“Days of wonder and days of dread, these are the days that lie ahead.” These words bubbled up in my spirit recently as a prophetic song. I could not take them lightly as this is the second time in the last few weeks God has given me a song with the exact same theme and message. The first song started, “Great and grave things will be happening / all at the same time–intertwined.” I believe God is speaking through these songs and confirming to us what lies ahead.

Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (NIV). We’ve heard of many people sensing and speaking about dreadful things coming, and they are concerned. God is wanting His church to be prepared and ready for the days ahead. He is calling all of us to draw very close to Him, to pray, and to stay in a place of surrender, obedience, and faith.

We believe the days of wonder and glory will be for those who have turned their hearts toward God, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. His people will see His wonders and glory as never before! But for those who have hardened their hearts and turned away from God, these will be days of dread. For without God there is no hope—only a dreadful fear of what is coming near.

Two ways are being formed and shaped—two cups are filling up. There is a cup of judgment and of wrath that is filling up, and the other cup will be filled with God’s glory to be poured out on His church. Both will be poured out at the same time.

When Jesus was on Earth, He spoke of great troubles that were coming—wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. He said that all these would be the beginning of sorrows but promised that for the sake of the elect, the days of tribulation would be shortened (see Matt. 24:6-8,22).

Following is the prophetic song God gave us. After you have read it, we encourage you to go back to a previous prophecy, “Singin’ in the Rain,” which came at the beginning of the year (Jan. 1, 2009). You can see how both great and grave things can be happening at the same time. Isaiah 60:1-2 says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”

Days of Wonder & Days of Dread … Ahead

On October 28, 2009, this part of a song came forth several times through the day:
“Days of wonder, days of dread.
These are the days that lie ahead.”

During the last month the following song has also continued to stir in my heart:
“Great and grave things will be happening,
All at the same time—intertwined.”

On October 17th, God gave me the rest of this song:
“Great and grave things,
Great and mighty shakings.
Even Great Awakenings.
Great and grave things, all at the same time.

Great things in My church.
Grave things in the earth.
All in line, with the seasons and the time.
Great things in the church.
Grave things in the earth.

Earthquakes and floods, famines and wars.
So much more than you’ve seen before.
Famines, famines in the land.

Grave things in the earth.
But know that I’m preparing My church.
Preparing My bride to rise up and be a light
To rise up in great darkness and night.
She will arise, she will rise.

Great things, grave things, will be happening,
All at the same time–intertwined.

Glory, judgment and wrath.
Glory, judgment and wrath.
Glory, judgment and wrath.
For My Word shall come to pass.
It shall come to pass.
For we are in the last, in the very last
In the very last times.

You’ll see My plans unfold.
Then you’ll see the doors close.
The end of time.
My church will shine.”

About the author: Cindy deVille is the co-founder, with her husband, Darrel, of Shekinah Today Ministries (). She is a prophetic minister and intercessor who “has a strong desire to see the church return to her first love.” The deVilles publish an e-newsletter titled Today’s Prophetic Perspective, in which they share with the body of Christ what they believe God is showing and saying to them.

Proverbs 28:12-13 In recent years we have seen in our own country what happens when we try to cover up our sins. There was Watergate, and then the unfaithfulness of a president. There is a verse in the Bible that says that everything done in darkness will be brought to light.

Whenever we try to cover our sins rather than confess them, we will not prosper. We may prosper outwardly, but inwardly covering our sin will cause our souls to be damaged. Our minds will become confused, our emotions will experience torment and fear, and our wills will become unsurrendered and rebellious to God. John writes in one of his letters, “I would that you all prosper and be in health as your soul prospers.” The person who covers his sin will never prosper. Proverbs also tells us that he who hides iniquity in his heart will not prosper.

If we want to prosper both outwardly and inwardly, we must be honest with God and others about our sins. I can remember one time in my life (thank God I can only remember one time) when I told a boldface lie to my husband. I did not sleep well until this sin was out in the open. Unfortunately I got caught before I confessed my sin to my husband. Thank God he was forgiving and understanding. Rest assured that whatever we do will eventually be uncovered; if not in this life, it definitely will be uncovered in the next life. When our son was on drugs he told us many lies, but everything he tried to hide from us was eventually uncovered. God in His mercy saw to that. Life is so wonderful when we are able to be open and honest and confess our sins. The Bible says we are to confess our sins, not cover our sins, to one another so that we might be healed. We foolishly think sometimes we can hide our sins from God, but He knows all and sees all.

The next time you are tempted to cover your sins rather than confess them, think about the consequences. The torment, confusion and fear this brings is not worth it. The sooner we confess our sins, the sooner we can be liberated from the bondage that caused us to sin.

Lord, I remember all too well the torment I was in when I tried to cover my sin. Please do not let me ever do this again. I want my soul to prosper.

READ: Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; 1 Peter 2:11-3:9; Psalm 119:49-64; Proverbs 28:12-13

We can’t do one thing to make God love us any more than He already loves us, and we can’t do anything to make Him love us any less. However, we are responsible for how pleased God is with us.

If you have children, it might be easier to understand. Your love for them is inexhaustible but they determine by their actions, attitudes and behavior how pleased you are with them, right?

Lisa and I have put challenges before our four sons with the promise of nice rewards for their labor. It delights us when they rise to the occasion and we’re thrilled to reward them. But when they don’t fulfill the tasks, we can’t reward their work. We want to, but when you reward children when they don’t deserve or earn it, you take away incentive—and incentive is a good thing.

God’s pleasure in us is no different—it is based on our choices in life. This is why Paul writes, “We make it our aim to be well pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9, NIV). We should be passionate in our pursuit to be fully pleasing to Him. Nothing else should take preeminence over this purpose. If we live with this supreme goal as our life standard, then two things will occur: abounding joy and complete fulfillment.

Our primary motive for pleasing God is driven by our love for Him. We adore Him because He first loved us and filled our hearts with His love! As a true child of God, your greatest satisfaction comes when you know God is pleased with me. If we walk in this knowledge, nothing can overpower that joy.

The second benefit of pursuing this supreme goal is that we’ll be rewarded greatly. Earning a great reward is the exact reason Paul exhorts us to please God, and he elaborates on this in the next verse. “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:9–10).

We are advised to please God because someday He will judge us. You may ask, “But I thought Jesus had saved me from that?” Yes, He is your Savior, but one day you’ll stand before Him as Judge. Many are unaware that on some future day every believer will stand individually before Christ’s judgment seat and rewards will be given based on what was done in our short time on earth. Today’s English Version states, “We will each receive what we deserve” (vs. 10).

Our sins will not be judged, for the blood of Jesus eradicated the eternal punishment ascribed to sin. Rather, we will be rewarded, or suffer loss, for our labor as believers in Jesus Christ.

And it’s not just a reward God desires us to possess, but a full reward! “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully” (2 John 1:8, NIV).

Marked by boldness and passion, John Bevere delivers uncompromising truth through his award-winning curriculum and best-selling books now available in over sixty languages. His newest book is Extraordinary: The Life You’re Meant to Live. More information is available at .

Last Friday I was privileged to stand with Chuck Colson, Jim Daly, Robert George, Archbishop Wuerl, Tony Perkins, Alan Sears, Cardinal Rigali and over 20 others to represent the first 150 signers of a document called The Manhattan Declaration.

Why the name? The group met a few weeks ago in Manhattan where we read a draft of the document. It was there we concluded that we had to bridge the huge historic chasms separating the major branches of the Christian faith. The famed Chuck Colson along with co-initiators issued a call to all Christians that we must remain true to our core convictions, based upon the scriptures. The group also came together to let the secular community know that increasingly Christians from Catholic, evangelical and orthodox traditions will work together and speak with one voice.

A critical line of the declaration states, “We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence.” In our estimation this means that civil disobedience may well be a part of the stony path we must tread. The document lays out the group’s views on the value of human life, the concept and role of the family and religious liberties.

Christianity is not merely a set of doctrines or beliefs; it lives out the ideals set forth in the Bible. This compels us as Christians to commit now, more than ever, to reaffirm the biblical truths that support the common good in our land. We must stand against any pressure that is brought to bear against our Christian ideals in these areas: the definition of marriage, the sanctity of life and religious liberty. I have sought to paraphrase the documents’ major summary statements below, along with an exhortation for Christians everywhere to join us as signers.

The Definition of Marriage
The institution of marriage has historically been the most important means of sustaining society’s health, education and human welfare. Marriage has the terrible risk of being redefined, which will subvert it from its original intent as a covenant between one man and one woman. Traditional marriage has been plagued with infidelity and divorce. The idea to redefine marriage has sprung from the vulnerable state of the institution that exists today. Redefinition is not a cure for these ills; it is a symptom. Studies by noted sociologists show conclusively that when marriage erodes, social pathologies rise. Redefining marriage would enable that erosion to increase by defining marriage through romance and physical satisfaction rather than through covenant relationship. It would produce a loss of understanding of what a healthy marriage is both in our civil laws and religious traditions. We believe that marriage is an objective reality that should be protected by law.

The Sanctity of Life
The weak and vulnerable among our society are also increasingly being threatened. The government should protect those who are unborn, who are disabled, and who are elderly. Yet the government has been enlisted to promote what Pope John Paul II declared as a “culture of death.” The declaration asserts that Christians must pledge to wage an unceasing war against any laws that expand acts of abortion, destructive embryonic research, euthanasia and assisted suicide. Human beings have the right to equal protection at every stage of life, from pre-birth development through old age. We must resist any acts of government that would perpetrate the destruction or disadvantage of any human life.

Religious Liberty and Expression of Conscience
Our team believes that fundamental principles of justice are being threatened through a bias against religious liberty and the expression of conscience. Recent attempts to eliminate the protection of conscience for healthcare professionals and institutions have demonstrated this frontal attack. Religious institutions and charities have been assaulted through anti-discrimination statutes that challenge their beliefs to oppose those things they deem are immoral.

Businesses and service providers are threatened with losing their licenses if they do not choose to accept or facilitate activities they believe do not meet their moral standards. The government and society should be protective of these institutions as they are dependent upon religious institutions and charities to maintain the overall good of society.

Christians believe that we are to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. We are taught to respect the authority of earthly rulers. Our democratic society sprang from the moral laws of Old Testament tradition and we acknowledge the moral claims of the law. It our right as citizens to participate in the political process; this includes doing our part to change unjust or immoral laws. Civil disobedience may be required to stand against laws that do not promote justice.

We must not render unto to Caesar those things that are God’s. We cannot comply with any statute that forces us, or the institutions that we are part of, to bless sexual partnerships that are biblically immoral or to facilitate abortions, destructive embryonic research, euthanasia or assisted suicide. We will not violate our consciences through intimidation or any other act of cultural or political power. We will express our religious freedom, regardless of the consequences to ourselves.

Finally I invite you to click here to sign this important declaration. We are convinced that we can best serve the nation by lifting our collective voice. In signing the declaration you will be celebrating three things:

1. The unity in diversity of the body of Christ
2. The prophetic calling of the body of Christ
3. The urgent need we have to engage the culture in dialogue.

America needs a conscience, an objective voice, which advocates for truth, reason and biblical justice. Historically we Christians have been that voice. We have served the nation in shaping its foundational settlements it’s original documents, the nation’s great spiritual awakenings, the abolition of slavery and effective civil rights laws. Without the voice of the Church, the nation would not have had its original hospitals and many caring social services institutions of our day. Let’s regain the integrity of our mission.

Dare to Declare!

Megachurch pastor Billy Joe Daugherty died early Sunday morning after a brief battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 57.

A memorial service will be held Nov. 30.

Daugherty, founder of 17,000-member Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Okla., announced last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer, spawning a global prayer chain for his healing.

In a statement released Sunday, church leaders said Daugherty “experienced his ultimate healing by entering into the presence of God.” They said the pastor passed away peacefully at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, surrounded by his family.

“We are sad to lose the presence of our pastor, shepherd, father and brother,” the statement said. “We are thankful, however, for his life, love and influence on the individuals and ministries he inspired for the last 30 years.”

Although known for his teaching on faith, health and prosperity, Daugherty avoided much of the controversy that has surrounded many Word-Faith preachers, including his mentors Oral Roberts and the late Kenneth Hagin Sr.

Committed to world missions, Daugherty helped plant ministries around the world. He founded the International Victory Bible Institute, which has campuses worldwide, and Victory World Missions Training Center.

In Tulsa, Daugherty founded Victory Christian School and the Tulsa Dream Center, which provides food, clothing and medical services to those in need. He and his wife, Victory co-pastor Sharon Daugherty, also host a television show, Victory in Jesus, that is broadcast worldwide, and the couple have written more than a dozen books.

“I am certain that to his very last breath he affected millions of lives for the gospel,” said Bible teacher Marilyn Hickey, who befriended the Daughertys more than 30 years ago. “It is a great grief to me to think he is gone. … He was like a rock to the body of Christ, but in leaving he left a lot more rocks, solid believers.”

Kenneth Copeland, a longtime friend who has spoken at Victory’s annual Word Explosion conference, said Daugherty was a man of utmost integrity. “He and Sharon are people of character and quality,” Copeland told Charisma.

“Of course, we do not enjoy seeing him leave, but two things we know for sure: His place with Christ Jesus is assured. The second is that Sharon Daugherty is a powerful woman of God who will continue in the high standard, excellence and uncompromising ministry of the Word of God.”

Bishop T.D. Jakes, who was scheduled to speak at Victory Dec. 20, said the global church has lost a treasure. “Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty was an extraordinary pastor whose leadership was only rivaled by his love for people of all walks of life,” Jakes said. “The body of Christ has lost a general and a treasure of mammoth proportions. Our loss is heavens gain.

Born in Magnolia, Ark., Daugherty was raised in the United Methodist Church and married the daughter of a Methodist minister. He eventually became associated with independent charismatics after being baptized in the Holy Spirit while a student at Oral Roberts University (ORU), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1974.

He and wife Sharon attended classes at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas before returning to Tulsa to serve as youth ministers at Sheridan Christian Center.

Daugherty became senior pastor there in 1976 when the pastor retired, according to the Tulsa World. The church grew from 300 to 2,000 under his leadership, but a disagreement with church leaders caused Daugherty to leave in the early 1980s and start Victory. In 2007, the church moved into a $32 million, 5,000-seat worship center, built debt-free.

Daugherty served on the Board of Reference of ORU, and stepped in as interim president in 2007 when former president Richard Roberts resigned amid allegations that he misused university funds.

“The Oral Roberts University community mourns the loss of a truly gracious and generous kingdom leader,” said current ORU President Mark Rutland. “Billy Joe Daugherty was not just a landmark in Tulsa, but a spokesman for the gospel beloved around the world.”

In addition to his wife, Daugherty is survived by his mother, Iru Daugherty, and his four children, all of whom are in ministry: Sarah Wehrli, Ruthie Sanders, John Daugherty and Paul Daugherty.

The memorial service is to be held at 1 p.m. Nov. 30 at ORU’s Mabee Center.

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Megachurch pastor Billy Joe Daugherty died early Sunday
morning after a brief battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He
was 57.

A memorial service will be held Nov. 30.

Daugherty, founder of 17,000-member Victory Christian Center
in Tulsa, Okla., announced last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer,
spawning a global prayer chain for his healing.

In a statement released Sunday, church leaders said
Daugherty “experienced his ultimate healing by entering into the presence of
God.” They said the pastor passed away peacefully at MD Anderson Cancer Center
in Houston, surrounded by his family.

“We are sad to lose the presence of our pastor, shepherd,
father and brother,” the statement said. “We are thankful, however, for his
life, love and influence on the individuals and ministries he inspired for the
last 30 years.”

Although known for his teaching on faith, health and
prosperity, Daugherty avoided much of the controversy that has surrounded
many Word-Faith preachers, including his mentors Oral Roberts and the late Kenneth
Hagin Sr. 

Committed to world missions, Daugherty helped plant
ministries around the world. He founded the International Victory Bible
Institute, which has campuses worldwide, and Victory World Missions Training
Center.

In Tulsa, Daugherty founded Victory Christian School and the
Tulsa Dream Center, which provides food, clothing and medical services to those
in need. He and his wife, Victory co-pastor Sharon Daugherty, also host a
television show, Victory in Jesus, that is broadcast worldwide, and the
couple have written more than a dozen books.

“I am certain that to his very last breath he affected
millions of lives for the gospel,” said Bible teacher Marilyn Hickey, who
befriended the Daughertys more than 30 years ago. “It is a great grief to me to
think he is gone. … He was like a rock to the body of Christ, but in leaving he
left a lot more rocks, solid believers.”

Kenneth
Copeland, a longtime friend who has spoken at Victory’s annual Word Explosion
conference, said Daugherty was a man of utmost integrity. “He and Sharon are
people of character and quality,” Copeland told Charisma.

“Of course, we
do not enjoy seeing him leave, but two things we know for sure: His place with
Christ Jesus is assured. The second is that Sharon Daugherty is a powerful
woman of God who will continue in the high standard, excellence and
uncompromising ministry of the Word of God.”

Bishop T.D. Jakes, who was scheduled to speak at Victory
Dec. 20, said the global church has lost a treasure. “Pastor Billy Joe
Daugherty was an extraordinary pastor whose leadership was only rivaled by his
love for people of all walks of life,” Jakes said. “The body of Christ has lost
a general and a treasure of mammoth proportions. Our loss is heavens gain.

Born in Magnolia, Ark., Daugherty was raised in the United
Methodist Church and married the daughter of a Methodist minister. He
eventually became associated with independent charismatics after being baptized
in the Holy Spirit while a student at Oral Roberts University (ORU), where he
earned a bachelor’s degree in 1974.

He and wife
Sharon attended classes at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas before
returning to Tulsa to serve as youth ministers at Sheridan Christian Center.

Daugherty became senior pastor there in 1976 when the pastor
retired, according to the Tulsa World. The church grew from 300 to 2,000 under his leadership, but a
disagreement with church leaders caused Daugherty to leave in the early 1980s
and start Victory. In 2007, the church moved
into a $32 million, 5,000-seat worship center, built debt-free.

Daugherty served on the Board of Reference of ORU, and stepped
in as interim president in 2007 when former president Richard Roberts resigned
amid allegations that he misused university funds.

“The Oral Roberts
University community mourns the loss of a truly gracious and generous kingdom
leader,” said current ORU President Mark Rutland. “Billy Joe Daugherty was not
just a landmark in Tulsa, but a spokesman for the gospel beloved around the
world.”

In addition to his wife, Daugherty is survived by his
mother, Iru Daugherty, and his four children, all of whom are in ministry:
Sarah Wehrli, Ruthie Sanders, John Daugherty and Paul Daugherty.

The memorial service is to be held at 1 p.m. Nov. 30 at
ORU’s Mabee Center.

I opened
the front door and came face to face with a rather large gift basket wrapped in
clear cellophane with a gigantic velvet orange and brown bow. It was so big that
it blocked the face of the deliveryman.

The sight of such a gift was too
wonderful for words! As a young married couple, Terry and I were going through
hard times, with little money for extras, much less the basics!

The
arrival of this surprise basket of goodies was not only timely, but a miracle!

Just who was behind this?

Terry and I carefully grabbed
the gift basket from the deliveryman and raced to the dining room table to dig
in. We tore away the cellophane and bright velvet ribbon to discover, to our
amazement, treasures galore!

We uncovered each piece—first there was a
canned ham, then a fancy tin of imported sardines (with mustard accompanying it,
both of them tied together in a festive plaid ribbon). Out came two giant links
of brown sausage, followed by chunks of rich yellow cheddar and two imported
cheeses, and fresh apples, pears, oranges, three boxes of crackers, two tins of
cookies, Belgium chocolates, hot cocoa mix in an exotic tin, even a red bag of
ground coffee, tea bags and hard candies! In special boxes were two coffee mugs
trimmed in blue, two soft cream-colored cloth napkins and a small teapot that
matched the mugs. What a feast!

To our surprise, the card read: “May the
good Lord bless you abundantly this Thanksgiving, love Pearl and
William.”

Pearl and William? Love? Pearl was an older lady
who worked in the gifts department of the large bookstore where Terry worked.
Terry, in fact, hardly saw Pearl except when her retired husband, William,
stopped by every other week to take her to lunch. The only thing Terry knew
about them, in fact, was that they were Christians.

My eye went to the
phrase “May the good Lord bless you abundantly this Thanksgiving.” It was in
that moment when it became obvious to me that the Lord truly loved
us—loved us enough to have two near-strangers give something so precious to us
in our time of great need.

Isn’t that just like the Lord to love us so
much and to use others to show His love? God’s Word reveals this powerful truth
in 1 John 4:7-8: “God is love,” (NKJV) and in James 1:17, where it states:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” His Word also shows
how He gives to us: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph.
3:20).

It further reveals to us that we are “ambassadors for Christ” (2
Cor.5:20). As ambassadors for Christ, shouldn’t you and I be called, especially
in this Thanksgiving season, to show His love through our generous giving to
others? As your sister in the Lord, I invite you to join me in doing it Jesus’
way—exceedingly abundantly.

This Thanksgiving perhaps you can give a
warmer smile of encouragement from your heart, more of your time to a friend or
family member, or give your time as a volunteer at a local soup kitchen, or give
your time as a volunteer through your church to a hospital, prison or women’s
shelter. Be open to giving a bountiful gift basket to someone, reflecting the
Lord’s bountiful love for her! Invite someone who has nowhere to go to your home
this Thanksgiving. Who knows how much they might need that.

The seeds
given to others in this Thanksgiving season can reap a powerful harvest, not
only in our own lives, but also in the lives of others as they come face to face
with the loving Lord of the harvest.

1 Peter 1:14-2:10 Peter compares believers in Jesus Christ to living stones that are built into a spiritual house. So many people come for a season to our church and then move on to another church. Such people never have the beautiful experience of forming a spiritual house. I have heard some refer to such people as rolling stones instead of living stones. If we are always hopping from one church to another simply because things just do not suit us, we run the risk of never maturing in our walk with the Lord. It takes living stones rubbing other living stones even the wrong way for a season to bring each stone into the position where they fit into the building of a spiritual house. If we leave one fellowship before we have found our place of service there, chances are we will never fit into any other spiritual house or body of believers as the Lord wants us to do. Love is not easily offended, and if we run away every time we are offended without dealing with the situation, love will never be perfected (matured) in our lives. As living stones we have to learn to fit together and work together to build a spiritual house.

Our church supports a ministry in France that had the challenge of rebuilding an eleventh-century village into a retreat area. Most of the structures were in shambles when they began their work. The ancient stones were in piles here and there over the properties, and often they had to search for these ancient stones so they could be used in the rebuilding process. The scripture that inspired this couple to begin this work in France over twenty-five years ago was Isaiah 58:12: “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (KJV).

As this couple worked with others to rebuild this village, they had to lay the stones out and determine exactly which ones would fit most tightly into the next space that was available. Sometimes they had to shape the stones to fit by chiseling a little on the edges. Their goal was to have as little mortar as possible between each stone because they knew this would make a stronger building. In other words, they had to close up the gaps and get rid of any spaces or breaches between the stones. God wants to do the same with the living stones in His body.

During the building of this village, those who worked on the restoration learned so many spiritual lessons and understood clearly why the body of Christ is compared to living stones. Every summer different teams of young people would come to work on the restoration. This couple noticed that the teams that accomplished the most in the least bit of time were those teams that had little bickering and strife. The teams that were best were made up of individuals who esteemed and respected one another. There was no competition or jealousy between the members of the team, and they were all working for a common goal, not their own agenda. The results of such teams were nearly miraculous. May this be the case in every church.

READ: Ezekiel 45:13-46:24; 1 Peter 1:14-2:10; Psalm 119:36-52; Proverbs 28:11

1 Peter 1:1-13 My mother died last year, and I received a small inheritance of $1,000. This inheritance has already been spent. Imagine having an inheritance that never disappears. I had a friend who wanted to leave her precious antiques to her daughter. Some of these antiques dated back to before the Revolution. They were priceless. Her daughter, however, said she did not want these pieces of furniture. I have heard stories where people received the contents of their mother or father’s home, and in the process of cleaning the homes to sell them, they found thousands of dollars tucked in mattresses and cracks in walls. I have seen items given to sons and daughters by their beloved departed that have been allowed to mildew, dry rot and become worthless. If these people had taken care of those things they inherited, they probably could have sold them for a good price.

Peter tells us about our great inheritance in our reading today: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (vv. 3-5).

The whole world is able to claim this inheritance, but few in the world choose to receive or claim it. This inheritance is reserved in a place where moth and rust will never corrupt it and where thieves cannot enter in to steal it. This inheritance is reserved for every one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the daughter refused to receive her inheritance of those lovely antiques, many people never claim and therefore cannot receive this great inheritance.

The Bible clearly tells us that we are joint heirs with Christ. Everyone who is born again can receive all that Jesus has inherited. This inheritance includes the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. It also includes all the promises of God, which are all yes and amen through Jesus Christ, the Word of God with all of its wisdom, the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. Many Christians even fail to receive their full inheritance. The thing that blocks them from receiving their inheritance in full measure is unbelief.

Today you can avail yourself of this inheritance. All that Jesus has is yours. You can access this inheritance simply by faith. Everything we receive from God is by faith, as we learned in our study of Hebrews. If you do not have enough faith to believe for your total inheritance, then ask God to give you the gift of faith so you can enter into your full inheritance.

READ: Ezekiel 44:1-45:12; 1 Peter 1:1-13; Psalm 119:17-35; Proverbs 28:8-10

During my trip to the Garden Tomb in Israel, I felt God’s Spirit in a way I had not experienced Him before. I could hear Him saying: “I love you. I sent my only Son to die for you, so you can spend eternity with me.” The revelation of His feelings made me weep when it was time to board the bus. But God’s love is not confined to a rock-hewn grave. It abides in the hearts of people who accept Yeshua. To learn about the Garden Tomb, watch videos below.

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