Shalom,

I love Psalm 103! Verses 1-5 remind us of Who HE is and what HE has done for us!

1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits— 3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; 5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

We can trust and rely on Him ALWAYS to come through when we need Him, but we must do our part by maintaining a grateful, thankful heart! We must stir up our expectation of victory in every area when we cast the care of all things onto Him and simply trust in faith that "God's got this!" How did David have and maintain his confidence? He continually reminded himself of what God had done for him in the past and the promises that the God of the Bible had made to him. WE must do the same! Look at verse 7:

7 He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

You and I have the choice to make of whether we will be satisfied to simply hear other people talk about God and the things He's done, or do we want to really KNOW Him, His thoughts and His "ways"! Let's make THIS declaration, along with Paul, from Philippians 3:10:

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection 

Amen! Now let's get busy DOING it! Here is Hillsong with "I Live To Know You":

Shalom in  Him!

Shalom,

We had a great Worship Service today at The Spoken Word Church. I had thought about sharing some from it, but then I read THIS from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" and decided to share it instead!

PREPARE FOR PERSECUTION

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12

Did you catch that? He said all who live godly lives are going to suffer persecution. Not just the super-saints, not just the missionaries in hostile lands—but all.

If you're going to live for God, you're going to run into persecution somewhere along the line. The devil's going to make sure of it!

Now I'm not saying that to frighten you or to depress you. I'm saying it because I want you to be prepared.

When you're wise to the strategies of the devil, it's harder for him to use them successfully on you to confuse you and get you off track.

Second Corinthians 10:4 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." 

So stay armed and ready for Satan's attack. Then, whenever and however it comes, it won't bring your life to a halt or even slow you down.

That's especially important right now because we're living in the last days. The devil's time is drawing short. He is desperate. He is going to do everything he can to stop the Church. But Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church!

Remember the more we grow to be like Jesus and the more God's glory is revealed through our lives, the bigger threat we are to Satan's kingdom.

 Jesus said, "Rejoice and be glad at such a time, and exult and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is rich and great and strong and intense and abundant in heaven" (Luke 6:23, The Amplified Bible).

So, when persecution comes your way, and you know it will, rejoice and be glad. Take the Jesus cure and begin to leap and jump and praise God! There is no way persecution will hurt you if you do that. I've tried it and it works.

AMEN! Jerry Savelle has an excellent teaching called "If The Devil Can't Steal Your Joy, He can't Keep Your Goods". I highly recommend that teaching in whatever form you prefer: Book, CD, DVD. It is invaluable for staying above the circumstances and IN faith! Here is an older Hillsong song called "Faith":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been reading Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for over 30 years and I have found them to be as fresh and new as the first time I ever read them! Today's is a great, simple look at faith and how to operate in it! 

FAITH DEFINED

"For verily I say unto you, that 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). 

Just after Jesus had demonstrated the God-kind of faith, He defined it. Mark 11:23 is Jesus' definition of the God-kind of faith. He described it as the kind of faith in which: 

(1) A person believes in his heart 
(2) Then, a person says with his mouth what he believes in his heart 
(3) And it comes to pass 

God used that kind of faith to create the world in the beginning. God believed that what He said would come to pass! So He said, "Let there be an earth." And there was an earth. In fact, He created everything, the sun, the moon, the stars, the plants, and the animals, everything except man by believing what He said would come to pass. Then God said it. And it came to pass. That is the God-kind of faith!"

Confession: "Whosever shall say 'What I believe in my heart, and say with my mouth, shall come to pass. I live and operate in the God-kind of faith.'" 

AMEN! Another of my daily readings made this statement: Knowledge of God's Word does NOT come from just study, but through obedience! I LOVE that! We will only ever really know the Word that we choose to obey! We always say "Obedience brings blessings", but equally true is that obedience brings understanding. Do you know someone for whom the Word of God just makes so much sense? THAT person is a DOER of the Word! Make the quality decision to immediately obey everything you see in the Word of God to do. You have Holy Spirit as your Helper Who will show you, step by step, how to walk it out. That Word will become so clear to you that you will begin to think like God without really trying! THAT is the life of faith that He has always intended for His people to live in! The life of abundance! John 10:10:

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense - Sometimes By Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again all of Psalm 100!

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations. KJV

Do you KNOW what a "joyful noise" really is? This is the Hebrew word "ruwa`". It means: to mar (especially by breaking); figuratively, to split the ears (with sound), i.e. shout (for alarm or joy). It also means: to shout a war cry; to shout in triumph; to shout in applause; to shout for joy. When was the last time YOU shouted to the Lord, either in church or out? This is not just a good idea! It is an instruction and a command! Verse 3 tells us to "know", the Hebrew word "yada`", which means: to know, to learn to know, to perceive, to recognize, to acknowledge, to confess, to be acquainted with, to consider. What are we to know? That He is God, that He is good, that His mercy lasts forever, that his Truth (His Word - John 17:17) is also forever! HE is worthy of every breath and word of praise, thanksgiving and worship! So, let's get after it! You REALLY don't want a rock to take YOUR place, do you (Luke 19:40)? Here is Hillsong with "Praise Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share our Spoken Word Church website devotional with you! This goes along with what I have been sharing with you this week. We are about to see the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords, and when we do, we want to be ready! 

Earth is temporary. Eternity is permanent. You are a pilgrim here. This is a journey, a passage, a season. The future is far more suited for you. You are a citizen of the New Jerusalem. You are an ambassador, a representative on earth of your heavenly Father. Don't every forget it.

Overcomers are guaranteed a permanent place in the Temple of God. His Name is engraved upon you. You are His property and perpetuation of His kingdom. Act like the royalty you are.

"Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write down upon him my new name." (Revelation 3:12)

Remember that THIS life is preparation for the life to come! We who have received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior will live forever in His presence! Those who have rejected Him will not! Let's buy up every opportunity to represent Him well! AMEN! Here is Robin Mark with "Days of Elijah".

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Many born again believers are eagerly waiting for, and LOOKING for, the appearing of our Lord Jesus Who is coming to catch up His Bride, the Church, to Heaven with Him! Many of us who have this expectant hope and eager anticipation have become the brunt of  jokes told by unbelievers and unbelieving believers! I want to encourage you today to NEVER stop sharing the Good News of the Gospel with everyone you know, and some you don't know! THEY need to hear, and WE are here "for such a time as this"! AMEN! To encourage you to keep yourself built up in the Lord, I want to share all  of Psalm 98 here. It is a song of glorious praise! 

A Psalm.

1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him.

2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness has He openly shown in the sight of the nations.

3 He has [earnestly] remembered His mercy and loving-kindness, His truth and His faithfulness toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have witnessed the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!

5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody.

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world, and those who dwell in it!

8 Let the rivers clap their hands; together let the hills sing for joy

9 Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge [and rule] the earth; with righteousness will He judge [and rule] the world, and the peoples with equity.

This Psalm also addresses the TRUTH that He is about to judge the world, and to rule and reign as King of all kings and Lord of all lords! Are you READY? I hope so! But many of THEM are not! So let's be about our Father's MOST important work and "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10)! Here is Hillsong with "Lost Are Found":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I was going to share from Psalm 97 today, but Jerry Savelle's devotional for today is VERY needful for you!

The Snare

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25 NKJV).

The fear of man is one snare that every Christian will have to face and conquer at some point in life. As long as you care more about other people’s expectations and what they think about you than what God’s Word says about you, you will not be free to fulfill God’s call on your life. So, how can you determine if you are ensnared by the fear of man? Let me ask you a few questions:

Do you get depressed when you perceive people are thinking negatively about you?
Do you feel insecure if your Christian peers think you are carnal or that you’ve missed God?
Do you spend hours thinking about how to set the record straight?
Do you always seek to justify your decisions or actions?

This type of thinking is indicative of a spirit of fear—specifically the fear of man—operating in your life. The fear of man is a form of mental bondage that serves as a snare. It will entrap you with worry and will rob you of the inner peace that is yours in Christ. 

Jesus said, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44 NKJV). 

In other words, receiving honor from man prevents you from seeking what comes only from God. Instead of caring what others may think of you, cast the care of your situation onto God and then trust Him to sort things out His way. Trusting God will free you from the snare of the fear of man. When you cast off your care and trust God to look after your reputation, insecurity will be a thing of the past. You will no longer need to look to people’s opinion of your for security (after all, their opinions are subject to change).

Who you are in Christ is unchangeable. So release yourself from the snare of the fear of man and put your trust completely in God. When you do, you will enjoy a life of freedom, secure in the knowledge of who you are in Christ.

Confession: I refuse to allow other people’s opinions of my ideas, decisions, and actions to ensnare me and steal my peace. I cast my care on God, knowing that He cares for me and will sort out everything to my benefit. My security is based solely on God’s Word and who He says I am in Christ.

AMEN! This was one of the most important lessons that I had to learn early on. Not only as a born again believer and a disciple of Jesus, but as a minister of the Gospel! There were times when I KNEW that the Spirit of God was moving on me to do something and I would be tempted to wait until someone else got the same "leading". That was NOT right! He made it very clear when He was instructing me to begin to pray every morning for The Spoken Word Church, AT the church! I shared this with a few people and not one was willing to do this with me. When I complained to the Lord about this, He simply asked ME, "What am I telling YOU to do?". So, I began to go to the church from 6AM - 7AM every morning. Within a couple of weeks, people began to join me until we had quite a group! We have been praying at this time, at the Church, every morning since, WITHOUT FAIL! This was 30 years ago. We have been faithful and HE has been even more faithful to answer these prayers. NEVER let the opinions of others cause you to back down from doing something that the Lord your God is calling you to do. YOUR rewards depend on YOUR obedience, TO HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans: Where Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have YOU read Psalm 96 yet today? I will help you out with that! 

Psalm 96

1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless (affectionately praise) His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. 3 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be reverently feared and worshiped above all [so-called] gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are [lifeless] idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the Lord, O you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come [before Him] into His courts. 9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; tremble before and reverently fear Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations that the Lord reigns; the world also is established, so that it cannot be moved; He shall judge and rule the people righteously and with justice. 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all the things which fill it; 12 Let the field be exultant, and all that is in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy 13 Before the Lord, for He comes, for He comes to judge and govern the earth! He shall judge the world with righteousness and justice and the peoples with His faithfulness and truth.

"Declare" in verse 3 is the Hebrew word "caphar", which means: to tally or record; to enumerate; intensively, to celebrate! His "glory" is the Hebrew word "kabowd", which means: splendor or copiousness (exhibiting abundance). Verse 4 tells us that he is to be "praised", which is the Hebrew word "halal". This means: to make a show of, to boast, to be clamorously foolish (about), to rave, to celebrate, to stultify (to appear foolish or ridiculous). So THIS is the picture of how we are to give HIM the honor and glory that is due Him! Not a very "dignified" picture, as the WORLD see it, but completely pleasing and delightful to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! The God of all creation. The God of our Salvation! So, how has YOUR praise and honor looked to Him? after all, HIS opinion should matter most! AMEN! Here is an opportunity for you to pour it all our before Him! Hillsong United with "Take It All":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We had a powerful Worship Service at The Spoken Word Church today! Then I read Habakkuk in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Look at Habakkuk 1:3-4:

3 Why do You show me iniquity and wrong, and Yourself look upon or cause me to see perverseness and trouble? For destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is slackened and justice and a righteous sentence never go forth, for the [hostility of the] wicked surrounds the [uncompromisingly] righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.

Remember, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9)! The same old devils are doing the same old evil things and telling the same old lies! WE, however, have the same wonderful, all powerful, all knowing, all loving God! HE said THIS in verse 5:

5 Look around [you, Habakkuk, replied the Lord] among the nations and see! And be astonished! Astounded! For I am putting into effect a work in your days [such] that you would not believe it if it were told you.

And THAT was under the Old Covenant, to people who did NOT have the Spirit of God living IN them! WE have a better Covenant that is based on better promises than Habakkuk had (Hebrews 8:6)! We KNOW that "where sin abounds, grace MUCH MORE abounds" (Romans 5:20)! 

When it SEEMS like all hell is breaking loose on the earth, remember that there is only ONE Who is King of all kings and LORD of all lords! HIS Name is JESUS! AMEN! His is in control and when we obey His Word, are led by His Spirit and spend time daily in intimate fellowship with Him, we WILL come out victorious every time! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with a song that has been rising up in me all day, called  "I Desire Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Yesterday we spoke about recognizing the tactics of the enemy. Today I want to share Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional, which speaks about one particular strategy of the his.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness. Ephesians 4:17-19

There's a subtle strategy Satan uses to take control of our lives. The Bible calls it lasciviousness and it means "to have no restraint."  Lasciviousness has been preached as being extreme immorality, but it doesn't start out that way. It begins with just a few seemingly innocent thoughts. Then those thoughts grow and grow until they begin to produce serious sin.

One afternoon as a 9-year-old boy, for example, I just yielded to the desire to curse. I knew better, but I did it anyway. I had a relative who was so good at West Texas cussin' that I thought he invented it. I was impressed and I wanted to try it. When I let go of all restraint and began to say those curse words, something evil moved in on my thinking that seriously affected me for some 20 years. A law was set in motion. As a result, my flesh gradually became boss over my entire being. 

Don't let Satan use the strategy of lasciviousness on you. Make up your mind and heart today to obey God in the little things. Avoid big failures by walking in His Spirit one small step at a time. Major victories will eventually be yours. 

AMEN! Now that you are able to recognize this tactic, you can stop him in his tracks every time! Every time you do, you will get stronger in the strength of Jesus! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Stronger":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I believe that the message in our Spoken Word Church devotional for today is a very important one!

Keep Your Focus

The secret of success is concentration. The secret of failure is broken focus. The forbidden fruit distracted Adam and Eve. Delilah distracted Samson. Whatever takes your mind away from God's assignment is an instrument of Hell.

Examine your life. Honestly. Disconnect from every distraction. Fix your focus. Don't let Satan ever get a foot inside your door. You are too close to victory to lose out now.

"Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go." (Joshua 1:7)

In case you were not already aware of this, the devil does NOT play fair! He will use every trick, strategy and scheme in his evil book of tricks to try and trip you up! he will play on your known weaknesses and he will be relentless. The ONLY thing that can stop him is the Word of God spoken out of your mouth! Recognize his methods of using the ONE weapon he has, the lie! 2 Corinthians 2:9:

11 To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.

Stay focused on God's plan for your life and on HIS #1 priority. When we do that, everything not of God will fade into the background! It takes diligence and consistency, but you CAN do it (Philippians 4:13 AMP)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Back To Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love the way that Psalm 92 begins with such an exclamation of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord! Verses 1-5:

1 It is a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises [with musical accompaniment] to Your name, O Most High, 2 To show forth Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night, 3 With an instrument of ten strings and with the lute, with a solemn sound upon the lyre. 4 For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your works; at the deeds of Your hands I joyfully sing. 5 How great are Your doings, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep.

I hope that you begin every day in this way! What can possibly get you "down" when you begin the day with a grateful and thankful heart attitude? You are reminding yourself of His greatness at the same time that you are praising Him for it! This builds faith and confidence in you and releases the joy of the Lord, which is your great source of strength (Nehemiah 8:10)! When we do this, THEN we are able to properly handle the people we encounter who act like THIS in verses 6-7:

6 A man in his rude and uncultivated state knows not, neither does a [self-confident] fool understand this: 7 That though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to be destroyed forever.

We will remind ourselves of these Truths from verses 8-15:

8 But You, Lord, are on high forever. 9 For behold, Your adversaries, O Lord, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the evildoers shall be scattered. 10 But my horn (emblem of excessive strength and stately grace) You have exalted like that of a wild ox; I am anointed with fresh oil. 11 My eye looks upon those who lie in wait for me; my ears hear the evildoers that rise up against me. 12 The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. 15 [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Do you see how simple and easy it is to get yourself into the right frame of mind to be in position to handle anything, and everything, that comes at you? The Word of God is so very powerful! I encourage you to step up your efforts to get this Word IN you in abundance! After all, Jesus DID say this to us in Luke 6:45:

45 The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

He also DID say this to us about what we say in Mark 11:23:

23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

So, let's begin every day with praise, thanksgiving and worship, claiming our days for HIM from the very start! AMEN! Then let's go through the rest of our days continuing to bring glory to Him by saying and doing those things that exalt HIM and draw attention to Him! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 91 is a psalm of protection, provision and safety, and of deliverance from evil attacks. Every promise of this psalm hinges on our obedience top verses 1-2! 

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

Make YOUR confession of faith based on the promises in this psalm as you spend time in intimate fellowship with Him, dwelling in His presence! "Dwell" is the Greek word "yashab", which means to sit down in quiet; to remain; to settle; to marry. Here is the rest of the Psalm:

3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. 8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, 10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. 11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. 12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. 14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Make Jesus your first love and all other things will fall right into place! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Endless Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 90:2 says it all concerning creation!

2 Before the mountains were brought forth or ever You had formed and given birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

OUR God IS God! The One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, the God of all creation, the God of our Salvation! Psalm 14:1 says this, and I LOVE it!

1 The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right.

Refuse to be an empty-headed fool! Accept and receive Jesus Christ as YOUR personal Lord and Savior! Refuse to get into endless debates with those who continue to mock and scorn the God of the Bible and His Word. Be ever ready to give an answer to those who truly desire to learn and know the Truth! All others, leave them in God's very capable hands and PRAY! AMEN! Here is an encouraging song from Hillsong called "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Luke 10 Jesus sends out seventy of His disciples whom He has chosen and appointed for ministry. He tells them THIS in verses 5-6:

5 Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this household! Freedom from all the distresses that result from sin be with this family]. 6 And if anyone [worthy] of peace and blessedness is there, the peace and blessedness you wish shall come upon him; but if not, it shall come back to you.

I have had certain born again believers ask me if they should pray for unbelievers. The answer to that one is simple! Just look at 1 Timothy 2:1:

 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; KJV

This "men" is referring to all of mankind (human beings) and not just to males. At The SWC we like to say that we are all men, some are male men and others are female men! THAT is who we are to pray for, with the appropriate type of prayer that is needed! No prayer that you pray in obedience to the Word of God and by the leading of Holy Spirit is ever powerless! Jesus said above in Luke that if you pray for someone and the prayer is rejected by them, then that prayer or blessing will return right back to YOU! It PAYS to agree with and to obey the Word of God! AMEN! So, preach the Gospel, pray for people before, during and after you spend time with them. Be ever ready to share what is on the inside of you! HE is waiting to come in contact with THEM! Amen! Here is Hillsong United with "Prince of Peace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been so blessed in the past week by the devotionals from our partners! The God of the Bible has been so faithful to get us the Word through many avenues. These devotionals are some of the avenues He is using! Today I want to share Jerry Savelle's:

Faith Acts

Men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed … they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you”(Luke 5:18-20 NKJV).

The Bible says Jesus saw the faith of the men who were lowering their paralyzed friend through a hole in the roof. He saw that these men were so convinced He would heal, they were willing to risk tearing apart someone’s roof just to get their friend before Him. One definition of faith is “simply acting like the Bible is true.” What you really believe can be seen in what you do.

True faith always acts in line with what it believes.
True faith never acts contrary to its belief.
True faith is always accompanied by corresponding action.

Many people say they believe the Word of God, but when it comes down to it, their actions reveal they are not completely convinced God’s Word is true. If you are unsure about what you really believe, ask yourself questions about your actions. For instance …

If I really believe God is faithful, why am I walking around in a state of depression?
If I really believe God said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay” (Romans 12:19), why am I struggling to clear my own name?
If I really believe I am healed, why am I not out of bed and getting ready for work?

Today, take a look at what you are doing and ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” Your answer will reveal what you really believe. And remember, true faith is simply acting like the Bible is true.

Confession: I believe what the Bible says is true. Regardless of my circumstances, I will act in line with what the Word of God says. I will demonstrate my true faith to God and others by my actions.

Faith can be SEEN! It can be HEARD! What are people hearing and seeing in YOUR life? Are they watching you walk in faith and confidence in God and His Word? Are they hearing you give glory to God for every good thing in your life? James 1:17:

17 Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].

Remember that people are watching you to see how you respond to situations and circumstances so that they can decide if it really does pay to serve Him! You ARE a "living epistle" and people are "reading" you! What kind of story are you telling? Make the adjustments necessary for you to be presenting Him in Truth! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "I Will Run To You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the rest of the testimony from yesterday's "Health Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
(Isa. 41:10)

On the last Sunday night of the meeting, eleven days after I last saw this Presbyterian woman, I was sitting on the platform with the pastor. I saw her walk in with a young man by her side. The pastor whispered to me, "That's her son." 

As the pastor was making an announcement, this woman jumped up and said, "I can't wait! I've got to testify!" She ran down the aisle and said to me, "This is my son, Brother Hagin. Remember, I was telling you about him just eleven days ago? We've taken him in our private jet to one healing meeting after another. But when you read and quoted Isaiah 41:10 several days ago, I began to realize my authority. I began to realize that God is with me and there's no use in me being afraid. After the service, I rushed to the hospital and laid hands on my son. The doctors said, 'We don't understand it. The disease has gone into remission.'" 

Now isn't it strange that an incurable blood disease suddenly went into remission? No, it's perfectly normal if you believe the Bible. This woman said, "The doctors wanted to keep my son in the hospital for a little while. So I said it would be all right. They ran all kinds of tests, and every test came back negative. So they turned him loose."

This boy looked the very picture of health. This woman said, "I'm so glad for the truth." You know, that's when the truth works for you, when you get thrilled about it! 

Confession:

I love the Word. I love the truth. I get thrilled about the truth. I get excited about the truth. And I see it working for me.

Remember that no matter what anyone says to you, or does for you, that is in line with the Word of God, YOU must still exercise YOUR faith for it to manifest in YOUR life (Hebrews 4:2)! AMEN! Find out what the Word has to say, meditate on the promises until faith rises up strong in side of you, then set your face like flint, with no wavering, towards the goal of the full manifestation of all that God has promised! YOU have the final say, and the responsibility, for what happens in your life. Let's make it GREAT! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I felt that Kenneth E. Hagin's "Health Food" for today would be important to share. 

He Will Live and Not Die

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. (Ps. 118:17)

Several years ago, a woman came to one of my crusades. When she saw what the Bible said about healing, she started shouting. I didn't pray for her. She just jumped up and started shouting. I stepped back and let her holler and shout. I noticed that others seemed to be quite blessed by it. 

The pastor said to me, "Brother Hagin, that woman and her husband are some of the wealthiest people in this area. They're worth billions! Now they're not Pentecostal; they belong to the First Presbyterian Church." 

After awhile, the woman ran down to the front, and we all praised God with her. When I dismissed the service, she came and thanked me. I said, "There's no use in thanking me. Thank the Lord." 

"Yes," she said, "but you brought the truth to me. My son is in the UCLA hospital. He's only twenty-one years old. He'll be twenty-two in a few days. The doctors say he'll never live to see his twenty-second birthday. He has an incurable blood disease. They've changed the entire blood in his system several different times. He's under an oxygen tent and he's hooked up to machines to keep him alive.  "But, bless God," she said, "God is on my side. He is with me. And I'm going over to that hospital right now. I want you to know that my son will live and not die." 

I said, "That's right. He won't die." And she marched right over to that hospital. 

Confession

God is on my side. He is with me. I will live and not die. I will declare the works of the Lord.

I believe that someone reading this blog has begun to be discouraged in their prayers for a family member, just as this woman was. Please read and re-read this, along with the accompanying Scripture reference, and allow the Spirit of God to make the Word come alive in YOU! Then MOVE and DO what HE is telling YOU to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Beneath The Waters (I Will Rise)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Luke 6 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Let's look at verses 46-49:

46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not practice what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a [far-sighted, practical, and sensible] man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and yet could not shake it, because it had been securely built and founded on the rock. 49 But the one who has [merely] heard and has not practiced[what I say], is like a [foolish] man who built a house on the ground without any foundation, and the torrent burst against it; and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Now we know that one aspect of this is that we must be born again by receiving Jesus as our Lord and personal Savior, giving us the firm foundation on the Rock of our Salvation! Those without Jesus have no such foundation, no right to answered prayer, no authority over the enemy and no understanding of the Word of God and the promises therein! There is another aspect of this, though, that pertains to born again believers. Jesus added in verse 47 that those (believers) who hear the Word and then obey that Word will also be secure in a storm! Verse 49 says that those who hear and do NOT obey will collapse in the storm! SO, I am exhorting and encouraging YOU today to take stock of the Word that you have heard and make sure that you are putting it into practice. Remember that James 1:22 says this (in both the KJV and the Amplified Bible):

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. KJV

22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. AMP

So let's continue to build on our good foundation by studying the Word of God with the purpose of obeying Him! He has our best interests in mind - ALWAYS! Amen! Get in position to receive God's very best and watch the blessings flow, all the while remembering that we are blessed to BE a blessing! Now, let's find someone else to bless! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love this from today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers!

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem. — Luke 18:31

 In the natural life our ambitions alter as we develop; in the Christian life the goal is given at the beginning, the beginning and the end are the same, viz., Our Lord Himself. We start with Christ and we end with Him — until we all attain (RV) to the stature of the manhood of Christ Jesus, not to our idea of what the Christian life should be. The aim of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful, not to win the heathen; he is useful and he does win the heathen, but that is not his aim. His aim is to do the will of his Lord.

In Our Lord’s life Jerusalem was the place where He reached the climax of His Father’s will upon the Cross, and unless we go with Jesus there, we will have no companionship with Him. Nothing ever discouraged Our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. He never hurried through certain villages where He was persecuted, or lingered in others where He was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned Our Lord one hair’s breadth away from His purpose to go up to Jerusalem.

“The disciple is not above his Master.” The same things will happen to us on our way to our Jerusalem. There will be the works of God manifested through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude and the rest will show gross ingratitude, but nothing must deflect us from going up to our Jerusalem.

“There they crucified Him.” That is what happened when Our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that happening is the gateway to our salvation. The saints do not end in crucifixion: by the Lord’s grace they end in glory. In the meantime our watchword is — I, too, go up to Jerusalem.

Although we HAVE been commissioned to preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:18-20) and we KNOW that HE wants that NONE should perish, but that all should be saved (2 Peter 3:9), Jesus Himself said that THIS is the first and most important commandment: Matthew 22:37-38:

37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). 38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. AMP (Mark 12:29-30)

Remember that TRUE success is being where God wants you to be, doing what He wants you to do! We love Him by obeying Him, and by spending time in intimate fellowship with Him, loving what He loves and hating what He hates! In the process of walking out this love, we WILL be sent on special assignments sharing the Gospel. Some of these will take place every day in our own unique lives and circles of influence. Others will be in unique places, at unique times and in unique and different ways. The BASIS, though, for all of these MUST be our love and commitment to HIM first and foremost! Anything else will simply be dead works! Take the time that is needful, everyday, for YOU to keep yourself in this position! Be continually led with peace and joy and LOVE the life HE has given you! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Close":

Shalom in Him!