Shalom,

Today I want to share "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin because I will be traveling and will miss it at Morning Prayer! 

Spirit Walk

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. — ROMANS 8:1

Conscience is the voice of the human spirit.

Reason is the voice of the soul, or the mind.

Feeling is the voice of the body.

The Holy Spirit does not bear witness with our reasoning. The Holy Spirit does not bear witness with our feelings. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits.

I’m very careful about using the word “feeling.” When we sense the Presence of God in a service, people often say, “I felt it.” But we really don’t feel it physically so much as we sense it spiritually. So I am careful to differentiate between the two, because people slip into the feeling realm so easily. Then, when they feel good, they say, “Glory to God! Hallelujah! I’m saved! I’m filled with the Spirit! Everything is fine!” But when they feel bad, they get a long face and they say, “I’ve lost it all. I don’t feel like I did, so I must be backslidden.”

If we go by feelings, we’ll get into trouble. That’s why so many Christians are up and down, in and out. (I call them yo-yo Christians.) They don’t walk by their spirits. They don’t walk in faith. They go by their feelings.

Confession: I walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. I don’t follow feelings. I don’t follow reason. I follow the voice of my spirit, my conscience!

AMEN! I hope that you will meditate onthis and make whatever adjustment you need to in oreder to stay on the top of your faith life! Here is Hillsong with "Awake My Soul":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

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

Saving You Is Jesus' Job Description

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20–21

The name “Jesus” is Yeshua in Hebrew, which contains an abbreviation for Yahweh, the name of God in Hebrew. So the name “Jesus” literally means “Yahweh is our Savior” or “The Lord is our Savior”! What a beautiful name!

Every time you call the name of Jesus, the name that is above every other name, you are calling God Himself to save you. Saving you is Jesus’ job description!

Whatever the challenge or circumstance, whatever crisis you are in—physically, financially, or emotionally—you can call on the name of Jesus and Almighty God Himself will save you!

My friend, you can take time to know the names of God, which He revealed under the old covenant, such as Elohim, El Shaddai, El Elyon, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rophe and Jehovah-Nissi. You can do a complete study on the names of God.

I am not against that at all. I teach on the names of God in my church as well, but all these names will mean nothing to you if you don’t know that God Almighty Himself, Jesus, wants to save you first from all your sins, then from all your challenges.

God can be all powerful, but if you are not confident that He is interested in your success, His power would mean nothing to you. So, you don’t have to memorize all the names of God from the old covenant. What you need is a full revelation that Jesus, in the new covenant, is your Savior!

What is Tiger Woods famous for? Golf! What is David Beckham famous for? Soccer! (He's also famous for product endorsements!) What is Jesus famous for? Saving you!

What do you need saving from today? See Him in your situation, rescuing, protecting, and providing for you!

AMEN! JESUS! HE is our focal pocal point! Our all in all! Our everything! Make Him YOURS today! Here are Hillsong Kids with "My Number One":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is one of my very favorites! 

Tender

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. — 1 TIMOTHY 4:2

Keep a tender conscience — don’t violate it — because it is your conscience, the voice of your spirit, that relates to your mind what the spirit of God is saying to you down inside. If you don’t keep a tender conscience, spiritual things will not be clear to you.

During the mid-’30s, I pastored a country church and usually spent Sunday nights in the home of a dear old gentleman who was about eighty-nine years old. He and I didn’t get up as early as the rest of his family on this farm, so we had breakfast together about 8 o’clock.

He’d have one of those old-fashioned coffee pots sitting on the woodstove with the coffee just boiling in it. I’ve seen him pour that boiling coffee into a mug, hold it up to his mouth, and drink the whole cup of boiling coffee in one gulp. The first time I saw him do it, I felt like I was burning all the way down!

How could he do that? I certainly couldn’t do it. My mouth and throat are so tender, one teaspoon of boiling coffee would have burned me. He couldn’t do it either, to begin with. But through the years, drinking boiling coffee had seared this man’s lips, mouth, and throat, until it was easy for him to drink the whole cup of boiling coffee in one gulp.

The same thing can happen spiritually. Keep a tender conscience. Stop the minute you miss it and your conscience condemns you. Say, “Lord, forgive me. I missed it.” Or if you need to, tell someone you have wronged, “I did wrong. Please forgive me.”

Confession: I keep my conscience tender.

AMEN! This is extremely vital in the world we are living in right now! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense - Sometimses By Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share from our partner Rick Renner's devotional, "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2".

DO NOT DENY THE FAITH

I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and how thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith…..— Revelation 2:13

Today I want to encourage you from the words Jesus used to address the believers in the first century who were also experiencing pressure to bow to society and its demands. Christ commanded the early believers to remain faithful in the face of opposition. It is the same message that He is speaking to Christians today!

Early believers were bombarded daily with opportunities to deny their faith. Yet, even in the face of these immense external pressures, there was always a core group of steadfast individuals who refused to waver in their commitment to Christ — and the same is true today. This company of believers simply would not cave in to the unrelenting intimidation brought against them. It was for this reason that Jesus declared, “…and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith”

The words “hast not” in this verse are a translation of the Greek word ouk, which essentially means no. However, the form of the word used in this verse is an exclamatory word expressing a strong, emphatic no. Thus, we see that the King James Version does not carry the full weight of the message conveyed in the Greek text, which actually reads as if Christ raised the volume and tone of His voice in order to make a resounding proclamation of these early believers’ commitment.

Christ continued by saying, “thou…hast not denied my faith…” The word “denied” is the Greek word arneo, which is usually translated to deny, to disown, to reject, to refuse, or to renounce. This word arneo commonly referred to a person who had become unfaithful in a relationship and subsequently disavowed, forsook, walked away from, and washed one’s hands of that other person. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology offers insight into the reasons behind such a total rejection: “The motive for denial is usually fear of others, fear of suffering ridicule or persecution, or anxiety about what others will think.”

As persecution intensified during the latter years of the First Century, some believers chose to deny Jesus and abandon their faith in order to escape tribulation. Fear of other people’s opinions and ridicule, fear of persecution, and even fear of death were all factors that contributed to this decision. Jesus, however, chose not to address these defectors in Revelation 2:13. Instead, He raised His voice to affirm the faithful core who did not disavow Him in their time of struggle. When Jesus said, “…thou…hast not denied…,” He was essentially saying, “When you had the opportunity to break your vow and walk away, you did not do it.”

Notice that Christ specifically said, “thou…hast not denied my faith…” In the Greek text, there is an emphasis on this phrase “my faith” that reveals how Jesus truly feels about the message of the Gospel. These words are the Greek phrase ten pisten mou, which could literally be translated the faith of me. Of course, in English, the order of these words doesn’t make much sense, but in the Greek, this phrasing is deliberate and logical.

The first word in the phrase ten pisten mou is the word ten, which simply means the. This word is a definite article, which always points to something very specific. In this instance, it appears directly in front of the word pisten, which is the Greek word for faith. Therefore, when these two words are used in conjunction with one another, they denote a specific set of beliefs, a specific doctrine, a specific creed, or a specific faith. It clearly refers to the faith or the body of truth comprising the New Testament. It was this truth that Satan hated and wanted to destroy, and it was this truth that these dedicated believers refused to deny.

In order to convey how personally He feels about the faith, Jesus followed the word pisten (“faith”) with the word mou, which is the Greek word for “my.” Like its English counterpart, mou always denotes ownership and possession. When mou is used in conjunction with the phrase ten pisten, an accurate translation could read my faith, the faith that belongs to me, or the faith that I hold closely.

The Gospel not only comes from Christ, but it is also firmly in His possession. Jesus is the Originator, the Giver, and the ultimate Supervisor of the faith; therefore, it is incredibly precious to Him.

We are the recipients of the truth of the Gospel and its amazing benefits, but Christ is the One who paid for it with His blood to make it available. What One bleeds for, another lives for — and Christ shed His own blood for the truth of which we freely partake.

Even if the spirit of our age tries to lure us into modifying the message of the Gospel to pacify the shifting whims of our society, we must firmly proclaim the faith in its purest form. The faith didn’t originate with us, and we don’t have the right to modify it in any way.

You are destined to live as a shining light in the midst of a lost generation. But that destiny can only be fulfilled as you hold fast to the truth of Jesus Christ and refuse to compromise your stance or conform to the world, regardless of any pressure you face to do otherwise. THAT is something for you to think about — and to make a rock-solid decision about TODAY !

AMEN! I pray that you will meditate on this and make whatever adjustments are necessary in order to run YOUR race and complete the plans anbd pusposes that God has for you to do! Here is Hillsong with "One Thing":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Our Spoken Word Church website devotional for today is really vital!

Feed Your Faith Daily

Faith is your trust and confidence in the God of the Bible. Sometimes it is weak or may even seem nonexistent. At other times, it may be powerful and incredibly strong. It depends on the food you feed it.

Faith is a tool. A key. A weapon. A tool to create a future. A key to unlock God's storehouse of blessing. The weapon that defeats Satan. Faith comes when you hear God talk. Listen today to the Holy Spirit. Listen to the Word of God. Listen to anointed people of God.

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." {Romans 10:17}

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "The First and the Last":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 25 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and this Psalm has always been very special to me! First we have this praise/prayer to the Lord in verses 1-3:

1 Unto You, O Lord, do I bring my life. 2 O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or [my hope in You] be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me. 3 Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed; let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause.

God always answers prayer that is according to His will and His Word IS His will! Then we have this prayer that I pray and recommend that every believer pray BEFORE they begin their daily study of the Word. Verses 4-5:

4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. 5 Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

AMEN! THAT is a prayer that He will definitely answer! HE wants US to know HIM and HIS WORD! Pray this, then dig in adn get ready to have the eyes of YOUR understanding enlightened to KNOW His Word! Then verses 12-15 tell us what belongs to those who fear, revere and worship the LORD! 

12 Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose. 13 He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land. 14 The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

HALLELUJAH! It doesn't cost to love, serve and obey the Lord Jesus! IT PAYS! Get ready! This is about to be a MOST EXCITING ride for you when YOU decide to go "all in" for JESUS! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional which we are going through at Morning Prayer every day at The Spoken Word Church. 

Conscience

. . . While as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. . . . How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? — HEBREWS 9:8, 9, 14

Is your conscience a safe guide?

Yes it is, if your spirit has become a new man in Christ. Remember Second Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” That’s talking about the inward man, the spirit of man. Your conscience is the voice of your spirit speaking to you. If your spirit is a new man in Christ, with the life and nature of God in it, then it is a safe guide.

A person who has never been born again could not follow the voice of his spirit, or conscience, because his unregenerate spirit would have the nature of the devil in it. His conscience would permit him to do anything.

When you have the life and nature of God in you, your conscience will not permit you to do just anything. When you are a born-again Christian, the Spirit of God is living and abiding in your spirit!

Confession: I am a new man in Christ, with the life and nature of God abiding in my spirit. Therefore, my conscience is a safe guide.

AMEN! Learn to follow what you are sensing on the inside when you spend time daily in fellowship with HIM by His Spirit Who lives IN you! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 23 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I want to share this with you today from the Classic Amplified Bible!

A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. 2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. 3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake. 4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over. 6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

Read this, and then read it again! Now read Joshua 1:8 from the Amplified Bible.

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

THIS is God's method for us to gain faith and build it stronger! THEN we shall deal wisely and have GOOD SUCCESS! So let's get to it! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share again from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. 

Sanctification

Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us…sanctification. — 1 Corinthians 1:30

The Life Side.

The mystery of sanctification is that the perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to me, not gradually, but instantly when by faith I enter into the realisation that Jesus Christ is made unto me sanctification. Sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made mine manifestly.

The one marvellous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is “Christ in you.” It is His wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification, and imparted by faith as a sovereign gift of God’s grace. Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real in me as it is in His word?

Sanctification means the impartation of the Holy qualities of Jesus Christ. It is His patience, His love, His holiness, His faith, His purity, His godliness, that is manifested in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in Him, and He manifests it in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation. Imitation is on a different line. In Jesus Christ is the perfection of everything, and the mystery of sanctification is that all the perfections of Jesus are at my disposal, and slowly and surely I begin to live a life of ineffable order and sanity and holiness “Kept by the power of God.”

HALLELUJAH! HE has done with great work IN US! Rejoice every day that the GREATER ONE lives IN you! Here is Hillsong with "I Will Boast In Christ":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another extremely valuable lesson!

Learn to Listen

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come...he will shew you things to come" (John 16:13).

A minister friend of mine had three serious automobile accidents in less than ten years. People were killed in these accidents. His wife was almost killed, and the minister himself was seriously injured. Both he and his wife were healed by the hand of God.

When he heard me teaching along these lines of listening to your spirit, the inward witness, he said, "Brother Hagin, every one of those accidents could have been avoided if I had listened to that inward intuition."

Yet people will argue, "I just don't know why those accidents happened to a good Christian. He's a preacher."

Well, he had to learn to listen to his spirit just like you had to learn to listen to yours.

People want to blame God and say that God did these things. But as this preacher told me, "If I had listened to the inward intuition I had that something was about to happen, I would have waited and prayed. Instead, I said, 'I'm busy. I don't have time to pray.'"

Many times, if we had waited on God when we had that inward witness, God would have shown us things, and we could have avoided problems. But let's not moan and groan about our past failures. Let's take advantage of our present opportunities, and make sure that we follow our inward witness in the future.

Let's learn to develop our spirit, and learn to listen to it, and then obey it.

Confession: I am becoming spirit-conscious. I am developing my spirit. And I am listening to it!

AMEN! Holy Spirit is ALWAYS speaking to us to lead, guide and direct us in all the affairs of our lives! Pay attention and you, too, can avoid all of the schemes, tricks, traps and evil plans of the enemy! Here is Hillsong with "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Psalm in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is enlightening! Psalm 20:4-9:

4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans. 5 We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are bowed down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. 9 O Lord, give victory; let the King answer us when we call.

AMEN! Learn to trust in the Lord with all of YOUR heart and expect extraordinary manifestations of HIS Glory, Might, Honor and Power! All of it is for YOU! For all of those who belong to HIM! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide ":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Dependent On God’s Presence

They that wait upon the Lord…shall walk, and not faint. — Isaiah 40:31

There is no thrill in walking; it is the test of all the stable qualities. To “walk and not faint” is the highest reach possible for strength. The word “walk” is used in the Bible to express the character — John, “looking upon Jesus as He walked, said, Behold the Lamb of God!” There is never any thing abstract in the Bible, it is always vivid and real. God does not say — “Be spiritual,” but — “Walk before Me.”

When we are in an unhealthy state physically or emotionally, we always want thrills. In the physical domain this will lead to counterfeiting the Holy Ghost; in the emotional life it leads to inordinate affection and the destruction of morality; and in the spiritual domain if we insist on getting thrills, on mounting up with wings, it will end in the destruction of spirituality.

The reality of God’s presence is not dependent on any place, but only dependent upon the determination to set the Lord always before us. Our problems come when we refuse to bank on the reality of His presence. The experience the Psalmist speaks of — “Therefore will we not fear, though.…” will be ours when once we are based on Reality; not the consciousness of God’s presence but the reality of it — “Why, He has been here all the time.”

At critical moments it is necessary to ask guidance, but it ought to be unnecessary to be saying always — “O Lord, direct me here, and there.” Of course He will! If our commonsense decisions are not His order, He will press through them and check; then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence.

AMEN! What a BLESSED LIFE we are all living now! Here is Hillsong with "Resurrender": 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. We have been restablishing foundational teaching by going through this wonderful devotional this year in Morning Prayer. Our foundations are strong and Holy Spirit has built layer upon layer of added strength, wisdom and understanding by our consistency in the Word and prayer! Here is today's:

Inside Signals

Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? — JOB 38:36

God led us to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma, by an inward witness in the late 1960s. Our home had been in Garland, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, for seventeen years. And we had no plans to move. In fact, since our ministry was growing, I had it all planned just how we would turn our entire house into an office (we were operating the ministry out of our den and garage), and even how we could build additional facilities on our property, if necessary.

Then we went to Tulsa on business. A friend, in whose home we were staying, said to me, “Brother Hagin, you need to move to Tulsa. And I’ve got just the place for you! Brother T. L. Osborn’s old office building is for sale, and they’ve asked me to sell it. Come on, I want to show it to you.” (Several people had tried to buy it, but the deals always fell through, so the building was still empty.)

I wasn’t much interested, to tell the truth. But I thought, Just out of respect for my friend, I’ll go.

The minute I walked into that building, it was just like someone had rung a bell or set off a buzzer on the inside of me. Sometimes the inward witness is like that. A buzzer went off in my spirit — right down in my belly. It’s difficult to describe, but you just know it was inside, in your spirit. This was God confirming that He wanted this building for my ministry.

Confession: The Holy Spirit dwells in my spirit. Wisdom is in my inward parts. Understanding is in my heart. And I listen to my heart.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from our Spoken Word Church website devotional because it is simple yet very vital! 

Accept the Unexplainable

You can select your miracle, but only God can choose the method or means by which He sends it to you. Jesus used clay and spittle in the healing of the blind man. Filling up water pots to create wine at the marriage of Cana. His methods are puzzling, unpredictable and always illogical to the natural mind of man. Those who argue over the methods of God rarely receive the miracles of God.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." {Isaiah 55:8-9}

Dare to believe every promise you find in the Word of God! Dare to believe that YOU are exactly who HE says you are! Expand your vision to agree with God and watch as HE confirms His Word of you with signs, wonders and miracles! For HIS honor and glory! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today! EXCELLENT!

Light My Candle

For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. — PSALM 18:28

Sometimes even though the inward witness is there, people don’t recognize it.

For example, I would be praying in tongues about the Sunday morning services in the church I was pastoring, and a burden for that church I had previously pastored, would rise up in me.

(Remember, when we pray in tongues, our spirit prays — and the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.) That kept happening. After about thirty days, I said, “Lord, are You talking to me about going back there? If so, talk to my wife about it too.”

One morning I said to Oretha, “Honey, if the Lord says anything to you, let me know.” Then I waited another thirty days before I asked her, “Has the Lord been talking to you?”

She said, “If He has, I don’t know it.”

I got a little more specific about it. “Has the Lord said anything to you about going back to _________?”

“Oh,” she said. “I thought that was just me.”

Let’s analyze that statement. When she said “me,” if she meant the flesh, that wouldn’t be right. But if she meant the real “me” — the man on the inside, which is the candle of the Lord — then it wasn’t just her. It was the Lord lighting the candle!

AMEN! Learn HIS voice and you will NEVER be led astray! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Jerry Savelle's devotional found on his website!

OUR DISTINGUISHING MARK

Walking in love should be the distinguishing mark of a believer. We represent Christ to the world. The world needs something to see before they can believe. That is why God wants us to walk in love.

The world can’t see Christ, but they can see you. If they see something in you that they don’t have, then there’s a strong possibility that they will want what you’ve got.

The world is controlled by sense knowledge. Knowledge that is gained through the five physical senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. The world has to see something before they can believe it. That is the reason why Jesus gave us a distinguishing mark, something that can be seen and that is love. You represent Jesus. What people see in your life is the image that they will have of Christ. If you are walking in love, then they will be drawn to Him.

Think about the word “Christian.” It means like Christ. You and I are to be like Christ. We are to walk in His love. But if we are selfish, self-centered, moody, or jealous, then they are going to think that is what Christ is like. But if we walk in love and if we are willing to go the extra mile with people, then they are going to think that this must be the way Jesus is.

The world will never see the love of God until believers demonstrate it in their lives. You can quote John 3:16 to them all day long, but if they never see God’s love operating in you, then they will never become persuaded to follow Him. When the love of God is flowing through you, then the world can’t help but notice!

AMEN!

Now I want to share with you the mmost powerful translation of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 that I have ever seen! This is an Interpretive Translation shared by our partner, Rick Renner, who is also a Greek scholar! Use THIS gauge as you determine where you may need improvement in YOUR 'love walk'! Remember, LOVE NEVER FAILS! 

The following is an expanded interpretive translation of First Corinthians 13:4-8:

“Love patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed;

Love doesn’t demand others to be like itself; rather, it is so focused on the needs of others that it bends over backwards to become what others need it to be;

Love is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with itself that it never thinks of the needs or desires that others possess;

Love doesn’t go around talking about itself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make it look more important in the sight of others;

Love does not behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner;

Love is not rude and discourteous–it is not careless or thoughtless, nor does it carry on in a fashion that would be considered insensitive to others;

Love does not manipulate situations or scheme and devise methods that will twist situations to its own advantage;

Love does not deliberately engage in actions or speak words that are so sharp, they cause an ugly or violent response;

Love does not deliberately keep records of wrongs or past mistakes;

Love does not feel overjoyed when it sees an injustice done to someone else but is elated, thrilled, ecstatic, and overjoyed with the truth;

Love protects, shields, guards, covers, conceals, and safeguards people from exposure;

Love strains forward with all its might to believe the very best in every situation;

Love always expects and anticipates the best in others and the best for others;

Love never quits, never surrenders, and never gives up;

Love never disappoints, never fails, and never lets anyone down.”

AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Love On The Line":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 14 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is one of my favorites!

To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David.

1 The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right. 2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity]. 3 They are all gone aside, they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one. 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? 5 There they shall be in great fear [literally—dreading a dread], for God is with the generation of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright and in right standing with Him). 6 You [evildoers] would put to shame and confound the plans of the poor and patient, but the Lord is his safe refuge. 7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord shall restore the fortunes of His people, then Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

Remember that the Word of God is TRUTH! That means that everyone who says there is no God is an "empty headed fool"! Let's NOT be that! Instead, Let's be those who are so looking forward to the Lord restoring our fortunes! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Bright As The Sun":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am going to share again from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional. This is another vital message to get inside! 

The Account With Persecution

But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. — Matthew 5:39

These verses reveal the humiliation of being a Christian. Naturally, if a man does not hit back, it is because he is a coward; but spiritually if a man does not hit back, it is a manifestation of the Son of God in him. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but make it an occasion to exhibit the Son of God. You cannot imitate the disposition of Jesus; it is either there or it is not. To the saint personal insult becomes the occasion of revealing the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not — Do your duty, but — Do what is not your duty. It is not your duty to go the second mile, to turn the other cheek, but Jesus says if we are His disciples we shall always do these things. There will be no spirit of — “Oh, well, I cannot do any more, I have been so misrepresented and misunderstood.” Every time I insist upon my rights, I hurt the Son of God; whereas I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I take the blow myself. That is the meaning of filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. The disciple realises that it is his Lord’s honour that is at stake in his life, not his own honour.

Never look for right in the other man, but never cease to be right yourself. We are always looking for justice; the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is — Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.

I have had people over the years ask me why I never defend myself when people have spread lies or misinformation about me or judged me incorrectly. My asnwer is that I ANSWER ONLY to JESUS! If others do not like me or agree with me, they are free too find someone that they can relate to! I am NOT here to make people 'like' Christianity or Christians! I am here, for such a time as this, to PREACH the WORD, SHARE the TRUTH, PRAY for others and run my race that HE has set before me! Remember, there are NO rewards in Heaven for pleasing ANYONE other than JESUS! Be a DOER of HIS WORD and of that of HOLY SPIRIT! THEN we will reach people with the TRUTH! Not everyone is 'reachable' by YOU, but our GREAT GOD will find and send the RIGHT person to those we pray for! Be ready! It just MIGHT be YOU! HALLELUJAH!!! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers has a message that is often missed by many, but is of vital importance to our continued intimate fellowship with JESUS! 

The Price Of Vision

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord. — Isaiah 6:1

Our soul’s history with God is frequently the history of the “passing of the hero.” Over and over again God has to remove our friends in order to bring Himself in their place, and that is where we faint and fail and get discouraged. Take it personally: In the year that the one who stood to me for all that God was, died — I gave up everything? I became ill? I got disheartened? or — I saw the Lord?

My vision of God depends upon the state of my character. Character determines revelation. Before I can say “I saw also the Lord,” there must be something corresponding to God in my character. Until I am born again and begin to see the Kingdom of God, I see along the line of my prejudices only; I need the surgical operation of external events and an internal purification.

It must be God first, God second, and God third, until the life is faced steadily with God and no one else is of any account whatever. “In all the world there is none but thee, my God, there is none but thee.”

Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision.

AMEN! I have shared many times the Hillsong Kids' praise song "My Number One", which is addressed to JESUS about HIM being the MOST important person in our lives! Even parents should relaize that when JESUS is their children's top priority, THEY will be in their proper place also! If our children are disrespecting their GODLY parents, then JESUS is most certainly NOT their "#1"! Here is that song, to remind YOU, as a child of the Living God, to make HIM yours! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to encourage you with THIS from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations".

Condemnation Is the Deepest Root

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus . . . let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Hebrews 10:19, 22

Most of us are aware that stress is the cause of many sicknesses and diseases. Experts have also identified fear as the cause of stress. But do you know that the deepest and most insidious root of many of our problems exists in the spiritual realm, and that it can only be destroyed by the power of Jesus’ finished work?

My friend, the deepest root of many of the troubles that afflict us is condemnation. It all began in the garden of Eden when the first man, Adam, sinned, incurring a guilty conscience and condemnation. Your conscience is that which is within you that knows good and evil, and it knows that when there is sin, there must be punishment for it.

The Bible calls a conscience that is perpetually conscious of sin, failure, and condemnation an “evil conscience,” which, without the blood of Jesus, there is no escape from. Unfortunately, many believers unknowingly carry with them an evil conscience that robs them of intimacy with God, and it is this constant sense of condemnation that is at the root of many of their afflictions.

You see, Satan, whose name in Hebrew literally means “the accuser,” is a prosecutor at law and an expert at condemning you. He is always pointing out your faults and shortcomings. That is why the Bible calls him “the accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10).

Even when you do something right, the accuser will say, “It’s not good enough.” Like the constant sound of dripping water, he will keep on accusing and spewing condemnation toward you. His crowning achievement is to bring about accusations in your life that you think are from God.

Many a time, believers under condemnation think that it is the Holy Spirit convicting them of their sins and pointing out their faults. They begin to entertain negative thoughts about themselves. They begin to believe that they ought to have negative feelings about themselves because of all their sins and unworthiness. Hence, the devil’s objective is to bring about condemnation in your life, concealing it in a fog of deception, so that you would be the last person to think that you are under condemnation.

The world has no solution for the enemy’s tactics, but as believers, we do. We have the power of the finished work of Jesus. His blood was shed and He was condemned on our behalf, so that we will never need to live in condemnation. By the grace of God, we can have a good conscience that is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, and instead of being sin-conscious, we can be forgiveness-conscious.

The Word of God says that “worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins” (Hebrews 10:2). Today, we can always be conscious of our righteousness in Christ Jesus, even when we fail, and draw near to God with a “true heart in full assurance of faith” that God is not angry with us. Beloved, because of Jesus Christ and the power of His finished work, you can reject any accusation, guilt, and condemnation thrown at you by the devil and by your own heart!

Today, when you approach the Father, when you look to Him to meet your needs, be conscious that your heart has been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience with the blood of Jesus. That is amazing grace—you can have forgiveness-consciousness and draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith!

AMEN! Here is one of my favorite songs from Hillsong that covers this TRUTH! "You Saw Me":

Shalom in Him!