Shalom,

We read Psalm 140 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and verse 7 is a great promise that we can STILL stand on! 

7 O God the Lord, the Strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

"You have covered" is the Hebrew word "sakak", which means: to hedge or fence about, to overshadow, to stop the approach, a protector. Our God has promised to protect us when WE count on Him to do so! We truly CAN cast all of our care and worry over on Him, because HE cares for US! And He is overwhelming capable of doing so! AMEN! Then in John 17 JESUS is speaking to the Father about His disciples. He says THIS about them in verses 7-8:

7 Now [at last] they know and understand that all You have given Me belongs to You [is really and truly Yours]. 8 For the [uttered] words that You gave Me I have given them; and they have received and accepted [them] and have come to know positively and in reality [to believe with absolute assurance] that I came forth from Your presence, and they have believed and are convinced that You did send Me.

It is through the Word of God that we come to REALLY know the Father and JESUS and Holy Spirit! JESUS had given the the Word of God consistently for His entire three years of ministry. Now, as He was preparing to give HIS life as a ransom for OURS, He was making sure that they would be in position to continue to receive the richest and best that God had to offer! JESUS goes on to say THIS in verses 9-11:

9 I am praying for them. I am not praying (requesting) for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they belong to You. 10 All [things that are] Mine are Yours, and all [things that are] Yours belong to Me; and I am glorified in (through) them. [They have done Me honor; in them My glory is achieved.] 11 And [now] I am no more in the world, but these are [still] in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep in Your Name [in the knowledge of Yourself] those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are one].

JESUS was not praying here for the world, because the ONLY thing that the world had coming was the promise of the Messiah saving them! His prayers here were for those who had already been born again, that what was hindering their growth in the things of God would be exposed for what it truly is and that they would have the ability of God to walk out this new and powerful revelation and manifestation of HolySpirit and WORD! HE desires the same thing for YOU! Are you ready for this? If you are born again, then you ARE! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Behold - Then My Soul Sings":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional by Jerry Savelle is very good!

And the devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” (Luke 4:3-4 NKJV)

What bread is for your body, God’s Word is for your spirit. It is through His Word that you come to know who you are in Christ Jesus. Once this becomes revelation to you, no one can ever take it away. When you know who you are in Christ, your days of weakness and defeat are over.

The devil will always try to challenge the revelation of who you are, just as he tried with Jesus. But, just as Jesus did, you can boldly declare to the devil, “It is written!” He cannot steal from you any longer. Tell him, “You’ve defeated me or the last time. I’m entitled to be blessed. I’m entitled to health. I’m entitled to prosperity. You’re not stealing from me any longer!”

Although the devil is a worthy opponent, he is a defeated foe. Jesus has already defeated him. He has been stripped of his authority and power. You, however, are a world overcomer. You are no longer a loser; you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. All you have to do is shake your Bible at the devil and declare, “It is written, I am more than a conqueror in Jesus name!”

Confession: I know who I am in Christ. I am a new creation. I am the righteousness of God. I am a joint heir with Jesus. I am more than a conqueror. I am a world overcomer, and from this day forward I am a winner!

The ONLY way that the devil can stop us from walking in victory in every situation is to get us to believe something about ourselves that is contrary to the Word of God. To believe a LIE! Remember that JESUS said this to the Pharisees and the Jews who did not believe Him. John 8:44:

44 You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.

Anything Contrary to God's Word is a lie, so find out what the Word of God says about you, and BELIEVE it! AMEN! HIS Word is TRUTH (John 17:17)! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 138 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I have always confessed verse 8 over my life. 

8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands.

"Perfect" is the Hebrew word "gamar", which means: to complete, to perform, to finish. That does not mean that He will make me 'perfect' in this life, although, as a born again believer, my spirit man IS perfect, in the image of God. However, in THIS world, as triune beings with a spirit, soul and body, ONLY the spirit man is perfect. We still must renew our minds daily with the Word of God so that our soul (mind, emotions and will) will CHOOSE to do things God's way. Wherever our soul goes, our body will follow! Here, in this life, we are a work in progress, and HE is "perfecting" that work in us, day by day, as we allow Him to! Some of that work that He does is shown in today's reading in John 15:1-3:

I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. 3 You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].

When we allow, and invite, Him to do His work in us, then we have this promise in verse 7 to stand on in faith!

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

The Word of God is FILLED with such promises to those who will choose HIM and His ways of doing and being right! I choose JESUS! How about you? Here is Hillsong with "Behold - Then Sings My Soul":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read John 14 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. John 14:6  is one of the most well knowns verses in the Bible!

6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

There IS no other way! JESUS is THE WAY! AMEN! He is the ONLY way for a sinner to become a saint! A new creation that never existed before! I LOVE this verse, but I learned something new from this chapter! In verses 1-3 we have this:

Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. 2 In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.

We learned about these verses during our Wednesday Night service this week! We learned that this life is preparation for the next! We are destined to one day BE in our Father's house! He is preparing our life after earth! The next life will be much, much more than anything that we have experienced in this life! Much, much more of everything GOOD! We will be very busy with the things that God will have for us to do and I KNOW that it will never be boring! There is a reason that we need to be preparing HERE for our time THERE! We don't yet know what it will entail, but we DO know that it will be without evil influences and that we will be able to thrive! When we look at this life in THAT light, we can handle anything that comes, KNOWING that HE has this! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Future Marches In":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Do you remember that 1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us that love NEVER fails? If you do, then you will LOVE today's "Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland!

PUT LOVE TO WORK

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13

What do you do when you're facing a particularly stubborn problem? A problem that resists your every effort to solve it?

Put the power of love to work on it! The power of love is the greatest power in the universe. It's beyond defeat. It never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

The Bible says God is love. So when you release love into a situation, you have released God into it. Think about that! When you start releasing love into a situation, Jesus becomes responsible for its success.

What is this love I'm talking about?

First Corinthians 13 tells us it's patient and kind. It's not jealous or haughty or conceited or rude. It doesn't insist on its own way. It's not touchy or resentful and it pays no attention to a suffered wrong.

Love rejoices when right and truth prevail and it bears up under anything and everything that comes. It's ever ready to believe the best of every person. Its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything without weakening.

The person who refuses to love is missing out on the very best God has to offer.

Don't you miss out on any of it. Release love every moment into every situation, every prayer and every thought until it totally consumes your life. It will strengthen you and cast out every fear that has robbed you of God's greater blessings. It will drive the devil out of your affairs and set you free from every torment of darkness.

Put love to work on the stubborn problems in your life. It's the one solution they'll never be able to resist.

AMEN! There is not a time in our lives where it pays to get out of love! NOT walking in love WILL cost us! In fact, Galatians 5:6 tells us that our faith will not work without love! 

For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

So, refuse the devil's tricks and schemes to get you to let go of your love walk. God Himself will vindicate you when others hurt or harm you. Choose the way of love every time and reap the benefits and rewards of doing things God's way! There is NO better way to be blessed! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Greatest of These":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have covered this before, But I want to repeat it because it is SO important! John 13:7-10 gives the account of JESUS washing the feet of His disciples. 

7 Jesus said to him, You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later on. 8 Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet! Jesus answered him, Unless I wash you, you have no part with (in) Me [you have no share in companionship with Me]. 9 Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, [wash] not only my feet, but my hands and my head too! 10 Jesus said to him, Anyone who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is clean all over.

In this situation we have been taught that JESUS humbled Himself to wash their feet, and Peter had to humble himself to receive something he did not deserve. While this is true, it is, by far, NOT the most important TRUTH to take away from this action of JESUS! When JESUS said that unless HE washed Peter, Peter would have no part with JESUS! This represents the New Birth! We MUST be born again (John 3:3) because that is the Way that God provided for us! There IS no other WAY and no other NAME by which WE can be saved! WHEN we receive JESUS as Lord and personal Savior, HE will do the supernatural work in our previously dead human spirits that makes us children of God, with Heaven as our SURE home when we leave this earth (2 Corinthians 5:17)! What JESUS was demonstrating is that once we are born again (receive JESUS as our Saviour) we NEVER have to do that again! There is no getting "born again, again"!) Once we are New Creations, then all that we ever need is forgiveness operating continually by keeping our 'feet' clean (1 John 1:9)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Your Love Is Relentless":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland:

STAKE YOUR CLAIM

Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.... Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Psalm 112:1, 3

I'll never forget the time Gloria discovered that scripture. We didn't have any money at the time, and the walls in our house were as bare as they could be. But she was ready to decorate. So she took that promise, "Wealth and riches shall be in his house" and laid claim to it by faith.

Suddenly, everywhere we went, someone was giving us a painting or some other little treasure for our house.

Unfortunately, most believers aren't as quick to believe God for that kind of thing as Gloria was. Some even claim God doesn't promise us New Testament believers physical prosperity, just spiritual. But the truth is, you can't separate the two. That's why Jesus says, "If you'll seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all these [material] things will be added to you." He knows the spiritual realm and the material realm are connected.

The physical world cannot operate independently from the spiritual world. What happens in one is simply a reflection of what happens in the other.

Obviously, your spiritual standing profoundly affects your financial standing. That's why, when you get hold of the gospel and begin to prosper spiritually, you can begin to prosper physically and materially as well.

Don't let anyone talk you out of God's promises of prosperity. You don't have to choose between financial and spiritual prosperity. Both belong to you. Lay claim to them by faith. As a born-again child of God, dare to reach out and receive the riches that belong to you!

AMEN! Dare to believe God for every good thing! When you put Him first place, He will put desires in your heart so that HE can fulfill them! He is NOT stingy and He is NOT holding back. We simply have to take God at His Word and DARE to believe and receive! Here is Hillsong with "God Is Able":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In John 14:6 JESUS declares that HE is the Way, the Truth and the Life! In our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today, John 10 shows JESUS letting us know that He is the the only Way to the Father by declaring that He is the DOOR the we must enter through in order to be saved! Verses 7-9:

7 So Jesus said again, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that I Myself am the Door for the sheep. 8 All others who came [as such] before Me are thieves and robbers, but the [true] sheep did not listen to and obey them. 9 I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture

Many fakes and frauds have appeared over the years proclaiming to have a better way to heaven, but it is NOT the Heaven of the Bible! How do I know? Because the Bible tells us precisely that JESUS is the ONLY Way! No other way will get us there! JESUS explains this even more clearly in verses 9-10, exposing the thief and giving us this most wonderful promise!

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). 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.

"Have" here is the Greek word "echo", which means: to hold, as possessions, to own, to enjoy. The Kenneth Wuest translation says this:

 The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I alone came in order that they might be possessing life, and that they might be possessing it in superabundance.

The heart of the father is that we have HIS Life (Zoe, life as God has within Himself!), and that we have it in abundance so that this LIFE affects every area of OUR lives, bringing enjoyment, fulfillment, peace and joy! We ARE to be living witnesses of HIS greatness! HALLELUJAHS! THAT is an assignment that we can carry out with joy! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Real Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have always loved the response of the blind man whom JESUS healed when the Pharisees continued to question him about how he was healed. They just could not accept that JESUS healed by the power and authority of God, because then they would have to acknowledge that He was Who He said He was! They questioned the man and his parents. Here, in John 9:24-34, we see this response that I love as they questioned him for the second time, and just could not accept his answer! 

24 So the second time they summoned the man who had been born blind, and said to him, Now give God the glory (praise). This Fellow we know is only a sinner (a wicked person).

25 Then he answered, I do not know whether He is a sinner and wicked or not. But one thing I do know, that whereas I was blind before, now I see.

26 So they said to him, What did He [actually] do to you? How did He open your eyes?

27 He answered, I already told you and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Can it be that you wish to become His disciples also?

28 And they stormed at him [they jeered, they sneered, they reviled him] and retorted, You are His disciple yourself, but we are the disciples of Moses.

29 We know for certain that God spoke with Moses, but as for this Fellow, we know nothing about where He hails from.

30 The man replied, Well, this is astonishing! Here a Man has opened my eyes, and yet you do not know where He comes from. [That is amazing!]

31 We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.

32 Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.

33 If this Man were not from God, He would not be able to do anything like this.

34 They retorted, You were wholly born in sin [from head to foot]; and do you [presume to] teach us? So they cast him out [threw him clear outside the synagogue].

The underlined parts are my favorites! "Can it be that YOU want to be His disciples?" Can you imagine the looks on their faces when he asked this? I can! PRICELESS! Then when he said "this is astonishing", I can imagine them ALMOST questioning themselves! I KNOW that our merciful God of Grace was giving them these opportunities to believe so that eventually many of them would! The Word of God is so full and powerful and fascinating! AND, we have the Teacher Himself living IN us to show us, line upon line, what it REALLY means, and how to act on it in faith! I hope that YOU love the Word of God and that you spend time in the Word every day! It is through KNOWING the Word of God that we are set free, and maintain that freedom (John 8:32)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Freedom Is Here":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like most of Andrew Womack's devotional for today.

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

The Bible presents salvation as a life transforming experience. Change is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a true believer. Yet, failure to understand that this change takes place in the spirit first, and then is reflected in our outward appearance through our thoughts and actions in direct proportion to the way we renew our minds, causes much confusion.

This change has to take place in our born-again spirit first. Why is that? If you were fat before you got saved, you will be fat after you get saved, unless you go on a weight loss program. Your body doesn't instantly change and neither does your soul or mind.

It is your spirit that is instantly changed at salvation. It is perfect (Hebrews 12:23). It cannot sin (1 John 3:9). Everything that is true of Jesus is true of our born-again spirit. Your spiritual salvation is complete. At salvation, you receive the same spirit that you will have throughout all eternity. It will not have to be changed or cleansed again. It is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and therefore, is sanctified and perfected forever (Hebrews 10:10, 14; 12:23).

For the remainder of our Christian life, we must not try to obtain faith, joy or love from God, but rather release what we already have in our spirits (Galatians 5:22-23) into our soul and body. Failure to understand this has caused some people to despair when they don't see sufficient change in their life after coming to the Lord for salvation. It must be understood that the change is internal in our spirit and the outward change will take place as we renew our minds through God's Word. 

This is SO vital for every believer to realize if they EVER want to walk in faith and power! The only change I would make is concerning faith! Romans 10:17 tells us this:

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Yes, our reborn spirit man has faith and believes God and his Word completely! BUT, we are triune beings, just as the Godhead is (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). WE are spirit, soul and body. We ARE spirit beings with a recreated spirit once we receive JESUS as Lord and Savior. We HAVE a soul (mind, emotions and will). We live, while on this earth, in a human body that is subject to decay and will one day return to dust. Our spirit man was made PERFECT at the New Birth. Our bodies WILL BE made perfect when we meet JESUS in the air. Our souls must be renewed, day by day, so that we can think, speak and act on the Word. Our spirit man understanding the Word perfectly does NOT help us at all unless our minds are renewed to know this! Romans is a letter written to the church in Rome, telling born again, spirit-filled believers that they needed to hear (and hear and hear) the Word of God for faith to come! Faith in the spirit MUST come into the soul, where choices are made, in order for us to act on it and stand on it! Faith may come from hearing someone else speak the Word, hearing ourselves speak the Word, fellowshipping around the Word with like-minded believers, but it MUST come! It MUST get from the spirit into the soul so that choices can be made that will result in us speaking WORDS that HE can confirm with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I noticed this especially today, though I have read it many times! John 7:5:

5 For [even] His brothers did not believe in or adhere to or trust in or rely on Him either.

The brothers of JESUS, born after his birth, when Mary was no longer a virgin, grew up in the same household with this sinless One! They grew up with this 'big brother' who NEVER did anything wrong! He never got into trouble because He NEVER sinned! I imagine that there was a great deal of jealousy involved when his siblings could never live up to His example! Remember, JESUS did NOT have the same sin nature that other people are born with! HIS Father was God! Because He was completely sinless, He could take upon Himself OUR sin in the greatest act of LOVE ever seen! But I am sure there were tensions from that! They did eventually believe in Him, and even died for their faith in Him. They, along with their mother, Mary, had to be born again and become new - IN HIM! And they did! Another thing I noticed especially in following our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today is found in verses 14-15:

14 When the Feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple [court] and began to teach. 15 The Jews were astonished. They said, How is it that this Man has learning [is so versed in the sacred Scriptures and in theology] when He has never studied?

The Jews, including the religious leaders, were astonished that this man, who wasn't a 'big name' among the Jewish elite, knew the Scriptures so well that He could teach with such authority! The part I LOVE is the reply that JESUS gave to them! Verses 16-18:

16 Jesus answered them by saying, My teaching is not My own, but His Who sent Me. 17 If any man desires to do His will (God’s pleasure), he will know (have the needed illumination to recognize, and can tell for himself) whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking from Myself and of My own accord and on My own authority. 18 He who speaks on his own authority seeks to win honor for himself. [He whose teaching originates with himself seeks his own glory.] But He Who seeks the glory and is eager for the honor of Him Who sent Him, He is true; and there is no unrighteousness or falsehood or deception in Him.

I am taking this promise as my own! When I make sure that I am desiring HIS will, and not my own, then HE will make sure that I know everything that I need to know from His Word, so that I can stand on it in faith! When I seek HIS will for HIS glory, then people will be drawn to HIM rather than to me! My greatest desire is to present JESUS in such  way that all who hear of Him want to know Him more! What is YOUR goal for getting to know Him better? As long as it brings glory back to HIM, then we will have all that we need to succeed! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Crowns":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional by Jerry Savelle is a very simple, yet powerful guide to receiving the Wisdom that comes from God alone!

WISDOM TO WIN

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering … (James 1:5-6 AMP)

God always has a way to get you out of trouble and into the victory He has planned for you. This victory comes through the wisdom, knowledge, an understanding you need in your situation.

So how do you tap into this wealth of wisdom? Wisdom is received from God exactly the same way anything else is received from God: by asking in faith.

First, meditate on the promise found in James 1:5 until you know in your spirit that God is going to give you the wisdom you need. Then, simply ask Him for it and believe from that moment that you have received all the answers and understanding you need for the situation. Even if you still feel confused or uncertain, thank God for giving you the wisdom you asked for.

If the answer you need isn’t apparent two seconds after you ask, don’t waiver. Rest in the fact that God has answered your request. As you continue to thank Him and read His Word, the answers you need to get you out of that trouble will certainly come.

Confession: Father, I come to you in faith today, asking for the wisdom I need to obtain victory in my situation. I refuse to waiver as I thank you for the wisdom you have promised to so liberally give to me. I receive it now in Jesus’ name.

I LOVE his simple advice to not waiver when it SEEMS that the answer is not coming. God's timing is ALWAYS perfect! We need to simply stay in fellowship with Him, obeying the Word that He has already give to us, expecting to be a DOER of what He WILL tell us! Don't go to the LORD asking for Wisdom that you will decide whether or not to obey after you hear it! THAT is another form of deceiving yourself (James 1:22)! Be a DOER so HE can be the CONFIRMER that He desires to be (Mark 16:20)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince is a great confirmation to me as I have been thinking this very thing! 

EXPECT GOOD THINGS TO HAPPEN TO YOU

Ephesians 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation…

When the phone rings at odd times, most people think, “Oh dear, it must be bad news.” They don’t think, “I wonder what the good news is that it cannot wait till morning!”When we hear, “The boss wants to see you,” instinctively, we think, “Oh dear, this is not good.” But how do we know that it is not going to be about a promotion?

Our minds are inclined toward the negative. So to guard our minds against negative thoughts, we are to put on “the helmet of salvation”, which is “the hope of salvation”. (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

If you are going through a trial right now, putting on as a helmet the hope of salvation means that you have a confident expectation of good coming your way. It means that you choose to believe that this trial that you are going through is only temporary because God will see you through it. It means that you believe that this difficult period will end with your salvation—your preservation, wholeness, wellness and health!

You may not know what is going to happen this week. But one thing you can do is to put on the helmet of the hope of salvation and tell yourself that you are going to have a fantastic week!

“Well, you know, Pastor Prince, you never know what to expect. We hear so much bad news these days—another flu outbreak, another company retrenching its workers…I really hope that I will not be retrenched next. But I cannot be sure. I am keeping my fingers crossed.”

No, my friend, biblical hope is not “I hope so” but “I know so”! You can have a confident expectation of good happening to you because you are not like the people of the world. You are a child of the living God. You have a Savior watching over you. There are more angels given charge over you than there are demons against you. And greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4) There is every reason for you to have a confident expectation of good happening to you!

Thought For The Day: As a child of the living God, you can have a confident expectation of good happening to you.

Call those things that be not yet as though they already were! THAT is faith speaking! God moves in response to our faith, and according to His Word!  AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Two things really stood out to me from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! The first is from Psalm 127:1-2:

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.

"Vain" here is the Hebrew word "shav'", which means: emptiness, vanity, falsehood, nothingness, worthlessness. This means that when we try, in our own strength and with our own natural wisdom, to "do" what only God can do, it will all amount to nothing! No amount of worry, stress, struggle or strain will accomplish what God can do in a moment with our obedience and surrender to HIM! So, let's continue to go out with joy and be led forth with HIS great peace (Isaiah 55:12) and see the results that only the God of the Bible can provide! 

Then in John 4 we see the account of JESUS speaking to the woman at the well in Samaria. She was surprised that this Jewish man would ask her to give him water. She was completely shocked that he knew so much about her, and His Wisdom, knowledge and Words of instruction reached her heart and she believed! Not only did she believe, but she followed up on that belief by telling everyone she knew of this ONE! THIS is one of those "unexpected" moments that we sing about in this song by Hillsong UNITED called "Shadow Step"! JESUS stepped out of the shadows of her life to shine the LIGHT on the Word on her! EXPECT Him to do the same for YOU, in every area of your life! AMEN! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

When Nicodemus came to see JESUS at night (privately), JESUS gave Him the key to obtaining eternal life, which is life as God has within Himself! John 3:2-3 says this:

2 Who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles—and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him. 3 Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

Apparently this plan of God's was NOT hidden from the Jewish people because JESUS said this to Nicodemus in response, in verse 10:

10 Jesus replied, Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet do not know nor understand these things? [Are they strange to you?]

God's plan of salvation for all of mankind was NOT hidden from man. He declared it Himself in Genesis after the fall of Adam. BUT, we will only KNOW the Word, IF we follow on to know the Word! Many never bothered. THAT is why so many people today do not have a personal relationship with the Lord their God! JESUS also tells us the 'how to" for this instruction. John 3:16-18 reveals the heart and plan of Almighty God for mankind!

16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]

AMEN! THIS is the most important question that you will ever be asked in your lifetime! "What have you done with JESUS?" I hope that YOU can answer with "JESUS is my LORD and personal SAVIOR!" Thank You, JESUS! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today is a great lesson to learn when standing in faith for something!

WORDS

"Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. (Proverbs 6:2). 

Many Christians blame certain things on the devil, when actually they are taken captive by the words of their own mouths. One writer expressed it this way: 

You said you could not - and the moment you said it you were whipped. You said you did not have faith - and doubt rose up like a giant and bound you. You are imprisoned with your own words. You talked failure, and failure held you in bondage. 

Our words dominate us. That's what Jesus was saying in Mark 11:23: "...he shall have whatsoever he saith." 

Never talk failure. Never talk defeat. Never acknowledge for one moment that God's ability or power cannot put you over. If you do talk failure or defeat, you are acknowledging that God cannot and has not put you over in life.

But thank God, He can! And He has! If you will believe right and talk right, you will walk in the reality of it! 

Confession: I refuse to talk failure. I refuse to talk defeat. God puts me over in life. 

I know that when we were first learning about the importance of the words that we speak, many believers became "word watchers". The problem was, they were watching everyone else's words and calling them on their slip ups, while many times not minding their own words! People began treating this as rules and regulations, when actually, the teaching of the importance of our own words is a 'set free' solution for those of us who wanted to walk in faith and love as the way to honor our Lord and Savior by bringing glory to HIS Name! The devil ALWAYS brings pressure to succeed into a situation because, in our own strength, we will always fail! He knows this, but what he doesn't even understand is how, when we take the Word of God into our hearts, meditate on it until Holy Spirit causes faith to rise up, then speak it out of our mouth, JESUS confirms His Word with signs, wonders and miracles! Satan doesn't understand it, but he KNOWS that it works! THAT is why the pressure comes! The next time you feel driven or pressured to 'perform' the Word, remind yourself that without JESUS, we are nothing! BUT, with HIM, we CAN DO ALL THINGS! Because it is HE that does the work!Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Search My Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

John 1:1-4 gives us this magnificent TRUTH! 

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2 He was present originally with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. 4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.

His LIFE is "zoe", which means life as God has within Himself! WE, who have received JESUS as Lord and personal Savior,  now have this ZOE in us, because Holy Spirit Who lives in us.With that in mind, let's look at this vital Truth shared by Joseph Prince in his "Grace Inspirations" devotional for today:

‘HELP ME PRAY, HOLY SPIRIT’

Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit

When my daughter Jessica was little, she woke up one night crying. She was not sick, but would not stop crying even though her mother and I tried to pacify her. I did not know what to do. I went to the restroom, sat on the floor and cried out, “Holy Spirit, You know what is wrong with my child. You know what she needs better than I do, so I yield her to You now.” I started praying in tongues and she stopped crying immediately!

Now, I wish that such instantaneous results are the norm, but they are not. On another occasion, I experienced severe pain from the back of my neck to my shoulders. I prayed for healing, but the pain persisted for quite some time and I was quite concerned.

One night, in my room, I knelt down and prayed, “Holy Spirit, You know this condition. I don’t know what it is, but I am asking You to make perfect prayer against this condition.” I started praying in tongues. I don’t know how long I prayed, maybe an hour or so, until I felt the burden lift. I finally fell asleep, still in pain. But when I woke up, all the pain was gone!

When you are faced with a crisis, you can tell the Holy Spirit, “I don’t know how to pray about this problem. I have done everything I know, but I don’t seem to be getting my breakthrough. Help me pray, Holy Spirit.”

And as you pray in the Spirit, you will feel like there is a prayer going on within you. Flow with it until you feel a release. You will feel peace, the burden lifting and a note of victory inside you. The Holy Spirit will assure you that everything is going to be all right or He will prompt you to do something. Then, you will find that what has been hindering you from receiving your breakthrough is removed, and in its place is the answer you need!

Thought For The Day When you don’t know what else to do and don’t seem to be getting the breakthrough you need, ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray.

Let's make use of every Gift and Weapon that our Father has given us to FIGHT and WIN every fight of faith! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older, but EXCELLENT song called "This Is How We Overcome":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jude 20-21 containt some of the most important and powerful instructions that born again believers have received from the LORD, by way of His ministers!

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.

First of all, we have the instruction in verse 20 to be continually praying in the Spirit! This amazingly powerful tool of prayer gives us SUCH a glorious advantage over the devil. HE has no idea what we are praying! Thank You, JESUS! And WE have direct access to the God of the Bible, building our faith in Him continually! AMEN! Verse 21 has the instruction to KEEP ourselves in the love of God. "Keep" is the Greek word "tereo", which means: to watch over, preserve, to attend to, to take care of, to keep one in the state in which he is. We are to keep ourselves in the Love of God! This would be His 'agape' love, which is a decision to see others as God sees them, and to act accordingly! Praying in the Spirit is vital for our love walk! We cannot maintain God's level of walking in love without HIS ability which becomes real and attainable to us through our intimate fellowship with Him and meditation of His Word! I hope that you will meditate on these two verses until you have a whole new view of what our lives should look like when we are - IN HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I noticed something interesting and important in the very first verse of today's New Testament reading in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan!  3 John 1:

1 The elderly elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the beloved (esteemed) Gaius, whom I truly love.

You may remember that when JESUS was ministering on the earth, John was the youngest of His Apostles. He refers to himself here as the "elderly elder"! That means that by now John has led a very long life! He is often called "the Apostle of Love" because he wrote so much about walking in love, especially in His letters to the churches. His life is a testimony to the benefits of that Love walk! Remember, from 1 Corinthians 13:8, that Love NEVER fails! Tradition says that his enemies even tried to boil John in oil, but they could not kill him! We don't have Bible confirmation on that, but we DO know what the enemy tried to do to Paul, over and over again! It is not very hard to imagine that this account may be very true! And right after declaring who he was, John went on to pray THIS for the church of JESUS CHRIST! Verse 2:

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

The encouragement here is to continually maintain your love walk, all the while prospering your soul with the Word of  God, and expect to walk in prosperity and abundance in every area of life! AMEN! Now I want to share today's online devotional by Andrew Womack, which continues with the Gospel of John!

HIS WILL IS IN THE WORD

John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

In this prayer, Jesus prayed twice that the Father would keep His disciples from evil. Then He reveals the way that God will accomplish this - through His Word, the holy scriptures. Anyone who desires to live for God, reject the devil, and reject the world's system, must know God's Word.

We must study the scriptures, for they reveal the will of God for our actions and attitudes. To be filled with the knowledge of God's will, we must be filled with God's Word. God's Word is His will! Those who are ignorant of God's Word will be ignorant of God's will.

Knowledge of God's will is foundational in developing Christian conduct and character. There is no way we can fulfill God's will if we don't know what it is. The starting point for any Christian is understanding God's will for his life. How can a person obtain such knowledge? The first step is to desire it. Jeremiah 29:13 says, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." People ask the Lord for knowledge of His will but don't receive it because they aren't seeking with ALL THEIR HEART. No one who has ever sought the Lord with all his heart has ever been disappointed.

The Holy Spirit is the dispenser of God's wisdom. It is through Him that we know the things God has revealed to us. One of the primary ministries of the Holy Spirit is to reveal God's will to us.

There is no way we can walk worthy of the Lord and please Him if we don't know His will. Furthermore, we can't be fruitful without the knowledge of His will. God has provided all that we need to be successful and victorious in this life. Believe His Word.

AMEN! God's Word IS TRUTH! It has no contradictions! If you feel that you may have found one, then realize that you have come across something that you just do not know well enough, YET! Set it aside and then follow on to LEARN it! God is faithful to his Word to show it, and then confirm it, when WE simply believe it and DO it! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Let There Be Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 121 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today says this:

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills [around Jerusalem, to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah]—From whence shall my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved; He Who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. 6 The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

This is one of the "Songs of Ascents" that the Jewish people would have sung on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts of the Lord! Notice the promises that belonged to these believers under the Old Covenant! They trusted that the LORD would NOT allow them to fail! He would not allow even their foot to slip! The God Who never sleeps had promised to keep them! "Keep" is the Hebrew word "shamar", which means: to hedge about, to guard, to protect, to attend to. They had that promise, even under their Covenant BEFORE Messiah came! Notice that this promise included protecting them from the elements, from evil, and to do so in every area of their lives - FOREVER! What was the prerequisite? To lift up their eyes to HIM! We KNOW that we have a better Covenant that is based on better promises than they had (Hebrews 8:6)! Better promises than this! So, let's at LEAST expect these promises of protection, provision and safety to be ours, also, IF we are looking to HIM, and to HIM alone, as our Source of supply and of every good thing! And let's continue to dig into the Word of God to find out what those BETTER promises are! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!