January 12 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 26:17-35
• Genesis 27
• Matthew 9:1-17
• Psalms 10:16-18
• Proverbs 3:9-10

When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me too!” he begged. – Genesis 27:34

Why all this drama over a father’s blessing? Jacob works to deceive his father in order to steal his brother’s blessing. Esau breaks down in tears because he didn’t get the blessing. Why? They knew something that in our modern culture we don’t get – the blessing has supernatural power to it!

This is your year to walk in the secret power of the blessing! The blessing given from God to Abraham, then to Isaac, and then to Jacob, is now to you through God’s Son, Jesus Christ! The Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, said, “So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith” (Galatians 3:9). In today’s Bible reading, we see this blessing being passed from Isaac to Jacob.

Isaac blessed Jacob and said… “From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed.” – Genesis 27:27-29

Isaac blessed Jacob with three things:

1. Plenty – “May God always give abundant harvests.” This implied the highest flow of prosperity! It’s a picture of Heaven and Earth coming together to make Isaac rich.

2. Power – “May you be the master over your brothers.” Through Jesus Christ, you have the blessing of supernatural power in which to walk. Acts 1:8 tells us the words of Jesus, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”

3. Prevailing – “All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed.” No matter what people do to you this year—blessings or cursings—you win! You are an overcomer in Christ Jesus!

I decree a blessing over you, my brother and my sister. May 2017 be a year filled with plenty for you. May you find yourself blessed this year so that you can be a blessing to others! May you walk in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit this year. May you thrive through everything that comes your way this year! I speak this as a blessing over you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 11 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 24:52-67
• Genesis 25
• Genesis 26:1-16
• Matthew 8:18-34
• Psalms 10:1-15
• Proverbs 3:7-8

This Christmas, we had the chance to be part of something amazing at Mount Hope Church. We were able to give away 500 gifts to members of our own church family as well as some amazing people in our community! It was the response of the people that stood out to me the most. From the kids at St. Vincent’s Home for Children to some dear couples that we were able to surprise… from tears of joy, the eyes of children getting an extra sparkle, to the smiles… I’m so thankful for the generous church family that I get to be part of.

While the people were various ages and at different places in life, they all had one thing in common: they responded. The Lord’s amazing grace—when it is gazed upon, when it is experienced firsthand—will always bring about a response. In today’s Bible reading, we see three great ways for us to respond to the Lord:

Worship.

When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD (Genesis 24:52). I love that the first thing this amazing man did, who knew his prayers had been answered, was to bow down to the ground and worship! Before he moved forward with the planned gifts he brought for Rebekah, he first gave thanks to God! The first always goes to God – the first ‘thank you,’ the first place we put our trust, and the first 10% of our income. Remember, Jesus said to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God. Why not make it your goal to have worship be your first response to news this year – from good news to bad news? He’s always worthy!

Obey.

We read today that in response to God’s command, Isaac stayed in Gerar (Genesis 26:6).  It seems insignificant, but this simple act of obedience opened up the door to God’s blessing on Isaac. Because Isaac trusted God, not his own understanding; because he followed God’s leading, even though it may not have made any sense to him, look what happened. When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him (Genesis 26:12). Your seemingly small acts of obedience can open the door for big blessings from the Lord.

Have faith.

The disciples, just like us at times, faced a surprise storm. How did they respond? They woke up Jesus, shouting at Him. I think it’s safe to say that it’s a bad idea to wake up anyone by shouting! But it’s not the rude awakening that Jesus had a problem with; it was their lack of faith. “The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:25-26). Jesus had told them that they were going over to the other side of the lake. But when the disciples saw the storm they said, “We are going to drown!” When it looks like you are sinking… when it looks like things aren’t working out very well… respond to God not with what you see, but with what He said!

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 10 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 23; 24:1-51
• Matthew 8:1-17
• Psalms 9:13-20
• Proverbs 3:1-6

Years ago while lying on a beach in Florida, I noticed a guy walking around with a metal detector. Now and then he would stop and pick up something or dig something up. I thought it was the strangest thing on the planet. Why would you waste time looking for people’s leftover stuff, when you have the beauty of the beach and ocean right in front of you? But that random guy did remind me of something extremely important – the one who seeks is the one who finds!

In 1989, an Australian man found a 12-inch-long gold nugget shaped like a boot. They named it “Boot of Cortez” after the famous Spanish explorer. It sold at an auction in 2008 for over $1.5 million! I’m guessing he understood something we all need to understand – seeking is the key to finding.

Today in our scripture reading, we see an example of three people that discovered the secret power of seeking God and the blessings that followed. Those are the same blessings available for you today. They teach us to:

Seek God for favor in our day-to-day dealings.

Abraham’s servant, after a long trip to get a wife for Isaac, stopped to seek the Lord when he said, “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success today…” (Genesis 24:12). And before he even finished praying, he saw the answer coming! Ask God for success and favor for every task you have today.

Seek God with great faith.

Jesus was amazed at the faith he saw in a Roman officer who came to Him for a miracle. His young servant was in bed paralyzed and in terrible pain. Jesus said, “I’ll come and heal him.” That’s when the officer, full of faith said, “Just say the word from where you are and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:6-8). And sure enough, Jesus gave the word, and healing came! When you are seeking God, add faith to the mix!

Seek God when you need direction.

Do you have an important decision to make? Are you at a crossroads and simply need to know what path to take? No problem – seek God and He’ll tell you clearly what path to take. This is the promise for all who seek Him. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 9 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 20-22
• Matthew 7:15-29
• Psalms 9:1-12
• Proverbs 2:16-22

The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. – Genesis 21:1-2

At just the right time, William Autrey leaped down from a New York subway station onto the train tracks. With a train heading toward him, he moved a man—who had fallen onto the tracks while having a seizure—into the middle of the tracks and laid over him. The train drove right over the top of them… but they were safe! William was not too early and he wasn’t too late… he was right on time!

So today, we see God keeping His promise to Abraham and Sarah at just the time God had planned. God is always punctual for the time He sets. He shows up at just the right time! The answer may not come at the time we set… but it will always come at the time He sets! It’s what you and I do between the time that God gives the promise and the set time that He fulfills the promise that really matters!

Here are a couple helps for you as you are waiting for God’s “just the right time” for your promise to become a reality!

Remember what He has told you!

We see God lovingly reminding Abraham that He had not forgotten His covenant promise to him. The Lord has graciously reminded me of what He has promised for Mount Hope Church and Renee and me personally. But I also love to remind myself and go over those words the Lord has spoken to my heart by the Holy Spirit and His written Word! Take time to go over the prophetic words God has spoken over your life.

Be more concerned with what you are becoming.

Abraham waited years for the promise from God to become a reality, but during that time he was becoming a man of faith. Someone put it so well when they said, “You don’t make great men of faith overnight. It takes years of God’s work in them, years of almost mundane trusting in God.” Know that during this current season, God is focused on what you are becoming!

Ask God to open your eyes and give you a glimpse of your future.

Today in Genesis 21:15-20, we see that God opened up Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well of water she had not seen before. May the Lord open your eyes to see what you had not seen before—your great future in Him! I pray you activate your eyes of faith to see the well God has provided for you.

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 8 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 18:16-33
• Genesis 19
• Matthew 6:25-34
• Matthew 7:1-14
• Psalms 8:1-9
• Proverbs 2:6-15

The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. When the Lord finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way… Genesis 18:22, 33

I love the picture of God remaining with Abraham. Why? There was a conversation He wanted to have with Abraham. Can you see God and Abraham sitting down over a cup of coffee, having a conversation? Did you know that God wants to have a conversation with you? It’s true! There are some specific things about your day that God wants to talk to you about. There are some things about your future that God wants to talk with you about. Here are a couple keys to making the most of your conversations with God.

Seek the Lord… continually!

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him (Psalm 105:4). The word “seek” means to beat down a path into His presence every day… continually! The secret place was never meant for occasional visits. You and I were meant to press into God’s presence and live our whole lives there.

Be Persistent.

Jesus said to keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7). As a young boy with a paper route, I learned the value of being persistent and not giving up every Friday when it was collection day. It didn’t take long to figure out that people didn’t want to pay their bill, but if I kept knocking, eventually they would come to the door. When it comes to prayer, the Lord invites you and me to have an attitude that refuses to give up.

Ask.

I know that sounds so simple. Yes, God knows everything. He knows what you need, but we are expected to ask. Here is a secret I have learned when having conversations with God – communicate with God as your heavenly Father. See Him as the great Dad that He is. Talk to Him that way. Listen to Him that way. Obey Him that way! Jesus said, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11).

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 7 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 16-18:1-15
• Matthew 6:1-24
• Psalms 7:1-17
• Proverbs 2:1-5

Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” – Genesis 16:13

In today’s scripture reading, we find Hagar who probably felt like she was invisible to the Lord. She found herself in a mess, treated unfairly, thrown into the middle of something she didn’t ask for. Have you ever felt like God must not see you? That for some reason He is not seeing your hurt or difficulty? If so, you are not alone. Hagar felt like God did not see her, but the truth is God saw her, knew what was going on, and knew what she didn’t know – she was pregnant with a son.

The truth is God sees you, too. He is aware of what you are going through. He knows what you don’t know—the dream you are pregnant with. And he knows what’s in store for your future. You see today… He sees your tomorrow. Be encouraged, my friend, God sees you! What happens when you begin to know God as the One who sees you?

You know that when you pray to your Father in private, He rewards you openly!

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you (Matthew 6:6)! Speaking of fasting, Jesus said, “And your Father who sees everything will reward you” (Matthew 6:18).

You know that God sees and knows exactly what you need.

Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8).

You know you walk in divine protection with God as your shield.

It doesn’t matter what injustice is thrown at you. God is watching and He is a shield to those whose hearts are true and right (Psalm 7:9-10).

I pray for you, my friend, that you, too, will know God as the One who sees you, the Father who looks at you with affection and determination in His eyes.

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 6 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 13:5-18; 14-15
• Matthew 5:27-48
• Psalms 6:1-10
• Proverbs 1:29-33

Martin Luther said, “Scripture is the manger in which Christ lies. As a mother goes to a cradle to find her baby, so the Christian goes to the Bible to find Jesus!”

Every day as we read God’s Word, we are discovering treasures… and the greatest treasure is Jesus Himself! The other day I was asked, “What’s the most important word in the Bible?” It’s hard to pick one word, so here are my top three that we discover in our Bible reading today.

NEAR

It’s who you are near that can make or break you. That was Lot’s story. Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain (Genesis 13:12-13), and it cost him his wife. Who are you placing yourself near? Who you surround yourself with makes a huge impact on your entire life and future. I want to encourage you to make a decision to draw near to God this year. Like Noah, let’s choose to walk in close fellowship with God.

BELIEVE

We read today that Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith (Genesis 15:6). Jesus said some amazing things about the power of believing:

• Because you believed, it has happened (Matthew 8:13).
• Anything is possible if a person believes (Mark 9:23).
• This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one He has sent (John 6:29).

Martin Luther said, “Faith is the ‘yes’ of the heart.” Faith says “yes” to everything God says. If God says it, faith says, “I believe it!” You cannot even be saved without believing.

LISTEN

But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm (Proverbs 1:33). “Listen” implies obedience. The child that is not listening to their parents is the child that is not obeying them. So here is the secret – listen and obey! Did you hear what was promised for the person who would listen? They will live in peace—they will be untroubled! Hey, in a world that is full of troubled people, to be untroubled sounds pretty good!

I pray today for you, my friend, that 2017 will be a year of you being near the heart of God. I pray that you walk in a new realm of blessing—because you dared to believe! And I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you ears to hear His voice… that your life this year would be ever listening.

Love ya,

Pastor Kevin

January 5 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 11 – 13:1-4
• Matthew 5:1-26
• Psalms 5:1-12
• Proverbs 1:24-28

He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Genesis 11:31

There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. Genesis 12:8

One of the first things we learn about Abraham is that when he was traveling with his father to the land of Canaan, they stopped at Haran and settled there. This may seem insignificant, but it’s never a small thing to settle. Why settle for less than God’s best for your life?

Is there an area of your life where you have stopped and settled? Maybe you have settled for an ordinary life when God’s best is an extraordinary life. Or perhaps you have settled for a distant, lame relationship with God when you could have a relationship that is supernatural and full of life.

Too many people settle for less than what God has called them to live. They settle for a life filled with business, things, noise, activity… when the Lord calls us to a life of worship. As we read about this great father of our faith, Abraham, there’s one thing you can’t miss – he was a worshiper. You’ll read about his conversations with God, about building altars of worship, about his thankfulness.

True worship is an outward expression of the inward reality of your love for God. I pray that during our 21 days of prayer and fasting this month, the inward reality of your love for God becomes an outward expression of a lifetime of worship!

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 4 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 8-10
• Matthew 4:12-25
• Psalms 4:1-8
• Proverbs 1:20-23

This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone. Genesis 8:11

After over eight months in the ark, Noah sent out a dove to see if it could find a place to land. He wanted to know if his long time in the ark was about over. Is there something you’ve been going through that you would like to be over? All you need to see is a small olive branch.

When Pastor Billy Burke was at Mount Hope Church, he taught from this passage of scripture and pointed out the fact that when Noah saw the olive leaf in the bird’s beak, then he knew! He didn’t have to see the dry ground. He didn’t have to see an absence of water. All he needed was to see the olive leaf, and at that moment he knew the promise was on its way! He knew that what God had promised was about to arrive!

What has the Lord promised you? Healing in your body? Provision for your family? Here’s the bigger question: can you see an olive branch? You don’t have to see the entire answer fulfilled to have hope. All you have to do is see something small and you can take that as an olive branch! Then just as Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone, you can know that the season you have been going through is almost gone!

Father, I pray that you will allow my friend to see an olive branch. Show them something small that will let them know that something big and good is coming their way soon!

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin