Acts 2:17

¹⁷" 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.

Visions and Dreams

Acts 2:17 - In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

"I need to meet with you," said the man from England during a break at a conference overseas. We walked outside to have a coffee break and sat down. "God wants you to know that He removed your finances in order to reserve His reward for you in Heaven. He has done you a great service."

I was shocked. I'd never met this gentleman before. How would he have known I had lost a half million dollars in the previous few years, virtually all of my financial net worth, to some unusual calamities? We shared for the next several minutes.

That week, during our lunch and dinner times, I had been enjoying wonderful, juicy oranges from this island in the Mediterranean Sea. It came time for the gentleman and I to conclude our coffee break. We bowed in prayer. As we prayed, the man began to describe a picture he was seeing in his mind.

"I see a picture of a large orange tree. The tree is full of large, ripened oranges. They are beginning to fall to the ground. You are the tree!"

Again, I looked at the man with shock and amazement, and now tears in my eyes.

"You are the third person in three years that has had a similar vision during a prayer time like this. The first two people were also strangers to me."

I went back into the meeting rejoicing that God could be so personal in my life. He used a servant who had gone through similar trials to supernaturally speak a word of encouragement in a way that I would know it was God who was speaking.

There are times when God supernaturally speaks into our lives. He does this to demonstrate His power, His love, and His intimacy with us. Do not be surprised if God sends one of His messengers to speak into your life when you need it most. Be open to how God might want to speak into your life today.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers (Psalm 1:3).

Isaiah 43:2

² When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze

Guard Against Bitterness

Joel Osteen

Today's Scripture

“When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown” Isaiah 43:2 (TLB).

Have you ever experienced something that truly tested your faith, your joy and your convictions? We're not talking about just having a bad day or having to deal with difficult people - but enduring an intense situation that rocks you to your very core. When many people face such soul-searching they let their happiness and joy turn into bitterness and anger. Make sure this doesn't happen to you. Don't give the evil one the victory by becoming an ineffective Christian due to lingering bitterness. Even if you're being tested, God has promised to remain faithful. He is all-powerful, and He can pull you out of your troubles at any moment. Choose to remain faithful and joyous despite your present circumstances.

A Prayer for Today: God, please help me to trust You and not give in to bitterness or anger, even in the middle of my trials. Thank You for the promise of Your never-failing love. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Proverbs 4:22

²² for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.

John 6:63

⁶³The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

God's Medicine

Gloria Copeland

"The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

We've seen some tremendous medical breakthroughs in our generation. We've seen "miracle drugs" developed that can conquer many kinds of sickness and disease.

But, you know, in the 20-plus years I've been a believer, I've discovered another, much more effective kind of medicine: the Word of God. There's never been a miracle drug that could equal it. God's medicine is the answer to every need. It is life. It is health. It is the power of God. And if you put it in your heart and act on it, you will be healed.

Sometimes people ask, "If God's medicine works every time, why are there so many believers who are still sick?" There are two reasons. Number one, because they don't take the time to plant the Word concerning healing deeply into their heart. And number two, because they don't do what that Word tells them to do.

Think of it like this: If a doctor prescribes medicine for you to swallow daily and you decide to rub it on your chest instead, that medicine isn't going to work for you. You have to follow the instructions and use it properly if you expect to get well, don't you? In the same way, if you read God's prescription for health and don't act on it, you won't reap any of its benefits.

Proverbs 4:22 says God's Words are life and health to you. So don't wait until you get sick to start using them. Start now. Begin to put God's Word in your heart in abundance and it will be hard for you to get sick. That Word within you will constantly be keeping God's healing power at work in you.

And don't worry. There's no limit to the amount of God's medicine you can take. You can't get an overdose. The more you take, the stronger you get.

Start growing strong today.

Scripture Study: Proverbs 4:20-27

Deuteronomy 8:11,19

¹¹ Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.

¹⁹ If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.

The Danger of Amnesia

Bishop Edward Earl Jenkins

"Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord." Deuteronomy 8:11 NLT

A spider dropped a single strand down from the rafter of an old barn and began to weave his web. Months went by and the web grew. Its elaborate maze caught flies, mosquitoes and other small insects, providing the spider with a rich diet. Eventually it became the envy of all the other spiders. Then one day the spider noticed a single strand stretching up into the rafters. "I wonder why it's there? It doesn't catch me any dinner." Concluding it was unnecessary, he climbed as high as he could and severed it. In that moment the entire web began to fall in upon itself, tumbling to the floor, taking the spider with it.

Could we as a people make that same mistake? Can a country spin a great web, then sever it? Can we grow so successful, so smug, so self-sufficient that we forget the strong strand that supports us? Could we look at our prosperity and respond not with gratitude, but with arrogance?

Recent actions make us wonder. A movement to remove God from all public life is gaining momentum. An emboldened portion of our population stares at the strand of faith upon which our country hangs and asks: "Why is that there?"

Are we forgetting the hand that holds us? We're not the first nation to suffer from amnesia. Israel did it too, and Moses warned them:

"Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands... I assure you of this: if you ever forget the Lord your God...you will certainly be destroyed" (Dt 8:11 & 19 NLT).

Bishop Edward Earl Jenkins is the senior pastor and founder of the True Servant Worship & Praise Church located in Trenton, New Jersey. Bishop Jenkins earned his Bachelor of Theology degree from Eastern Bible College and has been preaching the unadulterated gospel for over twenty years. His unique method of preaching and teaching has opened many doors to allow him to touch the hearts of many lives near and far. Bishop Jenkins is the proud husband of Lady Sheila Jenkins and father of Travis, Jamal, Clarrisa and Dionna.