(Be blessed by this DWOD for May 24, 2014 by guest contributor Francis Frangipane. Those of you who have been part of the 4 C’s Fast with us will be blessed by this powerful reminder. )

“Remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness.” (Isaiah 58:9)

I want to introduce a new concept: the fast from judging. When I have mentioned this type of fast to others, it is interesting to watch their reactions. “If we fast from judging, what will we think about?” they query.

I am not saying we should fast from thinking. No, I am saying only this: After we have thought about some issue of life, fast from letting our concluding thoughts be those of judgment. Rather, let our thoughts end in prayer for mercy, redemption and forgiveness.

You see, the instinct to judge and criticize is a curse upon the church, and it brings death upon us as individuals. A curse? Death? Yes, every time we judge we are simultaneously judged by God, and each time we condemn another we ourselves are condemned (Matt. 7:1-2; Luke 6:37).

Many Christians will pray, engage in spiritual warfare, and rebuke the devil, yet often the enemy they are fighting is not the devil. It is the harvest of what they have sown with their own words and attitudes! What is happening to us is consequential, as Jesus said, “by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matt. 7:2).

When we judge and criticize, we position ourselves under judgment. You see, we are constantly sowing and harvesting life according to our own attitudes.

When I say “fast from judging,” I do not mean we should abandon discernment. No. But judging people is not discernment. When we see something wrong, instead of only turning critical, we must learn to pray for mercy for that situation. We may still see what is wrong, but now we are harnessing our energies and seeking to redeem what is wrong by the power of Christ’s love.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7). When we resist the impulse to judge or condemn and instead pray for mercy, an amazing thing happens: fresh mercy opens before us. You see, in every moment of every day there are two paths in front of us: one leads to increased mercy in our lives while the other leads to a life of obstacles and difficulties. How do we receive more mercy? The key to a life blessed by God’s mercy is to give mercy to those around us (Matt. 18:21-35).

There are Christians I know who have not made spiritual progress for years. They attend church and they tithe, yet they maintain a self-righteous, judgmental attitude. They always have something negative to say about others. As such, they position themselves under God’s judgment. Their capacity to receive divine mercy is closed because they do not show mercy toward others.

James wrote: “Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Let me repeat this sobering verse again: “Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy.”

Are you pondering why your version of Christianity doesn’t quite feel like the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10? Perhaps it is because you are too judgmental. It is a natural tendency in most people. Indeed, recall how even the Lord’s disciples wanted to call fire down upon the Samaritans. Yet Jesus rebuked His disciples, saying that they did not know what spirit they were of (Luke 9:51-56).

Let us, therefore, discern “what spirit” we are of. Let us remember that mercy triumphs over judgment; if we strive to be merciful, God promises He will respond to us as we have responded to others.

Finally, let’s ponder the next season of change. Perhaps it is time to embrace the mercy fast and see what changes occur in our lives when, for just ten days, we fast from judging.

(Francis Frangipane is the founder of River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids IA. His heartfelt prayer is to see established in every city, Christlike pastors and intercessors, united before God, revealing the love of Christ to their communities. This is an excerpt from his book Spiritual Discernment and the Mind of Christ available for download at a discounted price of $5.78 for a limited time only at www.arrowbookstore.com.)

(Be blessed by this DWOD for May 19, 2014 by guest contributor, Barry Adams)

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

We are called to be sons of the kingdom of God. Our destiny is to live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). Though we live in the world, we are not of this world. Our spiritual DNA comes from above.  In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to ask our heavenly Father to send His kingdom to this earth so that His will would be done here exactly as it is in heaven.

Though each one of us spends our days seeing the effects of the fallen world in which we live in, there is another spiritual reality at work that calls us to set our affections on things above and not on things of this earth (Colossians 3:2). Though the pain and suffering that we see with our natural eyes is very real, there is another dimension of vision that we are called to see with…The eyes of faith.

In this Scripture verse, we read how faith is “the assurance of the things that we hope for and the proof of things not seen”. Faith is not something we see with our natural eyes and it is not something that can be understood from an earthly perspective. Faith requires great trust and belief in order for it to flourish in our lives. In Hebrews 11:6, the author goes on to say… Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

If you continue to read Hebrews 11, you will read of many biblical heroes who lived by faith in God, even though their present circumstances seemed to be in direct opposition to the plans and purposes that God had for them. We read how a man named Noah built an ark in a dry land for over 100 years. We read how Abraham left his safe and secure surroundings to go to a country where God told him to go, and then he later had a child with his wife Sarah in their old age.

Time and space prevent me from talking about Moses, Isaac, Jacob, David and all of the other heroes of this chapter that lived a life seeing into the unseen and not living by their natural sight. Some of them accomplished the impossible and wrought great victories while others suffered terribly, knowing that their reward was not of this world.

In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, the Apostle Paul speaks of the tension between the kingdom of this world that we live in and the kingdom of God…For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

I believe that we have a unique opportunity to touch our heavenly Father’s heart this side of heaven when we choose to live by faith. After all, when we get to heaven, we will have no more opportunities to exercise our faith in the way we can now.

My prayer today is that each and every one of us would cry out to God… “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NIV) I pray that our God and Father would open the eyes of our hearts so that we could really see the reality of who we are and who God is.

May a new boldness to simply believe God and live a naturally supernatural life, knowing that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-7) be our spiritual reality today. May we all have the grace today to see into the unseen realm and live a life of faith that is pleasing to our heavenly Dad.

(Barry Adams is the humble vessel chosen by God to bless the world with the revelation known as the Father’s Love Letter. Along with his wife Annelise, Barry ministers the Father’s Love all over the world. Today’s DWOD is from a post he wrote for A Son’s Life Blog. Please check out his new website: http://www.aboutfathersbusiness.com)

(Be blessed by this DWOD for May 17, 2014 by guest contributor Gloria Copeland)

It [grace] has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world. (Titus 2:12)

When an athlete goes into training, he practices to improve his skills. He works hard, repeating the same motions over and over until they become what we’d call “second nature” to him.

Most of us understand how crucial that kind of training is in the physical realm. We know that you simply can’t be a winner without it. But did you know we can train ourselves that same way where spiritual things are concerned?

That’s right! Hebrews 5:14 says we can train our senses to discern between good and evil. When you train, or practice, for something you expose yourself daily to whatever it is you want to become. You practice it over and over until it becomes second nature to you. People who are lazy have practiced being lazy. People who are disciplined have practiced being disciplined.

Spending time with God is “spirit” practice. As you do it diligently, your spirit will grow stronger and will start to overcome the habits of the flesh.

If, for example, you have trouble getting up in the morning to spend time with God before the busyness of the day begins, if you’ve been giving in to your flesh and staying in bed, then you’ll have to start practicing getting up. The more you practice it, the easier it will be.

Don’t expect yourself to do it perfectly right from the beginning. Don’t get discouraged when you stumble and fail. You’re just out of practice. Get back on your feet and go at it again!

Become a spiritual athlete. Put yourself in training by practicing the things of God. Build your spirit muscles through fellowship with Him. You will be surprised to find just how much of a winner you can be.

(This post appeared first in “From Faith to Faith”, a daily guide to Victory. To subscribe to this daily devotional and access other great resources, please go to www.kcm.org)

(Be blessed by this DWOD for May 16, 2014 by guest contributor Os Hillman)

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”  (John 8:34)

“I hate being late,” my friend lamented. “It has been a problem for me all my life.”

“Do you really want to change that?” I asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“All right. Every time you are late to work or anywhere else where you have committed to be at a particular time you must give me $25.”

“No way!” my friend responded. “I would go broke! But I will do $10.”

“All right, $10 it is. It has to be a large enough amount of money for it to hurt your pocketbook.”

“Believe me, that will hurt,” my friend said.

About a month later my friend found great motivation to be on time to every place she had to be. In the first week, I got only $10 from my friend. The next week, $20. The third week, nothing. By the fifth week, my friend had changed a lifelong habit that had hindered her all her life. In order for my friend not to be resentful of me for the money she had to give, we put it in a jar to be given to some other Christian cause. This ensured my motive was only for her best interest.

Some might be reading this now and say it is legalism. For my friend it was freedom. For the first time she had some means of changing a behavior that had caused her problems in relationships and her own work habits.

Psychologists tell us that it takes 21 days to form a habit. So, if you need to change some habit, you need to be actively engaged in that new behavior at least 21 days. My friend needed help to change a habit she didn’t like about herself. It took another individual to hold her accountable, and it took a potential loss of something to provide the added incentive.

A successful businessman was experiencing a difficult marriage. When counseling the couple over dinner one night, a friend of mine noticed that the man often criticized his wife. After further counsel it was determined the man simply could not love his wife. My friend asked him if he truly wanted to see change in his marriage. When the man said he did, my friend said, “Every time you criticize your wife you must agree to give me $100.” This man was well-off and needed substantial incentive to change his behavior.

After the man rebelled and retorted, he agreed in front of his wife. A few weeks later a report came back that things were changing. This man did not want to write any checks to my friend. Although it was a competitive game to the man, it was also yielding some positive changes in his marriage. He began to acquire the habit of avoiding criticism of his wife, which was killing her spirit.

What are the habits that keep you from becoming all that God may want you to become? Do you desire change enough to be accountable in a way that it costs you something when you fail? Ask a friend to hold you accountable in an area that needs change. You will find new freedom as you conquer old besetting habits.

(Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of 15 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org)

(Be blessed by this DWOD for May 12, 2014 by guest contributor Lance Wallnau)

It is a common thing. You throw yourself into the activity surrounding your dream only to discover that things don’t work out as expected. You get knocked down or set back.
This is the critical moment. All people, Christian and non-Christian struggle to succeed and only a handful of those who enter the race ever finish with distinction. There are battles and unforeseen setbacks.

In all mastery there are lessons. In all great achievements there are learning curves. Ask any seasoned entrepreneur and they will tell you of the things they had to deal with. Betrayal, broken promises, competition, family problems, physical breakdowns and the like.

The difference is that unbelievers don’t call it spiritual warfare. They have no sinister unseen adversaries to incorporate into their script…and this is the danger for us.

After working with leaders worldwide, I’ve come to realize that the devil needs somebody on the inside of your organization to help him sabotage the work. He cannot keep you down unless there is some unknown leverage conspiring with him against you–on the inside of the organization.

Years ago I made a list of all the setbacks I’ve endured. I played the scenes over in my mind and was shocked to see one of my employees was at the scene of EVERY crime. One person was common to every setback. I scheduled a meeting with this person and we had a very sober conversation. I am going to now expose this person to all of you because I am confident this fellow will not sue me.

The person I am talking about is ME! I was at the scene of every bad decision. The warfare I was blaming on the devil was in fact the warfare I was helping to create! To this day the number one bottleneck of most organizations I consult can be found at the top.

Ask yourself if you are really listening to the Lord and getting to the root of your battle. Ask what YOU can do differently in terms of your own story. Learn from every mistake and find out how to grow. Learn to show up differently next time. Study what others are doing that works! Only then will there be benefit in talking about how the devil was at work fighting you.

Don’t settle for a warfare story…press on and give us all your BREAKTHROUGH stories! The longer the setback, the greater the finish. FINISH WELL!

In the spirit realm there are more working on your side than the devil can ever organize against you.

 (Dr. Lance Wallnau is a world-class trainer and consultant whose students span the globe. From bestselling authors, pastors, and billion dollar CEO‘s, he has helped to transform the lives of thousands. Please check out his resources at www.lancelearning.com)

(Be blessed by the DWOD for May 05, 2014 by guest contributor Lance Wallnau)

Recently I had to use my iPhone as a “hot spot” to work my computer and connect with a global conversation.

Think about your spiritual technology. Before there was a “smartphone,” there was God speaking to the spirit of man by the activity of His Holy Spirit. Let’s see this in the experience of a first century disciple named Ananias:

While meditating in Damascus the Lord called to Ananias in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord.”

The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying and IN A VISION he has seen (I love this tense, “he HAS seen”) a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” (Acts 9:10-12)

God works from the future backwards, it seems. I wouldn’t do things this way. I would go to Ananias first and I would say; “Now listen, I’ve got an assignment for you, it’s a little weird but I want you to go to this notorious religious terrorist named Saul. You know him. He’s the guy you are avoiding. He needs to meet with you and you need to pray for him.”

I love this idea…Ananias is exercising spiritual senses. The word in Greek for “spirit” is “pneuma”… this kind of supernatural communication is what your spirit man is designed for. It’s something I call “pneuma-wifi” and when you enter God’s presence you enter a “Pneuma WIFI zone”–the place where you’re praying and you start seeing, hearing and sensing things going on in heaven that God wants to manifest on earth.

I really believe that we enter into this zone a lot, but don’t realize it. It comes in images, sounds, hunches, feelings, things we smell–but don’t stop to observe.

What is beautiful about this verse in the book of Acts is that God has ALREADY GONE to Saul and given him a VISION in ADVANCE of a meeting with Ananias. Saul is seeing the future.

God operates in all realms–past, present and future.

God basically put Ananias’ face into the future, then went into the present and told Ananias how to catch up to where his face is. In a true sense, prophecy is a sort of time travel where you get a glimpse of what God wants to do. Now this kind of visionary connection requires that you be in the right spiritual state. That’s why the ‘worship move’ and ‘soaking’ activity are so prevalent nowadays.

We are going back to our core “WIFI” technology!

When I talk about “state” I am talking about entering the realm where the LOVE of Jesus, the JOY of the Lord, and the PEACE of God becomes our dominant spiritual and emotional state. That is the Kingdom of God–an ALTERED STATE! The very thing the American Pharmaceutical industry makes $10 Billion a year producing!

If you are a believer, “everything you need is within you now.” And do you know why? Because you’ve got the Holy Spirit; if you have the Holy Spirit, you have access to everything you need. And there’s no such thing as a little Holy Spirit, big Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit level one, Holy Spirit level 2.

I used to teach about an End Time outpouring like there’s a Holy Spirit that’s going to come down from above, but the truth is He’s already here in each one of us. The outpouring isn’t God pouring out from Heaven to Earth. The Holy Spirit is already here; He is pouring out THROUGH US. The outpouring is through His people, not through the cumulus third heaven clouds above us.

Ananias and Saul had a visionary connection. Saul saw the future and Ananias heard a voice regarding divine direction. They had a Pneuma-WIFI connection with God.

So do you!

((Dr. Lance Wallnau is a world-class trainer and consultant whose students span the globe. From bestselling authors, pastors, and billion dollar CEO‘s, he has helped to transform the lives of thousands. Please check out his resources at www.lancelearning.com)