March 2 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Leviticus 25:47-55
• Leviticus 26
• Leviticus 27:1-13
• Mark 10:32-52
• Psalm 45:1-17
• Proverbs 10:22

“They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear.” – Mark 10:32

Why would the disciples be filled with awe? Why were others overwhelmed with fear? I mean, this is Jesus we are talking about! Most people were filled with hope when Jesus was walking by, but this day was different. Jesus was walking into Jerusalem—the place where the religious leaders wanted to kill Him. He knew it… the disciples knew it. They were in awe because of the amazing courage Jesus displayed. He wasn’t walking behind them to hide. Instead, He was walking ahead of them, right toward the cross!

Here’s the thing—that same courageous Jesus lives inside you! In the face of everything that is overwhelming to you, during times of deep discouragement when it feels like everything and everyone is against you, TAKE COURAGE! Rise up, lift up your head! Fix your eyes on what lies before you. Do not be sidetracked by the challenges that lie in front of you. Press into the presence of the Lord. He is a warrior, and it’s in these moments that He wants to rise up on the inside of you with a bold courage.

Renee and I were talking last night about how a mother bear, when provoked, comes out fighting. When it comes to protecting her own, she is willing to fight, even if it means her own life. Something happens when we need to protect our children… when we feel pushed into a corner. We tap into a strength that we didn’t think we had. We become fearless, courageous… it’s the very nature of God inside of us! Moses declared:

“The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!” – Exodus 15:3

Jesus had courage to walk toward His death because He knew it was not going to be the end of the story! He knew that three days later, there would be a resurrection; it would be the beginning of a new and better covenant. Take courage, my friend – it’s not the end of the story for you. It’s the beginning of something brand new!

Blessings!

Your Pastor and Friend,

Kevin Berry

March 1 – Today’s reading from The One Year Bible:

• Leviticus 24
• Leviticus 25:1-46
• Mark 10:13-31
• Psalm 44:9-26
• Proverbs 10:20-21

“Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” —Jesus  – Mark 10:21

Hey, thanks for reading through the Bible with me this year and joining me in fasting and prayer the first three days of every month!

In our Bible reading today, we learn about the unusual “altar call” that Jesus gave. This man ran up to Jesus, wanting to inherit eternal life. He said, “What must I do?” Jesus did not tell the man to close his eyes or raise his hand. There would be no simple prayer for him to repeat after Jesus. Instead, Jesus said, “Go sell everything you have and give it to the poor! Then come, follow me.” At that, the man went away sad! It’s a sad story… his possessions actually possessed him.

In his mind, he did everything right… he had obeyed all the laws. But Jesus was more concerned with his heart than his deeds. So Jesus got to the heart of the issue with the man—money! Even though he was promised treasures in Heaven, his heart could not give up the treasures he had on Earth! He was so close to the realm of the Kingdom, but could not give up his attachment to the things of this realm. Bill Johnson put it well when he said, “You will always represent the realm you are most aware of.”

I pray for you, that during this time of fasting and prayer, God will cause your heart to be more aware of the realm of the Kingdom. That you would be more concerned about your treasures in Heaven than the possessions you have on Earth. That God would give you wisdom to be a good steward of the finances He has entrusted you with.

Later this month, our dear friends, Michael and Ramona Woods will be joining us on Sunday, March 26^th for our morning services. They’ll be back again on Monday evening, March 27^th for a Financial Workshop that I know you will love! They have blessed people around the nation when it comes to the number one challenge for most—money! Hey, money doesn’t have to have a hold on you. Come and receive practical help from experts that will give you tools to advance you by years! Position yourself this year to be blessed so you can be a blessing to others! Simply click below to register so we can save a seat for you!

Blessings!

Your Pastor and Friend,

Kevin Berry

January 21 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 42:18-38
• Genesis 43
• Matthew 13:47-58
• Psalms 18:16-36
• Proverbs 4:7-10

And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.  – Matthew 13:58

“Anything is possible if a person believes.”  – Jesus   – Mark 9:23

Unbelief has been the downfall of many! In today’s Bible reading, we see that Jesus was among some who needed a miracle, who needed a healing, but they refused to believe in Him. Unbelief will keep people from being saved, keep people from miracles, and keep people sick. Unbelief is a silent killer of dreams, hopes, and potential.

As we come to the close of 21 days of prayer and fasting, I want to encourage you! As you have been reading God’s Word every day, hiding the Word as a treasure in your heart, and meditating on the Word throughout the day—faith has come, your faith has grown, and it’s time to release that faith for miracles in your life! Here is the thing about faith, it will always prompt you to do something! It’s an action word.

May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
– 2 Thessalonians 1:11

Faith will prompt you to pray for the sick, to write a kind note to a neighbor, to take some form of action. Faith prompted Abraham to leave his father’s house and believe for the impossible. Faith prompted Moses to stretch his staff over the Red Sea. Faith prompted Joshua to walk around the walls of Jericho. Faith prompted Peter to grab a lame man by the hands and pull him up to his feet; then the miracle happened. There is some action that your faith is calling you to take this year. When you take action in faith—when you dare to believe—that’s when the supernatural happens!

What is it that the Lord has put in your heart? What action step is He asking you to take? Take courage, my friend, anything is possible if a person believes! I dare you to believe God for something so big that it requires supernatural activity in your life this year!

The Lord has taken notice of your fasting and your prayers. Every day and every meal you fasted has been a significant part of pulling you back in the giant slingshot the Lord has you in! Yes, He has strategically positioned you and is preparing you for a launch… it’s time!

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as I share what the Lord has put in my heart this year for Mount Hope Church and for you! I have such a strong sense of urgency and expectation for what is going to happen this Sunday—the first day that the fast is over.  Also, remember, the first three days of every month we’ll be praying and fasting together this year. I look forward to sending you a devotional for each of those days.

Now I bless you in the name of Jesus. I call for this to be a year of encounter for you—a year of greater intimacy with the Lord! I decree this to be a year of expansion, taking territory, a year of bearing much fruit, and a year of rapid growth. I speak this as a blessing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Your Pastor and Friend,

Kevin

January 20 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 41:17-57
• Genesis 42:1-17
• Matthew 13:24-46
• Psalms 18:1-15
• Proverbs 4:1-6

But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. – Psalm 18:6-7

We only have one more day of the 21-day fast! It’s hard to believe how quickly this time has gone by. I want to encourage you that as you have taken time to fast and pray with me during this season, God has been watching! Your prayers, your cries, have reached His ears. This is what we discover in our Bible reading today. Here we see the pattern for prayer. It goes like this: we pray, God hears, and then… the earth quakes! Your prayers are meant to be earth-shaking! Let’s take a closer look at this.

In my distress I cried out to the Lord.

What has been distressing to you? What has been overwhelming to you? A certain amount of stress is good for you. If a guitar string doesn’t have enough stress, it sounds horrible. If it has too much stress, it snaps. And, if you have too much stress, it will eventually turn into distress. When that happens, instead of freaking out, try crying out to God. Pour out your heart to Him, asking Him for help.

My cry has reached His ears!

What gives power to your prayers is the fact that they reach God’s ears. The King of Kings has heard the cry of your heart. He has seen your distress and heard your prayers asking for help. You have an invitation to daily come before God’s throne of grace, and there, receive the mercy, grace, and help you need.

Then the earth quaked and trembled.

Take heart, my friend, the Lord has seen your fasting and has heard your prayers. What comes next is this word – “Then!” Then the Lord does something earth-shaking. Then all of Heaven breaks loose on the earth. And, then God takes what the enemy meant for bad and turns it around for your good. Then suddenly what looked impossible becomes a reality. Then healing collides with your sickness and healing wins every time!

I pray for you, my friend. I pray that you will be filled with hope today. And, I pray that the joy of the Lord fills your heart as you know that your cry has reached His ears. It’s now time for the Lord to come and do all the good things that He has promised to do for you!

Your Pastor and Friend,

Kevin

January 19 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 39
• Genesis 40
• Genesis 41:1-16
• Matthew 12:46-50
• Matthew 13:1-23
• Psalms 17:1-15
• Proverbs 3:33-35

And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.”
“Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.” – Genesis 40:8

I was recently called to jury duty and while sitting in the jury box, the attorney started asking each of us what we did for a living. He wanted to know what business we were involved in, and I was going to be the last one to answer the question. As I sat there, I was thinking about the different answers I could give. I could just say, “I’m a pastor.” But I also could say, “I change people’s lives.” “I heal the sick.” “I save people.” “I’m in the restoration business.” The list goes on and on. I ended up going with, “I’m a pastor.” But the deeper reality is, what I do really depends on what God is doing that day, because His business is my business… and what He does is supernatural!

Joseph understood that. Take a second look at what he said in today’s Bible reading: “Interpreting dreams is God’s business… so go ahead and tell me your dreams.” Wait a minute! He just said that interpreting dreams is God’s business, so why not just leave that to God? Oh, what a wonderful truth we see in God’s Word today. As followers of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, we get to spend our lives doing God’s business! Regardless of what you do to earn an income, every day you have the opportunity to be part of a supernatural business – God’s business! This is what we see in the life of Jesus when He said,

“Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” – Luke 2:49

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.” – John 5:19-20

Will you take time to ask the Lord what He is doing today, and how you can be part of it? Then slow down enough to notice the compassion He puts in your heart, the people He brings to your path—from giving a hug, showing kindness, caring for the poor, filling someone with hope, to healing the sick. Every day of your life this year can be a supernatural adventure when you live like Jesus—doing the Father’s business!

Father, I thank you that in the midst of all the natural things I will do today, you give me a holy invitation to do something supernatural. I don’t want to just be busy today, I want to be busy about your business. Will you share your heart with me today and direct my steps into the supernatural adventure you have for me?

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kev