We Have An Inheritance

Brenda Gittens
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Divide the land among the tribes in proportion to their populations, as indicated by the census." (Numbers 26:52-53).

Every ten years the census conducted is to count the population of the United States and they need information from us to describe our families, households, and communities. I thought about the census that was taken in the book of Numbers, the results of it, and what the descendants from the twelve tribes of Israel were granted by God. They received an inheritance back then, and we as His people today have received one, because we're counted in "God's Census."

God required that every man in Israel be counted, because each family was entitled to an inheritance. And when they died, it would only go to their sons. Take notice, a female receiving it was unheard of until these five. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, were the daughters of a man who died in the wilderness named Zelophehad who was a son, grandson, and three-time great-grandson, but he had no sons of his own.

These sisters called a meeting with Moses, Elezar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community to say that they should receive their father's inheritance. "Why should the name of our father disappear just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives." (Numbers 27:4). So Moses took the sisters case before the Lord and it was granted for them!

This was a decision of the Lord, and what a breakthrough for women also! And the LORD replied to Moses, "The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You must give them an inheritance of land along with their father's relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father." (Numbers 27:6-7).

The Lord's granting of the allotments of land as an inheritance, showed His goodness and justice to His people. Today, He still demonstrates His goodness to believers, by granting us eternal life. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11). And Paul lets us know that God has qualified us for our share.

"May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light." (Colossians 1:11-12). This right here ought to be enough for all of us to rejoice in, no matter what the economy looks like, or who backs the stimulus package!

WE HAVE AN INHERITANCE!

PRAYER: Lord God, You are a wise and kind God. You extend Your goodness to Your people both now and in time past. We thank You for counting us among Your people, Hallelujah, and we praise You Lord for granting us an inheritance, the gift of eternal life through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen!

Direction, Not Intention

Direction, Not Intention

Milan Ford


This past weekend, my wife and I took our kids on a road trip to Washington D.C. to attend the high school graduation of their uncle. As the parents of two daughters (ages 3 and 2), and a 6 month old baby boy, I'm sure you can imagine just how difficult that road trip was for us.

If it wasn't for our children's godmother (who came along with us), we would have certainly had to check into a psychiatric ward once we got back.

During this trip, I learned a few things about myself that I hope (after reading this) will help radically reshape the way you and I have long perceived the direction and path God may be leading us to follow.

My wife and I go absolutely nowhere without our GPS system. From locating the nearest restaurants and gas stations, to discovering what roads and highways serve as the best shortcuts, our GPS has been like a distant cousin to us both. So much so we gave it a name: Anne.

Although we had been to D.C. a few times before, navigating in and around the city has always been a daunting task. Not only are the multiple Beltway interstates (I-95, I-295, I-395 & I-66) a never ending maze, the number of two-way streets that turn into one-way roads will make your head spin. So needless to say, having Anne around with us on this trip was extremely vital.

On the morning we were set to return, I had the bright idea of stopping through downtown to take some pics of the family in front of a few monuments; been a big fan of them ever since I was a kid.

We packed up the car, fastened all the kids in their seats, and then took our favorite person in the whole wide world (Anne) out of the glove compartment. I turned her on, overwhelmed with joy to begin entering in the addresses for the monuments we wanted to visit before leaving town. But suddenly, my joy quickly turned into shock as Anne uttered these four very frightening words:

Unable To Locate Satellite.

This message from Anne was something (I'll admit) I had seen once or twice before. It happens every time I would forget to charge her up over night. Without a full battery, Anne became useless.

So being the revolutionary man that I am, I decided to take matters in my own hands, and tried to drive downtown without Anne's assistance. (In my mind) I didn't have the time to wait on Anne to charge back up; I wanted to get there by myself.

I'm sure you can just imagine where this story is heading now, right?

It never ceases to amaze me how we as believers find it difficult to wait on the guidance and direction of God concerning our lives. Despite the fact that He has proven time after time that He will never lead us astray, many of us still seek to take the wheel of our lives in our own hands and navigate along certain paths that He may (in many circumstances) never intended for us to take.

I learned a very valuable lesson nearly two years ago from a message by Pastor Andy Stanley. It serves as the underlining message of his brand new book, The Principle of The Path.

Here it is: Direction, Not Intention, Determines Destination.

No matter how much you and I intend on doing the right things in life, we need to assure that it is God who is directing and guiding our decisions, and not our individual pursuits and desires. More often than not, the paths many of us find ourselves on are driven by how we feel, and what we see, rather than the paths God may have for us, which are never bound or dependent on our senses.

Is there anything wrong with wanting a better job? Absolutely not. Is there anything wrong with wanting a bigger home, or nicer car? Again, not at all. And yes, I realize the timetable you set for getting married has come and passed, but before you try to grab the wheel and make something happen, allow these words to redirect you as they did for me this weekend:

Direction, Not Intention, Determines Destination.

If you're heading down the wrong direction, it doesn't matter what destination you intend on reaching, you will never get there (no matter how hard you try or how hard you pray). God's laws of guidance do not bend towards us. We bend towards them.

Funny thing happened once we finally got downtown to visit one of the monuments (a 45 minute trip that on any other day would have taken less than 10). As soon as I parked the car, Anne (our GPS device) found the satellite and prompted us to enter in our directions.

God is quite the comedian, isn't He? Gotta love Him.

Which Way to Go, Lord?

Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Which Way to Go, Lord?


Dr. Creflo A. Dollar
God wants you to know exactly where you're going in life. He doesn't want you to stumble around, unsure of whether the steps you are taking are the right ones. Instead, He desires that you have crystal-clear spiritual hearing so you can receive specific instructions regarding the path He wants you to take in life. In other words, God wants you to stop and ask Him for directions daily!

Like the prophet Jeremiah, you have a God-given mission (Jeremiah 1:4-10; 29:11). The key to carrying out the mission, or vision, God has given you is your ability to receive directions from Him and your willingness to immediately obey what He tells you to do. God wants to give you detailed instructions about which way to go as well as every situation that concerns you. He doesn't just want to deal with you in vague impressions either, but in specifics. When you increase your awareness of God's voice, you position yourself to step right into His perfect will for your life.

Proverbs 6:23 says, "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." God's directions give light to your vision. They are the steps you must take to accomplish His master plan for your life. The greatest asset you have as a Believer is an unbroken connection with God. Through daily fellowship with Him and the study of His Word, you empower yourself to recognize His voice and obey Him in even the smallest act. Like pieces of a puzzle, each step you take gradually enables you to see the bigger picture.

The will of God for your life is not something that is handed to you on a silver platter-you must discover what God desires for you to accomplish. That means quality time communing with Him and making His Word the final authority in every area of your life.

Being born again is the prerequisite to discovering your God-given assignment. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior is the doorway to your destiny. Without Him guiding you, you won't reach your final destination. But once you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life and begin seeking Him daily, He will begin revealing your purpose to you.

In locating your purpose, consider those things for which you have a passion. What is it that you could do all the time, even without being paid? What attributes and characteristics do others consistently notice about you? Determine the abilities God has given you and the areas in which you get consistent results. These are signposts to help point you in the direction of your destiny.

Praying in the Spirit is another helpful tool in determining the direction God wants you to take in life. When you pray in tongues, you allow the Holy Spirit to pray through you, and release the wisdom you need to move forward in life. Proverbs 20:27 says that the spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord. The Holy Spirit Who is within your born-again spirit will guide you into all truth, including what it is you are supposed to be doing. When you pray in tongues, you also build up your spirit man and sharpen your spiritual discernment. The more you pray in the spirit and spend time listening for God's voice, the more confident you will be when it comes to stepping out on His instructions.

The apostle Paul said, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (1 Corinthians 9:24). There is a set race for you to run, and God wants you to discover it. Make a concerted effort to pray and yield to His instructions daily. Before long, you will find yourself walking in your divine destiny!



Dr. Creflo A. Dollar is the senior pastor of World Changers Church International, 25,000 member church in College Park, Georgia. He is committed to changing the world one person at a time, and his award-winning "Changing Your World" television broadcast reaches nearly one billion homes worldwide. Visit www.CrefloDollarMinistries.org to learn more. Click here to browse and purchase Books, CDs, and DVDs by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar!

© Dr. Creflo A. Dollar all rights reserved.

Morning Devotional

Wisdom's Seven Pillars
Bishop Jim Swilley

Wisdom has built her house...hewn out and set up her seven [perfect number of] pillars. She has killed her beast...mixed her [spiritual] wine...set her table...sent out her maids to cry...“Whoever is simple...turn in here!”...[God’s] Wisdom says to him, “Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the [spiritual] wine which I have mixed...[forsake the foolish and simple-minded] and live!...Walk in the way of insight and understanding.” (Proverb 9:1-6 AMP)

You have within you the Spirit of wisdom (Isaiah 11:2)—wisdom is the ability to use knowledge correctly—Jesus is made unto you wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30) and you are daily growing in it and in revelation (“For I always pray...that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him...” Ephesians 1:17 - AMP).

Wisdom has built her house on seven pillars, and a well-rounded life in Christ comes from embracing each of them.

1. Walk in the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (2 Peter 1:2; Philippians 3:3-10). It’s not enough to just know about God…you have to make the effort to get to know Him, and that comes from spending time with Him, communicating with Him on a regular basis, and experiencing a continual manifestation of His presence. God wants to be known, and you can know Him!

2. Walk in the KNOWLEDGE OF HIS PLANS AND PURPOSES. He made his ACTS known to the children of Israel, but He made His WAYS known to Moses (Psalm 103:7). Learning the ways of God is far superior to simply being aware of His acts!

3. Walk in the KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCRIPTURES. Study to show yourself approved unto God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed of his ignorance. Learn to rightly divide the logos Word so that you are able to receive the rhema word (2 Timothy 2:15). Wisdom is found in the written Word!

4. Walk in the KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE—the kind that only comes by experience—by learning through trial and error…from your own mistakes…and by graduating maturely and soberly from the school of hard knocks. Jesus LEARNED obedience through the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8)…Paul LEARNED how to be abased and how to abound (Philippians 4:11). Each new day is a learning opportunity if you know how to look at it correctly!

5. Seek to grasp a KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLE so that you can deal wisely with them. (“But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all men...He Himself knew what was in human nature [He could read men’s hearts].” – John 2:24, 25 AMP). Be wise as a serpent/harmless as a dove…be people-smart!

6. Embrace the KNOWLEDGE OF SELF—the truth that God desires in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6). Find your true self in the revelation of Christ…the more you know Him, the more you’ll know you!

7. Love PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE—to be, like Moses, “mighty in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22). Remember that knowledge is power!


Bishop Jim Swilley
Bishop Jim Swilley is the founder and senior pastor of Church In The Now, located in Conyers, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. For more information about Bishop Swilley, visit www.churchinthenow.org or his personal blog at www.bloginthenow.blogspot.com.

*Bishop Swilley is a 2009 StreamingFaith.com Guest Columnist.