Let the light break through - we are "earthen vessels" holding the fire of God – the Spirit of God within us. A "breaking" of the outer man is necessary for His inner light to burst through. Victory can come out of brokenness. Our old life of self, often called the "old man", when truly crucified and broken, will give way to the release of the Lord's Spirit of God in our lives. The death of our Lord has broken the power of our self-life since we were crucified with Him. Walking in that awareness brings light and victory. Let the love, joy, peace, and all the fruit of the Spirit breakthrough in your life

"Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a shofar into every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. 

"And he said to them, 'Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: When I blow the shofar, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the shofars on every side of the whole camp, and say, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!"'

"So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the shofars and broke the pitchers that were in their hands." - Judges 7:16-19

When God called Gideon to lead Israel against their enemies, He wanted to show that a small army empowered by God was more effective than the largest armies. 

But notice how they fought – without weapons that an army would normally use. 

They fought with shofars and lamps! 

They fought with weapons that the world would consider ineffective yet, triumphed mightily over their enemies. 

They shouted as loud as they could, sounded the shofar, and broke the vessels that held the fire so that their lamps burst through with brightness.

This breaking of the lamps of clay holds a powerful metaphor for us. 

If we too are "earthen vessels" holding the fire of God – the Spirit of God within us, then a "breaking" of the outer man is necessary for His inner light to burst through. 

Victory can come out of brokenness.

Our old life of self, often called the "old man", when truly crucified and broken, will give way to the release of the Lord's Spirit of God in our lives. 

The death of our Lord has broken the power of our self-life since we were crucified with Him. 

Walking in that awareness brings light and victory.

Let the love, joy, peace, and all the fruit of the Spirit breakthrough in your life. 

Your old life of Self has been and is being broken, as Yeshua's victorious light shines through your earthen vessel this Chanukah season.

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Be Valiant - we must remember that we are part of the Lord's army - and in the Lord's army, we do not depend upon our own strength. We depend upon the power of the Lord, upon the victory that He has already won. the Lord stands eagerly awaits our call. He wants us to walk in His power, not our own. Let's give him our circumstances today and strive to rely on His strength to conquer them. Imagine the countless thousands of saints who have passed away before us. And now sit in heaven's glory where every tear is dried, and every wound is healed

A Fearless Warrior - in this end-time harvest, God is looking for men and women who will march fearlessly out into battle to take the spoils of victory. God is going to have a people who are strong, bold, fearless and invincible. They must have faith and confidence in God and know that He is with them, has delivered them from Satan's power, and will deliver them from all their enemies. You can be one of those God will use in these closing hours of time before Christ's return to fulfill His will and bring in a harvest of souls

Perfectly Broken - those who are broken in wealth, and broken in self-will and in ambitions, and broken in their ideals, and in worldly reputation and broken in health; those despised and seem utterly forlorn and helpless, the Holy Spirit is using for God’s glory. God uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts. On and on, through all history, and all biography, and all vegetation and all spiritual life, God must have BROKEN THINGS

Streams in my desert: Radical Obedience - raise up another "Gideon 300" who understand the signs of the times and have a different spirit. Idol worship, relativism and hedonism are becoming the gods of your day. This gives the enemy an open door and a legal right to enter and take dominion. It is not too late but the hour is at hand. The radical obedience of only a few mighty warriors will create a tipping point. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, "I am strong"

Streams in my desert: Handicapped for God - Human limitations can be a blessing. God often uses unlikely people to do great things for Him. God wants to use people despite the things they think will hinder them

Streams in my desert: Be Valiant - we must remember that we are part of the Lord's army - and in the Lord's army, we do not depend upon our own strength. We depend upon the power of the Lord, upon the victory that He has already won. the Lord stands eagerly awaits our call. He wants us to walk in His power, not our own. Let's give him our circumstances today and strive to rely on His strength to conquer them. Imagine the countless thousands of saints who have passed away before us. And now sit in heaven's glory where every tear is dried, and every wound is healed

Streams in my desert: Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord Who is Peace - as they worshipped the Midianite gods, God handed the Israelites over to what they so greatly desired. Gideon cried out to God. God called Gideon (through an angel of the Lord) who admitted he was from the weakest clan and was the least in his family. God uses the lowly to bring about salvation and freedom time and time again, especially in His Son, Jesus, who died to redeem all of creation. Jehovah Shalom means ‘the Lord is peace’. It identifies God as the source of ultimate completeness and harmony

Streams in my desert: Seeing the Face of God - certainly, no man has seen the face of God. There is a time in a believer’s life when he meets God face to face. That is when he comes to know Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. When a sinner realizes he is lost, and the only way to be saved - the only way for salvation is to come to God on His grounds and to repent (confess his sin of rejecting God’s Son). Then in a very real way that sinner comes face to face with God, though never really seeing His face

Streams in my desert: I Will Be With You - God’s presence with Moses was enough to ensure the success of God’s plan. Till then Moses was to trust God and move out in obedience. Only in hindsight would Moses get that confirmation that God had been with him the whole time. It is interesting that in the New Testament when God gives us a massive task, He offers the same assurance. God’s promise to be with us will give us the confidence to move out in obedience. His presence is enough to ensure the success of His plan

Streams in my desert: Fight the Good Fight of Faith - the path of faith often requires a fight to see it through to completion. The word “fight” refers to a struggle, a fight, great exertion, or effort. Anything that is done by faith will require a fight of some sort in order to win. Stand up and fight giving your concentrated efforts to stand firm for what you believe. We must fight the good fight of faith to reach the victorious position that allows us to one day hear those cherished words, “Well done!” from our Commander-in-Chief

Streams in my desert: Spiritual Warfare - our battle is against spiritual powers. We are to stand firm with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and by praying in the Spirit. Our offensive weapon is the Word of God - it is the Spirit’s sword. And we are to pray in the power and will of the Holy Spirit. We can only stand strong in the Lord’s power - it is God’s armor that protects us. We are to proclaim the gospel no matter how much resistance we face. We are to trust God’s promises no matter how strongly we are attacked

Streams in my desert: You Can Be a Mighty Warrior for God - we aren’t defined by our past, our feelings, or even by what we’re doing right now. If God says it, it’s true. If you take hold of God’s strength, He sees you as a mighty warrior. God sends you and me to confront our problems and the issues that we think are too big for us. You will be a mighty warrior for God simply because He will be with you. In Christ you are invincible. When you take hold of that promise as a reality in your own life, you become a mighty warrior for God

Desert Preparation - when God places a call on one of His children, it requires a separation between the old life and the new life. There is a time of being away from the old in order to prepare the heart for what is coming. It can be a painful and difficult separation. Perhaps you cannot make sense of the situation in which you find yourself. If you press into God during this time, He will reveal the purposes He has for you. The key is pressing into Him. Seek Him with a whole heart and He will be found. God may have a special calling and message He is building in your life right now. Trust in His love for you that He will fully complete the work He has started in you

"Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus." - Galatians 1:17

The apostle Paul tells us in the first chapter of Galatians some of the facts surrounding his own conversion. 

He tells us that he clearly understood the call Jesus placed on his life. 

He did not have to consult other men about this calling. 

But before he was released to begin his own mission, He went to Arabia for three years. 

Why did Paul have to go to Arabia for three years before he ever met another disciple of Jesus Christ?

The Scripture does not tell us plainly why Paul spent three years in Arabia. 

However, based upon many examples of God placing special calls on people's lives, we know it often requires a time of separation between the old life and the new life. 

No doubt, Paul had plenty of time to consider what had taken place in his life and time to develop an intimate knowledge and relationship with the newfound Savior. His life was about to change dramatically.

So often, when God places a call on one of His children, it requires a separation between the old life and the new life. 

There is a time of being away from the old in order to prepare the heart for what is coming.

It can be a painful and difficult separation. 

Joseph was separated from his family. 

Jacob was sent to live with his uncle Laban. 

Moses was sent to the desert.

When God began a deeper work in my own life, it required a separation from all I had known before. 

He removed all that I had placed confidence in up to that point.

It was very painful and very scary since I was in my mid-40's.

In my mind, it was not the time to start life over. 

I had been making plans for early retirement. 

God had a different idea. 

He removed all my comforts and security in order to accomplish a much greater work than what I could see at the time.

The picture is clear now.

I understand why it was necessary, but I didn't at the time.

Perhaps God has placed you in your own desert period.

Perhaps you cannot make sense of the situation in which you find yourself. 

If you press into God during this time, He will reveal the purposes He has for you. 

The key is pressing into Him. 

Seek Him with a whole heart and He will be found.

God may have a special calling and message He is building in your life right now. 

Trust in His love for you that He will fully complete the work He has started in you.

Os Hillman

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman

Os Hillman  is Founder and President of Marketplace Leaders Ministries, an organization whose purpose is to train men and women to fulfill their calling in and through their work life and to view their work as ministry.

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Who are you now? - David's faith and courage in volunteering to fight Goliath were an embarrassment to his big brother Eliab, an officer in King Saul's army. And God allowed David to be tested by his own closest kin. If there is a true Goliath in your life and you are appointed to slay him be assured, you will face similar tests from those close by. When you make decisions to step out and follow God it will put pressure on others to do the same. Their shame and lack of faith will move them to attack, belittle and criticize you. It will come from among those closest to you, especially if your calling sets you apart

Wilderness Places - God wanted to reveal to the Israelites that He would be their provider. God provided them with fresh manna from heaven and water from a rock. They learned the importance of following God. God provided a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to direct their steps. The time comes when we must press beyond merely believing in God and reach out to discover that He is our provider as well. When we yield to His leadership, we can stand secure that His plan and promise for us is coming to pass

Triumphing in Christ Jesus - faith brings you to the reality of victory over every circumstance that stands in the way of your success. The power of God will be manifested when you put some action to your faith - in God there is no limit. We can triumph. In our own strength, we are limited. But in God there is no limit! We can triumph. Jesus Christ has already purchased victory for us, but you and I must do something about it. If you will dare to believe God, act in faith, and step out on the promises of God, you will triumph

Streams in my desert: The Lord's gifts and callings are irrevocable - sometimes the Lord needs to put us in a difficult position so that we can be restored to Him and remain faithful to our calling. Jonah ran from what he considered a difficult and abhorrent assignment from God, thinking he could escape to a place where he couldn't be found. But the Lord's irrevocable gifts and callings were faithfully resting upon him and He provided the drama needed to bring his man around     wip

Streams in my desert: Triumphing in Christ Jesus - faith brings you to the reality of victory over every circumstance that stands in the way of your success. The power of God will be manifested when you put some action to your faith - in God there is no limit. We can triumph. In our own strength, we are limited. But in God there is no limit! We can triumph. Jesus Christ has already purchased victory for us, but you and I must do something about it. If you will dare to believe God, act in faith, and step out on the promises of God, you will triumph

Streams in my desert: The Finger of God - Jesus is still looking for those who are willing to have a testimony created through their lives. A God-ordained testimony is for something to happen that cannot be explained in the natural. God wants to create a testimony in every aspect of your life. He is waiting to put His finger on your next endeavor to reveal His power through your life. Look carefully where God might want to create a testimony out of an impossible situation. He delights in using His children for this purpose because it brings Him glory

Streams in my desert: A Calling to Lead - Not all leaders lead alike. Each person called by God to lead can function just as He guides, empowers, and instructs them

Streams in my desert: The Twofold Call - the Lord repeated a second time the name He was calling, always at a time of great significance and urgency. The last calling in the Bible is not a twofold call but fourfold - “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely”

Streams in my desert: God's Preparation for Moving Out - when God decides it is time to move you into a larger place of His calling, He has the ability to provide the resources you need to support the call. Be sure the strategy is born from above, and not from self-effort - learn the difference between the strategies born of God versus the strategy of self-effort

Streams in my desert: God Created You to Win - God created man in His own image and likeness. God is a winner. Then redeemed man must be designed to be a winner, too. After God made Adam and Eve, He commanded them to go win. Service is the key to becoming a winner. It’s the mark by which we should measure out every decision, every action, and every thought