Shalom,

Reading this encouragement and admonition from Jesus in John 14:1 should cause us to have a more positive outlook no matter what each day may bring!

1 DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.

Since Jesus is telling US not to LET out hearts be troubled, we can be assured that whether or not are hearts (spirit soul combination) is troubled (agitated, worried) is completely within OUR control! WE decide how our heart will respond! The more that we get to know and understand God and His Word, the easier it will be to stay in that place of peace, trust and confidence in HIS promises! AMEN! With that in mind, I want to share THIS from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers for today:

He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you’ —Hebrews 13:5

What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

“I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.

“I will never . . . forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.

Allow Him to glorify Himself in YOU today! Trust Him and go through each and every day filled with the joy that only truly trusting in Him can bring! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Love Goes On":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the great Truths we have learned from the Word of God is that knowledge of the Word is built layer upon layer, increasing in depth of understanding. Yesterday we looked at making the decision to KNOW Him. We can add another layer of understanding how to do that with today's reading in Proverbs! Proverbs 3:1-6:

1 MY SON, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you. 3 Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart. 4 So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man. 5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

To "acknowledge" Him in verse 6 is the Hebrew word "yada", which means: to know; to learn; to perceive; to discern; to know by experience; to recognize; to be acquainted with. So, in every aspect of YOUR life, get to know, through His Word and your experience IN His Word, how HE thinks. Learn to recognize the thoughts that come from God and act on them. When you do this, HE will direct your steps! HIS way of doing things is ALWAYS the right way! AMEN! As you continue with our Bible Reading Plan for today, you will read in John 13 that Jesus knew, was FULLY aware, that the time had come for Him to lay down His life for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)! I want to encourage you that WE, too, can know and be fully aware of what God's plan is for OUR lives! We know, from 2 Corinthians 5, that we are ALL called to the full time ministry of reconciliation, preaching the Good News of the Gospel to the people who come into our lives. HOW and WHERE we are to carry that out is what will be directed by Him when we "acknowledge" Him! Wake up to HIS plan for YOUR life and BE who He has called YOU to be! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "ALIVE":

I was lost with a broken heart
You picked me up, now I'm set apart
From the ash I am born again
Forever safe in the Saviour's hands
You are more than my words could say
I'll follow you Lord for all my days
I'll fix my eyes, follow in your ways
Forever free in your unending grace

'Cause You are, You are, You are my freedom
We lift you higher, lift you higher
Your love, Your love, Your love never ending
Oh oh oh

You are alive in us
Nothing can take you place
You are all we need
Your love has set us free

In the midst of the darkest night
Let Your love be the shining light
Breaking chains that were holding me
You sent Your Son down and set me free
Everything in this world will fade
I'm pressing on till I see your face
I will live that Your will be done
I won't stop till Your Kingdom come

'Cause You are, You are, You are my freedom
We lift you higher, lift you higher
Your love, Your love, Your love never ending
Oh oh oh

You are alive in us
Nothing can take you place
You are all we need
Your love has set us free

'Cause You are, You are, You are my freedom
We lift you higher
'Cause You are, You are, You are my freedom
We lift you higher, lift you higher
Your love, Your love, Your love never ending
Oh oh oh

You are alive in us
Nothing can take you place
You are all we need
Your love has set us free

You are alive in us
Nothing can take you place
You are all we need
Your love has set us free

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have used Hosea 6:3a many times on this blog. The Holy Spirit spoke this verse to my heart many years ago when I was just beginning to seek to know the Lord  more. Here it is:

3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord KJV

WHEN shall we  know the Lord? When we follow on to know! "We follow on" is the Hebrew word "radaph", which means: to run after; to pursue; to chase; to pursue ardently; to aim eagerly to secure. "Ardent" means: passionate, intensely devoted, enthusiastic, zealous, eager. Does THIS describe YOUR desire to know Him more? If not, WHY not? Have you ever seen the advertisement that features what they call "the most interesting man in the world"? Well, this man, made up though he is, does not hold a candle to the wonders of the person of Jesus Christ! HE is THE most interesting, loving, knowledgeable, powerful, exciting, passionate, caring, authoritative, creative, technologically advanced, intimate, heroic, etc., etc., etc., PERSON you will ever hope to meet. AND, He WANTS you to KNOW Him! Paul said this in Philippians 3:10 (AMP), which is also a verse used many, many times on this blog because it is MY desire!

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection  AMP

AS we get to know Him more, we will also come to know, understand and be able to walk in the POWER of God! This is necessary to be able to set people free from the works and workers of darkness that have so many of them bound! I covered all of this again to prepare you for THIS from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Proverbs 2:1-11:

 1 MY SON, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, 2 Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it]; 3 Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures, 5 Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God. 6 For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him); He is a shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity, 8 That He may guard the paths of justice; yes, He preserves the way of His saints. 9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and fair dealing [in every area and relation]; yes, you will understand every good path. 10 For skillful and godly Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to you. 11 Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you

Once we WANT to know Him, these verses contain the "how to"! I pray that you will make it YOUR determined purpose to KNOW Him! To go hard after pursuing your intimate fellowship with Him, above ALL other people in your life, so that you will be able to know and love THEM even better! AMEN! Here to encourage you in this, is Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake"! Let's get the "fire in our eyes" for Him and His Word and His Ways! HALLELUJAH!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began Proverbs in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan today. There is such practical information and instruction given in this book! Just on face value, you should be able to get something to put immediately into practice from this book. BUT, there is ALWAYS so much more to get IF you will meditate on these things and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you, personally and intimately, what YOU need to know! Joshua 1:8 tells us this:

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. AMP

Hosea 6:3 tells us that we WILL know, IF we follow on to know! If YOU would like to know more of the Word of God, you CAN! It takes diligence and persistence to meditate on the Word. Are YOU willing to put something into your Bible study in order to get a working knowledge of the Word? Proverbs 1:7 tells us this:

7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

Spend time in His presence giving praise, thanksgiving and worship. NOW you will be in position to receive wisdom and understanding so that you can become a DOER of the Word and "deal wisely and have good success"! AMEN! Happy meditating! Here is Hillsong with "Closer":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Since we HAVE been talking about praise, we MUST look at ALL of Psalm 150 for today!

1 PRAISE THE Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power! 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness! 3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! 4 Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes! 5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

All of the excuses for not praising Him are done away in this Psalm! Everything breathing is to praise Him, and we are to do it with every breath we take! There are many ways to praise Him, as we can see in Psalm 150! Choose the ways that work for YOU, and that keep you filled with joy! Now DO IT! AMEN! Need another reason? Look at John 10:10:

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

The very first step in walking in the abundance of blessings is to praise Him for what you already have received! AMEN! So GO FOR IT! Here, to assist you, is Hillsong Live with "Praise Him" again! So DO IT! AMEN!:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today two things really stood out to me from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. The first is found in Psalm 149:4-5:

4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory. 5 Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds.

Actually, the entire Psalm is a call to praise the Lord, but these two verses show us that HE takes pleasure in US, and our praises! He has already blessed us abundantly, so let's show Him that we appreciate Him AND all that He has done! AMEN! The next important Truth I was meditating on today is found in John 9. Jesus was about to heal a blind man when His disciples asked Him this from verse 2:

2 His disciples asked Him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?

I LOVE the reply that Jesus gave, and YOU should, too! Jesus said this in verses 3-5:

3 Jesus answered, It was not that this man or his parents sinned, but he was born blind in order that the workings of God should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in him. 4 We must work the works of Him Who sent Me and be busy with His business while it is daylight; night is coming on, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the world's Light.

Notice that Jesus did NOT say that this man was born blind to "teach him something", or to "make him humble" or any of the other foolish, unscriptural and ungodly ideas that people come up with! Jesus said that the work of God is to be manifested in those who need healing, deliverance and help! He said WE must work the works of God while we still have time! He SAID that we are to be doing the same things that HE did in ministry, and even greater things! Look at John 14:12 from both the KJV and the Amplified Bible :

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. KJV

12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. AMP

Read the rest of the chapter to see how the healed man responds to the religious leaders who SHOULD have been doing what Jesus was doing! I LOVE the Word of God! It is so alive! Ii hope you do, too! Take time every day to meditate the Word (Joshua 1:8 AMP) and then YOU will be sharing the exciting Truths that YOU see! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light",  because we ARE!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am going to repeat myself! This came up again in today's Bible Reading Plan, so I am going to bring some things to your remembrance! Like Peter (2 Pete 1:12-13), I want to stir you up to remember the things of God! In John 8 we read the account of the WOMAN caught in adultery. The last time I heard, this sin takes two people, but THAT is for another post! The scribes and Pharisees brought this woman to Jesus to see what He would say to her. We all know that Jesus told those without sin of their own to cast the first stone. One by one they went their way, their own sin convicting them. Then Jesus said THIS to that woman who had been singled out by the self-righteous in verses 10-11:

10 When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you? 11 She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more.

He told her to sin no more so that something worse would not happen to her, here, in THIS life! (You can see that He said this very thing to someone else in John 5:14). SIN will NOT keep you out of Heaven when you leave this earth! The only sin NOT covered by the precious blood Jesus is the sin of rejecting Him. Every other sin (a selfish decision to do things my own way instead of God's way) will keep us from walking in God's richest and best here on earth, and CAN hinder our work of the  ministry here, but they will NOT keep us from the Heaven of the Bible! SO, since Jesus refused to condemn this woman for sin committed, WE must do the same! John 3:17 tells us that Jesus did NOT come in to the world to judge or condemn the world, but to become the means of our salvation! WE are to "seek and save the lost" so that we can bring them to HIM! AMEN! Refuse to condemn anyone and refuse condemnation FROM anyone! Focus, instead, on the goodness of God (Romans 2:4) and on the work that He has called YOU to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "In The Mystery":  

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

Psalm 147:11 is a great promise for those who have made the choice to praise Him as we discussed in Monday's blog! 

11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.

I hope that YOU have made that choice and that you are continuing to diligently do so! I want to encourage you with something else from this Psalm. Look at verses 15 and 18-20:

15 He sends forth His commandment to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. 18 He sends out His word, and melts [ice and snow]; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19 He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not dealt so with any [other] nation; they have not known (understood, appreciated, given heed to, and cherished) His ordinances. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

He sent His Word! Psalm 101:20 says THIS about Him sending His Word!

20 He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.

He sent His Word first of all to Israel, and then to all of the Gentiles who would believe and receive! WE are adopted into the family of God because of the Blood of Jesus! We may be the wild branch, but we are every bit a part of Him as the Jewish people are! HALLELUJAH! And, under our new and better Covenant, we have THIS promise concerning His Word! John 15:7:

7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

SO, are YOU abiding daily in His Word? If not, why not begin fresh today! Start spending regularly scheduled time in the Word and allow the Spirit of God to teach you, and lead, guide and direct you in it? THAT is the ONLY way to succeed in this life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Like Incense/Sometimes By Step". TAKE those steps! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In case you haven't already noticed, this time through the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan I have enjoyed the Psalms more than any other year! No believer can truly appreciate the Old Testament until we know what our New Covenant, revealed in the New Testament (specifically in the Epistles), means to us! Once we understand what Jesus has done for us, we can truly appreciate all of the vital Truth found in the Old, which ALL points toward the coming Messiah! Today I especially like Psalm 146:3-5:

 3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his [previous] thoughts, plans, and purposes perish. 5 Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God

Do not exalt the opinions of natural men and women over what you KNOW the Bible says! Where ANYONE disagrees with the Word of God, THEY are WRONG! Sometimes "DEAD WRONG"! So refuse to allow your born again, Spirit-filled self to be dragged down to an earthly and worldy way of thinking, speaking and acting! Renew YOUR soul with the Word of God, with the Spirit of God as your Teacher, and learn to think, speak and act LIKE GOD! Jesus SAID that we would do the things that He was doing during His earthly ministry (John 14:12)! WHY would you settle for anything less? DON'T! The choice is completely, and only, YOURS! Choose wisely! AMEN! The rest of Psalm 146 (verses 6-10) remind us WHY we worship HIM! 

6 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever, 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets free the prisoners, 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright in heart and in right standing with Him). 9 The Lord protects and preserves the strangers and temporary residents, He upholds the fatherless and the widow and sets them upright, but the way of the wicked He makes crooked (turns upside down and brings to ruin). 10 The Lord shall reign forever, even Your God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

AMEN! Now praise Him with this from Hillsong with "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have a wonderful and meaningful Memorial Day! Psalm 145:1-2 says this:

 1 I WILL extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. 2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.

I LOVE "every day with its new reasons"! We begin our lives of praise and worship by thanking Him for life, for eternal salvation, and for all the ways in which He has blessed us. But, everyday that we spend being filled with the Spirit and filled with His Word will be a day of new illumination about Him! When Paul said, in Philippians 3:10, that he had made a determined purpose to really KNOW Him, he wan't speaking of something that was only available to those in a pulpit ministry! Every born again believer SHOULD make it their own determined purpose! Then WE can say, with the psalmist, that "every day, with its new reasons, WE will praise and worship the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible"! Here is the rest of Psalm 145:

3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable.

 4 One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts.

 5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate.

 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness.

 7 They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great and abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice.

 8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.

 9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].

 10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]!

 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power,

 12 To make known to the sons of men God's mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

 14 The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down.

 15 The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season.

 16 You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor.

 17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works.

 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.

 19 He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.

 20 The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy.

 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever.

 Be a DOER of verse 5 and then YOU can write your very own psalm of praise, thanksgiving and worship to HIM! He will LOVE to hear it! From your heart to His! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong Live with "Praise Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share this from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers for today: 

If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left —Genesis 13:9

As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically gratifying possibilities will open up before you. These things are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God make your choice for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the appropriate thing to consider, if you were not living the life of faith. But if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and allow God to make your choice for you. This is the discipline God uses to transform the natural into the spiritual through obedience to His voice.

Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best. In this passage, it would seem that the wisest thing in the world for Abram to do would be to choose. It was his right, and the people around him would consider him to be a fool for not choosing.

Many of us do not continue to grow spiritually because we prefer to choose on the basis of our rights, instead of relying on God to make the choice for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which has its eyes focused on God. And God says to us, as He did to Abram, “. . . walk before Me. . .” (Genesis 17:1)

I really love this! As born again believers, there is nothing more that we need to do to have Heaven as our home when we leave this earth. There are, however, many decisions to be made in this life that will  affect our quality of life here on earth, and will also help determine our rewards and level of responsibility in the next life! CHOOSE to be pleasing to HIM first of all! Not for what you can get, but for what pleasure it will give to HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Search My Heart":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

John 3 is one of my favorite chapters in my favorite Gospel! John the Baptist has been asked about the fact that people were flocking to Jesus to be baptized now instead of to him. His response:

30 He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]

John was so confident in his calling and ministry that he was undeterred when people questioned him or harassed him. He was also NOT intimidated by others in ministry. He knew WHO called him and what he was called to do. He also knew when his ministry was changing, and he had no problem with this! It is very sad to see competitiveness in ministry. Remember that Jesus Himself said this in Luke 9:50 when His disciples were upset that someone else was casting out devils in His Name:

50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. KJV

The religious leaders of this time were upset with what Jesus was teaching because they could not compete with His Truth! They felt the pressure of their own positions, not realizing Who it was that they were up against! They SHOULD have been working WITH Him! AMEN! We should ALL model our attitude towards our individual ministries after John's. We should also have the attitude found in verse 30 above concerning our personal lives. Our goal should be to become so filled with His Spirit and His Word and His Life that HE shines through, so that people see less of US and more of HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with a song that says this very thing! "You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's teaching from Jerry Savelle's devotional:

If you have been under the pressure of a trial, it is important that you do not blame the trial on God. God is not the author of trials or heaviness of spirit. Jesus came to bring you abundant life—it is Satan who is out to kill, to steal and to destroy (John 10:10).

James 1:13 tells us that temptations, tests and trials are brought on by Satan, not God. Satan is the tempter; he is the one who brings condemnation to you. He is the one that brings the heaviness, not God.

God wants you to know that, because Jesus was your substitute, you can endure anything Satan brings against you. If you will follow the instructions in His Word, you will come out on the other side of that trial like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did: untouched, unharmed and totally protected. That is when you bring glory to God – when you are a winner.

God is not glorified when His children are beaten down, beggarly, and suffering. Even though Satan will bring situations to you and try to steal the Word of God out of your heart, you can bring glory to God when you take His Word and resist the devil until he flees (James 4:7).

You are a testimony that God’s Word works. You are more than a conqueror through Him. You bring glory to God because you approach every situation knowing that Jesus was your substitute and that He has already given you the victory.

Confession: Thank you Jesus for abundant life! I refuse to blame God for the trials in my life. I will stand on His Word and see the victory in every area of life!

I hope this encourages you to find out more from God's Word about who YOU are "IN HIM"! When you and I stand on His Word in faith, not weakening, giving up, or giving in, then we WILL see the manifestation of His promises! Galatians 6:9:

9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. AMP

AMEN! I want to share John 10:10 (from above) with you here from the Amplified Bible! This alone should keep you fired up for God's Word!

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). AMP

AMEN! So, live YOUR life in His abundance as you look forward to His soon appearing! Let's take as many with us as we possibly can by being that living witness of His glory and grace! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Brighter":

"Brighter"

You shine brighter
Than any star in the sky
Your light shining
Through the dark of the night
Jesus forever
I find all that I am in Your love love love

You are with me
In every step that I take
Your love for me
You have called me by name
Jesus forever
I find all that I am in Your love love love

Let the music play
Hear us praise Your Name
See the darkness fade
Dance the night away
We have found our place
In the Saviour's grace
Dance the night away
Your light is taking over me

I find freedom
In the light of Your love
Everlasting
You are more than enough
Jesus forever
I find all that I am in Your love love love

Let the music play
Hear us praise Your Name
See the darkness fade
Dance the night away
We have found our place
In the Saviour's grace
Dance the night away
Your light is taking o-o-over me
Your light is taking o-o-over me
I'm dancing cause Your love has set me free
Your light is taking o-o-over me

All of my heart and soul to You alone
You are the One I want now forever
All of my heart is Yours forevermore
You are the One I want now forever

All of my heart and soul to You alone
You are the One I want now forever
All of my heart is Yours forevermore
You are the One I want

Let the music play
Hear us praise Your Name
See the darkness fade
Dance the night away
We have found our place
In the Saviour's grace
Dance the night away
Your light is taking o-o-over me
Your light is taking o-o-over me
I'm dancing cause Your love has set me free
Your light is taking o-o-over me

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin reading the Gospel of John in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan today. This is my favorite Gospel because the very heart of God is revealed here! Look at verses 1-3:

1 IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2 He was present originally with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.

Jesus IS this Word, the Living Word of God! HE made everything that was made! John 3:16-17 reveal His love for us!

16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 

Jesus CAME so that we would have a way to the Father! John 1:10-11 are some of the saddest words!

10 He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him]. 11 He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.

The Jewish people were LOOKING for the Messiah Who was promised to come as their Deliverer, but when He came, few recognized Him! Some believed and were overjoyed! Many were confused because they expected Him to come in glory, defeating every enemy! They didn't realize that he DID defeat every enemy when He gave His life for OUR Salvation! Verse 12 tells us this:

12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name-

Another one of the saddest things are those who claim to know and recognize Him now, but they spend no time in His presence! Those who have received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior have received the Spirit  of God to live inside of us! HE is in us as our Teacher, to teach us of JESUS! Look at John 14:26:

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. KJV

There is no reason for ANY born again believer to NOT know Him intimately! We CAN, but WILL we? It takes a diligent decision to get to know Him more. Will YOU make that daily decision, and follow through with it? Here is Hillsong with "To Know Your Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love this from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers for today:

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you —Matthew 6:33

When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. “. . . seek first the kingdom of God . . . .” Even the most spiritually-minded of us argue the exact opposite, saying, “But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed.” The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God but how we are going to take care of ourselves to live. Jesus reversed the order by telling us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our concern on taking care of the other things of life.

“. . . do not worry about your life. . .” (Matthew 6:25). Our Lord pointed out that from His standpoint it is absolutely unreasonable for us to be anxious, worrying about how we will live. Jesus did not say that the person who takes no thought for anything in his life is blessed— no, that person is a fool. But Jesus did teach that His disciple must make his relationship with God the dominating focus of his life, and to be cautiously carefree about everything else in comparison to that. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Don’t make food and drink the controlling factor of your life, but be focused absolutely on God.” Some people are careless about what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, having no business looking the way they do; they are careless with their earthly matters, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first, and everything else second.

How DO we "seek first the kingdom God"? Here are two Scriptures that give us a place to start! Proverbs 8:17 and Psalm 108:2:  

17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. AMP
     2 Awake, harp and lyre; I myself will wake very early — I will waken the dawn! AMP

Make your first thoughts and words of each day thoughts and words of thankfulness, gratefulness and praise for Who He is and what He's done! Next, praise Him and thank Him for what He is about to do for you, in you and through you Another important aspect of seeking Him first and KEEPING Him first is to love what HE loves and hate what HE hates! He LOVES people (John 3:16 AMP) and He hates sin! Do the same! AMEN! Here, to help you with this, is Hillsong with an old favorite of mine,  "Everyday" :

What to say, Lord? It's
You who gave me life and I
Can't explain just how
Much You mean to me now
That You have saved me, Lord
I give all that I am to You
That everyday I could
Be a light that shines Your name

Everyday, Lord, I'll
Learn to stand upon Your word
And I pray that I
I might come to know You more
That You would guide me in every single step I take, that
Everyday I can
Be Your light unto the world

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

Everyday, Lord, I'll
Learn to stand upon Your word
And I pray that I
I might come to know You more
That You would guide me in every single step I take, that
Everyday I can
Be Your light unto the world

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You

                                              Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord                                          Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 139:1-4 is a very important Truth to know! 

 1 O LORD, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me. 2 You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue [still unuttered], but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

There is nothing that we have ever thought, said or done that God hasn't known about! When we come into His presence, don't remind Him of all of your mistakes, doubts and fears. Instead, come into His presence with singing and rejoicing over the tremendous depth of His love for YOU! There is nowhere we could ever go to escape His love! Read the rest of the Psalm to see this! We cannot hide from Him, and why would we ever want to? HE holds HIS life out for "whosoever will" (John 3)! Will YOU? If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior, then pray this prayer with me now, believing in your heart that Jesus died for YOUR sin, that He rose from the dead, and declare Him as YOUR Lord! 

Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen.

NOW you are in position to learn more about Him every day and to grow in your faith! Spend time in His Word and in intimate fellowship with Him. That is hard to do until you receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit! Believers in Jesus have the Spirit of God living IN them. Now they need to be "endued with power from on high" just as the disciples of Jesus were in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost (Luke 24:49)! THEY needed this, and so do we! The Holy Spirit, Who is our Teacher, will lead, guide and direct us Spirit to spirit! If you are born again and would like to receive the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit, pray this prayer with me now, fully expecting to be filled to overflowing and to speak in other tongues, as the Word says! 

Heavenly Father, I am Your child. I desire to be filled with Holy Spirit and speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives me the utterance. By faith, I receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. As I lift my hands to praise You, I fully expect to speak in my heavenly prayer language. Amen.

NOW you are prepared to become all that God desires for you to be! Full of His Word, filled with His Spirit, and preaching the Good News to everyone you come in contact with! GO FOR IT! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Let The Peace OF God Reign":

Shalom in Him!