Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional!

Rest in Jesus’ Finished Work

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace [unmerited favor] in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4–7

Look at the above passage. It tells us that by God’s unmerited favor, we are seated together with Christ at the Father’s right hand. What does it mean to be seated together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus?

It means that today, we are in a position of rest in Jesus' finished work. To be seated in Christ is to rest, to trust in Him, and to receive everything our beautiful Savior has accomplished on our behalf.

My friend, God wants us to take the position of relying on Jesus for good success in every area of our lives, instead of relying on our good works and human efforts to achieve success. What a blessing it is to be in this position of dependence on our Savior!

But instead of looking at Jesus, believers are misled by the devil into looking at themselves. For thousands of years, the devil’s strategy has not changed. He is a master at accusing you, pointing out all your flaws, weaknesses, mistakes, and blemishes. He will keep on reminding you of your past failures and use condemnation to perpetuate the cycle of defeat in your life.

When the apostle Paul found himself sinking into self-occupation, he became depressed and cried out, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me...?” (Romans 7:24). In the very next verse, he sees God's solution and says, “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Likewise, beloved, it’s time for you to step out from being self-conscious and self-occupied, and begin to be Christ-occupied instead.

Today, you should no longer be asking yourself, “Am I accepted before God?” This question puts the focus back on you and this places you under the law. I know that there are people who will encourage you to ask yourself this question, but it is an error to ask yourself if you are accepted before God.

The correct question to ask is, “Is Christ accepted before God?" because as Christ is, so are you in this world (1 John 4:17). Don’t ask, “Am I pleasing to God?” Instead, ask, “Is Christ pleasing to God?”

Can you see the difference in emphasis? The old covenant of law is all about you, but the new covenant of grace is all about Jesus! The law places the demand on you to perform and makes you self-conscious, whereas grace places the demand on Jesus and makes you Jesus-conscious.

Can you imagine a young child growing up and always wondering in his heart, “Am I pleasing to Daddy? Am I pleasing to Mummy? Do Daddy and Mummy accept me?” This child will grow up emotionally warped if he does not have the security and assurance of his parents’ love and acceptance.

That is why your loving heavenly Father wants you rooted, established, and anchored in His unwavering love for you. He demonstrated His love for you when He sent Jesus to become your sin on the cross so that you can become His righteousness. Our part today is to turn away from ourselves and to look at Jesus!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional! 

The Great Life

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.… — John 14:27

Let not your heart be troubled. — John 14:1

Whenever a thing becomes difficult in personal experience, we are in danger of blaming God, but it is we who are in the wrong, not God, there is some perversity somewhere that we will not let go. Immediately we do, everything becomes as clear as daylight. As long as we try to serve two ends, ourselves and God, there is perplexity. The attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. When once we get there, there is nothing easier than living the saintly life; difficulty comes in when we want to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own ends.

Whenever you obey God, His seal is always that of peace, the witness of an unfathomable peace, which is not natural, but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, tarry till it does or find out the reason why it does not. If you are acting on an impulse, or from a sense of the heroic, the peace of Jesus will not witness; there is no simplicity or confidence in God, because the spirit of simplicity is born of the Holy Ghost, not of your decisions. Every decision brings a reaction of simplicity.

My questions come whenever I cease to obey. When I have obeyed God, the problems never come between me and God, they come as probes to keep the mind awake and amazed at the revelation of God. Any problem that comes between God and myself springs out of disobedience; any problem, and there are many, that is alongside me while I obey God, increases my ecstatic delight, because I know that my Father knows, and I am going to watch and see how He unravels this thing.

AMEN! Develop THIS mindset and you will be amazed at YOUR growth in the Word of God and in the things of God! Here is Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 14 intoday's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verse 3 says this:

3 In the [a]fool’s own mouth is a rod [to shame] his pride, but the wise men’s lips preserve them.

This is what the foonote says concerning the word 'fool':

a  The word “fool” in the Old Testament seldom, if ever, is used to describe the feebleminded, imbecile, idiot, or moron. Rather, it always has within it the meaning of a rebel, especially against God and the laws of order, decency, and justice. Notice in Proverbs how many such characteristics of rebelliousness are listed against the fool, and see God’s attitude toward them.

I hope that YOU will REFUSE to be a FOOL, but will seek the LORD and HIS WORD as your final authority on every subject and situation! Here is Brandon Lake with "Talking To Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today IS the CHRISTMAS STORY! 

Immanuel

And he [Ahaz] said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. — ISAIAH 7:13-14

God began to speak through His prophets, promising that a Redeemer would come who would break Satan’s dominion and restore to man his lost dominion.

The prophet Isaiah, for example, looked down through time and pointed to a daughter of David who would give birth to that promised Redeemer 750 years later.

“The Lord Himself will give you a sign,” Isaiah prophesied. “He will show you a miracle, a wonder, something out of the ordinary.” What will it be?

A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son. A virgin shall give birth to a son in a supernatural way.

His Name shall be called Immanuel — which means “God with us,” or “Incarnation.” Here, God suggests the union of deity and humanity.

Confession: The Lord Himself gave a sign, a wonder. A virgin did conceive and bear a Son. His Name is called Immanuel — God with us. He came to redeem us. Thank You, Father, for Your great plan of redemption, which You planned and sent Immanuel to consummate.

HALLELUJAH! We have a SAVIOUR!!! Here is Hillsong with that song!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional.

Jesus’ Peace Sets You Up for Success

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Jesus gives you His shalom to set you up for success in life. You cannot be a success in your marriage, family, and career when you are crippled and paralyzed with fear. Today, as you are reading this, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has already begun a work in your heart to liberate you from all your fears, whatever they may be. They may be the fear of failure, the fear of success, the fear of people’s opinions of you, or even the fear that God is not with you.

All the fears that you are experiencing in your life today began with an untruth, a lie that you have somehow believed. Perhaps you have believed that God is angry and displeased with you, and that His presence is far from you. That’s why the Bible says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

This scripture tells us that when you begin to have a revelation that God loves you perfectly (not because of what you have accomplished, but because of what Jesus has accomplished for you), that revelation of the unmerited favor of Jesus will cast out every fear, every lie, every anxiety, every doubt, and every worry that God is against you. The more you have a revelation of Jesus and how He has made you perfect, the more you will free yourself to receive His complete shalom and succeed in life!

My friend, know that as a believer in Jesus Christ, you have absolute peace with God. The new covenant of grace is also known as the covenant of peace. Today, you stand upon the righteousness of Jesus and not your own. Today, because of Jesus, God says this to you: “I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke [condemn] you. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed” (Isaiah 54:9-10).

God is on your side. Jesus’ shalom is on your side to make you a success in life. All of heaven’s resources are on your side. Even if you are caught in the midst of a storm right now, just think of a picture of eagle chicks sleeping soundly in spite of the storm, nestled under the wings of their mother, their protector, and provider. And may the shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Go in this peace, my friend, and rest upon His shalom!

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional because this simple message is so very important!

Short Of The Glory

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. — ROMANS 3:23

Man did the unthinkable! Given dominion over all the works of God’s hand, Adam was originally the god of this world. But Adam knowingly committed high treason against God by selling out to Satan the dominion which God had originally given him. Adam’s treason was done on such a legal basis that God could not annul the contract He had made with Adam, and which Adam had passed on to Satan. Hence, Satan, not Adam, became the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). And thus began Satan’s destructive reign.

So spiritual death — which is separation from God — came to man. When God came down in the cool of the day to walk and talk with Adam, God called, “Adam, where art thou?” And Adam said, “I hid myself.” He was separated from God!

Another aspect of spiritual death — having Satan’s nature — also came to man. The devil became man’s spiritual father. Notice Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Ye are of your father the devil . . .” (John 8:44). Man is spiritually a child of the devil. He partakes of his father’s nature. This explains why man cannot be saved by conduct. Man cannot stand in the Presence of God as he is, having the nature of his father, the devil, in him. If man is ever saved, he must be saved by someone paying the penalty for his sins, and someone giving him a new nature.

Confession: Thank You, Father, for my new nature. Thank You, Father, that You have made provision for me to be a “partaker of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

AMEN!!! Here is one of my favorite songs that speaks to our condition now that we have received JESUS ad Lord and Saviour! Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to take you to Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food"devotional.

Crowned With Glory

When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands . . . . — PSALM 8:3-6 (Amplified)

God did not create man for death! Death, sin, sickness, hatred, revenge, and all such tragedies reflect conditions on earth that had no place in the original plan of the Creator. Man was created instead for joy, happiness, and peace!

Man was designed for eternal fellowship with God. He was created in God’s very image and likeness (Genesis 1:26,27). He was created for joy, happiness, and peace. And he was created to give God pleasure (Revelation 4:11).

God gave man a place in His creation second only to Himself, with dominion as far reaching as the universe itself (Psalm 8:3-6; Genesis 1:26-28). Adam was the master of himself, of creation, and of Satan. Adam did not have to yield to sin — he had a choice.

Confession: I will do what I was designed to do; I will fellowship with God. I will give Him pleasure. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). So I will walk in faith. I will not be dominated by sin, sickness, fear, and doubt, or anything else that is of the devil. I choose to walk with God.

AMEN! Here is "We Have A Saviour" by Hillsong

Shalom,

Shalom,

Today I want to shjare the devotional on The Spoken Word Church website! 

Look for a Problem to Solve

Everything God has made is a solution to a problem. Your worth and significance are determined by the kinds of problems you are solving for someone.

Your significance is not your similarity to others. It is your difference. Find your point of difference. Solve a problem with it. Prosperity is inevitable.

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hands to do it." {Proverbs 3:27}

I LOVE that our significance in the Kingdom of God is NOT in how uch we look, speak and act like everyone else! Our GOD made us to be UNIQUE! No two of us are exactly alike! I encourage you to spend more time in the presence of the Lord so that Holy Spirit can lead, guide and direct you in how to be the very BEST YOU that you can be! All of HEAVEn is anticipating this! So let's get to it! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional! This is SO important!

Long Life

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore. . . . With long life will I satisfy him . . . . — PSALM 91:14,16

“But, Brother Hagin,” someone said, “I knew a minister who was a wonderful man of God, and he died at age forty-two.”

That doesn’t mean I have to die young. I don’t know what that minister believed — but I know what I believe. And I know that the God who is more than enough said, “I will satisfy him with long life.”

Someone else will say, “That just means we’re going to live forever in Heaven.” No, even sinners are going to live forever. They’re going to live in one place, and we’re going to live in another. That scripture is referring to our enjoying long life here upon this earth.

A reading of Proverbs reveals that the Word of God says that doing certain things will lengthen your life, but doing certain other things will shorten your life. Ephesians 6:1-3 tells children to honor their parents, “That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Peter quoted the Psalms assuring us that these promises belong to us (1 Peter 3:10; Ps. 34:12).

Our promised lifespan is seventy or eighty years (Psalm 90:10). But don’t compromise. Don’t settle for anything less. And believe God for all you can!

Confession: Because I have set my love upon God, El Shaddai will satisfy me with long life. Unless the Lord Jesus Christ returns before I die, I will live out my years in service to God. I will live and work together with God in carrying out His will upon the earth.

AMEN! NEVER settle for LESS than GOD'S VERY BEST! Remember, JESUS paid the price for it all! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today in Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional we have one of my favorite stories!

He Honors

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore . . . I will set him on high. . . . and honour him. — PSALM 91:14-15

I’d rather have God honor me than to have all the acclaim this world can offer.

The story is told that one day Napoleon was reviewing his troops when his horse began to buck. A young private stepped over, took the horse by the bridle, and quieted him down. Napoleon said, “Thank you, Captain.” And the private moved into rank of a captain. But the other officers shunned this young man. They had earned their rank, but his had been granted to him. Napoleon noticed this and called for a full, gala review of his army. He sat this young man on a horse by his side, and they rode out to the parade grounds together. The other officers then began to say, “That fellow’s a favorite with Napoleon.” And they began to court his favor.

The world may not know it, but the time is coming when they are going to find out that we are favorites with the King of kings and Lord of lords. And they’ll wish they had courted our favor. Jesus Himself said, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelations 3:21). Jesus’ favor far outshines any that this world can bestow.

Confession: Because I have set my love upon God, He will set me on high. He will honor me. I am a favorite with the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am a favorite with the God who is more than enough!

I LOVE this because something that we each must see and understand is that we are ALL 'GOD'S FAVORITES'! There is no 'pecking order' in God's Kingdom! We are ALL pleasing to HIM when we simply OBEY His Word and His calling on our lives! Find out what GOD wants you to do, AND DO IT! It is just that simple! And that is the POWER of it all! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

Our partner, Rick Renner, has this devotional on his website for today and I LOVE this!

Focusing on the Right Things.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. — Colossians 3:2

It is so easy to be distracted at Christmastime by the anticipation of gifts and holiday festivities. That is why it is so important that you follow Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3:2 and purposefully “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” during the Christmas season. I’ll elaborate a bit more on this verse in just a moment, but first I want to tell you how my mother helped me as a young boy to focus my attention on the true meaning of Christmas.

Each year at Christmastime, my parents loaded my sisters and me into the car, and we drove to one of many Christmas tree “lots” in our city. We walked back and forth among the rows of trees, trying to select the tree that was just “perfect” for our family. Once we chose a tree, Dad purchased it, tied it to the top of the car, drove it home, and set it in our living room. Then we gleefully decorated it with silver tinsel, lights, strings of popcorn, Christmas bulbs of all sorts, and then we topped it off by putting a red and silver aluminum lighted star on the very peak of the tree. Doing this every year was a major event in the Renner household.

I’d sit and look at the lights and decorations literally for hours at a time. So to keep my focus fixed on Christ and not fixated on the Christmas tree, my mother came up with a brilliant idea — she encouraged me each year to make a manger scene out of construction paper. First, I pulled out my big box of crayons and colorfully drew a little barn, filled with animals, shepherds, wise men, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and an angel sitting on top of the roof of the barn. Then using my little scissors, I carefully cut it out. Right where “hoped-for” gifts would eventually sit under the tree, I’d use dried ice cream sticks and glue to concoct a support structure that would make my little Christmas scene stand upright under the tree.

For me, this was the most important element of our Christmas tree. Instead of focusing on the bulbs and lights, I’d lie on my stomach in front of the tree and look at my “work of art” that displayed the scene of that miraculous night when Jesus was born. By encouraging me to do this, my mother purposely helped me to keep the right focus at Christmastime and not dwell on Christmas tree ornaments or gifts. With her encouragement, Jesus’ birth — and the characters and scene around His birth — became the “center” for my little heart and imagination, and the tree became secondary. My focus shifted to the scene that sat right under the Christmas tree, where I could lie on the floor and imagine what Jesus’ birth must have been like.

I learned a big lesson from my mother at that early age. She taught me to do whatever is necessary to set my thoughts on things above and not on things of the earth (see Colossians 3:2). The word “set” in this verse is the present imperative active form of the Greek word phroneo, which means to think. However, the tense used here conveys a commandment to actively, purposefully, and deliberately think about something. In this case, we are commanded to actively think about things above, not on things of the earth.

Rather than focus on that Christmas tree, I needed to lift my thoughts and purposefully think about Jesus and what His birth meant to me. The word phroneo in Colossians 3:2 depicts a practical pursuit of lifting one’s thinking from things below — from being fixated on things below to becoming fixated on things above, or those things that are more connected with Heaven and the divine.

So I want to ask you: What are you purposefully doing this year to make Christ the “center” of your Christmas season for yourself and those around you? Are you focused and fixated more on the natural part of the season, or have you purposefully lifted your thoughts to Christ and the real message of the season? Today I want to encourage you to think of ways to elevate your thoughts — to set your mind on Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father. After all, He is the real reason for the season. You can do it, and you can help others do it too!

AMEN! We like to SAY that 'Jesus is the Reason for the SEASON', so lets LIVE like it! Here is Hillsong with "Born Is The King (It's Christmas)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional by Joseph Prince is VITAL to true spiritual growth!

Know the Truth that Liberates

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

A good friend of mine who’s a fellow minister once suggested to the dean of a reputable Bible school that “grace” be incorporated into the school’s curriculum. The dean replied, “You have to be careful when it comes to grace.” This apprehension about grace is prevalent in many Christian circles. The moment they hear “grace,” they go on high alert!

I told my minister friend that I don’t agree grace should be a topic in a Bible school’s curriculum. Grace is not a topic—grace is the gospel. It is the good news! The word “gospel” simply means “good news.” Grace is not a theology topic, doctrine, or subject. It is a person, and His name is Jesus. That’s the reason the Lord wants you to receive the abundance of grace, for to have the abundance of grace is to have the abundance of Jesus!

John 1:17 says, “the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”. Do you see? The law was given, implying a sense of distance, but grace came in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the personification of grace. Jesus is grace! Now, I want you to notice something else too: based on this scripture, truth is on the side of grace and not on the side of the law.

Today’s scripture declares that “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Well, my friend, grace is the (definite article) truth that will set you free, not the law of Moses. The law is on the side of Moses, but grace and truth are on the same side as our Savior. Yet, there are people today holding on to the law of Moses and preaching it as if it is the “truth” that liberates. My friend, the grace of God is the only truth that liberates! Truth is on the side of grace!

Unfortunately, there are well-meaning people today who are afraid that when you tell a believer that he is completely forgiven by grace and no longer has to earn his right standing before the Lord via the law of Moses, it will cause him to go out and live a life of sin and debauchery. However, the Bible is very clear that the “strength of sin is the law” (1 Corinthians 15:56).

It is not grace that gives people the strength to sin; it is the law! The more you are under the law, the more sin is strengthened! Conversely, the more you are under grace, the more sin will be depleted of its strength.

In fact, the Bible declares that “sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Now, don’t just gloss over this powerful revelation. This means that the more grace you receive, the more power you have to overcome sin. In other words, sin shall not have dominion over you when you receive the abundance of grace!

So who switched the roles? Will the real gospel please stand up? Do you see how the devil has pulled the wool over the eyes of God’s sheep and put up fences surrounding the gospel of grace?

My friend, the truth that has the power to break down your prison doors and make you free is the truth of His grace. Your freedom is found in believing in Jesus—His grace and His love in your life. Every dark thought and evil addiction that may have held you captive cannot but scatter when they are exposed to the light of His grace and truth!

HALLELUJAH!!! RECEIVE that GRACE into your life and refuse to every return to a defeated mind sat! YOU belong to JESUS! Now lets ACT like it! Here is Brandon Lake with "Miracle Child":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "From Faith To Faith" devotional by our partners, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland!

Talk Like God!

Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11:23

Jesus didn't say, "Whosoever shall speak to God about this mountain." He said we should speak directly to the mountain the desired end result.

From a worldly point of view, that sounds foolish. But 1 Corinthians 1:27 explains that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. It's always going to sound foolish to the world when a Christian talks as if what God has promised is reality, especially when those promises seem to contradict the natural evidence around us. But if you want to keep the enemy defeated, that's the kind of talking you'd better be doing.

The Bible says God Himself talks that way! In Romans 4:17, it says, "[He] calleth those things which be not as though they were." God doesn't wait for circumstances to line up before He speaks. He causes them to line up because He speaks. You can do the same thing if you'll make your words agree with His and speak them out of your mouth by faith.

"But what if nothing happens right away?" you may ask. "What if the circumstances don't immediately change?" When Jesus spoke to the fig tree in Mark 11:14, He didn't go back and check to see if anything had happened to it. No, once He had spoken it, He considered it done.

Follow His example. Let your faith speak. Agree with God's Word!

AMEN! Be a DOER of GOD'S WORD and watch HIM work it out for YOU! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today we read Proverbs 3. Verses 1-2 really stand out to me!

3 My son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you.

The phrase "let keep" is the Hebrew word "nasar". Strong's Concordance says: to guard, protect, maintain, obey. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says of these verses: The discipline of Wisdom requires faithful observance. WE have the CHOICE to obey God's Word, and receive the BLESSINGS that comes with it! I pray that YOU will make it YOUR detemined purpose to dig deeper into the Word of God this next year than you ever have before! The OUTCOME will lead to YOUR uplifting! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Ancient Gates"  because we have NOT outgrown them! 

 Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website this morning!

Draw up a Detailed Plan

Your vision is your future. The Bible is God's written list of goals. He wrote down what he wanted to happen. It may be difficult for you to transfer your thoughts to paper, but do it. Something wonderful starts happening when you actually see a blueprint of your future.

"And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." {Habakkuk 2:2}

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (Proverbs 29:18)

AMEN! And here to help with your worship is BrandonLake with "Heartfelt Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin for today! SO POWERFUL!

Worship

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said . . . . — ACTS 13:2

This is the prayer of worship — ministering to the Lord.

It is true that God is concerned about us. He is interested in us, and wants to meet our needs, because He has told us to ask. But my personal observation is that too large a percentage of our praying is, “Give me, give me, give me.”

We need to take time in our individual prayer lives, in our gatherings, in our churches, to wait on God and to minister to the Lord. In this kind of atmosphere God can move. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost manifested Himself!

God made man for His own pleasure so He would have someone with whom to fellowship. He is our Father. We are born of God. No earthly parent ever enjoyed the fellowship of his children more than God enjoys the fellowship of His sons and daughters.

Take time to minister to the Lord: To pray. To wait on God. To tell Him how much you love Him. To praise Him. To thank Him for His goodness and mercy.

Confession: (Make up your own confession. Practice today’s lesson by ministering to the Lord.)

Let's be DOERS of the WORD and WORSHIP!!! Here is Hillsong with "For Who You Are:"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is EXCELLENT!

The Absoluteness Of Jesus Christ

He shall glorify Me. — John 16:14

The pietistic movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them; there is nothing about them that needs the Death of Jesus Christ, all that is required is a pious atmosphere, and prayer and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous, it did not cost the passion of God, it is not dyed in the blood of the Lamb, not stamped with the hall-mark of the Holy Ghost. It has not that mark on it which makes men say, as they look with awe and wonder – “That is the work of God Almighty.” That and nothing else is what the New Testament talks about.

The type of Christian experience in the New Testament is that of personal passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other type of Christian experience, so called, is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration, no being born again into the Kingdom in which Christ lives, but only the idea that He is our Pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is Saviour long before He is Pattern. To-day He is being despatched as the Figurehead of a Religion, a mere Example. He is that, but He is infinitely more; He is salvation itself. He is the Gospel of God.

Jesus said, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come,…He shall glorify Me.” When I commit myself to the revelation made in the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit Who begins to interpret to me what Jesus did and does in me subjectively all that Jesus Christ did for me objectively.

AMEN! Allow Your LIFE in JESUS be POWERFUL! HE IS! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

From our family to yours! Be THANKFUL! BE GRATEFUL! EVERY DAY!

 

Shalom,

Today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional by Joseph Prince is a very good lesson for us! 

How Esther Obtained Favor

Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. Esther 2:15

When you know that you are greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved, you don’t have to depend on your self-efforts. Look at the story of Esther, for example.

When King Ahasuerus was looking for a new queen, the most beautiful women in the land were all brought into the palace. All the women were given the opportunity to adorn themselves with whatever they desired from the women’s quarters before they were brought for an audience with the king. But when it was Esther’s turn, she “requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised.”

And look at the results: “Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her,” and the king “loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:17)

While the other women grabbed the best garments, perfumes, and accessories to beautify themselves, Esther did not rely on her own abilities but submitted herself to Hegai, the official who had been appointed by the king to oversee the women. There was so much wisdom and humility in her decision. Can you see the beauty of Esther?

She did not trust in her own efforts. While the women tried to outdo one another by relying on their own efforts, Esther wisely submitted to the one person who would know the king’s preferences best, and the results speak for themselves.

This incident also demonstrates to us that Esther depended entirely upon the Lord’s unmerited favor. (When you depend entirely upon the Lord’s unmerited favor, you are trusting Him and in a position of rest.) Esther did not have to struggle. When she rested in the Lord and humbled herself, the Lord promoted her and exalted her above all the other beautiful women.

God resists the proud and gives unmerited favor to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). When you humble yourself and cease from your efforts to promote yourself, and depend on Jesus alone, the Lord Himself will be your promotion and increase. Like Esther, you will stand out in a crowd and obtain grace and favor with God and man.

Do you know why the story of Esther is so important? Read the details in the Book of Esther. Because Esther was promoted to become the queen, she was in a favored position to protect all the Jewish people in the kingdom from being killed. When the Lord promotes you, He gives you the influence to be a blessing to the people around you. There are no coincidences, only God-incidents. The Lord will bless you to be a blessing!

HALLEUJAH and AMEN! Make is YOUR goal to PLEASE HIM above all others and HE will cause you toa have favor where you need favor! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Spirit-Filled

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. — EPHESIANS 5:18-20

“I just can’t thank God like I should,” some people have said.

You can if you follow Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:18-20, “. . . be filled with the Spirit . . . .” And just after giving this admonition to these Pentecostal people, Paul gives some ways to keep filled with the Spirit: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

An overflowing heart will be your testimony! Your cup will be full and running over! You will have a song in your heart!

“Giving thanks always for all things . . . .” Your heart is thankful. You give thanks for all of God’s blessings. You can even give thanks for every test. You don’t give thanks for what the devil has done, but you give thanks for the Word, for the opportunity to see God at work, and for the fact that you know God can make all things work together for your good.

Confession: I keep being filled with the Holy Spirit. I speak in the Spirit. I sing in the Spirit. I make melody in my heart to the Lord. And I am thankful.

AMEN! Let's take full advantage of ALL of the GIFTS that our Father has givn us in order for us to succeed in our individual calling and anointing! Let's be PLEASING to HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!