Shalom,

Today I want to share with you our partner, Rick Renner's, extraordinary, interpretive translation of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8!

The following is an expanded interpretive translation of  First Corinthians 13:4-8

“Love patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed;

Love doesn’t demand others to be like itself; rather, it is so focused on the needs of others that it bends over backwards to become what others need it to be;

Love is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with itself that it never thinks of the needs or desires that others possess;

Love doesn’t go around talking about itself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make it look more important in the sight of others;

Love does not behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner;

Love is not rude and discourteous–it is not careless or thoughtless, nor does it carry on in a fashion that would be considered insensitive to others;

Love does not manipulate situations or scheme and devise methods that will twist situations to its own advantage;

Love does not deliberately engage in actions or speak words that are so sharp, they cause an ugly or violent response;

Love does not deliberately keep records of wrongs or past mistakes;

Love does not feel overjoyed when it sees an injustice done to someone else but is elated, thrilled, ecstatic, and overjoyed with the truth;

Love protects, shields, guards, covers, conceals, and safeguards people from exposure;

Love strains forward with all its might to believe the very best in every situation;

Love always expects and anticipates the best in others and the best for others

Love never quits, never surrenders, and never gives up;

Love never disappoints, never fails, and never lets anyone down.”

AMEN! POWERFUL! Here is Brandon Lake with "Talking To Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is a very encouraging post that remind us of how very GOOD our wonderful GOD is and how very much HE deserves ALL of the praise, honor and glory!

The Mercy of God

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. —PSALM 107:20

Let’s back up a few verses.

PSALM 107:17–19
17 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are
afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates
of death.
19 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their
distresses.

God said this to the Israelites. He told them, “Walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and I’ll take sickness away from the midst of thee. The rest of your days will be fulfilled” (Exodus 23:25–26). But they were foolish. They sinned and broke their covenant with God. They took themselves out of the protection of God—out of His healing power. Verse 18 says that they drew near to the gates of death. They were almost dead.

Then they cried unto the Lord for help and He saved them! Isn’t God wonderful to help them even though they were foolish enough to sin and do wrong, even though they got outside of His covenant and blessings? The mercy of God is so wonderful! God had mercy on them. He sent His Word and healed them!

Confession: God sent His Word and healed me. Therefore, I no longer have sickness. He sent His Word and healed me.

HALLELUJAH! OUr GOD will do the same for ALL of His children that call onHIM in FAITH! Get into the Word of God and find just what belongs to YOU as part of HIS family! Then go after it! HE is waiting on YOU! Here is Brandon Lake with "Kids":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 118 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. These verses are espcially uplifting:

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

4 Let those now who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is on my side and takes my part, He is among those who help me; therefore shall I see my desire established upon those who hate me.
8 It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

14 The Lord is my Strength and Song; and He has become my Salvation.
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength!
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength!
17 I shall not die but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord.

24 This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, we beseech You, O Lord; send now prosperity, O Lord, we beseech You, and give to us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship].
27 The Lord is God, Who has shown and given us light [He has illuminated us with grace, freedom, and joy]. Decorate the festival with leafy boughs and bind the sacrifices to be offered with thick cords [all over the priest’s court, right up] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You; You are my God, I will extol You.
29 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

I hope that YOU have and continue to GIVE HIM THANKS! That attitude of gratitude will keep you in joy, peace and confidence IN HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

What Do You Want?

Seekest thou great things for thyself? — Jeremiah 45:5

Are you seeking great things for yourself? Not seeking to be a great one, but seeking great things from God for yourself. God wants you in a closer relationship to Himself than receiving His gifts, He wants you to get to know Him. A great thing is accidental, it comes and goes. God never gives us anything accidental. There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want but only what He gives.

If you have only come the length of asking God for things, you have never come to the first strand of abandonment, you have become a Christian from a standpoint of your own. “I did ask God for the Holy Spirit, but He did not give me the rest and the peace I expected.” Instantly God puts His finger on the reason — you are not seeking the Lord at all, you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus says — “Ask, and it shall be given you.” Ask God for what you want, and you cannot ask if you are not asking for a right thing. When you draw near to God, you cease from asking for things. “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” Then why ask? That you may get to know Him.

Are you seeking great things for yourself — “O Lord, baptize me with the Holy Ghost.” If God does not, it is because you are not abandoned enough to Him, there is something you will not do. Are you prepared to ask yourself what it is you want from God and why you want it? God always ignores the present perfection for the ultimate perfection. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy just now; He is working out His ultimate perfection all the time — “that they may be one even as We are.”

AMEN! THAT must be our ONLY motive for seeking HIM! Check yourself and make sure that your desires line up with the Word of God! When they do, nothing and no one can stop what GOD is about to do FOR YOU! HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website for today!

Purify Yourself Before God

You are the offspring of a Holy God. This explains your insatiable appetite to live a holy and pure life.

Sin happens. Don't just cover it up. Bring it to God. Repentance is the golden hinge that opens the door to the next season of your life.

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2)

AMEN! Get into the Word of God and get the Word of God in YOU! Everything we need is found there! Here is Brandon Lake with "Talking To Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another vital lesson for every believer who desires to walk in the promises of God!

Limiting God

Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. . . . . — PSALM 78:41

Can you limit God? The Bible says Israel did. And we have limited Him.
We have limited God with our prayer life.

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, said, “It seems God is limited by
our prayer life. He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks
Him to do it.”

Why is that?

God made the world and the fullness thereof. Then God made man and
gave him dominion over all the works of His hands. Adam was made
the god of this world. However, Adam committed high treason and sold
out to Satan. Then Satan became the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).

God didn’t just move in and destroy Satan. If He had, Satan could have
accused God of doing the same thing he had done. But God devised a
plan of salvation. And He sent His Son, whom Satan could not and did
not touch, to consummate that plan. Through Jesus, God redeemed
mankind!

Now authority has been restored to us through Jesus Christ — and
when we ask God, then He can and will move. That is why it seems He
can do nothing unless someone asks Him to do it.

Confession: I take my place in prayer. I join forces with my Father in carrying out His will upon the

AMEN! Now let every one of us choose to take our rightful place of authority according to the promises of God and REIGN as KINGS in our lives and NOT as those who have no hope! Here is Brandon Lake and Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2".

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. — Revelation 2:5

As we walk with the Lord, there is always a danger that as each of us grows older in our spiritual walk and become more structured, polished, refined, and doctrinally developed, we will slowly start to forfeit the zeal and spiritual fire we once possessed. What we once held as precious has a tendency to seem routine over time, and as we become accustomed to God’s precious Spirit in our lives, too often we unintentionally begin to simply “traffic” in the things of God.

I don’t know a single mature Christian who hasn’t had to fight this temptation, as the reality of the lost condition he or she was delivered from gradually becomes a distant memory. It’s a subtle backsliding that occurs in the very act of serving God.

A good example of this is found in the story of the church of Ephesus, a renowned church in the Roman province of Asia (modern-day western Turkey) that was founded by Paul in the First Century AD. These early believers had come to Christ in a blaze of glory and, from the onset of their congregation, experienced profound demonstrations of God’s power. They witnessed people delivered from idol worship, liberated from evil spirits, and many healed in a myriad of truly miraculous ways. Zealous for Christ, they had burned all their occult books and magical incantations — which were worth a small fortune — thus demonstrating a deep and sincere repentance in their willingness to completely sever their new lives from their pagan past.

In its early years, the church of Ephesus burned like a spiritual inferno. The Ephesian believers’ vibrancy and excitement inspired the same passion in other churches and spiritual leaders throughout the Roman Empire. But as the years passed, the zeal the Ephesian church had once possessed for the things of God slowly ebbed away. Knowledge increased, but the believers’ fiery passion for Jesus seemed to diminish. Undoubtedly, as the church grew, so did its members’ schedules, routines, habits, customs, and traditions. The subtle backsliding that often occurs when Christians become involved in serving God seems to be precisely what happened to this great church. The Ephesian believers were so busy serving Jesus that they lost their intimacy with Him. It is also likely that they experienced a loss of joy in their service, since joy is impossible to maintain without a vital connection to the Savior.

Revelation 2:4 tells us that the Ephesian believers had lost their “first love.” In other words, they had lost the simplicity and passion once associated with their early love for Jesus Christ. This tells us how far they had unintentionally drifted from the fire and zeal that once characterized them. For this reason, Jesus urges them to stop everything they are doing to “remember” the simple but precious relationship they had with Christ before they became so spiritually sophisticated. He says, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation 2:5)

The word “remember” comes from the Greek root mneia. In ancient literature, this word denoted a written record used to memorialize a person’s actions, a sepulcher, statue, monument, or tombstone. It is very significant that the word mneia can be translated a sepulcher. This suggests that the Ephesian believers’ early experiences with Christ had become buried by 30 years of activity. Jesus urged them to dig through all the clutter of their schedules, routines, and activities so they could “remember” their vibrant beginning. Like dirt on a grave, the busyness of ministry had buried what was once precious to them. By using the word “remember” — the Greek word mneia — Jesus implored them to unearth those early times when their faith was tender and new — to dig deep in order to recall and recover their powerful past. Once they remembered, they would be able to see how far they’ve drifted from the vibrancy that once marked their beginnings.

However, the word “remember” (mneia) also refers to a statue or a monument. This tells us that some memories should stand tall in our lives forever and never be forgotten. The purpose of a statue or monument is to put living people in remembrance of a significant historical event or person. That statue or monument is intended to memorialize a historical event or a deceased hero that future generations should never forget.

Statues, monuments, and tombstones are made of metal or stone; therefore, they endure many years without human effort. But memories must be deliberately maintained and cultivated if they are to remain vital in our hearts and minds. And if significant memories are not deliberately passed onto future generations, they become lost under the overgrowth of life, just like a neglected grave with no tombstone. It doesn’t take too long before the location of such a grave to be completely lost. People will walk across it and not even know that the remains of a precious person lay buried beneath their feet.

In the same way, important memories are easily forgotten. Adults forget their childhood; nations forget their heritage; and Christians forget their early beginnings with Jesus. In Revelation 2:5, we discover that churches can forget their past. Years of activity and Christian service can so consume a congregation’s energy and strength that they begin to forget the great work of grace God performed in their hearts. Weariness, busy schedules, and new programs to implement year after year all have the ability to wear down a body of believers — turning all their activity for God’s Kingdom into spiritual drudgery, slowly reducing what was once fresh and exciting into a monotonous, religious routine. Soon the early memories of coming to Christ are buried under an overgrowth of activity and spiritual weeds. Once-thankful people begin to forget how wonderful God’s grace was when it first touched their hearts.

The word translated “remember” is in the present active imperative, which means Jesus wanted the Ephesian believers to be continually mindful of their past. What God had done in their midst was a wonderful memory that needed to be memorialized among them for all generations. And if they took an honest look at themselves and compared their present to their past, they would see what Jesus knew about them — that they were fallen compared to the zeal and the spiritual passion that had once burned in their hearts.

The word “fallen” means a downfall from a high and lofty position. The Greek tense doesn’t describe the process of falling, but rather one who has already completely fallen and who is now living in an already completely fallen state. For the past 30 years, the church at Ephesus had hosted the world’s greatest Christian leaders, experienced the power of God, and become more advanced in spiritual knowledge than any other church of that time. The Christian world looked at this congregation as the ideal church. However, we must never forget that what can be carefully hidden from human eyes can never be concealed from Jesus’ eyes. Hebrews 4:13 tells us that “…all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Christ is often not impressed with the things that impress us. He often sees a different picture than others see. Others may have been impressed with the heritage of the Ephesian church and its roster of famous personalities who passed through its doors — but in Jesus’ eyes, it was “fallen.”

If this illustrious church with its list of remarkable accomplishments could be called “fallen,” it is clear that any church — regardless of its notable beginning or enduring fame — can also be “fallen.” This means one’s past is not a guarantee for the future. If an individual or a church is not completely devoted to doing whatever is necessary to retain spiritual passion, it is likely that over the course of the years, that passion will slowly dissipate, as was the case with the church in Ephesus.

Just as Christ spoke to the congregation at Ephesus, I believe He is compelling us to return to Him and rekindle the fire that once burned so brightly in our hearts. We need to unearth the precious memories of what our walk with Jesus was like at the beginning — and honestly see if we have retained that same passion, or if we’ve let it slip over the passing of time due to schedules, routines, or other reasons. Jesus is calling us. He cries out to everyone who has an ear to hear what He is saying.

Is it possible that Jesus is speaking to you today, asking you to reevaluate the condition of your own spiritual passion?

YES! Holy Spirit is ALWAYS speaking to us, so LISTEN! Then DO what He is leading, guiding and directing YOU  to do! Rewards are waiting! Here is Brandon Lake with "Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website for today!

Avoid Victim Mentality

Any wounded animal attracts attack. Weakness is an invitation to bullies. So, don't talk nor think like a victim of your circumstances. You are more than a conqueror. Act like it. Talk like it. Think like the champion you are. The love of God is keeping you today.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8:35-37)

AMEN! KNOW who you are - IN HIM! KNOW what you have - IN HIM! KNOW what you can do - IN HIM! Your life will never be the same once you develop consistency in these things! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat Of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Forget the Past

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV

Regardless of what may have happened in your past, God has a plan and purpose for your life – and it lies in your future. Even if the path before you appears to be dry, barren, and filled with obstacles, God will make a way for you to fulfill His call. All you have to do is believe Him for the impossible.

Forget about the past, and don’t limit God. Your past doesn’t have anything to do with what God has in store for you in the future. That’s why Paul said, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV).

God wants to do a new thing in your life. And if He wants to do a new thing, my advice is to let Him do it! Look at each new day as another opportunity for God to do extraordinary things in your life. Expect God to do the very things that you could not previously do. Expect those things that people say are rare occurrences to become the norm in your life.

So, stop thinking about the past and allow your thoughts to come into agreement with God’s thoughts. “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).

Confession: I will no longer focus on my past, but will forget what lies behind and set my sights on the future God has for me. God is doing new things in my life, and I will greet each new day with the expectation of His manifest peace, favor, and goodness in my life.

AMEN! Now get ready to BELIEVE and RECEIVE! HE is waiting on YOU! Here is Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 111 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and verse is key getting WISDOM from GOD!

10 The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever.

AMEN! To fear the Lord means to be in awe of HIM for Who He IS as well as what He DOES! Begin to make your praise and worship life more real and heartfelt and you will find your self KNOWING HIM more than ever before! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

My HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY post is a song for you that I LOVE! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Every Breath":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this from today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin:

Taking Your Place

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. — COLOSSIANS 3:1-2

The elevation of the believer to be seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father took place potentially at the resurrection (Ephesians 2:5-6). Meditate on this passage until it becomes real to you. Remember, every heavenly blessing is yours (Ephesians 1:3). But you have to take your place there to enjoy them. The believer whose eyes have been opened to his throne rights in Christ may: (1) Accept his seat, and (2) Begin to exercise the spiritual authority that seating confers on him.

The devil bitterly resents our entrance into his domain. He has been used to exercising authority and ruling over someone’s life, so he will concentrate his forces against us when we come into these mighty truths. And no truth encounters such opposition as the truth of the authority of the believer!

The only place of safety is to be seated with Christ in heavenly places, far above all principality, power, might, and dominion. If the believer abides steadfastly, by faith, in this place, he cannot be touched by the enemy. So take your seat in heavenly places and keep it!

Confession: I set my affection on heavenly facts. I keep myself mindful that I am seated with Christ in heavenly places far above the enemy!

Here is Brandon Lake with "God Is Not Against Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Readiness

God called unto him…and he said, Here am I. — Exodus 3:4

When God speaks, many of us are like men in a fog, we give no answer. Moses’ reply revealed that he was somewhere. Readiness means a right relationship to God and a knowledge of where we are at present. We are so busy telling God where we would like to go. The man or woman who is ready for God and His work is the one who carries off the prize when the summons comes. We wait with the idea of some great opportunity, something sensational, and when it comes we are quick to cry — “Here am I.” Whenever Jesus Christ is in the ascendant, we are there; but we are not ready for an obscure duty.

Readiness for God means that we are ready to do the tiniest little thing or the great big thing, it makes no difference. We have no choice in what we want to do, whatever God’s programme may be we are there, ready. When any duty presents itself we hear God’s voice as Our Lord heard His Father’s voice, and we are ready for it with all the alertness of our love for Him. Jesus Christ expects to do with us as His Father did with Him. He can put us where He likes, in pleasant duties or in mean* duties, because the union is that of the Father and Himself. “That they may be one, even as We are one.”

Be ready for the sudden surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready when God has called! The burning bush is a symbol of everything that surrounds the ready soul, it is ablaze with the presence of God.

*mean: as used here, something or someone ordinary, common, low, or ignoble, rather than cruel or spiteful.

AMEN! Are YOU Ready? My prayer for you is that Holy Spirit will show you how to BE READY and STAY READY for anything and everything that HOD wants YOU to do! Here is UNITED with "Ready Or Not":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional.

Analogy

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. — COLOSSIANS 1:18

Here’s where we believers have missed it! We’ve recognized that Jesus is the Head of the Church, and we’ve exalted Him to His position of Power, all right. But we’ve failed to see that the Head is wholly dependent upon its body for carrying out its plans. We’ve failed to see that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. We’ve failed to see that Jesus has authority over Satan’s power. If this authority is ever exercised, it will have to be exercised through the Body. We’ve been so sure that we couldn’t do anything, that we’ve left everything up to Christ the Head of the Church — and the Head is powerless without the Body.

Take your own physical head as an example. It is powerless to carry out any of its plans without the cooperation of the body. Your head might see a songbook on a rack in front of you, but unless your body cooperates, your head will never be able to sing from that book.

The ministry God wants to accomplish through His Son in this world will be carried out through the Body of Christ. And we — the Body of Christ — have the same authority the Head has!

Confession: The ministry God wants to accomplish through His Son in this world will be carried out through the Body of Christ. I am a member of the Body, and I will exercise my authority!

AMEN! Make sure that YOU are WHERE GOD WANTS YOU TO BE, DOING WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO! Then you can count on HIM to do HIS PART! 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!

The Power of God’s Word

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow. Hebrews 4:12

The Bible declares that the Word of God is the opposite of death—it is living and powerful. No wonder our Lord Jesus, when explaining the parable of the sower, tells us that when the sower sows the Word, “Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15).

Did you notice that the enemy comes immediately? Jesus was referring to the seeds that “fell by the wayside,” but the principle I want you to see is that the enemy wants to steal the Word from our hearts because he does not want you to “believe and be saved” (Luke 8:5, 12).

The devil knows that if you receive the Word and believe it, you will be saved. This is why he will do all he can to stop the Word of God from taking root in your heart. He knows that if it stays long enough, it will be your victory and his defeat!

The word used for saved in the original Greek is the word sozo, which means “to save one from injury or peril; to save a suffering one from perishing, for example, one suffering from disease; to make well, heal, restore to health.”

The enemy knows how potent the Word of God is. Do you?

No matter what channel you use to spend time in His Word, make sure you are well watered with the Word. As you keep yourself drenched and watered with the Word of God, I believe you will unconsciously and effortlessly get stronger and stronger, healthier and healthier.

While the healing you are believing for may not be immediate, believe that it is on its way. If you have been waiting for a while for your healing and you are feeling discouraged, let this promise from God strengthen you:

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” —Isaiah 55:10–11

God’s Word of healing is so powerful that it will not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish His purpose. Maybe you have partaken of the Communion, and you have prayed, but nothing seems to be happening. You may even feel like you are just going through the motions because discouragement has set in. What do you do?

Keep on watering the seed of the Word of God with the rain of His Word. Don’t give up. The harvest is coming!

AMEN! Never give up! GOD is on your side! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 105 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and I LOVE verses 1-5:

1 O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them.
3 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity].
4 Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.
5 [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds that He has done, His miracles and wonders, the judgments and sentences which He pronounced [upon His enemies, as in Egypt].

This is a call to DO this! When the WORD of GOD is telling us to do something specific, it is so that WE can be obedient and be BLESSED! 'Obedience brings BLESSINGS'! Set yourself to always be a DOER of the Word of God! So not, stop and GIVE HIM THANKS! For all that HE has already done, and for all that HE is going to do! You will begin to notice your blessings more than ever before! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The only thing I want to share with you today is a new song by Phil Wickham, taken from an older song called "Awesome God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is another favorite of mine!

What To Do Under The Conditions

Cast thy burden upon the Lord. — Psalm 55:22

We must distinguish between the burden-bearing that is right and the burden-bearing that is wrong. We ought never to bear the burden of sin or of doubt, but there are burdens placed on us by God which He does not intend to lift off, He wants us to roll them back on Him. “Cast what He hath given thee upon the Lord” (rv mg). If we undertake work for God and get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility will be overwhelmingly crushing; but if we roll back on God that which He has put upon us, He takes away the sense of responsibility by bringing in the realization of Himself.

Many workers have gone out with high courage and fine impulses, but with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, and before long they are crushed. They do not know what to do with the burden, it produces weariness, and people say — “What an embittered end to such a beginning!”

“Roll thy burden upon the Lord” (see Psalm 37:5 rv mg) — you have been bearing it all; deliberately put one end on the shoulders of God. “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” Commit to God “what He hath given thee” (rv mg); not fling it off, but put it over on to Him and yourself with it, and the burden is lightened by the sense of companionship. Never disassociate yourself from the burden.

AMEN! Make JESUS YOUR #1 and everything else will fall right into place! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" devotional.

"Miracles Catch People's Attention"

And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. — John 6:2

Today I want to talk to you about miracles and the effect that God’s power has on people’s lives. Throughout our many years of ministry, Denise and I have seen countless miracles, and we learned long ago that miracles always have a profound effect on people! Let me relate to you an example that occurred in the early years of our ministry abroad just after the breakup of the Soviet Union in the year 1991.

During those tumultuous times, that entire region of the world was facing many serious economic struggles. Food supplies were rare; gasoline was almost nonexistent; and medicines and medical supplies were in short supply. Well-trained doctors could diagnose a patient’s sickness, but people remained untreated because no medications were available. In fact, even basic medications such as aspirin were a treasure because they were so hard to obtain.

In the midst of this dismal state of affairs, Denise and I announced on television that we were going to hold a series of miracle services in Riga, Latvia. These would be our first meetings in Latvia, and we wanted to facilitate a powerful demonstration of God’s power in this city. For two weeks prior to those big meetings, we broadcast advertisements for the miracle services many times a day on television. We had no idea what kind of effect the commercials would have, but we prayed that people would come to the meetings to hear the Gospel, receive a miraculous touch from God, and come to personally know Jesus Christ.

The long-anticipated day finally arrived, and we drove to the city to begin our series of meetings. When we arrived at the large rented auditorium, thousands of people were already in line, waiting to get into the building for the meeting. As Denise and I stood on the stage and looked out over the audience in that large hockey arena, we were stunned to see nearly 8,000 people! Many of these were sick people who had no means of obtaining desperately needed medicines and had therefore turned to the power of God as their only hope for physical healing.

Night after night, we saw mighty miracles occur before our eyes. Blind eyes were opened; epileptics were healed; and deaf ears were unstopped. And the greatest miracle of all was the hundreds of people who came forward to give their lives to Jesus at the conclusion of the meetings each night! By the end of that week, more than 7,000 people prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord. Then on the last night of those meetings, we witnessed one of the greatest miracles we have ever seen in our ministry.

Nineteen years earlier, a man in that crowd had become paralyzed from the waist down after falling from the roof of a house. On the first day of the meetings, we saw this man as he hobbled toward the stage on his crutches to give his life to Jesus. On the second day of the meetings, he came to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. On the fourth day, he showed up at the local swimming pool where we were baptizing people, and he was water-baptized. If nothing else happened, his life had already been completely transformed by the power of God.

But on the last night of the meetings, just as we closed the final service, I heard a noise to my left and turned to see what the commotion was all about. This paralyzed man had released his faith and thrown his arms into the air — and as his crutches hit the ground, the lower part of his body had come alive! Now he was standing with no crutches to hold him up.

Because of where the man was seated, the entire crowd turned to watch as he began to take his first steps in nineteen years. He took one step, then another, and then another — and with each step, he moved faster and faster. Soon he was running back and forth all across the front of the vast crowd that was gasping with shock at the miracle they were witnessing. The entire crowd saw this miracle take place!

After that remarkable event, I gave an invitation for the lost, and more people gave their lives to Jesus Christ that night than in any of the other services. Years later, people still recall that amazing miracle, and as a result of that miracle and the other miracles that took place during those meetings, multitudes believed in Jesus. Many of these people hadn’t previously believed in the existence of God at all, but because of these miraculous demonstrations, they gave their lives to Jesus Christ!

God has always used miracles to attract people to Jesus Christ. Many such examples can be found in Scripture, but one of the greatest demonstrations of this truth is recorded in John 6:2, which says, “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.”

The word “great” in this verse is a translation of the Greek word polus, which refers to a great numeric quantity. This tells us that the crowd following Jesus was really huge. In addition, the Greek word for “multitude” is ochlos, which always describes a massive crowd. By using these two words back to back, John was emphasizing that the crowd following Jesus wasn’t simply large — it was an enormously massive group of people!

This verse goes on to tell us that this group of people “followed” Jesus. The Greek word used here denotes continuous, unbroken action. Taking this into account, the first part of this verse could be translated, “And a great multitude kept on following and following and following him.…” You see, there was something about Jesus’ ministry that attracted these throngs of people. They didn’t want to be away from Him, not even for a moment! They just kept on following and following and following Him everywhere He went!

Why was this massive multitude following Jesus? The verse tells us: “…because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The word “because” is the word hoti, and it points to the reason the crowd was following Jesus. It says they were following Him “…because they saw his miracles.…”

I want you to look at the word “saw” in this verse. This word means to be a spectator, to notice, or to watch in full detail. Just as one would sit and watch a play from a seat in the theater, this crowd watched intently to see every miracle Jesus was performing. Like spectators in a theater who are mesmerized by an amazing show, they didn’t want to miss one act in this supernatural performance, so they followed Jesus to get a close-up look at the miracles that were constantly occurring in His ministry.

The verse goes on to say, “…They saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The word “miracles” used here actually comes from the Greek word semeion. In the Greek world of the First Century AD, this word semeion signified the official written notice that announced the final verdict of a court, the signature or seal applied to documents to guarantee their authenticity, or a sign that marked key locations in a city.

Taking this into account, we find these miracles were the final verdict or proof that God was with Jesus. When that crowd saw the miracles, they knew those supernatural acts were God’s stamp of approval on Jesus’ ministry. These superhuman deeds were the guarantee that Jesus was anointed by God. The miracles He performed were like signs that declared, “God is here! You are in the right place!” They were comparable to a signature or a seal that authenticated and guaranteed that God was with Him. That’s why these followers didn’t want to be away from Jesus. They knew Jesus had the stamp of God’s approval!

John 6:2 even gives us an idea of what kind of miracles primarily caught the attention of the crowd. It says, “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The words “he did” come from the Greek word poieo, which often conveys the idea of creativity. This is important because in this context, poieo gives the suggestion of creative miracles. The use of this Greek word implies that extraordinary miracles of a creative nature were regularly occurring and that these miracles in particular were catching the attention of the crowd.

Furthermore, John recorded that Jesus was healing those who were “diseased.” The word “diseased” comes from the Greek word astheneo. This word doesn’t refer to people with minor ailments such as the common cold; rather, it depicts people who are physically frail or feeble due to some bodily condition. Their physical condition is so serious that it has rendered them unable to move about freely. These were feeble, frail, broken people.

However, when Jesus walked the earth, He carried the anointing to heal the sick — and He regularly healed people who were physically frail or feeble due to some bodily condition. The health of these people had deteriorated to the point that they had become weak and frail — but once Jesus touched them, they were restored to health!

Taking all these words into consideration, an interpretative translation of John 6:2 could read:

“A massive multitude continually followed Jesus because they were constantly seeing the mighty signs He was performing on those who were sick. Those whose health was so deteriorated that they were physically frail were recipients of these mighty deeds that authenticated the fact that God was with Jesus!”

Those who followed Jesus during His ministry on this earth knew that something wonderful was always happening. People’s lives were being changed; their health was being restored; and their purpose in life was being renewed. Jesus was the best thing that had ever happened to every person who ever came in contact with Him!

And Jesus is still the best thing that has ever happened to every person who comes in contact with Him today! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), so why don’t you go ahead and believe for miracles to start working in your life as they did in Jesus’ life? When people see those miracles and experience the power of God, it will open their hearts to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Miracles will get their attention, and then you can tell them about Jesus!

Think of the profound effect that a single miracle would have on your circle of friends and the people you know. God wants to work through you! As a believer, you are anointed and commissioned to lay hands on the sick, and you have the right to expect to see those sick people get well. That’s God’s promise in Mark 16:18, so boldly claim it by faith and reach out to let His power operate through you to others!

Having witnessed so many miracles in our ministry, I want to encourage you to believe God for miracles in your own life and in the lives of those around you. When people see and experience the power of God, it makes them want to follow Jesus, just like the crowds who followed Him in John 6:2. Miracles are God’s way of shouting, “I am here and I love you!”

It is sad that many people think Jesus’ miracle-working power is only a thing of the past, because He is the same today as He was then. He is both able and willing now to do the same things He did when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus hasn’t changed. He wants to touch, heal, and restore people. That’s why I want to encourage you to make room in your life for Jesus to perform His miracle-working, life-changing ministry through you!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Miracle Child":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is a great one!

Your Domain

For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). — ROMANS 5:17 (Amplified)

In the time when Paul wrote this, kings reigned over certain countries or domains.

You are to reign in your domain too. This doesn’t mean you’re to reign and rule over other people, but you’re to rule and reign in your life, your dominion. You’re to rule and reign over circumstances, poverty, sickness, disease — everything that would hinder. You’re to reign because you have authority!

How do you have it? Through the One, Jesus Christ.

Don’t let the devil cheat you out of the blessings God intended you should have. God never intended that you should be poverty stricken and destitute. He didn’t intend that the devil should rule and reign over your family and dominate them. Just get angry at the devil. Tell him, “Take your hands off of my children! You’ve got no right here. I’m ruling over this domain!” If he says anything about it, quote him Romans 5:17.

Confession: I reign in my domain. I have the authority to do so. I reign by the One, Jesus Christ. The enemy cannot rule over my family. He cannot rule over me!

AMEN! Here is UNITED with "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Daily Grace Inspiration" devotional by Joseph Prince is what I want to share! 

The Father’s Correction

For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:12 NLT

Let me teach you how to test every doctrine, teaching, and scriptural interpretation. Just ask yourself—how is our Lord Jesus valued in this teaching?

Does it make you want to worship, praise, and glorify the Lord Jesus with your life? Or does it put more value on you and what you have to perform? Does it cause you to be centered on and occupied with the person of Jesus? Or does it cause you to be centered on and occupied with yourself and whether you have failed or succeeded?

Pastor Prince, are you saying that performance is unimportant?

Absolutely not! I am sharing with you that the key to performance comes by the power of His love, grace, and unmerited favor in your life! You will be able to perform when you know you are perfectly loved.

Look at children who are bold, confident, and secure. They come from families that are full of love and affirmation. Families that free them to succeed. These children are not afraid to fail and they stand out in the crowd because they dare to be different for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They dare to say no to the influences of the world. They are not ashamed when their peers mock their Christian values. At the same time, in an environment of love, grace, and affirmation, the child’s parents are also able to discipline, correct, and guide the child in learning to make good decisions for himself without crushing his spirit.

Some people have the erroneous idea that when you are under grace, there is no correction and every and anything goes. There are those who argue that if we are indeed always highly favored by the Lord, then there is no need for Him to correct and to discipline us.

My dear friend, let me help you understand it from the perspective of a parent. When my kids do something wrong, Wendy and I certainly correct and discipline them. But in our hearts they are always loved and favored by us even when they have failed and even while being corrected by us.

Why? Simply because they are our children! No matter how they perform, we will always love them and they will always be favored in our hearts.

How highly favored they are to us is a matter of their identity, not their performance. It is based on who they are and whose they are, not what they have or have not done.

In the same way, our state of being loved and favored by our Father in heaven is a result of our identity as the sons and daughters of God through the finished work of Jesus Christ. We can call God our Father and God can call us His children because of what Jesus has done on the cross on our behalf!

As we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, He will correct, discipline, and guide us. But it is vital for you to know that our Lord will never correct us with tragic accidents, sicknesses, and diseases.

Today’s scripture says, “For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.” In other words, the Lord corrects those whom He highly favors, just as an earthly father would correct a child he loves.

Would a father correct a child in whom he delights by inflicting pain and suffering on that child? Of course not!

In the same way, our heavenly Father corrects us not by inflicting pain and suffering but with His Word (2 Timothy 3:16). Correction may come through the preaching of His Word, or through godly leaders whom He surrounds you with in a local church, leaders who love you and who care enough to speak into your life.

The truth is, when people know that their heavenly Father loves them, they can receive correction and discipline with gratitude and humility. That is why it is so important for every child of God to experience the grace revolution—to become established in His perfect love and anchored in His unconditional grace toward them.

Grace imparts to us the power to perform and to live a life above defeat. Grace is the key to holiness.

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am so BLESSED that even though our partner for many years, Jerry Savelle, has gone home to Heaven, the Ministry continues to keep his many wonderful teachings available for us, along with those by Caroline and their family! Here is today's devotional!

Continual Praise

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 NKJV

Did you know it is possible to experience the joy of the Lord on a continual basis? The key to experiencing continual joy is developing a heart that is filled with continual praise and a willingness to view your life—past, present, and future—with a positive attitude.

The Israelites were surrounded by the goodness of God as they journeyed through the desert to freedom, yet they did not view their experience with a positive frame of mind. Because they complained about their situation, many of them never entered the good land God already had waiting for them.

Had they:Viewed their circumstances positively,
Acknowledged the goodness of God, and
Walked in joy,

they would have gone straight into the good land. Their negativity robbed them of joy, dishonored God, and cost them the good life.

So praise God for His grace that covers your past, your present, and your future. His grace is able to turn even deliberate sin from the past around for your good and His glory—if you will hand it over to Him in faith.

You experience joy when nothing from the past has the power to condemn or sadden you, when your memories are only of the positive because you trust in God’s goodness towards you. You experience joy when you focus on the goodness of God in your present situation and believe you will spend your future walking in His grace and mercy.

Continuous joy produces continuous praise for all the good things God has done and is going to do. After all, when you are touched by His goodness, how can you do anything but continually praise God for His kindness and love toward you?

Confession: My God is a good God, and His mercy endures forever. I choose right now to trust Him with every aspect of my life—past, present, and future—knowing that He is able to turn every situation and circumstance for my good. His praise will continually be in my mouth.

AMEN! KEEP the High Praises of GOD continually coming from YOU to HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am returning today after a wonderful week of vacation time! Today I want to share with you THIS from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional!

More with Us Than Against Us

“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 Kings 6:16

In the days of the prophet Elisha, the king of Syria seized upon an opportunity to capture Elisha who was in the city of Dothan. He mobilized a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city one night. He wasn’t prepared to take any risk of the prophet escaping.

Early the next morning in Dothan, when Elisha’s servant went outside, he saw troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. He and Elisha were completely surrounded by enemy forces intent on killing them. The servant flew into a state of panic and cried out to Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15).

Put yourself in the shoes of Elisha’s servant. You (and I) would probably have been filled with fear too. But here’s where I want you to pay close attention, because there is a powerful truth I want you to catch. Without faltering, Elisha calmly told his servant, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16).

I can just imagine how the servant must have felt. There was absolutely no logic in what Elisha had just said. There were just the two of them against a whole army! Had his master gone mad?

Before the servant could work himself into an even greater panic, Elisha prayed a simple prayer: “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17). And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant. Then he saw that the hillside all around them was filled with blindingly magnificent horses and chariots of fire.

God’s army of angels was flanking them on every side, ablaze with the glory, beauty, and majesty of the Most High. As the servant marveled, he realized that the Syrian forces were utterly dwarfed by the angelic army.

Why had the young servant been fearful while Elisha was fearless? The answer is this: They saw different things. The young man saw the great Syrian army. But Elisha saw an even greater angelic army on chariots of fire. Elisha had spiritual insight.

My dear reader, would you commit the above scripture to heart? If you are in a constant fight with fear, meditate on this scripture and fortify your heart with this promise.

Whether you find yourself besieged by debts, attacked by what doctors call a terminal illness, or constantly anxious over the safety of your children, remember this powerful verse. The God of angelic armies is with you. No weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17)!

AMEN! We can COUNT ON HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!