The biggest barrier to hearing God's current message isn't rebellion. It isn't sin, though that can create static. The biggest barrier is actually something that seems positive: COMFORT WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY THINK YOU KNOW. When you get comfortable with your current understanding, something subtle happens in your spirit. You stop leaning in. You stop asking questions. You stop positioning yourself as a learner. You shift from "God, show me" to "God, confirm what I already believe." See the difference?
After viewing a prophetic painting of The Lion of Judah, the anointing came over me, and I wrote as I conversed with the Savior: Now is the time and the hour for the Lord to pour out His power and through those who are made ready! Yes, I can feel it. Those who are in the third trimester, birth it forth! The breaking of the water, the rushing of the wind, it is coming! To sweep through us like a mighty waterfall busting down the dams and letting the River flow forth!
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 The devil doesn't want you to be strong in the Lord's love for you. Instead, he wants you to question God's love for you. To accomplish this, one of his key strategies is to try to make you think that God is mad at you. God's Word tells us that the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. This means that he cannot just devour anyone. He must look for those whom he can devour.
There's something beautifully disruptive about Thich Nhat Hanh's words: "Every minute can be a holy, sacred minute. Seek the spiritual in every ordinary thing that you do. Sweeping the floor, watering the vegetables, and washing the dishes become holy and sacred if mindfulness is there." In a culture that constantly tells us the sacred lives somewhere else — in a church service, a conference, a mountaintop moment, a viral post — he gently insists that holiness has been hiding in plain sight all along. Not in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary. Not in the applause, but in the attention.
Recently, I heard the Lord say that greater shaking was ahead and that this is a crucial time to possess the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. I came across an article I had written and sensed that it was time to republish it: Fear can be either good or destructive, depending on who—or what—is being feared. We never need to fear the enemy or any circumstance when we are walking within the will of God. However, if we step outside His will, fear becomes a warning signal. God created fear as a protective mechanism to keep humanity from harm. In this sense, fear can serve a redemptive purpose by drawing us back to God and producing obedience.
Leadership is about justice and justice is using that leadership (influence) for the good of others. This has been my leadership methodology for years and it has been tested in the fire! Years ago, I was grieving over being taken advantage of over and over again. I hurt because I was surrounded by takers who were self-absorbed in their own needs and never genuinely caring for me. I would trust their words of loyalty, commitment, and partnership until I was slapped in the face with sudden, heartbreaking betrayals.
Last week I asked you a question. What are you not seeing? Now I want to ask you something harder and that is What are you becoming in order to hide it? I am asking as in my experience of working with humans I have come to understand that the moment we can't see something true about our lives, we start building an illusional version of ourselves that will never have to face it. If you can't see your fear of failure, you become the person who never tries anything new. If you can't see your loneliness, you become the person who stays perpetually busy.
Some teachings don't just inspire us—they recalibrate us. They rewire how we think, how we steward, and how we respond to opportunity. The parable of the talents is one of those teachings. It is not poetic encouragement. It is a Kingdom operating system. A mandate that reveals how Heaven views growth, responsibility, and trust. Jesus does not present stewardship as optional. He presents it as foundational. If we desire Kingdom authority—spiritually, relationally, or financially—we must first understand this truth: increase never precedes responsibility. It follows it.
Steve and I have been in Costa Rica for the last week, relaxing and praying into 2026 and what the Lord has for us. Early this morning, I received an encouraging text message from one of my friends. It felt like a wink from God, confirming one area of my calling. As I've been thinking about my dear friend who sent the text, I've also been thinking about the different gifts we might give our friends. Beyond physical gifts—although those are wonderful—there are other gifts that encourage the soul. They offer a sort of life-support system. They refresh and revive the weary soul.
It has become common knowledge that water is essential to the human body and that the body can survive without water for only about 3 days, sometimes a bit longer, but that is typically the range. In addition to providing blood circulation and temperature regulation, water is also essential for the removal of toxins from the kidneys and the functioning of the brain. Hydration is essential for maintaining physical and mental performance throughout the day, ensuring that bodily systems function efficiently.
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