Kingdom Carriers | Beyond the Uniform Around midday on Wednesday, I was making my way to the hospital chapel for our weekly time of fellowship and prayer. As I approached, I noticed a gentleman from our security team sitting quietly inside. From a distance, the uniform caught my attention first. But then I noticed something else. He was reading his Bible. I had seen him around the hospital before. We had exchanged greetings in passing, but we had never really stopped to talk. This time I did. I introduced myself, and he told me his name was Tama. I explained that a few of us gather in the chapel every Wednesday around midday for fellowship and prayer, and that he would always be welcome to join us. As others began arriving and our fellowship was about to start, I sensed Tama would soon need to return to his duties. So before he left, I excused myself for a moment and brought him a copy of Kingdom Carriers. He received it gratefully. I watched briefly as he looked at the front cover, turned it over, and began reading the back. Then he returned to his duties. That was it. No long conversation. No dramatic ending. And I don't know what God will do with that brief encounter. But afterwards, one thought stayed with me: At first I saw a uniform. When I stopped, I met a brother. How easily we identify people by what we first see. The uniform. The occupation. The position. The label. But Jesus consistently looked beyond what people did and saw the person standing before Him. Perhaps there are people we pass regularly whose faces we recognise, but whose names we have never learnt. Sometimes a Kingdom encounter doesn't begin with preaching. It begins by stopping long enough to see the person. Wednesday reminded me: There is always more to someone than the uniform they wear. I sowed a small seed. What happens next belongs entirely to God. All glory and honour belong to Him. Grace and peace, Jacob 📘 Kingdom Carriers (Free Download) https://books2read.com/u/mlJqo7 🌍 Website https://www.jacobisaac.co.nz

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you. Today is it. Today we pick up the littles (and the grown-ups) from the airport. Today I will become a 57-year-old toddler. More so than normal. Today my positive is the start of a month-long play date. I will need a vacation after this vacation…haha. My mom said it best yesterday: my heart says that I am a kid, my mind says we will worry about it later, and my body tells me that I am a fool. All are correct. Just to be upfront here. The enemy has a way of making all things that are good and wonderful seem as if there is a catch, a hook, a deception, or a possibility for failure and dismay. He is very good at using logic to show the pitfalls, create chaos, and change the visual of what is before us. He is subtle in his ways. He is persuasive and convincing. His points and thoughts appear valid. It is extremely easy to see his point of view. We are so conditioned to look for the other shoe to drop that when it does, we fall into this muddle mess of ‘I knew it’. Yesterday he did that with me. I got a feeling that our rental reservation was lost, and I could not find an email with the confirmation. As we ate dinner, my mind focused on what we were going to do if they did not have the vehicle we needed … it happened the last time we rented from them and serious changes had to be made. Fast forward … the van was there. We drove it home. I lost peace for no reason. For a short period of time, the enemy won a battle with me. I allowed my fear to control my faith. Many who know me know that this is a rarity. I know my God. I know His power. I know His promises. And even when this company failed the last time, God provided a way. To those who struggle with finding your positive … that is the enemy. A positive does not have to be a massive anything; a positive can simply be that your day was rough, yet you made it through and did not get fired. Your positive can be that the rain was soft and refreshing, dulling the humidity. Your positive can be that though your area was ravaged by the storm, your property got minimal damage. Your positive can be that your coffee pot produced another round of wonderful morning nectar. Your positive can be that you prayed before you got up or before you went to bed. Your positive can be that there is food in the fridge and cupboards. Your positive can be that your son/daughter wanted to cuddle. Your positive can be that you woke up rested. Your positive can be that the laundry is finished. Your positive can be that you found the money you needed for gas in a pair of pants that you just washed. The positive can be that your pet gave you kisses. Your positive can be that the morning air feels calming. Your positive can be … your positive can be anything. It does not have to be massive or explosive in design. Your positive is just that … any positive. Just as a positive can be what you receive … your positive could also be what you give. Your positive could be that you stopped and helped someone on the side of the road. Your positive could be that you were able to help someone pay for their groceries. Your positive could be that you gave someone a hug. Your positive could be that your smile calmed someone down. Your positive … your positive … Your positive is a gift, both received and given. Your positive shows His love for you and IN you. As you go through your day today, I challenge you to see only the positive. Even in the middle of the chaos and dark … there are positives. You just need to be willing to open your eyes and see them. Last night, a gentleman who really wants to help me promote the books but respects my current thought process gave me some ideas to think about. Another positive. A new vision. A new potential direction. A positive for the Kingdom. Be blessed today my friends. **Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. –Matthew 22:37

Kingdom Carriers | God Was Already There This week, our workplace fellowship gathered in the hospital chapel for a time of prayer. As I entered, I noticed a gentleman sitting quietly on his own. I greeted him and let him know that we met there regularly and that he was welcome to join us if he wished. He thanked me, but chose to remain where he was. And that was perfectly okay. Our fellowship continued as usual. We shared from God's Word, prayed together, and just before closing .  As we finished, something unexpected happened. The gentleman walked over to us and asked, "May I pray for you'll?" "Absolutely," I replied. What a privilege it was to have someone we had only just met pray over our fellowship. Afterwards we spent some time talking. As he shared his journey of faith, I was deeply encouraged by God's work in his life and by the legacy of faith within his family. As we spoke, one word kept stirring in my heart: Mission. I excused myself, walked back to my office, collected a number of copies of Kingdom Carriers along with a copy of Hope Rising, and returned to the chapel. He was still there. With great joy, I placed the books into his hands. As I walked away, I couldn't help but smile. I hadn't gone to the chapel looking for someone to give books to. He hadn't come looking for our fellowship. Yet God, in His perfect timing, brought our paths together. It reminded me once again that we don't create Kingdom encounters. We simply have the privilege of recognising them when God brings them across our path. "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." — Psalm 37:23 All glory, honour and praise belong to Jesus alone. Grace and peace, Jacob 📘 Kingdom Carriers (Free Download) https://books2read.com/u/mlJqo7⁠ 🌍 Website https://www.jacobisaac.co.nz⁠

*A Generous Invitation* While exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the Word of God and sharing his experience with Jesus, John was given a vision. He was told to write down what he saw and send it to the seven churches. And though these messages were given to literal churches of that time, they're still just as relevant to and representative of our modern hearts today. Now, for some context, let’s focus on Jesus’ message to the church in Laodicea … Jesus describes the church in Laodicea as being neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. They’re rich and comfortable, prosperous and self-sufficient, apathetic and indifferent. But despite these things, Jesus still offers a generous invitation: *“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:20‬* Do you see it? Do you feel it?  This is an invitation for intimacy, relationship, and friendship with the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of everything. But make no mistake, Jesus is a gentleman. He refuses to force Himself upon anyone. Instead, He pursues hearts and extends invitations—but our part is that we must open the door. The church in Laodicea was full, but empty. They were disoriented by a false sense of security and control. They were successful according to the world’s standards, but spiritually empty and distracted according to God’s standards. And yet, Jesus still called out to them. Jesus still knocked for them. Just as He’s still calling out and knocking... for us today. The same God who flung planets into space and carved mountains into existence wants to be near us and with us, and to save us. So if we hear Him calling out to our souls, or we feel Him knocking on the door of our hearts, it’s our move. He is waiting with open arms. *Prayer For Restarting* Father God, we thank You for pursuing us, and for never giving up on us. We don't want to be lukewarm. Free us from distractions and selfish desires, and reignite our passion for You and Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.

Guidelines for Living. July 13th, 2026 3 Guidelines to Becoming an Encourager May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus …. Romans 15:5 Have you ever had the experience of having to make a business presentation and you learned that the “big boss” is going to be there? Immediately, your knees go weak, your hands sweat. No matter what the temperature, you start wiping the perspiration from your brow. You just know that you’re going to blow it. I remember that feeling distinctly. I was about 25 years of age and an associate pastor of a pretty large church. With the senior pastor on vacation, I was to bring the message. I studied and prepared, and I did my best. But I honestly felt like that I had stumbled through the presentation and done a rather poor job. Now the fact that the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a VIP in my book, was on vacation and happened to be in the audience didn’t make me any more comfortable either. When it was over, I really felt like going out the back door for good. A few days later, however, I got a letter from the man who contributed to my nervousness, Dr. David Hood, a man with years of experience and a polished speaker. This gracious gentleman, though, told me what a blessing my comments had been and how much he appreciated the presentation. Now I suspected that he had read Joseph Stalker’s book, Life and Death of Jesus Christ, where I got most of my thoughts. But that letter did something for me. It gave me confidence to try again. I said that day, “He’s the kind of a man I want to be—someone who encourages others, especially young men and women!” Everybody needs encouragement! Twice God told the people of Joshua’s day to encourage him. Why? He needed it. He was following the greatest leader of his day: Moses! Overwhelmed by feelings of inferiority, it would have been easy for him to think, “No way can I ever measure up to Moses!” You can develop the art of encouragement by practicing the following guidelines: Guideline #1: Focus on one positive aspect of what you like and say it. Leave the negative comments out entirely. There is a place for criticism, though it is seldom as necessary or as important as we tend to think it is, but its place is not mingled with words which are intended to encourage. Don’t say, “Your message was pretty good, Pastor, but it would have been better if you hadn’t talked for so long.” Mixed messages like, “Your sales were pretty good this month, but if you had taken my advice they would have been better,” don’t qualify as encouragement. Guideline #2: Be totally sincere in what you say. Encouragement isn’t flattery. It isn’t telling something which is untrue. It is a decision, a choice you make. Almost always you can find something positive about someone, something which they need to know. A phone call, a note, a few words in passing will do a lot to boost someone in a world that puts people down. Guideline #3: Remember that encouragement is a habit which you must learn to cultivate. Possibly one of the reasons we do so little of it is that our old nature tends to make us look for the flaws and failures of others. I’m convinced there are spiritual overtones to encouraging each other. Do you remember how Paul closed his letter to the Romans? He wrote, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus … ” (Romans 15:5). In a world that puts you down, encouragement lifts you up. It’s a habit we need to develop. Resource reading: Romans 15:1-13

Becoming a Gentleman with Heart and Style | The Society of Ordinary Gentlemen https://share.google/4VjEaCX4tEPS6usUk

Guidelines for Living. July 8th, 2026 Why God Won’t Force You to Believe Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:13-14 The largest river in the world is the Amazon. More water flows in its banks than flows in the Yangtze, the Mississippi, and the Nile rivers combined. The mouth of the amazing Amazon is more than 90 miles across; water from this great river creates currents as far as 200 miles at sea. In bygone days, one of the ironies of navigation was that sailors in the South Atlantic could be caught adrift and helpless, their sails without wind, their gasoline supply exhausted. Eventually, their water supply would be depleted as well. On one occasion, so says Earl Palmer, that very thing happened to a sailboat that was becalmed and in desperate straits. Those onboard were dying for lack of water. As a ship approached, they frantically signaled and cried for help. “Can you spare us some water? Our sailors are dying of thirst!” Back came the reply, “Just lower your buckets. You are in the mouth of the Amazon!” What an irony—men fainting for lack of water when they didn’t realize fresh water was keeping their very boat afloat. I’ve been thinking of this in relationship to people who are surrounded by those who know God and are committed in their faith, yet they’re suffering from spiritual drought—the college student who has grown up in a Christian home but goes to college and abandons his faith; the husband or the father who watches his wife and family dress on Sunday morning and they go to church while he stays at home; the prodigal who turns his back on home and family and goes the opposite direction. “Our sailors are dying of thirst!” and back came the reply, “Just lower your buckets.” Do you ever ask yourself, “What is it that keeps us from doing right?” Usually, it boils down to one issue: pride, our unwillingness to admit that we are wrong and that we need forgiveness and help. Sometimes, though, we get thirsty enough to try almost anything, but there are other times when God in His kindness gently nudges us or allows circumstances to get our attention so we then “lower the bucket” and draw the water to assuage our spiritual thirst. My friend, Dean Payne, was like that. Both Payne’s wife and his two sons were Christians, but he didn’t need God. After all, he was a corporate executive, and he was getting along quite well without God or religion. “Dad, I’m praying for you,” his son Bob used to say. Dean didn’t particularly like that or appreciate it. And then his world was shattered as his son lost his life in an accident—it tore the very fabric of Dean’s life apart. It was then that he realized God was all around him, waiting for him to let God invade his heart. He did—it changed his life. There’s something about God which needs to be said: He’s a gentleman who respects your will. He never forces Himself on you, but He invites you to reach out for His help. So many, like the sailors in the little boat in the mouth of the Amazon, are dying of thirst when they are surrounded by people who really care, people who are praying for them, who want to help. Lowering the bucket into the sea isn’t always easy, but it’s the only solution. Jesus put it: “Whoever drinks the water [that] I give him will never thirst [again]” (John 4:13). Why be overcome with thirst when you can “lower your bucket” into the sea of faith, and connect? Think about it. This may be the most important message you’ll ever hear. Resource reading: John 4:1-26

Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. MD.i. 😀💝🌺🎁🌹🎀 MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY. WEDNESDAY JULY 1, 2026. "DO YOU WANT YOUR CHURCH TO GROW? (1)" 'And the Lord added to the church daily…’  Acts 2:47 NKJV GOD DOESN'T mind your church having a small congregation. What He objects to is your church having a small vision, for that limits what He can do through you. The story’s told of a tourist visiting a small English village. He asked an old gentleman, ‘Is there anything special about this place?’ The old man smiled and said, ‘Yes, you can start here and go anywhere else on earth.’ In Acts chapter 5 verse 28 the New Testament church was accused of ‘…filling Jerusalem with your doctrine…’. And in chapter 17 verse 6, Paul and Silas were accused of ‘…turning the world upside down…’ What impact! God has a plan for church growth and you have a part to play. You are called to: invite them. You say, ‘Isn’t that my pastor’s job?’ No, your pastor is a shepherd. Shepherds don’t give birth to sheep; sheep do that. When was the last time you brought someone to church? If you discovered a cure for cancer or Alzheimer’s, wouldn’t you share it? Jesus said, ‘A certain man gave a great supper and invited many and sent his servant…to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready’’ (Luke 14:16-17 NKJV). When the invited guests started making excuses as to why they couldn’t come, ‘The master said to the servant, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”’ (v. 23 NKJV). Note the words ‘compel them to come’. Pick them up in your car, arrange breakfast before church or lunch afterwards. Get creative, but whatever you do, bring them to church! Bible In A Year: Jer 36:27-40; Matt 5:21-37; Ps 102:12-17; Pro 15:3. Courtesy : Grace So Amazing Foundation💝🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068*.💝🌹🌷🎀 HAPPY NEW MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!. MD.i. ANSWER TO PRAYER "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." - Luke 11:9-10 Prayer is one of the greatest spiritual gifts. The forgiveness of our sins is of course the greatest miracle ever. However, it is a wonderful gift that after we have been forgiven, we may go to God through prayer. God says: 'Come near to Me and I will come near to you.' Hebrews 10:19-20 teaches us that we may go boldly to God by a new and living way which Jesus has prepared for us. It is a great privilege because when we are in sorrow, we are comforted by Him; when we are in need, we are strengthened and encouraged; when we are tired, we receive peace and tranquility. The secret of prayer You are a happy person if you know the secret of prayer. Prayer means weakness in self. We, who are weak in ourselves, go through prayer to God, who is strong and able to help us. We no longer expect the outcome from ourselves or from our own doing, but from God. It looks like giving up, but it is not; it is surrendering what we do to Him! We give the matter in stronger hands by praying. And this is exactly what God wants: our complete surrender. In such prayer you let go of everything: your own wisdom, insight, wishes, abilities, etc. These are prayers from a broken heart and a surrendered spirit to God, not an intellectual prayer, not a saint-like prayer with difficult words. Jesus says: 'And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words'(Matthew 6:7). No, God wants us to come to Him just as we are. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Morning Prayer for today. MP.i. Morning Prayer Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ⏤ Psalm 51:10 True blessing is the gift that transforms, leading us into His likeness. ⏤ J.C. Ryle Father, we ask for Your true blessing this morning. Let it come into our lives and make us more like Jesus. May it become a source of life within us, causing us to hate sin more and to love what is right and good. May it leave a deeper mark of Jesus upon us, imprinting His image more clearly in our hearts. We want to carry Your blessing with us throughout the day. May it help us love You more, follow You better, and serve You more faithfully. We ask You, as we always do, to forgive our sins and cleanse our hearts and lives. We know we’re not worthy to receive any blessings from You, but You are gracious and merciful. We come to You, trusting that our sins will be blotted out when we truly confess and repent of them. Give us the grace of true repentance, so we can receive Your forgiveness and peace. We want to leave our sins behind and not keep repeating them. Help us to put them away for good. If we’ve wronged anyone, give us the grace to make it right. If we’ve taken anything that doesn’t belong to us, help us to return it. May our faith make us honest and truthful, just and righteous. Save us from a faith that doesn’t change our lives. May our faith go deep into our hearts, cleansing and transforming us, and leading us to live in a way that honors You. We pray in Jesus' precious name. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/87/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

Good evening to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you. Thank you so much for understanding that my brain was not braining very well this morning. Then, after church, I had to catch up on my mowing. After that, I took a time out and then had to go to the store. So a full day indeed. For those who did not see my Facebook Live this morning, I would like to give you the shortened version. Essentially, I gave thanks to God above for a wonderful blessing yesterday at the benefit. I gave thanks to all the sponsors for their support. I gave thanks to all who attended and supported the family in need. I wished all dads a Happy Father’s Day and then … I proclaimed just how powerful My God is. That, regardless of the detours, the pitfalls, the potholes, that the enemy tried to put in front of us, My God … prevailed. And when you place your faith in Him … completely … you see the miracles unfold right in front of your eyes. As we did yesterday. A blessed day full of His blessings. Today has been a bit slower. A wonderful message at church. A baptism. After which, I was blessed with 3 solid hours on a mower, in the country, in the cool of mid-morning (which this time of year should be blazing … but … not today), and I beat the rain. Tomorrow will be a writing day, I believe. We have to take the truck for an oil change, and my car is still out of commission. So I will drive it down, walk home, wait for them to let us know it is done, and walk back to get it. I will get some steps tomorrow for sure. Haha. One thing that has been reinforced with me over the last couple of months while compiling tasks for this benefit … is that when you are working for the glory of God, Satan gets really upset. Now, I knew this already, but he has really been upset with me. Friday, I was delayed in town because I forgot something for the benefit. Then, when I got home and started to unload the truck, the cargo had shifted, and BBQ sauces fell out and splattered all over my shoes and clothes. I just shook my head and said loudly, “Really”. Then, after the event, I was putting food in the freezer, one container was extremely full of beans, and when the shelf above collapsed from the weight that was on it, that pan spewed baked beans all over my boots and porch floor. I probably did say a bad word, to be fair, but then I just laughed and told my friend that I must really be under the enemy’s skin today. I am not a big baked bean fan in the first place, but I certainly did not want to wear them … twice. To make his tantrum better, today, he let me fall at the store when I picked up the ice cream. My back jarred, and my pride was embarrassed, but afterwards, I just laughed and told the gentleman who helped me up, “Don’t get old, it sucks.” He laughed because he is at least as old as me. Haha. . For him to be giving me this much attention, I must really be annoying him. I am okay with that. That means that I am on the right path … God’s path. The more the enemy tries to derail you, the more you can be assured you are walking in the direction you are supposed to. Tonight, give your menfolk a hearty hug for Father’s Day. In your prayers, give thanks to the One who gave you life. And remember that even in the darkness or cloudiness, there is always a glimmer of Hope and Light and Love. You just have to be open to seeing it. Be blessed. **The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:5

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you. What a wonderful day I had yesterday. Beautiful weather, some decluttering accomplished, helped a young man out of a field after he hydroplaned (no injuries), set up for an early evening event where I sold a few books, passed out some business cards, and planted a host of seeds. The vibe yesterday was fantastic. This morning I woke up to a beautiful sunrise and a hot cup of coffee. I will start with my prayer meeting, then I will be off to collect the donations for the benefit tomorrow, and then back to mow a couple of yards. I will need to mow in the afternoon to give the grass time to dry out. If you live in Indiana, we have gotten a smidgen of rain here (insert sarcasm). Many of my posts include the concept of demonstrating the love of Christ one smile at a time, one helping hand at a time, one hug at a time, or just a listening ear at a time. There is a gentleman on the internet who actually seeks out overgrown properties and cleans them up for free. The one I watched this morning, he found an old brick sidewalk under a decade of dirt and grass. I have watched him help elderly, single parents, abandoned properties that were safety hazards, and the list goes on. This is the sort of thing that will really help display the face of Christ in a darkened world. This kind of sacrifice. These yards are not 20-minute fixes; they are long, day-long adventures. He does not just mow the yard; he trims, removes debris, and locates hidden concrete areas that have been taken over. With all the negativity in the world, to see a concept as large but as simple as this … shows me that there is hope yet. Today, I want to encourage you to find an opening to share the love of Christ. Listen for His voice when a situation arises and follow through with a greeting, a smile, a hug, or whatever it is that He is leading you to do. Not only will you change that person’s day, but you will enrich your own as well. Be blessed. ** a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, -- Ecclesiastes 3:3