“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

Last night, as I was snoarking (a term I coined to describe the times you fall asleep while soaking in the Presence of the Lord…lol), I had a dream.

In the dream, I noticed that the bedroom window looked like someone had made an attempt to break in—with a twist, literally. The aluminum frame had been twisted at one end, so that it could be pulled back to make room for the thief to enter without the noise of breaking the glass or puncturing the screen.

How would you interpret this dream?

Here is what the Lord showed me. He warned me that the enemy of our souls (who is described as a thief by Jesus in John 10:10) is attacking us at the place of intimacy with the Father (bedroom). He knows that if he attempted to do it in an obvious way, making much noise about it, with a direct attack, we would be quick to notice it and prevent him from coming in.

Instead, his strategy is to twist the framework of our faith little by little and make us believe that intimacy with God is not really all that important.

After all, we are too busy serving the Lord. We are too tired from doing His work. We can’t afford to take the time to be with Him, when there is so much ministry to be done.

We don’t need to spend time in the word…after all we hear from God clearly. We obey when Holy Spirit tells us what to do. What more do we need, eh? Yadi, yada.

Get the idea?

Before we know it, we neglect one of the most essential elements of life in Christ. As intimacy with the Lord is reduced, neglected or downright ignored, we give the enemy permission to deceive us into believing that we can live our lives without it.
Jesus makes no bones about the fact that without intimacy with Him, we don’t stand a chance.

“Without Me you can do nothing.”

The Greek word translated nothing (ouden) actually means, are you ready for it, NOTHING. Nada. Zilch. Not a blessed thing.

Over the past few weeks, the Lord has been speaking to me directly as well as through friends about the NECESSITY of INTIMACY, especially at this critical juncture in time. I have re-affirmed my commitment to the Lord to spend a minimum of an hour a day, where I do nothing but spend time with Him and let Him minister to me.

This is a time with no agenda. I am not seeking revelation. I am not seeking strategy. I am not doing this to get something out of Him. I am doing this, simply because I need to, I want to…and more importantly, because He needs me to, He wants me to.

Without Him, we can do nothing. With Him, we bear much fruit. Take your pick. (The word “pick” should give you a hint as to the right choice!)

In the dream, I noticed that even though the framework was twisted, it was still not completely sheared off. In other words, the opportunity to straighten it out is still there.

Dear DWOD friend, would you take this word to heart and stop the attempted robbery before the enemy gets too far with his scheme?

I hope so. I pray so. Let it be so. Amen.

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. (Proverbs 13:20)

Last night, as I was seeking the Lord for a word for a newcomer to our Activate! Evening at Forks Road East United Church, He showed me a picture of her sitting on a bench/pew seated between two women. Then she stood up from her spot, turned to her left, took a few steps and sat between two other women.

I sensed the Lord saying that the move she was called to make was not from an evil to a good spot, but from a good to a God-spot. I also sensed that when she moved over, she would start moving forward into her destiny.

This vision got me wondering about whether at least some of you, our beloved DWOD subscribers, are experiencing delays in reaching your destiny simply by where you are seated right now.

To be more precise, by who you are seated with, the company you are keeping, the people around whom you are hanging.

God places a high value on where we sit and with whom.

Remember this verse? Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers… (Psalm 1:1)

In I Corinthians 15:33, the apostle Paul quotes what was likely a common proverb known to his readers: Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

We have usually seen these verses as being applicable to those who are openly leading sinful lives. We refer to those hanging around the “wrong crowd” and getting addicted to alcohol, drugs, pornography, violence, etc.

Needless to say when you wilfully choose to violate God’s laws, you are putting the brakes on advancing toward your destiny. If you are somehow still caught up in any of these sinful behaviours and patterns, then you need to do something about it right away, so you can be set free from their grip.

But the Lord was making me aware of a danger that is a bit more subtle than that. This tends to affect those who have already made a conscious choice to follow Him, yet still continue to place themselves in spots where their company inhibits them from becoming all they can be.

Sometimes it may not seem that significant, but even hanging around another group of Christians who are always putting others down and passing judgment on everyone else can hold you back from moving forward into your destiny.

Keeping such company brings pride into your spirit. “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit precedes a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) Doesn’t sound like you’re going to make much progress with pride, are you?

Some may lead you to believe (mistakenly) that you can continue to sin, because it’s all been taken care of at the cross. Or you may be hanging around “good people” who have no obvious vices, but their thought process may be mixed with New Age philosophy which exalts the self to the status only God deserves.

Get the picture?

Dear DWOD friend, could the Holy Spirit be calling you today to change seats? Ask Him to show you if you need to get up from where you are and go to where you need to be. Then will you please move over and move forward toward your divine destiny?

I hope so. I pray so.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he has anointed me…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:1, 3)

I still recall how upset I was at the family when they did not consume the bananas I had bought for them and allowed them get too ripe to eat. The sight of those ugly bananas was driving me nuts. The thought of throwing away yet another spoiled bunch was driving me nutsier.

I was about to give them a lecture on why we should not let things go to waste with pointed references to the starving children of Africa who would die to have a ripe banana and clinch my case with a well-chosen ap-peel to the wisdom of Solomon from the book of Proverbs.

Enter Sulojana on the scene. She nipped my speech in the bud by showing me a recipe book.

She pointed out how some people would have to search all over town in every grocery store to find a supply of ugly ripe bananas…while we had them right here at our finger-tips.

After all, don’t you know, that’s the main ingredient in banana bread?

I must’ve missed the class on baking banana bread in Kindergarten, Elementary School, High School, University and Seminary somehow.

Now that I was enlightened on the necessity of overripe bananas, my blood pressure could return to normal…and I didn’t have to waste my precious breath on an unnecessary speech.

As a matter of fact, I was now grateful to the family for persistently ignoring those under-ripe bananas for a whole week until they turned into the perfect ingredient for the next loaf of yummy banana bread.

Isn’t it amazing how we can take something that looks like it should be tossed out unceremoniously and make of it something that is worthy of being wolfed down with glee?

If you and I can do this in the kitchen, how much more can we trust God to take the yucky stuff in our lives and turn it into something yummy, eh?

My dear friend and co-founder of DWOD, Darren Canning often shares in his posts about how his life was such a mess at one time. A failed marriage, drugs, alcohol, relationships that did not honour God had brought him to the point of preparing to take his own life.

Yet, God met him at that very point and took a mess of ugly bananas, started adding other ingredients—a praying mother (see the DWOD for May 13, 2103) , a wise mentor, a supportive church family, a loving wife, to name a few—and eventually made him into the flavourful loaf of banana bread that he is today! Now you know why people always want a piece of him, ha, ha!

 (I encourage you to order and read Darren’s book “Fire Script” to get the whole story)

Suffice it to say he is not alone in experiencing this kind of amazing transformation. I am sensing in my spirit that many of you, our loyal DWOD subscribers, have such stories to share as well.

Would you send them to me by e-mail at jeeva@destinywordoftheday.com? With your permission, of course, we would like to share them with the rest of your DWOD family from time to time.

In the meantime, let’s praise God who turns yucky bananas into a yummy banana loaf!

Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. (Proverbs 10:17)

Scripture is very clear on the need for us to be open to correction. The consequences can be disastrous when we refuse to heed God’s call to change our ways.

Some translations of Proverbs 10:17, such as the NLT & the NKJV read: “…those who ignore correction will go astray.”

Exactly a month ago today, the DWOD for Aug. 09 included this stern warning: “Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1)

In other words, the person who ignores correction is the one who will either go astray or be destroyed.

However, the NIV translation gives another consequence that affects not only the person who is disobedient, but also others in their sphere of influence.

A father may think that his refusal to receive correction and refrain from an addictive behaviour affects only his life, but the sad fact is that he can lead his children astray. Those children who are led astray can then in turn lead their children astray…and a generational curse is handed down through the family line.

Jesus certainly has some stern words for those who lead others astray, doesn’t he? Try this one for size:

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)

Unfortunately, leaders who were unwilling to take correction have indeed led others astray and not only experienced disastrous consequences themselves, but also caused immeasurable harm to their followers.

We have seen distinguished ministers of the gospel fall to disgraceful lows over and over again. It is uncanny how when the true story of what happened emerges, there is always one common thread.

God had graciously intervened through another believer or leader and offered correction to the offending leader, giving them an opportunity to repent and stem the flow of disasters that were sure to follow. Yet, in every case that I am aware of, the person in question chose to willfully disregard the wise counsel and dismiss it as unnecessary interference in their personal lives.

Thankfully, by the grace of God, some have since repented and been restored to ministry. Others have simply sunk into oblivion as a result, taking many others down with them.

Dear DWOD friend, as you keep advancing toward your destiny, you will need to be corrected from time to time. This is why you need to surround yourself with wise counsellors who can see where you might need correction.

A number of years ago, when I entered into a mentorship relationship with a leader, one of the first things he said to me was: “Jeeva, when I see you doing something that might be hurtful to you or to those who follow you, do you want me to point it out to you or just keep it to myself?”

Duh! That was a no-brainer, wasn’t it? I was so thankful when he would gently offer me correction whenever I needed it.

Please keep this in mind: Leaders fall uncorrected, but stand corrected.

One of the wisest choices you could ever make in life is to find yourself a mentor who is willing to offer correction. You will be amazed how this critical step accelerates you into your destiny.

“As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset.” (Exodus 17:11-12)

Nestled among episodes where Moses is dragged down with moaning and complaining is this heartwarming story of him being lifted up.

It is the only battle that the people of Israel had to fight in the desert. Joshua is in charge of the troops. Moses, along with his brother Aaron and another man named Hur climb up a mountain where they could see how the battle was progressing.

Moses provides spiritual leadership by lifting up the staff of the Lord. It soon becomes evident that the staff imparts the favour of God over the troops. As long as they were overshadowed by His favour, they were winning. Once Moses’s arms drooped in fatigue, they got the short end of the staff J

Enter Aaron and Hur. They do two things for Moses.

#1. They find a stone for Moses to sit on.

#2. They stand on either side of Moses and hold up his hands.

We are used to hearing so much about how they lifted up Moses’ hands, that the first step they took gets virtually no mention at all. Yet, I believe it was significant.

They first made sure he was comfortable and could rest before they held his hands up. They catered to his needs as a (whole) person before they focused on what he could do for them.

On the road to your destiny, there will be times when you too are tired like Moses and cannot keep up all your commitments and responsibilities. At such moments, you need an Aaron and a Hur who will notice what is happening to you, come alongside and cater to your needs.

On the flip side, this word also calls you to pay close attention to your leader(s). Are they tired? Perhaps you can be one who addresses their need, provides them with the seat they need to rest, and then lifts up their hands.

Are you a Moses? I pray that God will open the eyes of those around you to come beside you

Are you an Aaron or a Hur? I pray that God will open your eyes to see that Moses needs you.

A lot is at stake here. Success in the battle rests on whether there is an Aaron and a Hur around who will come to the aid of their Moses.

“No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.” (Joshua 5:12)

Imagine a day in the life of the people of Israel while they were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.

All they had to do was wake up and there it was—their daily ration of food from heaven, a.k.a. manna. The first major decision they had to make was how to cook it that particular day. Would it be manna porridge, manna pancakes with quail sausage, manna paratha, manna crepes, manna muffins, manna cake, quail fried manna…you get the idea!

And then it would rain quails. Once again, how to prepare them was the next tough decision they needed to make. Would it be quail roast, quail stir fry, Kentucky Fried Quail, quail a la king, quail quiche, quail cacciatore, quail curry…ah, decisions, decisions!

Water would show up from some place, even rocks! No need to dig wells.

There was no work to be done, as in Egypt. Their sandals never wore out. They only had to fight one battle along the way. No health problems. All their needs were met. Life was not great, but God was good!

But it all changed once they left the wilderness behind and crossed over the Jordan River into Canaan, the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey.

As we read in Joshua 5:12, once they started eating from the crops of the land, the manna stopped. They had to find alternative sources of protein, because the quail were not dropping from heaven anymore, either.

God was still meeting their needs, but not in the same way as He used to in the wilderness. Milk was not delivered to their doorstep. They had to go find the cows and milk them! Honey did not come in bottles. They had to start with the bees and get stung a few times before they could enjoy the sweet taste of honey!

The locals did not exactly roll over and die when the people of Israel got there, either. Yes, God had given them the land, but they still had to take it! Taking possession is not an easy task…especially when someone else was already holding possession to it!

There were more battles to be fought and won before they could fully realize the fulfilment of God’s word and completely take over the Promised Land.

Because, you see, you cannot live in the Promised Land with a wilderness mentality. You cannot expect God to provide for you in the same way He did before. There is no limit to His creativity. He will always keep His promise to you, but not always in predictable ways.

He promised you the land.  He never promised a smooth landing.

Sadly, many followers of Jesus expect Him to act in the same old way that He did in times past…and are disappointed when they keep on waiting for a repeat performance that never comes. Quite often this leads them to lower their expectations of what God can do and how He can act. Sometimes they give up on expecting anything great from God altogether.

That’s what The Wilderness Mentality can do to you, if you’re not careful.

Dear DWOD friend, today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I believe that this is the beginning of something new and exciting for all of us. God is accelerating the fulfilment of His promises to you.

But you need to break off any vestiges of the wilderness that still remain. Over the next 10 Days of Awe, leading to the Day of Atonement, would you ask Holy Spirit to show you how you might have allowed the Wilderness Mentality to invade you?

Get rid of it right now. And move on toward your prophetic destiny that awaits you in the Promised Land.

Need help with the process? Please contact us and we’ll do our very best.