Shalom,

Today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional by Joseph Prince is EXCELLENT!

The Power of Redeeming Thoughts

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 NLT

What mental movies are you playing in your head today? Are they thoughts of defeat and despair or thoughts of victory and favor? Faith is simply saying what God says about you and seeing what God sees in you and your situation.

It takes a thought to heal a thought. Unlike the world, which teaches you to empty your mind to achieve peace, God’s way is to fill your mind with fresh, powerful, and redeeming thoughts.

The apostle Paul tells us, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8 NLT). So it’s not just trying to blot out bad thoughts with your willpower. It takes a thought to replace a thought. It takes a right belief to replace a wrong belief. You need God’s truth to replace the enemy’s lies that have kept you in bondage.

My friend, if a wrong, bad, or negative thought is lodged in your mind today and you can’t seem to shake it, stop trying! Perhaps you’re lying in a hospital bed and can’t help but think of the worst-case scenario. You’re attempting to suppress it, but it’s not working. Well, stop! Stop trying to erase it from your mind. That just won’t work. What you need to do is replace that destructive thought with a thought that’s from God. That’s the only way to deal with a wrong thought and begin the healing process.

Start to meditate on truths such as, “Surely Jesus has borne my sicknesses and carried my pains. The chastisement for my wholeness fell upon Him, and by His stripes I am healed. With long life He will satisfy me” (Isaiah 53:4–5 and Psalm 91:16). Begin to play mental movies of yourself getting well, being discharged from the hospital, having fun with your kids, or going on a nice holiday!

AMEN! SEE yourself with EVERYTHING that GOD has promised in His Word! Here is Brandon Lake and Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 60 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and THIS is the verse I want to leave you with! 

12 Through God we shall do valiantly, for He it is Who shall tread down our adversaries.

AMEN! It IS by and through HIM that we have any hope at all! Make JESUS your #1 priority and see how HE blesses your life and family! Here is Tauren Wells  with "Take It All Back":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Health Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin!

God’s Word Is Good

Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.  JEREMIAH 1:12

I remember another situation in which I had to act on what the banker said. I needed a car that could pull my trailer up mountainous roads. So I bought a 1955 V8 Chevrolet. Well, I didn’t have the money to buy it. I found a salesman who would let me have it at cost. However, instead of letting me have it at cost, it cost him one hundred and fifty dollars to sell it to me.

So I called from California to Garland, Texas, to speak to my banker. I said, “Mr. Mitchell, I am buying a three-quarter ton pick-up truck.” Then I told him the price.

He said, “Wow! There’s got to be some mistake here.”

So the salesman got on the phone with Mr. Mitchell and said, “I’m staying with the figure I gave him. We made a mistake. We figured it wrong. He’s getting the truck at one hundred and fifty dollars less than what we put in it. But I’m a man of my word. I’m going to stay with what I said. He can have it for that price.”

Mr. Mitchell said, “All right. Just give the pick-up truck to him, and I’ll put the check in the mail for you.” Well, I drove that truck away in fifteen minutes. All the salesman and I had was the banker’s word. And all the banker had was my word. But we just acted on one another’s word and enjoyed the benefits thereof!

I wonder if God’s Word is as good as Mr. Mitchell’s word! I wonder if God’s Word is as good as the car dealer’s word! I wonder if God will back His Word up! I wonder if you can depend on what He said! You have to know that God stands by His Word. Then you won’t be afraid to trust Him.

Confession: I know that God stands by His Word. His Word says that I’m healed, that I’m not sick anymore. So I believe Him. I know that God’s Word works for me.

AMEN! Build your confidence in THE WORD of the LIVING GOD! Remember, HE IS NOT A MAN THAT HE SHOULD LIE! {Numbers 23:19} You can count on it! Here is Seph Schlueter with "Im Counting My Blessings":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional by Joseph Prince!

Submission Releases God’s Favor into Your Life

Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand . . .” 1 Samuel 17:17-18

When God wanted to bring down a mighty giant who was terrorizing the nation of Israel, He sent someone who was weak in the flesh. Think about it. In the eyes of the world, what could be weaker against a trained and fearsome soldier than a young boy who had no formal military training, no armor, was dressed in a humble shepherd’s garb, and did not even carry any real weapons other than a sling and five smooth stones from a brook? It is no wonder that Goliath mocked this young shepherd boy and his strategy. When David stepped into the battlefield, Goliath asked him sarcastically, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” (1 Samuel 17:43).

The implications of this battle were massive. It was not just a duel or contest between two individuals. The Israelites and Philistines had agreed to each send a warrior who would represent their nation. The defeated warrior would commit his entire nation to become servants to the other nation. It would be an understatement to say that a whole lot was riding on this one fight. And who does God send to represent Israel? In natural terms, He sent possibly the most unqualified person onto that battlefield in the Valley of Elah.

David was not even a soldier in the army of Israel! Do you remember how this shepherd boy ended up at the battlefield to begin with? David was there to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers who were in the army (1 Samuel 17:17-20)! And yet, David found himself standing on the battlefield as Israel's representative against the haughty Goliath. From delivering bread and cheese, he was now called upon to deliver the entire nation of Israel.

David was at the right place at the right time because he humbled himself and submitted to his father’s instructions to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers. Beloved, this is something you need to understand. Submission to God-appointed leadership will always cause God's favor to flow in your life, and you will find yourself, like David, at the right place at the right time!

The Bible says that we should not despise the day of humble beginnings (Zecheriah 4:10). There is nothing glamorous about delivering bread and cheese, but David did not despise it. And that put him right in the Valley of Elah, the wind blowing in his hair—a young shepherd boy with no military experience representing the nation of Israel against a mighty giant who was a man of war from his youth.

This is what God loves to do. He loves to take the foolish and weak things to shame the wise and mighty things of the world. So beloved, humble yourself and submit to the authorities that God has placed above you. And when you are faithful to carry out small tasks assigned to you, His favor is released in your life and you might just find yourself doing great exploits for God!

AMEN! (So be it unto me, according to YOUR WORD!) Here is Brandon Lake with "As For Me And My Home":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom.

Today I want to share another great devotionl with you! Here is Joseph Prince with today's "Daily Grace Inspirations":

Practicing The Word 

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. — JAMES 1:22

Your spirit can be developed by four things. We have just examined the first: meditation. Now we will look at the second: practicing the Word. Practicing the Word means being a doer of the Word.

There are talkers about the Word. And even rejoicers about the Word. But we don’t have many doers of the Word.

Begin to practice being a doer of the Word. Under all circumstances, do what the Word of God tells you to do.

Some think that being a doer of the Word is simply keeping the Ten Commandments. No, that’s not what James 1:22 means. After all, under the New Covenant, we have only one commandment — the commandment of love. If you love someone, you won’t steal from him. You won’t lie about him. Paul said that love is the fulfilling of the law. If you walk in love, you won’t break any law that was given to curb sin. So, if you’re a doer of the Word, you will walk in love.

But being a doer of the Word for New Covenant Christians means doing primarily what is written in the Epistles. Those are the letters written to the Church. They belong to us, and we are to do them.

Confession: I am a doer of the Word, not just a hearer only!

AMEN! Here is my favorite new worship song by Brandon Lake called "Rest On Us":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sticking with Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today because it is SO needful!

Practicing The Word

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. — JAMES 1:22

Your spirit can be developed by four things. We have just examined the first: meditation. Now we will look at the second: practicing the Word. Practicing the Word means being a doer of the Word.

There are talkers about the Word. And even rejoicers about the Word. But we don’t have many doers of the Word.

Begin to practice being a doer of the Word. Under all circumstances, do what the Word of God tells you to do.

Some think that being a doer of the Word is simply keeping the Ten Commandments. No, that’s not what James 1:22 means. After all, under the New Covenant, we have only one commandment — the commandment of love. If you love someone, you won’t steal from him. You won’t lie about him. Paul said that love is the fulfilling of the law. If you walk in love, you won’t break any law that was given to curb sin. So, if you’re a doer of the Word, you will walk in love.

But being a doer of the Word for New Covenant Christians means doing primarily what is written in the Epistles. Those are the letters written to the Church. They belong to us, and we are to do them.

Confession: I am a doer of the Word, not just a hearer only!

AMEN! Each one of us must come to a decision to MAKE JESUS LORD of our lives! Her are Hillsong Kids with one of my favorite songs that they did years ago called #1

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is again speaking of US putting GOD and HIS WORD first place!

My Meditation

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. — PSALM 119:97

A minister told me how he’d been trying to make a success of his church. If he heard of a pastor who was doing well, he would visit him and see what kind of program he had. Then he would try to put that man’s program into action in his church — but it never worked. And he’d fly all over the country doing this.

Then the pastor decided he would meditate in the Word the way he’d heard me teach. So he took a little time out each morning to meditate on the Word. He told me that after thirty days of meditating on the Word, one Sunday they had a landslide response. More people were saved than in the previous two or three years; his people were revived— and he began to have good success.

The ministry was this pastor’s life. That’s where he needed to have good success. Your life calling may be different. But it is certainly true that your way can also be prosperous, and you can have good success. Take time to meditate in the Word. Shut yourself in alone with your spirit. Shut the world out.

Confession: I will meditate in God’s Word. I will observe to do what His Word teaches. My way shall be prosperous. I shall have good success in life. I shall know how to deal wisely in the affairs of life. For the Word of God says so.

AMEN! MEDITATE on GOD'S WORD and you will find great WISDOM begin to flow from you! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I had trouble with Blogger for a few days, but it seems to be working now! I will catch up beginning with 8/24!

Here is Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

Day And Night

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. — PSALM 1:2-3

If you ever want to do anything great in life — if you ever want to amount to anything in life — take time to meditate in the Word of God. Start out with at least ten or fifteen minutes a day, and build up.

For many years, I held two services a day while in the traveling ministry. And in earlier years of field ministry, I would teach in the mornings, pray aloud all afternoon, and preach and minister at night. Because I ate only one meal a day during my meetings, I would grow weak expending all this physical energy.

Then the Lord spoke to me. He said, “Don’t spend all that time praying and wearing yourself out for the night service. Lie on the bed and meditate.” When I began to do that, my spiritual growth was greater than ever before.

Well, that’s what God promised: “. . . for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8). I wanted to prosper and have good success in the ministry. But this works whether you are in the ministry, raise cows, or sell automobiles!

Confession: I take time every day to meditate in God’s Word!

AMEN! I am SO glad that this was one of the very first lessons that I learned from the Word of God! MAKE HIS WORD YOUR TOP PRIORITY! HE DOES! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers!

Prayer Choice And Prayer Conflict

When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father which is in secret. — Matthew 6:6

Jesus did not say — “Dream about thy Father in secret,” but “pray to thy Father in secret.” Prayer is an effort of will. After we have entered our secret place and have shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray; we cannot get our minds into working order, and the first thing that conflicts is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is the overcoming of mental wool-gathering. We have to discipline our minds and concentrate on wilful prayer.

We must have a selected place for prayer and when we get there the plague of flies begins — This must be done, and that. “Shut thy door.” A secret silence means to shut the door deliberately on emotions and remember God. God is in secret, and He sees us from the secret place; He does not see us as other people see us, or as we see ourselves. When we live in the secret place it becomes impossible for us to doubt God, we become more sure of Him than of anything else. Your Father, Jesus says, is in secret and nowhere else. Enter the secret place, and right in the centre of the common round you find God there all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "I Know A Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "From Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland!

No Consolation Prize

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4

I talk a lot about faith. But there’s another force that goes along with it that’s just as important. It’s patience—the ability to stand fast on the Word of God even when your victory seems slow in coming.

Patience is not automatic. It won’t go to work unless you let it go to work. So many people don’t understand that. They somehow think faith and patience will go to work for them without their help. They just let the devil tear their lives apart and then they say silly things like, “Well, I guess God sent that trial to strengthen my faith.”

Don’t you ever get caught saying that!

In the first place, James says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God...” (James 1:13). And in the second place, that trial isn’t going to make your faith stronger. In fact, it’ll destroy it if you’ll let it.

If I were to give you a set of weights, would that set of weights make you any stronger? No. As a matter of fact, if you dropped one of them on your foot, you could end up painfully weaker. It’s what you do with them that counts, right?

Well, the same thing is true when you run into some kind of trying circumstance the devil’s brought your way. If you just lie down and let it run over you, it will damage you. But if you’ll let patience have her perfect work, if you’ll remain consistently constant, trusting in and relying confidently on the Word of God, you’ll end up perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

“Wanting nothing.” That phrase alone should convince you that patience is no consolation prize. It’s a first-rate power that will put the promises of God within your reach. It’s a force that will make a winner out of you.

AMEN! Make sure that you are spending time in the Word of God every day! It IS your vital necessity! 

Psalm 70:4 4 May all those who seek, inquire of and for You, and require You [as their vital need] rejoice and be glad in You; and may those who love Your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified! AMP

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another favorit of mine!

Above Only

The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath . . . . — DEUTERONOMY 28:12-13

The reason why Christians continually make mistakes and fail is because their spirits, which should guide them, are kept locked away in prison, so to speak. Even in our churches, the intellect has taken the throne.

Any person who shuts his spirit away and never listens to it becomes crippled in life. He becomes an easy prey to selfish and designing people.

But the person who listens to his spirit is the one who climbs to the top.

Before I began to learn in 1959 how to follow the inward witness, it cost me financially. I had to borrow money to get out of a financial hole. Yet God had said I would have money to loan if I would follow the inward witness. But when I began to follow it, I started rising to the top. And I’ve been rising ever since.

Confession: (Make your own confession from today’s scripture.)

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional!

Love Fulfills the Law

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10

There is a grace revolution going on and it is liberating precious people from the power of sin! The glorious gospel of grace produces glorious, victorious, and holy lives. If you know people who are living in sin and claiming that they are under grace, you know that they are most definitely not living under grace! How can they be when the Bible states that sin shall not have dominion over those who are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14)? The Ten Commandments cannot produce holiness in people. Grace is the power to go and sin no more (John 8:11)!

There are also people who believe that preaching God’s grace gives people a license to sin and endorses licentiousness. That is not what God’s grace does at all! On the contrary, God’s amazing grace transforms a person’s heart and produces true holiness, which isn’t just outward, but also deep, intimate, beginning at the very core of a person’s heart. Holiness is a fruit of God’s grace.

The word “holiness” in the New Testament is the Greek word hagiasmos, which is sometimes translated also as “sanctification.” The moment you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you were justified by faith and made perfectly righteous. You were also made holy or sanctified, which is to be set apart unto the Lord. And as you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, you are progressively transformed into His image from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Now, you cannot be more righteous because you are already 100 percent righteous by Jesus’ blood. But under grace, you can grow in holiness in the way you live your life.

I am all for holiness and I am vehemently against sin. Where I differ from some preachers is in my focus on how we stop the power of sin and help God’s people grow in greater holiness. For many preachers the answer to sin is found in preaching the Ten Commandments. I believe that the answer is found in preaching Jesus and the gospel of grace.

Now, listen carefully to what I am about to say. Under grace, when you experience the love of our Lord Jesus, you will end up fulfilling the law! Under grace, you will end up being holy. Grace produces true holiness! As the apostle Paul boldly proclaims in today’s scripture, “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

When the love of Jesus is in you, you can’t help but fulfill the law. When your heart is overflowing with God’s grace and loving-kindness, you will have no desire to commit adultery or murder, bear false witness, or covet. You will have the power to love your neighbor as yourself. Where does this power come from? From your being firmly rooted and established in the grace of God. You have the power to love, because He first loved you (1 John 4:19 NASB)! This is why the Bible declares that “love is the fulfillment of the law.”

In fact, when God’s people are under grace, not only do they fulfill the letter of the law, but they also exceed it and go the extra mile. For example, the law commands you not to commit adultery, and there are people who can fulfill just the letter of the law and not commit adultery outwardly. However, inwardly, they have no love for their spouses. Grace changes all that. Grace doesn’t just deal with the surface; it goes deeper and teaches a man to love his wife as Christ loved the church.

My friend, Christianity is all about God’s love for you. It is His love for and in you that results in inward heart transformation. Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship. Christianity is not about a list of dos and don’ts; it is about intimacy, love, and a warm, beating heart. First experience and taste the grace of God and His love will surely cause you to live a holy life!

AMEN! Here is Hillsong again with "Love Of God Can Do":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is Oswald Chambers with his "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional.

Self-consciousness

Come unto Me. — Matthew 11:28

God means us to live a fully-orbed life in Christ Jesus, but there are times when that life is attacked from the outside, and we tumble into a way of introspection which we thought had gone. Self-consciousness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of the life in God, and self-consciousness continually produces wrestling. Self-consciousness is not sin; it may be produced by a nervous temperament or by a sudden dumping down into new circumstances. It is never God’s will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him. Anything that disturbs rest in Him must be cured at once, and it is not cured by being ignored, but by coming to Jesus Christ. If we come to Him and ask Him to produce Christ-consciousness, He will always do it until we learn to abide in Him.

Never allow the dividing up of your life in Christ to remain without facing it. Beware of leakage, of the dividing up of your life by the influence of friends or of circumstances; beware of anything that is going to split up your oneness with Him and make you see yourself separately. Nothing is so important as to keep right spiritually. The great solution is the simple one — “Come unto Me.” The depth of our reality, intellectually, morally and spiritually, is tested by these words. In every degree in which we are not real, we will dispute rather than come.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is Jerry Savelle Ministries with their devotional for today!

Words – They Matter!

Words play an such important factor in determining whether or not you will live in the fullness of the Blessing or not. And if you want to live in the fullness of the Blessing, then you need to begin to confess it with your mouth.

Why is it so important to confess with your mouth that you live in the fullness of the Blessing? Why do you need to agree with God?

Because what you say out of your mouth matters. God knows it and the devil knows it. That is why the devil has worked so hard to deceive us into believing that what we say doesn’t matter. Remember that saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

The truth is that words can hurt you. The Bible even says they can bring death.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

If you are going to agree with God that you are living in the fullness of the Blessing, then you can’t agree with the devil (by speaking your circumstances) at the same time. That’s called mingled seed (Leviticus 19:19).

I am not saying to pretend that negative things are not happening. I am not saying to just pretend that your electric bill isn’t due or that your mortgage isn’t due. I am not saying to pretend that sickness and disease do not exist or that marital problems don’t exist. What I am saying is that pretending is not faith. Faith doesn’t pretend. Faith believes. Faith attacks. And faith is now.

No matter what you are going through, your situation does not change the Word of God. What will change your situation is when you get your words in line with THE Word, and THE Word says that you are blessed and highly favored!

AMEN! Find out exactly what GOD says about you and then NEVER allow yourself to forget that! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this song of PRAISE and WORSHIP with you from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan in Psalm 47!

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 O clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy!
2 For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
5 God has ascended amid shouting, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding.
8 God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne.
9 The princes and nobles of the peoples are gathered together, a [united] people for the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

THIS is a powerful psalm/song that brings all GLORY to our GREAT GOD and puts the devil on the run! And here is with Hillsong another one that does the same thing! "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers!

Does He Know Me?

He calleth…by name. — John 10:3

When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (John 20:17). It is possible to know all about doctrine and yet not know Jesus. The soul is in danger when knowledge of doctrine outsteps intimate touch with Jesus. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine was no more to Mary than the grass under her feet. Any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could not ridicule out of her was the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her; yet His blessings were nothing in comparison to Himself. Mary “saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus”; immediately she heard the voice, she knew she had a past history with the One who spoke. “Master”!

When I have stubbornly doubted? (John 20:27). Have I been doubting something about Jesus — an experience to which others testify but which I have not had? The other disciples told Thomas that they had seen Jesus, but Thomas doubted — “Except I shall see…, I will not believe.” Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches come, or how they come, we do not know; but when they do come they are indescribably precious. “My Lord and my God”!

When I have selfishly denied Him? (John 21:15-17). Peter had denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses, and yet after the Resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. He restored him in private, then He restored him before the others. “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.”

Have I a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one sign of discipleship is intimate connection with Him, a knowledge of Jesus Christ which nothing can shake.

AMEN! We ALL have had our moments when we were weaker in our faith than other times. THIS is because we are HUMAN! Instead of getting down on yourself, get back up and get right back in fellowship with the ONE Who loves YOU more than anyone else ever could! Here is Hillsong with "Love of God Can Do":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share our devotional from The Spoken Word Church website! 

Run Toward God

Things happen in the presence of God that do not happen anywhere else. When you get in His presence, you think differently. You talk differently. You act differently. Your best comes out of you.

So get started today. Like any damaged product, we must return to our manufacturer for repair.

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."(John 6:37)

AMEN! THIS is the KEY to really grwoing up in the things of GOD! Pour yourself into KNOWING HIM! it will be the one of the greatest decisions you will ever make! Here is Brandon Lake wtih "Plans":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers:

Chastening

Despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. — Hebrews 12:5

It is very easy to quench the Spirit; we do it by despising the chastening of the Lord, by fainting when we are rebuked by Him. If we have only a shallow experience of sanctification, we mistake the shadow for the reality, and when the Spirit of God begins to check, we say — “Oh, that must be the devil.”

Never quench the Spirit, and do not despise Him when He says to you — “Don’t be blind on this point any more; you are not where you thought you were. Up to the present I have not been able to reveal it to you, but I reveal it now.” When the Lord chastens you like that, let Him have His way. Let Him relate you rightly to God.

“Nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him.” We get into sulks with God and say — “Oh, well, I can’t help it; I did pray and things did not turn out right, and I am going to give it all up.” Think what would happen if we talked like this in any other domain of life!

Am I prepared to let God grip me by His power and do a work in me that is worthy of Himself? Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me, and He has to get me into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost I will let Him sanctify me wholly.

AMEN! NEVER give up on YOURSELF! Keep continually in the Word of God and in time spent with HIM! Here are Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this excellent devotional from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations"

The Whole Armor of God

. . .above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:16–18

Today I would like to share with you how each piece of the armor of God found in Ephesians 6 is actually a weapon of right believing by which we experience His victory over the devil’s mind games.

Let’s look first at the piece of armor the Bible calls the shield of faith with which to defend yourself and stand strong when the enemy comes against you with thoughts of fear, doubt, and confusion.

In apostle Paul’s time, a shield referred to the huge shield that was used by the Romans, which was as big as a door! See your faith as a mighty shield and picture this—as long as your shield of faith is up, you are untouchable. No matter how many fiery darts the devil may pitch at you, ALL of them shall be quenched. Too many Christians are taking up the shield of doubt and quenching the blessings of God instead. Don’t let that be you—face your future with boldness with the mighty shield of faith.

Another area the devil likes to attack in your mind is the area of your salvation. When you come under attack, apart from the shield of faith, be sure to have on the helmet of salvation. The word “salvation” comes from a beautiful Greek word soteria, which definitely includes eternal life, but is an all-encompassing word that means deliverance (from your enemies, diseases, depression, fears, and all evils), preservation, safety, and salvation. So put on the helmet of salvation by meditating on Jesus, and be filled with God’s wholeness, protection, healing, and soundness. Let His soteria insulate your mind against the enemy’s lies.

Lastly, you have also been equipped with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Wield the sword of the Spirit by praying in the Spirit and speaking out God’s “now word” into your situation. Declare His promises and the truth of His grace over yourself and your circumstances to guard your heart against thoughts of hopelessness, despair, and fear.

My friend, the whole armor of God has everything to do with what you believe in Christ. When you believe rightly about His grace and His finished work, every evil strategy the enemy has against you will surely fail. So be strong in the Lord’s love for you. Believe that God is for you and not against you. His truth, His righteousness, His faith, His gospel, His salvation, His Word, and His Spirit are all weapons of right believing to overcome all the devil’s attacks.

AMEN! DARE to BELIEVE all that GOD has promised in HIS WORD! Now go get what belongs to YOU from HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 42 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I LOVE verse 11!

11 Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

THAT is to be our continual response to the Word of God!  PRAISE should fill the atmosphere of our hames just as it fills the very atmosphere of HEAVEN! Let's practice  PRAISE and WORSHIP as our life style! Here, to help you with that, is Brandon Lake and Cece Winans with "I Know A Name":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

Today I want to share Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" deovtional with you!

Ther Importance Of Truthfulness

speaking the truth in love.   — Ephesians 4:15

Being truthful with others is one of the most important qualities the Lord has taught me over the years. Ephesians 4:15 tells us we are to “speak the truth in love.”

As the leader of our ministry, I expect my team to be honest with me and to speak truthfully. Even if I don’t always like what they say, their honesty guarantees a clear and truthful relationship between us.

However, if someone on my staff were to tell me one thing and then tell a fellow employee something entirely different, it would create distrust between that staff member and me. If that happened, I wouldn’t know whether I could really count on that team member to be honest with me.

This is precisely what the Bible is talking about when it says that those chosen to be deacons cannot be “double tongued” (see 1 Timothy 3:8). The Greek word for “double-tongued” is dilogos, and it means, two-worded. It presents the picture of someone who says one thing to one person about a situation, but then says something altogether different about it to someone else. This “double tongued” individual is either inconsistent in what he tells people, or he is just simply dishonest.

Sometimes this characteristic of being “double tongued,” or two-worded, indicates that a person is a people pleaser. He wants everyone to like him, so he agrees with whomever he is with at the moment. This person may be concerned that if he takes an opinion contrary to his immediate audience, he will lose favor or influence with them. So instead of speaking his true convictions in an attitude of love, he finds himself violating his conscience. Beyond just remaining silent if he doesn’t agree with something that others say, he actually verbalizes agreement with those in his presence, knowing that what he says is not really what he believes.

This trait of being double tongued is a serious character flaw. And the Bible is very strong in telling us that a person who possesses this trait should not be used in leadership. A leader who tells the pastor, “I believe you’re right” and then tells the church members, “I believe the pastor is missing it this time” is not being a blessing to the pastor. In the end, he creates confusion and suspicion.

It’s a blessing to always know where I stand with a person and to never wonder if that individual really means what he or she says. When I can always count on a person to tell me exactly what he or she thinks, a foundation of trust can be established that is very important if we’re going to build a long-term relationship in the ministry.

My team is very honest with me. Because they are honest with me, I trust them incredibly. I know I can depend on their straightforward, truthful responses. Denise and I are visionaries — we are “idea people”! But we need the perspective of others to help us see all the details that must accompany a vision in order to bring it to pass. We need their honest input in our lives. That’s why God sent us our team.

Please remember on this subject of truthfulness that we are called to speak the truth in love — not to “bludgeon” each other in the way we communicate what’s on our minds! We must ask God to teach us how to present the truth in a manner that makes it easier to receive.

One reason that truth is rejected is the inappropriate way it is sometimes packaged. When truth comes bundled with harsh tones of judgment, criticism, and condemnation, it can cause the recipient to put up a wall of defense as a safeguard against the attack. But when truth comes wrapped in patience, tenderness, and love, it is much easier to receive.

This does not mean honesty is always easy. Taking the path of truthfulness can be very difficult. However, it is always the clearest and most noble path to take.

Sometimes the biggest challenge we face in this area isn’t speaking the truth; it is speaking the truth in love, as Ephesians 4:15 commands. So let’s look in greater detail at the manner in which we are to speak truthfully with each other.

In my own experience, I’ve learned that the truth in itself isn’t as hard to hear as the wrong way in which it is sometimes spoken. I think you know that cold water thrown in your face would not be a very enjoyable experience. In fact, it may be such a chilling encounter that you become tempted to respond in kind and throw water right back!

When you are required to confront someone and speak the truth, remember the principle of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you (see Matthew 7:12). In other words, be mindful to speak the truth in love to that other person as you would want to have truth spoken in love to you. Ask yourself this question: How would I want the truth spoken to me?

Brutally?
Harshly?
Impatiently?
Kindly?
Gently?
Humbly?

If you’re in a situation in which you must confront someone with the truth, imagine how you would respond to that same truth if it were being presented to you. Then try to picture what would help you receive it in the easiest way that would bring growth to your life and be a blessing. As you ponder these ideas, what you discover will create a path for you to follow to speak the truth in love into someone else’s life. As you follow that path, you will most likely end up treating that other person correctly — with dignity and respect — as you tell him or her what you perceive to be the truth.

If you are the one in charge in your family, ministry, or organization, you must set the example by being truthful with the people who live, serve, and work under you. When you are truthful, people will know you are being straight with them. Even if they don’t like everything you say, they will know they can always depend on you to tell the truth when they need to hear it and not “fudge” about it. If you are truthful, you will set the standard for integrity, truthfulness, and trust among all the members of your team.

Certainly, my own teams in Russia and the United States have many areas in which we can grow more. I’m not claiming that we carry out speaking the truth in love perfectly, but we sincerely attempt to walk honestly and openly with one another. I need what my team members have to impart to me — and they need what I have to impart to them! I personally count these people very valuable in my life and ministry. I want to do everything I can do to obey God in my attitude and conduct toward them — and that includes speaking the truth in love.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I have to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional again!

What My Heart Says

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth . . . . — DEUTERONOMY 8:18

I knew a man down in East Texas whose family was so poor that he didn’t have a pair of shoes until he was twelve years old. He had only a fifth grade education. But way back when money was money, he had two million dollars. He made his money in investments.

Two people who had been frequent guests in his home told me that he had said, “In many years of investing, I’ve never lost a dime.”

Here’s how he did it. He told my friend, “When someone comes with an idea and wants me to invest in something, my first reaction is mental. So I have a big closet I go into and pray about it. I wait long enough to hear what my spirit says.

“My head may say, ‘You’d be a fool to invest in that,’ but if my heart says, ‘Go ahead,’ I do. Or, my head may say, ‘You’d better get in on this one,’ while my heart tells me, ‘Don’t do it.’ So I don’t. I don’t pay any attention to my head. I just get in that closet and wait — all night sometimes. And sometimes I’m in and out of it for three days, just praying and reading my Bible, getting quiet so I can hear what my heart says.”

Confession: The Holy Spirit guides me in all the affairs of life. And I listen to what my heart says!

AMEN! Here is another of my favorite worship songs! Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is my favorite 'nugget' for today!

Waiting On God

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. — ISAIAH 40:31

Except for that one time when I got fleeced, I never missed it when I made a change in churches or ministry.

“What did you go by — a fleece?”

No, I went by what the inward witness said. If I had to, I would wait awhile before God. If I had to, I would wait all night long or I might fast a day or so — not that fasting will change God. It won’t.

God never changes. He’s the same before I fast, while I fast, and after I fast. But fasting changes me. The time I would have spent eating, I prayed and waited on God. I would spend more time in the Word. Then my spirit man would become dominant.

So I waited until I knew on the inside of me what God wanted me to do. And I never got fleeced again.

Confession: My spirit is the candle of the Lord. He guides me. He enlightens me. He leads me through my spirit. He leads, first of all, by the inward witness. He also leads by the still, small voice. He is leading. He is guiding. He is directing. I am Spirit-led, Spirit-taught, and Spirit-guided.

AMEN! The more time you spend in fellowship with HIM, the clearer His voicewill become to you! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share "From Faith To Faith" devotional from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland!

Keep Paddling Upstream

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3

Do you really believe that you need to watch over your mouth? Most believers don’t. You can tell that just by listening to their conversations. They profess, for example, to be trusting God concerning their health. But you’re likely to hear them say something like this: “I’m just sure I’m going to get the flu. I get it every year. I’ll be sicker than a dog too, you’ll see....”

Do people like that have what they say?

Oh yes! Check with them a few weeks later and they’ll be quick to tell you that they got just as sick as they said they’d be. But, odds are, if you try to tell them there’s any connection between the words they spoke and the illness they suffered, they’ll look at you as if you were out of your mind.

Of course, if they’d dig in to the Word of God and find out what it has to say about the subject, they’d realize that the words they speak have a tremendous impact on their lives. They’d see that words quite literally determine their future. If you’re a born-again believer, you’ve already experienced the most powerful example of that. You believed with your heart and confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus and you changed the eternal course of your life. You know firsthand just how powerful your words can be.

Yet, even so, if you’re like me, you still find that speaking faith-filled words consistently is tough to do. I’ve been at it myself for many years now and, despite all the time I’ve spent on it and all the experiences I’ve had, it’s still something I have to watch all the time.

You see, the world around you is in negative flow. Like a rushing river, it’s always pulling at you, trying to get you to flow with it. Living by faith and speaking words of faith is like trying to paddle upstream. You can do it—but it’s a great deal of work. And there’s never a time you can afford to take a vacation from it. All you have to do is relax a little bit and you’ll just start drifting right back down the river.

Make the decision right now to set a watch over your lips. Determine to consistently fill your mouth with the Word of God. “Attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings” (Proverbs 4:20). Let God’s Word be your watch and everything you say will take you a little farther upstream!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Pslam 37 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I really appreciate verses 1-6!

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness (that which is not upright or in right standing with God). 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. 6 And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday.

I hope that you will get these PROMISES and INSTRUCTIONS inside of you so that YOU can walk in obedience to the Word of God and HE can carry His promises out for YOU! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional!

The Cross In Prayer

At that day ye shall ask in My name. — John 16:26

We are too much given to thinking of the Cross as something we have to get through; we get through it only in order to get into it. The Cross stands for one thing only for us — a complete and entire and absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is nothing in which this identification is realized more than in prayer.

“Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” Then why ask? The idea of prayer is not in order to get answers from God; prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God. If we pray because we want answers, we will get huffed with God. The answers come every time, but not always in the way we expect, and our spiritual huff shows a refusal to identify ourselves with Our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove God answers prayer; we are here to be living monuments of God’s grace.

“I say not that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you.” Have you reached such an intimacy with God that the Lord Jesus Christ’s life of prayer is the only explanation of your life of prayer? Has Our Lord’s vicarious life become your vital life? “At that day” you will be so identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.

When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to fix the blame on someone else. That is always a snare of Satan. You will find there is a reason which is a deep instruction to you, not to anyone else.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations":

Selah Moments

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:1–3

As you read what happened to David as he cried out to God in the verses above, notice the selah in the psalm. You will find such “selah moments” throughout David’s psalms. That means David paused . . . and listened.

In those moments, David turned his eyes from his troubles and looked to his God. In those moments, I believe he remembered afresh that he did not have to fight his battles because the Lord of hosts fought for him (1 Samuel 17:45–47). He remembered afresh the God who had delivered him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, the God who overcame Goliath without sword or spear. And as he looked to the Lord, he strengthened himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6), and that’s when things started to change.

Change came when he shifted his focus away from his painful and dire circumstances and allowed himself to be absorbed instead in the grace of the Lord, when he paused and tuned in to what the Lord was encouraging him with on the inside. I believe that in those few moments of meditating on God’s goodness and mercy, he heard the Lord say to him, “David, why are you worried about all these people coming against you? I am your shield. I am the glory and the lifter of your head.” That was what brought about David’s turning point in the situation. God’s comfort came to David as he chose to selah.

Does it seem like your enemies have increased and many are rising up against you? Have you been getting one bad report after another from the doctor? Maybe they have found a lot more to be concerned about than you were previously aware of. And now your heart is heavy because it feels like maybe even God can’t help you.

At times like this, do what David did. Selah. Pause and choose to run to the Lord in the presence of your enemies.

When David came back to the psalm, his enemies were still there. But he could rise up and declare, “But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

In your selah moments with the Lord, you will find your turning point and victory. Don’t remain discouraged. Don’t run away from Him. Run to Him and worship Him.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Plans":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from Jerry Savelle Ministries!

Flood Your Mind

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal.”

The most successful people in the world are those who have the ability to perceive what is possible, even when it looks impossible. They look beyond the obstacle blocking their success and they recognize that through perseverance, they will ultimately be victorious.

You’ve got to be able to see beyond your circumstances right now. You have to develop the ability to see the impossible no matter what your mind is telling you. You have to cast down negative thoughts daily. When you wake up, the thoughts are going to be there. Shut them up. When you lie down at night, those thoughts will try to return. You have to look beyond what Satan is trying to tell you and see God doing the impossible in your life.

You must make a decision that you are going to do whatever it takes to win the battle in your mind – in your thought life. Wake up praising God. Let that be the first thing that comes out of your mouth. Shut the devil up just as soon as your eyes open.

Remember, you can’t only cast down negative thoughts, you have to replace them with the Word of God. You must flood your mind with the Word. Begin listening to faith-building messages while you’re getting dressed and while you’re driving to work. Faith comes by hearing the Word, and we know that our faith is what enables us to overcome the world (1 John 5:4).

The more you flood your mind with God’s Word, guard what comes out of your mouth and cast down every negative thought, the sooner you will be living a victorious life!

AMEN! We MUST train our thinking to agree with GOD and HIS WORD! THAT is the key to GREAT SUCCESS! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin  is another of my favorites!

Faith — Not Sight

For we walk by faith, not by sight. — 2 CORINTHIANS 5:7

Smith Wigglesworth said something that blessed me when I first read it way back in the late thirties, because it was so in line with my own experience. He said:

“I am not moved by what I feel.
I am not moved by what I see.
I am moved only by what I believe.”

Then he went on to say:

“I can’t understand God by feelings.
I can’t understand the Lord Jesus Christ by feelings.
I understand God by what the Word says about Him.
I understand the Lord Jesus Christ by what the Word
says about Him. He is everything the Word says He is.”

You will not be able to understand yourself by feelings. Instead, understand yourself as a born again, Spirit-filled Christian, by what the Word of God says about you.

And when you read what the Word says about you, whether you feel like it or not, say, “Yes, that’s me. I have that. The Word says I have that. I can do what the Word says I can do. I am what the Word says I am.”

As you do this, you will begin to develop spiritually.

Confession: I walk by faith and not by sight. (Now make Wigglesworth’s confession, your confession.)

AMEN! NEVER be intimidated by the defeated devil! JESUS has won FOR US the VICTORY! Let's enforce it! Here is Tauren Wells with "Take It All Back":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 32 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and I LOVE some of these verses! Verses 1-2:

1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

JESUS, Who had never sinned Himself, BECAME sin with OUR sin! He shed HIS BLOOD as the payment for OUR REMPTION! So receive your BLESSING and REJOICE continually in HIM! Be DOERS of verse 11!

11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another favorite!

Mountain And Valleys

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ . . . . — 2 CORINTHIANS 2:14

I hear people talk about being in the valley, and then on the mountain, and then back in the valley again. To tell the truth about it, I don’t know what they’re talking about. I’ve been saved since 1933, and I’ve never been anywhere but on the mountaintop!

You don’t have to get down in the valley. People talk about their “valley experiences.” I’ve never had any valley experiences. Oh, yes, there have been tests and trials — but I was on top of the mountain, shouting my way through it all, living above it. Praise God!

You see, those who say they’re in the valleys are looking at life from the natural standpoint — from the physical. They are trying to get a spiritual answer from the physical — and you just can’t do that.

Years ago, when I came among Pentecostal people after having been a Baptist, I’d hear them talk about “going through the valley.” And when I didn’t know what they were talking about, they’d look at me and say, “Your time’s a-coming!” Thank God, it never has arrived!

No! Get off the negative and get on the positive side of life — and you won’t have any valleys. You’ll always be on the mountaintop!

Confession: Thanks be to God, who ALWAYS causes me to triumph in Christ! I ALWAYS triumph! I live on the mountaintop!

AMEN! JESUS paid the price for our NEW LIFE, so let's LIVE IT! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional on The Spoken Word Church website is simple and very powerful!

Expect Your Miracle

Expectation is acting as if your miracle has already happened. Organize your life around your expected miracle. Plan it. Talk it. Believe it.

Expectation qualifies you for receivership. It separates you. It transfers you from the masses who need miracles to the chosen who receive them.

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

AMEN! NEVER let go of your expectancy! HE want to bless YOU more than YOU want to recieve those blessings! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from Rick Renner's website! 

Let It Go!

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering…  — Colossians 3:12

Let me challenge you today: Set aside some quality time to be alone with God and make this specific request of Him: “Father, I ask You to show me what areas of my life need to be adjusted so they more accurately represent the attitude of Jesus Christ.” And as you begin a search with that question in your heart, I suggest that you begin with Colossians 3:12, where Paul described the Christ-like attitudes we need to implement in our lives.

Paul wrote, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.” Paul’s choice of wording for each character trait is very specific, so let’s take time today to deconstruct them to better discern his exact meaning of each one.

To begin, I want to focus on the phrase “bowels of mercies,” which sounds very strange in today’s vernacular but conveys a powerful message. It is a translation of two Greek words, splagnon and oiktirmos. The word splagnon refers to the inner organs of a human body, or more specifically, the bowels, and the word oiktirmos denotes compassion or a deeply felt urge to help relieve some kind of pain or sorrow.

Before I elaborate further on the Greek word splagnon (“bowels”), I must ask you to pardon me in advance for being so blunt with my explanation. However, it is important to consider the function of bowels in order to understand the reason why that word is used in connection with “mercy” and “compassion” in the New Testament.

Physically, when your bowels move, you feel it deeply. When the process is done, the bowels have made a physical deposit and rid the body of human waste. The purpose of these feelings, however, is not superficial — they are a sign that the intestines are working to push waste through the system and out of the body.

Thus, by using the word splagnon, Paul was saying that deep feelings of compassion should do more than merely provoke pity for a person’s situation; they should spur you to action. When these feelings begin to well up deep within your spirit, you must surrender to them and let them work through your inner man until they manifest through your words and actions. As you do this, God’s Spirit simultaneously works through you to reach out and make a spiritual deposit into those who are suffering, sorrowful, or going through a difficult time in their lives. To feel that inner pain without taking any action simply produces no benefit.

It’s interesting to note that “bowels of mercies” is the very first Christ-like attitude that Paul listed in Colossians 3:12. Throughout the four gospels, the Greek words splagnon and oiktirmos are frequently used together to describe moments when Jesus was “moved with compassion.” The Bible tells us that when Jesus experienced this feeling, compassion flowed from deep inside Him to help multitudes, heal the sick, or otherwise demonstrate God’s kindness to people who were in need (see Matthew 14:14-21; 15:32-38; 20:34; Mark 1:41,42; 6:34-44; 8:2-9; Luke 7:13-15). By listing this quality first, Paul was urging us not to focus on our own needs but rather to turn our attention outward to others who are in trouble and allow our hearts to feel their pain until we are inwardly touched !

Is there someone you know who needs a touch of God’s compassion? That divine compassion is deposited deep inside your spirit, and if you will yield to it, it will flow from the deepest part of your being to heal, change, deliver, and bring relief to that person in need. So I exhort you: Please don’t shut off your bowels of compassion! If you sense the urge growing and building inside your spirit to alleviate another person’s pain, let that compassion flow and bring him or her the delivering power of God.

The next attitude Paul told us to put on in Colossians 3:12 is “kindness.” This is a translation of the Greek word chrestotes, which means to show kindness or to be friendly to others. In Greek history, it often depicted rulers, governors, or others in positions of leadership and authority who were kind, mild, and benevolent to their subjects. Anyone who demonstrated this quality of chrestotes was considered to be compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, humane, kind, and gentle. Elsewhere in Scripture, the apostle Paul used this word chrestotes to depict God’s incomprehensible kindness for people who are unsaved (see Romans 11:22; Ephesians 2:7; Titus 3:4). One scholar has noted that when the word chrestotes is applied to interhuman relationships, it conveys the idea of being adaptable to others.

When chrestotes is working in a believer, that believer strives to become adaptable to the needs of those around him rather than harshly requiring everyone else to adapt to his own needs and desires. This is so contrary to the flesh, which says, “Excuse me, but if you don’t like me the way I am, that’s tough! This is the way I am, and if you don’t like it, you can just get out of here. I’m not changing for anyone!”

When the Holy Spirit produces “kindness” in you, your entire mode of thinking will change. You’ll begin to ask people, “How can I be different for you? Is there any way I can change that will help you? Is there anything I can do better for you? How can I serve you to meet your needs more effectively?”

When you become adaptable to meet the needs of other people, a supernatural work of God takes place in your heart, and you grow substantially in your spiritual walk as a result. If this kindness hasn’t started to work in you yet, today would be a great day for you to ask the Holy Spirit to start producing this Christ-like attitude in your life!

Paul continued in Colossians 3:12 by urging us to allow “humbleness of mind” to develop in our lives. The Greek word used here is tapeinophrosune, a compound of the words tapeinos and phronos. The word tapeinos is translated humility, and it depicts the attitude of one who is humble, lowly, and willing to stoop to any level that is needed. The word phronos simply means to think. When these two words are compounded, as in this verse, the new word portrays the attitude of someone who is unassuming and not self-promoting. It suggests a person who is modest and unpretentious.

Does “humbleness of mind” operate in your life? Jesus was known for stooping to the level of everyone around Him in order to minister life to them. Had He seen Himself as “better” or “more deserving” than others, He never would have died on the Cross for you and me. Kindness is also a Christ-like attitude that the Holy Spirit strongly desires to produce in all of our lives. Is it working in you right now, or is this an area in which you need to allow the Holy Spirit to work more deeply in your character?

In this remarkable list of Christ-like attitudes found in Colossians 3:12, Paul next mentioned “meekness.” Most people assume that if a person is meek, he must be weak. However, this is a grossly incorrect view of the word “meekness.” In reality, “meekness” is one of the strongest attributes a person can possess, because it refers to a unique strength that dramatically impacts everyone it touches. In fact, in the ancient world, meekness was considered to be a high and noble ideal that people aspired to attain in life!

The word “meekness” is the Greek word prautes, which describes a person who is forbearing, patient, and slow to respond in anger or a strong-willed person who has learned to submit his will to a higher authority. This isn’t a weak person; it’s a controlled person. A meek individual may possess a firm will and a powerful character, and he may have his own strong opinions. However, he has fundamentally learned how to bring his will under control. When confronted by an injurious situation, a meek person doesn’t react with a rash or angry outburst, flying into a rage and throwing a temper tantrum. Instead he responds with kindness, gentleness, mildness, or even friendliness.

In rare instances, the word prautes (“meekness”) was used in Classical Greek literature to describe wild animals that had become tame because the word correctly conveys the idea of a wild, fierce will being brought under control. Thus, the meaning of this word extends to the idea of an individual who remains in control of himself in the face of insults or injuries. In the Greek language, the word prautes also conveys the idea of a high and noble ideal to be aspired to in one’s life.

In addition, the word prautes was used in a medical sense to denote soothing medication to calm the angry mind. Thus, we see that a meek person doesn’t project the countenance of one who is offended, upset, angry, or reactive to insults or injuries. Instead, his response is so gentle and mild that it acts as a soothing medicine for an angry or upset soul in an unsettling situation.

The flesh loves to rage out of control, but “meekness” makes you careful and controlled even in difficult circumstances. Instead of flying into a rage and throwing a temper tantrum at every perceived slight, you’re able to remain silent and keep your emotions and temper in check. Your very presence will become God’s soothing medication for angry, upset people, and you will impart peace to situations that previously were unsettling and unstable. And if you find yourself in a situation that you fiercely believe is wrong, you’re still able to remain silent until the appropriate moment to speak or until you’ve been asked for your opinion. You know how to control yourself and your emotions.

Last in Paul’s list of Christ-like attitudes is the word “longsuffering.” This is a translation of the Greek word makrothumia, which is a compound of the words makros and thumos. The word makros indicates something that is long, distant, far, or remote. The word thumos is often translated anger, but it also embodies the idea of a strong and growing passion about something. When the two words are compounded, they form the word makrothumia, which refers to the patient restraint of anger, longsuffering, forbearance, or patience.

The idea of makrothumia, or “longsuffering,” can be compared to a candle with a very long wick that allows it to burn for a long time. In a similar way, a person who is longsuffering is ready to forbear and patiently wait for people to “come around,” listen to counsel, make progress, and ultimately implement change in their lives. Walking in makrothumia is a part of our Christian responsibility. We have an obligation before God not to be short-tempered with people who struggle or fail. Instead, we are to forbear with them and help them succeed!

Long suffering is so different from the way the flesh wants to react. Flesh gets easily angered, blows up, loses its temper, says things it later regrets, and doesn’t want to give the same mercy it demands from others. That is the exact opposite of the response God wants us to have when facing difficult situations. In fact, He commands us to make long suffering a key characteristic in our lives!

This one verse holds so much insight into the question that we need to answer before God: What areas of my life need to be adjusted so they more accurately represent the attitude of Jesus Christ? Any or all of these qualities we discussed above may represent some of those areas that need to be adjusted in our lives. The good news is that the Holy Spirit lives in us, and each character trait discussed today is a fruit He wants to produce in our lives. All He needs is our cooperation.

So I encourage you: Make the decision today to yield to the Holy Spirit on a continual basis, and allow Him to produce these Christ-like attitudes inside you!

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in  Him!