Shalom,

Today I want to go back to the basics a little and share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

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! Everything that was ever created by God cme into being when HE spoke HIS WORD! The same will be true of us! Anything that we need or desire from God comes by faith in His Word! Romans 10:17 tell us this:

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

1 John 5:14-15 tells us this:

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.

God's Word IS His will! So find out what the Word of God says about your particular situation. Meditate on that Word until faith rises within you. Now SPEAK that Word over your situation and FAITH will be released to bring it to pass! I highly recommend all of the "Faith Food" devotionals by Kenneth E. Hagin, and also his "Health Food" devotionals. They not only show the Word on faith and healing, but they reveal ways in which to walk it out! My very first devotionals almost 30 years ago and still my favorites! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I simply want to praise the Lord our God with the words of Psalm 100 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan!

A Psalm of thanksgiving and for the thank offering.

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing!

3 Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!

5 For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.

Verse 4 is the key and prerequisite for entering into the presence of our KING! Be mindful to maintain a thankful, grateful heart! How do we do that? By giving HIM thanksgiving and praise for EVERY good thing in our lives! AMEN! Here is Psalm 100 from The Passion Translation:

Praise God

100 A poetic song for thanksgiving
1 Lift up a great shout of joy to the Lord!
Go ahead and do it—everyone, everywhere!
2 As you serve him, be glad and worship him.
Sing your way into his presence with joy!
3 And realize what this really means—
we have the privilege of worshiping the Lord our God.
For he is our Creator and we belong to him.
We are the people of his pleasure.
4 You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise.
Come right into his presence with thanksgiving.
Come bring your thank offering to him
and affectionately bless his beautiful name!
5 For the Lord is always good and ready to receive you.
He’s so loving that it will amaze you—
so kind that it will astound you!
And he is famous for his faithfulness toward all.
Everyone knows our God can be trusted,
for he keeps his promises to every generation!

"Go ahead and DO IT! Everyone, everywhere!" I LOVE that! And I encourage YOU to DO THIS! "We have the privilege of worshiping the Lord our God." and "You can pass through His open gates with the password of praise." are two more of my favorite lines! I hope that in your study you take advantage pf all of the resources that we have available to us to better understand and DO the Word of the Living God! We are, of all people through the ages, MOST BLESSED! This IS the most exciting time to be alive and to witness the greatest revival that has ever taken place! Don't be moved byy the world's view or what is allowed to be covered by the liberalm worldy media! Make sure that you are aligned with good and Godly ministries as Holy Spirit directs you so that you can be aware of anjd involved in what our God is doing in these last moments of the Last Days! Soon and VERY soon, we are going to see our KING JESUS! AMEN! Come quickly Lord Jesus! Here is Hillsong with "Behold (Then Sings My Soul)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Higest" by Oswald Chambers is a great reminder to each of us!

The Exclusiveness Of Christ

Come unto Me. — Matthew 11:28

Is it not humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus! Think of the things we will not come to Jesus Christ about. If you want to know how real you are, test yourself by these words — “Come unto Me.” In every degree in which you are not real, you will dispute rather than come, you will quibble rather than come, you will go through sorrow rather than come; you will do anything rather than come the last lap of unutterable foolishness — “Just as I am.” As long as you have the tiniest bit of spiritual impertinence, it will always reveal itself in the fact that you are expecting God to tell you to do a big thing, and all He is telling you to do is to “come.”

“Come unto Me.” When you hear those words you will know that something must happen in you before you can come. The Holy Spirit will show you what you have to do, anything at all that will put the axe at the root of the thing which is preventing you from getting through. You will never get further until you are willing to do that one thing. The Holy Spirit will locate the one impregnable thing in you, but He cannot budge it unless you are willing to let Him.

How often have you come to God with your requests and gone away with the feeling — “Oh, well, I have done it this time!” And yet you go away with nothing, whilst all the time God has stood with outstretched hands not only to take you, but for you to take Him. Think of the invincible, unconquerable, unwearying patience of Jesus — “Come unto Me.”

AMEN! "JUST AS YOU ARE" means JUST THAT! JESUS is not looking for us to BECOME perfect by our own efforts. HE has already MADE US PERFECT - IN HIM! We can add nothing TO what JESUS has done and we can take noothing away from His wonderful, powerful work of REDEMPTION! What does HE say, and what should WE BE SAYING?

"ONLY BELIEVE" (Mark 5:36)!  

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "I Believe":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

GOD IS BEHIND YOUR INCREASE

1 Corinthians 3:7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Sometimes, we think that the increase or success which we enjoy is the result of our own efforts or hard work. Now, I am not advocating laziness, but the truth is that God is the one behind our increase.

We see this truth when we read the story of Ruth, a young widow from Moab, who worked as a gleaner in a barley field from morning till evening. Now, we could attribute the entire ephah—a substantial 10-day supply—of barley she collected at the end of the day to her hard work. After all, she did work all day in the field.

But when we read about how Boaz, the owner of the field, had secretly told his reapers to “let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean” (Ruth 2:16), we know that it was because of Boaz’s intervention that Ruth ended up with so much.

I believe that Jesus, our heavenly Boaz, does the same thing for us today. He causes people to favor us and “drop” blessings on us because He loves us. Then, He causes us to “pick up” these blessings. Often, it happens so seemingly naturally we forget that it is the Lord who has blessed us with the increases.

A church member who runs a florist business shared that once, God caused someone who needed a lot of flowers to “drop” a huge order with her. She also shared that she was hardly making any money even though she had been working hard for many years. But when she became a Christian after coming to our church, she began to confess every day that God’s favor was on her. Within a few weeks, that big order worth S$14,000 came in. Only God could have given her such a supernatural increase.

My friend, your hard work is not behind your increase. The Bible tells us that it is “God who gives the increase.” He is the one who is behind your increase and He delights in blessing you because He loves you!

AMEN! Our proclamation at The Spoken Word Church has always been: ANYTHING good in your life, give GOD the glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship! Anything bad in your life, DON'T BLAME GOD! He is ALWAYS in the increase, the abundance, the favor, the anointing, the deliverance! The ENEMY is the one who TRIES with all his might to bring death and destruciton into our lives. The GOOD NEWS? WE HAVE AUTHORITY! Refuse him access to your thought life and you WILL walk out with the VICTORY! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Look To The Son":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sharing Jerry Savelle's devotional again today because it is SO simple and SO good!

WHY QUIT?

If you knew, beyond a shadow of doubt, that your adversity was going to turn into a glorious victory, would you still quit?

What looks to be a total disaster, God can turn into a wonderful victory. He can turn your tears of sorrow into tears of joy. You can even have joy in your heart and laugh at the devil during every attack because you know that you have the victory and will come out stronger in the end!

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

Joseph went through great adversity, time after time, but ended up at the top of the nation! He held fast to the vision God had given him and saw it come to pass in the end.

I don’t know what kind of trial you’re going through today, but if you’ll be patient in it, then you will see the end of the Lord’s compassion and mercy. God can use the very thing that Satan has brought against you as a tool for deliverance and victory. In the natural, it may look like total disaster, but God can turn it into the greatest blessing you have ever experienced.

Choose to continue to stand because we have everything to gain by standing, and everything to lose by quitting. Why give up? Why quit believing the Word? The Word works!

Confession: I believe that every adversity in my life will turn around for my good. I will trust God and enjoy a great victory!

AMEN!!! Don't ever forget THIS wonderful promise from God found in Galatians 6:9:

9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.

AMEN! Let's run our race to WIN IT, with everything within us! Rewards are waiting at the end of our obedience! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Jeremiah 1:4-5 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. God had called Jeremiah and was revealing his calling!

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me [Jeremiah], saying, 5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

God has anointed and apointed each one of us with our own individual and unique race to run and purpose to fulfill! Jeremiah replied to the above with THIS in verse 6:

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am only a youth.

How did God respond to those doubts and fears? Verses 7-10:

7 But the Lord said to me, Say not, I am only a youth; for you shall go to all to whom I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Be not afraid of them [their faces], for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. 9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 See, I have this day appointed you to the oversight of the nations and of the kingdoms to root out and pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.

God not only calls us and anoints us, but He also fully equips us to run our race and fulfill our calling! Look at Psalm 139:14-16 from The Passion Translation:

14 I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! 15 You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place, carefully, skillfully shaping me from nothing to something. 16 You saw who you created me to be before I became me! Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book.

THIS is what God has also done in and for YOU! DARE to BELIEVE and RECEIVE all that God has prepared, provided and personally appointed to be active in YOUR life! TRUST HIM and be obedient to His instructions and YOU will hear "WELL DONE" from the Lord your God even BEFORE you see Him face to face! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today"s "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin has been a real blessing to me, and I hope to you, also!

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.

AMEN! Our prayer is our intimate communion with the God of all creation, the God of our salvation! It is a PRICELESS privilege to have this access to the ONE Who loves us more than anyone else EVER could! Treasure you time with HIM! Then come away from that time ready to carry out HIS instructions, plans and purposes, bringing GLORY to HIS Name! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" by Rick Renner has an excellent message that every born again believer MUST know in order to fulfill our calling, finish our race and live abundantly in our new and better Covenant!

A Promise to Overcomers

…To him that overcometh….  — Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26; 3:5; 3:12; 3:21

We all have things that we need to overcome in life — whether it’s trouble in relationships, weight gain, health issues, financial difficulties, problems at work, or mental attacks

in the mind. But regardless of what obstacles oppose us, Jesus called us to be committed to becoming an overcomer!

When He spoke to the Church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:7, Jesus cried out, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life….”

The subject of this Sparkling Gem is not the tree of life, as that would require an entire Sparkling Gem all by itself. But today we are looking at the word “overcometh” — a word that Christ used when He spoke to all seven churches in the book of Revelation. They were all called to be overcomers (see Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26; 3:5; 3:12; 3:21).

The word “overcometh” is the Greek word nikao, which denotes a victor, a champion, or one who possesses some type of superiority. Often this word was used to portray athletes who had gained the mastery of their sport and ultimately reigned supreme as champions in the competition. It might also refer to a military victory of one foe over the other. The word nikao can be translated to control, to conquer, to defeat, to master, to overcome, to overwhelm, to surpass, or to be victorious.

It is important to understand that the word nikao can describe either an athletic victory or a military victory. This means Jesus was conveying two messages. First, He told these early believers that the only way to defeat the foes they faced was for them to maintain the attitude of an athlete. To win the contest before them, they had to eliminate all spiritual apathy and prepare for the toughest competition they had ever engaged in. Nothing less than a full commitment would be sufficient to master the exterior adversaries and interior struggles they were facing. Whether Jesus’ imagery referred to a runner, wrestler, discus thrower, or any other type of First Century athlete, His message was clear: Only a thoroughly committed believer will win a victor’s crown.

Because the word nikao was also used militarily to depict the absolute crushing of an enemy, Jesus’ words held a second meaning: He was calling believers to rise up like an army to attack and defeat the external and internal enemies that threatened them. Spiritual complacency and the lack of passion were intolerable enemies of their faith that had to be conquered. They were to wage war against the weaknesses Christ had brought to their attention. Winning this victory would require the highest level of determination they had ever known, for apathy and complacency are always the most difficult enemies for a person or a church to conquer.

It must also be noted that the tense for “overcometh” speaks of a continuous and ongoing victory. This means Christ wasn’t urging these believers to run a temporary race or to fight a short-term battle. He was demanding a commitment to start and to remain in the race until the finish line was reached — to attack and defeat their foes and then to remain victorious over their enemies. Thus, Jesus was actually asking them, as He asks each of us, to be permanently and consistently undeterred in overcoming and obtaining victory in every area of their lives.

Christ commands believers throughout all generations to be overcomers. Christians are to make it their continual and unrelenting goal to maintain victory in every possible sphere of life as long as they live on this earth.

Have you made the commitment to be permanently and consistently undeterred in obtaining every victory in your life? Why not start by making that commitment right now?

How encouraging and exciting to KNOW that our God intends for us to walk in "continuous and ongoing VICTORY!" Let's do whatever it takes to get to that position of preparedness so that we are never taken by surprise by the enemy again! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle's website devotional for today contains another vital TRUTH for born again believers to know!

HEAVENLY PLACES

Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. And made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1:3 and 2:6 NKJV)

Although we are residents of Earth throughout the years of our natural lifetime, from our spiritual position in Christ we are with Him in the heavenly places.

What this means is, God will meet all of our needs now, while we are alive on Earth, just as if we were already in heaven. From a biblical standpoint, everything that Jesus has is available to us, for the Bible says, “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV).

Knowing this truth will enable you to never again view yourself from a position of trying to get something from God. He’s already given you everything you will ever need; your responsibility is to simply receive it.

First, be diligent to imagine yourself seated in heavenly places, unaffected by Adam’s curse: no poverty, no lack, no sickness, and no pain or depression; just an abundance of every good thing.

Second, begin to see yourself with the abundance that you actually have in heavenly paces. When you do, this abundance will start to manifest in the physical realm.

As you consistently perceive yourself as living in heavenly places, your natural circumstances will begin to change, coming into line with God’s Word that declares all of your need is supplied by His riches in Christ Jesus!

Confession: I am seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. In Him my every need is met, and I have an abundance to give to those in need. I receive all of the blessings that God has for me.

AS the underlined paragraph, above, says, it is OUR repsonsibility to receive, by faith, what God has already given to us! In order to do so, we must KNOW what belongs to us! There are no shortcuts to digging into the Word of God to find those wonderful blessings that are hidden FOR us. And remember always that it is the Word that we KNOW that will set us free and keep us free (John 8:32)! So let's get to it! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 92 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I wanted to share this very encouraging promise with all of you who, having received JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour, have been MADE the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD in HIM (2 Corinthians 5:21)! Psalm 92:12-14:

12 The 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.

When we truly believe 2 Corinthians 5:21, we can freely rest in the work that HE has done in us and for us! When we have that attitude, it will be so much easier for us to be led moment by moment and day by day by the Spirit of Almighty God Who lives IN us! We have been made new creations! The old sin-cursed man is dead and the new, reborn man is alive and eternal! Be bold in the work that God has already accomplished IN you and reach forth, as Paul did, to finish YOUR race and fullfill HIS plan for your life. The enemy is a liar and the father of all lies! Pay him no mind by renewing YOUR mind with the Word of the Living God! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Luke 12 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. I LOVE the promise of verses 31-32:

31 Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also. 32 Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!

Seek HIM first and HE will lead and guide and direct you along the path of BLESSING and ABUNDANCE in your life! Why? Because it brings HIM "good pleasure"! AMEN! Also, Psalm 91 in our Bible Plan for today is a powerful promise for the protection of God! 

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 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.

AMEN! Make YOUR confession of Psalm 91 promises over your life and the lives of your family! God will confirm His Word! Mark 16:20 tells us so!

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it).

TRUST Him to do the same for YOU! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Another In The Fire":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle's website devotional again.

He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Psalm 91:11 and Matthew 28:20 NKJV)

Your faith is the spiritual force that activates the supernatural protection that is yours in Christ. As a child of God, you have your Father’s promised presence and protection.

The only thing that can undermine your faith is fear, which can be described as “faith in the devil.” The devil has always tempted believers to fear, because fear gives him an open door into their lives and circumstances. That’s why, before Joshua went in to possess the Promised Land, God said, “I will not fail you or forsake you. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:5, 9 AMP).

Joshua could only take the Promised Land by refusing to fear, and to believe instead that he had the supernatural protection of His God, who would never fail or forsake him.

God has a plan and a purpose for your life. He has a land for you to take, a mission for you to accomplish. His promise is that He will be with you every step of the way to see you to your promised land.

You can rest secure in this promise of supernatural protection knowing that He is with you always—even to the end of the world.

Confession: I refuse to allow the devil to tempt me into fear about my present or future situations. God has a plan for me, and a promised land for me. God is with me every step of the way, providing His supernatural protection now and throughout the entire length of my days.

AMEN! God's plans for us are from before the foundation of the world and they are ALL and ONLY GOOD and FOR our good! Jeremiah 29:11 says this:

11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

We can TRUST Him! No one loves us more! Here is Hillsong with "King of Kings":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His  Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another great gauge of our spirituall maturity!

The “Go” Of Unconditional Identification

One thing thou lackest:…come, take up the cross, and follow Me. — Mark 10:21

The rich young ruler had the master passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never puts personal holiness to the fore when He calls a disciple; He puts absolute annihilation of my right to myself and identification with Himself — a relationship with Himself in which there is no other relationship. Luke 14:26 has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us know the absolute “go” of abandonment to Jesus.

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him.” The look of Jesus will mean a heart broken for ever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked at you? The look of Jesus transforms and transfixes. Where you are “soft” with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on your own way, certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, it is an indication that there are whole tracts of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.

“One thing thou lackest…” The only “good thing” from Jesus Christ’s point of view is union with Himself and nothing in between.

“Sell whatsoever thou hast…” I must reduce myself until I am a mere conscious man, I must fundamentally renounce possessions of all kinds, not to save my soul (only one thing saves a man — absolute reliance upon Jesus Christ), but in order to follow Jesus. “Come, and follow Me.” And the road is the way He went.

One thing I DO want to point out here, though, is that when JESUS told the rich, young ruler to "sell what you have and give to the poor", He did NOT say to sell what he had and give it ALL to the poor! JESUS was merely telling the young man to 'liquidate his assets' so that he would be free of the world and the hindrances that come from too clos an association with it. JESUS Himself had a treasurer because HE was involved in giving to the poor, supporting those whom He sent out to minister and was responsbile for the support of HIS 'support team'! This rich, young ruler could have had his own part of this wonderful of ministry of GIVING! If only he had possessed his riches without those riches possessing him! He COULD have been the greatest success story by becoming a giver! You and I can still, today, choose to BE a GIVER and reap the rewards of that! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle's devotional for today is a great lesson in NEVER giving up or quitting!

FROM DISASTER TO VICTORY

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. (Genesis 50:20 NKJV)

If you knew beyond a shadow of doubt your present adversity was going to turn into a glorious victory, would you give up and quit?

In the hands of God, the very thing that may look like a total disaster today can turn into a wonderful victory tomorrow. He can turn your tears of sorrow into tears of joy. And even while you are under attack, you can have joy in your heart and laugh at the devil because you know you already have the victory and will come out stronger in the end.

Joseph was a man who went through decades of adversity and unimaginable loss. But he held fast to a vision God had given him as a young man. In the end, Joseph saw that vision come to pass as he was put in charge of a nation.

I don’t know what trial you may be going through today, but if you will exercise your faith and allow patience to have her perfect work, you will experience the Lord’s compassion and mercy. In the natural, you may be facing a disaster. But God can use the very situation the devil has brought against you and turn it into the greatest blessing you have ever experienced.

Choose to continue standing in faith. You have everything to gain by standing, and everything to lose by quitting. Don’t give up. Don’t quit believing the Word. God’s Word will bring you from disaster to victory.

Confession: I believe God will turn every adversity and disaster in my life around for my good. I will stand in faith and trust God to bring me from disaster to victory.

AMEN! Quitting will NEVER be the right answer! Our God is ALWAYS in the VICTORY business! Let's continue to reach for the prize and give God the GLORY! AMEN! Here is Hillsong KIDS with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a very important message that Rick Renner covers beautifully in his "Sparkling Gems From The Greek Volume 2".

Last Days Deception

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. — 2 Timothy 4:3,4

Today I’d like to talk to you about what the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy right after exhorting him to stay by his post, regardless of the external pressures that would try to bump him off course. There is a strategic sequence to Paul’s words that apply specifically to the believers of this generation.

Paul went on to describe the unique challenge that believers would face as a last-days deception occurs inside the Church. He wrote that at the end of the age — in the period just before Jesus returns — large numbers of people in the Body of Christ would be led astray.

Remember — the Holy Spirit didn’t tell us this to scare us, but rather to prepare us so we would not succumb to these devil-inspired tactics to affect the Church in the very last of the last days. That makes the message of these verses particularly significant for those of us born into this present-day generation of the Church.

Paul wrote, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3,4). The word “time” in verse 3 was translated from the Greek word kairos, which depicts a specific season. Paul said, “This specific season shall come.” The tense is futuristic, pointing to a season in the future, or to events that will occur in the very last part of the last days.

In this end-times season, the Holy Spirit said increasing numbers of people in the Christian community “…will not endure sound doctrine…” (verse 3). Even now, this is taking place as many are gravitating toward teaching and preaching that is more motivational and psychological than Bible-based.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t indicate how many will be pulled in this wrong direction, but the word “they” in the Greek language implies large numbers of people. According to Paul’s prophetic utterance, a portion of the last-days Christian community will simply no longer endure the sound teaching of Scripture. In fact, the word “endure” is the Greek word anecho, which denotes no ability to put up with or to have no tolerance for.

The words “sound doctrine” in Second Timothy 4:3 are very telling. The Greek word for “sound” is hugiaino, and it indicates something that is wholesome and healthy and that produces a healthy state of being. The word “doctrine” refers to the long-held teachings and tenets of the Christian faith.

Thus, the Holy Spirit foretold of a specific end-time season when a segment of the Christian community would not only lose their appetite for sound doctrine, but they would also actually develop a distaste for it. Instead, they would acquire a distinct taste for doctrine that is unwholesome, preferring a self-help style of teaching over the teaching of sound doctrine.

In Second Timothy 4:3, Paul forecasted a moment when large numbers of people will no longer have a stomach for sound doctrine. Instead, “…after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears….” The word “lusts” describes desires or whims. In other words, this part of the verse could be translated, “But after their own desires shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”

Paul unequivocally stated that a generation will arise in the very last days that will reject age-tested truth in favor of teaching that is more in step with the times. According to the Holy Spirit, teachers will appear on the scene in a specific kairos season to satisfy the hankerings of a generation that adheres to the world’s progressive approach. What these spiritual leaders teach will appeal to people’s emotions and intellect instead of to the deepest part of their being where actual transformation takes place. Because these teachers will speak what the crowds want to hear, they will enjoy great popularity among this audience of listeners.

In Second Timothy 4:3, Paul went on to say that this last-days generation will “heap” to themselves such teachers. The word “heap” is the future active indicative tense of the Greek word episoreuo, which points to piles of “teachers” who will appease an end-time audience with messages to suit them and the whims of the times.

Paul said that these teachers will satisfy the “itching ears” of the people. The words “itching ears” is used figuratively to depict a person (or a crowd of people) who wants to hear something new as compared to what he has already heard and known. Having his “ears” filled with some- thing he wants to be told is the only thing that relieves this “itching-ear” syndrome.

As a result of this strange period that will develop in the last part of the last days, Paul said many “…shall turn their ears away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:4). This “turning away from the truth” is the rejecting of absolute biblical truth — the time-tested interpretation of the Word of God.

Is it possible we are currently witnessing this turning away from truth that the Holy Spirit predicted nearly 2,000 years ago? Are we seeing in our own day an accommodating attitude toward the world that produces a brand of Christianity that melds into the environment around it?

Paul wrote that an erring end-time group would discard fixed truth and replace it with “fables” — the Greek word for fantasies. By using the word “fables,” Paul inferred that what this group of last-days orators taught would resemble fantasy. These teachers would substitute “fables” for the authentic teaching of the Bible that calls for repentance from sin and a change of behavior that is befitting God’s Word.

The craving and demand for these fanciful messages by those with “itching ears” will produce large numbers of newly fashioned teachers with restyled messages. The mixture of truth and falsehood these teachers deliver will eventually lead a large segment of people into a distorted perception of who the Christ of Christianity really is.

You might say, “Brother Rick, that sounds like a lot of really bad news.” But I need to tell you that in the haze of this deception that Paul prophesied about, another group of spiritual leaders will arise. Paul wrote about these leaders, calling them “…blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Since there also will be a group of believers emerging who will hold to the ageless Word of Truth and proclaim its timeless teaching, let’s make sure that is the group to which we belong! In spite of the difficulties these men and women may endure for proclaiming the Bible as utter truth, they will nevertheless stand firm, their feet solidly planted on the integrity of God’s Word.

That, my friend, is the group you want to be a part of in these end times!

As I said at the beginning of today’s Sparkling Gem, Paul forecasted that a time would come when a deception would occur inside the Church — in the period just before Jesus comes. Again, the Holy Spirit did not tell us this to scare us — but to prepare us, lest we fall into this trap ourselves. It is time for us to dig our heels deep into the truth of God’s Word, refuse to budge from its life-transforming truths, and do all we can to teach and proclaim it to those around us!

This is SO true of the days in which WE are living! Stay steady and diligent with the Word of God and in intimate fellowship with the Spirit of God and you will be able to easily recognize the tricks, schemes and strategies of the enemy! Now is OUR time to shine with HIS glory, drawing people to HIM and the TRUTH! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Look To The Son":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share another "Gace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince:

LET THE LORD BE YOUR DEFENSE

Psalm 94:22 But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.

Imagine being a poor widow, a stranger in the land and holding one of the lowliest jobs in society. That was Ruth’s situation, so it would have been easy for her to feel vulnerable and defenseless. But because she trusted the Lord (see Ruth 1:16), He placed her under Boaz’s protection.

Boaz, the owner of the field she worked in, commanded his young men saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her” (see Ruth 2:15). What he was saying to his men was this: “She might be a gleaner, but because I care for her, treat her with respect and make sure she is not put to shame.”

Boaz is a picture of our Lord Jesus. If you are feeling vulnerable and defenseless right now, imagine Jesus commanding His angels, “Watch over this one who belongs to Me. Make sure he is treated with respect and not put to shame because he is someone I love and someone whom I died for.”

God’s Word tells us that if God is for us, who can be against us? (see Romans 8:31). No one who has set himself against us can prevail because when God is for us, His protection is upon us. That is why I have never answered any of the poison email messages which I have received in the course of my ministry.

My attitude is this: Jesus is my defense. If He does not defend me, it means that there are things in my life that are not to be defended, and I would be glad to find out about them now rather than later. On the other hand, because I take the Lord as my defense, and He defends me, what can those who are against me do to me?

When you defend yourself, you have only your two hands and your own human resources. But when you let Jesus take up your defense, He defends you with His nail-pierced hands and His legions of angels! The results will be amazing.

Beloved, the Lord is your defense and refuge. Trust Him to defend and provide for you!

AMEN! NO ONE can protect us better than JESUS! TRUST HIM! Here is Hillsong with "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince contains TRUTH that many believers simply do not understand! 

A GREATER BLESSING IS IN STORE FOR YOU

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Whenever the devil throws something at us, we need not lose hope. In fact, we can be sure that God will turn it around for our greater blessing because He is for us.

When God first made man, He gave man dominion over everything on earth. (Genesis 1:26) But when Adam fell, sin and death entered the world, and man lost his authority to the devil.

So did the devil win? No, God executed His redemption plan by sending His Son Jesus to die for us. And He wants us to know that Jesus’ death did more than just restore us to the same position that Adam had—it placed us in a much higher position!

When the Father raised Jesus from the dead, we who are in Christ were raised with Him. In other words, we are now seated with Him at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come”! (Ephesians 1:21) Adam never had this position. So through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have received so much more.

In the Old Testament, we read of how God brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. The devil thought that he could foil God’s plan by putting giants in the promised land to stop the Israelites from inheriting it. But God outsmarted the devil. He allowed the giants to build their homes and cities, dig wells and cultivate crops until the right time came. Then, He brought the Israelites into the land and evicted the giants!

So the Israelites ended up inheriting large beautiful cities which they did not build, houses full of all good things which they did not fill, hewn-out wells which they did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees which they did not plant! (Deuteronomy 6:10–11) Although the devil tried to prevent God’s plan for His people from coming to pass, they ended up receiving so much more!

Beloved, the devil may throw obstacles and evil circumstances at you, but God will turn those evil schemes around for your greater blessing because He is for you!

Meditate on YOUR position as a born again believer and dare to believe that you ARE who GOD says you are, HAVE what God says you have and CAN DO what God says you can do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!