Shalom,

I want to share today's teaching from Andrew Womack's devotional "Every Day With Jesus":

 God’s Love Hopes

Hopes all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7

Hopelessness is a terrible thing. God’s Word says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Lack of hope is behind most, if not all, of the self-destruction we see in the lives of people today. Those who don’t have a strong faith in the future throw today away without any consideration of the consequences. The destructive habits of people are rooted in despair or hopelessness. Jesus used the fool who said, “Let’s eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19) as an example of someone without vision for his future. Those who don’t live with one eye on the future are headed for disaster.

Why is it that most of society is without hope? It’s because God’s love is the source of true hope, and there’s a genuine famine in the world today of the truth of God’s love for us. On the whole, religion tells us of God’s holiness and our relative unworthiness, but the true love of God is not a reality in the hearts of most people—even most Christian people. Luck and fate don’t generate hope. Only knowing a personal, loving God is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28) gives us true and lasting hope. God’s kind of love hopes all things.

God has a perfect plan for your life. Regardless of where you are now—no matter how far off the track you may have strayed—God has a perfect course plotted for you to where you’re supposed to be. (Jeremiah 29:11) He loves you in spite of what you have or haven’t done. As you believe this today, hope will spring up in your heart.

The ONLY place to find powerful and lasting HOPE, is in HIS presence! That's why we are encouraged to love the Lord our God with everything within us! You cannot maintain an intimate fellowship with someone you do not spend time with. The MOST important person for you and I to spend time with is JESUS! He, of ALL people, truly has our best interests at heart. Make sure that you begin everyday by acknowledging His presence with in you, and then purpose to get to know something new about Him every day! Of Jesus alone it can be said without reservation, "To know Him, is to love Him"!  Here is Hillsong Worship with "All My Hope":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This, from today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, is great encouragement for anyone who has ever felt as though they have "missed it" in doing something that you know the Lord wanted you to do! 

The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say – “It is all up now, it is no use trying any more.” If we imagine that this kind of despair is exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair, and Jesus Christ comes and says – “Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing.” Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.

There are experiences like this in each of our lives. We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it. The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said – “Arise and do the next thing.” If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption. Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.

AMEN! I have encountered more people than ever before who pick up on someone else's failure and try to drive them into the ground with it! Yes, we MUST acknowledge and confess sin, but then we also MUST receive the forgiveness that the Blood of Jesus has provided for us (1 John 1:9) and then move on! Micah 7:8:

Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.

AMEN! There is ALWAYS a next step after repentance (changing your thinking to agree with God)! It is NOT possible to stand still in your walk with the Lord. We are either progressively growing up in the things of God or we are sliding back. Our focus must be to continue to "press on towards the mark" (Philippians 3:14)! Make it your goal to do what pleases the God of the Bible every day and forget what people have to say! When we please God, He has promised that even our enemies will be at peace with us (Proverbs 16:7)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Mercy, Mercy":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.  Matthew 5:11-12

When persecution comes, don't sit around whining about it. Don't waste your time feeling sorry for yourself. Despite what you may think, that persecution hasn't come because the devil gets his kicks out of picking on you. It comes because you've become a threat to him. It comes because you've put the Word in your heart, and he knows that if he doesn't get it out, you're going to cause him more trouble than he can handle. So, rejoice! Heavy-duty persecution means you've made it to the big leagues. It means the devil is taking you so seriously that he's sending in his best players in an effort to get you out of the game!

The players that make it to the Super Bowl don't look for some way out of it, do they? They don't say, "Boy, I sure wish I didn't have to be in that Super Bowl game. Those guys are the biggest, meanest players in the country. Maybe I'll get sick and I won't have to play." No! They relish the opportunity. "Let me at 'em," they say. "I've worked all my life to get here and now I'm going to prove I'm the best!" That's how you should be when the devil challenges you. You should accept that challenge with joy, knowing you're going to come out a winner. After all, your God is sufficient to see you through. He never stops and wonders if He's going to have enough resources to get poor, little you over your problems this time. He knows He can beat anything the devil brings against you.

So, when persecution comes, trust Him and rejoice, knowing that you've made it to the big leagues now!

AMEN! I have heard it said that it you are NOT being persecuted in some way, you are NOT doing something right! In other words, the enemy only comes after those who threaten his hold on people! Welcome the persecution, fully understanding your authority over all the enemy so that NOTHING can by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19)! Yes, people may not  like you, may gossip about you, may influence others to do the same, BUT, what people think will never affect what the God of the Bible thinks, says or does! YOU control what happens in your life! Choose to agree with the God of the Bible and dare to live that LIFE, in abundance, to the full, til it overflows (John 10:10 AMP) and REALLY put the enemy in agitation! Remember, He Who sits in the Heavens LAUGHS at the enemy and his feeble methjods (Psalm 2:4)! YOU should, too! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?

Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages).

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].

I wanted to start with these three verses of Scripture that remind us and reinforce to us that our God does not lie and does not change! EVER! Now that we have established this, I want to share our Psalm for today from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Psalm 47:

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

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

Let's remember this, and remind each other of this, when things in the world SEEM to be spinning out of control! If you have received Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior, then YOU are covered by the blood (1 John 1:7), a member of His family (Ephesians 2:19), an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17), in Covenant with the One, True Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible (Hebrews 8:6), promised protection, provision and safety IF you stay in that secret place of His presence (Psalm 91), and have been given authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19)! NOTHING can hurt you unless YOU allow it to happen by NOT staying in fellowship with the Lord, filled with Holy Spirit, full of faith and acting on His Word. Make whatever adjustments that you need to make and stay in confidence in the midst of chaos and turmoil! YOU will BE that Light that the people around you need! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

As I have been meditating on the accounts in Genesis and Exodus of the Israelites and God's delivering them, something that is not often mentioned really stood out to me. When Joseph first moved his entire family of 70 people into Egypt  (Genesis 46:27), they were positioned in the best of the land of Egypt by Pharaoh himself. Genesis 47:5-6:

5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if you know any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. KJV

So, how did they go from living in the best of all the land of Egypt to being slaves and living in the worst conditions? The answer here is time! They were given a great gift but, over the 400 years, they did something in their daily living that caused them to eventually lose hope, trust and confidence in the God of the Bible for protection, provision and safety! As you read through the Old Testament, you will notice that this is a reoccurring problem with the Israelites! They would turn away from God, fall into horrific times, turn back to God and He would deliver them again! Over, and over, and over this happened! The good news is that God continued to deliver them WHEN they turned back to Him and acknowledged Him as the One, True God! He has promised to protect and deliver them right up until the end of days when Jesus will set foot in Jerusalem again! I want to encourage you with the Truth that God never forgets HIS part of His Covenant with us! When WE do our part, He will ALWAYS do His! So, if there are things in your life that are not quite where you and God would like them to be, be willing to make the necessary adjustments so that he CAN deliver you and fulfill His plans and promises for you (Jeremiah 29:11)! ALL of the promises of God have His YES answer to them (2 Corinthians 1:20), BUT, the AMEN (so be it unto me) can only be given by us! Do what it takes to begin living in God's very best for you (3 John 2; John 10:10 AMP)! Do it TODAY! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with a song from their new album called "Where You Are": Let's get ourselves back to our childlike faith and remain always young at heart as we continue to grow and mature! Maturity in the Word does NOT mean "old and crusty"! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Here is one Scripture that you should keep in mind when dealing with people who claim to be atheists! Psalm 14:1:

1 The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right.

If someone SAYS there is no God, THIS is what the God of the Bible says about THEM! I have always said that there are no such thing as atheists. The Bible agrees with me! Look at Romans 1:19-20:

19 For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them. 20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.

The One, True God Himself has revealed Himself through His creation. He says in the verses above that He Himself also made clear to their inner consciousness that He IS God! So, atheists KNOW that God is, they just don't want to know Him! Keep that in mind when you find yourself in conversation with them, and then be lead by Holy Spirit in what you say! Philippians 2:10-11 tells us this:

10 That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Continue to share the Word of God with those who want to hear, but realize that every seed of the Word that you sow WILL have an impact on those who hear and they will be without excuse when THAT day comes! AMEN! Even now there are people who are beginning to act on something that you shared with them a long time ago, but Holy Spirit was able to finally get through to them and the Word that you spoke in THAT season, is in due season for them right now! HALLELUJAH! Remember, your rewards are for what YOU do, not for what others do with what you share! Here is Hillsong United with "No Reason to Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Jerry Savelle's devotional.

Psalm 84:11 says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” 

Notice at the end of that verse it says “them that walk uprightly.” God will withhold nothing from them that walk uprightly. I believe withholding nothing is God’s best. But there is a requirement to that. God requires that we walk uprightly.

Having God’s best sounds great. We all want to experience His best in our lives. But why isn’t the Body of Christ experiencing it? I believe the primary reason most of the Body of Christ is not experiencing God’s best in their lives is because it requires a serious commitment. It requires diligence and unwavering determination. To have God’s best you must be willing to give Him your best. And, that is where so many of God’s people fall short. We all want to have God’s best, but we are not willing to give Him our best. Most Christians are not willing to make that kind of commitment. You have to constantly ask yourself: How desperate am I for God’s best in my life?

I have found that desperate people will do desperate things. They will do whatever it takes to change their situation. If you are truly desperate to have God’s best in your life then you will be willing to do whatever the Word requires of you. It is not going to happen automatically. You have to strive for it.

That’s what happened to me 46 years ago, I got desperate for change. I got tired of just existing. I got tired of just barely getting by. I got tired of living from paycheck to paycheck. I got tired of the devil stealing everything that I had worked hard for. I was tired of feeling frustrated all the time. Are you at that place? Are you tired of just surviving? Are you ready to experience God’s best for your life? Then say right now, “As for me, I choose to have God’s best in my life.” When you truly understand this, then you will begin to realize that having God’s best is a chosen and determined outcome.

Make a decision today and everyday, to put God’s Word first and to walk uprightly before Him! Remember when you do, He promises that no good thing will be withheld from us!

AMEN! One of my favorite verses of Scripture is Philippians 3:10 from the Amplified Bible. 

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 

Paul, who came to know Jesus AFTER the resurrection, probably better than anyone who actually walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry, said that HE desired to know Jesus MORE! If Paul had to make this kind of commitment, do we really think we can get by with less? I hope that YOU will develop a hunger and thirst for the things of God, the Word of God, the Will of God AND for knowing Him more intimately! Remember, when we want what God wants, for the same reason God wants it, then we cannot fail (1 John 5:14-15)! AMEN! here is Hillsong United with "One Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love reading teachings and sermons from ministers of God who lived in a different era. Though it takes concentration sometimes to understand what is being said because of the differences in the use of the language then and now, to see the same Truths shining through is just one more solidifying factor to the Word of God. Here is a portion of today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. It is SUCH a good message that every one of us should take heed to today!

And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. — Exodus 20:19

 We do not consciously disobey God, we simply do not heed Him. God has given us His commands; there they are, but we do not pay any attention to them, not because of willful disobedience but because we do not love and respect Him. “If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments” (RV). When once we realize that we have been “disrespecting” God all the time, we are covered with shame and humiliation because we have not heeded Him.

“Speak thou with us…: but let not God speak with us.” We show how little we love God by preferring to listen to His servants only. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us. Why are we so terrified lest God should speak to us? Because we know that if God does speak, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him. If it is only the servant’s voice we hear, we feel it is not imperative, we can say, “Well, that is simply your own idea, though I don’t deny it is probably God’s truth.”

Have YOU been avoiding intimate fellowship with the Lord because you are concerned about what He might say? Are you filled with trepidation that He just may ask you to do something that may be uncomfortable to you? This is exactly what is being said here! Realize that the One, True God knows you better than you know yourself! He knows when something is hard for you to do. Does He then say "That's okay. You don't REALLY have to do this. I know it makes you uncomfortable"? NO! He does not! Instead, He has already said this in Philippians 4:13 AMP:

13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

AMEN! Whatever He has called and assigned us to do, He has already prepared, anointed and equipped us to handle! Believe, this, receive this, then move out with boldness to accomplish ALL that He has planned for you to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail".

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love today's message from Jerry Savelle's website devotional.

Generous Giving, Generous Receiving

Generous giving to God will result in generous receiving from God. Isn’t that the way you want to live your life? 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, 

“And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance.”

Those who are generous in giving to God always experience generous receiving from God. Like I have said many times, it is impossible to out give God. You simply cannot do it. The more you honor Him, the more He will honor you. How? With favor and earthly blessings. He will fully supply not only what you need, but He will even bless you with what you want and what you desire.

When I first came to Christ, people told me things like, “Now, God may meet your need, but don’t get your hopes too high. You never know what God might do. And don’t ever even think about asking Him for something that you desire.” Guess what? I found out they were wrong. His Word says that He will not only meet my needs, but if I will delight myself in Him, He will give me the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4).

I cannot tell you of all the times that God has generously given back to me.
God ALWAYS gives back to us generously. Why? Because that’s His Word! And His Word will work for you in your life just like it works in mine! Remember, generous giving to God will result in generous receiving from God.

We all know 1 John 4:19:

19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

In that same way, we GIVE because HE first gave to us! Every good thing in our lives came from the One, True God of the Bible! James 1:17:

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

AMEN! Godly principles work because God set them in motion first! HE said that IF we give, we WILL receive, multiplied! Luke 6:38:

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Guess what? The God of the Bible is NOT stingy! He desires that we be blessed in abundance! 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).

And 3 John 2:

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.

Don't be held back by the beliefs of those who do not know the Word of God! Make sure that Jesus is your first love and first priority, then fully enjoy all that HE blesses you with, remembering always that we are blessed to BE a blessing! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is an exhortation to born again believers to make sure that we are keeping our focus right!

Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things. — Isaiah 40:26

The people of God in Isaiah’s day had starved their imagination by looking on the face of idols, and Isaiah made them look up at the heavens; that is, he made them begin to use their imagination aright. Nature to a saint is sacramental. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in Nature. In every wind that blows, in every night and day of the year, in every sign of the sky, in every blossoming and in every withering of the earth, there is a real coming of God to us if we will simply use our starved imagination to realize it.

The test of spiritual concentration is bringing the imagination into captivity. Is your imagination looking on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Your work? Your conception of what a worker should be? Your experience of salvation and sanctification? Then your imagination of God is starved, and when you are up against difficulties you have no power, you can only endure in darkness. If your imagination is starved, do not look back to your own experience; it is God Whom you need. Go right out of yourself, away from the face of your idols, away from everything that has been starving your imagination. Rouse yourself, take the gibe that Isaiah gave the people, and deliberately turn your imagination to God.

When I look at beautiful things in nature, I instantly think of Genesis 1:1:

1 In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.

GOD did that! Every beautiful scene, from sunrises to sunsets, from skies, land and seas, every beautiful thing was created by the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Everything NOT beautiful once WAS beautiful, but because of sin and the curse that is in the earth because of sin, it may now be completely the opposite! I have been so awed by the beautiful skies that I have seen the last couple of years! I am sure that they were always there, but I am in a better position now to notice them and to appreciate where they came from! Many years ago we sang a song at The Spoken Word Church that had these words in it: "Maker of the Heavens, Painter of the sky". THAT was JESUS! I encourage you to make a decision to actively thank and appreciate HIM whenever you see something beautiful, receive something wonderful, hear any good report, and then TELL others about your GOOD, GOOD GOD! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans Will Part":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

At The Spoken Word Church we have a daily morning prayer service. At the end of each service we read from a devotional book, getting our day started right with the Word of God. At this particular time, we are reading Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food". Here is what we read today:

"I am watching over my word to perform it" (Jeremiah 1:12). 

You may be certain that if you accept God's Word and act on it, He is watching over that Word to make it good in your life. All you need to do is to act on the Word. It is very important that you learn this simple little lesson. Acting on the Word is not struggling. It is not crying. It is not praying. It is simply acting on what God has spoken, and that brings results. 

Several years ago, after I had spent hours struggling and praying about finances and healing for my family, I lay exhausted on the altar of a church. Once I was finally quiet, the Lord could speak to me. 

"What are you doing?" He asked. 

"I came out here to pray through," I said. 

"What do you mean by 'pray through?'" 

"I guess I was going to pray until I had some kind of feeling or a witness that these needs are met. I'm 365 miles from home. I thought I would know somehow when my children were healed and our financial needs were met." 

"Isn't My Word sufficient for you? You are not acting like My Word is so," the Lord said. "In fact, you're acting as if it were not so. You're acting as though you think if you pray long enough and loud enough, you might eventually talk Me into the notion of not being a liar and of keeping My word." 

Confession: I believe God. And I act like I believe Him! 

I had heard that expression, "pray through" early on in my walk with the Lord. I didn't quite understand what it meant, but after reading this Faith Food many years ago, I realized what it did NOT mean! When I pray for myself, I must find what the Word of God has to say about my particular situation. Then I need to act on that Word, fully expecting that God will confirm that Word in my life when I do so. There IS a time to "pray through", though! When we pray in the Spirit, we are praying for something that we do not know exactly how to pray for (Romans 8:26-27). The Word of God tells us that when we pray in the Spirit, we are praying mysteries and secrets from the throne of God into the earth (1 Corinthians 14:2). Our understanding (our minds) are not involved as we are praying spirit to Spirit! IF He desires for us to know what we are praying for, He will tell us. If He doesn't, then just simply pray until you sense a finish to your prayers. Sometimes it may "feel" like a release in your spirit. Sometimes you may feel joy. Other times you just have a knowing that you are done and it is finished. THAT is real, Biblical "praying through! AMEN! Make sure that your prayer life includes all of the available methods of prayer, choosing the right method for each situation. Remember, you are NOT left helpless! Holy Spirit WILL guide you in this! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" for today is another very important message that is not always being taught properly in some churches today.

And it shall be, when you are come in unto the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance...that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth...and shall go unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose to place His Name there. Deuteronomy 26:1-2

Tithing. Most Christians aren't very excited about it. But they should be—and they would be if they understood how to do it properly. Scriptural tithing stirs up faith. It activates the power of God in our lives when we do it in gratitude and joy, expecting our needs to be met abundantly.

In Deuteronomy 26:8-9, God told the Israelites exactly what to say when they brought their tithes. He instructed them to acknowledge the fact that He had brought them out of the bondage of Egypt and to say:

"The Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, even a 

and that flows with milk and honey."

What does that have to do with you and me? God has done the same thing for us! He's brought us out of a life of bondage and poverty into a life that flows with the abundance of God. So when you bring your tithe to the Lord, follow the example set by the Israelites. Make it a time of rejoicing. Make it a time of realizing anew the wonderful things Jesus Christ has done for you. Thank Him for delivering you from a land of darkness and scarcity and bringing you into His promised land of plenty. Thank Him that it is a land of mercy, a land of joy, a land of peace and a land of prosperity. Tithe in faith, expecting the rich blessings of that land to be multiplied to you. You may soon find it to be one of the most exciting things you can do.

I want to share two portions of Scripture that will show you that the tithe is as much apart of our New Covenant as it was of the Old! First of all, Leviticus 27:30:

30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord.  AMP

The word "holy" here is the Hebrew word "qodesh", which means apartness, separateness. This simply means that God looks at the tithe, the first 10% of our income or increase, as set apart FROM the world and set apart UNTO Himself! In other words, God sees the tithe as HIS! There is nothing in the New Testament that changes this! Remember that Jesus said that He did NOT come to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it! IF the tithe was considered holy under the Old Covenant, it is STILL considered holy under the New Covenant! In fact, Jesus said THIS to the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law — right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others. AMP

Luke 11:42 But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every [little] herb, but disregard and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. AMP

Tithing began way before the Law was ever given when Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek in Genesis 14:17. Yes, it was made a part of the Law, but the tithe being holy to the Lord was not just Law, it is TRUTH! When we bring OUR tithes, we are simply agreeing with God, in love and full confidence, and counting on Him to reward us as He said in the Word He will do (Malachi 3:8-10)! This is the ONLY time that I have found where the Lord our God challenges us to put Him to the test to see for ourselves what He will do! AMEN! If you are a tither, keep it up! If you are not, then I challenge you to do so! No, we don't do it because of the Law, but because of the Word and because of the BLESSING! Are you ready to be blessed? AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with "My Number One":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

1 Thessalonians 5:23 says this:

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. KJV

"Sanctify" here is the Greek word "hagiazo", which means: to make holy, to consecrate, to separate from the world and from evil, and separate unto God. We like to say it this way at The Spoken Word Church: We are sanctified immediately at the new birth when our previously dead human spirit is reborn (recreated) into a living human spirit in the image of God (2 Corinthians 5:17). THAT is spiritual sanctification. Our bodies WILL BE sanctified immediately at the time of the catching away of the church when they will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52)! That leaves our souls. Remember that the soul is made up of our mind, emotions and will. Soul sanctification happens progressively, day by day, as we make it our determined purpose to know HIM more (Philippians 3:10 AMP), renewing our minds with the Word of God (Romans 12:2). We have no part in the New Birth other than believing that we need a Savior and receiving Jesus Christ as that Savior. Holy Spirit does the rest! We play no part in obtaining a "resurrection body" after being born again. The soul, however, is another story all together! HE will NOT renew our minds, but He has already put into our hands everything necessary for US to do so! When we do our part, THEN, and ONLY then, will Holy Spirit, our personal Teacher, be able to make the Word of God real and personal to us. It is with this in mind that I want to share a portion of today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:
When we pray to be sanctified, are we prepared to face the standard of these verses? We take the term sanctification much too lightly. Are we prepared for what sanctification will cost? It will cost an intense narrowing of all our interests on earth, and an immense broadening of all our interests in God. Sanctification means intense concentration on God’s point of view. It means every power of body, soul and spirit chained and kept for God’s purpose only. Are we prepared for God to do in us all that He separated us for? And then after His work is done in us, are we prepared to separate ourselves to God even as Jesus did? “For their sakes I sanctify Myself.” The reason some of us have not entered into the experience of sanctification is that we have not realized the meaning of sanctification from God’s standpoint. Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the disposition that ruled Him will rule us. Are we prepared for what that will cost? It will cost everything that is not of God in us.

AMEN! And why would we really want anything that is not of God hanging around in our lives? Now, before you begin to think that this means you will spend all your time in some prayer closet, isolated from the world, remember what Jesus prayed for His disciples, which includes US! John 17:14-16:

14 I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world.

We SHOULD be, because we are constantly renewing our mind with the Word and staying filled with His Spirit, the wisest people that those we come in contact with have ever known! We should be turning heads with our peace, joy, love, wisdom, understanding and favor! We are IN the world for a divine purpose - reaching the lost! I would encourage everyone to watch The Visual Bible - Matthew, starring Bruce Machiano, to get a picture of how that looks! This portrayal of Jesus is the very best that I have ever seen. Jesus was always filled with joy! Yes, He wept, but joy is NOT an emotion, it is a force of the Spirit! When you get a picture of that, it will change how you present yourself to the world! We do NOT compromise the Word of God and the principles of God to "fit in" with the world. We show them a BETTER way! AMEN! Here is a great song of commitment, IF you are ready for this! "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail" by Hillsong United:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Yesterday we referenced Psalm 37 and today we read that Psalm in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! There are some really wise instructions in this Psalm, including verse 4 that we discussed yesterday. Let's look first at verses 1-2:

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness (that which is not upright or in right standing with God). 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

"Fret yourself" is the Hebrew word "charah", which means: to grow warm, to blaze up, to be furious, to be angry. This instruction is for us to NOT do this because of what evil people do or because they APPEAR to be blessed anyway! Notice that verse 2 says that they WILL be cut down! IF the evil doers that you know do not repent, they WILL reap a harvest of the seeds they have actually sown! Pray for them! AMEN! Our promise is a better one and includes the verse we used yesterday! Look at verses 3-6:

3 Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. 6 And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday.

"Commit" here is the Hebrew word "galal", which means: to roll, to roll together, to trust. "Your way" is the Hebrew word "derek", which means: course of life or mode of action. SO, trust HIM with YOURS! Amen! He, who desires, above all else, that YOU should prosper and be in health, as your soul prospers (3 John 2), WILL bring it to pass when WE do our part! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with "Take It All":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is short and simple, but very, very important for every believer to know about themselves!

Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. —Philippians 2:17

Are you willing to be offered for the work of the faithful — to pour out your life blood as a libation on the sacrifice of the faith of others? Or do you say — “I am not going to be offered up just yet, I do not want God to choose my work. I want to choose the scenery of my own sacrifice; I want to have the right kind of people watching and saying, ‘Well done.’ “

It is one thing to go on the lonely way with dignified heroism, but quite another thing if the line mapped out for you by God means being a door-mat under other people’s feet. Suppose God wants to teach you to say, “I know how to be abased” — are you ready to be offered up like that? Are you ready to be not so much as a drop in a bucket — to be so hopelessly insignificant that you are never thought of again in connection with the life you served? Are you willing to spend and be spent; not seeking to be ministered unto, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work and remain saints because it is beneath their dignity.

I don't believe for a moment that God's perfect plan for us is to be abused, BUT, are we WILLING to sometimes be treated poorly, to do work that no one ever notices and that we get no natural rewards for? We are so programmed to associate high salaries, appearances, possessions, popularity, acceptance of other people, and any number of other things with success, when TRUE success is being WHERE God wants you to be, doing WHAT God wants you to do! The Word of God promises natural blessings to the diligent, but He does NOT promise that they will come overnight or that they will look exactly like someone else's rewards. The only real gauge for our success is to be diligently obedient to Psalm 37:4:

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord: and he shall give you the desires of your heart.

When we delight in the Lord by making Him and His Word our #1 priority, HE will place desires in our hearts so that He can fulfill them! Are YOU ready to surrender your own will to His will, completely trusting that good, and ONLY good rewards come from Him? I am! Let's be about it! AMEN! Here is  Hillsong with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are going to look a little more in depth at two verses from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Psalm 35:26-27:

26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. KJV

This entire Psalm has David crying out for vindication and for deliverance from his enemies. These two verses contrast the harvest of seeds sown! They are doing some of the same actions, but for different reasons and out of different motives. "Rejoice" in verse 26 and "be glad" in verse 27 are very similar words. "Sameach" {be joyful, showing joy} in verse 26 and "samach" {to be glad, to exult, to rejoice} in verse 27. "Magnify" is the very same Hebrew word in both verses. It is "gadal", which means: to become great or important, to promote, to praise, to make powerful. David is asking that those who are taking pleasure in his pain and suffering be made to pay for their wrong doing with shame and dishonor. Remember that they were living under the commands and promises of the Old Covenant here. By sowing bad seeds, with bad motives, these people were sure to reap those things that David was asking for! 

Verse 27 lists the rewards that David wanted to see for those who desired good things for him. "Shout for joy" is the Hebrew word "ranan", which means: to emit a stridulous sound, to cry out, to sing in exultation. These people would be godly ones who would continually be praising the Lord and would understand that the One, True God takes great pleasure in the "prosperity" of His people. "Prosperity" here is the Hebrew word "shalom", which means: safety, happiness, well being, health, peace, soundness, completeness, contentment. I think you can see very easily what the proper attitude is in these two verses! Let's make it a determined purpose to rejoice with those who rejoice and to pray for, comfort, encourage and exhort those who fail or get tripped up by the enemy. Remember the Law of SEED - TIME - HARVEST. The seeds we sow today may not come up today or tomorrow, but realize that they WILL produce after their own kind! I choose to be looking forward to a continual harvest of good and godly things in my life. How about you? Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Love Goes On":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 34 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Look at verses 1-4:

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Just from reading these four verses without much meditation (YET), we see that the answer for David was always PRAISE! He is saying here that praise at any given time AND ALL THE TIME (continually) is what is necessary to walk in victory and see true deliverance from fear! Do you REALLY think, in the desperate times in which we live, that WE can have success with any less? It takes a decision and a diligent commitment to remind yourself to praise FIRST and FOREVER, but that choice is overflowing with rewards! Look at verses 9-10:

9 O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear. 10 The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing.

It is vitally important for every born again believer to develop their intimate fellowship with the One, True God through His Spirit indwelling every believer. HE is the One with the plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11 AMP) that is greater than anything you can even imagine! I also want to look at Acts 6 today. Yesterday we spoke of every believer's personal call to the Ministry of Reconciliation. HERE is how you prepare DAILY for that ministry! Acts 6:3-7:

3 Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty. 4 But we will continue to devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word.  5 And the suggestion pleased the whole assembly, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith (a strong and welcome belief that Jesus is the Messiah) and full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte (convert) from Antioch.  6 These they presented to the apostles, who after prayer laid their hands on them. 7 And the message of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem; and [besides] a large number of the priests were obedient to the faith [in Jesus as the Messiah, through Whom is obtained eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].

Do you see that the requirement in the early church for simply serving food was that these believers be of good character, filled with Holy Spirit, filled with Wisdom (that comes only from meditation on the Word), and obedient! HOW MUCH MORE should we, who carry the very message of eternal Life through Jesus to the lost world, keep ourselves fully equipped and fully prepared to do this! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

"My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers has a very good message today. Remember as you read these that he was an early 19th century minister from Scotland, so you may not immediately understand his wording, but I am confident that Holy Spirit will make it clear!

Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16

Beware of stopping your ears to the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact; but that is not the call to preach, it is merely an illustration in preaching. Paul is referring to the pangs produced in him by the constraint to preach the Gospel. Never apply what Paul says in this connection to souls coming in contact with God for salvation. There is nothing easier than getting saved because it is God’s sovereign work — “Come unto Me and I will save you.” Our Lord never lays down the conditions of discipleship as the conditions of salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Discipleship has an option with it — “IF any man…”

Paul’s words have to do with being made a servant of Jesus Christ, and our permission is never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us broken bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be “separated unto the gospel” means to hear the call of God; and when a man begins to overhear that call, then begins agony that is worthy of the name. Every ambition is nipped in the bud, every desire of life quenched, every outlook completely extinguished and blotted out, saving one thing only — “separated unto the gospel.” Woe be to the soul who tries to put his foot in any other direction when once that call has come to him. 

Every born again believer IS in the full time ministry, but not every believer is called into a public ministry. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 gives us the clear picture of who we are in Him and what He has called every one of us to do!

17 Therefore if any person is in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 18 But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. 19 It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. AMP

THIS is our personal call to ministry! SOME He has called and anointed to a more specific and public ministry beyond this personal ministry, but they are STILL responsible for their own personal ministry, too! Those whom He has called, He has also anointed, equipped and prepared for everything that He desires for them to do. On another note, he mentions discipleship above. Becoming a disciple of Jesus is a personal decision that must be made by each and every born again believer. The knowledge of the Word of God that we need in order to operate with any degree of success in this life, will ONLY come through a determined purpose to know that Word! When Paul said this in Philippians 3:10, he was NOT speaking as a minster, but as a born again, Spirit-filled believer!

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

Make becoming a disciple of Jesus your #1 priority and everything else will BEGIN to fall right into place! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food". Here is another vital Truth that born again believers need to understand in order to walk in victory in this life.

Christ in You

"Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). 

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ is dwelling in you. Is He any less Christ in you than He was when He was on the earth? No! He's the same Christ. He has all of His power! He has all of His ability! He has all of His glory! He has all of His miracle-working power! He has all of His enablements! And Christ is in you! You just have to know how to turn Him loose. 

Someone once said to Smith Wigglesworth, "You must be someone big; someone great." 

"No," Wigglesworth replied, "I just remember that the Scripture says, 'Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.' I just know the Greater One is in me, and the Greater One does the work." 

How do you turn Christ loose in you? How do you put the Greater One to work? You do it by faith. 

Confession: Christ in me is the hope of glory. Christ is dwelling in me - with all His power, His ability, and His glory. Christ has already defeated all the power of the enemy, and He lives in me. I turn Him loose. I act like He's there. I allow Him to work by my faith. 

In order to really understand Christ IN us, we must understand Who He is! When we study the life of Jesus and understand Who He is, what He has and what He can do, THEN we will understand just Who it is that lives inside of us! Once we get a greater understanding of HIM, Then we meditate on the Truth that He lives IN US, by His Spirit! Then all of the "In Him", "In Whom", and "In Christ" Scriptures will come alive to us. No other person can walk in the fullness o God FOR you. You and I must learn to do this for ourselves! Are you ready to have your life changed completely? Then let's get into the Word and find out just Who this JESUS is! AMEN! There is a wonderful teaching by Jerry Savelle called "The Fourth Man" in which he covers where Jesus is revealed in every book of the Bible! That would be a great place for you to begin to get to know JESUS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "I Believe":

Shalom in Him!