Shalom,

We read Revelation 2 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. John said this in verses 3-4 of the message to the church at Ephesus:

3 I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary. 4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

We can get so busy sometimes trying to DO 'Christian things' that we forget that the most important commandment that we have been given is to love the Lord our God with everything within us! From THIS love should flow every other thing that we do! Remember YOUR first love for JESUS and your gratefulness and thankfulness for all that HE has done for YOU! Then you will truly BE a witness of HIS life and love and light, and not just trying to witness! It should never be a chore. When we truly love someone, it shows! Let's SHINE with that FIRST and ALWAYS love for HIM! AMEN! I was also very blessed with today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin! This IS what JESUS has provided for us!

A Great Plan

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree'" (Galatians 3:13).

Part of the inheritance that Colossians 1:12-14 tells us we should be giving thanks to the Father for is "...redemption through his blood..." (verse 14).

What are we redeemed from? From the curse of the law. And what is the curse of the law? The only way to find out, is to go to the law and see what it says the curse is.

The term "the law," as found in the New Testament, refers to the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. Reading there, we find that the curse, or punishment, for breaking God's law is threefold:

1. Spiritual death (Genesis 2:17)

2. Poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

3. Sickness (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and Colossians 1:12-14 tells us to thank God for our redemption! We are to thank the Father for this great plan of redemption which He planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate!

Confession: Thank You, Father, for Your great plan of redemption which You planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate! Thank You because I am redeemed from death! Thank You because I am redeemed from poverty! Thank You because I am redeemed from sickness! Thank You, Father!

AMEN! We are, of all people, MOST BLESSED! Let's use this wonderful TRUTH to BE free and to set others free by sharing this with them! Here, to help you with that, are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 145 in our Spoken Word Bible reading Plan for today. I LOVE the Psalms that make it so easy to BEGIN to praise and worship HIM! Look at verses 1-12:

[A Psalm] of praise. Of David.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. 2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable. 4 One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate. 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness. 7 They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great and abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice. 8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness. 9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]! 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

If YOU will simply read this out  loud, you will be unable to keep yourself from spontaneous praise by the time you finish! HALLELUJAH! Our God IS GOD! There IS no other. Here is Hillsong with another of my favorite worship songs called "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" deovtional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another favorite of mine!

Thank You, Father

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:12-14). 

The New Covenant tells us we should be giving thanks unto the Father because He has made us able to be partakers of something. Of what? "...Of the inheritance of the saints in light!"

 The Amplified Bible translates verse 13 as, "[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness..." 

God Himself has delivered us from the control of Satan! Satan's kingdom is the kingdom of darkness. God's kingdom is the kingdom of light. The Father has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us out from under the control and dominion of darkness. Satan has no control over us. He cannot dominate us. 

And we are told to thank God for that! 

Confession: Thank You, Father, for making me fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Thank You for delivering me out of the authority of darkness. Thank You for transferring me into the kingdom of Your dear Son - the kingdom of light.

AMEN! It is vital that we each come to really KNOW who we are - IN HIM! When we know that, then the enemy will never again get the advantage over us and will never be able to 'devour' us. Remember that he goes around AS a lion (1 Peter 5:8), pretending to be a lion in the hopes of fooling us into giving him a place of entrance into our lives! It is past time for each of us to say: No devil! NOT TODAY! So here is Hillsong with THAT song!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers has a great message for today!

Shallow and Profound

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. —1 Corinthians 10:31

Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow aspects of life are not ordained by God; they are ordained by Him equally as much as the profound. We sometimes refuse to be shallow, not out of our deep devotion to God but because we wish to impress other people with the fact that we are not shallow. This is a sure sign of spiritual pride. We must be careful, for this is how contempt for others is produced in our lives. And it causes us to be a walking rebuke to other people because they are more shallow than we are. Beware of posing as a profound person— God became a baby.

To be shallow is not a sign of being sinful, nor is shallowness an indication that there is no depth to your life at all— the ocean has a shore. Even the shallow things of life, such as eating and drinking, walking and talking, are ordained by God. These are all things our Lord did. He did them as the Son of God, and He said, “A disciple is not above his teacher…” (Matthew 10:24).

We are safeguarded by the shallow things of life. We have to live the surface, commonsense life in a commonsense way. Then when God gives us the deeper things, they are obviously separated from the shallow concerns. Never show the depth of your life to anyone but God. We are so nauseatingly serious, so desperately interested in our own character and reputation, we refuse to behave like Christians in the shallow concerns of life.

Make a determination to take no one seriously except God. You may find that the first person you must be the most critical with, as being the greatest fraud you have ever known, is yourself.

I LOVE that we are encouraged here to never put anyone ahead of God in our estimation and in a place of authority in our lives! HIS thoughts, plans and purposes for us are ALWAYS the right ones, and always for our benefit! Here are Hillsong Kids with "This Is Living": 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest"  by Oswald Chambers is one of the most powerful messages you will ever hear!

“It is Finished!”

I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. — John 17:4

The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him— something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came.

Never build your case for forgiveness on the idea that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. That contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. It makes the Cross unnecessary, and the redemption “much ado about nothing.” God forgives sin only because of the death of Christ. God could forgive people in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted as Savior because of His death. “We see Jesus…for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor…” (Hebrews 2:9). The greatest note of triumph ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ— “It is finished!” (John 19:30). That is the final word in the redemption of humankind.

Anything that lessens or completely obliterates the holiness of God, through a false view of His love, contradicts the truth of God as revealed by Jesus Christ. Never allow yourself to believe that Jesus Christ stands with us, and against God, out of pity and compassion, or that He became a curse for us out of sympathy for us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by divine decree. Our part in realizing the tremendous meaning of His curse is the conviction of sin. Conviction is given to us as a gift of shame and repentance; it is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the sin in people, and Calvary is the measure of His hatred.

No one killed JESUS! JESUS GAVE Himself to stand in OUR place! THAT was the very purpose of His coming to the earth in the first place! It WAS the plan of Almighty God to buy us back once we fell and to MAKE us HIS children by His SPirit in us! A far higher place than Lucifer EVER occupied! Our God IS GOD, and there IS no other! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "Faith To Faith" devotional for today!

Recall God's Mercies

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23

God is faithful. He's full of compassion. His mercies are new every morning. As a believer, you know all that. But simply knowing it is not enough.

For it to do you any good, you have to recall it. You have to remember it again and again in order to rekindle your hope and stir your faith.

So, make it a point to remind yourself of God's faithfulness every morning. Remind yourself of the benefits that are yours in Jesus.

What are those benefits? Psalm 103 spells them out:

1. He forgives all your sins.

2. He heals all your diseases.

3. He redeems your life from destruction.

4. He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

5. He satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6. He executes righteousness and judgment for you against oppression.

7. He sets you free.

8. He makes known His ways to you.

9. He gives you His grace and mercy in times of need.

Make it a point every morning to say those things out loud to the Lord. Stand before Him in prayer and recall His mercies to you. Keep it up and you'll be stronger in faith and more confident of God's love than you've ever been before.

Don't just settle for knowing God's blessings. Remember them every day and watch them come alive in you.

AMEN! Remember always that God's Word was given to us and that all of the Wisdom of God is hidden FOR us within His Word! Make it your determined purpose to get to know JESUS more every day by learning more of His Word! EVERY SINGLE DAY! That is the ONLY way to truly grow up in the things of God! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today is all about THANKSGIVING!

Thanksgiving

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing" (Psalm 107:21-22).

The forefathers of the United States set aside a day each year to offer thanks to God for His blessings on them in this new world. He had blessed them both spiritually and materially.

We should also offer thanksgiving to God for the spiritual and material blessings of life He has bestowed upon us. And we should thank God for His loving protection and care for us.

This Thanksgiving season, let's look into God's Word to see what He has to say about "the giving of thanks." We'll look into the New Testament, because we live under the New Covenant, to see what the New Covenant says we are to give thanks for.

Confession: I praise the Lord for His goodness. I sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. I thank Him for the spiritual and material blessings in life. I thank God for His protection and care.

AMEN! Maintaining a thankful, grateful heart increases our capacity to receive more and more of what GOD has planned and prepared for us from before the foundation of the world! TRUST HIM to do ONLY good for you all the days of your life! He is GOD and He is GOOD! ALL THE TIME! AMEN! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations":

THE GOD OF MORE-THAN-ENOUGH

Luke 5:9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;

As a young Christian, I grew up hearing preachers say that God only supplies our needs, not our wants. Yet, in the Bible, God clearly shows us that He wants to meet not just our needs, but also our wants.

For example, the famous “shepherd psalm” begins with “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). Another psalm says, “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 34:9–10).

One of the names of our God is Jehovah Jireh, which means “the all-providing One.” He provides more than enough. The God of more-than-enough came in the flesh and walked among His people. And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He did not give His disciples small blessings. That is why He said to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets [plural] for a catch” (Luke 5:4), and not “let down your net [singular].” And what a catch it turned out to be—a boat-sinking, net-breaking catch! It was such a big and unexpected blessing that Peter and all who were with him were “astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken.”

Beloved, see God’s heart for you today. He wants to prosper you. Don’t settle for anything less, thinking that He only supplies your needs and not your wants. If you need a job, know that He wants you to pray not just for a job, but for a position. When you have a position, you have influence and you are able to impact lives. Maybe what you need is a pay increment. Then, pray not just for that, but also to be in a position to give increments!

You may start out poor when you follow God. But you cannot remain in lack when you follow the God of more-than-enough. In fact, like Peter, you too will be astonished that God supplies more than what you need and beyond what you have asked!

AMEN! All growth in the things of God take time and a diligent commitment to never quit! We WILL win IF we refuse to give up, quit, become discouraged  or get out of love! God has the way for us to live in John 10:10 condition!

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).

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 138 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and another of my very favrotie verses! Verse 2:

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!

There are two very important lessons to be learned in this verse! First of all, John 10:10 tells us that God's Word is TRUTH! So we know that the Word is in an exalted position! Then we know that JESUS was given the Name that is above EVERY name that has ever been named (Philippians 2:9)! So both God's Word and His Name are exalted above all else! The verse above, however, tells us something more! This tells us that the Name of JESUS, which has been exalted above all other names, received it's exaltation FROM God's Word! We are told to come to the Father in prayer , in the Name of JESUS, repesenting all the HE is! BUT, when we come before HIM in prayer with the Word of God that covers the promise on which we are standing, the WORD that is above all else, and the IN Name of Jesus, there is no way that our prayers will not be answered! AMEN! SO, find out what the Word of God has to say and then enter HIS presence BOLDLY as one who has the authority to do so by HIS NAME, and, armed with the unfailing promise of His highly exaltede WORD, we WILL have what we are praying for! A further witness on this is found in 1 John 5:14-15:

14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

AMEN! Isn't the Word of God WONDERFUL and POWERFUL? Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read John 14 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. John is by far my favorite Gospel! There is SO much powerful Truth hidden for us in this account! Look at verses 16-17:

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever— 17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.

The world CANNOT receive the Spirit of God! They FIRST must receive JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour. When someone believes in their heart that JESUS died for their sin and rose again, and receives HIM personally as their own WAY of SALVATION, THEN Holy Spirit comes into their dead spirits and recreates those dead spirits into the image of GOD! They are no longer sinners, with sin natures, but they becomes saints! Children of God with perfect spirits! INSTANTLY! Then they must allow Holy Spirit to teach them about who they now are - IN JESUS! We ARE triune beings, just like the Godhead! We ARE spirits, we HAVE souls (mind, emotions and will) and we live in earthly bodies. When we allow Holy Spirit to teach the Word of God to us, then we can make wiser decisions as our souls agree with our perfect spirits and our bodies have to follow! We have an added witness onthis in verse 26:

26 But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

AMEN! We have been supplied by our Father and Lord and Saviour JESUS with EVRYTHING that we will ever need to be victorious, successful, anointed, powerful and filled with Godly Wisdom and favor! Have YOU taken advantage of all of the precious privilages that accompany the New Birth? Holy Spirit is waiting to FILL you and endue YOU with 'power from on high'! Here is Hillsong with a great older song called "Let The Peace of God Reign":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share THIS from Jerry Savelle's website devotional!

THE DAY OF TROUBLE

In Psalms, David often talks about the day of trouble. Can you relate? Have you ever felt like you were in the day of trouble?

What is the day of trouble? It is a time in which it appears that every demon of hell has launched an attack against you, like they have ganged up at your house. It’s when it looks as though everything you are going through is impossible to overcome. The pressure is great.

When you are experiencing the day of trouble, you don’t sleep well at night and during the day you are doing all that you can just to keep your sanity. It’s when you are doing all that you know to do, but nothing seems to change.

You might be in the same place today. Maybe you need some answers, wisdom, direction, and guidance. Maybe you are at a point where you don’t know what else to do. Well, I have good news for you.

Don’t ever take your eyes off of God, even though it appears that nothing is working. Don’t ever take your eyes off of God.

Psalm 20:1-5 says, “The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfill all thy petitions.”

Notice what the Word says God will do for us in the day of trouble. He will hear us, defend us, send us help, and strengthen us. He will remember our offerings and fulfill all our petitions. Those are powerful promises.

So if today seems to be your day of trouble, then I want to encourage to read Psalm 20:1-5 over and over again. Begin to meditate on those promises and be encouraged. God will defend you. God will help you!

AMEN! He never changes and HE loves YOU! Here is Hillsong with an old song called  "This Is How We Overcome":

Your light broke through my night Restored exceeding joy Your grace fell like the rain And made this desert live You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy Your hand lifted me up I stand on higher ground Your praise rose in my heart And made this valley sing You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy This is how we overcome This is how we overcome This is how we overcome This is how we overcome

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle's website devotional!

WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?

Today I want to encourage you to start giving where you are. Don’t wait until you have millions and all the conditions are perfect in your life before you start giving. If you don’t start where you are, then you will never experience God’s best for your life.

There are never “perfect” conditions, but you must start anyway. Jesus said when you are faithful with little, then He will trust you with more (Matthew 25:21). You cannot begin to prosper if you are not willing to start giving where you are right now.

Do you know what God said to Moses when he was about to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?

He said, “What is that in your hand?”

Moses, “A stick.”

God, “I can use that stick.”

All Moses had was a stick, a rod. Yet God said that He could use it.

And God can use anything that you give to Him, you just have to start. If you don’t have anything but $1.00, give that $1.00 and give it with the right attitude. Give it with a thankful heart. If you don’t have a $1.00, then give 25 cents. If you don’t have that, then go volunteer to rake leaves or clean toilets at your church. Give God something to work with and He will honor it.

The important thing is to start now. Show God that you will be faithful. Sow what you can. And God promises in 2 Corinthians 9:10 that He will increase your resources for sowing.

I read this a long time ago and wanted to share it with you, “It is possible to give to someone without truly loving them. But it is impossible to love someone and not give to them.” If you say that you love God, you really love God, then it is impossible to not give to Him. Because love always gives.

So, I’m asking the question, “What’s that in your hand?” Let God use it and watch him begin to bless you!

AMEN! And THAT is how we receive anything and everything from the hands of God! We start right where we are! We find out what the Word of God says about our situation. Now we meditate on that WORD until we 'SEE' it! Then we declare, proclaim, and confess that we HAVE the answer the moment we prayed. NOW we simnply continue to rejoice as though we could already SEE it, and then we WILL! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is very important to know when it comes to praying for other people! 

Your Desires

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24).

"...What things soever ye desire...." No, not what things soever your grandpa desires. Not what things soever your aunt desires. Not what things soever your husband desires. Not what things soever your wife desires.

You can get your desires. However, if what you desire is not what someone else desires, you won't be able to push your desires off on them. Why? Because when someone else is involved, their will comes into play on the situation.

Your faith will always work for you in your own life. And sometimes - not always - you can make your faith work for someone else.

Confession: My faith always works for me in my own life. By divine wisdom I will know when I can make my faith work for others.

AMEN! We can have what WE desire for ourselves and in our own life, but we cannot have what we desire for others unless they are in agreement! We would all do well to simply pray in the Spirit, which is PERFECT prayer, when it comes to the needs and desires of others! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have two favorites from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! The first is all of Psalm 133:

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body]. 3 It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].

Verse one tells us that it is "good" for born again believers (true brothers) to dwell together in unity! Thisis the Hebrew word "towb", which means: Good, pleasant, agreeable, excellent, rich, valuable, appropriate, happy, prosperous, a benefit, a welfare! For what? For us to be in support of each other! To NOT walk in hatred, bitterness, envy, jealousy, unforgiveness, discord, or any other thing that would be considered the opposite of our LOVE command given by JESUS! Let's make another 'determined purpose' to always choose the love that never fails. THEN the world will be drawn to the JESUS in us! AMEN! My second favorite is 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).

AMEN! JESUS desires that we HAVE LIFE and ENJOY this LIFE! I agree with JESUS! How about you? Here is Hillsong Worship with "You Are Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His  Highest" by Oswald Chambers has a very important message for every born again believer!

The Supreme Climb

Take now thy son… — Genesis 22:2

God’s command is— Take now, not presently. It is extraordinary how we debate! We know a thing is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it at once. To climb to the height God shows can never be done presently, it must be done now. The sacrifice is gone through in will before it is performed actually.

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning,…and went unto the place of which God had told him” (verse 3). The wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not confer with flesh and blood. Beware when you want to confer with flesh and blood, i.e., your own sympathies, your own insight, anything that is not based on your personal relationship to God. These are the things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.

Abraham did not choose the sacrifice. Always guard against self-chosen service for God; self-sacrifice may be a disease. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential order of God for you is a hard time of difficulty, go through with it, but never choose the scene of your martyrdom. God chose the crucible for Abraham, and Abraham made no demur; he went steadily through. If you are not living in touch with Him, it is easy to pass a crude verdict on God. You must go through the crucible before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because in the crucible you learn to know God better. God is working for His highest ends until His purpose and man’s purpose become one.

I have to admit to having done this in the past! I have known some things that God wanted me to do, but I saw no way of doing them on my own. Instead of immediately setting myself in obedience to Holy Spirit as He led me to begin to pray AT our church (The Spoken Word Church), FOR our church, AND others in our area, I first spoke to others to see if anyone else was also being led to do this so that we could join forces together. At that moment, THAT was NOT God's plan! Finally, when no one showed any interest or inclination at all, I could do nothing BUT be obedient. I received permission from our Pastor and began to pray from 6am-7am every morning! I felt such a peace in being obedient in this and had such a sense of the Father's delight in my obedience that I felt bad for not moving immediately! It really had only been a couple of days of indecision, but even a short time out of the will of God is WAY TOO LONG! And then another amazing thing happened! When I was willing to do this alone, several people in the congregation began to receive their own instruction from the Lord to do the same! So, when Holy Spirit speaks to you, be immediate in your obedience and allow Him to work in you and others! The blessings of this attitude are overwhelming! Yes, we are ALL called, but we are all called uniquely and individually, even to do things together! AMEN! Here is one of my new favorite praise songs from Hillsong Kids called "Made In Your Image":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today we read another of my favorite portions of Scripture. John 8:30-32:

30 As He said these things, many believed in Him [trusted, relied on, and adhered to Him]. 31 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

Many people like to quote "the Truth will set you free", but without the full context, this is NOT true! The ONLY Truth that will set us free is the TRUTH that we KNOW! John 17:17 tells us that God's Word is TRUTH! Verse 31 above tells us that IF we abide (live, dwell, spend time in, act on) God's Word, THEN (and ONLY then) we will know the TRUTH! And that TRUTH that we KNOW will SET US FREE! And the TRUTH that we continue to KNOW will KEEP us free! AMEN! If you have read this whole chapter you will see that JESUS had just finished telling them what was going to come to pass concerning Him, but they didn't, and couldn't, understand Him! Why? Because they were not yet born again and did not have the Spirit of God living IN them, which meant that they had no way of comprehending. 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us this:

14 But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters].

SO, when we receive JESU as Lord and personal Saviour, the Spirit of God Who now lives inside of us is the One Who teaches us the Word of God in the way that we can understand and know! Don't try to teach the Word to an unbeliever. Simply preach the simple, powerful Gospel of JESUS CHRIST to them. Once they BELIEVE and RECEIVE, then they, too, can KNOW the TRUTH and be set free! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from our Spoken Word Church website! I LOVE this one!

Sing Aloud Your Prayers

Few have discovered this golden secret. Singing changes the climate and atmosphere. Stores even play it in the background during shopping hours. There is a reason for it.

Do something different today. Sing out your prayer requests to God. You will be amazed at the joy and enthusiasm that rises within you.

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;" (Ephesians 5:19)

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)

AMEN! Music is a very powerful means of communication and I believe that there is much more music going on in our universe than we are even aware of at this present time. I encourage you to make a greater use of this wondeful gift and powerful tool of music, especially through singing in the Spirit! Singing your prayers in your known language and in the Spirit will enhance you life and your spiritual growth! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin!

Feelings

"...For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).

A woman came up to me at the close of a service where I had taught on faith. She was crying almost hysterically. She said, "Brother Hagin, pray for me!"

"What is the matter?" I asked.

"It seems like the Lord has forsaken me!"

"What awful sin have you committed to make the Lord forsake you?"

"As far as I know, I haven't done anything," she said. "It just seems like the presence of the Lord is gone from me."

"The Bible doesn't say we walk by 'seems like,'" I explained to her. "It says we walk by faith. And God's Word says that the Lord will never leave you, nor forsake you."

"I know that," she cried, "but it just seems like He has."

"You have more faith in 'seems like' than you have in the Bible."

"But I know what I feel!" she said, almost angrily.

"Yes," I said, "but I know my Jesus. Jesus said it, and I believe it. We cannot be concerned by what we feel."

If you start believing right, thinking right, and talking right, it won't be long until you'll be feeling right!

Confession: Jesus will never leave me, nor forsake me. He said it. I believe it. And I say it.

AMEN! I have always really appreciated the way Kenneth E. Hagin was no nonsense when it came to the Word of God! When we remember that teh Word of God is TRUTH (John 17:17) then we are better able to make OUR words line up with HIS WORD! When we speak His Word, He confirms that Word with signs and wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! There is NOTHING higher than the Word of the Living God (Psalm 138:2)! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers sontains another important lesson for every born again believer!

The Undetected Sacredness of Circumstances

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God… —Romans 8:28

The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Never put yourself in front of your circumstances and say, “I’m going to be my own providence here; I will watch this closely, or protect myself from that.” All your circumstances are in the hand of God, and therefore you don’t ever have to think they are unnatural or unique. Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints.

Am I making the Holy Spirit’s work difficult by being vague and unsure, or by trying to do His work for Him? I must do the human side of intercession— utilizing the circumstances in which I find myself and the people who surround me. I must keep my conscious life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit. Then as I lift different ones to God through prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.

Your intercessions can never be mine, and my intercessions can never be yours, “…but the Spirit Himself makes intercession” in each of our lives (Romans 8:26). And without that intercession, the lives of others would be left in poverty and in ruin.

Never underestimate the importance of your willing obedience to the directions you receive from the Spirit of God! Remember Isaiah 1:19:

19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

Obey the Word of GOd, as led by the Spirit of God, and you can't go wrong! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Trust and Obey":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Psalm in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is another of my favorites! Especially verses 1-2:

1 Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil—for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep.

The message here is NOT that we shouldn't work and build and produce. It is also NOT that we shouldn't wake up early and get busy with our days. The message is that ALL OF THIS is completely in "vain" ("shav'" - emptiness, vanity, falsehood, nothingness, worthlessness) IF the Lord our God is not our #1 priority! HIS plans and purposes for us are ALWAYS GOOD, GODLY, VICTORIOUS, PROSPEROUS, FAVORABLE, TIMELY AND PROFITABLE (Jeremiah 29:11)! When we line our will up with HIS will, then there is no stopping us from completing everything successfully, bringing glory to HIS NAME! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED  with "Here's To The One":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations". (Be sure to check this out on his website daily!)

GOD'S UNSTOPPABLE GRACE

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

When a top executive is charged for corruption or a church minister is caught in the very act of adultery, you will probably hear the phrase “fallen from grace” being used of them. We have come to believe that when someone falls into sin, he falls from grace.

But God wants us to know that when someone falls into sin, he does not fall from grace—he actually falls into grace! Thank God His grace is there to put the person back on his feet.

The Bible tells of prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors—sinners—who fell into God’s grace and got back on their feet. If the sin in their lives could stop God’s grace, they would never have been able to receive His grace of healing, help and power to live right.

Now, it is important you understand that God hates sin because it destroys our lives, relationships and bodies. Sin is evil! But sin is not overcome by us talking about it and relying on our willpower to overcome it. It takes God’s grace to destroy sin. In fact, it is when you are under His grace that sin has no dominion over you (see Romans 6:14). It is when you see His grace in providing His Son to put away your sins and make you eternally righteous that sin will not dominate you.

The devil will say to you, “You think that you can still expect God’s blessings after what you did this morning?” That is when you must remind yourself that Christ alone is your perfection and righteousness. All of us have faults. None of us deserve God’s blessings. That is why we plead the grace of God, which is His unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor toward us.

AMEN! There has been so much condemnation flinging around from believers concerning other believers! Instead, let's simply pray that they will humble themselves to receive this wonderful, powerful, everlasting, never failing, bought and paid for by JESUS, GRACE! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

The Authority of Truth

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. —James 4:8

It is essential that you give people the opportunity to act on the truth of God. The responsibility must be left with the individual— you cannot act for him. It must be his own deliberate act, but the evangelical message should always lead him to action. Refusing to act leaves a person paralyzed, exactly where he was previously. But once he acts, he is never the same. It is the apparent folly of the truth that stands in the way of hundreds who have been convicted by the Spirit of God. Once I press myself into action, I immediately begin to live. Anything less is merely existing. The moments I truly live are the moments when I act with my entire will.

When a truth of God is brought home to your soul, never allow it to pass without acting on it internally in your will, not necessarily externally in your physical life. Record it with ink and with blood— work it into your life. The weakest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is liberated the second he acts and God’s almighty power is available on his behalf. We come up to the truth of God, confess we are wrong, but go back again. Then we approach it again and turn back, until we finally learn we have no business going back. When we are confronted with such a word of truth from our redeeming Lord, we must move directly to transact business with Him. “Come to Me…” (Matthew 11:28). His word come means “to act.” Yet the last thing we want to do is come. But everyone who does come knows that, at that very moment, the supernatural power of the life of God invades him. The dominating power of the world, the flesh, and the devil is now paralyzed; not by your act, but because your act has joined you to God and tapped you in to His redemptive power.

AMEN! We cannot pray FOR someone to be born again, but we CAN pray WITH them! Every individual must make their own personal commitment to the Word of the Living God and choose JESUS as Lord and Saviour. When they do, they BECOME childen of the Most High God! Members of His family and heirs together with JESUS Himself! AMEN! So, when YOU share the Gospel, always give them an opportunity to believe and receive! YOU will have done YOUR part and Holy Spirit will take what YOU have sown and continue to bring it up to them, over and over again! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "No One But You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! 

Psalm 124

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 If it had not been the Lord Who was on our side—now may Israel say— 2 If it had not been the Lord Who was on our side when men rose up against us, 3 Then they would have quickly swallowed us up alive when their wrath was kindled against us; 4 Then the waters would have overwhelmed us and swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 Then the proud waters would have gone over us. 6 Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth! 7 We are like a bird escaped from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

The Israelites would sing this and the other 'Songs of Ascent' as they made their way to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts, in obedience to God's Word to them! We will ALL find ourselves in certain situations and circumstances that are less than ideal, BUT, if we will committ ALL of our way unto the Lord, HE WILL lead, guide and direct us every step of the way, in line with His Word and His Will and His plans for us! Remember that JESUS said THIS about why He came:

John 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).

Here is Hillsong with "Highlands (A Song of Ascent)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Jude in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Look at verses 17-19:

17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions which were made by the apostles (the special messengers) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 18 They told you beforehand, In the last days (in the end time) there will be scoffers [who seek to gratify their own unholy desires], following after their own ungodly passions. 19 It is these who are [agitators] setting up distinctions and causing divisions—merely sensual [creatures, carnal, worldly-minded people], devoid of the [Holy] Spirit and destitute of any higher spiritual life.

THIS is the day in which WE are living! So, do NOT allow discouragement, fear or worry to grab ahold of you! None of this took God by surprise! The GOOD NEWS? Verses 20-23:

20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; 21 Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—[which will bring you] unto life eternal. 22 And on some have mercy who waver and doubt. 23 [Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others take pity [but] with fear, loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality.

We can live above all that is going on IF we will stay in that place of being aware of God's presence! Remember, with all that is going on, that WE (born again believers in JESUS, are NOT citizens of this earth, but citizens of HEAVEN, sent here as ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are seated IN HIM in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and we have a different perspective! AMEN! And now we look at Jude 24-25 for THIS encouragement that WE are well able to not just survive these times, but THRIVE in them! 

24 Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]— 25 To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it).

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Awake My Soul":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

End Time Advice

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. — 2 Timothy 4:5

Today I want to give you some end-time ministry advice — advice that is very pertinent for the present times. You might want to go back and review what we discussed in the September 26 Sparkling Gem, because it is foundational to what I will share with you today. As we saw, the Holy Spirit prophesied in Second Timothy 4:3,4 that doctrine would change in the last days.

The Holy Spirit inspired these writings in Second Timothy 4 to prepare us for what lies ahead, much of which is already happening right now. He told us that when it comes to our stance on the infallible, incorruptible Word of God, we should be dedicated to correct interpretation and to teaching and preaching that is done with the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is very important instruction for us in a day when people are abandoning the sound teaching of doctrine. Regardless of what others do, we must decide that we will remain clear channels for the truth, even if it means we must put up with accusations that we are too traditional and stuck in the past. This is God’s command to us.

Then Paul wrote in verse 5, “…Make full proof of thy ministry.” The Greek word for “full proof ” is plerophoreo, which simply means fulfill. Paul was urging Timothy to complete his ministry and bring it to its fullness. Although Paul was addressing Timothy directly, he was also talking very specifically to us — to those who would be alive at the end of the age. I believe this refers to our generation, and it certainly explains why we see so much nonsense going on in the world around us concerning the way people think and believe. This kind of deluded thinking and believing has even crept into the Church.

The pure preaching of doctrine is often replaced today with motivational speaking — nice, uplifting messages. In fact, the majority of people in modern congregations are ignorant of the most elementary aspects of New Testament doctrine. And very often, those who occupy the pulpits — although they may be masterful communicators and rate highly among motivational speakers — are equally uneducated in basic Bible principles. Many of those who do know the Bible don’t preach it as strongly as they once did because it’s not as popular as other types of messages. The result of this compromise is a drift from the Holy Scriptures. And this drift continues, seemingly unabated, while the doctrinal vacuum in the Church is being filled with motivational messages and “new-and-improved” church-growth programs. Yet when everything is said and done, only the Bible has the power to permanently transform a life.

Friend, the Bible has not changed. It’s still sharper than any two-edged sword (see Hebrews 4:12), and it’s still the answer for everyone, whether it’s in written form or on your computer or smart phone! The Bible is still the Word of God that has His very breath infused within it. And if you’ll take it into your heart and release it, it will put you on your feet again. It will heal your body, deliver your mind, and bring peace and order to your children and your household!

So much of what “creeps” into your home today is just a treadmill of information designed to keep you in a continual state of learning, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (see 2 Timothy 3:6,7). So if I could leave you with some valuable end-time advice today, it would be to continue in the truth you know — found in God’s holy, infallible, incorruptible Word.

You can rest assured that the Word of God is, has been, and always will be unchanging, and it will produce fruit in you if you will abide in it. God’s Word will perfectly equip you to stand strong, unfaltering, and unwavering in the days that lie ahead. Your part is simply to abide in His truth and continue in that which you have learned from Him.

AMEN! God's Word is TRUTH! The ONLY TRUTH! Never stray from the Word of God as your Source of TRUTH! Submitting to God's Word is what it takes to operate with the "Mind of Christ"! Settle it FOREVER in your own heart and life that you will NEVER allow ANYTHING or ANYONE to take HIS place inyour heart and in your life! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!