How would you react if you learned that the Queen of England were coming to visit your home? Would you clean, paint, and prepare carefully? Or would you let the trash accumulate until the house smelled like a landfill? Even if we are not British, most of us would feel honored to have a visit from royalty, and we would want to be seen at our best.

Within the church, there is (or should be) a real sense that all are royals. We don't use titles like queen, count, prince, or duchess, but we are part of God's chosen, royal nation. Do we act like royalty in the best sense of the word? Do we treat fellow Christians as if they are princes and princesses? Most of all, do we honor King Jesus in all we do? Are we His obedient servants?

The apostle Peter was a Jew, and he grew up with the rich heritage of his people. One of the things that distinguished the Jews from other nations in the ancient world was their awareness of being a chosen people, a nation set apart by God for His purposes. The Jews were to be a holy nation, dedicated to serving God. This role of being the holy people of God was continued in the church by its early leaders-leaders such as Peter. May we honor this role in the year 2010 and beyond as we work toward the unity of believers as a holy, royal nation for Jesus.

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and . . . to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (LUKE 4 : 18-19)

Jesus not only testified to be the Son of God, but He attested that the source of His anointing was from God. Here He gives the purpose of His earthly ministry:

• to preach the gospel to the destitute and afflicted;
• to those whose spirits have been crushed by the world;
• to heal the oppressed;
• to open the spiritual eyes of those blinded by Satan;
• and to declare that today is the day of freedom.

If you are in the kingdom and filled with His Spirit, you are also anointed for this same purpose. The anointing is given to meet the needs of others. Step out in faith to minister to the hurting in your family, your neighborhood and your city. JESUS, OPEN MY EYES TO SEE THE DESTITUTE, AFFLICTED, BROKENHEARTED, OPPRESSED, SICK, AND BLIND PEOPLE AROUND ME. ANOINT ME TO SET THEM FREE WITH THE GOOD NEWS.

If you don't have peace and joy right now where you are in your life, understand that getting more things will not give you contentment. Instead, you need to seek God, because He is the source of true contentment. Then, once you have established God as the source of your contentment, you can be content in any and every situation.

Love -- true love - can come only from God, for he is the only source of unconditional love. As followers of Christ, we are instructed to let God's love flow through us.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34).

Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. (PSALM 10:17)

Great revelation doesn't come without preparation. You cannot plant an acorn in concrete and expect to grow a majestic oak tree. In the same way, you cannot expect great revelation until you have prepared your heart to receive it. The soil of your heart must be prepared to receive the seed of God's Word. Your heart's soil is prepared by repentance, prayer, study of the Word, worship, and seeking God's face.

Revelations are released for specific needs at certain times. The Reformation was based on one simple truth: "The just shall live by faith." God chose the '40s, '50s and '60s of the last century to say, "I am still your healer." God's revelation for our generation is a truth that has been abused, ridiculed and misunderstood: Our God is a God of abundance.

His abundance was not placed on earth to satisfy our fleshly desires, but rather, to establish His kingdom. Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you into a lifestyle of abundant living, kingdom living.

JESUS, I PRAISE YOU FOR THE ABUNDANT LIFE YOU ARE GIVING ME. I DESIRE TO HEAR YOUR VOICE AND SEEK YOUR FACE. AMEN.

They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son . . . Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom. (1 THESSALONIANS 1:10 TMB)

The Greek word amaneno translated "await" here is still used in the Greek language today to stress the eagerness of the waiting as well as the readiness of those who are waiting. Paul commended the Thessalonians for their faithful service as they waited for the Lord's return.

Like the Thessalonians, we too are to be ready when Christ returns for the church. How? Through service--our labor of love. We are admonished in Romans 10:12 to "prefer one another" and again in Hebrews 10:24 to "consider one another." The writers were telling us not to be so wrapped up in ourselves and what we are doing, that we have not time to lend a hand to those in need.

Give yourself wholeheartedly in service to God and his people, and you will be ready for the Lord's return. Don't wait to be served before you serve others. Give without expectation of return. God will reward you and take care of your needs.

JESUS, TEACH ME TO SERVE OTHERS THE WAY YOU SERVED. I DESIRE TO BE OUR SERVANT AND TO PREFER OTHERS OVER MYSELF. AMEN.

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (JOHN 9:5) Jesus said, "While I have been here, the kingdom has been here, and light has been shining in darkness. I'm leaving soon, but don't worry. I'm going to light candlesticks that will shine into the darkness, decadence and degradation. Even though darkness presses in around them, it cannot extinguish their light."

You say, "I don't have a dollar to change." What an opportunity for your light to shine! The doctors say you will not live much longer. What an opportunity to burn brightly! "I lost my job." What an opportunity! When things are darkest in your life, you have the opportunity to shine the most brightly for Jesus. Refuse to give your attention to the dark area in your life. Look to the Light--Jesus Christ--who dispels all darkness and lights your life as a powerful witness for Him.

LORD JESUS, YOU HAVE MADE ME A CANDLE TO LIGHT THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. HELP ME TO EMBRACE THE NIGHTFALL SO I CAN SHINE THROUGH THE DARKNESS, SHEDDING YOUR LIGHT IN THE HEARTS OF THE LOST AND DRAWING THEM INTO THE BRIGHTNESS OF YOUR PRESENCE. AMEN.

Everyone wants to enjoy life. Many people place the source of their joy in what they own, in their reputation, in their status, or in other worldly things. Yet, all of those things are unstable and can easily evaporate, taking joy with them. In the end, we will depart this world just as we entered it-with nothing (Ecclesiastes 5:15). So, although all of these sensual pleasures may provide short-term happiness, they clearly fail to provide genuine, lasting joy (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). On the other hand, true joy is offered in Christ.

In John 10:10, Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Living life to the full includes living it overflowing with joy. It's no wonder that the psalmist wrote, you will fill me with joy in your presence (Psalm 16:11). And You have filled my heart with greater joy ... (Psalm 4:7). In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus quoted the first few verses of Isaiah 61 and applied it to Himself.

In Isaiah 61:3, that quote continues by saying that he (in this case, Jesus) came to provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. One of the side effects of Jesus coming to Earth was that we could have lasting joy. Indeed, the gladness and joy that so many people so desperately want can be found only in Jesus.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed. (Amos 9:13) Do you see it? The sower will overtake the reaper. God's promised harvest is that sowing and reaping will happen at the same time. Souls and abundance to the saints is coming quicker than we can preach, or sow. Time is caught up in an accelerated process. "Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, here I am" (Isaiah 58:9a). Notice the immediacy of God's response.

The closer we get to the end of the age and the imminent return of Jesus, the shorter time becomes. The time is coming when seed time and harvest will be the same time.

Not only will we reap what we sow suddenly, but God will also multiply the sowers' seed. "Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruit of your righteousness" (2 Corinthians 9:10). That means that whenever we sow seed, God comes behind us and sows more. He brings such multiplication and increase to our sowing that before our seed can hit the ground, we are reaping a harvest.

LORD, THANK YOU FOR THE HARVEST. EQUIP ME BOTH TO SOW AND TO REAP AND TO EXPECT ALWAYS YOUR ABUNDANT HARVEST. AMEN.

And thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches. . . And the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. (Exodus 26:33) The Ark of the Covenant was also called the ark of the presence, for the presence of God was with it. God instructed Moses to keep the Ark of the Covenant in a room separated from the people.

Those who do not partake of the new covenant do not understand the character of God. They may even believe he is cruel and unyielding, indifferent and unconcerned. But a veil of sin separates them from God.

Under the new covenant, the veil has been torn, and God's presence is fully available to us (Matthew 27:51). The veil of sin has been removed by Christ so that we are liberated from sin and changed from glory to glory. "Since this new covenant gives us such confidence, we can be very bold . . . But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away" (2 Corinthians 3:12, 16 NLT).

No one who receives the blood of Jesus is shut out. As a born-again child of God, he will never turn you away. Come boldly before him today, through the precious blood of Jesus, and make your needs known to him!

JESUS, THANK YOU FOR REMOVING THE VEIL FROM MY EYES AND EMPOWERING ME TO LIVE IN YOUR GRACE AND PRESENCE. THROUGH YOUR BLOOD, I BOLDLY APPROACH THE FATHER AND DESIRE TO BE CHANGED IN HIS PRESENCE. AMEN.

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Reverend W. Howard Burton, Sr. Pastor & Founder
".....upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" - Matthew 16:18