Today's #photo: Me and the perfect mountain lake reflection: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-1kZ #nature #photography #canada #NotAI
(Click/tap the link or picture to see the entire VERTICAL scene.)

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

How do you measure your prosperity? Is it by your bank account, or what you drive or live in? Is it by how many friends you have? Is it measured by how many ‘collectables’ you have acquired? What exactly does prosperity look like for you?

Jeremiah 29:11 is everyone’s favorite verse to quote when it comes to times of ‘financial’ struggles. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The definition of prosper, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is this: (1) to succeed in an enterprise or activity/ especially: to achieve economic success (2) to become strong and flourishing.

I Googled the original Hebrew verbiage and found that prosperous is not a word in the Hebrew language exactly. The word was ‘maschshevot,’ which in modern terms equates to peace, well-being and a positive future.

The enemy is very good at taking God’s word and turning it into something BIGGER for his glory. He dilutes the Word to soften it; he adjusts the meaning of the Word to satisfy popular opinion; he creates a world of his translation of the Word to satisfy the egos of all those who want the easy way. Such as:

Unconditional Love … that does not mean that I love your sin; it means that I love you enough to speak the truth in love, not judgment. The enemy will tell you that I am judging you, when I am not; I am just stating facts so that you can make an informed decision.

Eye for an eye … that is hatred, according to Jesus, who says when someone harms you, turn the other cheek

Prosperity preaching … from this verse … claims that if you ‘give’ to the church, then God will give to you, or rather that if you give to “their” church, God will give to you.

Prosperity and riches. The enemy will hamstring you into believing that God does not love you because you have not ‘given’ enough or that your gift is not good enough. These are all lies. Starting with, God wants you to be financially rich. It is not that God does not want you to be financially rich, but he knows how easily it can distract you from Him. If you are financially rich, then your heart turns to protecting your money instead of worshiping Him who gave you the riches. Prosperity in Jeremiah is speaking of hope, peace, and well-being; not Richie Rich.

I am not a RICH person, but I am better off than many. I have food in my belly, a roof over my head, people around me who love and respect me, a quality vehicle, but most of all … I have love. I have peace. I have joy. I have God. I am one of the most prosperous people I know.

Today I encourage you to find your peace in Him. Worship Him. Praise Him. Embrace Him. Love Him. When you do those things with your whole heart … the world does not seem so hard to deal with. Your eyes are open to so many opportunities for His light and love to shine. This will bring so much joy to your heart that it overflows in abundance to those around you. He knows what the world is like, and He wants you to have His peace and prosperity.

Be blessed.

**But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened.” — Ephesians 1:18
Through this Bible verse, we can see the power of revelation in the Lord. Our existence has both a physical and spiritual dimension, and faith is connected to what we believe and understand.
The Bible says:
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” — Proverbs 23:7
This shows us that what is taking place within a person matters greatly. Your understanding influences how you perceive, believe, and respond to life.
Can a dead man think? The physical body may remain, but the Bible presents man as more than merely a physical body.
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” — Ecclesiastes 12:7
There is therefore a deeper dimension to human existence—the spirit and soul. What happens within us is not insignificant.
The Bible also says:
“For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” — 2 Corinthians 4:18
This means that what our physical eyes see is not the whole of reality. There is a reality beyond what can be physically observed.
That is why revelation is powerful. When God opens your understanding, you begin to perceive what you could not perceive before.
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” — Psalm 119:18
And Jesus said:
“Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?” — Mark 8:18
He was showing that a person can have physical eyes and yet fail to truly see and understand.
Faith also operates beyond physical sight:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7
And:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1
So the question becomes:
Can you see where the power lies?
The power is not simply in what the physical eyes can see. There is a deeper reality—the revelation of God, which enlightens the understanding.
When God opens your understanding, your perception changes. When your perception changes, what you believe can change. And when faith becomes active, it produces action.
“Faith without works is dead.” — James 2:26
The process can therefore be understood like this:
God reveals → understanding is enlightened → faith receives → faith produces action → life is transformed.
This is why Paul prayed:
“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling…” — Ephesians 1:18
The revelation is not merely about gaining information. It is about knowing—seeing with an understanding that comes from God.
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God…” — 2 Corinthians 4:6
When God opens the eyes of your understanding, you begin to see beyond the physical realm. You begin to understand what faith sees, what revelation reveals, and what God is showing you. That is where the transformation begins.

DAILY BREAD FELLOWSHIP

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Today’s Scripture

John 2:9 (ESV)

“When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.”

Opening the Scriptures

The servants had done exactly what Jesus commanded.

They filled the jars with water. They drew from them. Then they carried what they had drawn to the master of the feast.

Now John tells us what had happened.

The water had become wine.

There is no elaborate description of the miracle. John does not tell us when or how the transformation occurred.

He simply states the fact.

Jesus had done what no servant could do.

The servants could carry the water.

They could fill the jars.

They could take what Jesus provided to the master of the feast.

But only Christ possessed the power to transform the water into wine.

There is another fascinating detail.

The master of the feast did not know where the wine had come from.

But the servants knew.

They had witnessed what happened because they had been obedient to Christ.

Living God’s Word Today

There is an important distinction here for every Christian.

God calls us to serve Him faithfully, but we must never confuse our service with His power.

We can preach the Gospel, but we cannot give someone a new heart.

We can teach Scripture, but we cannot force someone to believe it.

We can encourage a struggling person, but we cannot transform that person’s life.

We can plant.

We can water.

But God gives the growth.

That truth should produce humility in every Christian ministry.

Whenever lives are changed, sinners repent, churches grow stronger, families are restored, or people come to understand God’s Word, we must resist the temptation to take credit for what only God can accomplish.

We are servants.

Christ is Lord.

The servants at Cana had an extraordinary privilege. They knew where the wine had come from because they had been close enough to Christ to hear His command and obedient enough to carry it out.

There is a lesson there for us.

Faithful service often allows us to witness God’s work from a perspective others may never see.

Someone else may see only the result.

The servant remembers the empty jars.

The servant remembers carrying the water.

The servant knows that the power did not come from him.

Therefore, when God uses your service for His purposes, never say:

“Look what I accomplished.”

Instead say:

“Look what Christ has done.”

Question for Today

When God accomplishes something through your service, who receives the glory?

Respond: “All glory belongs to God.”

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 23)

1. When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you;

2. And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man given to appetite.

3. Do not desire his delicacies,
For they are deceptive food.

4. Do not overwork to be rich;
Because of your own understanding, cease!

5. Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

6. Do not eat the bread of a miser,
Nor desire his delicacies;

7. For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.

8. The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words.

9. Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10. Do not remove the ancient landmark,
Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;

11. For their Redeemer is mighty;
He will plead their cause against you.

12. Apply your heart to instruction,
And your ears to words of knowledge.

13. Do not withhold correction from a child,
For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.

14. You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from hell.

15. My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;

16. Yes, my inmost being will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.

17. Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;

18. For surely there is a hereafter,
And your hope will not be cut off.

19. Hear, my son, and be wise;
And guide your heart in the way.

20. Do not mix with winebibbers,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

21. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

22. Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23. Buy the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.

25. Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who bore you rejoice.

26. My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways.

27. For a harlot is a deep pit,
And a seductress is a narrow well.

28. She also lies in wait as for a victim,
And increases the unfaithful among men.

29. Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?

30. Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.

31. Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;

32. At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.

33. Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.

34. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:

35. “They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

Psalm 47 Reminder: God Reigns!

Whatever this week brings, remember:

God is above your circumstances.
God is greater than your fears.
God is faithful through every trial.
God is King over all the earth.

So clap your hands, lift your voice, and sing praises to the King!

#Psalm47 #SundayScripture #GodIsKing #PraiseTheLord #ChristianMotivation #BibleStudy #JesusChrist
https://youtube.com/shorts/EMPmbg8sG_0?feature=share

*1 Kings 20:28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.* From the "God is an Artist " Project: God shouldn't be underestimated especially when one wage wars against God's people. Ask God to send His Word. Awake: https://youtu.be/KLHu9RkKOWU?si=Cl7-GrQg0MFGYzO9 https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BVTDeqZhR/ Jehu: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1B4PDsdXNc/ Proof: https://youtu.be/s0qGt0dspCY?si=5yOdr0bCGgAyjGgl Iran Prophecy: https://youtu.be/3eont1dBolU?si=w0JBBXeD-AgNcH-d Trump Prophecies: https://youtu.be/EhXwbcGSKJ8?si=NWKa0pS7UNLXfljY
Media: https://share.google/LXCeKfdMW4JZp2iaA
Other Links: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaEsxcI2kNFoEp8VAq3n https://www.facebook.com/share/17mff8ymQK/ https://www.tiktok.com/[shanehanley75]?_r=1&_t=ZS-94g4mk1bA7G*

This is my very first book to be published soon:

Preface

For generations, humanity has accepted without question the idea that Jehovah is the Supreme and Ultimate Being — the beginning and the end of all existence. Religions have been built upon this belief, civilizations shaped by it, and billions have worshipped under its shadow. Yet throughout history, some questions have remained unanswered, buried beneath doctrine, fear, and tradition.

This book was born from one such question:

*What if Jehovah Himself is not the Highest Authority?*

What if beyond the God humanity has known, there exists a Greater Source — a Father above God?

At first glance, such a suggestion may sound shocking, even offensive to many. But every major discovery in human history began with a question people were afraid to ask. This book does not seek to attack faith, destroy belief, or mock religion. Instead, it seeks to examine Scripture, logic, justice, and the events recorded from the very beginning of human existence with honesty and courage.

The foundation of this argument begins in the Garden of Eden.

If Jehovah possessed absolute wisdom, absolute justice, and absolute power as traditionally believed, why was humanity condemned through Adam in a way that affected every generation after him? Why would descendants inherit suffering for a choice they never made? Why would an all-powerful being allow sin to spread endlessly instead of resolving the matter directly with Adam and Eve alone?

Could it be that the events in Eden reveal limitations, laws, or higher authorities beyond Jehovah Himself?

Throughout this book, we will explore difficult and uncomfortable questions that many avoid:

* Was the punishment in Eden truly just?
* Why does suffering continue despite divine power?
* Why do Scriptures sometimes hint at beings greater than the God mankind worships?
* Could the title “God” itself imply authority granted from a higher source?
* Did Jesus Himself suggest the existence of a reality beyond human understanding of God?

This work is not written from hatred toward religion, but from a deep desire to search for truth wherever it may lead. Truth has never feared investigation. Only deception demands silence.

The purpose of this book is not to force conclusions upon the reader, but to invite critical thought, reflection, and fearless examination. Whether one ultimately agrees or disagrees with these ideas, the journey itself may challenge long-held assumptions and open doors to deeper understanding.

Some readers may reject these pages immediately. Others may find themselves wrestling with questions they have secretly carried for years. Either response is understandable.

But if there truly exists a Father above God, then perhaps humanity’s understanding of divine reality has only scratched the surface.

And perhaps the greatest mystery is not whether God exists…

…but whether God Himself has a Father.

TODAY'S BIBLE READING
Sunday, August 23
OLD TESTAMENT
RUTH 3 — Ruth and Boaz
NEW TESTAMENT
1 JOHN 5 — Faith in the Son of God
Congratulations on completing the book of 1 John! Tomorrow we begin 2 John.
MAJOR PROPHETS
ISAIAH 34 — Judgment Against the Nations
TODAY'S REFLECTION
Ruth 3
Ruth follows Naomi's instructions and approaches Boaz with humility and trust. Boaz responds with integrity, showing the importance of honour, kindness, and doing what is right even when circumstances are difficult.
1 John 5
John emphasizes faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and assures believers of eternal life. Our confidence is not in ourselves but in Christ, and genuine faith produces obedience and love for God.
Isaiah 34
Isaiah describes God's judgment against the nations and reminds us that God's justice is certain. No power can ultimately stand against His righteous purposes.
KEY VERSE
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
— 1 John 5:11
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Strengthen our faith and help us to walk in obedience, love, and integrity. Give us the wisdom to trust Your timing, just as Ruth trusted You, and help us remain confident in Your righteous purposes. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen.
TODAY'S CHALLENGE
Put your faith into action today. Trust God's timing, walk with integrity, and let your love for Christ be seen through your obedience and the way you treat others.
WE STUDY. WE PRAY. WE OBEY. WE GROW. UNTIL WE ARE TOTALLY TRANSFORMED.