Shalom,

Everyone I know is believing God for something, going through something difficult, has those who do not like or appreciate them, and any number of other tests, trials and temptations. I am so encouraged whenever I read the Psalms of David, who went through some of the most difficult and dangerous of times, but was able to encourage himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6) so that he could remain in faith that God WOULD deliver him! Psalm 63 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is one such Psalm.

A Psalm of David; when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is. 2 So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. 4 So will I bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My whole being shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips 6 When I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches. 7 For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice. 8 My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me. 9 But those who seek and demand my life to ruin and destroy it shall [themselves be destroyed and] go into the lower parts of the earth [into the underworld of the dead]. 10 They shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a prey for foxes and jackals. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God; everyone who swears by Him [that is, who binds himself by God’s authority, acknowledging His supremacy, and devoting himself to His glory and service alone; every such one] shall glory, for the mouths of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

What confidence David had in the God Who had delivered him every time! YOU and I can have that same kind of confidence, in fact, WE should have even more confidence in the protection, provision and safety that is found in HIM! Why? Because WE have an even better and more powerful Covenant than David had with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Hebrews 8:6:

6 But as it now is, He [Christ] has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is as much superior and more excellent [than the old] as the covenant (the agreement) of which He is the Mediator (the Arbiter, Agent) is superior and more excellent, [because] it is enacted and rests upon more important (sublimer, higher, and nobler) promises.

The ONLY way that we who are born again children of God, members of His family and of the Body of Christ, will NOT have greater confidence is if we do not meditate on the Word of God and remind ourselves of past victories so that faith builds and remains strong! The choice in all these things is only and completely our own! What choices have YOU been making with your time? It WILL show up in times of stress and temptation. Why not make that change right now? Meditate on His Word (Joshua 1:8) day and night, and then praise Him continually for Who He is and what He has already done! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense: Sometimes By Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love this from Jerry Savelle's website devotional for today:

Praise His Goodness

Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1 NKJV).

Praise flows easily when you believe in your heart that God can and will work all things together for your good. So, if you know the situation is going to work out for your good, what’s the point in letting it get to you? The fact that God is going to turn your situation around is grounds to praise Him right now!

God loves it when you praise Him, despite what you see, feel, or hear. He loves it when you trust in His goodness and love towards you, even when it looks like things are going from bad to worse. You may ask, “Why did this happen to me?” Perhaps you’ve said, “I never expected things to turn out this way.” There’s no point in trying to figure things out with your mind when, in truth, God is a good God and all His plans and purposes for you are only good.

Victory over your circumstances comes when you refuse to lean on your own understanding. Victory comes when you trust in God with all your heart, believing without a shadow of doubt that He will fulfill His promise to satisfy you with goodness (see Psalm 65:4). Praise is the natural outflow of true faith in God’s love.

• Praise honors God Praise lets the world know your trust is in the love of your heavenly Father
• Praise affirms your reliance on God’s faithfulness and commitment to you
• Praise guards your mind from the torment of human reasoning
• Praise protects your emotions from the oppressive spirit of heaviness
• Praise refreshes your revelation of God’s love and mercy towards you
• Praise keeps you focused on, and flowing in, the goodness of God

Regardless of the circumstances you may be facing today, take the time to praise God. When you do, He will fully satisfy you with His goodness.

Confession: I trust in my heavenly Father and His never-ending love for me. I believe His plans and purposes for me are for my good. Right now I declare my praise and thanks to the Lord, whose mercy endures forever!

I especially love the attitude that there is no point in trying to figure out how God is going to do things! WE can do nothing in our own power, so why not trust in God and His wonderful, powerful Word to do exactly what He means for it to do! Cast your care on Him, find what his Word says about your particular situation, speak that Word over your life, then PRAISE HIM for the answer! AMEN! That is the VICTORY formula for receiving anything from God! So, stop worrying and trying to figure things out! Just let go and let GOD and EXPECT His Word to be confirmed by Him! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Lifeline":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin goes right along with today's Bible Plan reading in Mark 5.

Power of Life

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Prov. 18:21). 

"No, I won't pray for your son," I told the startled widowed mother of a fifteen-year-old boy. "It won't do any good. As long as you keep telling your son he'll never amount to anything, you'll undo the praying." 

"Did the Lord reveal that to you?" she asked. 

"No," I said, "I just know that the condition in life that we or our children are in was created by words." 

"What shall I do?" she asked. 

"There are some things you should have done when your son was younger, but he's fifteen now. So first, quit nagging him about being saved. Second, instead of lying in bed at night worrying about him, say, 'Lord, I don't know where he is, but wherever he is, I surround him with faith and love.' 

"You've been surrounding him with doubt, fear, and condemnation. Say, 'Lord, I'm going to tell You what I believe. I don't believe he'll end up in the penitentiary. I'll never tell him again he won't amount to anything. I believe he will amount to something.'" 

I was back in this woman's city fifteen months later. To make a long story short, she came to me and shared, "It was hard, but I did just what you told me. Before, my son was all out for the devil But now he's all out for God!" 

Confession: Life is in the power of my tongue, and I will minister life with it. I speak words of life! 

What WE say is of utmost importance in our lives! Look at Mark 11:23:

23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.  AMP

Now look at Proverbs 18:20-21:

20 A man's self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].  21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].  AMP

Now let's look at Mark 5:25-34:

25 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, 28 For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health. 29 And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment. 30 And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes? 31 And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around Youfrom all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me? 32 Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.

This woman KNEW what Jesus had been both saying and doing. Her faith began to grow until she BELIEVED that if she just got close enough to Jesus to just touch His clothes that the power in Him would heal her! She then began to speak what she believed! This form of this particular Greek word means: she kept on saying! She didn't just make an emotional faith statement, but she kept confessing over herself what she believed, and she received exactly what she needed, desired and believed! What YOU say will greatly impact your own personal life! Stop speaking about your needs and problems, but begin to speak what God says (His Word) TO your needs and problems! They WILL obey the Word of God when spoken in faith by a born again believer! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Mark 4 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan today. Jesus was doing something He did very often during His ministry, teaching beside the Lake! He was teaching the multitudes who would come to hear Him in parables, which are illustrations or comparisons put beside truths to explain them. At this time Jesus taught them the parable of the sower. When He was alone with His inner circle, He explained to them the meaning of this parable. Look at verses 14-20:

14 The sower sows the Word. 15 The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them. 16 And in the same way the ones sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept and welcome it with joy; 17 And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away. 18 And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; 19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless. 20 And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit—some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much.

What is revealed in this parable is that, while the seed was always the same (the Word of God), the condition of the soil in which the seed was sown was the key to whether the seed bore fruit or not. Have you ever wondered how a room full of people can be listening to the same Bible teaching and yet some of them never "get it"? THIS is the determining factor! What is the condition of YOUR soil? The soil is your heart, which is a combination of your born again spirit, recreated in the image of Godk and you soul (mind, emotion and will) which MUST be changed, renewed and transformed on a daily basis in order to be able to understand the Word (Romans 12:2)! Each individual believer, YOU and ME, are responsible to prepare the soil of our heart to receive the instruction of the Word of God that will cause the understanding to come so that we can be DOERS of that Word, receiving the rewards of that obedience! So, think it not strange that someone who heard the same message as you acts as though they never heard it. Most likely, they DIDN'T! But YOU and I can make the determined purpose to never take the hearing and teaching of the Word of God lightly! Make it a point to take notes and then to meditate on what you have heard until it becomes real and understandable (Joshua 1:8) to YOU! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "The Difference":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The devotional on Jerry Savelle's website is very simple, yet powerful concerning success! I really don't know very many people who do not desire to succeed at whatever they are involved with. I do, however, know a few people who never seem to succeed at anything they attempt. Here is a very simple and powerful guide to true success!

Success Is a Decision

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8 NKJV).

Success begins with a decision to succeed. In turn, that decision will produce an unwavering commitment to do what it takes to do two things.

The first is to discover the spiritual laws relevant to your challenge. Simply put, this means to get wisdom: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:7 NKJV). The second is to diligently apply these laws and wisdom through to complete victory.

God’s will for you is success, but success doesn’t just happen. That’s why He shows you in His Word how to make things happen. If you do not believe and act according to His Word, there is nothing He can do about it. However, when you do your part, He has to do His part. I like to say it this way: We get to do the easy part and God gets to do the impossible part.

For example, the Bible says, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26 NKJV). In other words, you can’t promote yourself; only God can make it happen. But you can make the decision to succeed by getting wisdom and then acting on the Word by choosing to become a servant. When you make the decision to apply the Word of God to your situation, God promises that you will make your way prosperous and have good success.

Confession: I made the decision to succeed today. I make an unwavering commitment to do what it takes to get wisdom concerning the spiritual laws relevant to my challenge, and then to apply them through to complete victory.

AMEN! Now continue to make the success decision every day! HIS ability is available to every born again believer, but we must appropriate this ability by obeying His Word and by being led by Holy Spirit. Meditate on Philippians 4:13 from the Amplified Bible as you step out in faith as a DOER of the Word! You CAN! HE said so! AMEN! Here is an older song from Hillsong called "Faith":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

As I read Psalm 59 today in following along with our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, I was again impressed with how up-to-date and thoroughly timely these Words are which were written so very long ago! This Psalm speaks of David's mindset when King Saul's men were waiting to catch him and kill him. All of Saul's anger toward David was the result of jealousy which had it's root in believing something that was NOT true! He had a hatred for David, who had only done service for the king, because he thought David was after his throne. GOD had chosen David to be the next king, but David was not trying to do anything ahead of God's plan. He had no personal ambitions except to follow the Lord his God! I see the same sort of mental attitude active in people today. Some people are so insecure in themselves that they feel threatened by anyone and anything that they cannot control! Look at verses 1-7:

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend and protect me from those who rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from and lift me above those who work evil and save me from bloodthirsty men. 3 For, behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce and mighty men are banding together against me, not for my transgression nor for any sin of mine, O Lord. 4 They run and prepare themselves, though there is no fault in me; rouse Yourself [O Lord] to meet and help me, and see! 5 You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, arise to visit all the nations; spare none and be not merciful to any who treacherously plot evil. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 6 They return at evening, they howl and snarl like dogs, and go [prowling] about the city. 7 Behold, they belch out [insults] with their mouths; swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips, for who, they think, hears us?

I am particularly looking at verse 7. During this very contentious election season in the U.S., some candidates, campaigns and the people who follow them have become increasingly aggressive in their personal attacks against the other candidates. They have and continue to "belch out insults with their mouths" and to ridicule, slander and lie about the other candidates. I am going to encourage you to make this election completely about the issues involving our Constitution and the upholding of the godly principles that this nation was originally founded on. DO NOT fall for the ridiculous lie that it is better to vote for the "lesser of two evils" than to vote your principles because it COULD cost the election. THAT is the very reason that we are in the position that we are in right now! There is no such thing as the "lesser of two evils". EVIL is EVIL - PERIOD! It is past time for Bible believing, born again Christians to stand up for what is RIGHT according to the Word of God and to refuse to allow the enemy any more "free space" to operate! Let's take our nation back by Spiritual force, which is our responsibility while we are still here on the earth! Remember that HE has given US authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19) and nothing can touch us when we are In Him, and IN that secret place of protection, provision and safety provided for us in Psalm 91:

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! 3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. 8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, 10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. 11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. 12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. 14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

AMEN! I have a few ministries that I follow and have confidence in who are saying the same thing that they are receiving from the Lord. The message is, to paraphrase: God has GOT this in His hands! Things are about to change and what the world THINKS they are going to do will NOT be allowed to come to pass! Be prepared to stand strong in prayer and on the Word of God and EXPECT that He Who is LORD of ALL is about to make Himself known as we refuse to compromise and dare to believe! AMEN! Remember to NOT neglect the assembling of yourselves together (Hebrews 10:25) with those believers that HE has assigned you to fellowship with , knowing that where we are gathered in His Name, HE IS THERE IN OUR MIDST (Matthew 18:20)! AND, the Lord our God, in the midst of us, is MIGHTY (Zephaniah 3:17)! He is both willing and able to confirm His Word and to move on our behalf when we dare to believe! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong United with a song that always stirs me up to get up and GO! It is called "Go"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Mark 2 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. This account in verses 1-12 has always been among my very favorites of the healing miracles that Jesus performed during His earthly ministry! 

1 And Jesus having returned to Capernaum, after some days it was rumored about that He was in the house. 2 And so many people gathered together there that there was no longer room [for them], not even around the door; and He was discussing the Word. 3 Then they came, bringing a paralytic to Him, who had been picked up and was being carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get him to a place in front of Jesus because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him; and when they had scooped out an opening, they let down the [thickly padded] quilt or mat upon which the paralyzed man lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith [their confidence in God through Him], He said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven [you] and put away [that is, the penalty is remitted, the sense of guilt removed, and you are made upright and in right standing with God]. 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, holding a dialogue with themselves as they questioned in their hearts, 7 Why does this Man talk like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins [remove guilt, remit the penalty, and bestow righteousness instead] except God alone? 8 And at once Jesus, becoming fully aware in His spirit that they thus debated within themselves, said to them, Why do you argue (debate, reason) about all this in your hearts? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven and put away, or to say, Rise, take up your sleeping pad or mat, and start walking about [and keep on walking]? 10 But that you may know positively and beyond a doubt that the Son of Man has right and authority and power on earth to forgive sins—He said to the paralyzed man, 11 I say to you, arise, pick up and carry your sleeping pad or mat, and be going on home. 12 And he arose at once and picked up the sleeping pad or mat and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and  recognized and praised and thanked God, saying, We have never seen anything like this before!

There were so many people gathered to hear this One that they had heard so much about! In this multitude of people there were some who needed healing, some who wanted to hear His Words of Life, some who came out of curiosity, some who were skeptical, some who wanted to "see the show" (be entertained), and others who came to mock and ridicule. The ones who most impressed Jesus at this particular time were those men who had brought their friend for healing and were so convinced about what Jesus could and would do that they dragged their friend on his mat to the roof of the house where Jesus was staying and proceeded to cut a hole in the roof from which to lower their friend right down in front of Jesus so that He could be healed! NO GREATER LOVE (John 15:13)! These friends risked their own reputations and trespassing in order to see to it that their friend was healed! I LOVE this hunger and thirst for the things of GOD, this no nonsense commitment to receive from JESUS, this unconditional love and loyalty for a friend in need and the results that they received because they DARED to believe! What are YOU willing to lay down on the line to see Godly, supernatural results that give God the Glory and that point people toward HIM? Let's challenge ourselves everyday to see to it that we are holding nothing back from following HIM with everything that is within us! AMEN! THEN we will see results such as these! Here is Hillsong United with "Lost Are Found":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is a great exhortation for us as born again believers to really LIVE the life HE has provided for us in our new and better Covenant! 

"For bodily exercise profits little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Timothy 4:8). 

Some people would have you believe that godliness - living for God, being born again, walking in fellowship with the Lord - has no profit in this life. They think we must simply endure life with all its ups and downs, struggles and trials, always bearing in mind that "this life will soon be over."  I'm glad Paul gave us a balanced viewpoint by saying that godliness is not only profitable "over yonder" in the next life, but it has promise of "the life that now is." 

As sinners, we were bankrupt, but God had mercy on us, and He sent Jesus to redeem us. Jesus came not only to save us from our sins - but to live within us (Colossians 1:27). And Jesus wants us to bring as much glory to His Name, and to pay as rich dividends to Him as possible in this life. Instead of saying that godliness is a hindrance to success, the Apostle Paul says the exact opposite in our text scripture.  It doesn't cost to serve God - it pays! 

Confession: I live a godly life. I am born again. I live for God. I walk in fellowship with the Lord. This is profitable for me - here on earth in the life that now is, and also in the life which is to come! 

Never forget what Jesus Himself said in 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].

When we dare to believe that we CAN have an abundant, overflowing life, HERE and NOW, then we will begin to see the results that the One, True God of the Bible so desires for us to have! Why does He so desire this? Because He LOVES us, AND because He loves and desires to reach the lost! Our lives should be living examples of HIS abundant love, grace, mercy, protection, provision and safety so that others are drawn to HIM in US! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Nothing Like Your Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this from today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland! It brings home the vital TRUTH that the quality of our lives as born again believers on this earth is determined by our commitment to being DOERS of the Word of God! 

Choose you this day whom ye will serve. Joshua 24:1

Choosing to side with God's Word is a continual challenge. It's not something you do just once. It's a process of choosing to believe and act upon the Word of God over and over in every circumstance. That's what everyone has to do. 

Years ago I decided I was going to choose Jesus. Since then I've had to choose Him again and again in situations every day. I've chosen Him as my Lord and Savior. I've chosen Him as my Healer. I've chosen Him as my Financier. I've chosen Him as head of my household. I've chosen Him as head of this ministry. And I still have to choose Him moment by moment. Sometimes that choice gets tough, but God has promised it will never get too tough. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, He says,

 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able." 

What the Lord is saying is that He will not allow you to be subjected to a temptation you're unable to overcome. With every temptation, He'll make a way of escape. He'll always make sure you have a choice. The devil doesn't come tempt you while God is off somewhere else, unaware of what is happening to you. The Spirit of God is constantly there with you, providing you with the way to overcome. In other words, God matches even the toughest temptations with the weapons and power you need to conquer them. He always makes it possible for you to choose life.

So choose to walk in love. Choose to walk by faith. Choose to live by the Word. Jesus is the Way! Choose Him!

AMEN! WE have the choice! WE determine our quality of life! WE determine our destiny! WE determine our Heavenly rewards! Are you ready to MAKE your life a GREAT one? Choose the Word of God every day, all day! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an old song called "Everyday":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love when our ministry partner, Rick Renner, shares a short video teaching on social media, and ends with "Just something for you to THINK ABOUT"! That's what I want to do today! I want to leave you with something to think about (meditate on as in Joshua 1:8) and to ask Holy Spirit about! This is not a "doctrine" or a subject of great importance, but something interesting that Holy Spirit DOES know about and I believe that He will let us know! AMEN! We're looking at Acts 27 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Paul had warned those in charge that it would be very dangerous to make that trip! Verse 10:

10 Saying, Sirs, I perceive [after careful observation] that this voyage will be attended with disaster and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but of our lives also.

We have covered before the TRUTH that there are two ways to learn, Wisdom, which is learning from others, and experience, which is learning from your own mistakes! Those in charge did NOT choose Wisdom on this day! Look at verse 11:

11 However, the centurion paid greater attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.

Very soon after they set sail a very violent storm began to toss the ship around. The sailors began to throw things off the ship to lessen the load and still the storm raged. Paul then reminded them that this would not have happened if they would have listened to him, but he then told them what the Lord had told him. Verses 22-24:

22 But [even] now I beg you to be in good spirits and take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship. 23 For this [very] night there stood by my side an angel of the God to Whom I belong and Whom I serve and worship, 24 And he said, Do not be frightened, Paul! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and behold, God has given you all those who are sailing with you.

Even with that confirmation, the men began to fear for their lives and were going to ditch the ship and the prisoners. Paul gave them this warning in verse 31:

31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be saved.

This time they believed and obeyed Paul! Now we come to the verse I challenge you to meditate on! Verses 33-36:

33 While they waited until it should become day, Paul entreated them all to take some food, saying, This is the fourteenth day that you have been continually in suspense and on the alert without food, having eaten nothing. 34 So I urge (warn, exhort, encourage, advise) you to take some food [for your safety]—it will give you strength; for not a hair is to perish from the head of any one of you. 35 Having said these words, he took bread and, giving thanks to God before them all, he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all became more cheerful and were encouraged and took food themselves.

Paul said that they had not eaten for 14 days! My thought is this: Sailing is a strenuous task even in great weather! It would take great physical strength to maintain this ship in the midst of a storm of this caliber. I would imagine that not eating any food for 14 days would have left them thin and weak! Some commentaries say that this just meant they didn't eat regular meals. Paul says that they had eaten NOTHING! That means not even one thing! Worry and fear drove them! My belief is that the God of the Bible was sustaining them! And I believe that He did this because of Paul's presence among them! What think you? 

I believe that there are many people in our lives who are being blessed out of the overflow of blessings in OUR lives! Remember, the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). Why? Because God's people have a right to the rain and when it falls on them, the overflow reaches others! This should serve as a calling card for them to want to know Jesus! AMEN! Keep walking in the blessings of God so that others may see His hand on your life and want Him! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Lost Are Found":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been disturbed lately by some very false teachings floating around that say that as a born again believer, we no longer need to confess sin when we miss it. Just as a basic foundation, I want to remind you that the Old Testament revealed the plan and purpose of God to bring the Savior into the world through the nation of Israel. The God of the Bible established covenant with His chosen people so that whoever would receive Him as their God would have provision for every area of their lives. 

When Jesus came to this earth, He operated as a man and NOT as God. He never stopped being God, but He never operated AS God. Everything that Jesus did in and through His earthly ministry was done under the authority of the Word of God and the Covenant established through Abraham and then Moses. Things spoken of and accomplished in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were all according to and within the scope of the Old Covenant! Just look at what Jesus accomplished! AFTER the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, the New Covenant, established in HIS blood, was in force. THIS Covenant is a better Covenant, being based on even better promises than the Old (Hebrews 8:6). 

That brings us to the Epistles, which were letters written to the churches which consisted of born again, Spirit-filled believers. These instructions were NOT for unbelievers, but for believers! The only instructions that unbelievers have is to be born again by receiving Jesus as Lord and personal Savior. They CANNOT understand the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:14) and the promises of this New Covenant were NOT for them! Anyone who had not received Jesus as Lord and Savior have only the Old Covenant, the Law, to live by, and they must be perfect! (No one, except for Jesus, ever could or ever has been able to keep the Law!) The instructions in the letters to the churches (Epistles) are instructions for walking out this born again, Spirit-filled, New Covenant Christian life! Any and every instruction given is for the successful and prosperous Kingdom of God life that He provided for us to live here as we go about fulfilling the Ministry of Reconciliation in whatever specific and unique way He has called each and every one of us to (3 John 2; 2 Corinthians 5:18).

As we looked at on Sunday on this blog, at the new birth our spirits were immediately made new. At the catching away of the church our bodies will immediately, in the twinkling of an eye, be made new. While we are waiting for THAT wonderful day, we are told to prosper our souls (3 John 2) by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) so that we can be DOERS of Philippians 2:12:

12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].

"Salvation" here is NOT referring to our eternal salvation, as that has already been taken care of instantly at the New Birth. This is the Greek word "soteria", which means: rescue, safety, deliverance, preservation, health, peace. This is for THIS present life! We are to obey the Word of God in order to walk in the fullness of His Blessing here and now! Nothing that we do here after being born again and becoming a member of the family of God and the Body of Christ will change our new relationship with the God of the Bible. What this life does affect is our fellowship with Him and our ability to appropriate the blessings that He has already called ours! That brings us to 1 John 1:9:

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. KJV

This unrighteousness is a completely different word than the one in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that tells us that we have been made HIS righteousness. THAT is referring to our new nature while the unrighteousness mentioned in 1 John 1:9 is referring to the affects that sin will have on our souls and on our lives. We do NOT want to be walking around, as New Covenant believers, operating in sin which opens the door for the enemy, who has no legal rights to trespass, into our lives! It would be like having a powerful security system in place for your home, and then leaving the doors and windows unlocked! Someone CAN break in and cause harm, even though they have no right to! The instructions in the Epistles are God's provision for us to lead a John 10:10 life while still on this earth where the curse is still active. Do you see that? I hope that you will meditate on these things and search them out for yourselves so that YOU will not be hindered or tripped up by the enemy! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Scandal of Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" goes very well with Pastor Bill Novak's teaching at The Spoken Word Church yesterday!

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. (James 1:17)

Sickness and disease don't make people more spiritual. They don't bring out the best in people - in fact, they usually bring out the worst in them! Sick people can get cantankerous and hard to get along with. 

A friend of mine once said, "Maybe God wants me sick," as if to imply it was for some spiritual reason. I replied, "Well, you keep believing that and stay sick. I'll keep believing God wants me well and stay well." And so I have stayed well for sixty-five years, and he has been sick all those years. I like my way better. 

Now if you want to believe that God wants you sick, go ahead and stay sick. But don't ask me to pray for you. I've had people in a healing line say to me, "Brother Hagin, I believe the Lord just wants me sick." 

And I've thought, "Well, if He wants you sick, why are you here trying to get healed? If He wants you sick, then it would be a sin for you to try to get well." 

People in the hospital have also said to me, "I don't believe that it's God's will to heal me." Well, if it's not God's will to heal them, why are they in the hospital trying to get well? According to their line of reasoning, if they ever did get well, they would be out of the will of God! No, the truth is that God wants people well. 

Confession:  It is God's will that I be well. It is God's will that I be healed.

It is NOT God's will for ANY member of His family to be sick! Jesus CAME so that He could take care of the sin problem AND the sickness, weakness and infirmity problem! He DID His job! AMEN! I encourage you to check out the teaching from yesterday when it is posted to our Spoken Word Church website later in the week! It is EXCELLENT and will answer most questions you could have concerning God's will for Divine healing! AMEN! Here is Sarah Hart Pearsons with "It Is Finished"!

IT IS FINISHED

Grace says, "You are loved"

In response I say, "Thank You, thank You Lord"

This is sweet salvation, this is sweet salvation

Grace says, "You are healed"

In response I say, "Thank You, I receive"

This is sweet salvation, this is sweet salvation

I believe because You said it

But I trust because I  know You

It is finished, it is done

You have risen, I have won

It is finished, it is done

Now I'm singing hallelujah

Grace says, "You're redeemed"

In response I say, "Thank you I believe"

This is sweet salvation, this is sweet salvation

Grace says, "You are cleansed"

In response I say, "Thank you, I forgive"

This is sweet salvation, this is sweet salvation

grace says, "You are loved"

Grace says, "You are healed"

Graces says, "You're redeemed"

Grace says, "You are clean"

It is finished, it is done

Jesus said it, the work is done

It is finished, it is done

Now I'm singing hallelujah, hallelujah

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland! 

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Inside, you're perfect—born again in the image of Jesus Himself. But outwardly do you find yourself falling frustratingly short of that perfection? Is there a solution? Yes! The secret lies in "the renewing of your mind."

Romans 12:2 tells us that, if you'll renew your mind, you can actually be "transformed." That word transformed is translated from the Greek word from which we get the term metamorphosis. It's used in Scripture in two other places.

One of those places is when Jesus was transfigured on the Mount as He spoke with Moses and Elijah. The other is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18. It says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Changed, transformed, transfigured! Those are powerful, exciting words, and they describe what will happen to you as you spend time beholding the Lord in the Word and in prayer. As you spend time renewing your mind, your outer being will be transformed in much the same way as a caterpillar is changed into a butterfly. Instead of conforming to the image of the world, you'll begin to conform to the image of the reborn spirit within you which is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Take time to get away from the world and study God's Word. Meditate on it and let it change you from the inside out. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind and release the beautiful spiritual butterfly that's living in you!

All those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior have been born again (John 3:3) Holy Spirit instantly changed our dead spirits into the image of God and we were made new creatures that never existed before! It happened immediately at the New Birth! Our bodies will be changed instantly, in a moment, at the catching away of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:52). Our souls (mind, emotion and will), however, are changed, progressively, day by day, as we spend time in His Word! I LOVE those words above: changed, transformed, transfigured. His Word is so very powerful! Dare to believe, are to receive and dare to act on what you see in the Word and allow HIM to confirm that Word in your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong  with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Joy is the subject of the blog today and "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland for today covers it very well!

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Joy. It's not a warm, happy feeling you're supposed to have now and then when things are going well. It's much more than that. Joy is one of the most powerful spiritual forces in the world. 

Look again at Nehemiah 8:10 and I'll show you why. If you were to diagram that scripture and remove the phrase, "of the Lord," you would find what it's truly saying is this: Joy is strength. The two are interchangeable.

That's what makes joy so crucial. You can't live a life of faith without being strong in the Lord—and when God wants to make you strong, joy is what He uses to do the job! 

Joy is not just a state of mind. It is not a fleeting emotion. Joy is a very real force, and the devil doesn't have anything that can stand up against it. Just as fear has to yield to faith, discouragement has to yield to joy. 

Since joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, you already have it residing within you. But you must develop it, confess it and live by it if you want to enjoy its power. Whatever circumstances you are facing today, you can be full of joy. You can be strong in the Lord. You can draw on the supply of the Holy Spirit within you and come out on top.  Rejoice!

One of my favorite parts of this is this: Joy is a real force, and the devil doesn't have anything that can stand against it! Now THAT is great encouraging news for every born again believer! As long as we maintain our joy, then the enemy will NEVER be able to get an advantage over us! How do we do that? By meditating on the Word concerning joy. By staying filled with the Spirit through prayer in the Spirit (tongues) and worship in the Spirit! Rendering the devil powerless concerning every situation in your life is well worth any price that you have to pay to get there! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "This Is How We Overcome":

Shalom in Him!