Shalom,

"My Utmost For HIs Highest " by Oswald Chambers for today is very good and pertinent to us!

The Key To The Missionary

All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. — Matthew 28:18-20

The basis of missionary appeals is the authority of Jesus Christ, not the needs of the heathen. We are apt to look upon Our Lord as One Who assists us in our enterprises for God. Our Lord puts Himself as the absolute sovereign supreme Lord over His disciples. He does not say the heathen will be lost if we do not go; He simply says — “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” Go on the revelation of My sovereignty; teach and preach out of a living experience of Me.

“Then the eleven disciples went…into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them” (v. 16). If I want to know the universal sovereignty of Christ, I must know Him for myself, and how to get alone with Him; I must take time to worship the Being Whose Name I bear. “Come unto Me” — that is the place to meet Jesus. Are you weary and heavy laden? How many missionaries are! We banish those marvellous words of the universal Sovereign of the world to the threshold of an after-meeting; they are the words of Jesus to His disciples.

“Go ye therefore.…” “Go” simply means live. Acts 1:8 is the description of how to go. Jesus did not say — Go into Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, but, “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me” in all these places. He undertakes to establish the goings.

“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you…” — that is the way to keep going in our personal lives. Where we are placed is a matter of indifference; God engineers the goings. “None of these things move me….” That is how to keep going till you’re gone!

What a freedom there is in in simply believing and receiving! God has great plans for you! Just walk them out and you will be, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I like Andrew Womack's devotional for today that discusses Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. Many believers carry out foot washing ceremonies as an act of love and caring for each other. That is NOT the main focus! There is still even more that is involved here, but this is one of the better teachings on it:

LET GOD MINISTER TO YOU

John 13:8 "Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me."

Peter's refusal to let Jesus wash his feet came from a knowledge that he was totally unworthy to have the sinless Son of God serve him as a common servant would. Peter was correct in his assessment of his relative worth, but what he missed was that God doesn't minister to us because of our worth but because of His love.

Even though Peter's attitude looked holy and humble, he was actually resisting God's will and committing an act of pride. Pride is not only exalting yourself above what is proper, but also, it can be debasing yourself below what is proper. Pride is simply self-centeredness or being self-willed instead of God-centered and submitted to God's will. Peter should have been humble enough to know that Jesus knew what He was doing and he should have submitted himself to God's will.

Likewise today, some people refuse to let God bless them, thinking they are unworthy of His favor. While it is true that our actions don't warrant God's goodness, a truly humble person will receive the Lord's blessings as an expression of His love and grace toward them. Misguided humility is every bit as damaging as exaggerated pride.

Peter wanted to serve Jesus, but did not want to be served by Jesus. Jesus was telling Peter that unless he received His ministry to him, Peter would be unfit to serve Him. We cannot cleanse ourselves or others. We are totally dependent on the work of God's grace in our lives. Then and only then, are we equipped to minister to others. Before we can be the blessing that we desire to be to God or to others, we have to let God be the blessing to us that He desires to be.

AMEN! I LOVE that he says: "Misguided humility is every bit as damaging as exaggerated pride." This is so very true, and important to understand! TRUE humility is ACCEPTING something you do not deserve! JESUS humbled Himself to take up the cross in our place. He did NOT deserve it, but He humbly took it upon Himself for our eternal benefit! WE are to accept ALL that He bought and paid for with His own blood, bringing GLORY to HIS Name! Refusing to learn of and accept what He has blessed us with is NOT humble, it is one of the most prideful things we can do! It is actually saying that His Sacrifice was meaningless! WE do not deserve any of it on our own merits, but HE deserves our full surrender to HIS will for us. What is that? Look at these two verses:

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

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

Let's agree with God and walk fully in His Word, which IS His Will! He will be glorified and we will be able to minister to others more effectively! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 103:1-5 is very familiar to most, and very inspiring and encouraging:

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, 4Who 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]!

I love that this section reminds us NOT to forget any one of the benefits of God! The benefits of being a child of the Living God! Then He goes on to list some of these wonderful benefits. Then THIS from verse 7:

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

This tells us that it is possible for US to not only know the things that God has done that are evident to all, but WE may come to know Him more intimately! WE can know, and understand, His WAYS! To know that God of the Bible intimately SHOULD be the goal of every born again believer! When we make that desire rise to the fore-front, the we will not be denied! We WILL know Him! AMEN! SO, keep pursuing HIM! He desires that you do! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Closer Than You Know":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a couple of things that have been a real blessing to me! First, Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations":

GOD’S BLESSINGS

Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you…

God loves to bless you. He has even declared that “blessings shall come upon you and overtake you”. This means that you can’t run fast enough to escape them! When you turn one corner, there is a blessing waiting for you. When you turn another corner, you run smack into another blessing!

Now, you may think that you don’t qualify for God’s blessings because of the preceding verse which says that these blessings will come to pass only if you diligently obey God’s voice and keep all of His commandments. You know that no matter how hard you try, you just cannot keep all of God’s commandments. In fact, the Bible says that if you fail to keep just one commandment, you fail to keep all. (James 2:10)

My friend, I have good news for you: Jesus is the one who qualifies us for every single blessing because He has kept all of God’s commandments. When He died for us on the cross, He not only fulfilled all of God’s commandments, He also redeemed us from the curse of the law. (Galatians 3:13) Note that He did not redeem us from the blessings of the law, so the blessings are still ours today!

As you read the list of blessings in Deuteronomy 28, starting with “Blessed shall you be in the city…in the country…the fruit of your body…your basket…when you come in…when you go out…” (Deuteronomy 28:3–13), I believe that Jesus is saying to you, “Like the blessings? Then take them by faith!”

You may say, “But I don’t deserve them.” Yes, you don’t deserve them, but you still get them because of Jesus. That is God’s grace! The law says, “You must deserve the blessings.” But the law is no longer here. Grace is here. So take the blessings by grace through faith. Believe God for the blessings.

Today, it is no longer a question of how much or how well you have kept God’s commandments. It is a question of how much you can believe God for His blessings. All the promises of God in Christ are “Yes”, and because you are in Christ, you can say “Amen!” to His blessings! (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Thought For The Day: Jesus is the one who qualifies us for every single blessing because He has kept all of God’s commandments.

AMEN! We have only just begun to understand God's most wonderful GRACE! It has nothing to do with US and everything to do with JESUS and what HE has done FOR us! AMEN! The other thing I want to share with you was a quote by Oswald Chambers that comes from his book "The Highest Good":

“When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” We all have faith in good principles, in good management, in good common sense, but who amongst us has faith in Jesus Christ? Physical courage is grand, moral courage is grander, but the man who trusts Jesus Christ in the face of the terrific problems of life is worth a whole crowd of heroes.  The Highest Good

I LOVE this! The REAL heroes in our lives are those who refuse to back down from the Gospel of JESUS Christ! Pastors, such as my Pastor, Bill Novak, who continue to teach the uncompromised Word of God even when some do not want to hear it, are my heroes! Those who continue to teach and preach the FULL Gospel that includes eternal salvation and the healing of sickness and disease here, in this life, are my heroes! Evangelists like our partners the O'Dells and their entire team of evangelists, pastors, teachers, prayer warriors and supporters who continue to take the Gospel to some of the most radical and dangerous places on earth, fully resting in the protection, provision and safety, and the plans and purposes of Almighty God, are my heroes! YOU, who read this blog and then go and share the teaching with some who have never heard the Word taught so before, are my heroes! Don't look for famous people for inspiration. Look for the unashamed and unafraid ministers of the Gospel of JESUS Christ, for THEY are affecting eternity! And remember that we are ALL called to the full time ministry! The Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5)! Here is Hillsong with "GO"! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I like this from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers today:

Whereby Shall I Know?

I thank Thee, O Father,…because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. — Matthew 11:25

In spiritual relationship we do not grow step by step, we are either there or we are not. God does not cleanse us more and more from sin, but when we are in the light, walking in the light, we are cleansed from all sin. It is a question of obedience, and instantly the relationship is perfected. Turn away for one second out of obedience, and darkness and death are at work at once.

All God’s revelations are sealed until they are opened to us by obedience. You will never get them open by philosophy or thinking. Immediately you obey, a flash of light comes. Let God’s truth work in you by soaking in it, not by worrying into it. The only way you can get to know is to stop trying to find out and by being born again. Obey God in the thing He shows you, and instantly the next thing is opened up. We read tomes on the work of the Holy Spirit, when one five minutes of drastic obedience would make things as clear as a sunbeam. “I suppose I shall understand these things some day!” You can understand them now. It is not study that does it, but obedience. The tiniest fragment of obedience, and heaven opens and the profoundest truths of God are yours straight away. God will never reveal more truth about Himself until you have obeyed what you know already. Beware of becoming “wise and prudent.”

So many people today have the misconception that by sinning after being born again they will lose their salvation. This is simply NOT true! Sin is NOT the issue! JESUS became sin with ALL sin so that sin can never again keep us from HIM! The issue is: "What have you done with JESUS?"? Once you are born again, you become an entirely new person - on the inside! Remember, you ARE a spirit being. You HAVE a soul (mind, emotions and will), which ALWAYS goes where the spirit goes! AND, you live, while on this earth, in a physical body meant to operate here! When you receive JESUS as Lord and personal Savior, Holy Spirit comes IMMEDIATELY into your dead human spirit (dead because of the inherited sin nature that all of mankind inherits from Adam) and makes YOU an entirely new person! You are, by the perfect seed of the Living Word of God, born again into the family of God, perfectly in the image of God - IN YOUR SPIRIT MAN! NOW, you and I must continually renew our minds to think like God through His Word and Holy Spirit as our live-in Teacher! At the appearing pf JESUS for His Church (us) our physical bodies will be changed in a moment to be like the one that JESUS presently has! Until that time, we are to grow up in the things of God through His Word, and obedience to it, and through continual intimate fellowship with HIM! When you stray away from God, you do NOT have to be 'born again, again"! You simply get yourself back into fellowship with Him by OBEDIENCE and renew your desire to know Him more (Philippians 3:10 APMC)! AMEN! Now refuse to be intimidated by those who preach that we must operate perfectly without sin in order to KEEP our Salvation! We never lose our RELATIONSHIP with JESUS through sin, but we CAN and DO sometimes lose our fellowship with Him, because sin causes us to become self conscious and to sometimes pull away from God, the very ONE Who can and will help us to get back where we desire to be! Here is another quote by Oswald Chambers from one of his teachings that I really like!

It is perilously possible to make our conceptions of God like molten lead poured into a specially designed mould, and when it is cold and hard we fling it at the heads of the religious people who don’t agree with us.

We must NEVER attempt to convince people about our own personal opinions of God and His Word. Just simply share the Word without judgment, and then pray that eyes will see what GOD desires them to see! We are NOT to follow the doctrines of men, but the Word of God, which is TRUTH (John 17:17)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince!

THE LORD IS ABLE AND MOST WILLING

Matthew 8:3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 

Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

When you see someone receiving a miraculous healing or financial breakthrough, do you ask, “What about me, Lord?” I believe that the leper who came to Jesus must have asked the same question.

He must have heard or seen from a distance, since he was not permitted to be in public places by the law, how Jesus had healed the sick. So he had no doubt that Jesus could heal him, but he was not sure if Jesus would. He said to Jesus, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” (Matthew 8:2) He was confident of the power of God, but not the love of God for him.

Like the leper, maybe you don’t have a problem believing that God can give you your miracle, since He is Almighty God. But you are wondering if He will do it for you. My friend, let Jesus’ actions and answer to the leper settle this question once and for all. He stretched forth His hand, touched the leper and said, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately, the leper was healed.

I want you to notice that Jesus touched the leper. He could have healed him from a distance with just a spoken word. He had healed others this way as in the case of the centurion’s servant and the Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter. So why did He touch the leper?

Jesus knew that for so many years, the leper had been cut off from his family and society, so he must have been feeling dehumanized. I believe that Jesus touched him to make him feel human again, to make him feel loved and accepted again. His touch was His love language to the leper.

Can you see God’s heart of love here? Can you see how much He loved the leper? That is how much He loves you! The day that you come to know God’s heart of love and believe that He wants you blessed more than you want to be blessed is the day that you receive your miracle!

Beloved, catch a glimpse of God’s heart of love, and you will believe that He is not only able, but also willing to make you whole!

Thought For The Day: God is not only able, but also willing to make you whole!

AMEN! We like to say it this way at The Spoken Word Church: God is 100% ABLE  (to heal, deliver, set free) AND He is at least 100% WILLING! In fact, He is even MORE willing than He is able, if that were possible! How can we say that? Because the Word of God tells us this in John 3:16-18:

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

He has ALREADY given everything that He had, His MOST precious GIFT, to prove His great love for us! He could NOT love us more! AMEN! When we truly understand this, we will begin to receive our healing and deliverance faster than ever before! Let's get to it, bringing glory to HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Behold - Then Sings My Soul":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Luke 20 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I have always loved how JESUS responded to the priests and scribes who questioned His authority in "doing these things". Verses 1-8:

 1One day as Jesus was instructing the people in the temple [porches] and preaching the good news (the Gospel), the chief priests and the scribes came up with the elders (members of the Sanhedrin) 2 And said to Him, Tell us by what [sort of] authority You are doing these things? Or who is it who gave You this authority? 3 He replied to them, I will also ask you a question. Now answer Me: 4 Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? 5 And they argued and discussed [it] and reasoned together with themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him? 6 But if we answer, From men, all the people will stone us to death, for they are long since firmly convinced that John was a prophet. 7 So they replied that they did not know from where it came. 8 Then Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

JESUS would tell them nothing! Why? Because, as priests and scribes (scholars, lawyers), they SHOULD have recognized Who He was from what they had learned from a very young age in the "Bible" that they had at that time (The Old Testament). What were the "things" He was doing? He went about teaching, preaching and healing. They had never seen anyone do these things! The blind man healed by JESUS said that to these and others leaders when they questioned him about Who it was that healed him of blindness! He even said that this miracle had never been done before, so they SHOULD have known that this Man was from God! So WHY did JESUS not tell them more? Because they SHOULD have known, by His Words and actions,  from the Word that they were supposed to know! If they did not yet understand the basics of their Jewish faith, then they were not even in a position to learn more! AMEN! He wasn't 'holding out on them'! They just were not able to receive! Make sure that YOU are keeping fresh the things that Holy Spirit has revealed to YOU through the Word of God, so that you don't slide back into ignorance, with no ability to learn more! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I was thinking today of how very easy it is for some people to blast out hateful and hurtful things via social media because there is no immediate consequence for doing so, as there would be in a face to face situation. Social media has been such a blessing from God to greatly increase our avenues for sharing the Gospel. It has also put us in contact with so many people that we would never meet that we can minister to, pray for and help connect to others. Of course, as with anything and everything that GOD has created, the enemy has his own tricks, schemes, tactics and strategies to use this wonderful gift for evil purposes. People are inclined to be very free in their criticism of others in ways that they would never do if they had to meet that person face to face! With that in mind, I was reading Luke 19 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan today. It begins with the account of Zacchaeus who, like me and many others I know, was small of stature! Zacchaeus was also a chief tax collector! Not just a lowly tax collector, but a chief of tax collectors, and he was VERY rich! By his own admission, Zacchaeus was also a cheat! How did JESUS respond to this person? Let's look at verses 1-6:

1 And [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 And there was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, and [he was] rich. 3 And he was trying to see Jesus, which One He was, but he could not on account of the crowd, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today. 6 So he hurried and came down, and he received and welcomed Him joyfully.

Zacchaeus had heard of JESUS and wanted to see Him for himself. He PROVED his desire to see and learn of JESUS by climbing up into a tree so he could see above the crowd! Has there ever been a time when you had to do something a little awkward or uncomfortable in order to get to the Word of  God? How much is it worth to YOU to get to the TRUTH? I would hope that we would ALL have a little Zacchaeus in us! JESUS responded to this heart search by inviting Himself right into the man's home! How thrilled Zacchaeus must have been! Of course there were those who judged JESUS right away for what they presumed to be a wrong choice! There have always been those people, and probably always will be, despite our call to walk in love by being always ready to believe the BEST of others (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)! Verse 7:

7 And when the people saw it, they all muttered among themselves and indignantly complained, He has gone in to be the guest of and lodge with a man who is devoted to sin and preeminently a sinner.

How did Zacchaeus respond to the love that JESUS showed to Him? Verse 8:

8 So then Zacchaeus stood up and solemnly declared to the Lord, See, Lord, the half of my goods I [now] give [by way of restoration] to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I [now] restore four times as much.

Remember, which means: NEVER FORGET, that it is the GOODNESS of God that leads people to repent, which means to change their thinking to agree with God (Romans 2:4)! The love and kindness of JESUS led Zacchaeus to change his thinking, his attitudes and his actions, toward God AND others! JESUS revealed in verses 9-10 how HE views this.

9 And Jesus said to him, Today is [Messianic and spiritual] salvation come to [all the members of] this household, since Zacchaeus too is a [real spiritual] son of Abraham; 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

This account always fills me with joy unspeakable! To know that JESUS sees and knows ME like this! That He LOVES me and desires only GOOD for me, ALWAYS! To know that JESUS does not prefer one over another, except believers over unbelievers. He desires that ALL be believers so that they can ALL become His 'favorites'! There is no cause and no time that any of us should 'think more highly of ourselves', OR 'more lowly of ourselves', than we ought to think! How should we ALWAYS think? That without JESUS, I am NOTHING! BUT, I am NOT, nor will I EVER AGAIN be, without JESUS! HALLELUJAH!!! Thank You, JESUS! GLORY TO GOD for His most wonderful GIFT! Have YOU received JESUS as Lord and personal Savior yet? If not, please visit our website through the link on the left and find out how! Once you do that, continue to find out so much more that is available to us as children of the most High God! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Search My Heart":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

Psalm 97 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today is inspiring, uplifting and POWERFUL!

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles and coastlands be glad!

2 Clouds and darkness are round about Him [as at Sinai]; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

3 Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries round about.

4 His lightnings illumine the world; the earth sees and trembles.

5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

6 The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.

7 Let all those be put to shame who serve graven images, who boast in idols. Fall prostrate before Him, all you gods.

8 Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced [in relief] because of Your judgments, O Lord.

9 For You, Lord, are high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.

10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil; He preserves the lives of His saints (the children of God), He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

11 Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous andstrewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection].

12 Rejoice in the Lord, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

SING this to the Lord today! Then pay attention as joy, strength, endurance, hope, joy and VICTORY rise up from within you, where Holy Spirit makes His home! HALLELUJAH! Here is Bob Fitts with a very old song based on this Psalm called "The Lord Reigns":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

"My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers can sometimes be difficult to understand because of the phraseology, due to the time period and his cultural background. If you will prayerfully read this, though, Holy Spirit will make things abundantly clear TO you and FOR you! 

The Bias Of Degeneration

Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. — Romans 5:12

The Bible does not say that God punished the human race for one man’s sin; but that the disposition of sin, viz., my claim to my right to myself, entered into the human race by one man, and that another Man took on Him the sin of the human race and put it away (Hebrews 9:26) — an infinitely profounder revelation. The disposition of sin is not immorality and wrong-doing, but the disposition of self-realization — I am my own god. This disposition may work out in decorous morality or in indecorous immorality, but it has the one basis, my claim to my right to myself. When Our Lord faced men with all the forces of evil in them, and men who were clean living and moral and up right, He did not pay any attention to the moral degradation of the one or to the moral attainment of the other; He looked at something we do not see, viz., the disposition.

Sin is a thing I am born with and I cannot touch it; God touches sin in Redemption. In the Cross of Jesus Christ God redeemed the whole human race from the possibility of damnation through the heredity of sin. God nowhere holds a man responsible for having the heredity of sin. The condemnation is not that I am born with a heredity of sin, but if when I realize Jesus Christ came to deliver me from it, I refuse to let Him do so, from that moment I begin to get the seal of damnation. “And this is the judgment” (the critical moment) “that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light.”

This TRUTH is something that many, many believers in JESUS get entirely wrong! They major on the 'morality' of an issue, instead of the TRUTH revealed in God's Word! When Adam gave up to satan the authority and dominion that GOD had given to him, God already had the plan in place to buy back His man from the clutches (legal) of the enemy! The Pharisees and other religious leaders had an all out fit when JESUS associated with 'sinners'. They failed to realize that all of mankind became 'sinners' by heredity and ALL needed a Savior! NOT because of what they DID, but because of who they now were! The most godly ACTING person and the most wickedly ACTING person were on an equal status in the eyes of the God of the Bible! ALL needed the Savior! ALL fell short of the required standard for Heaven (Romans 3:23)! When JESUS said that HE was the ONLY WAY to the Father, He was showing them that no amount of 'good acts' can earn Heaven (Hebrews 14:6)! The ONLY key to Heaven is having the new nature, the born again spirit, that comes through receiving JESUS as Lord and personal Savior, regardless of how you act! No one is going to hell for their actions. They will choose hell for themselves when they continue to reject the ONLY Lord and Savior, JESUS! I hope that as you meditate on this you will realize that our sharing of the Gospel has not always been TRUE! We must never make the issue about sin, but about our SAVIOR! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "I'm Not Ashamed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" concerning prayer!

Fellowship in Prayer

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us from all sin" (1 John 1:3-4,7). 

If you have fellowship with God, and you're walking in the light as He is in the light, then prayer becomes one of the greatest assets you have inherited in Christ. Prayer is joining forces with God the Father. It is being in fellowship with Him. It is carrying out His will upon the earth. 

Prayer should never be a problem or a burden to you. It should be a joy! Prayer, "real prayer," won't take anything out of you; it will always put something into you! Because you are in fellowship with God when you pray. 

Confession: I have fellowshipped with my Father in prayer. And my joy is full! I fellowship with God. I commune with God, I talk with Him, and I listen to Him, that I may carry out His will upon the earth. 

Our prayer life should consist of way more than just our running ot God with our needs, 'just a hopin and a prayin' that they will be met. If we are REALLY praying in fellowship with HIm, which means getting to KNOW Him by spending time in His presence, then we will also be learning through His Word what He thinks about any and every situation that we face! Our prayer in the Spirit (tongues) is vital for this! I knew practically nothing of the Word of God when I got born again. When I received the infilling of Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, the Word of God came alive to me! There were things that I knew from my time in fellowship with Him, by praying in tongues, that I had not yet learned from His Word, but my spirit assured me of. Later, I would find the Scripture that confirmed it! There is NO substitute for spending time in intimate fellowship with Him! There is NO substitute for praying in tongues! And there is NO substitute for praying His Word into a situation! Look at 1 John 5:14-15:

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

His Word IS His will! His Word is TRUTH (John 17:17)! So, make whatever adjustments YOU need to make in order to become knowledgeable of HIM, His WILL and His WORD! Then YOU will become an EXCELLENT Prayer Warrior! Praying for others first, then having your own needs met! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Let There Be Light":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince is SO good! I have taught this before, but he has his own unique way of explaining that will be a blessing to you!

JESUS HAS GIVEN YOU HIS PEACE

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you…

In Israel, Jews greet each other with the words “shalom, shalom”. Unlike the English word “peace”, “shalom” does not just mean peace of mind, but also wholeness for your entire being—spirit, soul and body. It means having a sense of completeness and soundness. In other words, shalom encompasses your provision, health and total well-being.

When Jesus spoke to His disciples in John 14:27, He did not use the English word “peace”. He would have used the Hebrew word “shalom”, saying, “Shalom I leave with you, My shalom I give to you…” Interestingly, the word “leave” here actually means “bequeath”, the way a rich man bequeaths his estate to his beneficiary.

The disciples must have been excited when they heard that Jesus was bequeathing them His shalom. They must have known that to receive His shalom was to have His health because they had never seen Him sick. To have His shalom also meant never being in lack because He was never broke. Whenever He needed money, money was there. Once, money to pay the temple tax came in the mouth of a fish! (Matthew 17:24–27)

The disciples also understood that having Jesus’ shalom meant having His abundance because they had seen Him meeting the needs of thousands with plenty of leftovers. They saw him feeding 5,000 men (not counting the women and children) with 12 baskets full of leftovers! (Mark 6:34–44)

Jesus wanted His disciples to know that His peace was different from the peace that the world offers. His peace would change whatever trying circumstances that beset them. Even if it was a mega storm, it would have to bow to His peace. The Prince of Peace merely spoke, “Peace, be still!” and the winds and the sea obeyed Him. (Mark 4:39) His peace changed the mega storm into a perfect calm.

Beloved, that is the kind of peace that Jesus has bequeathed to you. Therefore, believe that His shalom which He has left with you will change all your difficult situations, bringing you from sickness, lack and mental anguish to health, provision and total wellness!

Thought For The Day: Jesus has bequeathed you His shalom, which does not just mean peace of mind, but also wholeness for your spirit, soul and body.

Thank You, JESUS, for you powerful, wonderful SHALOM! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Prince of Peace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 93 is a Psalm of great promise from the God of the Bible!

Psalm 93

1 The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is robed, He has girded Himself with strength and power; the world also is established, that it cannot be moved.

2 Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up the roaring of their waves.

4 The Lord on high is mightier and more glorious than the noise of many waters, yes, than the mighty breakers and waves of the sea.

5 Your testimonies are very sure; holiness [apparent in separation from sin, with simple trust and hearty obedience] is becoming to Your house, O Lord, forever.

Remember every time YOU are faced with circumstances and situations that the world fears so very much! HE SAID that the world is established and that it cannot be moved! Remember WHO YOU ARE when you hear of these things taking place on the earth and use your authority, in the Name of JESUS, to command a different outcome! When people that I know personally prayed for the Hurricane headed for Florida to die down and head in a different direction, it obeyed just like the weather obeyed JESUS in the boat! KNOW and USE your God-given authority as it pertains to what He has given you dominion and authority over! Join your prayer with others, in agreement, over what THEY have dominion and authority over! Let's see more and more of the glory of God manifest rather than the consequences of the curse! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I saw this shared on facebook quite a while ago and I love it! It is so simple and to-the-point! 

ATHEISM: The belief that there was nothing and nothing happened to nothing and then nothing magically exploded for no reason, creating everything and a bunch of everything magically rearranged itself for no reason what so ever into self-replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs. 

Make sense to you? I thought not! Absolutely and unimaginably ridiculous! It is so hard for me to believe that ANYONE I know actually believes this complete nonsense! Especially when the REAL answer is right before their eyes each and every day! Look at Romans 1:20:

For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],

And this from Psalm 19:1-4:

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. 2 Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard. 4 Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. 

So, if you ever get into a conversation with someone claiming to actually BE an atheist, you can tell that GOD does not believe in atheists! And now you know why! They all KNOW that God IS, they just do not want to admit that, because then they will have to account for their decision to put their trust in Him, or not! They just need to know that SAYING they don't believe in God will NOT be an acceptable excuse when they stand before the King of all kings and the LORD of all lords! The ONLY way to the Heaven of the Bible is through the SON of the God of the Bible, Who loved US so much that He gave His own life as ransom for ours! How could ANYONE turn down that Gift? Our responsibility is to give them the opportunity to make the right choice! They may not ever tell US, but that is not important. Sowing the SEED is our job! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Out of town today! Posting tomorrow!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 91 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! This is a psalm of protection, provision and safety, and many people either pray or quote this psalm whenever they feel the need for God's protection. Here it is in its entirety:

Psalm 91

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! 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 andunderstands 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.

I hope that you have noticed that all of the rich, wonderful and powerful promises of this entire Psalm is contingent on us fulfilling the first two verses! 

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!

Doing these things (the underlined parts of the verses) gives us assurance that HE will do HIS part! AMEN! Notice that this is emphasized in verses 3 and 4 where it says: "For THEN He will deliver you" and "For THEN He will cover you". Learn to put your complete trust in the God of the Bible by putting His Word in you and believing that HE will perform and confirm that Word in your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Behold: Then Sings My Soul":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's website devotional by Jerry Savelle!

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1 NKJV).

Did you know it is possible to experience the joy of the Lord on a continual basis? The key to experiencing continual joy is developing a heart that is filled with continual praise and a willingness to view your life—past, present, and future—with a positive attitude.

The Israelites were surrounded by the goodness of God as they journeyed through the desert to freedom, yet they did not view their experience with a positive frame of mind. Because they complained about their situation, many of them never entered the good land God already had waiting for them.

Had they viewed their circumstances positively, acknowledged the goodness of God, and walked in joy, they would have gone straight into the good land. Their negativity robbed them of joy, dishonored God, and cost them the good life.

So praise God for His grace that covers your past, your present, and your future. His grace is able to turn even deliberate sin from the past around for your good and His glory—if you will hand it over to Him in faith.

You experience joy when nothing from the past has the power to condemn or sadden you, when your memories are only of the positive because you trust in God’s goodness towards you. You experience joy when you focus on the goodness of God in your present situation and believe you will spend your future walking in His grace and mercy.

Continuous joy produces continuous praise for all the good things God has done and is going to do. After all, when you are touched by His goodness, how can you do anything but continually praise God for His kindness and love towards you?

Confession: My God is a good God, and His mercy endures forever. I choose right now to trust Him with every aspect of my life—past, present, and future—knowing that He is able to turn every situation and circumstance for my good. His praise will continually be in my mouth.

AMEN! No good thing comes from dredging up and complaining about the past! Learning from it is one thing, but we do NOT have to think and talk about it continually in order to learn from it! In fact, God's very best is that we learn immediately from Holy Spirit where we missed it concerning His Word, then focus on obeying the Word from that point on, FORGETTING what lies behind and STRETCHING and REACHING towards our goal again (Philippians 3:13-14)! Make these small adjustments and you will find yourself missing it less and moving on quicker than ever before when you do! Thank You, JESUS, for Grace and Mercy abounding! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong Kids with "Never Give Up", because child-like faith and trust is what God expects from us!

Shalom in Him!