Welcome to Daily Devotion at The Heavenly Haven

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to go through the day wearing yesterday's dirty clothes? It feels as though you're breaking some sort of clothing law - not a great feeling. The New Testament speaks of putting away the old self and putting on the new. In the original language, it speaks in terms of clothing. It's natural to see your old self as your true identity. The key is to see it in a new way - as clothes - not who you are, but simply what you have worn - no longer you - and not just clothes, but old clothes. If you're born again, you're no longer that old person. It's simply a case of wearing yesterday clothes. The Bible says you are now a beloved child. It's a new day of new beginnings, salvations, and miracles. You just forgot to take off yesterday's clothes. That person you used to be isn't you anymore. It's just a set of old dirty clothes. So by faith and in God's Spirit, start taking off those old clothes today. It's never a good thing to wear yesterday's clothes.

The story is told of a man with two pockets. One pocket has a hole that he never repairs. The other pocket has no holes, and if a hole develops, he gets it sown up immediately. Throughout the day, whenever he experiences something negative, he puts it in the pocket with a hole. But every good thing he experiences, he places in the pocket without the hole. Every evening, he empties out his pocket and all he has are blessings. Too many of us put all the good in our lives in the pocket with holes. We take them for granted, forget them, and don't treasure them. Yet, all the negative things we deal with- our problems, frustrations, and worries- we place in the pocket with no holes. Then at the end of the day, we empty our pockets and find all sorts of problems and no blessings. Learn to let go of all the bad and hold fast to all the good so that, at the end of the day and the end of your life, you'll find yourself with no worries- just a pocket full of blessings.

My great uncle Jack was losing his memory. During our conversation at a family gathering, he said to me, "Who are you?" I replied, "Your nephew. You don't know me?" He said, "No." I felt a bit discouraged. But then he turned to me and said, "It's alright. I don't have to remember you. I like you anyway. You're a good person." There was no memory, but there was love. So it is with God. He knows everything, but in Isaiah 43:25 He says, "I will not remember your sins." When it comes to our sins covered by Messiah's blood, God has chosen to have a poor memory. God is perfect. Therefore part of being perfected is developing a poor memory for sin. When it comes to what others did to you, or your past sins, be perfect as God is perfect. If He forgets your past sins, then by His grace do the same. Forget the sins of others and your own as well. Blessings, freedom, and joy are waiting to come into your life. It all begins when you start developing a lousy memory.

An imprisoned Christian in communist Bulgaria was put into a tiny cell with nails inside that pressed into him at the slightest movement. When his captors closed the door, he prayed, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." The warden, not knowing what he meant, ordered the door opened and asked the prisoner. When the commanding officer returned, he found the prisoner and the warden kneeling before God in worship. The warden turned to the officer and said "I'm no longer under your orders. I belong to the Messiah." He too was put in prison. Whatever you're going through, chances are it's not worse than being tortured in a cell covered with nails in a communist prison. Yet this believer managed to love and pray for his enemies. The result was his enemy was saved. Messiah tells you to forgive your trespassers, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. Start forgiving, praying, and blessing them with an act of love. Because the love and grace of God in Messiah is the strongest force on earth that turns even the worst of your problems into victory.

Shalom, to you my Friend and Co-Minister in the Great Commission...   Many Christians believe that if they can elect the right people, place into position the right Supreme Court justices, pass the right laws, they can save America. We should, by all means, vote and do all we can to impact our government. I am the first to encourage that. But that alone won't save America. Though politics play an important part, America's problem is not ultimately political. It is not ultimately economic, and not even ultimately cultural.   America's problem is ultimately spiritual - and so only a spiritual answer can solve it. If we change laws but not hearts, then the unchanged hearts will, in time, change back the laws. We should seek to change unrighteous laws, but if we don't change hearts, we will lose everything in the end. The overturning of Roe V. Wade was momentous and by the hand of God. But without the overturning of hearts, people will seek abortion, if not one way, then another, if not in one state, then another, until they can overturn the overturning itself. A recent poll found that 66% of Americans oppose the total overturning of Roe V. Wade with 29% in favor. How long can that be sustained if hearts don't change.   According to another recent poll, the percentage of Americans who want to overturn the legalizing of gay marriage is 28%. The percentage in favor of legalized gay marriage was found to be around 70%. As for the more conservative, as in Republicans, the percentage was somewhere around 50%. Among young Americans, the percentage is even higher than 70%, but then about 1-in-5 to 1-in-4 young Americans now consider themselves LGBT in one form or another. With regard to America's future, it is that last percentage, that of the young, that will prove the most important. We must face the fact that we are living in a nation in a state of apostasy.   In the years 2016 to 2020, the American government was led by a Republican and conservative administration. And there were many accomplishments that conservatives and Christians could boast in - executive orders issued on behalf of life and religious liberty, the appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices, the Jerusalem Declaration, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Abrahamic Accords, the recognition of Israel's sovereignty in the Golan Heights, and more. But at the same time, America's spiritual, moral, and cultural decline, apostasy, and fall, did not stop. If anything the indoctrination of its children in the classroom, online, and in mass media, into the ways of immorality and godlessness only increased. If we don't change those things, we will not change America's trajectory - or its fall.   Electing a more godly or moral administration will not matter in the end, if there is no changing of hearts, no turning back to God, no revival. On the other hand, electing an ungodly or immoral administration will not matter in the end, even if we do change hearts, if the nation does turn back to God, and if true revival does come to America.   This month, let us now vote with our prayers, and fervently plead with God for revival. It is that only that can save this nation. And May God greatly bless you this month as you do!Your brother and co-laborerin His love and service,Jonathan

Have you ever seen a bowl of fruit that looks delicious only to find out that it's wax? Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." The problem is many believers choose to have wax fruit instead of real fruit. They act loving, good, kind, and joyful instead of actually being these things. So, too, we often try to manufacture love instead of letting love grow. We try to fashion a life of goodness from the outside in by doing good things, instead of the inside-out of the Spirit. We end up with a life of wax fruits of the Spirit. But the fruits of the Spirit are real fruit, not wax. Don't act fruitful; instead, learn to become fruitful. Don't act beautiful - become beautiful. Live your life for Him from the inside out. Learn the secrets of growing the fruit of His Spirit from the inside of your heart out and life will become sweet. Everything else is just wax fruit.

In September of 1941, a geomagnetic storm caused private telephone conversations to jump lines and be aired on live radio. The broadcasters were unable to stop it. Without the people's knowledge, their intimate words aired on the radio for all to hear. Messiah said that whatever's spoken in the darkness shall be heard in the light. He also said that we will give account for our words. So, whatever you've said, not just in one conversation on the phone, but even those things you've whispered in secret when nobody else was around, will be heard. It won't be just proclaimed on a radio station but in the courts of heaven in the light of judgment. So here's a good rule: don't say anything in secret you wouldn't want repeated in the light of judgment and eternity. Avoid gossip as you would the plague. Whenever something is questionable, remember the magnetic storm trick. More than that, remember eternity and the Day of Judgment. If it wouldn't sound good broadcast coast to coast on national radio, then it doesn't sound good for you in the sight of heaven.

The children of Israel were not only called to stand for God, but also against the gods of the surrounding nations. The first believers in the Book of Acts were called, not only to stand for Messiah, but also to stand against the gods of the ancient world. If you're a follower of Messiah and a child of Israel in the Spirit, it isn't enough to simply stand for God - you must stand against the gods as well. Maybe you didn't know that you were born into a world filled with gods, but you are. The people of this age serve the gods of money, greed, status, materialism, carnality, lust, alcohol, drugs, socialism, music, pornography, abortion, the entertainment industry, political correctness, and a whole pantheon of other gods. You can't stay on the fence or you'll be swept away. You have to be strong and take your stand against them. Take your stand like Moses against the gods of Egypt, Elijah against the prophets of Baal, and Daniel in the courts of Babylon. Be strong, be pure, be immovable, and take your stand against the gods.

A young preacher in England who had a heart for the poor and unsaved was offered a preaching position in a local Methodist church. His health was very poor and his doctor advised against it, but he decided to glorify God in his weakness and trust the Lord to do the rest. His name was William Booth. He not only became a local preacher, but also founded the Salvation Army and oversaw its spread around the world. General William Booth lived to 83 and never stopped ministering in strenuous labor among London's poorest. He became renowned as one of the greatest saints of history. If you are to serve the Lord, you will have obstacles and discouragements and voices telling you that you can't do it. Don't ever accept discouragement from serving the Lord or doing great things for His kingdom. There's always a way to glorify God and have victory. The world will tell you that you can't do it, but Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me." So believe God, reject discouragement, and do mighty things. For with God, nothing is impossible.

In Israel, there's a place called the House of Caiaphas. There, you can see ancient measures and standards of weights. In Bible times, Israel used weights and measures to determine price and value. They had to be geared to the Temple or Sanctuary standard. Whether at home, the market place, or work, they had to all be the same. Your life also needs a sanctuary standard. In the sanctuary, in the house of God, you praise the Lord, you're patient, loving, and compassionate towards the brethren, holy and pure, entering into worship. But if, when you leave the sanctuary, you're no longer as holy, pure, and loving, then you're living by a double standard. The way you are in the sanctuary is the way you need to be outside the sanctuary. If you praise God in the sanctuary, praise Him at home. If you're loving and patient with people in the sanctuary, be the same way at home and out in the world. Get every part of your life in line with the sanctuary standard and your life will be a life of His holiness worthy of God's Temple.

Isaiah 7:9 in the KJV reads, "If you will not believe surely you shall not be established." The NASB reads "If you will not believe, you surely shall not last." But the NIV hints at something special going on in Hebrew. It reads "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." If you read the Hebrew you find a play on words: "Lo taaminu ki lo teamenu" or "If you will not believe, you will not be established." You see, in Hebrew there's no difference between trusting and being strong in God. The truth is, your walk is only as sure as your faith. Your spirituality is only as steadfast as your belief. Your life is only as strong as your conviction. You don't become strong by trying to be strong, you become strong by strongly believing. So choose to trust God with all your heart, because if you don't stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Stand firm in your faith and you will stand strong in all.

Why did God make you? God made the sun to give light. And He made you to give the light of the Gospel to those in need. God made the rivers to give life. And He made your heart to flow in the river of His Spirit to give life to those around you. He made the trees to give fruit. And He made you to bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, and peace. God made seed to be sown in the ground and reproduce. And God made you to die to self and to bear a beautiful life. He made flowers to give perfume and He made you to bring forth the sweet fragrance of Messiah. God made your life for one purpose: to give love. God made you to love. If you want to be fulfilled and overflow with joy, then give - love, light, hope, peace, a helping hand, the Gospel, and forgiveness. Every part of you is made to give: your heart, your hands, your mind, and your will. Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down, overflowing. Love, because it's the reason the universe exists, and you too.