Shalom,

Psalm 47 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan ministered to me more today than at any other time I have read it! It is SO appropriate for the times in which we are now living here on earth! 

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.

With so much hatred and division, terrorist attacks and wars, and catastrophes (both natural and manmade), it gives me great confidence to know that through it all, GOD IS STILL GOD! HE is orchestrating the lives of His people, when we allow Him to! In HIS presence is fullness of joy, no matter what is going on around us! Remember that as a born again believer, YOUR citizenship is in Heaven! You are an ambassador on earth for the sole purpose of sharing the Good News, and supporting others who are doing so, also! Make THAT your prime directive! Your #1 priority and concern! Then HE will cause everything you lay your hands to, to be successful. He will direct your steps in the right direction! Blessings await! Let's GO! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

A FIRM FOUNDATION

These things I command you, that ye love one another. John 15:17

In Luke 6:47-48, Jesus said: “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.”

That’s probably a familiar scripture to you. But today I want you to do something new with it. I want you to put it together with what Jesus said in John 15:17: “These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

Love. That one word sums up all Jesus said for us to do. If you’ll build your life on it, even the most violent storms of this world will be unable to shake you. It will make you solid in every area of your life. 

If you’ll build your family on love, you can win back those the devil has stolen from you. You can win them to Jesus with the love of God.

 If you’ll build your business on love, you’ll prosper beyond your wildest dreams. I had a friend who did that. He went into a television and radio business in his church. He wanted to buy a station from a Jewish man and he offered such a good price for it that the owner was stunned.

“Why would you offer me such a wonderful price?” asked the Jewish owner.

“Because the Word of God says that if I will bless you, God will bless me. So I’m going to see to it that you get the better part of this deal,” answered my friend.

Before it was all over, that Jewish station owner had made Jesus Lord of his life. He and my friend ended up prospering and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ together on the radio. When love rules, prosperity can flow!

Commit to living the life of love today. Commit to building your house upon the rock. Then when the storms of life begin to blow—at home, at work or in any situation—you can enjoy the solid security of knowing that love never fails.

Isn't that a powerful concept? We can't outgive God and we will never be able to 'outlove' Him either, BUT, we can imitate our Father by making the right choices and trusting in HIM to give us the ability to follow through! The more we put the Word of God into practice, the more faith, trust and confidence we will have in it. When others see the results that come to us with our obedience, they will be drawn to the God that never fails! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Greatest of These":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read 2 Timothy 3 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today, and there couldn't be a better description of our present times! Written about 2,000 years ago! Look at verses 1-5:

1 But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. 2 For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. 3 [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. 4 [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. 5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

Every area of humanity is covered here! There is not one thing mentioned that we haven't already observed to some degree! Notice also that there will be 'religious' people, claiming to be Christians, who have never received JESUS as Lord and personal Savior! They will cling to their religious traditions, but there will be NO power in their lives. It is more important now than ever before that we be continually preaching the TRUE Gospel of JESUS Christ so that those who have never been born again, can be! Our instructions can be found in verses 14-17:

14 But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned [them], 15 And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. 16 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), 17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

AMEN! Let's continue to be students of, and DOERS of, the Word of God! Follow the specific leading of the Spirit of God Who lives IN us in order to be WHERE God wants us to be, doing WHAT God wants us to do! THAT is TRUE success and prosperity! AMEN! Here is Hillsong, again, with "Tell The World", which continues to be THE most important message! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I think that Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems II" for today is a very important lesson.

LIVING IN THE LIMELIGHT

Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. — 1 Thessalonians 2:6

Another pitfall that has short-circuited the call of God in lives of others is a desire for glory or fame. But neither money nor fame was Paul’s motive for pursuing ministry. Paul’s primary pursuit was to please God. He genuinely loved God and the people God had called him to reach.

In First Thessalonians 2:6, Paul said, “Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.” The Greek tense makes it clear that Paul was saying he didn’t habitually seek glory from men; it wasn’t his pattern of operation. Then Paul got more specific by using the phrase “neither of you, nor yet of others.” In a general sense, Paul wasn’t seeking glory from people. And in a specific sense, he wasn’t seeking glory from those he knew personally, including the church members in Thessalonica.

Paul’s statement in verse 6 was what I call a futuristic statement. Paul was saying, “I haven’t sought glory in the past; I’m not seeking glory from you now; and I’m not going to seek glory from anyone else in the future.” Paul simply wasn’t interested in the limelight — in receiving the glory of men.

This is a great test and temptation for anyone who becomes well known. It is a test that must be passed. If having the adulation of men is important to you, it will eventually become a noose that hangs you — as you’ll end up doing or saying anything to get attention and adulation.

Proverbs 29:25 (NKJV) holds a powerful warning to us along this line. It tells us that “the fear of man brings a snare….” Being overly concerned about what people think of us and fearing their possible rejection of us is actually a dangerous trap of the enemy that he uses to try to control us. It will either muzzle and silence us from speaking the truth when necessary, or provoke us to say what people want to hear — instead of the word of the Lord they need to hear.

Either way, seeking adulation and praise from man is a deceptive trap, and the source is fear. And fear always works to nullify faith, which is essential for you to please God! So make sure your goal is always to stay pleasing to the Lord above all else and all others. It’s that pure desire of your heart to please Jesus that will keep you free every day from the trap of seeking praise from men!

AMEN! Being in a public ministry may APPEAR to be glamorous, but there is ALWAYS a side of things that are unseen! No one but the Lord Himself will every REALLY see what effort, work, commitment, prayer and sacrifice goes into what each one of us are called by God to do! The publicly seen 'glamourous' parts are a very small amount of what actually goes into our individual callings, gifts and anointings. Never envy anyone and their gifts, talents and anointings, because HE has anointed YOU perfectly for what He has called you to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Live with an older song that speaks to our REAL purpose! To "Shout Your Fame" (meaning JESUS):

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

After such a powerful and anointed Worship Service at church today, I found THIS, from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, to be an excellent reminder that it takes DILIGENCE and FAITH to maintain that attitude of worship and praise throughout the week! 2 Timothy 1:6-7:

6 That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

It is MY responsibility to stir up the knowledge of the Word that I receive from Holy Spirit, Who is my personal Teacher! It is also MY responsibility to stir up the joy, fire, anointing and enthusiasm for the things of God. When I do so, then the Word will have first place in my life and Holy Spirit can effectively lead, guide and direct me by it! Verses 13-14 also give us this exhortation:

13 Hold fast and follow the pattern of wholesome and sound teaching which you have heard from me, in [all] the faith and love which are [for us] in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard and keep [with the greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [Truth] which has been entrusted [to you], by the [help of the] Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us.

Refuse to take lightly the clarity that comes when Holy Spirit makes the Word of God come alive and make SO MUCH SENSE! You may be tempted to wonder how everyone doesn't see it, but remember that this was YOU not that long ago! Keep being a DOER of the Word that HE reveals to you and you will NOT lose it! AMEN! And then always remember this exhortation from verse 9:

9 [For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago].

Holiness before God is simply separating yourself FROM the world's way of thinking, speaking and acting, and UNTO God and HIS! Our holy calling? To preach the Gospel, because HE desires that ALL be saved! Will they all be saved? THAT is not our business! Results are never our business! They are God's! OUR business is simply to make HIM available to all within our own realm of influence! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin! He addresses the subject of believers and how to view sin.

Born of God

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9). 

People sometimes ask me, "How can I tell whether it is my own spirit or the Holy Spirit telling me to do something? It may just be me wanting to do it." 

When you say "me," what are you talking about? If it is the real you - the man on the inside that's a new creature, with the life and nature of God in him, indwelt by the Holy Spirit - then it is right. If you mean "me," and you're talking about the flesh, that's a different thing entirely. Learn to differentiate between the two. 

A Christian's inward man isn't the one who wants to do wrong. If the inward man wants to do wrong, that person has never been born again. 

First John 3:9 has bothered some Christians. They have made mistakes and failed, and they've thought, If I were born of God, according to the Bible I wouldn't sin. But this verse is talking about the inward man who doesn't sin. 

I've done things that were wrong, but my inward man didn't do them. In fact, he didn't agree with me when I did them. He tried to get me not to do them. 

Physically, we are born of human parents, and we partake of their human nature. Spiritually, we are born of God, and we partake of His nature. And it is not God's nature to do wrong. Therefore, let your spirit dominate your flesh. 

Confession: I am born of God. My spirit has the life and nature of God, and its desires are right desires. 

I really like his common sense explanation. When we receive JESUS as Lord and personal Savior, the Spirit of Almighty God takes our dead spirit (for we WERE sinners, serving satan), and recreates us in the image of God (2 Corinthians 5:17)! Our spirit man is then PERFECT! Remember, we are spirit beings who possess souls (mind, emotions and will) and live, while on earth, in these physical bodies. Our spirits are immediately made perfect at the New Birth. Our bodies WILL BE made perfect, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as we receive our resurrection bodies, just like JESUS now has (1 Corinthians 15:52). Our souls MUST be renewed day by day during THIS life. SO, when we DO sin as believers, it is NOT our inner man (spirit) that sins, but our flesh nature (soul and body). We will NEVER lose our eternal salvation because we miss it after being born again. We are instructed in 1 John 1:9 to confess (acknowledge, recognize that HE is always right and when we differ, we are wrong) the sin and RECEIVE the forgiveness that is continually available to us (1 John 1:7). Doing so affects THIS life so that we can walk in continual FELLOWSHIP with Him, as NOTHING can affect our new RELATIONSHIP with Him HALLELUJAH!  Get this TRUTH down on the inside of you and the enemy will never be able to steal your confidence and joy again! Thank YOU, JESUS! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Alive":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

"Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince is EXCELLENT today! 

NOTHING TO DO, ONLY BELIEVE

John 6:28–29 “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

When I was a young Christian, I attended a seminar on what we must do to “work the works of God”. I was told that we had to pray more, fast more, know our enemy and so on. I came away from the seminar confused. Then one day, I found the same question in the Bible. But the answer was very different!

In the Gospel of John, we find Jesus being asked the same question by the multitude who had been awed by His miracles—“What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” The people had seen Jesus healing the sick, and feeding 5,000 men with only five loaves and two fish.

Notice how Jesus answered them: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” My friend, the greatest doing is believing—believing in Jesus the sent one, who has done it all for you at the cross!

If you are asking, “What must I do to receive my healing?” the answer is this: Believe in Jesus, who “Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses”. (Matthew 8:17) We have seen members of our church delivered from life-threatening conditions such as cancer and kidney failure. They had simply believed that Jesus bore their diseases on His own body. There was nothing for them to do, except to believe.

When the jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30–31) The greatest miracle in your life happens not by you working and trying to save yourself, but by you simply believing in Jesus who died to save you from eternal damnation and to give you eternal life. Why then, should the lesser miracles of healing or financial breakthroughs be any different?

Beloved, what is the miracle you need today? There is nothing left for you to do, but everything for you to believe, because Jesus has done it all for you!

Thought For The Day: The greatest doing is believing—believing in Jesus the sent one, who has done it all for you!

AMEN! People are still, after all of these years and after so much Bible teaching, trying to put conditions on the Word of God that are simply not there! Remind yourself when standing in faith SEEMS to become difficult, that HE does the work! We "Only believe" (Mark 5:36)! And ALWAYS believe! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "God One And Only":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE Andrew Womack's devotional for today! It fine tunes the subject of how to handle problems that we are standing on God's Word for deliverance from! 

CONFESS GOD'S TRUTH

John 11:14 "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead."

Jesus spoke of Lazarus being asleep instead of dead because that is really a much better description. Death, to their carnal minds, would be final; whereas the word "sleep" would not. When the disciples misunderstood what He was saying, He clarified the situation by saying plainly, "Lazarus is dead."

This looks like a contrary statement to what Jesus was going to do (raise Lazarus from the dead) and indeed it would have been if He had left it at that. But He went on to say in verse 15, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe." This was referring to Lazarus being raised from the dead and it turned Jesus' statement of a negative fact into a positive confession of faith.

Many people have been confused over this very issue. Many times people will refuse to speak of or acknowledge any situation that is contrary to a promise that God has given them. It is certainly desirable to avoid talking about our problems and there is scriptural precedent for this (2 Kings 4:20, 26). In this very instance, Jesus avoided using a word to describe Lazarus' situation that would have instilled fear into His disciples' hearts. But when dealing with people who didn't understand, He didn't deny the natural facts.

A true, positive confession doesn't deny natural truth. It just refuses to stop at the natural realm and speaks forth the greater spiritual truth. This is what Jesus did and we should follow His example. Therefore, it is not wrong to acknowledge a physical problem such as sickness just as long as we acknowledge to an equal or greater degree the spiritual truth, "by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). Don't deny that problems exist, just deny those problems the right to continue to exist in your life by confessing your faith in God.

Confessing God's Word in faith over a situation does not deny that the situation currently exists. It simply denies it the RIGHT to continue to exist! There is such a huge difference in the mind set here! I hope that you will meditate on this until Holy Spirit IN you rises up with the confidence that the Word of God is ALWAYS Truth, whether it looks like it or not! It is NEVER wrong to speak the TRUTH! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Not Today" (A song that puts the enemy in his place!):

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin! If you have never read them, you are missing a great study tool for basic Bible understanding! I know that there are SO many devotional choices out there, but THIS one should be a top one! 

Waiting on God

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

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

"What did you go by - a fleece?" 

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

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

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

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

I LOVE that he instructs here that fasting does NOT change God! Fasting is for the purpose of getting US to focus on God and His Word! THAT is where the answer to every question and the solution to every problem hides FOR us! Make it your 'determined purpose' to know and love the Lord your God first and foremost! Part of that involves loving what He loves, which starts with His WORD! Put the Word first, set aside (fast) whatever distracts YOU from hearing His voice and receiving His direction. When you receive that, then set your face like flint to put it into practice and watch HIM get involved, supernaturally, in every area of your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Glimmer In The Dust":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from Jerry Savelle's website. This message is so simple, yet so powerfully important!

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19 NKJV).

Do you desire to see a change in other people and the situations that surround you? Most of us do, yet when we make the effort to get people and things around us to change, we often end up angry and frustrated.

There is a way, however, to bring about change that is both fast and long lasting. Your life will change dramatically when you allow God to change you, when you are willing to change your perceptions and beliefs.

The Bible tells us nothing happens in the natural world without something first happening in the spiritual realm: “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3 NKJV).

If you’ve been struggling with the same issue for years, or if you’re looking at a mountain that appears immovable, forget trying to make things happen yourself. Take time out to draw into God and make some changes in the spiritual realm.

• It’s in the spiritual realm that you apply your God-given authority
• It’s in the spiritual realm that you take control and make things happen
• It’s in the spiritual realm that you make changes that impact the natural
• It’s in the spiritual realm that you find the solutions to all your problems

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, will reveal what you need to know; He will gently convict you where you need to change your attitude or belief. When you see the truth and make the necessary heart adjustments, you’ll view your situations completely differently.

You’ll know without a shadow of doubt that your natural world is changing because you were first willing to change.

Confession: I choose today to draw into God, seeking the heart changes He desires to make in me. I release my concern for people and situations in the natural, knowing that the Spirit of Truth will bring the revelation I need.

One of the most important decisions that a born again, Spirit-filled believer can make is to be meek! Meek does NOT mean to be someone's doormat and let people walk all over you. Meek really has nothing to do with other people, but it is our attitude towards the God of the Bible! To be meek really means to be teachable! To make the determination that God is ALWAYS right! When we differ, then I am the one who must change MY thinking to agree with HIM! When we can make that correction, then the Word of God will come alive for us as never before. We will be better able to act on the Word, and to receive the results of doing so! Are YOU ready to lay it all at HIS feet and learn and grow from here? If you are, hang on! Things are going to start being powerful and supernatural in every life that is submitted to HIM! HALLELUJAH! Let's GO! Here is Hillsong UNITED an older song that I still love called "Go":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE Psalm 37 from our Spoken World Bible Reading Plan for today! This Psalm is filled with comparisons, by God, between the believer and the unbeliever, and how each is affected by the Word of God! Here are some of the promises to believers!

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.

Now here are some of the results of being, and remaining, an unbeliever:

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. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait and hope and look for the Lord [in the end] shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while, and the evildoers will be no more; though you look with care where they used to be, they will not be found. 12 The wicked plot against the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright in right standing with God); they gnash at them with their teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at [the wicked], for He sees that their own day [of defeat] is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who walk uprightly (blameless in conduct and in conversation). 15 The swords [of the wicked] shall enter their own hearts, and their bows shall be broken. 

The only reason we should consider the results of wickedness is so that we stay motivated to share the Gospel with them so that they can become believers who have the promises of God instead! To end on a positive note, here are a few more of the wonderful promises of God for believers who do things God's way!

23 The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. 24 Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him. 25 I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the [uncompromisingly] righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread. 26 All day long they are merciful and deal graciously; they lend, and their offspring are blessed.

Amen! It PAYS to serve the LORD, in the face of any and all adversity, because HE cares for YOU! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Behold - Then Sings My Soul":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another great exhortation to every born again believer, this time speaking of prayer!

The Cross In Prayer

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

•  

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

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

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

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

* 'Huffed' means: a mood of sulking anger; a fit of resentment

I LOVE that he says we do NOT pray to get answers, but to get intimate with God! 1 John 5:14-15 tells us how to get answers and it says to pray the Word (His will)! When we pray the Word, we are speaking back to God what HE has already proclaimed to BE ours! Standing in faith means that we believe that God is "not a man that He should lie" (Numbers 23:19), but that He is true to His own Word! Get intimate with God so that you KNOW Him; how He thinks, speaks and acts, and then you will see the answers! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Future Marches In":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Yesterday we saw how Peter actually walked on water, but then circumstances around him caused doubt to flood his soul. Today we see Peter faltering again in Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional. A very important aspect of Peter's faltering was that he was not yet born again, and therefore not yet filled with the SPirit of God. THAT made all the difference in the world! WE have every ability to stay above the enemies strategies!

Watch and Pray

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

Have you ever been frustrated with the weaknesses of your flesh? Have you ever resolved never more to yield to a particular sin, yet when the temptation came, you fell right back into it?

It’s happened to all of us—even the disciple Peter. He swore he would never deny Jesus...but he did it anyway, time and time and time again.

There is, however, something we can do to keep from falling prey to temptations like that. We can “watch and pray.” That’s what Jesus told Peter and the other disciples to do in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew they were about to be tempted, and He knew that the weakness of their flesh would overcome them if they didn’t strengthen their spirits through prayer.

That’s true for you and me too. That’s why in Jude 20-21, God tells us much the same thing that Jesus told the disciples that night. He says, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith...praying in the Holy Spirit; guard and keep yourselves in the love of God…” (The Amplified Bible).

God knows even better than we do that our flesh has been trained to flow with the world’s stream. He knows that even though our born-again spirits are reaching for God, our untrained flesh will always have a tendency to fall into sin.

So, He’s given us the ability to pray in other tongues, to strengthen our spirits and build ourselves up until our spirits take ascendancy over our flesh. As we pray in the spirit, Romans 8:26 tells us, the “[Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf…” (The Amplified Bible).

Is it any wonder the Apostle Paul said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all” (1 Corinthians 14:18)! It is one of the most powerful tools God has given us.

So don’t neglect to use it. Follow the instruction in Ephesians 6:18 and pray “always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.”

Don’t make the mistake that Peter made. When temptation comes to your door, don’t let it catch you sleeping. Be prepared. Make sure your spirit is strong enough to rise above it.

AMEN! And we CAN! We are well equipped to do so! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have been reading Mark Brazee's "365 Days of Healing" devotional at Morning Prayer this year and I want to share today's with you! 

Matthew 14:29-31 And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Peter was walking on the water. He had a miracle going. He'd stepped out in faith on the strength of Jesus' word, but got his eyes off the answer and onto the problem and began to sink. Jesus caught him and said, "O thou of little faith."

 Do you know what "little faith" is? It's keeping your eye on the problem instead of the answer. Weak faith says, "I know what God says, but, man, look at the problem!" Great faith says, "I don't care what it looks like! I know what God says." The difference between great faith and weak faith is found in what you dwell on - the problem or the answer.

One example of great faith can be found in Romans 4:19: "And being not weak in faith, (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb."

Now, take the two nots out of that Scripture, and you'll see an example of weak faith. "Being weak in faith, he considered his own body now dead" Weak faith considers the body or problem; strong faith considers what God says or the answer. Abraham was fully persuaded God would perform what he promised. That's the mark of great faith.

Confession: I won't focus on symptoms or circumstances. I'll look at God's Word and walk in victory every time.

I have always loved the account of Peter walking on the water! Many have focused on Peter's 'weak faith' as he began to sink, but I major on this: PETER WALKED ON WATER! I know of no other person beside Jesus who ever walked on water! There have been some, but no one that I have ever heard of! But there IS such a good lesson for each of us to learn from this message! Keep our eyes on the Word of God, because HE NEVER FAILS! AMEN! Here is an old Hillsong song called "All The Power You Need":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am loving Psalm 33 today! Another great reminder that our God IS GOD! 

Psalm 33

1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you upright in right standing with God]; for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart]. 2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; sing praises to Him with the harp of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully [on the strings] with a loud and joyful sound. 4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all His work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as in a bottle; He puts the deeps in storage places. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord [revere and worship Him]; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nought; He makes the thoughts and plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart through all generations. 12 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His heritage. 13 The Lord looks from heaven, He beholds all the sons of men; 14 From His dwelling place He looks [intently] upon all the inhabitants of the earth— 15 He Who fashions the hearts of them all, Who considers all their doings. 16 No king is saved by the great size and power of his army; a mighty man is not delivered by [his] much strength. 17 A horse is devoid of value for victory; neither does he deliver any by his great power. 18 Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, 19 To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield. 21 For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.

The underlined verses are those which speak directly of things that the LORD does or has done! He sees all and hears all and He is not moved or impressed with the pompous 'greatness' of natural man! Everything good in mankind and on the earth is the LORD'S doing! He IS the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)! There is no one beside Him or who could even compare! Let's make a new and fresh commitment to put the Lord our God as our #1 priority in life. To please HIM, the get to know HIM and to obey HIM, in everything! THAT decision will put us in position to receive all of God's richest and best blessings! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Water Into Wine":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for today!

Stirred Up

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee…" (2 Timothy 1:6). 
A woman got us out of bed at two o'clock one morning, crying, "If I could just get back to where I was with God." I assumed she had committed some terrible sin, so I said, "Kneel down here and tell the Lord about it. He will forgive you." 

She said, "I have searched my heart and as far as I know, I haven't done anything wrong." I said, "Then what makes you think you have to get back to God?" "Well," she said, "I just don't feel like I used to." 

I was visibly aggravated with her. I told her if I went by my feelings right then, she'd have to pray for me! But I showed her what to do: I told her to watch and listen as I prayed. 

Then I said, "Dear Lord, I'm so glad I'm a child of God. I'm so glad I've been born again. I don't feel anything, but that doesn't have anything to do with it. My inward man is a new man. I want to thank You that I'm filled with the Holy Spirit. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit reside in me. I want to thank You for that…." 

I didn't feel anything at the time, but I confessed it anyway, because that's what the Word says. When I did, on the inside of me, something bubbled up. "The expression on your face changed. Your face lit up," the woman said. "Yes," I said, "it was in me all the time. I just stirred up what is in me." 

Confession: I stir up what is in me! 

Don't EVER let your feelings dictate how you respond to the Word of God! John 17:17 tells us that God's Word is TRUTH! Remind yourself what the Word says about you on a regular basis, especially when the enemy tries to steal the Truth from you! Remember, the only 'weapon' that the enemy possesses is the lie! He has many strategies for using it, but the ONLY thing he can do to a born again believer is to TRY to get us to believe, and speak, something contrary to the Word! REFUSE! Reject those thoughts that come from him and replace them with the TRUTH! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Shape Of Your Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, AFTER I read it through twice! Let's look at it:

Something More About His Ways

When Jesus had made an end of commanding his disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. — Matthew 11:1

He comes where He commands us to leave. If when God said “Go,” you stayed, because you were so concerned about your people at home, you robbed them of the teaching and preaching of Jesus Christ Himself. When you obeyed and left all consequences to God, the Lord went into your city to teach; as long as you would not obey, you were in the way. Watch where you begin to debate and to put what you call duty in competition with your Lord’s commands. “I know He told me to go, but then my duty was here;” that means you do not believe that Jesus means what He says.

He teaches where He instructs us not to. “Master,…let us make three tabernacles.” Are we playing the spiritual amateur providence in other lives? Are we so noisy in our instruction of others that God cannot get anywhere near them? We have to keep our mouths shut and our spirits alert. God wants to instruct us in regard to His Son, He wants to turn our times of prayer into mounts of transfiguration, and we will not let Him. When we are certain of the way God is going to work, He will never work in that way any more.

He works where He sends us to wait. “Tarry ye…until…” Wait on God and He will work, but don’t wait in spiritual sulks because you cannot see an inch in front of you! Are we detached enough from our own spiritual hysterics to wait on God? To wait is not to sit with folded hands, but to learn to do what we are told.

These are phases of His ways we rarely recognize.

This is just another way of saying two things:

1. Cast your care on the LORD because HE cares for YOU! or "Let go and LET GOD!"
2. Obedience is better than sacrifice! 

I LOVE that when I do what HE tells me to do, then HE will take care of all of those things that concern me! This means my own life, my family and loved ones, my job, my interests and anything and everything that concerns me! The other side of this is that when I refuse to obey HIM, then He CANNOT get involved in the things that concern me. I tie His hands when I refuse the leading and direction of Holy Spirit! Remember, His eyes are continually RUNNING  to and fro (2 Corinthians 16:9) throughout the entire earth to set up those situations and circumstances that will cause ME to walk in the fullness of LIFE that He desires me to walk in (John 10:10 AMP)! HALLELUJAH!  Here is Hillsong Worship with "Look To The Son":

Shalom in Him!