times, don’t hold onto them; hand them over to God and watch them become palm branches.

One of the members of my prayer team once told me about a true transformation that had occurred in her life. For most of her life she had been an alcoholic. One day, 18 years before, she was in a bar telling another alcoholic all her problems. The other woman responded by telling her about Job, saying, “Well, if you think things are so bad, why don’t you read the book of Job in the Bible. You’ll find out you don’t have it so bad.” This woman did just that. She went home, found a Bible, and began reading it. The Lord began to deal with her out of that book and she got saved! When she turned her life over to the Lord, He took her willows and transformed them into palms. That bar—her alcoholism—became the turning point of victory in her life.

As this woman discovered, Job holds a crucial key for allowing God to turn willows into palms. Job lost everything, but did you notice the devil spared his wife? Why? Because his wife could keep needling him and giving him a hard time. The devil was using her to get to Job. Rather than listen to his wife’s admonition to “curse God and die,” Job turned everything over to God and put his afflictions into the hands of the Lord: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him” (Job 13:15).

Later, Job went on to give the first prophecy related to the resurrection:

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God. (Job 19:25-26)

Job believed in his “willow time” that he would be victorious and there would be a resurrection. Job had an inner revelation of the Redeemer who would appear and bring resurrection. Likewise, when we talk about resurrection, we have an inner revelation that Jesus not only died for us, but that He lives. What a victory!

We all experience willow times. But whether they shatter you or lead you to victory depends on whose hand you put them into. If you keep them in your hands, they won’t change. But if you put them in God’s hands, He can bring transformation.

Remember too, that Scripture tells us, “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). In the natural it’s difficult to understand just how this work. But when you become a child of God, you have an inner revelation that He loves you so much, that if you will put your circumstances in His hands, He can cause you to triumph.

The Ultimate Victory

I think a lot of folks believe that getting older is a “willow.” Things don’t button the way they used to, there’s too much hair left behind in their brushes, and there are too many wrinkles staring back at them in the mirror. That’s because they’re corruptible. But there’s a palm coming! Look at what Paul said: “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:42). What are we raised in? Incorruption! We know by the Spirit that we don’t just have a life here; we’re going to live in a new body that doesn’t decay, get old, lose hair, or wrinkle.

In subsequent verses, Paul also tells us that death is a dishonor; it’s a willow. Then he says believers will be raised in glory. When Jesus died, that was a dishonor. But when He was raised, it brought glory to the Father. He’s the first fruit of resurrection and we’re going to follow him! Paul continues to compare mortality and immortality and arrives at this conclusion:

“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Eternal life will be wonderful! There is no sting of death for believers because Jesus has already borne the penalty of the law for our sins. When we claim Him, we can claim His resurrection and know that we will spend eternity in heaven with Him. Just imagine it: forever in His presence, rejoicing in the victory that He bought for us, and celebrating Jesus by waving palm branches:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9, emphasis added)

We’re not going to carry willows in heaven because God will wipe away every tear. Rather, we will carry palm branches because we’re not defeated—we were made victorious in Christ!

You might have a willow in your life right now that hurts and causes you great pain. Maybe it’s a broken marriage, prodigal children, or an unsaved loved one. Perhaps you need healing in your body or finances. Take those cares and place them into the hand of Jesus and allow Him to turn those willows into palms of victory. Pray with me:

Father, thank you that Jesus is the victory. I take all these willows and the heartache and weeping they represent and place them in your hands. I believe that you will transform them into palm branches of victory in each circumstance. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.

If you’d like additional prayer, call 888-637-4545, or visit https://marilynandsarah.netviewshop.com/prayer.

2024-03-07T11:15:38-07:00March 18th, 2024|

Queen Esther and the Origin of Purim

In a couple weeks, the Jewish holiday of Purim will be celebrated around the world. In honor of this joyous occasion, today’s post is about the book of Esther and the history of Purim.

Esther lived in a historically dark time. Following the Persian Empire’s destruction of Babylon, many Jews had been displaced to Persia. Their king, Ahasuerus, ruled a kingdom of 127 provinces extending from India to Ethiopia. He was extremely wealthy and very astute in worldly matters.

As a demonstration of his worldly wealth, Ahasuerus called all the leaders of his provinces together for a six-month celebration. Can you imagine holding a six-month party? Talk about guests who made themselves at home! After these six months, he held a seven-day feast for everyone in the palace. The palace was elaborately decorated with gold and silver. Even the wine was served in golden vessels, each differing from the next. It was one of the most extravagant celebrations the world has ever known.

During that time in history, it was not customary for men and women to mingle at feasts. Therefore, Ahasuerus’s queen, Vashti, hosted a special feast elsewhere in the palace for the women. During the feast, the king became drunk with wine and bragged about what a knock-out his queen was, and sent word for Vashti to come into the court so that he could show her off. Some historians and Bible commentators say that he asked her to come in and expose herself indecently. “But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him” (Esther 1:12). Vashti had the guts to exercise some class and say, “I’m a human being, and I refuse to be exhibited like one of your golden vessels.”

Ahasuerus consulted his seven princely “wise men” about Vashti’s behavior. One wise man, Memucan, was particularly upset with Vashti. My guess is that Memucan was henpecked at home, and he probably thought this was a great opportunity to take out his frustration on women. He advised the king, “You had better handle this woman because she’s too gutsy. If you let her get away with this, all the women in the empire are going to rebel against their husbands. They won’t cook meals, wash the clothes, or take care of the children! You have got to do something about her!” Memucan then recommended that the king divorce Vashti, saying:

“If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.” (Esther 1:19)

In a moment of anger, King Ahasuerus took Memucan’s advice and deposed Vashti. But he soon realized that he had made a big mistake because he truly loved her. Unfortunately, it was too late. In those days, the king’s laws couldn’t be retracted. After the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti and what had been decreed against her. In an effort to cheer him, the king’s servants suggested that he hold a beauty contest in which all the beautiful women in his empire could participate. The servants said, “Surely there is a woman in your vast empire who could become a suitable queen.” The king eagerly agreed to hold the contest.

Esther was a young Jewish girl who lived near the palace. Evidently, her family had been killed during the first Babylonian invasion, and she had been adopted by her cousin Mordecai, who was raising her as his own daughter. Mordecai and Esther were both captured during the second Babylonian invasion and exiled to Persia. While in Persia, Mordecai changed Esther’s name from Hadassah to disguise her ancestry. He gave her the Persian name Esther, meaning “star.” I think her new name really fit her. Like a star, Esther allowed the light of God to shine through her to penetrate a very dark generation.

However, Mordecai and Esther started out on the wrong foot. The prophet Jeremiah had instructed the Jews to return to Jerusalem after their 70-year captivity, but most refused. Only 60,000 Jews had chosen to return. The rest — over 2 million — decided to remain in Persian territory, including Mordecai and Esther. Besides that, Mordecai decided to enter Esther into the king’s beauty contest, which wasn’t a very holy thing to do. If she didn’t win, she would automatically become a concubine to the king!

For one full year, all the beauty contestants were groomed and trained in a manner appropriate for a queen. At the end of the year, they were presented to the king one by one. When Esther went before the king, the Bible says, “The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:17).

Esther delighted the king, and she was chosen to be his queen. Remember, the king loved to eat, so he held a great feast in Esther’s honor. He also “proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king” (v. 18). All to celebrate the beautiful new wife he had chosen.

Do you think that God ordained this marriage? From our natural viewpoint, the union between a Jewess and a rich, materialistic, heathen king doesn’t appear to be a match made in heaven. But remember, God is a God of providence. Providence means forethought of care and supply. God provided Esther with special access to an ungodly king so that she could divert her generation from impending destruction. God’s providence is evident throughout the entire book of Esther. But I want to point out a very strange fact: God’s name is not mentioned even once in this book! Although no one mentions God during this entire time period, He is present to move and guide the course of events that occur. Occasionally, it appears that God’s people have forgotten Him, but He never forgets His people. He is still a God who can provide needed help. He is always a God of providence.

One day, Mordecai overheard two of the king’s doorkeepers scheming to kill the king. Evil plots were nothing new in those days — nor in our day. Mordecai sent an urgent message to Esther, and Esther informed the king, giving credit to Mordecai. The two doorkeepers were executed, and the plot was squelched.

What was done to reward Mordecai? Initially, nothing. No one said, “Oh, Mordecai, you’re such a hero!” Have you ever done something that went completely unnoticed or maybe even backfired? Maybe you thought, No good deed goes unpunished! It’s not worth it. Believe me, if you stay true to God, then His hand will be in your situation. Eventually, you will reap what you sow. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

It seems as though there’s a villain in every story, and Esther’s is no different. In Esther 3:1, Ahasuerus promoted a very ungodly man, Haman, to the number one position in the kingdom. Haman, as the highest of the king’s princes, was consumed with pride. He loved his position in the Persian Empire. Haman, however, was not a Persian, he was an Agagite, which means he was of Amalekite descent. Why does this matter? Well, the Amalekites were descendants of the Edomites, and the Edomites were descended from Esau. The sons of Esau hated the sons of Jacob, and this went on for centuries. So we have a generational curse: antisemitism. This isn’t a new thing, and it’s satanic. It’s the devil’s plan.

Now, Haman’s position required everyone to bow down to him when he passed on the street. No one dared to defy Haman! But Mordecai refused to bow — I think he saw right through Haman all along. The king’s servants tried to get Mordecai to bow down, but Mordecai stood firm. Now watch God move on Mordecai’s behalf . . .

Haman was furious with Mordecai. Mordecai had suddenly come out of his quiet corner and taken a daring stand against Haman. What a blow to Haman’s ego! Although he was enraged, Haman was afraid to confront Mordecai directly. So Haman went to the king and said:

“There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”

So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.” (Esther 3:8–11)

The king signed Haman’s decree, which proclaimed that all the Jews were to be killed. The decree was translated into all the languages of the provinces, and messengers were sent out to proclaim that all the Jews, both young and old, would be killed. Remember, no one except Mordecai knew Esther was Jewish. Since she was secluded in the palace, she was in a real predicament and didn’t even know it. She was included in the death decree, and the law of a Persian king couldn’t be altered once it was passed.

When Mordecai heard the decree, he put on sackcloth and ashes and began to weep in front of the palace gate. Someone went to Esther and said, “Your cousin is outside crying. He looks awful. He’s wearing sackcloth and ashes!” (Esther 4:4).

Esther did what many women do when they hear bad news — she went shopping! Esther bought Mordecai a brand-new outfit and sent a messenger to tell him to take off his sackcloth and ashes. She probably thought that new clothes would help cheer him up. But Mordecai told the messenger, “Send the outfit back to Esther and let her know that we are in a very serious situation. The king has signed a decree to kill all the Jews. Plead to the king on our behalf.” But Esther hesitated. The king hadn’t called for her in over 30 days, which very well could have meant that she had fallen out of favor with him. There was a law among the Persian kings that if you went into the court and the king didn’t extend his golden scepter to you, you would be executed. Even though she was the queen, Esther could die if she went before the king without being summoned by him. But Mordecai wouldn’t take no for an answer:

“Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13–14)

Esther’s response is the key to our favor: “. . . I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16). Why is this the key? Because she surrenders her will to the will of God. When we surrender ourselves to God, it brings favor. It’s not easy, and we usually have to surrender more than once. In fact, we usually end up having to surrender over and over again! But when we surrender and lay down our life, that’s when God shows up!

God gave Esther a plan, and she told Mordecai to gather a group of Jews to fast with her for three days; then she would go in to see the king, even if she ended up being executed for breaking the law. This young Jewish maiden made a commitment to trust God and allow Him to use her in His divine plan to rescue the entire Jewish nation. When you surrender to God, He gives you His favor. When you have favor with God, He gives you favor with man, and that’s exactly what happened with Esther. After the Jews had fasted and prayed, Esther went to see the king:

So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.

And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you — up to half the kingdom!” (Esther 5:2–3)

God again gave Esther favor with the king. Esther thought it would be wise to ease into the request and maybe butter the king up a little bit, so she replied, “I just wanted to ask you and Haman to come to dinner tonight.”

That evening at dinner, the king was so enamored by Esther that he said to her again, “Ask whatever you like. I will give you up to half of my kingdom!” Esther responded with a second dinner invitation for the next evening, promising the king that she would then give him her request.

Haman must have really thought he had it made now that he had been invited to two of the queen’s dinner parties. Little did he know that the next banquet would be a “necktie” party and he would be the guest of honor. Haman told his wife Zeresh, “I love my life, and I just love my job. The only flaw is Mordecai, the man at the gate who won’t bow to me.”

Zeresh exclaimed, “I have an idea! Build tall gallows and hang Mordecai from it. That will take care of him!” Haman leaped at his wife’s suggestion. He wanted revenge so badly that he ordered his men to build gallows 75 feet high just to kill Mordecai (Esther 5:9–14). Why did Haman build such tall gallows? I think He wanted to make a big example out of Mordecai! The future looked pretty bleak for Esther’s cousin, but remember, God is a God of providence. Whenever His children call on His name, He will move heaven and earth to protect them.

The Bible says that pride always precedes a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Haman was ensnared in a tremendous web of pride, and he was about to plunge into disaster. After Haman had the gallows built, King Ahasuerus had a sleepless night. Who do you think was keeping the king awake? God. He used a simple little thing like sleep to change the course of history.

After tossing and turning for a while, the king finally gave into his insomnia and decided to get some work done. He asked his servants to read to him from the book which contained everyone’s name who had blessed the king. “And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus” (Esther 6:2).

The king asked his servants, “Mordecai saved my life. Has he ever been rewarded for his noble deed?”

“Nothing has been done for him,” they replied.

Now, Haman had just walked into the court to speak with the king about hanging Mordecai, but before he was given an opportunity, the king asked him, “Haman, what could I do to honor a man who has been especially good to me?”

Thinking that he was the one to be honored, Haman replied:

“For the man whom the king delights to honor, let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’” (Esther 6:7–9)

Haman pictured himself wearing the king’s beautiful robes and parading through the streets on the king’s horse, while everyone — including Mordecai — bowed down to him.

But before Haman could ask the king, “Who is to be honored?”

The king said, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king’s gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken” (Esther 6:10).

Haman was greatly disappointed. After he had fulfilled the king’s wishes and paraded Mordecai through town, Haman rushed home to tell his wife and friends what had happened. They became frightened and said: “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him but will surely fall before him” (Esther 6:13).

No situation is impossible for God. He can interrupt the devil’s plans and change a curse into a blessing. Watch how God reversed the devil’s plot to annihilate the Jews.

At Esther’s second banquet, the king must have been on pins and needles, wondering what Esther could possibly want. Finally, she made her request, “My people have been condemned to death, and I want them to be saved.”

Realizing that he had signed his own wife’s death warrant, the king became so upset that he went for a walk in the palace garden. Haman knew he was in big trouble, so he ran over to the couch upon which Esther was reclining and began to beg for his life. Upon his return to the banquet room, the king saw Haman had fallen over Esther on the couch and yelled, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?” (Esther 7:8).

One would think that nothing more could go wrong for Haman, but, in reality, his trouble was just beginning. He was taken back to his house not in honor but as a condemned prisoner. Not wanting such fine workmanship to go to waste, the king sentenced Haman to die on his own gallows. Then he gave over to Esther the property of Haman, and she appointed Mordecai to oversee it. (Esther 7:9–8:2)

In the meantime, the Jews were still sentenced to death. So, Esther approached the king and pleaded with him on their behalf. King Ahasuerus answered her and Mordecai by saying:

“You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.” (Esther 8:8)

Talk about favor! Mordecai and Esther called in the scribes and wrote a letter permitting “the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives — to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them” (Esther 8:11). The chapter finishes by saying:

The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them. (Esther 8:16–17)

This feast became the Jewish holiday of Purim, which is celebrated by Jews all around the world to this day.

The book of Esther beautifully illustrates how God transforms seemingly average people into glorious vessels that he can use to penetrate dark and sinful times. Just as God enabled Esther to become a woman of favor and thwart Haman’s plot against the Jews, God can enable you to halt ungodly forces against your family, community, and nation.

God wants to use you in His providence during this time on the earth, and His hand is on you in a supernatural way!

Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s new book, Wide Open Doors: Heaven’s Favor for Opportunity, Influence, and Success.

2024-03-07T11:22:48-07:00March 11th, 2024|

The Benefits of His Presence

Are you hungry for the presence of God? I believe in the heart of every human being there is a longing to feel God’s presence. Since we desire the presence of God, it’s good to know that He is omnipresent—He’s everywhere! In the words of the psalmist, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? (Psalm 139:7).

In good times and bad, God is there. God’s presence is among sinners as well as saints. The thief and the drug addict can’t flee from it any more than the believer can—the difference is that generally the sinner tried to flee from His presence, whereas the believer runs to it. In His presence the sinner often finds conviction, but the saint finds comfort.

Even more awesome than the omnipresence of God is His manifest presence. God’s manifest presence is often experienced in a worship service, but He’s not limited to church services. Many times His presence is with us, but we fail to realize it. Jacob had a vision of a ladder with angels ascending and descending from heaven before he recognized the presence of God at Bethel. In the vision, God spoke to him and told him no matter where he’d go, God would go with him to bring him back to the promised land. Then, “Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it’” (Genesis 28:16).

Jacob had blown it big time. He’s lied, deceived, and done all kinds of wrong things. Following his vision, Jacob made a new commitment to God and promised that he would indeed serve Him if only He would bring him back home. The manifest presence of God changed Jacob’s life.

In the New Testament, Saul’s life was also dramatically changed when he encountered the manifest presence of God. Meeting the risen Lord, Saul became so totally transformed that he shook up the civilized world at that time and wrote 13 books of the New Testament.

There are times when God will manifest Himself without you doing anything or even consciously seeking Him, as in Jacob’s and Paul’s case. At other times, the things you do can cause His presence to manifest. One of these is praise: “You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered]” (Psalm 22:3 AMPC). I’m sure this is why Psalm 95:2 tells us to come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise to Him. Praise brings God’s presence. You can praise Him wherever you are, no matter what you’re doing. Don’t just praise Him in church; praise Him in your car, your home, and your office.

God also bestows gifts upon those who dwell in His presence, which makes living in His presence so wonderful. There are several things that happen when God’s presence is manifested.

Benefit #1: Joy and Strength

Psalm 16:11 says, “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” When you’re feeling tired or weak, the joy of the Lord can quicken you because “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). I have encountered this same joy many times. When I can’t sleep and start praising the Lord and thanking Him for all His blessings, there are no bags under my eyes in the morning and I feel totally invigorated for the day of ministry ahead of me.

The Holy Spirit will then move upon the people to whom I minister, and they will also experience His presence and joy. I know of one woman who got really “drunk” in the Spirit following a service in which the joy of the Lord flowed. On the way home, she was stopped by a policeman who thought she was drunk and tested her for alcohol. When the test showed nothing, she explained to him that the only thing she was drinking was the Holy Spirit and shared what happened at the meeting. He began to cry! Apparently, he was a backslidden Christian. He was so convicted he prayed and rededicated his life to Jesus. When God manifests, we’ll have people getting saved all over the place.

Benefit #2: Freedom from Sins

The second benefit is seen in that the presence of God brought joy to the woman but conviction to the policeman. This was evidenced also in the garden of Eden after the fall. When God’s presence showed up, Adam and Eve hid from Him because they recognized their sin. I saw the same thing happen in at one of my Bible Encounters many years ago. God’s presence was so heavy that people were coming up to me confessing their sins. They couldn’t stand the weight of their sins anymore. I didn’t tell them to do this; the presence of God was doing it. As they confessed their sins and repented, they were set free!

Benefit #3: Enemies Will Flee

“When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence” (Psalm 9:3). When God’s presence comes on the scene, your enemies will be repulsed—this applies to natural and supernatural enemies like sickness, disease, and poverty. This was marvelously demonstrated during one of my meetings in Texas. One of the women there fell—literally—under the power of the Holy Spirit. When she tried to get up, she couldn’t and fell back down. She tried again and still couldn’t get up. She finally asked, “God, what are you doing?”

“I’m healing you!” He answered. She had a serious fertility problem and couldn’t have a child. She felt God doing a work, and after the meeting, she received proof of her healing. It became possible for her to have a baby—the enemy fled!

Benefit #4: Direction and Rest

The fourth benefit of God’s presence is that it brings direction. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, their sins finally drove God from them.  Even though they had experienced His manifest presence and divine direction in the pillars of cloud and fire, heard His voice, and knew His warmth and love, they continually rebelled against Him. Finally, God had had it. He told them He would no longer live in their midst but would instead send an angel to go with them. The people were so distressed that they pleaded with Moses to do something. Moses told them to repent and sanctify themselves. As Moses interceded on their behalf, God told them, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). Notice, God not only promised to continue to guide them, but He also promised them rest.

Benefit #5: Help During Affliction

Fifth, God’s presence is manifest in the midst of affliction:

In all their affliction He was afflicted,

And the Angel of His Presence saved them;

In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;

And He bore them and carried them

All the days of old. (Isaiah 63:9)

Are you afflicted or in a crisis? God is there! Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Jesus was in the first with them. When you are in a difficult season or circumstance, pray and trust Him. Instead of falling apart and having a nervous breakdown, pray: “Lord, I believe you can manifest yourself in this situation.” Who knows what He will do? Expect Him to show up and do wonderful things in crisis times.

Benefit #6: Foretaste of Eternity

I saved the best benefit until last. This relates to God’s eternal presence. What is it about us that longs for the touch of God—that desires to know Him in a very personal way? Jude 24-25 tells us:

Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]—

To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). (AMPC)

Jesus is going to present us before the presence of God’s glory with joy. Think about it. We are going to live eternally in His presence. What we experience here on earth is just the faintest touch of what we will one day experience in heaven. No wonder we are so hungry. We were made for the presence of God!

2024-02-29T11:53:20-07:00March 4th, 2024|

Power and Wisdom from the Holy Spirit

“And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!’” (Judges 6:12). An angel comes to Gideon and says, “Gideon, you mighty man of valor!” But Gideon doesn’t look like a man of courage, and he doesn’t talk like one either! He says to the angel, “Pardon me?”

But the angel just keeps speaking faith to him. He says, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel!” But Gideon doesn’t answer in faith. He says again, “Pardon me, but…” and then comes up with all kinds of excuses why it will never work. “My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe, and I am the least in my family,” he said. But the angel of the Lord doesn’t give up. “I will be with you,” he says to Gideon.

Gideon has the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him, but he seemed to have so many holes of unbelief that the Spirit had to clothe him with His power to make Gideon the deliverer that he needed to be.

Do you ever feel like Gideon? I know I do! But when we feel like we are the weakest in our tribe and the least in our family, God will continually show up to prove that He is who He says He is, and He will cover us in the power of the Holy Spirit. Just like He did for Gideon.

How do I know that this same power is available to us today? Because Jesus spoke of this! He said, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). What did the Father promise? The Holy Spirit!

Have you ever prayed to be Spirit-filled? If so, you know how wonderful it is. If you haven’t and would like to know how, I’m going to tell you. The Bible says in Luke 11:13, “…how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” So how do you get Spirit-filled? Ask! It’s that simple. You ask to get saved. You ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So that is step one.

Then we find the second step in Acts 2:4, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Who speaks? The Holy Spirit? No! They began to speak. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are the ones who must take a step of faith by speaking. You won’t understand the words that you speak, but the Spirit will speak through you if you let Him inside your heart and open your mouth. It will almost sound like childish gibberish to you, but you’re acting in faith and doing what the Word says.

Now, the last step to being Spirit-filled we know from Romans 8:26, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” So when I pray in the Spirit, my mind doesn’t know what to pray for, but He knows. He intercedes for us according to the will of God.

I remember when I first went to a Vietnamese salon to have a manicure. These four sisters worked there and they were so friendly. But they had a big statue of Buddha in there. I asked God, “How do I talk to them?” And the Lord said to me, “Chocolate.” Now that seems a strange word to hear in your spirit, and not very Biblical. I expected Him to say “love them” or something like that. But He said chocolate, so I took them a box of chocolates. And let me tell you, I took chocolates from then on and all four of them got saved. Hallelujah! Listening in your spirit will give you wisdom!

How do you do it? Well, of course you read the Word, because the Spirit and the Word work together. But also you have to stop and listen. Sometimes you’ll just be talking to somebody and you have to stop and pray “Lord, I don’t know how to answer them,” and you just take a moment to listen in your spirit.

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6). Zechariah had eight visions from God that he recorded. I said to the Lord one time, “I don’t have many dreams and visions. You know, my goodness, Zechariah got an interpreting angel. I don’t get an interpreting angel.” And the Lord said, “But you get the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will lead you to all truth.” We can listen in the Spirit and hear from God with the same might and power that Zechariah did!

 

2024-02-14T11:18:09-07:00February 26th, 2024|

Pray to Change the World

“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many
to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)

Do you want to shine as the brightness of the firmament, full of God’s glory? You will reap vast, eternal riches when you pray for nations. Perhaps you cannot personally go and minister God’s Word in the uttermost parts of the earth, but your prayers will touch the people who are there; and they can touch the people who bring the gospel into those countries.

God is even preparing the hearts of the people for whom He wants you to pray. Therefore, it is important for you to esteem His priorities and to pray for nations:

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. (1 Timothy 2:1–2)

You may ask, “How do I do that?” You can obey this Scripture by praying each day for a nation and for that nation’s leader. Today is President’s Day in the United States, so you can begin by lifting up our president and his staff. Here are some guidelines that God has given us for effective prayer.

  1. Pray that decisions against the gospel will be brought to confusion. Psalm 109:29 says, “Let my accusers . . . cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.” We must put the devil’s work to confusion because a house divided against itself cannot stand.
  2. Pray that leaders who live in spiritual darkness will receive a personal message of God’s love and repent of their evil ways. Second Chronicles 33 tells about Manasseh, who was so evil that history says he had the prophet Isaiah sawed in half. After 55 years of wickedness, the Assyrians took Manasseh and his nation into captivity. While in prison, Manasseh sought God and repented of his evil. God restored Manasseh to the throne, and he led the entire nation to repentance! Likewise, we should never look at any ruler and say, “He will never change.”
  3. Pray that leaders will find knowledge and wisdom in God’s Word. I pray this Scripture for our president every day: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs 21:1). When you claim this verse for those in authority, you are loosing the power of God’s divine direction on their behalf.
  4. Pray that leaders in war-torn nations will grow weary of bloodshed. I believe that spirits of violence cause leaders to become power-hungry. Bind these powers, principalities, and rulers of darkness in the name of Jesus; exalt the name of Jesus over those nations (Ephesians 6:12). Pray that war-torn countries will find rest and peace in Jesus!
  5. Pray that leaders will know that their earthly kingdoms were given by God. Nebuchadnezzar ruled the greatest empire that the world had ever known (see Daniel 2). One day, he exalted himself and said, “Look at this great kingdom that I built!” Even history acknowledges that the man went stark-raving mad. Seven years later, he looked up to heaven, began praising the Lord, and his sanity returned! Fervently pray that rulers will praise God—not themselves!

By faith, you can decree salvation unto the uttermost parts of the earth (see Hebrews 11:33). Decree the salvation of nations by faith—your faith pleases the Lord. Dedicate yourself to pray for the nations in the uttermost parts of the earth. Your intercession can turn nations to eternal righteousness, and you will shine as the stars forever and ever!

This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s 101-day devotional, Beautiful Inheritance.

2024-02-14T11:08:28-07:00February 19th, 2024|

God’s Rx for Hurting Hearts

This week we celebrate Valentine’s Day here in the U.S. This day commemorates matters of the heart—mostly romantic love. However, many people suffer from hurting hearts. God is the only one who has the full prescription for healing this malady and His prescription is not experimental, it is guaranteed to work!

Everyone has experienced hurts, sorrows, disappointments, and failures, but isn’t it just like God to have one old-fashioned, heaven-sent remedy that will heal them all? He is so efficient, and His apothecary is absolutely within everyone’s price range: it’s free! His remedy is all-inclusive; it covers every imaginable pain. It doesn’t taste bitter; it tastes sweet, and by taking it you will “fulfill all your days” and increase your lifespan!

Is your curiosity aroused? Do you want to know what it is? It is Myrrh, a beautiful, aromatic spice with healing properties. I am going to show you where to find it and how and when to apply it. Get prepared to receive a bundle of blessings!!!

At the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus prophesied the end result of His mission by reading from the Book of Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,

Because the Lord has anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Is there anyone whom this prophecy doesn’t cover?

What do the brokenhearted, the captives, the imprisoned, and the mournful have in common? They all have deep hurts within their hearts that are in need of healing. Isn’t it wonderful that from the very beginning of His ministry, the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus with a special anointing to heal the hurting and the brokenhearted?

Have you ever had an emotional hurt? Well, God has a special anointing specifically designed to heal your heart when it hurts. Sometimes we mistakenly look to other Christians or to our spouses when we are hurting, but often they are not as sensitive to us as we need them to be. Actually, I think that their insensitivity can work for our good, because it will make us look to the only one to whom we should turn: Jesus! Through Jesus, we can draw from that anointing of healing that God planned for us to have.

Where are we supposed to go in order to learn where to find healing after our hearts have been wounded or broken? When we’re in a state like this, we need love.

Did you know that there is a beautiful story in the Bible that is full of illustrations of perfect love? That love story is the “Song of Solomon.” The “Song of Solomon” had always been a puzzling book to me until the Lord gave me a simple key, which unlocked the whole book. We have to see the book written as a bridegroom speaking to his bride. I had always read it and interpreted it in the light of seeing Jesus as my Savior, but God said, “Don’t read it like that! Instead of looking at me as your Savior, look at me as your Bridegroom. Then you will understand what I am saying to you.”

A sachet of myrrh is my lover,

like a tied-up bundle of myrrh resting over my heart. (Song of Songs 1:13 TPT)

This passage is saying that Jesus, my beloved (or in this version, “lover”) is myrrh to me, and He is lying upon my heart. I knew that I had to discover the spiritual signifi­cance of myrrh. What is myrrh? It’s a beautiful, aromatic fragrance. It can come in the form of sticks, crushed leaves, or oil. In order to discover the signifi­cance of myrrh, I began to look in Genesis, and my search took me through Revelation!

I found that myrrh is very expensive. When Jacob’s sons had to go into Egypt to get food, Jacob wanted to send Pharaoh an appropriate present. He chose myrrh because it was very costly. This illustration shows that when we begin to look at myrrh as a healing substance for the heart, we must realize that it is very, very expen­sive. It cost Jesus His life to heal your broken heart.

There are all kinds of hurting hearts. Someone is hurt because they have been rejected by a mate; someone else is hurt because they have had an emotional crisis in their childhood and never been set free from the pain; another is hurt because of a set-back in a career or the death of a loved one. Hurt comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, but remember that Jesus is the precious, expensive balm that heals broken hearts.

In the Old Testament, I found that the sacrifices offered by the priests were mingled with myrrh. This was done to make the sacrifice have a sweet aroma. Can you imagine the smell of animals burning on the brazen altar? They burned the entire animal. The priests sprinkled the anointing oil, which was composed of a combination of myrrh and other aromatic spices, on the sacrifice for the purpose of making it smell more pleasant as it was burning.

Have you ever had to make a sacrifice, and it really hurt? Jesus can show you how to make your sacrifices smell good—how you can make it easier to bear. He will touch your heart, and whatever you have to give up will suddenly not matter to you anymore.

I had the opportunity to apply myrrh to a very dear sacrifice during the early days of my marriage. As a young bride, I had always wanted a home. Both Wally and I realized the importance of acquiring our first home as soon as possible, and we purchased it just as soon as we were financially able. Prior to marrying Wally, I had a sneaking suspicion that he might be called into the ministry, and I realized there were very few young couples in the ministry who were able to afford their own homes. Before I married my husband, I told him, “If you are considering the minis­try, I will never marry you.”

“Oh, I’m not called into the ministry,” he reassured me. Do you know what he did? He trapped me. After we were married, he was suddenly called into the ministry, and we had to give up our home. Oh, that hurt me so much! It was such a sacrifice for me. I moaned and groaned and griped and grumbled.

Then one day, the Lord just touched my heart, and it was as though that house meant nothing to me. By that time, we were in the ministry as traveling evangelists, and He put myrrh on my sacrifice, and it smelled so good to me. What’s a house? After that, I didn’t even want a house for a while.

Another characteristic of myrrh is that it is a preser­vative. When they took the body of Jesus down from the cross, they anointed His body and His burial clothes with myrrh. They wanted to take advantage of the natural preservative qualities of this spice.

If you don’t get your emotional and heart wounds healed, you can actually shorten your lifespan. Did you know that people die of broken hearts? But the healing myrrh of Jesus upon your heart will preserve you from a premature death, physical distress, and many things that can hurt you and make you physically sick all of your life. Some people are always sick because they are wounded emotionally. Jesus is myrrh to them if they’ll only turn to Him. He is a preservative to keep you from having a short lifespan.

Myrrh is also used as a disinfectant. I had to laugh about this, because my mother told me that when she was a little girl, her mother would put a little bag of camphor around her neck to keep her from getting colds. It was a kind of disinfectant. I thought, Jesus is a bundle of myrrh to us, and when we wear Him on our hearts, He keeps us from catching hurts and wounds. Some people are offended at every little thing. If you don’t look at them just the right way, they become all uptight, and you have to ask them, “What’s the matter now?” I have noticed that if I keep Jesus and the sweetness of His myrrh upon my heart, I’m not as easily offended nor am I so sensitive to the hurts that come my direction.

Queen Esther used myrrh to make herself beautiful (Esther 2:12). Myrrh upon your heart, a healed heart, a whole heart, is very beautiful. Do you know what people see? They see Jesus on your heart. People who do not have wounded spirits and are not always uptight about something have a lovely fragrance about their person. I believe that myrrh doesn’t just beautify and perfume the outside of an individual. The myrrh of Jesus on your heart will radiate from the inside of your being to the outer man. Jesus is Myrrh, and He desires to make you beautiful!

Did you know that prior to going in before King Ahasuerus, Esther had to go through a ritual of purification for one year? During six months of the year, she was anoint­ed with the oil of myrrh. This spice not only purified her, it covered her with a rich fragrance, and made her very beautiful. Can you imagine how beautiful you would look if you held Jesus on your heart and allowed His Word to purify you for the rest of your life if Esther was made beautiful after only six months?

Hegai, the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, was responsible for giving each woman who had an audience with the king, anything that they thought would make them more beautiful. When it was time for Esther’s turn to go in before the king, she asked for nothing; rather, she relied upon Hegai’s judgment. Undoubtedly, Hegai had faithfully served the king for years, and he was well aware of the king’s tastes. Just as Hegai carefully chose the things that would make Esther beautiful and find favor in the sight of the king, Jesus Christ will do the same for you. If you put His rich anointing of myrrh upon your heart, a supernatu­ral beauty will radiate from your inner being, and you will find favor with both God and man.

Priests were also anointed with myrrh. When they prepared to go into the temple for their priestly minis­try, they anointed themselves with special oil, which was partially made with myrrh. We are kings and priests, and we are sent to heal the brokenhearted. We are anointed with myrrh so we can be priests to people and minister to their broken hearts. I just love that!

One time when I was in the Chicago airport, a woman beside me was crying; she was very distressed and disturbed. Not long before my flight, she tapped me on the shoulder and asked for an aspirin. I told her that I didn’t have any, but she would be able to get one from the flight attendant on her flight. I asked her if she was sick, and because I was concerned, I asked if there was anything I could do.

She said, “I’m in terrible trouble, and I saw you reading your Bible.” (You should carry your Bible everywhere; it opens doors for ministering.) “I wondered if you are Orthodox,” she said.

“What’s Orthodox?” I questioned.

“I’m Russian Orthodox,” she said, “and I believe that Jesus is the way to the Father.”

I replied, “If that is the definition, then I’m Orthodox.”

She then told me that her husband had hijacked a plane in the United States and that he was in prison. She had come from Paris to visit him. “We’re in trouble, and he’s a political prisoner,” she said. I don’t know what we’re going to do, and I thought that since you have a Bible, you could possibly help me.”

I prayed, “Lord, how am I going to heal this woman? How am I going to help her?”

They were calling my flight, and I didn’t know what to do. Instantly, the Lord showed me the most unique thing to do. He said, “Just take her into your arms and hold her. My love will continue to flow from me into you, and it will flow from you into her.” Praise God! That was wonderful! I will never forget it as long as I live! We’re anointed to be priests. You have a healing anointing of myrrh residing in you as a believer—use it!

The priests also used myrrh when they prayed. Myrrh was placed on the altar of incense and as they prayed, their prayers would rise up to the Father as a sweet-smelling savor, and He would take delight in them. When we pray and intercede for the brokenhearted, I believe that an anointed fragrance of myrrh rises to the Father, and He takes delight in our sacrifices of prayer; and He heals our loved ones. Psalm 141:2 says: “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”

I thought about Jesus and looked at the times He was involved with myrrh. At His birth, the wise men brought gifts to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold is for a king, and Jesus is a King; frankin­cense is for a prophet, and Jesus is a Prophet; myrrh is for a priest, and Jesus is our “Great High Priest” and “He always lives to make intercession for [us]” (Hebrews 7:25). The myrrh was specifically brought for His anointing as a priest.

When Jesus was on the cross, we again see myrrh involved in His life. Myrrh has an anesthetic effect, and it deadens pain. Mark 15:23 tells us: “Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.” Why didn’t He take it? Wouldn’t you have taken it? If He had taken that wine, it would have deadened His pain. Instead, I believe Jesus was saying, “I won’t take any pain medication; I want to take all the pain of the cross so I can deaden yours.” That’s why He refused myrrh.

Here is an interesting side thought that will bless you. “New wine” is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and often in Scripture, we see wine as a symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ. God the Father has mingled the myrrh of Jesus Christ with the “new wine” of the Holy Spirit together with the cleansing power of the earthly counterpart of wine and myrrh when He was on the cross, the Father graciously allows us to partake of the heavenly counterpart: the “new wine” of the Spirit that has been lovingly mingled with the healing myrrh of Jesus Christ and the cleansing power of His blood. Praise God! Isn’t that beautiful? The “new wine” of the Spirit and the blood and myrrh of Jesus will anesthetize, cleanse, and deaden every one of our hurts and pains.

There are times when our hurts are so very deep that simply deadening the pain of them and allow­ing them to heal naturally is not enough. Remember, Scripture says, “A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me” (Song of Solomon 1:13). He isn’t just a little bottle of oil, or a few crushed leaves; He’s a whole bundle. At times, you need a bundle because sometimes you have a bundle of hurts. He provided myrrh for each one of your hurts. He is not only a pain killer for the hurting heart, He is the healer of your hurting heart.

When Jesus was born, He was given myrrh; on the cross He was offered myrrh; and in His death He was anointed with myrrh. Why was He wrapped in myrrh at His burial? Because myrrh has a very sweet smell. “All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad” (Psalm 45:8).

Other than being resurrected, this was one of the very last prophecies Jesus had to fulfill. Jesus smells like myrrh; He smells so good! Why? Because He smells like healing. He smells as though He is everything I need. He is that beautiful, satisfying smell; the fragrance that makes our hearts glad. Let’s look again at Song of Solomon 1:13; it tells us when we are healed my beloved is a bundle of myrrh to me; He shall lie all night upon my heart.

There is also a beautiful verse in Psalms that ties in with the same thought. “It is vain for you to . . . eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2). Did you know that even while you are asleep Jesus is healing you? He wants you to be whole and at peace all the time. If you’ve been hurt and are out-of-it, tonight just go to sleep in Jesus. Allow that precious myrrh of Jesus to deaden and take away all the awful pain you’ve been bearing.

When you let Jesus heal your wounds, you begin to smell like He smells. Then you won’t need to go around saying, “If you’d been through what I’ve been through . . .” Have you ever been around people who have been through a trial and are still hurting from it? When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, they didn’t even smell like smoke (Daniel 3:27)! When you’ve been with Jesus, you smell great. He always smells good. But when some of us come out of trials we smell like smoke! We still gripe and groan. If you’ll take a little myrrh, you’ll stop griping and groaning and you’ll smell like Jesus. You won’t smell like smoke! He will heal your broken heart.

This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s mini book, God’s Rx for a Hurting Heart

2024-02-07T13:19:33-07:00February 12th, 2024|

A Study of Psalm 43

This month’s verse is taken from Psalm 43. So, I thought it would be appropriate to do a short study of this beautiful Psalm.

Author: Hezekiah

Background: Psalm 43 was written by Hezekiah, king of Judah, just before the efforts of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to capture Jerusalem. At the height of the siege, an angel of the Lord struck the Assyrian camp, killing 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (see 2 Kings 19). The dark moods of the first part of this song (which is Psalm 42) begin to give way to more positive prayers.

Theme: This Psalm is a wonderful companion to Psalm 42. Together, they make a sadly beautiful song, and some Hebrew texts even present them as one. We see several refrains repeated in both psalms: “Why go I mourning?” (42:9 and 43:2) and “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” (42:5, 42:11, and 43:5).

The psalmist pleads for light and truth to dispel the darkness and insecurity of Psalm 42. When our back is against the wall, we should rehearse past victories and put all our confidence in the Lord. We can delight in his joy, even when circumstances remain unchanged.

Personal Application: In your walk with Christ, there will be circumstances where no victory is in sight. When this happens, don’t give up! This is the time to start thinking about the marvelous things your heavenly Father has done for you in the past. Can you remember a time when you were backed into a corner with no way out, and God opened a door for you to escape from your difficulty? Of course you can. The same God who delivered you previously certainly come to your aid now. All you have to do is call on Him.

Memorize the beautiful refrain from verse 5: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (KJV). Put all of your hope in the God of your salvation, and He will give you joy even in adversity. The joy of knowing that, through Him, you are assured of ultimate victory.

Psalm 43

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. (KJV)

This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s book, Experiencing God’s Heart: The Book of Psalms for Today.

2024-02-07T12:56:56-07:00February 7th, 2024|

You Can Have Joy in Your Home

You don’t have to put up with a troubled home.  Instead, find out what’s wrong, and do something about it!

I remember when we first started pastoring; Wally and I called on every family who came to our church.  Some of the homes we visited were warm and loving, others seemed cold, empty, broken, and without love.  They were much like a house in our old neighborhood.  Driving by it one day, we saw the police bring out a handcuffed man.  That sight so touched me that every time I’d drive by that house, I’d pray over it.  Later when I drove by, I noticed the house was cleaned up, and had a “For Sale” sign in the yard.

Maybe you feel your house is cold, empty, or broken.  There may be things “left over” from your family, such as generation curses of alcohol, drugs, strife, confusion, divorce, pornography, violence, and anger.  I have good news for you—it doesn’t have to stay that way.  Make Jesus the master of your home and He will turn the situation around.  With the Living Word at the head of your home, the devil—and his ways—will never again have a foothold.

Evicting the “Strongman”

Matthew 12:29 says, “How can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.”

The only way you can spoil the strongman and reclaim your home for Christ is through Jesus.  You can have good intentions for the welfare of your family, but if Jesus isn’t Lord, you will have a problem.  No matter how well you plan financially or have everything else in order, Jesus has to be at the helm of your ship.  If He isn’t, one stronger than you will be steering a course for the jagged rocks of destruction.

Making Jesus Lord is only the beginning.  He must stay Lord.  Matthew 12:43-45 states:

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

When your house is cleansed and Jesus is made Lord, demons that have lived there for generations flee, but they will attempt to regain entry.  If the devil succeeds this time, he will come back with seven spirits that are worse.  It’s important to not only make Jesus Lord of your house and family, but to make sure He remains master.

Authority of the Believer

Jesus has all authority, and the Bible says He has delegated that authority to you through His name.  When the devil comes marching up to your door, you can absolutely bind him and kick him out!

The husband of a friend of mine would not sleep with her.  She couldn’t understand why.  We prayed together that God would work in their lives.  Finally she prayed, “God bring out the truth of what is wrong.  Why don’t I have a marriage?”

Finally, her husband confessed that he had sexually molested their daughter from the time she was two years old until she was 18.  My friend was so distraught.  Her husband was sentenced to prison, and she divorced him.

Their daughter attended a university, became born again and Spirit-filled, and married a young Christian man.  But she took tons of baggage into her marriage.  Once, her husband called me and said, “She is always threatening to leave.”  I advised him, “Tell her you will help her pack.  Don’t bow to her tantrums.”  I asked him, “Are you praying taking authority in your home?”  The Holy Spirit spoke to him, and he began praying in tongues and reading his Bible every day.

When he did this, something began to happen to his wife.  She became as spiritually “turned on” as he was.  In addition, he and his wife became assistant pastors and God has prospered them financially.  The turnaround started when the husband made Jesus master and believed that He could take them through their challenging situation.

Stand Until You Win!

Prayer is the foundation for everything.  Establish Jesus’s authority in your household through prayer.  In Exodus 17:8-13, as long as Moses’s hands were raised in prayer, the Israelites won the battle.  Yet, when Moses became weary and his hands came down, the Israelites would begin to lose.

As Spirit-filled people of faith, we have the Holy Spirit to hold up our hands—to strengthen us as we pray and stand against the enemy of our families and homes.  If you refuse to give in to discouragement, you and your family will win.

Jesus has given you authority over the enemy.  In John 14:12, Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. Ask, believe, and take the God-given place of authority over your house.

Build Your Child’s Confidence—Six Godly Ways

Whether your children are young or old, obedient or rebellious, confident or insecure, you can build them up by expressing your love!  Establish a weekly, 10-15 minute time with your family to tell each person what you love and appreciate about them.

  1. Say, “I love you. I’m delighted God gave you to me.” (See Mark 1:11.)
  2. Identity enjoyable character traits. Verbalize your appreciation for each child’s personality type.  (See Proverbs 31:26; Psalms 49:3.)
  3. Praise your children when they act appropriately. (See Proverbs 12:18.)
  4. Build confidence by affirming, “God made you. He loves you.  You are God’s treasure to me.”  (See Psalms 139:14.)
  5. Reinforce their potential, “God has a special plan for your life.” (See Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 2:10.)
  6. Introduce children to their heavenly Father—the only perfect parent. Teach your children Who God is, what God thinks, and how God acts.  (See Deuteronomy 6:5-9; Psalms 34:11-14.)
2024-01-23T12:28:37-07:00January 29th, 2024|

Finding God’s Strength

If you’ve ever felt “out of it” in any way—ill-equipped, ill-prepared, or just plain ill—you know the frustration of human weakness. Whether physical or otherwise, each of us experiences some type of inadequacy at one time or another: a failed business, serious health condition, damaged marriage, or a serious setback.

Most people desire to meet every challenge and succeed in every circumstance. Overall, that’s a sound, Biblical approach to life, but in a world that’s performance-oriented, it can easily become distorted.

We’re comfortable when we face life on our best footing. When we’re prayed up, rested up, built up, and dressed up, we tend to face the day with confident assurance. There’s a sense that we’re positioned for a positive outcome because we have done everything right.

However, when something upsets the delicate balance of feeling in control, our true weakness becomes evident. We must surrender our desire to be in control to God and allow Him complete access to our lives—even our weaknesses.

A Fresh Take on Weakness

I have good news for you, regardless of the world’s wisdom or even your own past experiences, your success is not based upon your strength—and failure is not formed in your weakness.

The Apostle Paul was well acquainted with weakness, yet God used him to accomplish much. When a “thorn in his flesh” beset him, he cried out to God for relief. “I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’…”. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NKJV)

Knowing all that God still had planned for Paul, you might think He would have removed every hindrance—especially the thorn that caused the Apostle such pain. Instead, God showed Paul a new way of looking at his weakness.

God knows that man’s strength can only go so far…for so long. Ultimately, our strength is insufficient. When we acknowledge that fact and turn to Him, we switch from our own “power supply” to His grace—His limitless ability exercised on our behalf.

After three pleas from Paul and God’s unexpected answer, the Apostle gained a new perspective on weakness:

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NKJV)

Instead of begging God to fix the problem, Paul boasted and delighted in it. Think about that. According to the New King James Version, Paul took pleasure in his weakness!

Rest in Real Strength

When I feel weak, the first thought that comes to mind is not pleasure, but exasperation! How could Paul have delighted in his weakened condition? Simple—he realized that, with God backing Him up, every obstacle became an opportunity for God’s power to be demonstrated.

Moments of weakness turned to strength

The Bible is filled with testimonies of God’s grace at work. Jacob, the strong-willed and accomplished son Isaac, worked for his father-in-law Laban and brought him great wealth. After twenty years, Jacob took his wives and headed for his homeland. But to go forward, he would have to face his estranged brother, Esau. Jacob was terrified because he knew that on his own, he was no match for Esau and his troops.

Before the dreaded meeting with Esau, Jacob had an encounter with God at Peniel, which means, “face of God”:

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. (Genesis 32:24-25 NKJV)

After this experience, Jacob would never be the same. His self-reliance was gone forever. He was left with a limp—a permanent reminders that he was not in control. Jacob’s weakness became his greatest strength—because it produced an unshakeable trust in God.

The Source of our Strength

When you’re feeling weak or inadequate, remember that Jesus Himself was ridiculed as He hung on the cross (see Mark 15:32). Beaten and bloodied, He was not the world’s typical picture of strength. Yet His “weakness” was used by God to bring salvation to the world!

Allow times of weakness to work for you and for the kingdom. Ask God what you can learn through periods of seeming failure, defeat, or frailty. Take full advantage of every opportunity to acknowledge God’s strength. Most of all, cling to Him as Jacob did at Peniel (Genesis 32:26). Release yourself into His hand, and draw on His unending power.

Even when weakness is all your natural eye can see, you can enjoy the genuine victory that comes only from God. Each deflated expectation can turn out to be your open door to accomplishment. Any challenging experience can become an equipping moment of success—when you allow God to work through your weakness.

2024-01-17T12:50:35-07:00January 22nd, 2024|

Bring Back the Joy!

Is there some area of your life where you’ve lost your joy? Far too many of us find ourselves robbed of one of the most valuable assets available—our joy. In many cases, it’s the devil who is to blame. If the devil can take your joy, then he can get to your possessions, your health, your spiritual wellbeing, your strength, and more. I’m flat out mad at him, while my spirit is stirred with compassion for those of you who’ve been recently attacked by him. It’s time to bring the joy back!

The true definition of joy differs from that of “happiness.” Happiness can be a fleeting, temporal condition that depends upon the comfort of your flesh. Joy is not based on outward circumstances but upon the condition of your heart and the spiritual stance you take when you have been attacked by the enemy.

I realize that you may be sitting there right now in the middle of a problem. You may even feel as though it will never be over. But, dear friend, Psalm 30:5 reminds us, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

If you are a person of faith (even a mustard seed of faith), it doesn’t matter how dark conditions may be right now. You can rest assured, your brighter day is on the way! Regardless of how dark or bleak things may seem right now—even if circumstances are devastating—God’s joy can be yours!

It’s time to knock down the gates of hell that have built up joy-robbing strongholds in your life. It’s that plain and simple. You can experience some substantial victories in your circumstances, in Jesus’s name. So, here’s what I want you to do:

  1. Bombard the gates of hell with your prayers! Your joy is coming back! Use your faith, your authority, the anointing that’s resting on you as a Christian, and the Word of God to activate the weapons of your warfare. That’s why 1 John 3:8 says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
  2. Step out in faith and give a gift of faith and joy to someone in need. I have found that the quickest way to get a miracle rejuvenation of joy is by opening your heart and giving the best gift you can—and it doesn’t have to be money. Shovel someone’s sidewalk, offer to watch their kids, take some cookies to a neighbor, pick up groceries for a lonely senior citizen—whatever you can give, give.

Now believe for breakthrough miracles to be released in your life and circumstances—and watch the joy return!

Today’s blog is an excerpt from Marilyn’s 101-day devotional, Beautiful inheritance.

2024-01-04T08:32:39-07:00January 15th, 2024|

Joy Makes Life Worth Living

“. . . The Joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Our God is a joyful God, and it is with His joy that we become stronger, more powerful Christians. What is joy? One of the Hebrew words for joy is chedvah, which means “rejoicing, gladness.” In Galatians 5:22, joy is the Greek word chara, which means “cheerfulness, delight.” So, joy helps you worship God, and it makes you glad, cheerful, and a delight to be around. You will even start to like yourself better when you receive God’s joy.

Receive God’s Joy!

You receive the joy of the Lord when you are anointed with the Holy Spirit. This anointing starts at the top of your head and goes all the way to your feet: God begins with your head because your thought life gives you direction—it either gets you in trouble or sets you on the right path.

If you think being righteous means being as sober as a judge, then you haven’t read Acts 2. On the day of Pentecost, the people didn’t appear sober when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit—they acted like they were drunk! People who saw them said, “They are full of new wine” (Acts 2:13). When you are baptized in the Spirit and receive the anointing, you too will act joyful.

Some get nervous when they see other people respond in joy. They don’t think it’s scriptural, but being jubilant is very scriptural. Psalms 66:1 says, “Make a joyful shout to God.” In fact, there are seven references in the Psalms about making a “joyful noise” to the Lord.

Make a Joyful Noise!

The Hebrew word for joyful in Psalms 66:1 is renanah, which means “shout for joy, singing, triumphing.” Joyful expressions are loud and noisy. Have you ever tried to laugh and keep it all inside? It’s nearly impossible. It’s the same way with the joy that the Holy Spirit places inside you; it has to come bubbling out. Romans 14:17 says, “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” If you are moving in the Holy Spirit, you will have the joy that comes with Him.

As a Christian, God calls you to be joyful, Isaiah 51:11 says, “So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” The redeemed are supposed to have so much joy it comes out of their mouths. It is necessary for Christians to be joyful in order to give glory to God and to witness to the lost.

Your Daily Joy

Like your zeal for the Lord and your dedication to keep His commandments, you must commit to daily maintenance of joy. Isaiah 12:3 says, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” When Jesus lives in your heart, then you already have joy inside. All you have to do is pull some out every day.

Fullness of joy is found in God’s presence, so start your day by entering into His presence with joy and praise. When you get up in the morning, say, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24).

It is also important to watch what you think, say, and do. Proverbs 15:23 says, “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth…”. Watch what you are saying. You can say words that will bring depression into your heart. If you’re not diligent, you can lose your joy! In Psalms 51:12, David said, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation . . .”. He wrote this after he had an affair with Bath-Sheba and had Uriah killed. He lost his joy because of sin; and the same thing can happen to us.

Sometimes it isn’t a major crisis that steals your joy—you lost it because of your own indifference to God. If you don’t read your Bible, don’t pray, don’t set your priorities according to God’s will, or get into sin, then you will not feel the joy of the Lord because you are not dwelling in His presence.

With repentance, God’s joy returns. David knew that his salvation would restore his joy. There is no question that David’s joy returned—he remained a man after God’s own heart and God sent the Messiah through him. Proverbs 15:13 tells us that “by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

When you focus on heartbreak, you lose your joy. Don’t let problems overcome you; instead let promises take over problems. God wants you to be joyful in times of trouble because the strength found in joy will bring you through your problems. If depression has killed your joy, ask the Holy Spirit to anoint you again. He will resurrect your joyful heart.

The anointing destroys the yoke. If you are depressed, sad, or living under a burden of oppression or circumstances, ask the Holy Spirit to anoint you with joy. God will break those bondages and set you free. According to John 10:10 in the Amplified Bible, Jesus “came that [we] may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” This is the level of blessing that God wants for each of use. When we decide to be led by a joyful heart, strive to joyfully express our love for God, and commit to maintain our joy by seeking God daily, God’s true power can be released—and we can have the overflowing abundance of joy the Word promises.

2024-01-04T08:13:07-07:00January 8th, 2024|

Fresh Anointing for the New Year

Happy New Year! I want you to start your new year off with a fresh anointing of joy, miracles, and supernatural supply! When the miracle anointing of God is applied to a need, Scripture teaches us that the “yoke” of that difficult circumstance is broken and removed from your back. The powers of darkness are defenseless. Lying spirits are speechless. The possibilities for supernatural solutions are endless!

Perhaps you are dealing with a deep hurt in your heart—a heartache or heartbreak. In fact, you might feel like you are about to fall apart emotionally. But there is an anointing that can break that yoke!

Maybe you have a physical affliction. Or maybe, like a lot of people, you want to lose weight this year. You have prayed; tried to eat the right things; done everything you know to do and yet, you have a dilemma in this area. What would break that? The anointing! Isaiah 10:27 states:

It shall come to pass in that day

That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,

And his yoke from your neck,

And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

You may have awakened this very morning with a longing and yearning for reconciliation in your marriage or with a family member or friend. You’ve asked yourself, “Can the joy come back? Can the love, communication, and happiness return?” The Holy Spirit is directing me to say to you: “The anointing can destroy your yoke of broken and wounded relationships!”

Maybe you are in a financial pit. You feel as though this hole is getting deeper and the chances for your recovery are growing weaker. The anointing can work in the pit and break the yoke of financial difficulty.

I believe this year can mark the start of new anointings for some of the greatest days you’ve ever known in your life. It is possible for you to receive the perfect personal anointing from God for:

  • His health, strength, peace, rest, and joy. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).
  • His supply for your needs, wants, and desires. “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
  • His opportunity for you to see dreams come true. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12).
  • His love in your family, marriage, home, and relationships. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7).
  • His victory in your spiritual walk. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).
  • His answer for what you’ve been needing from Him. “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7).

Wouldn’t that be wonderful? It’s more than wonderful, it is altogether possible through the biblical principles of anointing and prayer! When something is anointed, it is tangibly blessed. Therefore, it is empowered to prosper. When the presence of that anointing comes, the curse is removed! Wherever God brings His anointing, those things which were not growing and were failing to be fruitful suddenly blossom and become productive again.

An anointing that comes from God impacts every level of your life. God is still in the anointing business today! And when God want to place an anointing upon you, there is a choice you have to make: you can exercise your faith and receive the anointing, or you can refuse the anointing and try to make it alone. I want you to receive the anointing for miracles in 2024!

Here’s what I want you to do:

  1. Get some anointing oil (you can use anything that is available to you—even cooking oil!) and put some on your fingers. Touch and anoint the doors of your house. I want angels to stand guard at each entry of your home and keep the powers of darkness out as the Spirit of God comes in to minister to your every need.
  2. Let God lead you as you touch and anoint anything that can link your faith and the power of His anointing to your need! Anoint your checkbook. Anoint the pillows where your children or grandchildren lay their heads. The anointing:
    • Destroys the yoke.
    • Breaks bondages.
    • Stops harassment.
    • Heals hurts.
    • Removes barriers.
    • Dismantles blockades.
    • Lifts the burden from your shoulders, mind, and heart.
  3. Find a Scripture that speaks to your needs, wants, and desires, and speak those over your life. If you need help finding a Scripture, there are free, topical lists on my website: https://marilynandsarah.netviewshop.com/shop/MHDL&page=1&rpp=all
  4. If you’d like someone from my team to pray for you, please call 888-637-4545 or you can submit your prayer request on my website: https://marilynandsarah.netviewshop.com/prayer

Finally, plant a seed that God can bless! When you give a gift to God and desire a blessing to grow in your life, you give your gift as though it were a seed. That seed must be planted in spiritual soil that is rich in faith. The seed becomes effective when you sow it with a specific purpose or need in mind. The harvest grows to maturity as you keep on believing, staying in faith, and trusting God.

Get ready to see supernatural things happen in 2024!

2023-12-06T12:12:18-07:00January 1st, 2024|

The Christmas Star

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalms 19:1

When Jesus was born, God Himself was incarnate. This was a tremendous moment. He became the physical image of God, His righteousness and the outbeaming of His glory. The face of Jesus carries all the beauty of heaven in it. The birth of Jesus is one of the most powerful moments in history.

So, it would make sense that the stars would announce His birth. The heavens shifted to declare His birth, rejoicing that the earth was blessed with the gift of Christ. The Christmas star was seen by the wisemen, and they immediately set out to find Jesus. They had heard from some of their wise counterparts about the prophecies surrounding the birth of the Messiah, so they set off. The star brought them to Jesus.

Matthew 2:9-11 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The miracle of Jesus’s birth is extravagant. Creation itself rearranged itself to appropriately celebrate the most important birth in history. How are you celebrating the birth of Christ? We all have our traditions and Christmas is such a special time to celebrate, but what about in your own heart? We can put on a good show for our families, but in private, how do we respond to the truth of the miracle of His birth? The wisemen saw the star and they rejoiced, and then when they saw Jesus they fell down and worshipped Him. How are you responding? The miracle of Jesus’s birth should fill us with joy and cause us to worship Him. But, the wisemen were led to the Lord by the star. It was the evidence that they needed to believe in Christ.

What is your Christmas Star? What is the evidence of Jesus in your life that you can celebrate and remember to lead you into a heart of worship? I know for me, when I see my children and grandchildren serving the Lord, I am reminded of God’s goodness and His faithfulness, and I am so grateful to Him.

So, today, look around you? Where are the blessings of God that lead us to thanksgiving and worship?

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

2023-12-06T11:57:18-07:00December 25th, 2023|

What Is Peace?

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

This verse tells us that God will keep us in perfect peace when our mind is on Him. But, the questions is what is peace?

In simple words, peace is a state of rest and calmness for your soul. It is when your soul isn’t full of anxiety or worry, but when it is at rest. But what does peace look like? What does it feel like? How do we know if peace is from God? These are all good questions, let’s look at what the Word says about peace.

Here is what peace is:

  • It passes all understanding (Phil 4:7)
  • It brings rest to the weary (Ps 119:16)
  • It has no confusion (1 Cor 14:33)
  • It comes through believing (Rom 15:13)
  • It is a part of the “blameless man” (Ps 37:37)
  • It is given by God (John 14:27).

When you know what true peace is, when you are overcome by it, there is no mistaking it. If you are wondering if you have peace from God, ask yourself “Do I have rest? Am I believing for peace? Is there confusion in my mind? Or, is it still, like quiet waters?”

But, the Bible doesn’t only tell us what peace is, it tells us what peace is not.

Here are some examples of what peace is not. Peace is nothing like what the world can give. Isaiah 57:21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “For the wicked.” There are people and organizations that claim to offer peace. But, the truth is that real peace only comes from God. What comes from other sources is not peace. It can be calm, it can be a break, but peace can only come from God. True rest, which has no confusion, is what Jesus leaves to us.

Peace is also not temporary. It’s not written on paper, it is written on the tablets of our hearts. Peace from God is not something that can pass away or be burned up in a refining fire. Real peace is always there, we just need to remember that we have access to it. God has not called us to live in chaos or wondering what is going to happen or to live in anxiety. He wants to give you lasting peace.

Peace is a good gift from God. It never goes away and it is all encompassing. Remember that God has given you peace and choose to walk in it today!

2023-12-06T11:57:55-07:00December 18th, 2023|

A Tradition of Silence

Isabell Bowling, Guest Blogger

Isabell is the daughter of Sarah Bowling and the granddaughter of Marilyn Hickey. She graduated from Oral Roberts University with her bachelors in Historical and Philosophical Theology and received the award for Theology Student of the Year upon graduation.

She is excited for what this next season brings and is looking forward to learning and growing under the tutelage of her mother and grandmother. In the future, she also hopes to continue her educational journey by seeking a graduate degree in Europe.

We pray Isabell’s blog post blesses you today!

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

I absolutely love the season of Hanukkah and Christmas. In college, I minored in Hebrew, so studying the culture and story of the miracle of Hannukah has always fascinated me. More than the story, I love the traditions that surround it. In this season of the year, my absolute favorite thing to do is to uphold our family traditions. For me, there is a comfort that is held in traditions.

When I was in high school, I took a trip to Europe to learn about my roots as a Christian. This meant that we spent a lot of time in Catholic Churches, at holy sites around Europe, and attending different kinds of church services. Experiencing “high church” services and the myriad of traditions brought a reverence to my walk with God that I had not known before. The main thing that I loved was the silence. The hushed voices of whispered prayers, the long, quiet pauses in the middle of service, and the moment of anticipation before the organ boomed out the chords for the next hymn felt like holy moments. About two years later, I was able to visit Israel and dive even deeper into my roots as a Christian. To my surprise, the trend of silence continued. We had multiple opportunities to sit quietly and reflect on the goodness of God. The silence of the waves at the Sea of Galilee, the rustling of the olive tree leaves in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the quiet tears rolling down the older women’s faces while they prayed at the Wailing Wall are key moments where I remember feeling the presence of God deeply.

The power of silence is a beautiful thing. In the story of Hanukkah, the light of the miracle menorah shone for 8 days and nights when the Jews of the time only had enough oil for one night. Think about it: the gold menorah shining its light while they slept, the miracle continuing to shine through their silence. Or think about the miracle of the birth of Christ. We sing the song, Silent Night, every year, but let’s pause and reflect on the moment of silence, where the exhausted Mary lay back on Joseph, as Jesus slept in her arms and her husband bent his head down to comfort her. The silence of that moment is beautiful.

So many times, we are uncomfortable with silence, because we are afraid that we aren’t saying enough. There is a fear that we might not be praising God enough, so we say more and more things. Or, there is a fear that we aren’t doing His will, so we go out and try and volunteer for everything, or start rushing around trying to solve everyone’s problems for them. But, Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep us in perfect peace, because we trust in Him. We can trust that He is able to do His will while we are still. We can trust that He will speak when He wants to, and that He treasures time with us, not just because we are able to worship Him with our voices, but also with our silence. When we worship Him with silence, we are being quiet and still, reverent in the face of the Almighty.

In the holiday season, we can get caught up in trying to maintain the traditions and cook all the meals and buy all the gifts. But how many of us have silence as our tradition? One of my favorite Christmas traditions that my church has is the candlelight service. On Christmas Eve, we have a moment in service where we light the candles and then we sit silently. The pause and the power of this moment overwhelms me with joy every year. But, for me, when it snows at night, I go outside and sit under my porch light and watch the snow fall.  Maintaining this private tradition has been one my most treasured honors, and when I began to understand that God lives in our silence, that knowledge has made my time with Him all the more special.

This year, as we think on the miracles that dictate this season, the miracle of Hannukah and the miracle of the incarnation of Christ, let’s remember that silence plays a beautiful part in these traditions. Silently sitting with God, allowing His presence to inundate your moments throughout this season can be your newest tradition:)

-Isabell

2023-12-06T12:00:06-07:00December 11th, 2023|

Light Bearers

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

At the end of this week, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins. This holiday remembers the miracle of the light of the menorah, which shone for eight days and nights, when the Jews at the time only had enough oil for one night. This was a real miracle of provision for the people! In fact, we know that Jeus celebrated Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication, because he was in Jerusalem during the Feast in John 10:22.

At the time of the Hanukkah miracle, the land of Israel and the Jewish people were under siege by a man who sought to eradicate any idea, image, or tradition of God. In the middle of all this attack, God still provided light and hope, and saved the Jews from his evil plans. The light of Hanukkah represents the miracle of peace and hope for His provision.

You know, years ago I got to go to Bethlehem around Christmas time, and we got to see the large, gold menorah that sits in the Jewish quarter. This large lamp stands as a reminder for the miracle of the lamp, and God’s deliverance of the Jewish people.

As we consider the state of the world, let’s remember this miracle and keep in mind His perfect peace will overcome in every situation. God has called us to be lights to the world, so today, ask the Lord how you can bring peace. Is there a situation in your family, workplace, or friendships that needs the miracle of peace? Ask God to use you to shine your light into the dark places of trouble and remember the miracle.

We are called to be bearers of the light of God. How can you stand as a reminder of hope and peace for those around us? Well, you have to rely on God and to be filled with His hope and peace!

I believe God has a special anointing to give you hope, just like He renewed hope to the Jews by providing them with their miracle. I know that God has miracles for you, but today I want you to ask God for the miracle of hope. He is faithful to give it!

2023-12-06T12:02:21-07:00December 4th, 2023|

A Miracle in the Mess

Are you having problems with your job, your finances, or a relationship? Are you suffering from an illness? Is your heart aching for a loved one who is far from God? Could you summarize the situation by saying, “My life, or the life of someone I love, is a muddled mess!”? The good news is that your mess can be God’s means to bring a miraculous blessing into your life.

Your situation may seem overwhelming, but in every mess a Christian encounters, there is a miracle in the making. Most of the time, we look at trouble as something bad. But when we overcome a difficult situation through God’s grace and power, our victory is an opportunity to receive glory (greater blessings) and give glory (praise and thanks) to God. We also have the great privilege of reflecting His glory. A little trouble can yield a heap of glory.

God says your afflictions are light compared to the heavy blessings they can bring into your life: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Who in the natural would think that financial problems, sickness, or any other difficulty could be a benefit? But in God’s supernatural world, afflictions can lead to glory. God wants to use the very thing the devil works against you to bring glory into your life.

God has a process to bring His glory into your life; if you grasp the process, you’ll receive the glory. The way we handle hard times and deal with difficult moments provides a foundation upon which God builds a beautiful life. Joseph is a good example of someone who grasped this process. God turned a mess into a miracle in Joseph’s life, and He can work a wonder in yours, too. So, let’s look at how you can get God’s glory in your situation. Consider these four keys.

  1. Focus on the Word of God: “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Look at what God says about you and your problems. No matter what others say or how things look in the natural, look at the invisible.
  2. Confess the Word. Don’t just read the Word—speak it, confessing the invisible. If you have spoken negatively into your situation, ask for forgiveness and begin to speak positive, Bible-backed confessions.
  3. Have patience and faith. Hebrews 6:12 says that it is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God. Patiently walk by faith. Some people want their glory now. They don’t want to wait, but God needs to work on us first to prepare us for the glory to come.
  4. Take hold of joy. While you are waiting for your victory, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Look at your mess the way Jesus looked upon His excruciating death on the cross as the means to a miracle: “For the joy that was set before Him endured the cross . . .” (Hebrews 12:2).

When problems arise, focus on and confess God’s Word. Walk in faith and patience while you take hold of joy. Your mess is merely the means to your miracle. Your glory is on the way!

Today’s post was excerpted from Marilyn’s devotional, Beautiful Inheritance.

2023-11-01T14:34:10-06:00November 27th, 2023|

Thanksgiving Brings Endurance

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 16:24-26, NIV)

Forever. Beyond the measurement of time.

It’s difficult for us to comprehend a love that literally has no beginning and no end. But that is the love God has for us.

God is so good. He wants His best for each of us.

We fail Him. Every day.

His love never fails.

We seek after our own way. We ignore Him. We reject His wisdom and advice.

Israel repeated this same cycle for hundreds of years. They had the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle as reminders of God’s miracles and laws. The ark and the tabernacle were mobile, carried across the wilderness for years. Set it up, worship, break it down, and move on. Repeat.

Finally, Israel had taken possession of the promised land and David was king. Jerusalem was established as God’s place on Earth, and the ark and tabernacle were finally home. As David and the priests gathered all of Israel to celebrate this great moment together, He offered a song of thanksgiving. David concludes this song of praise with a thankful heart, proclaiming: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; His love endures forever.”

God’s love endures forever indeed. It has no end, and it is available to you right now. Give thanks to God, for He is good. He is everlasting.

May you have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Today’s blog post was taken from Marilyn’s new book, Treasures of a Thankful Heart.

2023-10-04T16:20:07-06:00November 20th, 2023|
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