Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 4 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I want to encourage you with verse 8!

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.

I hope that as you meditate on this PROMISE, you will gain much confidence that your GOD cares for you completely and will do what you need Him to do in answer to YOUR FAITH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to remind and encourage you with THIS TRUTH from the Word of God! 2 Timothy 1:7:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

HALLELUJAH! FEAR has NO RIGHT to be harassing a born again believer! THIS Verse is YOUR license to KICK IT OUT! receive ONLY those things which come from GOD! SHUT the enemy's mouth bu speaking, singing anf shouting the WORD of the LIVING GOD! They HAVE to BOW THEIR KNEE to HIM! HERE, in THIS SONG is the ONLY 'fear' that we ARE SUPPOSED TO ALLOW IN OUR LIVES! Brooke Ligertwood with "Fear of God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I was really blessed today by Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional! 

The Secret to Great Faith

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”. . . Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour. Matthew 8:10, 13

Do you know that there were only two people in the Bible whom Jesus said had “great faith”? The first was the Roman centurion whose servant was healed by Jesus’ word (Matthew 8:5–13). The second was the Syro-Phoenician woman, whose demon-possessed daughter was also healed by Jesus (Matthew 15:21–28). I encourage you to take a minute and read both accounts from your Bible right now, before proceeding with the rest of today’s reading.

As I was reading these two accounts one night, the Lord said to me, “Son, look for the common denominator between these two people and you will discover the secret to great faith.”

I had always thought that the secret to the centurion’s great faith was that he understood authority. Because he was a military man of authority, he thus understood the authority of the Lord Jesus. But that does not apply to the woman, who was probably a homemaker. So what’s the common denominator to their great faith?

After I had tried to figure it out for a while, the Lord said to me, “Both were Gentiles. They were not Jews. Neither of them were under the law of Moses, and therefore they did not disqualify themselves. They were not under condemnation by the law, and so they could have great faith to receive from Me.”

Wow, what a powerful revelation! They were both not under the law, which is the opposite of faith, that’s why they could have great faith!

The Bible itself plainly says that “the law is not of faith” (Galatians 3:12). And in another place it says, “For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect” (Romans 4:14).

You see, the law will disqualify people from receiving any blessing from the Lord. It is only faith in His grace that qualifies God’s people and stirs up great faith unconsciously to receive what they need from the Lord. This is the secret to having great faith for any situation in your life!

I see this so clearly in the experience of Naomi who lives in South Africa. She became unemployed and was left with no place to stay, having been rejected by her family. She and her son ended up finding shelter in a village with a poor family in deplorable conditions, sometimes eating food taken out of dustbins. Despite extreme hardship, she wrote:

I truly believed that the Lord was in full control of my life and that things were in the process of changing. Through it all, I chose to put all my faith in God, knowing that He would restore and change my life. I knew that God loved me and that it hurt Him to see me go through all of this. I also knew that He would bring to pass what He had promised in His Word.

During that period, I fed on God’s Word and His grace and chose to focus on the many blessings I was already enjoying— health, joy, peace, and having Jesus in my life. A year later, the Lord blessed me with a good job, a car, a home, and a wonderful man who is also madly in love with Jesus. My son also sleeps peacefully now. We are sold out to Jesus and the gospel of grace, sharing it wherever we go.

Here is the key to Naomi’s faith. She said, “Thank you, Pastor Prince, for revealing the beauty of our Lord Jesus in such a simple but powerful way. It just made me fall in love with Jesus.”

My friend, the more you see Jesus—His beauty and His finished work of grace—the more faith arises in your heart. You will have unconscious faith to believe what God’s Word says about you and to ask boldly of Him. It’s truly all about Jesus, seeing His love, and allowing Him to love you and be gracious to you!

AMEN! I can feel my faith grow as I meditate on these powerul TRUTHS! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we begin again going through our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Psalm 1 is one of my favorite Psalms! 

1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

2 But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.

3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

4 Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God].

6 For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God’s will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).

I love that this is so CLEAR and simple! Want to be blessed? Then DO the DOs and avoid the DON'Ts! The footnotes on this Psalm say this:

1. Psalm 1:1 This has been called “The Preface Psalm” because in some respects it may be considered “the text upon which the whole of the Psalms make up a divine sermon.” It opens with a benediction, “Blessed,” as does our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3).
2. Psalm 1:5 Charles Haddon Spurgeon (The Treasury of David) said, “Sinners cannot live in heaven. They would be out of their element. Sooner could a fish live upon a tree than the wicked in paradise.” The only way they will ever be able to endure heaven is to be born again and become new creatures with pure hearts able fully to enjoy the presence of God, His holy angels, and the redeemed.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with a favorite song of mine: "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

And now today we will finish out the year with Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional again!

Lover

For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. — JOHN 16:27

Nothing can be stronger or more comforting than the fact that the Father Himself knows you, loves you, and longs to bless you!

In fact, John 17:23 says that God loves us as He loved Jesus. What a staggering thought! Yet it is true! Jesus said it!

God the Father is your Father! He cares for you. He is interested in you individually — not just as a group, or as a body of believers, or as a church. God is interested in each of His children, and He loves each one of us with the same love.

Get acquainted with your Father through His Word. It is in His Word that you will learn about your Heavenly Father, about His love, His nature, how He cares for you, how He loves you. He is everything the Word says He is. And He will do everything the Word says He will do!

Confession: I love Jesus, and I believe He came out from God. Therefore, the Father Himself loves me. God knows me. He cares for me. He longs to bless me. He is interested in my well-being. I get acquainted with Him through the Word. God is everything the Word says He is. He will do everything the Word says He will do.

YOUR FATHER is waiting on YOU to seek Him every day with your whole heart! When you do, 2025 will be the VERY BEST and MOST BLESSED year EVER so far! Here is Brandon Lake with "Praise" which is OUR BEST answer to every good thing that HE has done! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional as we prepare to enter a new year! 

Husbandman

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. — JOHN 15:1

My Heavenly Father is the Caretaker.

He is the Protector.

He is the Shield.

He is the Sustainer.

He is the Trainer.

He is the Educator.

The Greek word translated “husbandman” involves all those shades of meaning. As the husbandman trains the branches of a vine, so God trains the branches of the Body of Christ.

And remember, God is love!

Confession: Jesus is the true vine. I am a branch. My Father is the husbandman. He is my Caretaker, my Protector, my Shield, my Sustainer, my Trainer, my Educator. I will bear much fruit!

When you make that confession of faith, being fully convinced that God's Word is TRUTH, tyhen you can expect a BLESSED and POWERFUL New Year! Here, to encourage you, is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we read Philippians 2. Verses 12-16 really stand out strongly! 

12 Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
13 [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. 14 Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves], 15 That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world. 16 Holding out [to it] and offering [to all men] the Word of Life, so that in the day of Christ I may have something of which exultantly to rejoice and glory in that I did not run my race in vain or spend my labor to no purpose.

Our responsibility as born again believers us to HOLD OUT TO THEM the WORD OF LIFE! The WORD of the LIVING GOD! Be someone's lifeline today by sharing JESUS with them! You will NEVER regret thrilling the heart of GOD with that decision! Here is Brandon Lake with "Rest On Us":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

I LOVE this devotional from Jerry Savelle Ministries website!

You Are The Apple of God’s Eye

Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye. Psalm 17:7-8 NKJV

When you accept how special you are to God, all negative thoughts about yourself will disappear. Have you ever felt insecure? Insecure about your abilities, your appearance, your job, your personality, your life?

Have you ever felt unloved, unaccepted, and worthless?

“I’m not attractive.”

“I can’t do all the things that person can do.”

“I’m not good enough!”

If you battle with thoughts of worthlessness, inferiority, and low self-esteem, then today is the day to let go of all those negative thoughts and insecurity!

How do you get rid of insecurity that’s been there your whole life? By realizing that you are a valuable masterpiece to God. If God had to choose the finest thing He ever created, He’d pick you!

Yes, you!

In fact in Psalm 17:8 we find that God sees you as the apple of His eye.

As you come to accept the truth of how special you are to God, all negative thoughts about yourself will disappear. You will rest secure, knowing that you really are loved and accepted by God exactly as you are.

Confession: I thank you, Father, that I am perfectly made in the image of Christ. You have known me since you formed me in my mother’s womb, and I am the apple of your eye.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today is especially good reading! Proverbs 28 exposes those who have acted wrongly, deceitfully, illegally and hatefully in and toward our nation for at least the last 4 years! It also tells us what great things will begin to happen when the rightful leader is returned to office in a few weeks! I encourage you to read and compare and then make certain that YOU are on the RIGHT side with God's plans and puposes! 

Then we have the instructions for putting on our spiritual armor so that we are completely protected when th enemy tries again, and he will, to fool 'we the people'! Here, to encourage you in right thinking, is Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is the perfect starting point after celebrating CHRISTMAS! THIS is REAL L:IFE - IN JESUS!

Our Father

. . . For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father . . . . — MATTHEW 6:8-9

Although God had given to Israel as clear a revelation of Himself as it was possible to give spiritually dead men, they still didn’t really know Him. They didn’t recognize God manifested in the flesh when Jesus stood in their midst. (Under the Old Covenant, God’s Presence was shut up in the Holy of Holies.)

Thus, it was into a hard, harsh atmosphere of Justice that Jesus Christ came. And the Jews of His day could not understand Him. He talked about God as His Father. He told of the Father’s love and care for His own! It mystified them. When Jesus introduced God as a Father God of love, His words, for the most part, fell upon unresponsive ears.

Yet we must admit, as we meditate on Jesus’ words about the love of God, that even born-again children of God sometimes fail to see the love side of God. Israel never grasped it. They didn’t understand who it was Jesus was talking about. It was new to them. To tell the truth, it’s new to most church members today! They have been taught to fear God, and to shrink from a God of Justice. They’ve never really seen the love side of God that Jesus came to reveal.

Confession: I hereby make a quality decision to see and know the love side of God that Jesus came to reveal. I will meditate on Jesus’ revelation of God until I really know Him as my Father God of love.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with the perfect response! "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional by Joseph Prince tells the REASON for the CHRISTMAS STORY!

Born to Die so That You Might Live

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12

You are probably familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The Bible says that when the time had come, Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger” (Luke 2:6–7). But have you ever wondered why the angel told the shepherds that the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger was a “sign”?

A manger is actually a feeding trough for livestock. Do you know what a feeding trough in those days looks like? I have seen a similar one at Solomon’s stables in Meggido, Israel. It is basically a big rectangular block of stone with the trough hewn out of it. So baby Jesus, who was wrapped in swaddling cloths, was placed in such a stone trough.

But why was that a sign? Because if you have seen the empty tomb of Jesus at a place called The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, you would have noticed that the place where His body was laid, inside a tomb hewn out of rock, resembles a stone trough. The Bible says that after Jesus’ crucifixion and death, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb hewn out of a rock (Mark 15:43–46).

Can you see the similarities? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, baby Jesus would one day be wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb. That was the sign the angel was referring to. It pointed to Jesus’ death.

Jesus was the only child in all of humanity born to die. Once you realize that, you will realize how much God loves you. You will realize that He gave up His Son for that one purpose, and that His Son willingly came for that one purpose—to die for your sins and mine.

Beloved, can you imagine living your life knowing that you are just qualifying yourself to die on the cross to save the world? That was the life that Jesus lived. He lived to die, so that we might live and enjoy life abundantly today!

HALLELUJAH!!! WE are SO LOVED!!! NO ONE could EVER love YOU more! Here is Hillsong with a very old song called "The Love Of God Can Do":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Fatih Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin  concerns Christmas!

His Glory

And the Word became flesh. And pitched his tent among us, And we gazed upon his glory, — A glory . . . Full of favour and truth. — JOHN 1:14 (Rotherham)

I love Rotherham’s translation of John 1:14 — it is so beautiful.

We’ve tended to think of Christ’s coming to the earth as a man only in terms of His self-denial in leaving glory, or else in terms of His suffering on this earth. But I believe it was a joy to Christ, who so loved man and so desired man’s fellowship, to “pitch His tent” among us so that He might give to alienated man — who had never known his Creator— a true conception of His Heavenly Father.

It was good tidings of great joy which the angel proclaimed to the shepherds — and to all people everywhere. Man, separated from God for four thousand years, could now gaze upon God’s glory, could now see God, could now know God as He is, and could now be reunited with Him!

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. — LUKE 2:10-11

The Word has become flesh!

Confession: Like the multitude of the heavenly host, I, too, am praising God. Praise God for sending GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY! Praise God for sending a SAVIOR! Praise God for CHRIST THE LORD! Praise God for allowing us to gaze upon HIS GLORY!

AMEN! The WORD became FLESH!!! All for US! Here is Hillsong with "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional is a GREAT reminder!

Incarnate Revelator

Jesus saith unto him [Philip] . . . he that hath seen me hath seen the Father . . . . — JOHN 14:9

Man born into a world ruled by Satan did not by nature know his Creator. Since Adam’s sin — when man died spiritually — God and man had been spiritually separated.

Man desperately needed an Incarnation. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ — God manifested in the flesh — gave to the world the true knowledge of the nature of God.

Spiritually dead men couldn’t know the nature of the Creator without a revelation from Him. God had been conceived as weird, cruel, grotesque, immoral, aloof, or perhaps, an impersonal energy, but He was never thought of as a God of love — a loving Heavenly Father.

“What’s he really like?” people will inquire about some movie star, TV personality, politician, etc. And sometimes those close to that celebrity will attempt in an interview to tell what he is really like.

“What’s God really like?” people want to know.

Friends, if you want to know what God is really like — just look at Jesus!

Confession: I have seen Jesus in the revelation of God’s Word. Therefore, I have seen the Father. I know what the Father is like. He’s just like Jesus! He’s a God of love. He’s a Father God. And because of Jesus, He’s my very own Father. I am His very own child. I’m so thankful for this great plan of redemption which included revealing my Father to the world.

HALLEUJAHJ! And AMEN!!! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

For today I want to encourage YOU with THIS from The Spoken Word Church website!

Generate Energy

God energizes. In Genesis, He created, moved, spoke, divided and called. You are God's offspring. You were created for movement. Your tongue speaks. Your eyes see. Your ears hear. Your hands grasp. Your feet walk. Even your mind creates thoughts, each containing a different measure of energy.

You are a living current, carrying others into your future. Use your life today to excite others about the God you serve and the future made possible through a committment to Jesus Christ.

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." (Acts 17:28)

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship with "Praise"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional by Joseph Prince!

The Secret to Godliness

. . . add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 2 Peter 1:5–9

Have you been told you have to exhibit more Christian character, more self-control, more godliness, and more brotherly kindness? Like a thousand times, perhaps? I certainly was as a young believer. My friend, I totally agree that all these qualities are good and necessary, but the question is, how do we develop them? How should we preachers help believers to exhibit more Christian character?

When asked for the solution, most people would say, “Discipline! We need to focus more on the Ten Commandments and develop discipline, and then self-control, godliness, and brotherly kindness will come.” While all that sounds very good (to the flesh), that is not what the Word of God says in today’s scripture. Read it again, focusing especially on the last sentence.

It is clear that if a Christian lacks the qualities mentioned in today’s scripture, it is not because he lacks discipline, but because he “has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins”—the main clause of the new covenant. He has forgotten that the blood of Jesus has purchased for him the forgiveness of all his sins.

Beloved, if you remind yourself daily that you have been cleansed from all your sins, not only will it produce a genuine love for the Lord, but you will also exhibit more and more Christ-like qualities. Your heart will overflow with faith, self-control, godliness, perseverance, brotherly kindness, and love.

Let me share with you a wonderful praise report from a precious couple who experienced this very truth in their marriage and family. Andy (the husband) had discovered the gospel of grace through one of my books. Prior to this, he was a believer who loved the Lord, his family, and the church he attended. But Andy always experienced a struggle within himself where he would go through cycles of feeling up and down.

His wife, Danielle, who supported him through these cycles, described it this way: “One month he’d be fine. The next two weeks, not so much. Life was like a roller-coaster ride. . . these ups and downs became so regular that I could almost tell when things were going good and when they were going to swing downward again.” Needless to say, this negatively affected those closest to him—his wife and daughters.

However, as Andy began to learn about God’s grace, he came to see how he could rest in Jesus’ finished work. He explained the changes this brought: “The revelation that I’ve been forgiven through Christ and made righteous in Him made me Son-conscious instead of sin-conscious.

Now, when the accuser of the brethren tries to accuse me, the Spirit of truth convicts me of Jesus’ finished work! I still feel down at times of course, but I don’t sink to those depths as before and I’m not down as long as I used to be. I can’t explain it, but I’m so much more joyful now, and I’m just in love with Jesus all over again!”

You might like to hear how Danielle eloquently sums up how the revelation of Jesus’ forgiveness and grace has radically changed her husband:

I saw major changes in him! He’s become much calmer in handling frustrating situations. We’ve always had a good marriage, but now he treats me with so much more love and care and our marriage is even better! He also treats our girls better, showing much more patience with them. He spends much more time with them now and I can also see him really enjoying the time he spends with them.

The secret behind every godly man and woman is their belief in the truth that they have been forgiven. Their godliness stems from a revelation of their forgiveness. They are believers who believe and honor God’s Word. When God says that He is merciful and that He has forgiven all their sins, they take Him at His Word.

All day long, they are forgiveness-conscious. Even when they say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, or have a wrong thought, they continue to be forgiveness-conscious. They see the blood of Jesus continually washing them. They see God in His mercy and grace. And because of their forgiveness-consciousness, they experience victory over sin.

I encourage you to meditate on the forgiveness and righteousness you have in Christ. This is the key to enjoying your relationship with God and experiencing His love manifesting in and through you! Beloved, the more you are anchored in Jesus’ grace and finished work, the more you will reign in life through Him!

AMEN! GOD'S WAY is ALWAYS the BESY WAY! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am going to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

He Came To Save

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. — MATTHEW 1:21

The first step in redemption was Christ’s identification with our humanity. This took place in His Incarnation. Christ was made flesh (John 1:14). Hebrews 2:14 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same . . . .”

But at the time of His Incarnation, Jesus did not partake of the nature that reigned in the spirit of man. Had He done so then, He would have been spiritually dead during His earthly ministry! Then He could not have pleased the Father by doing His own will. No, His identification with the spirit nature of man didn’t take place until His crucifixion.

There God actually made Jesus Christ to become sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our sin nature itself was laid upon Jesus Christ until He became all that spiritual death had made man. In the mind of God, it was not Jesus Christ who hung on the cross; it was the human race who hung there. Therefore, each of us may say with Paul, “I was crucified with Christ.”

Confession: Because Jesus came to save me from my sins, I can claim Galatians 2:20, which says: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is excellent!

Mediator

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. — 1 TIMOTHY 2:5

Man’s condition demanded an Incarnation — man had become spiritually dead with no approach to God. The Incarnation of Deity with humanity provided One who could stand as man’s Mediator. Equal with God on one hand and united with man on the other, this One could assume the obligations of man’s treason and satisfy the claims of Justice, thereby bridging the chasm between God and man.

God created man in His own image, just a little lower than Himself; so nearly like God that it was possible for God and man to become united for eternity in one individual! (When Christ became a man and took on a physical body in the Incarnation, He did so for eternity. Therefore, there is a God-man in Heaven today at the Father’s right hand as a result of the Incarnation.) It was possible for God and man to become united!

God can dwell in these human bodies of ours, God can impart His life and nature to our spirits. That’s what takes place at the New Birth: Spiritual death is eradicated from the spirit, and God gives man His life!

Confession: Today at the right hand of the Father there is a God-man, our Mediator, Jesus Christ. Jesus bridged the gap for me. He made it possible for spiritual death to depart from my spirit, and for God’s own life and nature to take its place in my spirit. Therefore, God now dwells in my spirit. God lives in me!

AMEN! HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Kids"because WE are HIS!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is perfect explanation of the GIFT of JESUS! 

Incarnation

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. — JOHN 1:1,14

Webster defines Incarnation as “The union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ.”

Incarnation was the only solution to the human problem — the only hope for mankind to be reunited with God. Any religion that denies the Incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth is false!

This Eternal Being, called Emmanuel — God with us, or Jesus the Christ —is here called the Word. The Word existed in the beginning. The Word was with God — with God in fellowship, in purpose, working with Him. God made the worlds through the Word (Hebrews 1:2; John 1:3).

And this Eternal Being was God! He possessed the same nature. He existed in the same form and on an equality with God (Philippians 2:6).

And this Being became flesh! The Word became a man and dwelt among us. He became human — as much a man as if He’d never been anything else, yet He did not cease to be what He had been. The Word made His home among us, and we beheld the glory of God (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).

Confession: Jesus came and dwelled in flesh so that I might be eternally reunited with the Father. Jesus became like me, so that I could become like Him. I will walk in the reality of what the Incarnation made possible for me. I am reunited with my Father!

HALLEUJAH! 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!

A Picture of Pure Grace

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 118:1 NLT

Years ago, I was sitting in my living room, just spending time in the Word, when the Lord spoke to me and said, “Son, study the journey of the children of Israel from Egypt to Mount Sinai, for this is a picture of pure grace. Not a single Israelite died during this period although they murmured and complained.”

I had never heard anyone preach that before or read it in any book. So, feverishly, I turned to that portion of the Scriptures, trying to find someone who had died, so that I could prove God wrong! Have you been there before, trying to prove God wrong? Well, you can never succeed, and indeed, I could not find any Israelite who died even though they murmured and complained.

God had rescued the children of Israel from their Egyptian slave masters by performing great signs and wonders, yet, the children of Israel failed to honor Him, and murmured and complained over and over again.

When the Egyptian army came thundering toward them from behind and the Red Sea was before them, the Israelites cried out to Moses saying, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11).

That was a complaint against God, and murmuring and complaining are sins. But what was God’s response? He opened up the Red Sea and they crossed over to dry land on the other side, safe from their enemies.

Then, even after God had brought them safely to the other side of the sea, they complained about the bitter waters at Marah. What was God’s response? He made the bitter waters sweet (Exodus 15:23–25). In the wilderness, they cried out against Moses when they were hungry.

What was God’s response? He rained bread from heaven (Exodus 16:2–4). But still, the children of Israel complained. When there was no water again, they cried out against Moses, saying, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” (Exodus 17:3). What was God’s response? He brought water out of the flinty rock.

Every time the children of Israel murmured and complained, it only brought forth fresh demonstrations of God’s favor, supply, and goodness. Why? Because during that period, the blessings and provisions they received were not dependent on their obedience or goodness. They were dependent on God’s goodness and His faithfulness to the Abrahamic covenant (Exodus 2:24), which was a covenant of grace.

Can you see what the Lord was showing me? The Israelites’ journey from Egypt to Sinai was a picture of pure grace. Their blessings were not dependent on their goodness but His goodness, not on their faithfulness but His faithfulness. Before the Ten Commandments were given, they were under grace and nobody was punished even when they failed. But immediately after the law was given (Exodus 20), their failure resulted in punishment.

Beloved, the good news is that we are no longer under the old covenant of law. We have been delivered from the law through Jesus’ death on the cross. Because of Jesus Christ, we are now under the new covenant of grace. This means that today, God does not assess and bless us based on our performance, but on His goodness and faithfulness.

If you have been struggling with a challenge for some time now, look away from yourself, your mistakes, your lack, and your imperfections. Look instead at and give thanks for the pure grace God extends to you today because of the finished work of His Son. Let your confidence and trust not be rooted in your imperfect performance, but in His constant and unwavering goodness, love, and undeserved, unmerited, and unearned favor toward you, and see Him supply all that you need.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Galatians 1:3-5 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today!

3 Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and [soul] peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), 4 Who gave (yielded) Himself up [to atone] for our sins [and to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father— 5 To Him [be ascribed all] the glory through all the ages of the ages and the eternities of the eternities! Amen (so be it).

I encourage you to not allow a day to go by without acknowledging, appreciating and thanking JESUS fo all that HE has done for YOU! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!